AU736583B2 - Actuating device for a WC cistern drain valve - Google Patents

Abstract

The control actuator for the discharge valve (6) has two keys for the selected release of a full flush or partial flush. There are two pneumatic lifters (1,2), one of which is for the full flush and the other for partial flush. Both lifters are arranged superimposed with the partial flush lifter supported on the full flush lifter. Both lifters can be mounted in a common guide housing (3). There can be two exhausts (4,5) with one lifter connected to one exhaust and the other connected to both.

Description

I.^

S F Ref: 420537

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

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Name and Address of Applicant: Actual Inventor(s): Address for Service: Invention Title: Geberit Technik AG Schachenstrasse 77 CH-8645 Jona

SWITZERLAND

Marcel Heierli and Jsmail Oezyldiz Spruson Ferguson, Patent Attorneys Level 33 St Martins Tower, 31 Market Street Sydney, New South Wales, 2000, Australia Actuating Device for a WC Cistern Drain Valve The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us:- 5845 1 Actuating Device for a WC Cistern Drain Valve o* The invention concerns an actuating device for a WC cistern drain valve, with two push-buttons for optional triggering of a full flush or partial flush.

An actuating device of this type has become known from the Applicant's patent EP 0 722 020 A.

This actuating device permits the optional triggering of a full or partial flush. With the full flush, only the valve body is lifted and in the case of a partial flush a weight-loaded body is lifted in addition to the valve body. The weight-loaded body is coupled to the valve body during the lifting operation. The weight-loaded body bearing down on the valve body causes the drain valve to close before the cistern is completely emptied. In the case of a full flush for example, 9 litres of io flushing water is flushed and 6 litres in the case of a partial flush. Such an actuating device permits a considerable saving in flushing water. Also well-known are actuating devices which permit remote control of the drain valve. Normally in these cases the drain valve is actuated hydraulically, electromagnetically, pneumatically or by means of a cable pull.

The object of the present invention is to provide an actuating device for a cistern drain valve which is suitable for a drain valve with optional full or partial flush.

The present invention provides an actuating device for a WC cistern drain valve, the actuating device having: a first push-button associated with a first pneumatic lifter for the drain valve for actuating a full flush, and a second push-button associated with a second pneumatic lifter for the drain valve for actuating a partial flush, wherein a user, in use, can selectably actuate the first or the second push-button for actuating a full flush or a partial flush.

The actuating device in accordance with the present invention operates with two pneumatic lifters. One of these lifters is used solely for producing a full flush, and the other lifter solely for producing a partial flush. Compared with an even simpler constructional design with only one lifter, likewise inherently practicable, the actuating S• 15 device in accordance with the present invention has the advantage of higher operational reliability. The constructional cost can then be substantially reduced if the two lifters are arranged one above the other in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, S•in which one of the lifters is supported on the other lifter. In accordance with one preferred embodiment, the two lifters can be accommodated in a common control e 20 chamber. Preferably the control chamber and the lifters then constitute one component :which can be mounted on, and preferably locked onto, the drain valve chamber.

In accordance with one preferred embodiment of the invention, one lifter has a carrier which can be connected to the valve body of the drain valve. Moving this carrier then lifts only the valve body.

A particularly inexpensive, producible and compact design then results if the lifter provided for partial flush has a carrier which is connected to an additional weight and which simultaneously operates a carrier of the other lifter.

RA4 -Preferred forms of the present invention will now be described by way of examples only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: [R:\LIBLL] I 1099.doc:TCW:yjp 3 Figure 1 shows diagrammatically a cross-section through an actuating device in accordance with the invention and a drain valve shown only partially here, Figure 2 shows diagrammatically a cross-section through a push-button arrangement, Figure 3 shows diagrammatically a cross-section through a drain valve in the inoperative position with an actuating device attached to it, Figure 4 shows the arrangement in accordance with Figure 3, but after actuation of a partial flush, and Figure 5 shows the arrangement in accordance with Figure 3, but after actuation of a full flush.

Figure 1 shows the actuating device 10, which as can be seen forms one unit, which is placed on, and preferably locked onto, a drain valve 6 known in the art. In accordance with Figure 3, the drain valve 6 is fixed at the bottom ofa cistern 35 and has a float 33 in which a tubular valve body 20 is mounted. At the other end of the valve body 20 is a valve disc 34 which sits tightly on a valve seat 37. To trigger a flush, the valve body 20 is o o.

15 raised.

*o *o *o* *ooo* [R:\LIBLL] I 1099.doc:TCW:vjp 4 For lifting the valve body 20, the unit 10 is provided with a control chamber 3 which is supported on the chamber 18 of the drain valve 6. Two pneumatic lifters 1 and 2 are located in this control chamber 3, each of the lifters being provided respectively with a pneumatic diaphragm 7 and 8.

These diaphragms 7 and 8, in the form of expansion bellows, are each connected to a supply pipe S 16 and 17 respectively with a pneumatic transmitter 32 and 31 respectively, as shown diagrammatically in Figure 2. The supply pipe 17 is connected to the transmitter 31 and the supply line 16 is connected to the transmitter 32. These two transmitters 31 and 32 are housed in a chamber 30, in which a small push-button 28 and a large push-button 29 are located. If the push-button 28 in Figure 2 moves downwards, the volume of the transmitter 31, which is made it) of an elastomeric material, is reduced through deformation and accordingly air is led through the pipe into a chamber 14 of the lifter 2. A corresponding movement of the push-button 29 causes air to pass through the supply pipe 16 into the chamber 15 of the lifter 1. The push-button arrangement 27 is mounted so that is clearly visible and the push-buttons 28 and 29 can be operated manually. Foot actuation is also inherently practicable. Which push-button is intended for a partial flush, and which one is intended for a full flush, is made obvious by the different sizes of the push-buttons 28 and 29.

Between the diaphragms 7 and 8, there is a carrier 5 which extends (not visible here) out of the control chamber 3 and which is connected to a weight-loaded body 26. This weight-loaded body 26 has an upper open chamber 26a to receive water. Consequently, when the carrier 5 is lifted, &o0 the weight-loaded body is raised at the same time. As can be seen, the carrier 5 is geared to the control chamber 3. A lever 25, whose operation is known from the patent EP 0 722 020, is connected underneath on the weight-loaded body 26, which forms an additional weight for the valve body 20. That document is referred to as an additional disclosure. The lever 25 projects with its lower end 25a into the chamber 18 and is pivoted horizontally during raising of the weight-loaded body 26 in such a way that the lever 25 lies with its lower end 25a on a shoulder 36 of the valve body 20 and thus supports the weight-loaded body 26 on the valve body The lifter 1 is provided with another carrier 4 which in the inoperative position is aligned with the other carrier 5. The carrier 4 has a through opening 19 into which the valve body 20 is inserted from below. A circumferential projecting collar 20a of the valve body 20 is held from beneath by a locking catch 21. Thus when the carrier 4 is lifted, the valve body 20 also is simultaneously raised with it. The locking catch 21 can be displaced radially. The unit therefore can be placed on the valve body 20 from the top during assembly, whereby the collar l 20a automatically engages with the catch 21. The carrier 4 is joined to a connecting piece 12 in which a shoulder 11 of the diaphragm 7 is clamped forming a seal between these components 4 and 12. The diaphragm 8 is similarly sealed and has a collar 9 which is clamped between another connecting piece 13 and the control chamber 3. The two connecting pieces 12 and 13 are each provided with connectors 23 and 24 respectively for connecting the pipes 16 and 17. On 15 actuating the lifter 1, the carrier 4 and thus the valve body 20 are raised. The other carrier remains in its inoperative position.

The mode of operation of the actuating device is explained in more detail below with reference to Figures 3 to 5. In Figure 3 the actuating device 10 is in the inoperative position and therefore the drain valve 6 is closed. The cistern 35 is full of flushing water and ready for a flushing o operation.

6 Ifa partial flush is intended, the small push-button 28 in Figure 2 is actuated downwards. By this action, the lifter 2 is filled with air and the carrier 4 and the carrier 5 are raised. Therefore since both carriers 4 and 5 are lifted, the additional weight 26 and valve body 20 are also moved upwards by the corresponding lift of stroke. Figure 4 shows the actuating device 10 and the drain 6 valve 6 after actuation of a partial flush. As can be seen, the lever 25 is pivoted horizontally inwards and rests on the shoulder 36. The valve disc 34 is lifted off the valve seat 37 and the flushing water can flow out of the cistern 35 through the side aperture (not shown here) of the chamber 18. The raised valve body 20 has the additional weight of the weight-loaded body 26.

This results in the valve body 20 dropping down to the closed position some time before the cistern 35 has completely emptied. The drain valve 6 therefore closes after a predetermined partial quantity has been evacuated. This partial quantity amounts to 6 litres for example. After each actuation of the push-button 28, a partial flush is therefore released with a predetermined quantity of flushing water. With the dropping of the valve body 20 the lifter 2 again returns to the normal position shown in Figure 1, whereby air is displaced from the diaphragm 8 through the pipe 17 into the transmitter 31. With this, the transmitter 31 is again bowed outwards and returns to the position shown in Figure 2.

In the case of a full flush, the push-button 29 is actuated. The transmitter 32 is bowed inwards and the displaced air reaches through the supply pipe 16 into the diaphragm 7 of the lifter 1. This raises the carrier 4, and with it the valve body 20. Figure 5 shows the drain valve 6 and the ao actuating device 10 after the valve body 20 has been lifted. The drain valve 6 is now open and the flushing action begins. The valve body 20 is not loaded by the weight-loaded body 26, since the latter continues to be supported on the chamber 18 of the drain valve 6. The valve body remains suspended by the float 33 until the full flush is completed. When the valve body 20 has 7 dropped back, the lifter 1 is returned to the position shown in Figure 3 and correspondingly the transmitter 32 is bowed out and the push-button 29 is brought back to the inoperative position.

Claims (5)

1. An actuating device for a WC cistern drain valve, the actuating device having: a first push-button associated with a first pneumatic lifter for the drain valve for actuating a full flush, and a second push-button associated with a second pneumatic lifter for the drain valve for actuating a partial flush, wherein a user, in use, can selectably actuate the first or the second push-button for actuating a full flush or a partial flush.

2. A device according to Claim 1, wherein the first and second lifters include first and second pneumatic diaphragms, respectively.

3. A device according to Claim 2, wherein the first and second pneumatic diaphragms together with respective first and second connecting pieces define first and second pneumatic chambers, respectively, the first and second pneumatic chambers being 15 connected to first and second supply pipes, respectively. S4. A device according to Claim 3, wherein the first and second pneumatic ooo* chambers are connected to first and second pneumatic transmitters, respectively, the first and second transmitters being in communication with the first and second supply pipes, respectively.

5. A device according to Claim 4 wherein the first and second transmitters i are accomiodated in a common chamber in which the first and second push-buttons are located.

26. A device according to any one of Claims 1 to 5, wherein the first and *second lifters are arranged one above the other, one lifter being supported by the other 25 lifter. S7. A device according to any one of Claims 1 to 6, wherein the first lifter moves a first carrier for the drain valve, and the second lifter moves both the first carrier and a second carrier for the drain valve. 8. A device according to Claim 7 when appended to claim 6, wherein at least part of one of the carriers is arranged between the first and second lifters, and the RA R /A other carrier is arranged above the upper lifter. 9. A device according to Claim 7 or 8, wherein the first carrier has a Of through opening for housing a valve tube of the drain valve and means for locking the valve tube to the first carrier. [R:\LIBLL]I 1099.doc:vjp 9 A device according to Claim 7, 8 or 9, wherein the second carrier is connected to an additional weight and wherein at least part of the first carrier is supported on the second carrier. 11. A device according to any one of Claims 7 to 10, when claim 7 is appended to any one of claims 3 to 5 wherein at least one of said diaphragms has a shoulder which is clamped between one of the first and second carriers and its connecting piece which is locked to said carrier to seal the diaphragm. 12. A device according to Claim 11, wherein the first and second lifters are housed in a common control chamber. 13. A device according to Claim 12, wherein the connecting piece of one of the first and second lifters is fixed to the control chamber housing and the connecting piece of the other lifter is movable relative to the control chamber housing. 14. A device according to Claim 13, wherein the movable connecting piece is connected to the first carrier and the other connecting piece is connected to the control chamber housing. A device according to any one of Claims 1 to 14, wherein the first and second lifters are assembled to form one component which can be locked onto the drain V •valve. 16. A device according to any one of Claims 1 to 15, wherein the device can S 20 be locked as a unit onto the chamber of the drain valve. 17. An actuating device for a WC cistern drain valve, the actuating device being substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Dated 13 June, 2001 25 Geberit Technik AG Patent Attorneys for the Applicant/Nominated Person SPRUSON FERGUSON [R:\LIBLL] I 1099.doc:vjp