Flush relief valve having improved vacuum breaker

An improved plumbing system for delivering a predetermined amount of fluid comprising a diaphragm flush valve having a body provided with an inlet section forming an inlet chamber connectable to a pressurized water supply and provided with an outlet section forming an outlet chamber through which the fluid exits said diaphragm flush valve, a relief valve having a relief valve sleeve circumscribing a relief valve stem and separating said inlet chamber and said outlet chamber to permit flow of the fluid from said inlet chamber into said outlet chamber upon activation of said relief valve by a plunger pin, a discharge pipe attached to said outlet section to receive the fluid exiting said diaphragm flush valve, the improvement to which comprises

• (a) said improved plumbing assembly further comprising a vacuum breaker assembly positioned in said discharge pipe to receive the fluid flowing from said diaphragm flush valve and through said discharge pipe, said vacuum breaker assembly having an elastomeric inner liner forming an upstream opening and forming lip seals having at least one openable slit at the discharge end, wherein said elastomeric inner liner contains two openings each spaced a different distance from said lip seals and positioned between said upstream opening and said at least one openable slit to permit over a time period of at least about one second for substantially all of any water in said outlet chamber to drain therefrom when said at least one openable slit is closed, and
• (b) said sleeve member being constructed to have a density less than said fluid.

A method for operation of an improved plumbing assembly comprising a diaphragm flush valve having a body provided with an inlet section forming an inlet chamber connectable to a pressurized water supply and provided with an outlet section forming an outlet chamber through which the fluid exits said diaphragm flush valve, a relief valve separating said inlet chamber and said outlet chamber to permit flow of the fluid from said inlet chamber into said outlet chamber upon activation of said relief valve by a plunger pin, a discharge pipe attached to said outlet section to receive the fluid exiting said diaphragm flush valve, said relief valve comprising a relief valve stem and a relief valve sleeve member, in combination with one another, at least one of which having timing means to require the time for said sleeve member to travel from a first position wherein said sleeve member is out of operative contact with the diaphragm flush valve plunger pin to a second position wherein said sleeve member can be operatively engaged by said plunger pin to be at least one second greater than the time for said sleeve member to travel from said first position to said second position in free fall, which comprises:

• (a) attaching said inlet section to said pressurized water supply,
• (b) activating of said plunger pin unseating said relief valve,
• (c) causing said relief valve sleeve member to be positioned in non-operative contact with said flush valve plunger pin after the relief valve has been unseated, and
• (d) retaining said sleeve member in a position of non-operative contact for a predetermined period of time at least one second greater than the time for said sleeve member to travel to said position under free fall conditions.

A method for operation of a plumbing system for delivering a pre-determined amount of fluid, said plumbing system comprising a diaphragm flush valve having a body provided with an inlet section forming an inlet chamber connectable to a pressurized water supply and provided with an outlet section forming an outlet chamber through which the fluid exits said diaphragm flush valve, a relief valve positioned to control the flow of said fluid between said inlet chamber and said outlet chamber, said relief valve having a relief valve stem extending vertically into said outlet chamber and having a relief valve sleeve extending at least partially about said relief valve stem to permit said relief valve sleeve to slide vertically over said relief valve stem, said sleeve member being constructed to have a density less than said fluid, said relief valve separating said inlet chamber and said outlet chamber to permit flow of the fluid from said inlet chamber into said outlet chamber upon activation of said relief valve by a plunger pin, a discharge pipe attached to said outlet section to receive the fluid exiting said diaphragm flush valve, a vacuum breaker assembly positioned in said discharge pipe to receive the fluid flowing from said diaphragm flush valve and through said discharge pipe, said vacuum breaker assembly having an elastomeric inner liner forming an upstream opening and forming lip seals having at least one openable slit at the discharge end, wherein said elastomeric inner liner contains two openings each spaced a different distance from said lip seals and positioned between said upstream opening and said at least one openable slit to permit substantially all of any water in said outlet chamber to drain therefrom when said at least one openable slit is closed, comprising:

• (a) attaching said inlet section to said pressurized water supply,
• (b) activating of said plunger pin unseating said relief valve to fill said outlet chamber with said fluid and to float said relief valve sleeve to a position above said plunger pin,
• (c) draining by gravity at a predetermined rate a sufficient amount of said fluid from said outlet chamber through at least one of said two openings in said elastomeric inner liner to cause said relief valve sleeve to fall to a position for activation by said plunger pin.