Means for removably attaching a flush actuator to a toilet
A means for attaching a toilet flush actuator to a toilet that allows for quick, easy removal of the actuator from the toilet without the use or a tool or tools. Simultaneously, the means of attachment prevents the actuator from inadvertently slipping off the toilet during everyday use, over many months and years. The means of attachment permits such possible contents of the actuator as, for example, a battery or an air freshener pack, to be changed and/or serviced readily, and further permits the toilet to be flushed even though the actuator itself has been removed.
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STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENTNot Applicable
REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIXNot Applicable
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThis unassuming invention relates to the means used to attach toilet flush actuators to toilets. The most common toilet flush actuator by a wide margin is the small, front-mounted lever found in tens of millions of American homes, though side-mounted push-button actuators are also occasionally found on high-end, designer commodes. Both styles of flush actuator can be manufactured to contain a night-light. The battery-operated flush-handle night-light disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,231,203 to Olshausen (2001) is an example of the first type. Battery replacement for such a night-light should never require the use of a tool. As night follows day, the tool will slip from the hand holding it and drop right into the toilet bowl. A toilet night-light for which no tools are required to change the battery is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,150,962 to Rauschenberger (1992). U.S. Pat. No. 6,231,203 to Olshausen, by contrast, fails to disclose a means for battery replacement without the use of a tool. The present invention, applied to Olshausen's flush-handle night-light, happily supplies the night-light with the wanting, user-friendly means for tool-less battery replacement.
SURVEY OF BACKGROUND ART As far as this applicant is aware, the patent literature fails to disclose a means for attaching toilet flush actuators to toilets that anticipates the present invention. U.S. Pat. No. 2,475,881 to Crampton (1946) discloses a flush handle with “an inner body” (Column 3, line 38) having a “permanent and inseparable connection” (Column 4, lines 27-28) to a “lift arm 9” via “notch 11” therein, and furthermore discloses a “covering ” for said “inner body,” said “covering” being attached with “tabs bent toward each other . . . thereby retaining the cover in place” (Column 4, lines 40-42). However, Crampton's
Garden-variety, toilet flushers have at least one visible element, hereinafter called the actuator, that is easily worked by nothing more than a single, adult finger, plus some generally hidden elements that limit the motion of the actuator relative to the toilet tank. By far the most common actuator is the front-mounted “handle” or “lever.” Motion-limitation of the actuator, i.e., of the finger-operable, visible element of a toilet. flusher, in turn limits the motion of a valve controller, commonly a bent metal shaft called a lift arm, that is permanently connected to the actuator and that extends unseen from the actuator through the wall of the toilet tank and into the tank cavity. This permanent connection of lift arm to actuator is typically produced by press-fitting the lift arm into a cross-sectionally smaller aperture for it in the actuator. If their connection were not permanent, then the lift arm, which is located almost wholly within the toilet tank, would loosen, and gravity, exerting a torque upon the loosened lift arm, would eventually draw the lift arm into the tank, disabling the flush mechanism. The lift arm is removably linked to a water valve within the tank, typically by a chain. The water valve, when opened by the limited motion of the lift arm, allows the water stored in the tank to flow down rapidly into the toilet bowl, flushing the bowl of its contents.
The motion-limiting elements of a conventional toilet flusher are found both on the actuator, which is movable, and on a so-called spud, which is securely attached to the toilet tank so that it, the spud, is rendered immovable, unable either to translate or rotate, relative to the tank. The cooperation of the movable motion-limiting element on the actuator and the immovable motion-limiting element on the spud is what effects the motion-limitation of the actuator relative to the tank. An example of a movable motion-limiting element integrally formed with an actuator is “rotation socket 74” located between “ribs 72 and 73” of “flush handle 10” in
The present invention severs the permanent connection between the actuator and the valve controller (typically a lift arm), and instead transfers the permanent connection to a new element that is able both removably to engage the now freed-up actuator and also to limit the motion of the freed-up actuator when the freed-up actuator is engaged with the new element. In the present invention, the actuator, in and of itself, is no longer essential to motion limitation, but instead removably attaches to and engages the motion-limiting elements. The actuator removably attaches to and engages the motion-limiting elements by a mechanical means that requires no tool or tools to work. If a person wishes to disengage and remove the actuator from the motion-limiting elements, he/she simply does so by sliding the actuator off them. The actuator may, of course, comprise a night-light, including the electronics and battery(ies)thereof. Any battery, or batteries, contained in the actuator may thus be replaced without first having to disassemble the toilet-flusher with a tool or tool(s). Additionally, the toilet can still be flushed by manipulating the new, movable, motion-limiting element on its own, albeit not with a single finger. Should an inquisitive five-year old happen to commandeer the family's flush-handle night-light, for example, family members will still be able to flush their toilet.
In the particular case of a flush-handle night-light, the means of attachment of the actuator to the remaining elements of the toilet comprise a mortise-and-tenon-like construction that cannot loosen, despite repeated use of the flush-handle in flushing the toilet over many months or years. This mortise-and-tenon-like construction has, additionally, a non-uniform cross-section, so that the flush handle cannot work itself loose inadvertently and slip off the motion-limiting elements.
The present invention has several important objects, among which are:
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- 1) a means of attachment for a toilet flush actuator that prevents the actuator from eventually working loose and falling off while simultaneously providing for quick and easy removal of the actuator from the toilet,
- 2) the ability to flush a toilet even though the actuator that is used every day for that purpose has been removed,
- 3) battery replacement for an actuator that comprises a toilet night-light without using tools, and
- 4) quick and easy removal of a toilet flush actuator without inadvertent flushing of the toilet.
These and still-further objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following drawing, detailed description, and appended claims.
DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGReferring to the drawing, wherein like reference characters indicate like parts or elements throughout the several views, and wherein arrowheads indicate physically-composite objects whose numbered resolution into constituent parts occurs only when it is germane to the discussion:
Spud 400 has facet 409 (preview
From
FIGS. 1, 3-8, and 11-15 show that the tenon and the corresponding, mating mortise of the flush actuator in the various embodiments of the present invention herein depicted have generally rounded cross-sections, surfaces, and elevations. Such rounding prevents stress from concentrating in the molded plastic from which most, if not all, of these parts are likely to be manufactured. If stress is prevented from concentrating, then the plastic will be less likely to crack from fatigue, and thus customer product satisfaction will be promoted.
Inasmuch as modifications and alterations apparent to one skilled in the art may be made to the herein described embodiments of the present invention without departing from the scope and spirit thereof, it is intended that all matter contained herein be interpreted in an illustrative, and not in a limiting, sense with respect to the invention claimed in the following claims and equivalents thereto.
Claims
1. A toilet comprising a flush mechanism, said flush mechanism comprising an actuator and a means of attachment for said actuator, said actuator being capable of causing said flush mechanism to flush said toilet when said actuator is engaged with said means of attachment and said actuator is worked by a human being, and said actuator, after said actuator has been engaged with said means of attachment, can be disengaged from said means of attachment without the use of a tool or tools.
2. A toilet as in claim 1 wherein said actuator can be slid off said means of attachment.
3. A toilet as in claim 1 wherein said actuator cannot be slid off said means of attachment by incidental forces roughly orthogonal to a force sufficient to flush said toilet when said force is applied to said actuator.
4. A toilet as in claim 1 wherein said actuator cannot be slid off said means of attachment except by a force applied substantially oppositely to a force sufficient to flush said toilet when said force is applied to said actuator.
5. A toilet as in claim 1 wherein said means of attachment has a portion capable of engagement with said actuator and said portion of said means of attachment has at least one asymmetric cross-section.
6. A toilet as in claim 1 wherein said toilet further comprises a water valve controller and said water valve controller is permanently attached to said means of attachment.
7. A toilet as in claim 1 wherein said actuator comprises a night light.
8. A toilet as in claim 1 wherein said actuator comprises an air freshener.
9. A toilet comprising a flush mechanism, said flush mechanism comprising an actuator and a means of attachment for said actuator, said actuator being capable of causing said flush mechanism to flush said toilet when said actuator is engaged with said means of attachment and said actuator is worked by a human being, and said means of attachment is capable of causing said flush mechanism to flush said toilet after said actuator has been disengaged from said means of attachment and said means of attachment is worked by a human being.
10. A toilet as in claim 9 wherein said actuator can be slid off said means of attachment.
11. A toilet as in claim 9 wherein said actuator cannot be slid off said means of attachment by incidental forces roughly orthogonal to a force sufficient to flush said toilet when said force is applied to said actuator.
12. A toilet as in claim 9 wherein said actuator cannot be slid off said means of attachment except by a force applied substantially oppositely to a force sufficient to flush said toilet when said force is applied to said actuator.
13. A toilet as in claim 9 wherein said means of attachment has a portion capable of engagement with said actuator and said portion of said means of attachment has at least one asymmetric cross-section.
14. A toilet as in claim 9 wherein said toilet further comprises a water valve controller and said water valve controller is permanently attached to said means of attachment.
15. A toilet as in claim 9 wherein said actuator comprises a night light.
16. A toilet as in claim 9 wherein said actuator comprises an air freshener.
17. A toilet comprising a flush mechanism, said flush mechanism comprising an actuator and a means of attachment for said actuator, said actuator being capable of causing said flush mechanism to flush said toilet when said actuator is engaged with said means of attachment and said actuator is worked by a human being, said actuator comprising at least one electronic component, and said electronic component can be replaced without causing said actuator to flush said toilet.
18. A toilet as in claim 17 wherein said actuator can be slid off said means of attachment.
19. A toilet as in claim 17 wherein said actuator cannot be slid off said means of attachment by incidental forces roughly orthogonal to a force sufficient to flush said toilet when said force is applied to said actuator.
20. A toilet as in claim 17 wherein said actuator cannot be slid off said means of attachment except by a force applied substantially oppositely to a force sufficient to flush said toilet when said force is applied to said actuator.
21. A toilet as in claim 17 wherein said means of attachment has a portion capable of engagement with said actuator and said portion of said means of attachment has at least one asymmetric cross-section.
22. A toilet as in claim 17 wherein said toilet further comprises a water valve controller and said water valve controller is permanently attached to said means of attachment.
23. A toilet as in claim 17 wherein said actuator comprises a night light.
24. A toilet as in claim 17 wherein said electronic component is a battery.
25. A toilet as in claim 17 wherein said actuator comprises an air freshener.
26. A toilet comprising a flush mechanism, said flush mechanism comprising an actuator and a means of attachment for said actuator, said actuator being capable of causing said flush mechanism to flush said toilet when said actuator is engaged with said means of attachment and said actuator is worked by a human being, said actuator comprising at least one internal electronic component, and said electronic component can be replaced without the use of a tool or tools.
27. A toilet as in claim 26 wherein said actuator can be slid off said means of attachment.
28. A toilet as in claim 26 wherein said actuator cannot be slid off said means of attachment by incidental forces roughly orthogonal to a force sufficient to flush said toilet when said force is applied to said actuator.
29. A toilet as in claim 26 wherein said actuator cannot be slid off said means of attachment except by a force applied substantially oppositely to a force sufficient to flush said toilet when said force is applied to said actuator.
30. A toilet as in claim 26 wherein said means of attachment has a portion capable of engagement with said actuator and said portion of said means of attachment has at least one asymmetric cross-section.
31. A toilet as in claim 26 wherein said toilet further comprises a water valve controller and said water valve controller is permanently attached to said means of attachment.
32. A toilet as in claim 26 wherein said actuator comprises a night light.
33. A toilet as in claim 26 wherein said electronic component is a battery.
34. A toilet as in claim 26 wherein said actuator comprises an air freshener.
Type: Application
Filed: Oct 19, 2004
Publication Date: Apr 20, 2006
Inventor: Michael Olshausen (Washington, DC)
Application Number: 10/967,227
International Classification: E03D 1/14 (20060101); E03D 3/12 (20060101); E03D 5/00 (20060101);