US 5,287,565 AGranted

Water saving dispensing device

AssigneeAqua Smart, Inc.

InventorsC. David Auman, Jack L. Martin

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Abstract

A simple yet inexpensive device is presented which is used to divide the water normally supplied to the spill tube and gooseneck reservoir of a commode. Dividing the water supplied to the spill tube and diverting a substantial portion of that water to a holding tank of a commode saves water that is normally unnecessarily fed directly down the drain in the refilling process. The device is a small plastic insert that has a generally rectangular main body. At one end of this main body is a horizontal inlet tube. At the bottom of the main body are a number of lower vertical outlet tubes. In order to evenly disperse the inlet water among the vertical outlet tubes, the upper mouth of the vertical outlet tubes is constricted by narrowing the diameter of the mouth with respect to the inner diameter of the inlet tube. Water is thus distributed evenly among the lower outlet tubes. By changing the number of lower outlet tubes that feed water to the spill tube or holding tank, the correct proportion of water supplied to the gooseneck may be obtained.

Claims20

Dependent claims

In a flush closet including a toilet bowl and a toilet tank for supplying flush water to the bowl, the tank having a main conduit for supplying water from a water supply source to the tank and bowl after each flush, the main conduit feeding a first supply line for supplying the tank with water after a flush and a second supply line for supplying the toilet bowl with water after a flush, the second supply line dispensing water into a spill tube in fluid communication with the bowl, the improvement comprising a water saving device for dividing the flow of water from the second supply between the spill tube and the tank, said device comprising an elongate manifold having an inlet connected to the end of the second supply line, an elongate chamber in fluid communication with the inlet for receiving water from the inlet, and a plurality of outlet ports arranged in a row extending generally lengthwise of the manifold and spaced at intervals along the length of the manifold in fluid communication with the chamber, the manifold having a plurality of outlet tubes extending laterally from the manifold at spaced intervals, one for each port of the manifold, along the length of the manifold, said outlet tubes having spaces therebetween with each space having a width greater than the thickness of the wall of the spill tube for interfitting of the device with the upper end of the spill tube, said outlet tubes having means on the outside thereof for frictionally gripping the wall of the spill tube for holding the device in a generally secure position with respect to the spill tube, the device as applied to the upper end of the spill tube having at least one of the outlet tubes extending down into the upper end of the spill tube with the wall of the spill tube extending into the space between said at least one outlet tube and an adjacent one of the outlet tubes and being engaged by said engagement means, said outlet tubes delivering a portion of the water from the second supply line into the spill tube and delivering the remainder into the tank.

A water saving device for use in a flush closet of the type including a toilet bowl and a toilet tank for supplying flush water to the bowl, the tank having a main conduit for supplying water from a water supply source to the tank and bowl after each flush, the main conduit feeding a first supply line for supplying the tank with water after a flush and a second flexible supply line for supplying the toilet bowl with water after a flush, the second supply line dispensing water into a spill tube in fluid communication with the bowl, the device comprising an elongate manifold having an inlet adapted for insertion thereof in the end of the second supply line for relatively sealed interconnection of the second supply line with the manifold, the manifold having an elongate chamber in fluid communication with the inlet for receiving water from the inlet, a plurality of outlet tubes extending laterally from the manifold at spaced intervals along the length of the manifold, said outlet tubes having spaces therebetween for receiving the wall of a spill tube in the tank, said manifold having a series of outlet ports, one for each outlet tube, for flow of water from said chamber into and through the outlet tubes, said outlet tubes having means on the outside thereof for frictionally gripping the wall of the spill tube, whereby the device may be applied to the upper end of the spill tube with at least one of the outlet tubes extending down into the upper end of the spill tube with the wall of the spill tube extending between adjacent outlet tubes and being engaged by said engagement means and with another one of said outlet tubes extending down on the outside of the spill tube for delivering a portion of the water from the second supply line into the spill tube and delivering the remainder into the tank.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.