JP7612141B2 - Flush water tank device and flush toilet - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a flush water tank device and a flush toilet equipped with the same, and in particular to a flush water tank device that supplies flush water to the toilet body by jet pump action, and a flush toilet.

As described in Patent Documents 1-4, for example, there have been known flush water tank devices equipped with a water storage tank body capable of storing flush water for flushing the toilet body, in which the forceful flow of flush water sprayed from a jet nozzle toward the suction port of the throat pipe creates a negative pressure that directly draws in surrounding flush water, such as near the suction port of the throat pipe, without relying on other mechanical elements such as a pump, and this negative pressure is used to pressure-feed the flush water in the water storage tank body that has been sucked into the throat pipe toward the toilet body, supplying flush water to the toilet body by the so-called "jet pump action."

These conventional flush water tank devices are equipped with a jet pump unit that induces the jet pump action described above. Specifically, this jet pump unit is equipped with a throat pipe that forms a drainage channel in the water storage tank body, a jet nozzle, and the like. The upstream end of the throat pipe is formed with a suction port through which flush water is sprayed from the jet nozzle and sucked in, and the downstream end of the throat pipe is connected to the inlet of the water conduit in the toilet body. When flush water is sprayed from the jet nozzle toward the suction port of the throat pipe due to this jet pump action, the jet pump action described above is induced in the water storage tank body, and flush water is supplied from the water storage tank body side to the water conduit on the toilet body side.

In such conventional flush water tank devices, a small tank for switching between large and small flushes is provided to divide (partition) the inside of the water storage tank body so that the amount of flush water supplied to the toilet body can be switched according to the large and small flush. The small tank is provided with a switching opening formed to penetrate a partition wall that divides the small tank's internal and external areas, and this switching opening is provided with a large/small flush switching valve that can be opened and closed. As a result, during a large flush of the flush toilet, the large/small flush switching valve is in an open state, and the internal area of the small tank divided by the partition wall communicates with the external area, making it possible to supply a large flush amount of flush water from the water storage tank body to the toilet body. On the other hand, during a small flush of the flush toilet, the large/small flush switching valve is in a closed state, and the flush water in the internal area of the small tank remains in the small tank without contributing to the small flush of the toilet, and only the flush water in the external area of the small tank is supplied to the toilet body and contributes to the small flush of the toilet.

JP 2015-206158 A JP 2015-206159 A JP 2015-151758 A JP 2002-327479 A

Furthermore, in recent years, in order to reduce the overall projection dimension of a flush toilet (more specifically, the front-to-rear distance from the rear wall of the toilet space in which the flush toilet is installed to the front end of the flush toilet), etc., there has been a demand for ways to miniaturize the flush water tank device as well while still ensuring the flushing performance of the toilet. However, the internal space of the water storage tank body of the above-mentioned conventional flush water tank device, which supplies flush water from the water storage tank body to the toilet body by jet pump action, is occupied by the water supply valve device that supplies flush water supplied from a water supply source into the water storage tank body, and related parts of the jet pump unit.

For this reason, the smaller the water storage tank body itself is, the more likely it is that the supply performance of flush water supplied from the water storage tank body to the toilet body will be reduced, making it difficult to secure a sufficient amount of flush water to perform toilet flushing, and there is a problem that the toilet flushing performance may be reduced. Also, in conventional flush water tank devices that use a small tank for switching between large and small flushes, which allows the amount of flush water supplied to the toilet body to be switched between large and small, the more likely it is that the smaller the water storage tank body itself is, the more likely it is that the small tank within the water storage tank body will also be made smaller while still ensuring a sufficient water storage capacity.

In the conventional flush water tank device described above, the small tank is roughly rectangular in shape and occupies a relatively large proportion of the internal space of the water storage tank body, making it difficult to further reduce the size of the water storage tank body.

If a large and small flushing mechanism could be installed to replace the small tank, the proportion of the tank occupied by the small tank could be reduced or eliminated, which would have a significant effect on the miniaturization of the water storage tank itself. Therefore, the challenge is to establish a large and small flushing mechanism to replace the small tank that divides the water storage tank.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a flush water tank device that can provide large and small flushes in place of a small tank that divides the water storage tank, and a flush toilet equipped with the same.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a flush water tank device that supplies flush water to the toilet body of a flush toilet by jet pump action, comprising a water storage tank body that can store flush water for flushing the toilet body, a water supply valve device including a water supply valve that can stop the supply of flush water supplied from a water supply source into the water storage tank body, an operating section that allows the water supply valve of the water supply valve device to be opened when starting a toilet flush and allows the switching operation to set the amount of flush water supplied to the toilet body to either large or small, and a jet pump unit that is arranged with at least a portion submerged in the water storage tank body, a throat pipe that forms a drainage channel for the water storage tank body, the upstream end of which forms a suction port and the downstream end of which forms a discharge port that is connected to the inlet of the water conduit of the toilet body, and a jet pump unit that jets flush water toward the suction port of the throat pipe to induce the jet pump action. the toilet comprises a jet pump unit having a jet nozzle; a switching means for switching the direction of flow of the water sprayed by the jet nozzle so that a flushing process in which the water sprayed by the jet nozzle is increased in flow rate mainly by the jet pump unit and supplied to the toilet body as flushing water, and a tank water supply process in which the water sprayed by the jet nozzle is supplied mainly inside the water storage tank body and stored therein, the switching means being configured to switch the direction of flow by moving between a first position corresponding to the flushing process and a second position corresponding to the tank water supply process, and when the water level in the water storage tank body reaches a predetermined water level during the flushing process, the switching means moves from the first position to the second position and changes the predetermined water level of the switching means, and the changing means changes the predetermined water level of the switching means during a large flush or a small flush.

A change means is provided within the water storage tank body to change the specified water level that triggers the switching means to operate, and this specified water level can be changed to a low level during a large flush (with the flush water volume set to large) and a high level during a small flush (with the flush water volume set to small). This makes it possible to create a difference in the amount of water used for large and small flushes by controlling the flush time. As a result, it is possible to create a difference in the amount of flush water by controlling the flush time without using a large part such as a small tank that divides the water within the water storage tank body, making it possible to make the water storage tank more compact.

The switching means has a float member that switches the direction of the sprayed water in conjunction with the water level in the water storage tank body, and the changing means changes the water level at which the buoyancy of the float member and gravity are balanced.

With this configuration, the specified water level of the switching means can be changed by changing the water level at which the buoyancy of the float member is balanced with gravity. This makes it easy to change the specified water level just by changing the surface area of the float member facing the water level, and it is possible to create differences in the amount of washing water by controlling the washing time without using large parts such as small tanks that divide the water inside the water storage tank body, making it possible to make the water storage tank even more compact.

The float member has a first state surface and a second state surface that have different water levels at which the buoyancy of the float member and gravity are balanced, and is characterized by having a change means that changes the first state surface and the second state surface that face the water level in the water storage tank body by rotating them.

With this configuration, the surface of the float member that faces the water level in the water storage tank body can be rotated to easily and reliably change the specified water level, and the difference in the amount of flushing water can be achieved by controlling the flushing time without using a large part such as a small tank to divide the water in the water storage tank body, making it possible to make the water storage tank even more compact.

The switching means also has a float member that switches the direction of the sprayed water in accordance with the water level in the water tank body, and the changing means changes the true buoyancy of the float member.

With this configuration, the specified water level of the switching means can be changed by changing the true buoyancy of the float member. This allows the specified water level to be easily changed just by changing the weight of the float member, and the difference in the amount of flush water can be achieved by controlling the flush time without significantly changing the shape of the float member or using a large part such as a small tank to divide the water inside the water storage tank body, making it possible to make the water storage tank even more compact.

The float member also has a dam portion on its upper surface capable of holding flush water, and is characterized by being equipped with a change means for changing the predetermined water level of the switching means by changing the amount of flush water held in the dam portion during large flush and small flush.

With this configuration, the predetermined water level of the switching means can be changed by changing the amount of flush water held in the dam of the float member and changing the true buoyancy of the float member. Because the true buoyancy of the float member is changed using the flush water present in the water storage tank body, the effects of breakdowns and the like are suppressed, and differences in the amount of flush water can be achieved by controlling the flush time without using large parts such as small tanks that separate the water in the water storage tank body, making it possible to make the water storage tank even more compact.

The weir section also has a drainage hole that drains the retained flush water into the water storage tank body.

With this configuration, the flushing water that accumulates in the weir section is drained into the water tank through the drain hole, allowing the true buoyancy of the float member to be reversibly changed.

The change means is also characterized by having a switching means arranged so that the water level is set to the above-mentioned specified level corresponding to the large flush in the initial state.

With this configuration, because the initial state is a large flush, even if the water level cannot be changed due to a malfunction of the changing means or a power outage, there is no shortage of flush water, so stable flushing can be performed regardless of the user's intended use.

The present invention also provides a flush toilet equipped with such a flush water tank device.

With this configuration, the flush time can be extended or shortened by controlling the operation of the switching means as a large/small flush function in place of the small tank, and a difference in the amount of water for large and small flushes can be set. As a result, a flush toilet equipped with a flush water tank device that can be made compact can be provided.

1 is a plan view showing a flush toilet equipped with a flush water tank apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. FIG. 2 is a side view of a flush water tank apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II of the flush toilet shown in FIG. 1. 1 is a block diagram showing the basic configuration of a flush water tank assembly according to a first embodiment of the present invention; 1 is a schematic front cross-sectional view of a water storage tank body, illustrating the basic configuration of a flush water tank apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention; 1 is a plan view showing the internal structure of a water storage tank body of a flush water tank apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 11 is a partially enlarged front cross-sectional view of the jet nozzle housing in the water storage tank body of the flush water tank device during large flushing according to the first embodiment of the present invention, showing the state in which the flow path switching valve is set in the flow path on the suction port side of the throat pipe. This is a partially enlarged front cross-sectional view of the jet nozzle accommodating portion in the water storage tank body of the flush water tank device during a short flush in the first embodiment of the present invention, showing the state in which the flow path switching valve is set to the flow path on the water storage tank body side other than the suction port side of the throat pipe. FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of the flow path switching valve float during large-flush according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of the flow path switching valve float during a small-flush according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing the basic configuration of a flush water tank assembly according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a partially enlarged front view of the throat pipe and its surroundings in the water storage tank body of a flush water tank apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a partially enlarged top view of the area around the throat pipe in the water storage tank body of a flush water tank apparatus during a large flush according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a partially enlarged front cross-sectional view of the jet nozzle housing in the water storage tank body of a flush water tank device during large-flush according to a second embodiment of the present invention, showing the state in which the flow path switching valve is set in the flow path on the suction port side of the throat pipe. FIG. 11 is a partially enlarged top view of the throat pipe and its surroundings in the water storage tank body of a flush water tank apparatus during a short-flush according to a second embodiment of the present invention. This is a partially enlarged front cross-sectional view of the jet nozzle accommodating portion in the water storage tank body of the flush water tank device during a short flush in the second embodiment of the present invention, showing the state in which the flow path switching valve is set to the flow path on the suction port side of the throat pipe. FIG. 6 is a partially enlarged perspective view of a float portion in a water storage tank body of a water purification tank apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

The following describes a flush toilet equipped with a flush water tank device according to a first embodiment of the present invention, with reference to the attached drawings.

First, the basic structure of a flush toilet equipped with a flush water tank device according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. Figure 1 is a plan view showing a flush toilet equipped with a flush water tank device according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II of the flush toilet shown in Figure 1.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, a flush toilet 2 equipped with a flush water tank device 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention comprises a toilet body 4. The flush water tank device 1 of the first embodiment, which will be described in detail later, is disposed on the upper surface of the rear side of this toilet body 4. The toilet body 4 comprises a bowl portion 6 provided on its front side, a rim portion 8 formed on the upper edge of the bowl portion 6, and a shelf portion 10 formed on the inner circumference of this rim portion 8.

The entrance 12a of the trap drainage channel 12 opens at the bottom of the bowl section 6 of the toilet body 4, and this trap drainage channel 12 is equipped with a trap ascending pipe 12b extending upward and a trap descending pipe 12c extending downward. As can be seen from the shape of this trap drainage channel 12, the flush toilet 2 according to the first embodiment is a wash-down toilet that discharges waste by a vertical drop. Note that, although the first embodiment describes a form applied to a wash-down toilet, this is not limited to this form, and it can also be applied to other forms of flush toilets, such as a so-called siphon type toilet form that uses the siphon action to suck in waste in the bowl section and discharge it to the outside all at once through the drain trap pipe.

Next, the toilet body 4 is equipped with a water conduit 16 into which flushing water discharged from the drain outlet 14 of the flushing water tank device 1 flows, a first rim spout 18 formed in the center of the left side when viewed from the front of the shelf portion 10, and a second rim spout 20 formed in the rear right side when viewed from the front.
In addition, the water conduit 16 branches downstream into a first water conduit 16a and a second water conduit 16b, and the flushing water in the water conduit 16 reaches the first rim outlet 18 via the first water conduit 16a, while reaching the second rim outlet 20 via the second water conduit 16b. The flushing water is discharged from the first rim outlet 18 and the second rim outlet 20, respectively, to wash the bowl portion 6 and discharge waste matter from the trap drain 12.

Next, the details of the flush water tank device 1 of the first embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 5. First, Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing the basic configuration of the flush water tank device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Also, Fig. 4 is a schematic front cross-sectional view of the water storage tank body showing the basic configuration of the flush water tank device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Furthermore, Fig. 5 is a plan view showing the internal structure of the water storage tank body of the flush water tank device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Note that in the flush water tank device 1 shown in Fig. 3, the internal structure of the water storage tank body 22 has been generally simplified for convenience, and therefore the arrangement of the structure of the flush water tank device 1 shown in Figs. 4 and 5 is different. Also, in the flush water tank device 1 shown in Fig. 4, some of the structure has been simplified. Furthermore, with regard to the left-right direction of the flush water tank device 1 shown in Figs. 1 to 5, the left side in the left-right direction as viewed from the front side (user side) of the toilet body 4 of the flush toilet 2 is defined as the "left side", and the right side in the left-right direction as viewed from the front side of the toilet body 4 is defined as the "right side".

As shown in Figures 3 to 5, the flush water tank device 1 comprises a resin exterior tank T, a water storage tank body 22 which is an interior tank housed within the exterior tank T, and a first water supply pipe 24 connected to a water supply source (not shown) such as a water line. A portion of the flush water supplied via the water supply pipe 24 is stored in the water storage tank body 22 so that it can be supplied to the water conduit 16 of the toilet body 4. As shown in Figure 4, the water storage tank body 22 is located at a relatively low position on the rear side of the toilet body 4, and is a so-called low silhouette type tank in which the upper end of the water storage tank body 22 is positioned low in height, and as shown in Figure 5, it is formed in a flat shape that is long in the left-right direction when viewed from above.

Next, as shown in Figures 3 to 5, a water supply valve device 28 is provided inside the water storage tank body 22, which stops the supply of flush water supplied from the first water supply pipe 24 via the constant flow valve 26. This water supply valve device 28 includes a main valve 30, which is a water supply valve that opens and closes the water supply passage downstream of the constant flow valve 26. The flush water tank device 1 also includes an operating device 32 (operating lever 32a, drive shaft 32b), which is an operating part for operating the water supply valve device 28 when starting a toilet flush.

The internal structure and operating mechanism of the water supply valve device 28 will be described in detail. First, the water supply valve device 28 further comprises a poppet valve 34, a float 36, a float-side pilot valve 38, and a float height adjustment mechanism M1. The poppet valve 34 is an operating-side pilot valve that opens and closes the main valve 30 by rotating the operating lever 32a and the drive shaft 32b of the operating device 32. The float 36 moves up and down due to buoyancy according to the water level WL in the water storage tank body 22. The float-side pilot valve 38 opens and closes the main valve 30 by the up and down movement of the float 36. The float height adjustment mechanism M1 is a mechanism that adjusts the vertical height position of the float 36.

The main structure of the main valve 30 portion of the water supply valve device 28 is a main valve body 30a, which is a pilot-type diaphragm valve, a main valve seat 30b on which the main valve body 30a sits, and a pressure chamber 30c in which the internal pressure moves the main valve body 30a relative to the main valve seat 30b. As a result, the water supply valve device 28 can be switched between a water stop state in which the main valve body 30a sits on the main valve seat 30b to stop water, and a water supply state in which the main valve body 30a is separated from the main valve seat 30b to supply water.

The pressure chamber 30c is provided with a poppet hole 34a and a float-side pilot hole 38a for releasing the pressure in the pressure chamber 30c. A poppet valve 34 is provided in the poppet hole 34a of the pressure chamber 30c so that it can be opened and closed. The poppet valve 34 is connected to a drive shaft 32b that connects the operating lever 32a and the water supply valve device 28. The drive shaft 32b is rotatable about its axis in conjunction with the manual operation of the operating lever 32a by the user, and is part of the operating section for operating the water supply valve device 28.

Furthermore, a float side pilot valve 38 is provided in the float side pilot hole 38a of the pressure chamber 30c. This float side pilot valve 38 can be opened and closed by the float 36 moving up and down according to the water level WL of the flush water in the water storage tank body 22.

The main valve body 30a is also provided with a bleed hole (not shown), which allows communication between the primary flow passage A of the first water supply pipe 24 and the inside of the pressure chamber 30c when water is stopped. The poppet hole 34a is formed so that its opening area is larger than the opening area of the float side pilot hole 38a. The poppet hole 34a is also formed at a higher position than the float side pilot hole 38a, as shown in FIG. 4.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 4, the water supply valve device 28 is normally in a water stop state, in which the poppet hole 34a and the float side pilot hole 38a are both closed, and the primary side flow path A of the first water supply pipe 24 is connected to the pressure chamber 30c through a bleed hole (not shown). Therefore, the water pressure in the primary side flow path A of the first water supply pipe 24 and the pressure chamber 30c is the same water pressure (primary side flow path pressure α), and the secondary side flow path B of the first water supply pipe 24 is open to the atmosphere. Since the area on which the water pressure acts on the main valve body 30a is larger than the area of the primary side flow path A, the main valve body 30a is pressed against the main valve seat 30b and is in a closed state.

Next, in the water supply valve device 28, when the poppet hole 34a is opened by the poppet valve 34 and/or the float side pilot hole 38a is opened by the float side pilot valve 38, cleaning water flows out of the pressure chamber 30c and the pressure in the pressure chamber 30c decreases. As a result, the main valve body 30a moves away from the main valve seat 30b to open and enter a water discharge state.

In addition, in the water supply valve device 28, when the poppet hole 34a is closed by the poppet valve 34 and the float side pilot hole 38a is closed by the float side pilot valve 38, the pressure in the pressure chamber 30c becomes the primary side flow passage pressure α again, the main valve body 30a moves toward the main valve seat 30b, and finally the valve is closed (water stop state). At this time, the cleaning water in the primary side flow passage A is injected little by little into the pressure chamber 30c from the bleed hole, so that the main valve body 30a is closed (water stop state) with a predetermined delay after the poppet hole 34a and the float side pilot hole 38a are closed. In addition, a jet pump unit 42 (details will be described later) connected via a vacuum breaker valve 40 is provided in the water supply passage downstream of the water supply valve device 28.

The jet pump unit 42 will be described in detail. First, as shown in Figures 3 to 5, the jet pump unit 42 is provided downstream of the second water supply pipe 44 extending from the vacuum breaker valve 40, and includes, from upstream to downstream, a jet nozzle 46, a flow path switching valve 48, and a throat pipe 50. The second water supply pipe 44 is formed by a hose 44a with high flexibility on the upstream side and a folded portion 45 with low flexibility on the downstream side. Flexibility here refers to the property that an object is flexible and can be bent. In other words, the higher the flexibility, the easier it is for a material to undergo elastic deformation. In addition, each of these jet nozzles 46, flow path switching valve 48, and suction port 50a of the throat pipe 50 is disposed in a jet nozzle housing section H that protrudes downward from one of the left and right sides of the water storage tank body 22 (the right side when the water storage tank body 22 is viewed from the front side in Figure 3).

As shown in Figures 3 to 5, the jet nozzle 46 of the jet pump unit 42 is disposed at least partially submerged inside the water storage tank body 22, and sprays cleaning water supplied from a second water supply pipe 44 extending from the vacuum breaker valve 40. The vacuum breaker valve 40 draws in air from the outside to prevent negative pressure from building up inside the second water supply pipe 44 from the vacuum breaker valve 40 to the jet nozzle 46.

Next, as shown in Figures 3 to 5, the flow path switching valve 48 of the jet pump unit 42 is provided near the downstream side of the jet nozzle 46, and is capable of switching the flow path of the cleaning water sprayed from the jet nozzle 46 depending on the water level WL in the water storage tank body 22.

As shown in Figures 3 to 5, the throat pipe 50 of the jet pump unit 42 is provided near the downstream side of the flow path switching valve 48. One end (upstream end) of the throat pipe 50 is formed with a suction port 50a, while the other end (downstream end) of the throat pipe 50 is formed with a discharge port 50b for discharging the wash water.

As shown in FIG. 4, the throat pipe 50 is divided into a throat ascending pipe 50c that guides the flush water flowing in from the intake port 50a diagonally upwards, and a throat descending pipe 50d that guides the ascending flush water to the exhaust port 50b, and the pipe shape is, for example, an inverted U-shape (or, in other words, an inverted J-shape or a gooseneck shape). This allows flush water to be supplied to the toilet body even if the user starts the flushing operation, the flush water in the water storage tank body 22 decreases, and the part connecting the throat ascending pipe 50c and the throat descending pipe 50d rises above the flush water in the water storage tank body 22 and the upper part of the throat pipe 50 emerges.

In addition, because the throat pipe 50 has an upwardly convex inverted U-shape, the cleaning water that flows into the suction port 50a must be discharged diagonally upward from the jet nozzle 46. Therefore, the second water supply pipe 44 that guides the cleaning water to the jet nozzle 46 has a turning section 45 that redirects the downward flow of cleaning water coming from the vacuum breaker valve 40 installed above the water storage tank body 22 to an upward flow.

As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the flow path switching valve 48 can switch the flow path of the jetted flushing water to either the toilet flushing flow path 52 that communicates with the toilet body 4 side, or the tank water storage flow path 54 that communicates with the water storage tank body 22 side, depending on the water level WL in the water storage tank body 22.

Specifically, when flushing the bowl portion 6 of the toilet body 4, the suction port 50a of the throat pipe 50 is opened by the flow path switching valve 48, and the flush water jetted from the jet nozzle 46 flows into the suction port 50a of the throat pipe 50 through the toilet flushing flow path 52. The flush water that flows into the throat pipe 50 flows out of the discharge port 50b of the throat pipe 50 and is discharged from the drain port 14 of the flush water tank device 1 to the water conduit 16 side of the toilet body 4.
On the other hand, the tank water storage flow path 54 is a flow path in which, when water is stored in the water storage tank main body 22, the suction port 50a of the throat pipe 50 is closed by the flow path switching valve 48, and the cleaning water jetted from the jet nozzle 46 is directed into the water storage tank main body 22 outside the throat pipe 50 without flowing into the throat pipe 50.

The flow path switching valve 48 is equipped with a flow path switching valve float 49, which will be described later, and can switch between the toilet flushing flow path 52 and the tank water storage flow path 54 by moving up and down according to the water level in the water storage tank body 22. When the flow path switching valve 48 is set to the toilet flushing flow path 52, a jet pump action, which will be described later, is induced, and the flush water stored in the water storage tank body 22 is sucked in and discharged from the drain port 14 of the flush water tank device 1 to the water conduit 16 side of the toilet body 4 together with the flush water sprayed from the jet nozzle 46, and the water level WL in the water storage tank body 22 gradually drops. When the water level WL in the water storage tank body 22 reaches the water level DWL where the buoyancy of the flow path switching valve float 49 is balanced with gravity, the flow path switching valve float 49 rises, and the flow path switching valve 48 is set to the tank water storage flow path 54. In other words, the water level DWL is the water level in the water storage tank body 22 at which the flow path switching valve float 49 switches from the toilet flushing flow path 52 to the tank water storage flow path 54, and is also the water level in the water storage tank body 22 when the supply of flush water to the toilet body 4 is stopped.

When the water level of the water storage tank body 22 rises due to the jet nozzle 46 set in the tank water storage flow path 54, the float 36 rises, the float side pilot valve 38 closes, the main valve 30 is closed to stop water flow, and water storage in the water storage tank body 22 is terminated. When the flow path switching valve 48 is set in the tank water storage flow path 54, the flow path switching valve 48 is suppressed by the flushing water sprayed (discharged) from the jet nozzle 46, so that the setting of the tank water storage flow path 54 is maintained even if the water level in the water storage tank body 22 reaches the water level DWL at which the toilet flushing flow path 52 switches to the tank water storage flow path 54. When the float 36 closes the float side pilot valve 38 and closes the main valve 30 to stop water flow, flushing water is no longer sprayed from the jet nozzle 46, and the flow path switching valve 48 switches from the tank water storage flow path 54 to the toilet flushing flow path 52.

When the flow path switching valve 48 is set to the toilet flushing flow path 52, the jet nozzle 46 jets flushing water from the suction port 50a of the throat pipe 50 toward the inside, thereby inducing a so-called "jet pump effect" in which the flow rate of flushing water flowing through the throat pipe 50 is increased to be greater than the flow rate of flushing water sprayed from the jet nozzle 46. The jet pump unit 42 sprays flushing water at high speed from the jet nozzle 46 toward the suction port 50a of the throat pipe 50, causing negative pressure in the space near the suction port 50a in the throat pipe 50 close to the jet nozzle 46, inducing a jet pump effect (ejector effect). This jet pump effect draws in flushing water in the vicinity of the water storage tank body 22, and this flushing water and the flushing water sprayed from the jet nozzle 46 are mixed together and flow through the throat pipe 50 to be supplied to the water conduit 16 of the toilet body 4. In other words, the term "jet pump action" used in this specification refers to the action of the large flow of flushing water sprayed from the jet nozzle 46 toward the suction port 50a of the throat pipe 50 creating a negative pressure that draws in the surrounding flushing water, such as near the suction port 50a of the throat pipe 50, without relying on other mechanical elements such as a pump, and using this negative pressure to pump the flushing water in the water storage tank body 22 that has been sucked into the throat pipe 50 toward the toilet body 4.

3 to 5, a branch pipe 58 that branches off a part of the tank water storage flow path 54 to a make-up water nozzle 59 is provided inside the water storage tank body 22, and a make-up water pipe 55 is provided that connects the branch pipe 58 and the make-up water nozzle 59. The make-up water nozzle 59 is disposed on the upper surface of the overflow pipe 56.
As a result, a portion of the flushing water in the tank water storage flow path 54 is discharged from the make-up water nozzle 59 via the branch pipe 58, flows into the overflow pipe 56, and is supplied to the water conduit 16 of the toilet body 4 from the drain outlet 14, and is ultimately used as make-up water to form a seal in the toilet body 4.

Next, as shown in Figures 7A and 7B, the large and small flush operation by the change unit 43 provided in the flow path switching valve 48 of the jet pump unit 42 during large and small flushes will be described. The flow path switching valve 48 is provided to change the water discharge direction of the jet nozzle 46 according to the water level in the water storage tank main body 22, and the change unit 43 is provided to change the water level in the water storage tank main body 22 that changes the water discharge direction of the jet nozzle 46 during large and small flushes.

The flow path switching valve 48 is connected to the change unit 43 by a joint unit 60 that connects the flow path switching valve float 49 and the flow path switching valve 48, and the joint unit 60 is configured so that the flow path switching valve float 49 and the joint unit 60 are rotatably engaged and fixed so that the flow path switching valve float 49 rotates around the axis of rotation during large and small flushes. A large/small switching ball chain 63 is connected to the flow path switching valve float 49, which is connected to the drive rotation axis 32b of the operating device 32 during large and small flushes, and is a mechanism that rotates in conjunction with the operation of the operating lever 32a.

The flow path switching valve float 49 has a roughly rectangular shape and has two surfaces that face the flushing water of the water storage tank body 22. The flow path switching valve float 49 has a water contact surface 61 in a first state having a flat shape that spreads horizontally in a flat state in which the horizontal length is longer than the vertical length, and a water contact surface 62 in a second state having a flat shape that spreads vertically in a flat state in which the vertical length is longer than the horizontal length. The water contact surface 61 in the first state and the water contact surface 62 in the second state are arranged to rotate via a large/small switching ball chain 63 by operating the large/small flushing operation of the operating lever 32a, with the joint part 60 as the rotation axis.

The large/small switching operation by the flow path switching valve float 49 during the large/small flush operation will be described in detail. As shown in Figures 6A and 7A, the operation of the flow path switching valve float 49 during the large flush will be described. When the operating lever 32a is rotated in the large flush direction, the large/small switching ball chain 63 connected to the drive rotation shaft 32b is not raised in conjunction with the large flush, and the flow path switching valve float 49 does not rotate. As shown in Figures 6A and 7A, the water contact surface 61 in the first state, which is a horizontally flat state, is maintained, and by waiting in a state where the buoyancy per water level is large, a position where the buoyancy of the flow path switching valve float 49 and gravity are balanced can be set at the water level DWL1. Therefore, DWL1 can be set to a lower water level than the position DWL2 where the buoyancy and gravity are balanced during the small flush, which will be described later. As a result, the flush time can be extended compared to the small flush, and the amount of flush water can be increased, so that the large flush operation can be performed without dividing the water storage tank body 22, and the flush water tank device 1 can be easily made smaller in size.

Next, the operation of the flow path switching valve float 49 during a small-flush will be described. As shown in Figures 6B and 7B, when the operating lever 32a is rotated in the small-flush direction, the flow path switching valve float 49 is pulled up by the large/small switching ball chain 63 in response to the rotation of the drive rotation shaft 32b. As the flow path switching valve float 49 is pulled up by the large/small switching ball chain 63, the flow path switching valve float 49 rotates, and the state changes from one in which the water contact surface 61 in the first state faces the water level WL to one in which the water contact surface 62 in the second state faces the water level WL. The water contact surface 62 in the second state has a smaller area facing the water level WL than the water contact surface 61 in the first state, so the water level DWL2 at which the buoyancy of the flow path switching valve float 49 and gravity are balanced can be set at a higher water level than when the area facing the water level WL is large, so the water level DWL2 can be set at a higher water level than the water level DWL1 during a large flush (water level DWL2 > water level DWL1). As a result, the flow path switching valve 48 is activated earlier, the flush time can be shortened, the amount of flush water is reduced compared to a large flush, and a difference in the amount of flush water between large and small can be set, so a small flush can be performed without dividing the water storage tank body 22, and the flush water tank device 1 can be easily made smaller in size.

In the first embodiment, the flow path switching valve float 49 is provided in the flow path switching valve 48 so that the length in the front-rear direction is longer than the left-right direction, and the joint part 60 connected to the flow path switching valve float 49 is arranged on one side in the front-rear direction from the center with respect to the length in the front-rear direction. Preferably, the joint part 60 is provided on the water contact surface 62 side in the second state from the center in the front-rear direction. By providing the joint part 60 on the water contact surface 62 side of the flow path switching valve float 49 in this way, the height of the surface facing the water level WL of the water contact surface 61 in the first state and the water contact surface 62 in the second state does not change significantly, so the water level DWL during large and small cleaning can be easily set only by the difference in area between the water contact surface 61 in the first state and the water contact surface 62 in the second state. In other words, the change part 43 provides a difference in the water level at which the buoyancy of the flow path switching valve float 49 and gravity are balanced, thereby switching between large and small cleaning. In addition, as a means for creating a difference in the water level at which the buoyancy of the flow path switching valve float 49 and gravity are balanced, any configuration can be adopted, such as attaching and detaching an additional float member to the flow path switching valve float 49 during large and small flushes.

In addition, because the joint 60 is provided on the water contact surface 62 side of the second state, the volume of the flow path switching valve float 49 that sinks to the water level WL when it is pulled up by the large/small switching ball chain 63 can be reduced, and the large/small switching ball chain 63 can be provided at a position away from the joint 60, which is the axis of rotation, so the force required to pull up the large/small switching ball chain 63 can be reduced. The flow path switching valve float 49 is set to switch from the water contact surface 62 of the second state to the water contact surface 61 of the first state after the small flush is completed. By setting it in this way, it is set to perform a large flush even if a malfunction occurs in the change unit 43, and insufficient flushing can be suppressed.

As a means for switching from the water contact surface 62 in the second state to the water contact surface 61 in the first state after the small flush is completed, any of the following can be adopted: a configuration in which the lifting by the large/small switching ball chain 63 ends when water supply begins; a configuration in which make-up water from the make-up water pipe 55 is discharged toward the flow path switching valve float 49 to rotate the flow path switching valve float 49; or a configuration in which switching is performed by a drive device such as a motor.

Next, the second embodiment shown in Figures 8 to 12 will be described. The basic structure is the same as the first embodiment, so a description will be omitted, and the different structure will be described with reference to Figures 8 to 12.

A water supply branch pipe 70 that branches the water supply from the water supply valve device 28 is provided on the second water supply pipe 44 that connects the water supply valve device 28 and the jet nozzle 46, and the supplied flush water branches into a water supply pipe 70a that connects the water supply branch pipe 70 to the water storage nozzle 73, and a water discharge pipe 44a that connects the water supply branch pipe 70 to the jet nozzle 46. The water storage nozzle 73 is fixed to a fixed part 71, which has a rotating shaft 72 that rotates the water storage nozzle 73 and can change the water discharge position of the water storage nozzle 73 during large and small flushes. The fixed part 71 is fitted and fixed so that it can rotate around the rotating shaft 72. In addition, a large/small switching ball chain 63 is connected to the water storage nozzle 73. The large/small switching ball chain 63 is connected to the drive rotation shaft 32b of the operating device 32 during large/small flushing, and rotates the water storage nozzle 73 in conjunction with the operation of the operating lever 32a. Any configuration can be used, such as rotating the water storage nozzle 73 by pulling the large/small switching ball chain 63, or providing a drive device such as a motor on the rotation shaft 72 to rotate it.

The flow passage switching valve float 49 has a weir portion 74 on its upper surface, and can store cleaning water in the weir portion 74. The weir portion 74 can change the true buoyancy of the flow passage switching valve float 49 (the buoyancy of the flow passage switching valve float 49 minus the gravity of the flow passage switching valve float 49) by storing cleaning water. In other words, the flow passage switching valve float 49 can switch between a first state in which cleaning water is not stored in the weir portion 74 and the true buoyancy of the flow passage switching valve float 49 does not change from the true buoyancy of the flow passage switching valve float 49, and a second state in which cleaning water is stored in the weir portion 74 and the true buoyancy is reduced. The weir portion 74 of the flow passage switching valve float 49 has a drain hole 75, and can drain the cleaning water stored in the weir portion 74.

The large/small switching operation using the flow path switching valve float 49 during the large/small flush operation in the second embodiment will be described in detail with reference to Figures 10A and 10B. First, the operation of the flow path switching valve float 49 during the large flush will be described. When the operating lever 32a is rotated in the large flush direction, the large/small switching ball chain 63 connected to the drive rotation shaft 32b is not pulled up in conjunction with the large/small switching ball chain 63, and the water storage nozzle 73 does not rotate, and as shown in Figure 10A, the water storage nozzle 73 discharges water to an area other than the upper surface of the flow path switching valve float 49. Therefore, the flush water is not stored in the weir portion 74 of the flow path switching valve float 49, and the first state is maintained. Note that even if the flush water discharged from the water storage nozzle 73 to a place other than the upper surface of the flow path switching valve float 49 enters the weir portion 74 due to splashing or the like, it is drained by the drain hole 75, and the first state is maintained.

When the flow path switching valve float 49 is in the first state, the water level DWL3 at which the buoyancy of the flow path switching valve float 49 and gravity are balanced can be set to a lower water level than the water level DWL4 in the second state described below. As a result, the flush time can be extended compared to when a small flush is performed, and the amount of flush water can be increased. Therefore, a large flush operation can be performed without dividing the water storage tank body 22, and the flush water tank device 1 can be easily made smaller.

Next, the operation of the flow path switching valve float 49 during small flushing will be described. As shown in Figures 11A and 11B, when the operating lever 32a is rotated in the small flushing direction, the water storage nozzle 73 is pulled by the large/small switching ball chain 63 in response to the rotation of the drive rotation shaft 32b, and the water storage nozzle 73 rotates. The water storage nozzle 73 is pulled by the large/small switching ball chain 63, and as shown in Figure 11A, the water storage nozzle 73 is set on the upper surface of the flow path switching valve float 49. The flush water discharged from the water storage nozzle 73 is stored in the weir portion 74 of the flow path switching valve float 49 (water level WLA of the flush water stored in the weir portion 74), and the weight of the flow path switching valve float 49 increases, acting as a so-called "water weight", reducing the true buoyancy, and the true buoyancy in the second state becomes smaller than the true buoyancy in the first state. Therefore, the water level at which the buoyancy of the flow path switching valve float 49 and gravity are balanced can be set to a higher water level in the second state than the balanced water level DWL3 in the first state, so the balanced water level DWL4 can be set to a higher water level compared to when the large flush is performed.

As a result, the water level at which the flow path switching valve 48 switches from the toilet flushing flow path 52 to the tank water storage flow path 54 is higher than that during a large flush (water level DWL4 > water level DWL3), shortening the flush time, and since it is possible to use a flush that uses less flush water than a large flush and to provide a difference in the amount of water between large and small flushes, it is possible to perform a small flush operation without dividing the water storage tank body 22, and the flush water tank device 1 can be easily made smaller.

The weir portion 74 is provided with a drain hole 75. The drain hole 75 is provided so as to contact the bottom surface of the weir portion. The drain hole 75 can improve the drainage performance of the cleaning water, and the accumulated water can be drained from the weir portion 74 in a short time. Therefore, the drain hole 75 drains the cleaning water stored in the weir portion 74, and the cleaning water in the weir portion 74 is also drained in accordance with the drop in the water level of the water storage tank body 22, and cleaning water is not stored in the weir portion 74 unless the discharge of water from the water storage nozzle 73 exceeds the drainage amount of the weir portion 74. In other words, in the second embodiment, switching between large and small cleaning is performed by providing a difference in the true buoyancy of the flow path switching valve float 49.

The water storage nozzle 73 is set to rotate so that it is positioned at a location other than the top surface of the flow path switching valve float 49 after the small flush is completed. By setting it in this way, it is set to perform a large flush even if a malfunction occurs, and insufficient cleaning can be suppressed. In the case of a configuration in which the water storage nozzle 73 is rotated by pulling the large/small switching ball chain 63, a spring or the like can be provided on the rotating shaft 72 so that when the pulling of the large/small switching ball chain 63 is released, the water storage nozzle 73 rotates and is positioned at a location other than the top surface of the flow path switching valve float 49.

As a means for creating a difference in the true buoyancy of the flow path switching valve float 49 during large and small flushes, the water storage nozzle 73 may always be set on the upper surface of the flow path switching valve float 49, and the water storage nozzle 73 or the water supply branch pipe 70 may be set so that water is not discharged during large flushes and water is discharged during small flushes. Also, the flow path switching valve float 49 may be configured so that a weight member or the like can be removed depending on whether it is a large or small flush. In addition, any method can be adopted, such as a method of controlling the amount of flush water stored in the weir section 74 by changing the size of the drainage hole 75, or a method of controlling the amount of flush water stored in the weir section 74 by creating a difference in the amount of flush water discharged from the water storage nozzle 73.

Further advantages and modifications may readily occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details and representative embodiments shown and described above. Accordingly, various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the general inventive concept as defined by the appended claims and equivalents thereof.

WL... Water level WL0... Stop water level DWL1... Predetermined water level during large flush in the first embodiment DWL2... Predetermined water level during small flush in the first embodiment DWL3... Predetermined water level during large flush in the second embodiment DWL4... Predetermined water level during small flush in the second embodiment WLA... Water level of flush water stored in the weir section A... Primary side flow path B... Secondary side flow path H... Jet nozzle housing section 1... Flush water tank device 2... Flush toilet 4... Toilet body 22... Water storage tank body 24... First water supply pipe 32... Operating device 32a... Operating lever 32b... Drive rotation shaft 36... Float 42... Jet pump unit 43... Change section 44... Second water supply pipe 44a Highly flexible hose 45 Folded portion 46 Jet nozzle 48 Flow path switching valve 49 Flow path switching valve float 50 Throat pipe 50a Suction port of throat pipe 50b Discharge port 50c Throat upflow pipe 50d Throat downflow pipe 52 Toilet flushing flow path 54 Tank water storage flow path 56 Overflow pipe 56a Overflow port 58 Branch pipe 60 Joint portion 61 Water contact surface in first state 62 Water contact surface in second state 63 Large/small switching ball chain 70 Water supply branch pipe 70a Water storage nozzle water supply pipe 73 Water storage nozzle 74 Weir portion 75 Drain hole

Claims (7)

A flush water tank device that supplies flush water to a toilet body of a flush toilet by jet pump action,
a water storage tank body capable of storing flush water for flushing the toilet body;
a water supply valve device including a water supply valve that enables the supply and stop of flush water supplied from a water supply source into the water storage tank body;
an operating unit that enables an operation to open the water supply valve of the water supply valve device when starting a toilet flush and enables an operation to switch between setting a large amount or a small amount of flush water to be supplied to the toilet body;
a jet pump unit at least partially disposed submerged within the water storage tank body, the jet pump unit comprising: a throat pipe forming a drainage passage of the water storage tank body, the upstream end of which forms a suction port and the downstream end of which forms a discharge port connected to an inlet of the water conduit of the toilet body; and a jet nozzle for injecting flush water toward the suction port of the throat pipe to induce a jet pump action;
a switching means for switching the direction of travel of the water jetted by the jet nozzle so that a flushing process in which the water jetted by the jet nozzle is supplied to the toilet body as flushing water by mainly increasing the flow rate by the jet pump unit, and a tank water supplying process in which the water jetted by the jet nozzle is mainly supplied to the inside of the water storage tank body and stored therein are carried out in sequence;
The switching means is configured to switch the traveling direction by moving between a first position corresponding to the flushing step and a second position corresponding to the tank water supply step, and when the water level in the water storage tank body reaches a predetermined water level in the flushing step, the switching means moves from the first position to the second position;
A change means for changing the predetermined water level of the switching means,
A flush water tank apparatus characterized in that the change means changes the specified water level of the switching means when a large flush or a small flush is performed. The switching means has a float member that switches the flow direction of the sprayed water in conjunction with the water level in the water storage tank body,
2. A flush water tank apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the changing means changes the water level at which the buoyancy of the float member is balanced by gravity. The flush water tank device according to claim 2, characterized in that the float member has a first state surface and a second state surface at different water levels where the buoyancy of the float member is balanced with gravity, and is provided with a change means for changing the first state surface and the second state surface that face the water level in the water storage tank body by rotating them. The switching means has a float member that switches the flow direction of the sprayed water in conjunction with the water level in the water storage tank body,
2. The flush water tank apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said change means changes the true buoyancy of said float member. The flush water tank apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that the float member has a weir portion on its upper surface capable of holding flush water, and is provided with a change means for changing the predetermined water level of the switching means by changing the amount of flush water held in the weir portion during large flush and small flush. The flush water tank device according to claim 5, characterized in that the weir portion has a drainage hole for draining the retained flush water into the water storage tank body. A flush toilet equipped with a flush water tank device according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

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