Foot actuated flushing apparatus and method

Abstract

An apparatus and method for flushing a toilet by foot that includes a foot pedal integral with a flushing system within a toilet base. When pressure is applied to the foot pedal, the flushing system is activated to generate an upward pressure that is applied to an underside of a flapper of a toilet tank for flushing the toilet. The flushing system may be a pressurized flushing system that includes a first pressurized cylinder connected by a pressurized line to a second pressurized cylinder. The second pressurized cylinder has a rod protected by a bellows seal, which when pressure is applied to the second pressurized cylinder, the rod is forced up against the flapper pushing up on the flapper to flush the toilet. Upon removing the user's foot from the foot pedal, the foot pedal and the pressurized flushing system are automatically reset for reuse.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Aspects of the present invention are related to subject matter disclosed in co-pending application entitled “Foot Operated Flushing Apparatus and Method,” U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/773,630, filed on Feb. 6, 2004, and assigned to the assignee of the present invention, the subject matter of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a foot actuated flushing apparatus in contact with a bottom surface of an internal flushing means of a toilet tank and a method of flushing a toilet using such apparatus.

2. Description of Related Art

Conventional approaches for flushing cistern toilets generally require the user to flush the toilet by hand. In so doing, the toilet user actuates a lever on the toilet tank by hand, whereby an internal component or system within the tank is activated for flushing the toilet. However, it has been recognized that flushing a toilet by hand often leads to the spread of germs, disease and contaminants, as well as being difficult to operate for those with back problems or for the elderly who are at an increased risk of falling or becoming injured as a result of bending and/or stretching to flush a toilet by hand.

To avoid the above problems, prior art has been directed at providing toilets with foot operated flushing apparatus. Yet, these conventional foot operated flushing apparatus often require user installation, which may be difficult, such as those that entirely replace the lever or handle of the toilet. Conventional foot operated flushing apparatus are also expensive, can make it difficult to flush the toilet by hand, and can be cumbersome by adding on a foot operated flushing mechanism to the flushing lever or handle at the front of the toilet tank.

For instance, the prior art apparatus of Seek, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,594,828 and 3,594,829, replace a conventional flush handle/lever with a cable connected to a foot-operated pedal or a hydraulically operated transmission tube connected to a foot-operated pedal for flushing the toilet, respectively. U.S. Pat. No. 4,847,924 to Samaniego discloses a toilet flushing mechanism comprised of a member that is disposed over the flush handle and is brought into engagement therewith by operation of a foot pedal. U.S. Pat. No. 4,868,931 to Schneeweiss includes a bracket assembly that is secured to the flush valve handle and is operatively connected to a foot lever. The apparatus described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,142,708 to Johnson et al. includes a flushing handle of a toilet being connected to a foot lever by a chain linkage. A number of other references, such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,847,924; 4,007,499; 5,170,513 and 5,339,468, focus on flushing control mechanisms connected to a lever or handle of a toilet or urinal for flushing thereof. U.S. Pat. No. 6,089,542 to Caravella et al. discloses a foot-pedal connected by a cable to an integrated drive bar disposed to engage a plunger to effect actuation of a flushing element.

Again, these and other arrangements taught in the art typically suffer from one or more significant disadvantages. In particular, they are often require user installation, may be both difficult and time consuming to install, expensive, unattractive, awkward to use, difficult to clean, cumbersome and subject to tampering, vandalism, or undue maintenance requirements.

Thus, a need continues to exist in the art for eliminating the above problems by providing improved methods and systems that avoid flushing of a toilet by hand, and thereby decrease the spread of germs, disease and contaminants.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Bearing in mind the deficiencies of the prior art, it is an object of the present invention to provide a flushing control system and method that is integrally formed and self-contained within a toilet such that the toilet can be dual operated.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a foot actuated flushing system and method that actuates flushing of the toilet by applying pressure to the underside of the tank flapper such that the toilet tank and its internal components remain intact.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a foot actuated flushing system and method that significantly reduces hand-spread germs, disease and contaminants.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a foot actuated flushing system and method that is easy to use such that it assists and reduces the risk of injury to both users with back problems and the elderly.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a foot actuated flushing system and method that is easy and economically efficient to manufacture within a cistern toilet.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a foot actuated flushing system and method that is inexpensive, attractive and operates in an efficient and economical manner.

Still other objects and advantages of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part be apparent from the following specification.

The above and other objects, which will be apparent to those skilled in art, are achieved in the present invention, which is directed to in a first aspect, a foot actuated toilet flushing apparatus. The apparatus includes a toilet having a toilet base and a toilet tank, whereby the toilet tank has an internal release means, such as a flapper. A foot pedal is within the toilet base, as well as a flushing system within the toilet base. The flushing system is attached to the foot pedal, whereby the flushing system has an actuating means for pushing up on an underside of the internal release means to effect flushing of the toilet.

In accordance with the invention, the flushing system may be a pressurized flushing system that includes a first hydraulic cylinder connected to a second hydraulic cylinder via a hydraulic line, or a first pneumatic cylinder connected to a second pneumatic cylinder via a pneumatic line. The pressurized flushing system is preferably integral with and resides entirely within the toilet base. This pressurized flushing system may further include the foot pedal being attached to a pivot bracket, which in turn, is attached to a first pressurized cylinder having a first spring. The first pressurized cylinder is attached to the pressurized flushing component via a pressurized line. This pressurized flushing component may further include a second pressurized cylinder connected to the first pressurized cylinder via the pressurized line. A rod extends from a base plate of the second pressurized cylinder toward the internal release means of the toilet tank, whereby a first seal protects the second pressurized cylinder and a flexible second seal at least protects the rod.

In another aspect, the invention is directed to a foot actuated toilet flushing apparatus that includes a toilet having a toilet base and a toilet tank, which has a flapper. A foot pedal resides within the toilet base, whereby a first pressurized cylinder, within the toilet base, is connected to a second pressurized cylinder, within the toilet base, via a pressurized line that traverses through such toilet base. A rod of the second pressurized cylinder is in contact with an underside of the flapper, and a flexible seal attached to the rod protects a portion of the rod as well as the underlying second pressurized cylinder. The first and second pressurized cylinders may be either hydraulic cylinders or pneumatic cylinders. The rod is preferably made of a water-resistant material having attached thereto a flexible bellows seal.

In still another aspect, the invention is directed to a method for flushing a toilet by foot. The method includes providing a toilet having a toilet base and a toilet tank, whereby the toilet tank has an internal release means. Downward pressures are applied to a foot pedal attached to the toilet base to effect a force, which is transferred to a flushing system residing within the toilet tank. This transferred force enables the flushing system to apply an upward pressure to an underside of the internal release means for pushing up such internal release and effecting flushing of the toilet. Wherein the flushing system is a pressurized flushing system, the step of transferring the force to the pressurized flushing system may be accomplished by transferring the force from the foot pedal to a first pressurized cylinder, which forces a pressurized component from the first pressurized cylinder through a pressurized line and into a second pressurized cylinder of the pressurized flushing system. An actuating means of the second pressurized cylinder is then forced upward, via the pressurized component, against the underside of the internal release means such that the internal release means is pushed up for flushing the toilet. The pressurized component may be pressurized liquid or pressurized gas. The method may further include releasing pressure from the foot pedal to automatically reset the foot pedal and the flushing system of the invention for reuse.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The features of the invention believed to be novel and the elements characteristic of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The figures are for illustration purposes only and are not drawn to scale. The invention itself, however, both as to organization and method of operation, may best be understood by reference to the detailed description which follows taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of the foot actuated apparatus and system of the invention showing the foot pedal and the remaining system components in the non-actuated position, as well as the foot pedal in its actuated position (dashed line)

FIG. 2 is an exploded side view showing the foot pedal of FIG. 1 in the non-actuated mode.

FIG. 3 is an exploded side view showing the pressurized flushing component of FIG. 1, in its non-actuated position, which is located under the bottom surface of a toilet tank flapper.

FIG. 4 is a backside view of the foot actuated apparatus and system of the invention in the non-actuated position.

FIG. 5 is an exploded side view showing the foot pedal of FIG. 1 in the actuated or flushing position, whereby water is released into the toilet bowl for flushing the toilet.

FIG. 6 is an exploded side view showing the pressurized flushing component of FIG. 1, in its actuated position, whereby the toilet tank flapper is pushed up to allow water to be released from the toilet tank and into the toilet bowl for flushing the toilet.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S)

The invention will be better understood in accordance with the below description making reference to FIGS. 1-6, which show a preferred embodiment of the invention. However, it should be appreciated and understood to those skilled in the art that various modifications and alterations, which are covered by the present invention, will be apparent in accordance with the foregoing preferred embodiment of the invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, a cistern toilet 100 is shown that includes a toilet tank 10 having a flapper 13, and a toilet base 11 having a toilet bowl 12. As is shown, the foot actuated apparatus and system is preferably encompassed entirely within the toilet base 11 of the cistern toilet 100, such that the toilet bowl 12 remains substantially intact and unchanged. Alternatively, components of the present foot actuated apparatus and system may remain external to the cistern toilet 100 for ease of access, repair and/or replacement. In the preferred embodiment, the foot actuated apparatus and system includes a foot pedal and a flushing system within the toilet base. The flushing system may be a pressurized flushing system, such as a closed pressurized system, that includes a pivot bracket 30, a first pressurized cylinder 40, a pressurized line 50, and a pressurized flushing component, which includes a second pressurized cylinder 60, rod 70, first seal 80 and second seal 90. Alternatively, the flushing system may be a mechanical flushing system that activates flushing in accordance with the invention, whereby a mechanical means (e.g. a rigid and/or flexible stable structure) pushes up on an underside of the internal release means of a toilet tank to effect flushing of such toilet.

For ease of understanding the invention, the preferred description makes reference to the flushing system being a pressurized flushing system within a cistern type toilet. However, it should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the present flushing system may have many modifications or variations, whereby an essential feature of each flushing system is that it be capable of pushing up on an underside of an internal release means of a toilet tank to effect flushing of the toilet. The invention is for use on any type of toilet including, but not limited to, cistern type toilets, jet operated toilets, pressure assisted toilets, ultra-low flow toilets, dual-flush toilets (which have two levers—one lever to flush for liquids and the other for solids), and the like. For instance, wherein the internal release means of the toilet tank is a button, such as a button or valve within a pressure assisted toilet tank, the invention is capable of pushing up on the underside of this button or valve within such tank. Further, wherein the toilet is a dual-flush toilet, two of the present foot actuated apparatus and systems of the invention may be integrally formed or provided within the toilet base.

During the process of fabricating the cistern toilet 100, the toilet is preferably molded such that cavities are formed within the toilet for receiving the components of the foot actuated apparatus. Once the toilet fabrication process is complete, the components of the foot actuated apparatus may be provided and secured within the formed cavities of the toilet, and thus the present foot actuated apparatus and system are integral with and are preferably substantially contained entirely within the toilet 100.

FIG. 2 shows an exploded view of the foot pedal 20 of the invention in the non-actuated position. The pedal 20 may be formed of a variety of shapes including, but not limited to, circular, oval, square, rectangular, and the like, as well as having differing design shapes that are esthetically appeasing. The foot pedal is preferably of a rigid material, such as plastic, stainless steel, ceramic, and the like, to provide the foot pedal with sufficient strength to prevent cracking, damage or breaking thereof, when pressure is applied to the pedal by a user's foot. The foot pedal 20, pivot bracket 30, and first pressurized cylinder 40 are provided within a first cavity at the front of the toilet base 11, whereby the foot pedal 20 is positioned partially outside the toilet base 11 for foot actuation by a user of the invention, and partially inside the toilet base 11 for activating the present system.

A pivot bracket 30 is attached to the foot pedal 20 via a pivot point 32, which may be a pivot cylinder or any other known pivotable attachment means. The pivot point 32 enables pivoting of the foot pedal 20 with respect to the pivot bracket 30 for effecting flushing of a toilet in accordance with the invention. The pivot bracket 30 may be an L-bracket, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 5, or alternatively, any known pivotable device for applying pressure to the first pressurized cylinder 40. The pivot bracket is connected to, or in direct contact with, a base plate 42 of the first pressurized cylinder 40. This first pressurized cylinder 40 may be either a hydraulic or a pneumatic cylinder, preferably a closed system hydraulic or a pneumatic cylinder. It preferably includes any known mechanism for returning the first pressurized cylinder 40 to its original, non-actuated position (shown in FIG. 2), such as a spring 44. The spring 44 is preferably attached to the base plate 42 of the first pressurized cylinder, at an opposite side of such base plate as compared to the pivot bracket. Wherein the first pressurized cylinder 40 is a hydraulic cylinder it has an empty cavity filled with a fluid, such as oil, water and the like, contained under pressure. Alternatively, wherein the first pressurized cylinder 40 is a pneumatic cylinder it has an empty cavity filled with a gas, such as air, contained under pressure.

The invention also includes a pressurized line 50 contained within the ceramic of the toilet base 11. The pressurized line 50 is preferably either a hydraulic hose or a pneumatic hose (depending upon the framework of the first pressurized cylinder) connected to the first pressurized cylinder 40 at a first end thereof. The pressurized line then traverses through the bottom of the toilet base, up the backside of the toilet base, and is connected to the second pressurized cylinder 60 at a second end thereof. The toilet is preferably fabricated such that a channel or empty hose line is cast into the toilet mold, whereby this channel or empty hose line is adapted for receiving and securing the pressurized line 50 in position within the toilet base.

Referring to FIG. 3, an exploded view of the pressurized flushing component of the present foot actuated apparatus and system is shown in the non-actuated position. This pressurized flushing component is contained within the toilet base at a backside thereof (FIG. 4). Optionally, the toilet base 11 may have an access panel molded therein for gaining access to and entry into the cavity that retains the pressurized flushing component. In accordance with the preferred embodiment, the pressurized flushing component of the invention includes the second pressurized cylinder 60, rod 70, first seal 80 and second seal 90, as discussed more fully below.

The second pressurized cylinder 60 is also a hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder (also depending on the framework of the first pressurized cylinder) and has a mechanism for returning such second pressurized cylinder to its original, non-actuated position (shown in FIG. 3), such as a spring 64. This second pressurized cylinder 60 includes a base plate 62 adjacent to a bottom side thereof, a top plate 66 at a top side thereof, and a spring 64 which is attached to the base plate. The pressurized line 50 is attached to the bottom of the second pressurized cylinder for introducing the pressurized gas or liquid into a cavity 68 of the second pressurized cylinder 60. This cavity resides between the bottom of the pressurized cylinder and the base plate 62 within such cylinder 60. The second pressurized cylinder 60 is positioned such that it resides within and is held in position by the first seal 80. This first seal 80 is preferably a stationary seal that also provides a liquid tight seal to prevent water from contacting both the underlying second pressurized cylinder 60 and the dry backside portion of the toilet base.

Also attached and secured to the base plate 62 within the second pressurized cylinder 60 is rod 70. This rod 70 is preferably composed of a rigid material, such as a plastic or metal (e.g. stainless steel) so that the rod is provided with sufficient strength when pressure is applied thereto. The rod 70 traverses through the spring 64, is held in position by both the top plate 66 and the first seal 80, extends beyond both the second pressurized cylinder 60 and the seal 80 towards the toilet flapper 13, and is partially surrounded by the second seal 90. The second seal 90 is preferably a flexible seal composed of a water resistant material, such as rubber, more preferably the second seal 90 is a rubber bellows seal. This second seal 90 is attached at a first end to the first seal 80 and at a second end to the rod 70. In so doing, the flexible second seal expands and contracts as the rod 70 moves up and down, as well as prevents any water, debris, dirt, rust and the like, from entering or coming into contact with both the underlying second pressurized cylinder 60 and the dry backside portion of the toilet base.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show the present foot actuated apparatus and system in the actuated mode. In operation, once a user of the invention applies pressure by foot to the foot pedal 20, such pedal is forced downward, as is shown in FIGS. 1 and 5. This downward force on the pedal is transferred to the pivot bracket 30 via pivot point 32 to force the horizontal arm of the pivot bracket against the base plate 42 of the first pressurized cylinder 40. In so doing, the force is transferred to the first pressurized cylinder 40 so that the internal cavity of the first pressurized cylinder, and the spring 44 therein, are compressed for forcing the pressurized liquid or gas into and through the pressurized line 50 (FIG. 5), and then into the cavity 68 of the second pressurized cylinder 60 (FIG. 6). In the preferred embodiment, the cavity of the first pressurized cylinder 40 retaining the pressurized liquid or gas must be sufficiently larger in size than cavity 68 of the second pressurized cylinder 60 which receives and retains such pressurized liquid or gas, since this pressurized liquid or gas is forced through the pressurized line 50 and into cavity 68, such that it will reside in both the pressurized line and cavity 68 during the actuated mode. That is, the volume of the liquid or gas within the cavity of the first pressurized cylinder 40 must be sufficient enough so that it completely fills the pressurized line 50 and the smaller cavity 68 of the second pressurized cylinder 60.

In the actuated mode, the cavity 68 of the second pressurized cylinder fills with the pressurized liquid or gas to force the base plate 62, rod 70 attached thereto, and second seal 90 attached to the rod, up toward the flapper 13 of the toilet tank. The flexible second seal 90 extends up toward the flapper along with the rod 70 to prevent any water, debris, dirt, rust and the like, from entering into this flexible second seal 90, as well as from coming into contacting the underlying second pressurized cylinder 60 and its internal components, as well as the dry backside of the toilet base. Upon applying pressure to the base plate 62 via the pressurized air or liquid, the spring 64 within the second pressurized cylinder is compressed.

During the actuated mode of the invention, the rod 70 pushes up on the underside of the flapper 13, forcing the flapper to open, and breaking the seal between the toilet tank 10 and toilet base 11 to release water from the toilet tank 10. This effects flushing of the toilet 100. The rod 70 may contact and move along any location of the flapper's underside for flushing the toilet. Preferably, the rod contacts a substantially central portion of the flapper underside and moves toward the flapper hinge as the flapper is pushed open in accordance with the invention. Referring to FIG. 4, the flapper may optionally be fabricated with a receiving means, such as a channel 17, to receive and allow the rod 70 smoothly push open the flapper from its underside.

Upon completion of the user pressing the foot pedal 20, and thereby the flapper 13 being pushed up or open from its underside to effect flushing of the toilet 100, as the user takes his foot off of the foot pedal 20, the system is instantaneously and automatically returned to its original, non-actuated position, as is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. In so doing, the spring 64 of the second pressurized cylinder 60 retracts and forces the base plate 62 to its non-actuated position, thereby forcing the pressurized air or liquid from cavity 68, back through the pressurized line 50, and into the cavity of the first pressurized cylinder 40. The forces applied to the base plate 62 via spring 64 also return the rod 70, and the flexible second seal 90 attached thereto, to their respective original, non-actuated positions. As such, the flapper 13 is allowed to close and provide a seal between the toilet tank 10 and the toilet base 11 for refilling the toilet tank 10 with water for reuse. At the same time, the spring 44 of the first pressurized cylinder 40 also retracts and forces the base plate 42 to its non-actuated position, which in turn, applies force to the horizontal arm of the pivot bracket 30 forcing both the pivot bracket and the foot pedal back to their respective non-actuated positions. The pressurized air or liquid is then forced back into and fills the cavity within the first pressurized cylinder 40, thereby fully resetting the present foot actuated apparatus and system of the invention for reuse.

While the present invention has been particularly described, in conjunction with a specific preferred embodiment, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the foregoing description. It is therefore contemplated that the appended claims will embrace any such alternatives, modifications and variations as falling within the true scope and spirit of the present invention.

Claims

1. A foot actuated toilet flushing apparatus comprising:

a toilet having a toilet base and a flushing release means;

at least one foot pedal within said toilet base;

at least one flushing system within said toilet base attached to said foot pedal having an actuating means for pushing up on an underside of said flushing release means to effect flushing of said toilet.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said flushing release means is selected from the group consisting of a flapper, a valve and a release button.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said flushing system is integral with and resides entirely within said toilet base.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said flushing system comprises a mechanical flushing system.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said flushing system comprises a pressurized flushing system.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said pressurized flushing system comprises a first hydraulic cylinder connected to a second hydraulic cylinder via a hydraulic line.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said pressurized flushing system comprises a first pneumatic cylinder connected to a second pneumatic cylinder via a pneumatic line.

8. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said pressurized flushing system further comprises:

said foot pedal attached to a pivot bracket;

a first pressurized cylinder having a first spring attached to said pivot bracket;

a pressurized flushing component; and

a pressurized line connecting said first pressurized cylinder to said pressurized flushing component.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said pressurized flushing component further comprises:

a second pressurized cylinder having a second spring, said second pressurized cylinder being connected to said first pressurized cylinder via said pressurized line;

a rod extending from a base plate of said second pressurized cylinder toward said flushing release means of said toilet tank;

a first seal protecting said second pressurized cylinder; and

a flexible second seal at least protecting said rod.

10. A foot actuated toilet flushing apparatus comprising:

a toilet having a toilet base and a flushing release means;

a foot pedal within said toilet base; and

a flushing system within said toilet base, wherein said flushing system comprises; a first pressurized cylinder within said toilet base connected to a second pressurized cylinder within said toilet base via a pressurized line that traverses through said toilet base; a rod of said second pressurized cylinder being in contact with an underside of said flapper; and a flexible seal attached to said rod for protecting a portion of said rod and said underlying second pressurized cylinder.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said first and second pressurized cylinders comprise first and second hydraulic cylinders connected to each other via a hydraulic pressurized line.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said first and second pressurized cylinders comprise first and second pneumatic cylinders connected to each other via a pneumatic pressurized line.

13. The apparatus of claim 10 further including a second foot pedal and a second flushing system within said toilet base for effecting flushing of a dual-flush toilet.

14. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said flushing release means is selected from the group consisting of a flapper, a valve and a release button.

15. A method for flushing a toilet by foot comprising:

providing a toilet having a toilet base and a flushing release means;

applying downward pressure to a foot pedal attached to said toilet base to effect a force; and

transferring said force to a flushing system residing within said toilet tank for applying an upward pressure to an underside of said flushing release means for pushing up said flushing release and effecting flushing of said toilet.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein said flushing system comprises a pressurized flushing system, said step of transferring said force to said pressurized flushing system residing within said toilet tank further comprises:

transferring said force from said foot pedal to a first pressurized cylinder of said pressurized flushing system;

forcing a pressurized component from said first pressurized cylinder through a pressurized line and into a second pressurized cylinder of said pressurized flushing system; and

applying an upward pressure to an actuating means of said second pressurized cylinder via said pressurized component, whereby said actuating means is forced upward against said underside of said flushing release means such that said flushing release means is pushed up for flushing said toilet.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein said pressurized component is selected from a pressurized liquid or a pressurized gas.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein said actuating means comprises a rod of said second pressurized cylinder having attached thereto a flexible seal for protecting both a portion of said rod and said second pressurized cylinder from contaminants.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein said flushing release means comprises a flapper having a receiving means for receiving said actuating means, said receiving means enabling said actuating means to easily push open said flapper.

20. The method of claim 15 further including the step of releasing pressure from said foot pedal to automatically reset said foot pedal and said flushing system for reuse.