Back to results
US 8,615,822 B2Granted
Air pressure activated toilet flushing system
AssigneeFluidmaster, Inc.
InventorsMatt Vargas, Brian Lamb, Tom Stout, Eric Bennett, Tuan Le
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An air activated toilet flush system, including: a toilet bowl; a reservoir; a fluid conduit between the reservoir and the toilet bowl; a system for supplying water into the reservoir; and a system for supplying air into the reservoir, wherein a supply of air into the reservoir causes fluid to flow from the reservoir through the fluid conduit and into the toilet bowl.
Claims24
An air activated toilet flush system, comprising:
- a toilet bowl;
- a reservoir;
- a fluid conduit between the reservoir and the toilet bowl;
- a system for supplying water into the reservoir, the system comprising a fill valve activated by the height of water in the reservoir;
- and
- a system for supplying ambient air into the reservoir, wherein a supply of ambient air into the reservoir causes fluid to flow from the reservoir through the fluid conduit and into the toilet bowl, and wherein the system for supplying ambient air into the reservoir can be operated in different flush profiles, and
- (i) wherein the system for supplying ambient air into the reservoir comprises an open air path therethrough permitting free passage of air between the reservoir and the ambient environment when the system for supplying ambient air is turned off, and
- (ii) wherein the system for supplying ambient air overcomes the free passage of air in the open air path between the reservoir and the ambient environment and pushes ambient air into the reservoir when the system for supplying ambient air is turned on, and
- (iii) wherein ambient air pushed into the reservoir can only exit the reservoir back through the system for supplying ambient air into the reservoir such that the reservoir has only one combined air inlet/outlet when the water level in the reservoir is above the bottom end of the fluid conduit;
- and
- wherein the water level in the reservoir is higher than the water level in the toilet bowl.
8 more elements
A toilet, comprising:
- a toilet bowl;
- a tank attached to the toilet bowl;
- a water reservoir within the tank and containing a predetermined volume of water;
- a riser conduit having an upper end above the surface of the predetermined volume of water and a lower end extending below the surface of the predetermined volume of water;
- a spillway providing a path for fluid flow between the upper end of the riser conduit and the toilet bowl;
- an air inlet conduit into the water reservoir to supply ambient air into the water reservoir;
- a source of pressurized ambient air connected to the air inlet conduit;
- and
- (i) wherein the source of pressurized ambient air comprises an open air path permitting free passage of air between the reservoir and the ambient environment when the source of pressurized ambient air is turned off, and
- (ii) wherein the source of pressurized ambient air overcomes the free passage of air in the open air path between the reservoir and the ambient environment and pushes ambient air into the reservoir when the source of pressurized ambient air is turned on,
- (iii) wherein ambient air pushed into the reservoir can only exit the reservoir back through the source of pressurized ambient air connected to the air inlet conduit such that the reservoir has only one combined air inlet/outlet when the water level in the reservoir is above the bottom end of the fluid conduit;
- and
- (iv) wherein the source of pressurized ambient air into the reservoir can be operated in different flush profiles;
- and
- a flush actuator associated with the source of pressurized ambient air, wherein when the flush actuator is activated, pressurized ambient air flows through the outlet of the air conduit into the water reservoir above the surface of the predetermined volume of water, thereby forcing at least a portion of the predetermined volume of water up the riser conduit, through the spillway and into the toilet bowl;
- and
- wherein the water level in the reservoir is higher than the water level in the toilet bowl.
14 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.