Abstract: A cap assembly for closing an access opening in a plumbing fitting includes a cap for rotatable attachment to the plumbing fitting, with the cap having an interior surface which faces the plumbing fitting. There is an elastomeric friction ring positioned between the cap interior surface and the plumbing fitting, which friction ring has a plurality of circumferentially spaced projections facing and in contact with the plumbing fitting. The projections are formed and adapted to require less torque when the cap is rotatably attached to the plumbing fitting than when said cap is rotatably removed from the plumbing fitting.

Abstract: A toilet room flush valve for use in flushing toilets and urinals includes a valve body having a water inlet and a water outlet. There is a valve within the body for controlling flow between the inlet and the outlet. A handle is mounted on the valve body for pivotal movement about a handle axis to operate the valve. There is an assembly mounted on the valve body for causing sensor initiated movement of the handle, which assembly includes a motor driven handle interface pivotally mounted on the valve body for movement about the handle axis and having a portion thereof positioned to contact and pivotally move the handle. A drive motor is mounted on the valve body and connected to the interface to cause pivotal movement thereof. A battery for operating the drive motor is connected to a sensor mounted on the valve body, with the sensor being connected to cause the application of battery power to the drive motor.

Abstract: A piston assembly for use in a flush valve. The piston assembly is movable in the body toward and away from the valve seat to control flow from the inlet through the outlet. There is a relief valve in the piston assembly for venting a flush valve pressure chamber to the flush valve outlet. The piston assembly has an outwardly directed lip seal which bears against an interior wall of the body, with the lip seal being held between facing elements of the piston assembly. The lip seal includes an insert and an elastomer overlying and substantially enclosing the insert. Both the elastomer and the insert have portions extending toward the flush valve body wall and the insert has support elements which are in contact with the facing elements of the piston assembly to take the load from such elements off of the elastomer body of the lip seal.

Abstract: A diaphragm type of flush valve includes a body with an inlet and an outlet. There is a filter chamber in the diaphragm upstream of the bypass orifice, which chamber extends downwardly below the diaphragm. Water within the filter chamber is quiescent and substantially less turbulent than water beneath the diaphragm. There are filter openings into the filter chamber which have a cross sectional area greater than that of the bypass orifice, but shaped to prevent the passage of particles of a size which will not pass through the bypass orifice. The diaphragm has a downwardly extending rim with spaced flow control windows therein. The rim has an inner wall and a plurality of inwardly extending ribs on the wall for dampening closing movement of the diaphragm on the valve seat.

Abstract: A soap dispensing system includes a soap dispensing fixture and first and second sources of soap connected to the fixture. Each of the sources of soap includes a closed container and a collapsible soap container positioned within the closed container. Each of the collapsible soap containers is connected to the fixture. There is a source of fluid pressure and control elements connected between the source of fluid pressure and each of the first and second closed containers. The application of pressure, from the source, as controlled by the control elements, will apply fluid pressure to either the first or second collapsible soap container to cause it to dispense soap to the soap dispensing fixture.

Abstract: A soap dispensing system includes non-pressurized first and second soap containers connected to a soap manifold. The manifold has a first inlet connection to the first soap container and a second inlet connection to the second soap container. There is a soap outlet on the manifold. A soap conduit extends from a first dispensing opening on the manifold to a second dispensing opening on the manifold. A two direction peristaltic pump is associated with the soap conduit to move soap either from the first dispensing opening to the second dispensing opening or in the opposite direction. There are valves within the soap manifold for connecting the first inlet, first dispensing opening, second dispensing opening, second inlet opening, and the outlet to provide soap, upon operation of the pump, from one of said containers, through said soap conduit, to the manifold outlet.

Abstract: A flush valve includes a body having an inlet and an outlet. There is a valve seat at the outlet and a piston assembly movable in the body toward and away from the valve seat to control flow from the inlet through the outlet. A pressure chamber is located in the body above the piston assembly and normally maintains the piston assembly closed upon the valve seat. The piston assembly includes a refill orifice connecting the pressure chamber with the body inlet. The piston assembly includes a vent passage connecting the pressure chamber with the outlet. There is a relief valve in the piston assembly controlling flow through the vent passage. There is a seal extending about the vent passage and a spring urges the relief valve toward the seal to close the vent passage.

Abstract: A pressure flush system for use within a toilet tank includes a pressure flush tank having an inlet port and a discharge port, an air inlet, and a valve assembly. The valve assembly includes a generally cylindrical housing, a water inlet in fluid communication with the pressure flush tank, a water outlet in fluid communication with the discharge port, a normally closed valve which allows fluid communication between the water inlet and water outlet when the valve is opened, a piston axially spaced from the valve, and a flexible tube positioned within the housing which is carried between the valve and the piston and in fluid communication therebetween. Relative to the valve, the piston is movable into and out sealing engagement with the discharge port to permit the discharge of water under pressure contained within the pressure flush tank. The flexible tube is movable in response to movement of the piston.

Abstract: A plumbing control system includes a plurality of plumbing fixtures operated by an electronic control board having a microprocessor. The control board can form a node on a network that monitors and controls the functions of multiple boards throughout a facility from a central computer. Network software running on the central computer communicates with the control boards. The software includes a binding feature that requires reporting of a network operating variable at a first control board to the central computer or a second control board. The network software also has site and device setup forms.

Abstract: A flush valve includes a body with an inlet and an outlet and a valve seat at the outlet. There is a piston assembly movable in the body toward and away from the valve seat to control flow from the inlet to the outlet. There is a pressure chamber in the flush valve body which maintains the piston assembly on its valve seat. The piston assembly includes a refill orifice connecting the pressure chamber with the body inlet. There is a relief valve in the piston assembly for venting the pressure chamber to the outlet. The piston assembly includes a guide and a piston attached thereto. There is a seal having an annular perimeter portion which is positioned between facing surfaces of the guide and piston and the seal has an annular interior portion positioned on the relief valve seat to form a seal with a relief valve. The seal interior portion and perimeter portion are connected by plurality of radially extending ribs permitting a degree of relative movement between the seal interior and perimeter portions.

Abstract: A flush valve includes a body having an inlet and an outlet and a valve seat at the outlet. There is a piston assembly movable in the body toward and away from the valve seat to control flow from the inlet through the outlet. A pressure chamber is formed in the body above the piston assembly, at least in part by a cover attached to the body. Pressure in the pressure chamber normally maintains the piston assembly closed upon the valve seat. There is a relief valve in the piston assembly for venting the pressure chamber to the outlet, permitting the piston assembly to move away from the valve seat to open flow through the outlet. There is an adjustment assembly located in the flush valve cover which permits adjustment of piston assembly stroke. The adjustment assembly includes a housing mounted in the cover, a sleeve axially movable in the housing, and an adjustment element for causing movement of the sleeve.

Abstract: A flush valve for use with urinals or water closets includes a hollow valve body having an inlet, an outlet, and a valve seat therebetween. There is a piston assembly movable in the hollow valve body to a closing position on the valve seat to control flow through the valve. A pressure chamber is above the piston assembly for holding it on the valve seat. There is a bypass passage to the piston assembly to connect the inlet with the pressure chamber to provide fluid to move the piston assembly to the closing position. The bypass passage includes a filter and an orifice, with the filter including multiple filters in series between the inlet and the bypass.

Abstract: A toilet room flush valve includes a body having an inlet and an outlet. There is a valve seat between the inlet and outlet and a valve assembly is movable within the body and positioned to close upon the seat to control flow from the inlet to the outlet. A cover is mounted upon the body and defines a pressure chamber with the valve assembly. There is a bypass connecting the inlet and pressure chamber whereby the pressure therein maintains the valve assembly upon the seat. A flex tube is fixed relative to the cover at one end thereof, with the other end of the flex tube being attached to the valve assembly remote from the pressure chamber. There is a passage in the flex tube opening to the body outlet at one end thereof. A vent passage connects the pressure chamber with the flex tube passage and a pilot controls flow through the vent passage.

Abstract: A toilet room flush valve for use in connection with urinals or water closets includes a body having a water inlet and a water outlet. There is a valve seat in the body between the inlet and outlet and a valve member is movable toward and away from the valve seat to control the flow of water through the valve body. An electric actuator is mounted on the valve body for causing movement of the valve member. There is a first opening in the valve body and a movable valve element extends in through the first opening into the interior of the valve body. A manually movable member, accessible from outside the valve body is used to cause movement of the valve element within the interior of the valve body. There is a second opening in the valve body and an electronic sensor positioned within the interior of the valve body for detecting movement of the movable valve element and an electrical lead which is connected to the electronic sensor and extends through the second valve body opening.

Abstract: A controlled plumbing fixture includes a plumbing fixture having an electromechanical valve for regulating the flow of water. A control assembly is operably associated with the valve for controlling operation thereof. A self-calibrating push button is operably associated with the control assembly for supplying a demand signal thereto and for thereby causing the control assembly to supply a control signal to the valve for causing operation thereof.

Abstract: A flush valve for use on toilet devices such as urinals and water closets includes a body having an inlet and an outlet. There is a valve seat in the body and a valve member movable within the body toward and away from the valve seat to control water flow between the inlet and the outlet. A housing is mounted on the valve body and there is a chamber within the housing. A piston is movable axially within the chamber and into the valve body for contact with the valve member to cause actuation thereof. There is a spring within the chamber which normally biases the piston outwardly from the valve body. A controlled passage in the housing connects the valve body inlet and the chamber to provide water under pressure to move the piston, against the spring, into the valve body to cause operation of the valve member. The improvement comprises a groove in the exterior of the piston, which groove is adjacent and faces a wall of the chamber.

Abstract: An electronic faucet sensor assembly includes a base having a pair of openings facing in a generally downward direction when the assembly is mounted in an electronically operated faucet. There is an infrared transmitter positioned in one of the openings and an infrared receiver positioned in the other opening. There is a lens mounted to the base and covering the transmitter and a second lens mounted to the base and covering the receiver. Electrical lead wires are attached to the transmitter and to the receiver and the lead wires extend through a channel located in the base. There is a strain relief at one end of the channel and there is a rib to isolate the leads extending between the strain relief and the transmitter and receiver so as to prevent electrical contact therebetween. The channel is filled with a potting compound to provide a watertight environment for the electrical components.

Abstract: A diaphragm-type of flush valve for use with toilet devices such as urinals and water closets includes a body with an inlet and an outlet and there is a valve seat therebetween and a valve member movable to a closing position on the valve seat. The valve member includes a diaphragm which is peripherally attached to the body. There is a pressure chamber above the diaphragm for holding the valve member on its valve seat and there is a filter and a bypass orifice connecting the inlet and the pressure chamber. There is a downwardly-facing peripheral recess on the underneath side of the diaphragm, which recess is located generally intermediate the diaphragm outer periphery and the valve seat. A bypass orifice is formed in the diaphragm in alignment with and communicating with the recess. There is a filter ring positioned within the recess and in fluid communication with the water inlet. The filter ring has a multitude of small passages therein which connect the inlet and the bypass orifice.