Select-a-flush toilet water saver system

Abstract

A select a flush water saver system is provided for use in the modern 1.6 gallon toilets as well as the old fashioned non-water saver toilets. The system is in kit form and easily installed with simple tools. The conventional toilet handle is replaced with two pull-cord operating handles, one for selecting a short flush to clear only liquid from the toilet or the other for selecting a full flush to clear solids from the toilet. A main flapper valve has a dual bleeder valve installed thereon. One operating handle acts upon the dual bleeder valve to cause a small amount of water to evacuate the water closet. The other operating handle acts upon the dual bleeder valve to provide the full flush. The pull-cord operating handles are as easily accessible as the original push handle and each has a different configuration in order to identify its function.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The current invention is a variation of the invention U.S. Pat. No. 5,181,282 awarded to Joseph Comparetti. It is designed with operational and manufacturing improvements. The current invention is protected until October 2011 by Provisional patent application No. 61/458,792.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Although the modern 1.6 gallon toilets use less water to flush , they still do not address the fact that less water is needed to flush liquid than to flush solid waste. They use the same amount of water for all flushes. This invention addresses that problem by providing dual flush capability in those toilets. The older toilets use even more water and yet are capable of operating efficiently using much less water. This invention works and will save even more water in the older toilets. The invention is in kit form so it can be easily installed in most any toilet that employs a main rubber flapper valve.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Select-A-Flush is comprised of conventional main rubber flapper having a dual air bleeder valve installed thereon. One side of said dual bleeder valve controls the amount of water released during the short flush. The other side of said dual bleeder valve controls the amount of water evacuated during the full flush. Said main rubber flapper and dual bleeder valve are controlled by two pull-cords attached to a rocker arm within the dual bleeder valve. When one of the pull-cords is pulled by the user, it pulls the main rubber flapper off its seat while simultaneously rotating said rocker arm to open an aperture on one side of the bleeder valve. If the other cord is pulled, main rubber flapper will be pulled off its seat and the rocker arm will rotate to open an aperture on the other side of the dual bleeder valve while closing the first aperture.

One of the pull-cords will activate an abbreviated flush and the other will activate a full flush. In the water saver toilets the amount of water released for full flush will be 1.6 gallons or less depending upon the aperture adjustment handle. The dual bleeder valve employs said aperture adjustment handles at each end to facilitate the adjustment of the amount of water released during the selected flush. Each end has an aperture the size of which is increased or decreased by turning said adjustment handle. The size of the aperture determines the amount of air that is released from the main flapper air chamber. When more air is released, the rubber flapper loses buoyancy and closes sooner. Less air release maintains more buoyancy. This principle is used in both the short and the full flush.

There have been many inventions designed to save water in the toilet flush systems. Select-A-Flush Toilet Water Saver System is a Kit type product that can be easily installed in most any brand toilet that employs a main rubber flapper valve to evacuate the water from the water closet.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

A primary object of this invention is to provide a toilet water saver system that will allow the user certain options that are not available in other toilets.

An additional object is to provide toilet water saver system that utilizes two pull-cords in place of the conventional single push handle to actuate the flush of the toilet.

An additional object is to provide a toilet water saver system that utilizes one pull cord to activate a full flush and another pull-cord to activate an abbreviated flush such that the user can select either the full flush or the abbreviated flush depending upon which pull-cord handle is used.

Another object is to provide a toilet water saver system that utilizes a dual bleeder valve installed onto a conventional rubber flapper to facilitate the release of controlled amounts of air from the flapper air chamber in order to vary the time required for the flapper to close.

Another object is to provide a means for the installer to set up the system by turning a handle on one end of said dual bleeder valve to adjust the amount of water that is released on the full flush and by turning a handle on the other end of said dual bleeder valve to affect the amount of water released on the short flush.

Another object is to provide a toilet water saver system that can be retrofitted into most existing modern 1.6 gallon water saving toilets as well as most of the existing old fashioned large tank toilets that employ a main rubber flapper valve to evacuate the water thereby saving even more water in those toilets.

Another object is to provide a Select-A-Flush toilet water saver system kit easy to manufacture and install and with little cost.

The following drawings will illustrate the above objectives however the drawings are illustrative only and the specific construction may be changed without changing the objects or claims of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a view of a toilet water closet having the current invention installed therein.

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic cross sectional view of the overflow tube [2] and overflow tube pull-cord guide [3] and pull-cords A and B, taken on line 1a-1a of FIG. 1. Also shown are pull-cord locks [e] and [f] which are employed in adjusting the length of pull-cords A and B to conform to the variances of distances from one toilet water closet to another. Elastic pull-cord returns are shown connected to the pull-cord locks [e] and [f]. The purpose of these is to counter the weight of the pull-cord handles.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross sectional view of the main rubber flapper [1] front view and side view showing the dual bleeder valve [5] installed thereon and with the rocker arm [6] shown in the two positions of rotation. The one opened left side position shown in ghost representation after the “B” cord handle was pulled and the other opened right side position after the “A” pull-cord handle was pulled. The aperture [b] on the “B” side of the dual bleeder valve is for control of the full flush. The size of said aperture is adjustable by turning the “B” handle [7] clockwise for smaller size and thus a longer flush. The aperture [a] on the “A” side of the dual bleeder valve is for control of the abbreviated flush. The size of said aperture is adjustable by turning the [A] handle [8]. Counter clockwise turn increases the size of the aperture thus releasing air from the rubber flapper air chamber more quickly and creating a short flush.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the description of the drawings, similar reference characters will denote similar elements throughout the several views, the FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a water saver system designed for use in a old fashioned non-water saving as well as modern water saving toilets of the type having a water closet [13], a flush port [16], a valve seat [18], an overflow tube [20], a main rubber flapper [4] and a water supply valve (not shown) to turn the water on when the water level lowers and off when the water closet is full.

Looking at FIG. 3, the apparatus consists of a main rubber flapper [4] having a dual bleeder valve [5] attached there on. The dual bleeder valve [5] has a rocker arm [6] set within. The dual bleeder valve [5] also has apertures [a] and [b] in the base leading to the rubber flapper air chamber [10] though opening [c]. Said apertures are covered by a plastic membrane [9] set rotationally to the base of the bleeder valve such that air can push past escaping from the rubber flapper air chamber when the aperture is opened. The base also has aperture adjustment handles [7] and [8] at each end to facilitate changing of the size of the apertures. The rocker arm [6] is shown in two positions, one of which is a ghost representation. These positions determine whether the rubber flapper [4] will lose buoyancy quickly or lose buoyancy more slowly. Said rocker arm [6] has pull-cords A and B connected at either end. Looking at FIG. 1, said pull-cords are directed by means of pull-cord guide [3] affixed to overflow tube [20] and from there to pull cord guide [1] affixed to the toiled water closet at the opening formally used for conventional flush levers. Pull-cords A and B extend to just beyond the toilet water closet pull-cord guide [1] to end at pull-cord handles A1 and B1. The pulling of said handles determines the position of the rocker arm [6]. Looking again at FIG. 3, the pulling of handle Al will rotate the rocker arm [6] counter clockwise thus opening the aperture [a] and allowing the plastic membrane [9] to rise and allow air to be released from the rubber flapper air chamber while at the same time closing the aperture [b]. The pulling of handle B1 will rotate the rocker [6] clockwise thereby closing the aperture [a] by locking the plastic membrane [9] over that aperture and opening aperture [b] thus allowing air to escape from the flapper air chamber though that aperture. This position is shown as ghost representation.

While certain novel features of this invention have been shown and described in the attached claims it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Claims

1. A Select a flush toilet water saver system for use in old fashioned toilets as well as modern water saving toilets type having a water closet, a flush port, a main rubber flapper, a flapper valve seat, an overflow tube, and a water supply valve, said system comprising:

a) Said rubber flapper pivotally mounted at an end of the overflow tube so as to normally sit upon the valve seat over the flush port and having a chamber for holding air therein.

b) Said rubber flapper having a dual bleeder valve mounted at its top with two apertures in its base to allow for air to be bled from the rubber flapper air chamber under controlled conditions.

c) Two separate operating handles each connected by means of pull-cords guided through pull-cord guides to said dual bleeder valve affixed to the top of said main rubber flapper.

d) Said dual bleeder valve having a rocker arm operated by means of pull-cords connected to operating handles mounted on the outside of the water closet such that when an operating handle is pulled, the main rubber flapper is pulled up off its seat. Simultaneously said rocker arm is rotated to uncover an air release aperture thus venting air from the main rubber flapper air chamber through said aperture in order to cause the flapper to lose buoyancy.

f) Said dual bleeder valve having an adjustment handle for each of the two apertures to facilitate adjusting the size of the aperture and thus the rate of escaping air.