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US 6,615,863 B2Granted
Toilet fill valve tank isolation
AssigneeFluidmaster, Inc.
InventorTuan V. Le
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A toilet fill valve (16) includes a fill tube (21) which is mounted through a hole (14) in a toilet tank wall (12), having isolating means for isolating the fill tube (21) from direct contact with the toilet tank wall (12), as well as isolating water-borne noise and vibration in the fill tube (21) from direct transmission to the wall (12) of the tank (10).
Claims23
A toilet, comprising:
- a toilet bowl;
- a toilet tank having a tank wall defining a tank reservoir and being adapted to store water for flushing the toilet, the water defining a water line;
- side portions of the tank wall defining a hole through the tank wall above the water line, the hole having a first diameter;
- a fill valve mounted to the tank wall and adapted to receive water through the tank wall into the tank reservoir, the fill valve having properties for producing water-borne sounds and vibrations;
- a fill tube included in the fill valve, the fill tube having a second diameter less than the first diameter of the hole and being adapted to receive water through the tank wall and into the tank reservoir;
- a first washer disposed on the fill tube interiorly of the tank wall;
- a second washer disposed on the fill tube exteriorly of the tank wall;
- a nut engaging the fill tube for maintaining the fill tube in a generally fixed relationship with the tank wall;
- and
- means associated with at least one of the first washer and second washer for centering the fill tube of the fill valve in the hole of the tank wall to isolate the fill tube from direct contact with the tank wall;
- whereby
- the water-borne noise and vibration in the fill tube are isolated from direct transmission to the wall of the tank.
9 more elements
A toilet, comprising:
- a toilet bowl;
- a toilet tank having a tank wall defining a tank reservoir adapted to store water for flushing the toilet, the water defining a water line;
- side portions of the tank wall defining a hole through the tank wall above the water line, the hole having a first diameter;
- a fill valve mounted to the tank wall and adapted to receive water through the tank wall into the tank reservoir, the fill valve having properties for producing water-borne sounds and vibrations;
- a fill tube included in the fill valve, the fill tube having a second diameter less than the first diameter of the hole and being adapted to receive water through the tank wall and into the tank reservoir;
- and
- an attachment assembly engaging the tank portions defining the hole and the fill tube of the fill valve to maintain the tank wall and fill tube in a fixed relationship and a spaced relationship to dampen the water-borne sounds and vibrations in the fill tube.
4 more elements
A toilet, comprising:
- a toilet bowl;
- a toilet tank having a tank wall defining a tank reservoir adapted to store water for flushing the toilet, the water defining a water line;
- side portions of the tank wall defining a hole through the tank wall above the water line, the hole having a first diameter;
- a fill valve mounted to the tank wall and adapted to receive water through the tank wall into the tank reservoir, the fill valve having properties for producing water-borne sounds and vibrations;
- a fill tube included in the fill valve, the fill tube having a second diameter less than the first diameter of the hole and being adapted to receive water through the tank wall and into the tank reservoir;
- and
- non-rigid means disposed between the side portions of the tank wall defining the hole and the fill pipe for centering the fill tube in the hole and spacing the fill tube from the tank wall for dampening the water-borne sounds and vibrations of the fill valve from the tank wall.
4 more elements
A method for mounting a fill valve to a wall of a toilet tank, the toilet tank being adapted to store water, the water defining a water line, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing the fill valve with a fill tube having a first diameter and being adapted to conduct water into the tank;
- providing a hole in the tank wall above the water line with a second diameter greater than the first diameter of the fill tube;
- mounting a boss on the fill tube to center the fill tube of the fill valve within the hole of the tank wall;
- inserting the fill tube through the hole in the tank wall;
- coupling the fill tube in an indirect fixed relationship with the wall of the tank;
- and
- during the coupling step, isolating the fill tube from direct contact with the wall of the tank to dampen water-borne sounds and vibrations in the fill tube.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.