FILL VALVE

Abstract

A fill valve is provided that includes an inner assembly and a float operatively coupled to the inner assembly. The fill valve also includes a distributor having an inner volume, the distributor is rotatably coupled to the inner assembly. The distributor is freely rotatable 360 degrees. The fill valve further includes a cover having an inner volume, the cover coupled to the distributor. The inner assembly is retained within the inner volumes of the distributor and the cover. The inner assembly includes a body member with a threaded end, an outer body member, ballast, a stem, a diaphragm, a valve cap, a pilot cap and a float arm.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION[S]

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application entitled “FILL VALVE,” Ser. No. 61/616,858, filed Mar. 28, 2012, now pending, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated entirely herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The following relates generally to fill valves for water closets.

2. State of the Art

Generally the use of valves for water closets is well known. Often these valves are attached to a float, wherein the float serves to operate the opening and closing of the valve. As the water closet is flushed, the water in the tank lowers and the float drops with the dropping water level. As the float drops, the valve is opened and water from the supply line enters into the tank of the water closet and refills it. The float rises with the rising water level in the tank. When the valve reaches a predetermined level toward the top of the valve, the float operates to close the valve to prevent more water from the supply line to enter the tank.

SUMMARY

An embodiment of the fill valve comprises an inner assembly; a float operatively coupled to the inner assembly; a distributor having an inner volume, the distributor rotatably coupled to the inner assembly, wherein the distributor is freely rotatable 360 degrees; and a cover having an inner volume, the cover coupled to the distributor, wherein the inner assembly is retained within the inner volumes of the distributor and the cover.

Another embodiment of a fill valve comprises an inner assembly; a float operatively coupled to the inner assembly; a distributor having an inner volume, the distributor rotatably coupled to the inner assembly, wherein the distributor is freely rotatable 360 degrees; and a cover having an inner volume, the cover coupled to the distributor, wherein the inner assembly is retained within the inner volumes of the distributor and the cover; and the inner assembly, the float and the cover are axially symmetric.

Yet another embodiment includes a method of using a fill valve, the method comprising installing a fill valve in a tank of a water closet; rotating a distributor of the fill valve into the proper orientation after installation of the fill valve; and adjusting the water level height in response to adjusting the height of a cover of the fill valve with respect to the distributor.

The foregoing and other features, advantages, and construction of the present disclosure will be more readily apparent and fully appreciated from the following more detailed description of the particular embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Some of the embodiments will be described in detail, with reference to the following figures, wherein like designations denote like members.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a fill valve for a water closet.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a fill valve for a water closet.

FIG. 3A is a side view of a fill valve for a water closet.

FIG. 3B is another side view of a fill valve for a water closet.

FIG. 4 is a section view of a fill valve for a water closet taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3B.

FIG. 5 is a close-up section view of a top portion of the fill valve taken along line 5 of FIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

A detailed description of the hereinafter described embodiments of the disclosed apparatus and method are presented herein by way of exemplification and not limitation with reference to the Figures listed above. Although certain embodiments are shown and described in detail, it should be understood that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the appended claims. The scope of the present disclosure will in no way be limited to the number of constituting components, the materials thereof, the shapes thereof, the relative arrangement thereof, etc., and are disclosed simply as an example of embodiments of the present disclosure.

As a preface to the detailed description, it should be noted that, as used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” include plural referents, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

Referring to the drawings, FIGS. 1-5 depict an embodiment of a fill valve 11 for use with a water closet is shown. Fill valve 10 comprises a distributor 12, a cover 14, a body member 16, with a threaded end 15, an outer body member 18, a float 20, ballast 22, a stem 24, a diaphragm 26, a valve cap 28, a pilot cap 30 and a float arm 32. According to embodiments, and as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, diaphragm 26 is coupled between an end of the stem 24 and the valve cap 28. Further, a weep 25 is coupled between the diaphragm 26 and valve cap 28, wherein the weep allows for relief of water pressure. The valve cap 28 is coupled to the pilot cap 30. The pilot cap 30 and float arm 32 are operatively coupled together, wherein the float arm 32 is rotatably mounted onto the pilot cap 30. In this way, the diaphragm 26, the valve cap 28, the pilot cap 30 and the float arm 32 are operatively coupled to the top of stem 24. Additionally, a needle 72 and an over center spring 70 are coupled to the float arm 32. The needle 72 operates to open and close a pilot valve 74. The pilot valve operates to allow water flow into the tank in order to fill it. A portion of the water that fills the tank is diverted to the fill port 40, which is then directed through fill line 46 to fill the bowl.

Stem 24, body member 16 and outer body member 18 are coupled together such that the shaft portion of stem 24 is within the shaft portion of body member 16 and the shaft portion of body member 16 is within the shaft portion of outer body member 18. This forms an inner assembly 34. The inner assembly 34 operates to connect to water inlet line and contains the mechanical portions of the valve 10 for operation. The water intake line is connected to the threaded portion 15 of the body member 16 and the water flows into the stem 24. The diaphragm 26, valve cap 28, pilot cap 30, float arm 32, needle 72 and pilot valve 74 operate to control the water flow.

The float 20 and ballast 22 are operatively coupled to the outer body member 18. The float 20 is slidably coupled to the outer body member 18, and in at least this way float 20 is operatively coupled to the outer body member 18. The float is also operatively coupled to the float arm 32, wherein as the float arm 32 rotates up and down in response to the float 20 sliding up and down on the outer body member 18. The float 20 includes a float arm engagement member 21 with a slot 23. The float arm may be removably coupled float arm engagement member 21 by extending into the slot 23. This engagement provides the mechanical connection to rotate the float arm in response to the float 20 sliding up and down on the outer body member 18. The rotation of the float arm 32 operates the pilot valve 74 by moving a needle 72 in and out of the pilot valve 74, thereby moving it between an open and a closed position, wherein the open position is associated with water flowing from the inlet line into the tank and the closed position which prevents water flowing into the tank from the inlet line. The ballast 22 operates to provide stability to the float 20 during operation.

The distributor 12 of fill valve 10 is rotatably coupled to the inner assembly and the cover is adjustably coupled to the distributor, such that all of the components of the inner assembly 34, with the exception of the threaded end 15 of the body member 16, are retained between the distributor 12 and the cover 14. A tank gasket 36 and tank nut 38 may be coupled to the threaded end 15 during installation of the fill valve 10 in a tank.

The distributor 12 comprises a fill port 40 that is coupled to a refill tube 42 on a first end 41 of the refill tube 42. On a second end 43 of the refill tube 42, a hook member 44 is coupled to form a complete fill line 46. The hook member 44 includes an anti-siphon device that prevents backflow or siphoning from the tank to the overflow tube. In embodiments, the anti-siphon device is a hole in the hook 44, wherein the position of the anti-siphon hole prevents water spraying out during bowl refill.

In operation, the distributor 12 diverts some of the tank fill water to the toilet bowl to fill the bowl after a flush, thereby maintaining a certain water level within the bowl. Distributor 12 as previously discussed is rotatably coupled to the inner assembly 34, wherein it is able to freely rotate on about an axis 50. This rotation of the distributor 12 allows for a person to install the valve into the tank (this is accomplished by putting the lower, externally threaded portion 15 of the body member 16 of the fill valve 10 through a hole in the bottom of the tank and attaching a nut 38 to the thread portion 15, thereby securing the fill valve in an operational position in the tank) without the need to simultaneously align the port 40 of the distributor 12 with the bowl fill component. A tank gasket 36 may be utilized as a typical tank gasket in order to prevent leakage of water from within the tank through the hole in the tank that the threaded portion 15 extends through.

As indicted previously, the cover 14 is adjustably coupled to the distributor 12. The adjustment of the cover 14 on the distributor 12 adjusts the fill height of the tank of the water closet. Accordingly, the higher the cover 14 is on the distributor 12, the greater the fill height in the tank. The cover 14 and the distributor 12 each have an inner volume that increases as the height of the cover 14 on the distributor 12 increases. The height of the cover 14 is set by spinning the entire valve cover 12 about a vertical axis. Spinning in one direction lowers the height and spinning in the opposed direction increases the height. This simplifies use for the end user as they do not need to make 2 different adjustments (gross & fine) as on some valves. Also, the valve 10 does not hit against the side walls of the tank as other valves which are not axially symmetric and require rotating partially on their axis to make gross height adjustments. If the valve has been installed without leaving room to rotate, the existing prior art valves may need to be partially uninstalled to fix this and make the adjustment. Embodiments of a fill valve 10 are not limited in this way.

The cover 14 and the distributor 12 may include height adjustment detents 60 shown in broken lines of FIG. 3A. As the cover 14 is turned, a certain amount of force is required in order to rotate the cover 14 because of the engagement of the detents 60. The detents 60 produce a “click” sound as the cover is rotated and the detents 60 disengage and then engage with adjacent detents, creating a discrete rotational position of the cover 14 that corresponds to discrete lengths of the vertical movement of the cover 14. These detents 60 serve as a friction lock to keep the cover 14 in its set height position, wherein the height of the inner volume is determined by the height of the cover 14 with respect to the distributor 12. The detents 60 also serve to give the installer a tactical feel for setting this adjustment. For example, in some embodiments, each click between detents 60 represents a predetermined distance of rotation, such as, but not limited to, a ¼ inch change in cover height. Carrying this example further, if the user wishes to raise the water level in the tank by ¾″ they turn the float counter clockwise until they feel three clicks.

The valve 10 is symmetrical around its vertical axis. This enables easy assembly and enables the installer to install the valve 10 without simultaneously aligning the valve while tightening the bottom tank nut 38. The distributor 12 and the fill line 46 are not axially symmetrical, however, the installer still does not need to be concerned with orientation of the fill valve 10 during installation because the distributor 12 and the fill line 46 rotate in order to ensure proper function of the fill valve 10. Accordingly, the valve 10 can be installed without regard for the rotational position of the threaded valve body.

The valve 10 may further comprise an over center spring 70. Valve modulation can occur as the tank fills and the float buoyancy increases to the point that it exceeds the force to close the pilot valve. It should be noted that the force to close the pilot valve is proportional to water pressure. The over center spring 70 allows the force created by float buoyance to build to a point that it actuates the over center spring 70 and then has the additional force necessary to close the pilot valve at any pressure within the operating range of the valve 10.

The components defining any fill valve 10 may be formed of any of many different types of materials or combinations thereof that can readily be formed into shaped objects provided that the components selected are consistent with the intended operation of a fill valve 10. For example, the components may be formed of: rubbers (synthetic and/or natural) and/or other like materials; glasses (such as fiberglass) carbon-fiber, aramid-fiber, any combination thereof, and/or other like materials; polymers such as thermoplastics (such as ABS, Fluoropolymers, Polyacetal, Polyamide; Polycarbonate, Polyethylene, Polysulfone, and/or the like), thermosets (such as Epoxy, Phenolic Resin, Polyimide, Polyurethane, Silicone, and/or the like), any combination thereof, and/or other like materials; composites and/or other like materials; metals, such as zinc, magnesium, titanium, copper, iron, steel, carbon steel, alloy steel, tool steel, stainless steel, aluminum, any combination thereof, and/or other like materials; alloys, such as aluminum alloy, titanium alloy, magnesium alloy, copper alloy, any combination thereof, and/or other like materials; any other suitable material; and/or any combination thereof

Furthermore, the components defining any fill valve 10 may be purchased pre-manufactured or manufactured separately and then assembled together. However, any or all of the components may be manufactured simultaneously and integrally joined with one another. Manufacture of these components separately or simultaneously may involve extrusion, pultrusion, vacuum forming, injection molding, blow molding, resin transfer molding, casting, forging, cold rolling, milling, drilling, reaming, turning, grinding, stamping, cutting, bending, welding, soldering, hardening, riveting, punching, plating, and/or the like. If any of the components are manufactured separately, they may then be coupled with one another in any manner, such as with adhesive, a weld, a fastener (e.g. a bolt, a nut, a screw, a nail, a rivet, a pin, and/or the like), wiring, any combination thereof, and/or the like for example, depending on, among other considerations, the particular material forming the components. Other possible steps might include sand blasting, polishing, powder coating, zinc plating, anodizing, hard anodizing, and/or painting the components for example.

Another embodiment includes a method of using a fill valve. The method comprises installing a fill valve in a tank of a water closet; rotating a distributor of the fill valve into the proper orientation after installation of the fill valve; and adjusting the water level height in response to adjusting the height of a cover of the fill valve with respect to the distributor.

The method also includes adjusting the height of the cover which comprises rotating the cover. Further, rotating the cover comprises rotating the cover to discrete rotational positions corresponding to discrete lengths of vertical movement of the cover.

Further, in some embodiments, the method comprises assisting the closing of a pilot valve of the fill valve with an over center spring.

While this disclosure has been described in conjunction with the specific embodiments outlined above, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure as set forth above are intended to be illustrative, not limiting. Various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure, as required by the following claims. The claims provide the scope of the coverage of the present disclosure and should not be limited to the specific examples provided herein.

Claims

1. A fill valve comprising:

an inner assembly;

a float operatively coupled to the inner assembly;

a distributor having an inner volume, the distributor rotatably coupled to the inner assembly, wherein the distributor freely rotatable 360 degrees; and

a cover having an inner volume, the cover coupled to the distributor, wherein the inner assembly is retained within the inner volumes of the distributor and the cover.

2. The fill valve of claim 1, wherein the cover is adjustably coupled to the distributor, wherein the height of the cover is adjustable in response to rotating the cover with respect to the distributor.

3. The fill valve of claim 2, wherein the height of the inner volume between the cover and the distributor is adjusted in response to adjusting the height of the cover.

4. The fill valve of claim 2, further comprising detents, wherein detents create a discrete rotational positions of the cover that correspond to discrete lengths of vertical movement of the cover

5. The fill valve of claim 1, wherein the inner assembly comprises a body member with a threaded end, an outer body member, ballast, a stem, a diaphragm, a valve cap, a pilot cap and a float arm.

6. The fill valve of claim 1, further comprising a fill line coupled to the distributor, the fill line comprising a fill port, a fill tube and a hook member.

7. The fill valve of claim 6, wherein the hook member comprises an anti-siphon device to present backflow from the tank to the overflow tube.

8. The fill valve of claim 1, further comprising an over center spring, wherein the over center spring assists in closing a pilot valve of the fill valve.

9. A fill valve comprising:

an inner assembly;

a float operatively coupled to the inner assembly;

a distributor having an inner volume, the distributor rotatably coupled to the inner assembly, wherein the distributor freely rotatable 360 degrees; and

a cover having an inner volume, the cover coupled to the distributor, wherein: the inner assembly is retained within the inner volumes of the distributor and the cover; and the inner assembly, the float and the cover are axially symmetric.

10. The fill valve of claim 9, wherein the cover is adjustably coupled to the distributor, wherein the height of the cover is adjustable in response to rotating the cover with respect to the distributor.

11. The fill valve of claim 10, wherein the height of the inner volume between the cover and the distributor is adjusted in response to adjusting the height of the cover.

12. The fill valve of claim 10, further comprising detents, wherein detents create a discrete rotational positions of the cover that correspond to discrete lengths of vertical movement of the cover

13. The fill valve of claim 9, wherein the inner assembly comprises a body member with a threaded end, an outer body member, ballast, a stem, a diaphragm, a valve cap, a pilot cap and a float arm.

14. The fill valve of claim 9, further comprising a fill line coupled to the distributor, the fill line comprising a fill port, a fill tube and a hook member.

15. The fill valve of claim 14, wherein the hook member comprises an anti-siphon device to present backflow from the tank to the overflow tube.

16. The fill valve of claim 9, further comprising an over center spring, wherein the over center spring assists in closing a pilot valve of the fill valve.

17. A method of using a fill valve, the method comprising:

installing a fill valve in a tank of a water closet;

rotating a distributor of the fill valve into the proper orientation after installation of the fill valve; and

adjusting the water level height in response to adjusting the height of a cover of the fill valve with respect to the distributor.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein adjusting the height of the cover comprises rotating the cover.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein rotating the cover comprises rotating the cover discrete to discrete rotational positions corresponding to discrete lengths of vertical movement of the cover.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising assisting the closing of a pilot valve of the fill valve with an over center spring.