Cage Type Patents (Class 4/398)
  • Patent number: 11371230
    Abstract: The present invention is a flush water tank apparatus (4) and includes: a storage tank (10) on which a drain port (10a) is formed, a discharge valve (12) opening/closing the drain port; a discharge valve hydraulic drive unit (14) driving the discharge valve using water supply pressure; a clutch mechanism (30) coupling the discharge valve and the discharge valve hydraulic drive unit to pull up the discharge valve; flush water amount selection device capable of selecting between a first and a second amount of flush water; a timing control mechanism controlling a timing of the drain port being blocked; and a control jet unit (20) jetting, when the second amount is selected, flush water to a water receiving surface provided on the timing control mechanism so that a timing of the drain port being blocked is earlier than a case of the first amount of flush water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: TOTO LTD.
    Inventors: Nobuhiro Hayashi, Hidekazu Kitaura, Akihiro Shimuta, Masahiro Kuroishi
  • Patent number: 11365535
    Abstract: A flush water tank apparatus enabling accurately setting an amount of flush water to be discharged while opening a discharge valve via a discharge valve hydraulic drive unit and a flush toilet apparatus including the flush water tank are provided. A flush water tank apparatus includes a first float device; a second float device that prevents from descent of the discharge valve according to the water level so as to discharge a second amount of flush water; and an adjustment mechanism configured so that when the second amount of flush water is selected by the flush water amount selection portion the clutch mechanism is disconnected at a pull-up height of the discharge valve such that the discharge valve descended by the disconnection of the clutch mechanism is held by the second float device in a holding state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: TOTO LTD.
    Inventors: Hidekazu Kitaura, Nobuhiro Hayashi, Akihiro Shimuta, Masahiro Kuroishi
  • Patent number: 10995482
    Abstract: A toilet that includes a tank; a bowl; a mounting bracket comprising a base and three mounting locations; a valve having a valve body extending through the tank and an opening in the mounting bracket; a valve nut coupled to the valve body with the base of the mounting bracket retained between the tank and the valve nut; a flexible gasket disposed around the valve nut between the mounting bracket and the bowl; and three fasteners disposed externally to the tank, wherein each fastener extends through one mounting location and a hole in the bowl to couple the mounting bracket to the bowl; where the three mounting locations are arranged to provide both a pitch adjustment and a roll adjustment of the tank relative to the bowl about respective first and second axes in response to adjustment of one or more of the three fasteners.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: Kohler Co.
    Inventors: Peter William Swart, John F. Emmerling, Scott W. Stonecipher, Billy Jack Ahola
  • Patent number: 8668105
    Abstract: A floating plug emergency drain valve for a floating roof used with a storage tank for volatile fluid, where the floating roof includes vertically spaced apart top and bottom surfaces and a duct having open top and bottom ends that extends through the roof for drainage through the roof of water accumulated atop the roof, the valve having an open state for allowing the accumulated water to drain downward through the duct and a closed state for blocking vapors from rising upward through the duct, the valve including a valve seat having an upper sealing surface, and a valve sealing element having a buoyant ball-like upper part, and a bottom part formed as a plug extending downward with a bottom sealing surface sealing with the valve seat upper sealing surface when the valve is in its closed state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2014
    Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventor: Nassir S. Al-Subaiey
  • Patent number: 7788742
    Abstract: A cistern outlet valve assembly (10). The assembly includes an outlet orifice (14) and a buoyant member (20). The buoyant member (20) has an outlet seal (22) on one side and a housing seal (26) on the other. The assembly (10) also includes a valve housing (18) is adapted to cover the buoyant member (20). The housing (18) has large clearance guide means (30) adapted to guide movement of the buoyant member (20) from a closed position in which the outlet seal (22) seals against the outlet orifice (14) and an open position in which the housing seal (20) seals against the housing (18). When the buoyant member (20) is in the open position any fluid incident on the guide means (30) is prevented from flowing onto the buoyant member (20) by the housing seal (20) sealing against the housing (18).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2010
    Assignee: Caroma Industries Limited
    Inventor: Sam Robertson England
  • Patent number: 6237164
    Abstract: A toilet supply tank assembly having high performance flush characteristics is designed to maximize water pressure over the flush valve and to minimize fluid turbulence within the tank during a flush cycle. The tank includes a bottom interior surface which tapers downwardly from the outer edges thereof to an fluid escape opening, and may include a cylindrical tank having a frusto-conical bottom portion with the fluid escape opening at the most narrow portion thereof. In order to further reduce turbulence created by water flow within the tank during a flush cycle, a cylindrical flush valve plunger having a frusto-conical stopper portion is provided which has no abrupt transitions. The tank may also include at least three vertical partitions intersecting a common axis which not only provide a cage in which the flush valve plunger can slide up and down, but also prevent the water from swirling and forming an energy robbing vortex.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2001
    Inventors: Joseph A. LaFontaine, Brent D. Barnett, Daniel T. LaFontaine
  • Patent number: 5502846
    Abstract: The present invention discloses an operating mechanism for a cistern (1) or flush tank which is able to be used for a wide variety of cisterns, irrespective of their volume to depth profile. The preferred mechanism takes the form of a generally cup-shaped weir (22) which surrounds the flush valve (18) and from which a support frame (7) extends. The height of the rim of the weir is able to be selected or adjusted, for example by the use of a number of rupturable panels (24) located in the walls of the weir (22). A mechanism (26,27) to adjust for height variations between the flush actuators (14) and the flush operating mechanism (15) is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 1994
    Date of Patent: April 2, 1996
    Assignee: Caroma Industries Limited
    Inventors: David Chelchowski, Colin W. Wooldridge
  • Patent number: 4858251
    Abstract: A pressurized flushing cistern for a water closet comprising a container with a bottom discharge opening, a liquid inlet conduit for admitting liquid into the container, the inlet conduit having an outlet disposed within the container at an upper portion of the container, an opening having an outlet valve seat connecting a lower portion of the container to the discharge opening, a flushing valve for closing the valve seat, the flushing valve comprising a floating valve member disposed in a chamber, the chamber closed at one end thereof where the chamber is connected to the bottom discharge opening and a manually operable activating means for unseating the flushing valve, the activating means comprising a lever device to raise the floating valve member within the chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 1987
    Date of Patent: August 22, 1989
    Inventor: Alfredo de Belaunde
  • Patent number: 4499615
    Abstract: A flush and refill device for use with a tank having an outlet and a means for refilling the tank with the liquid. The device includes a pair of floats and a guide means for guiding the floats for vertical movement. One of the floats serves as a valve for the tank outlet and the float controls operation of the refilling means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 1980
    Date of Patent: February 19, 1985
    Inventor: Everett S. Radovsky
  • Patent number: 4313233
    Abstract: A waterless flush toilet system comprising a toilet and a gravity fed waste holding tank. The system utilizes a recirculating nonaqueous flushing fluid which is stored within the holding tank. The fluid, which is lighter than the waste material and insoluble therein, forms a stratified layer on the surface of the material. A float having a flushing fluid inlet floats within the layer of fluid, separated from solid waste matter by a tubular screen member, the float being suspended from the top of the tank by a flexible coiled hose which is coupled to the fluid inlet. The coiled hose contracts as the waste level in the tank rises, thereby permitting the float to remain within the flushing fluid layer regardless of the waste material level. When the toilet is flushed, an air-powered pump draws a fraction of the fluid into the fluid inlet of the float, through the flexible hose and finally to the toilet. The fluid serves as a medium for transporting the waste material from the toilet to the holding tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 1980
    Date of Patent: February 2, 1982
    Assignee: Inca-One Corporation
    Inventor: George C. Roberts
  • Patent number: 4222130
    Abstract: A waterless flush toilet system comprising at least one toilet and a gravity fed waste holding tank. The system utilizes a recirculating nonaqueous flushing fluid which is stored within the holding tank. The fluid, which is lighter than the waste material and insoluble therein, forms a stratified layer on the surface of the material. A float having a flushing fluid inlet floats within the layer of fluid, the float being suspended from the top of the tank by a flexible coiled hose which is coupled to the fluid inlet. The coiled hose contracts as the waste level in the tank rises, thereby permitting the float to remain within the flushing fluid layer regardless of the waste material level. When the toilet is flushed, an electric or air-powered pump draws a fraction of the fluid into the fluid inlet of the float, through the flexible hose and finally to the toilet. The fluid serves as a medium for transporting the waste material from the toilet to the holding tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 1979
    Date of Patent: September 16, 1980
    Assignee: Inca-One Corporation
    Inventor: George C. Roberts
  • Patent number: 4185339
    Abstract: A flush tank is provided including a lower outlet opening and internal structure for guided movement of a free spherical buoyant valve ball into seated position in the outlet opening of the tank after the flush water has been drained therefrom. The tank includes a float controlled water inlet valve and float operated structure for at least partially unseating the valve ball from the water outlet in response to the level of water within the tank exceeding a predetermined maximum established by the float controlled water inlet valve, in the event of a malfunction of the water inlet valve to completely terminate the entrance of water into the tank as the level of water reaches the aforementioned predetermined maximum. Further, the lower outlet opening includes an upwardly facing annular concave spherical seat of the same radius of curvature as the valve ball and the seat is defined by a tapering peripheral lip portion of a resilient valve ball seat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 1977
    Date of Patent: January 29, 1980
    Inventor: Juan A. Morales