Device for refilling and emptying lavatory flushing cisterns

A flushing device adapted to be mounted within a lavatory cistern, comprising

• (i) a filling system for filling a lavatory cistern comprising a cistern inlet valve and a hydraulic closure means;
• (ii) an emptying mechanism for partially or completely draining said lavatory cistern of water stored therein;
• (iii) control means for simultaneously operating both said cistern inlet valve and said emptying mechanism;
• (i)(a) a body having a horizontal axis,
• (i)(b) an inlet adapted to be connected to a supply of water under pressure,
• (i)(c) a horizontal valve slidably mounted within said body from an open to a closed position in which the closed position does not permit water to pass from said inlet into said cistern, and the open position permits water to pass from said inlet into said cistern,
• wherein said hydraulic closure means comprises first floatation means adapted to float at the surface of water in said cistern and operatively connected to said cistern inlet valve such that said horizontal valve is urged into said closed position when said floatation means rises to a predetermined point at which the cistern is substantially full of water;
• wherein said emptying mechanism for partially or completely draining said lavatory cistern further comprises:
• (ii)(a) a cistern drain valve having a completely open, partially open and fully closed position, in which the fully closed position does not permit water stored in said cistern to drain therefrom, the completely open position permits substantially all of said stored water to drain from said cistern;
• and said partially open position permits only a portion of said stored water to drain from said cistern;
• (ii)(b) releasable means for locking said cistern drain valve such that it can open only to said partially open position and not to said completely open position;
• wherein said control means for simultaneously operating both said cistern inlet valve and said emptying mechanism includes separate controls for selecting a weak flush or a heavy flush such that
• (iii)(a) operating either of said separate controls causes said horizontal valve to slide from said closed position to said open position;
• (iii)(b) operating said separate control for selecting a weak flush also causes said cistern drain valve to open but does not release said releasable locking means, thereby causing said cistern drain valve to open to its partially open position and permitting only a partial draining of water stored in said cistern;
• (iii)(c) operating said separate control for selecting a heavy flush causes said cistern drain valve to open and releases said locking means, thereby causing said cistern drain valve to open to its completely open position and permitting a substantially complete draining of water stored in said cistern.