US 5,173,971 A · Replacement flush valve

Abstract

An assembly is provided for replacing part or all of a toilet flush valve, which facilitates mounting in a variety of toilets and which enables saving of water. The assembly includes an adapter (30, FIG. 6) for mounting on older types of overflow tubes, which includes a ring member (70) having a gap (72) and a leaf spring (80) extending across the gap. After the adapter is moved down along the overflow tube and lies at its base, the spring is pushed in to cause a hook (84) at one end to ride along a ramp (90) from a second tooth (88) to a third tooth (92) and engage the third tooth, to tightly clamp the ring member in place to prevent turning. A closing delay cup (116, FIG. 9) that can be used on a valve member, includes a plurality of holes and at least one plug (126) that is molded to the cup and can be cut off and used to plug one of the holes (120) to adjust the amount of water saved in each flushing. A valve member includes a tank ball having an enlargement (160, FIG. 12) at its top which is received in a yoke, in a universal joint that allow for limited pivoting of the tank ball to seal against valve seats of varying height and tilt.

Claims4

Dependent claims

A toilet flush valve member for use in a water closet having a flush valve with a valve seal, comprising:

a yoke having an inner portion with a pair of arms that can be pivotally mounted in the water closet about an axis spaced from said valve seat, and having an outer portion;
a tank ball forming a float for floating on water in the water closet, and forming a seating surface for sealing against said valve seat, said tank ball having a largely vertical axis and being mounted on said yoke outer portion in a universal joint that allows said tank ball axis to tilt a plurality of degrees in any direction from the vertical;
said tank ball has an upper end and has an upstanding post at said upper end with an enlargement at the top of said post, said enlargement forming a largely downwardly-facing shoulder;
said yoke outer portion has a plurality of resilient tabs with upper edges abutting said shoulder;
said tabs having lower ends spaced from said post, and said tank ball float having a top spaced below said yoke outer end, to allow said tank ball to pivot on said enlargement.

2 more elements

A toilet flush valve for use in a water closet to seal and unseal from a flush valve seat, wherein the flush valve includes a valve member with an inner end portion for pivotal mounting in the water closet about a largely horizontal axis and a buoyant outer end portion which forms a sealing surface centered on an imaginary largely vertical seal axis when the outer portion has pivoted down, for sealing against the valve seat, characterized by:

said valve member includes a first part forming at least part of said inner end portion and a second part forming at least part of said outer end portion, with said outer part forming said sealing surface;
said second part is coupled to said first part in a universal joint that allows said second part to tilt a plurality of degrees in any direction with respect to said inner part, to allow said sealing surface to pivot to a position to seal tightly against said valve seat;
said second part has a largely downwardly facing shoulder and said inner part forms at least three locations that each can pivotally support said shoulder independently of at least one other of said locations, so when said second part tilts said shoulder lifts off at least one of said locations, whereby to minimize pivoting friction.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Replacement flush valve

Life of this patent

Replacement flush valve

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims4