JP7730463B2 - Flush toilet device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a flush toilet apparatus, and in particular to a flush toilet apparatus that performs flushing in large flush mode and small flush mode using flush water stored in a flush water tank.

JP 2018-100575 A (Patent Document 1) describes a flush toilet. This flush toilet is equipped with a toilet body, a water storage tank, a pressure pump that pressurizes flush water stored in the water storage tank and sends it to the toilet body, and a water supply channel switching valve that switches the destination of flush water supplied from the water main. In this flush toilet, by controlling the pressure pump and water supply channel switching valve, different flush sequences are executed when a large flush is performed and when a small flush is performed. This allows the appropriate amount of flush water to be discharged from each outlet of the toilet body at the appropriate time for the large and small flushes, achieving effective toilet flushing with a small amount of flush water.

JP 2018-100575 A

However, in the flush toilet described in Patent Document 1, part of the flush water used for flushing is discharged using the water supply pressure supplied from the mains water supply. Therefore, if the flush toilet is installed in an area with low water supply pressure, for example, problems may arise, such as a lack of flush water or an inability to flush sufficiently. Furthermore, in the flush toilet described in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to control a pressure pump and a switching valve to execute the large flush and small flush flush sequences, which creates the problem of complicated flushing equipment and high costs.

The present invention therefore aims to provide a flush toilet system that can effectively flush the toilet by executing different flush sequences for large and small flushes while supplying the entire amount of flush water used for flushing from the flush water tank.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a flush toilet apparatus that performs flushing in large-flush mode and small-flush mode using flush water stored in a flush water tank, and includes a flush toilet main body with a bowl section and a drain trap pipe extending from the bottom of the bowl section, a flush water tank located at the rear of the flush toilet main body and storing flush water for flushing the bowl section of the flush toilet main body, a first drain valve that opens and closes a first drain outlet provided in the flush water tank to switch on and off the discharge of flush water from a rim spout provided on the upper edge of the bowl section, and a second drain outlet provided in the flush water tank The device has a second drain valve that switches between on and off the discharge of flush water from the jet water outlet located at the bottom of the bowl section, and an operation unit that can selectively execute a large flush mode and a small flush mode in which a smaller amount of flush water is supplied to the bowl section than in the large flush mode.When executing the large flush mode, flush water is supplied to the bowl section by opening the first drain valve and then opening the second drain valve after a predetermined time has passed, and when executing the small flush mode, the first and second drain valves are opened simultaneously, or the second drain valve is opened before the predetermined time has passed after opening the first drain valve.

With this configuration, the first drain valve switches on and off the discharge of flush water from the rim spout, and the second drain valve switches on and off the discharge of flush water from the jet spout. This allows the timing of rim spouting and jet spouting to be freely and independently set while all flush water used for flushing is supplied from the flush water tank. This allows the flush water stored in the flush water tank to effectively clean the bowl of the flush toilet body. Here, the rim spout at the start of a toilet flush primarily functions to wash away waste adhering to the waste receiving surface of the bowl, while the jet spout primarily functions to push waste and accumulated water in the bowl into the drain trap pipe. For this reason, there is less need to perform rim spouting prior to the start of a toilet flush during a small flush, when there is little waste adhering to the bowl. According to the present invention configured as described above, when the large-flush mode is performed, flush water is supplied to the bowl section by opening the first drain valve and then opening the second drain valve after a predetermined time has elapsed. When the small-flush mode is performed, the first and second drain valves are opened simultaneously, or the first drain valve is opened and then the second drain valve is opened before the predetermined time has elapsed. This makes it possible to reduce the amount of water spouted from the rim before the start of jet water spouting, which is less necessary in the small-flush mode, and to suppress the amount of flush water while maintaining sufficient flushing performance.

In the present invention, the operating unit is preferably configured to open the first drain valve and then the second drain valve when the large-flush mode is executed, and to open the first and second drain valves substantially simultaneously when the small-flush mode is executed.

With this configuration, when the small-flush mode is activated, the first and second drain valves are opened substantially simultaneously, which significantly reduces the amount of water spouted from the rim before jet water spouting begins, significantly reducing the amount of flush water used while still maintaining sufficient flushing performance.

The present invention preferably further includes a water pressure drive mechanism that uses the water supply pressure of flush water supplied from the water main to the flush water tank to open the second drain valve.

With this configuration, the second drain valve is opened by the hydraulic drive mechanism, so in full-flush mode, jet water spouting can be started a predetermined time after rim spouting has begun, without the need to pull up the drain valve using electrical power such as a motor. This allows the bowl section to be effectively cleaned while limiting the amount of flush water used.

In the present invention, it is preferable that the device further includes a ball tap equipped with a float that operates in conjunction with the water level in the flush water tank, and that this ball tap is configured to supply flush water to the water hydraulic drive mechanism when the float lowers to a predetermined position; when large flush mode is activated by the operating unit, the float lowers as the water level in the flush water tank drops, commencing the supply of flush water to the water hydraulic drive mechanism; and when small flush mode is activated, the float is forcibly lowered based on operation of the operating unit, commencing the supply of flush water to the water hydraulic drive mechanism.

With the present invention configured in this way, when large-flush mode is being performed, the float lowers as the water level in the flush water tank drops, and the supply of flush water to the water pressure drive mechanism begins, so jet spouting begins after the water level in the flush water tank drops. On the other hand, when small-flush mode is being performed, the float is forcibly lowered and the supply of flush water to the water pressure drive mechanism begins, so jet spouting begins without waiting for the water level in the flush water tank to drop. This makes it possible to set the flush sequences for large-flush mode and small-flush mode without using electrical control.

In the present invention, it is preferable that the device further includes a ball tap equipped with a float that operates in conjunction with the water level in the flush water tank, and that this ball tap is configured to supply flush water to the hydraulic drive mechanism when the float drops to a predetermined position; when large flush mode is executed by the operating unit, the float drops as the water level in the flush water tank drops, and the supply of flush water to the hydraulic drive mechanism begins; and when small flush mode is executed, the second drain valve is forcibly opened based on operation of the operating unit before the float drops to the predetermined position.

With this configuration, when the large-flush mode is in operation, the float drops as the water level in the flush water tank drops, and the supply of flush water to the water pressure drive mechanism begins, so jet spouting begins after the water level in the flush water tank drops. On the other hand, when the small-flush mode is in operation, the second drain valve is forcibly opened and jet spouting begins based on operation of the operating unit. This makes it possible to set the flush sequences for large-flush mode and small-flush mode without using electrical control.

In the present invention, the operating unit preferably includes a handle, and when the handle is rotated in a first direction, the large flush mode is executed, and when the handle is rotated in a second direction opposite to the first direction, the small flush mode is executed.

With this configuration, the present invention executes the large-flush mode when the handle is rotated in a first direction, and the small-flush mode when it is rotated in a second direction, making it possible to control the execution of the large-flush mode and the small-flush mode with a simple mechanism.

In the present invention, the operating unit preferably includes a first button and a second button, and when the first button is pressed, the large flush mode is executed, and when the second button is pressed, the small flush mode is executed.

With this configuration, the present invention executes the large flush mode when the first button is pressed, and the small flush mode when the second button is pressed, making it possible to control the execution of the large flush mode and the small flush mode with a simple mechanism.

The flush toilet device of the present invention supplies the entire amount of flush water used for flushing from the flush water tank, while executing different flush sequences for large and small flushes, allowing for effective toilet flushing.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a flush toilet apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the general configuration of a flush water tank provided in a flush toilet apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the general configuration of an operating unit provided on a flush water tank of a flush toilet apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of a ball tap built into the flush water tank in a flush toilet apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of a water pressure drive mechanism built into a flush water tank in a flush toilet apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram for explaining the operation when the full-flush mode is executed by the flush toilet apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram for explaining the operation when the full-flush mode is executed by the flush toilet apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram for explaining the operation when the full-flush mode is executed by the flush toilet apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram for explaining the operation when the full-flush mode is executed by the flush toilet apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. 10 is a time chart showing the operation when the large-flush mode is executed by the flush toilet apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram for explaining the operation when the small-flush mode is executed by the flush toilet apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram for explaining the operation when the small-flush mode is executed by the flush toilet apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram for explaining the operation when the small-flush mode is executed by the flush toilet apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. 10 is a time chart showing the operation when the small-flush mode is executed by the flush toilet apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing the general configuration of a flush water tank provided in a flush toilet apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the general configuration of an operating unit provided on a flush water tank of a flush toilet apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

Next, a flush toilet apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing a flush toilet apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the general configuration of a flush water tank provided in a flush toilet apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the general configuration of an operating unit provided in a flush water tank of a flush toilet apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of a ball tap built into the flush water tank in a flush toilet apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of a water pressure drive mechanism built into the flush water tank in a flush toilet apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in Figure 1, a flush toilet device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention is composed of a flush toilet main body 2, which is a flush toilet, and a flush water tank 4 located at the rear of this flush toilet main body 2. The flush toilet device 1 of this embodiment is configured so that flushing is performed by operating a lever handle 5a provided on the flush water tank 4 after use. As a variant, the present invention can also be configured so that flushing is performed based on a control signal from a remote control device (not shown) or a detection signal from a human presence sensor (not shown).

The flush toilet body 2 comprises a bowl portion 2a and a drain trap pipe 2c extending from the bottom of the bowl portion 2a. A rim spout 2d is provided on the upper edge of the bowl portion 2a, and a jet spout 2e is provided on the bottom of the bowl portion 2a. When flushing the toilet, flush water is ejected from the rim spout 2d and jet spout 2e at a predetermined timing, cleaning the waste-receiving surface of the bowl portion 2a and discharging waste and flush water from within the bowl portion 2a into the drain trap pipe 2c. The waste and flush water discharged into the drain trap pipe 2c pass through a drain socket (not shown) and are then discharged into the sewer pipe (not shown).

Flush water is supplied to the flush water tank 4 from a water supply source 7, such as a tap, via a stop valve 8, and the supplied flush water is stored in the flush water tank 4 up to a predetermined water level. The stop valve 8 is provided to stop the supply of flush water to the flush water tank 4 during maintenance, etc., and is normally left in the "open" position. The flush water tank 4 also has a first drain valve 10 and a second drain valve 12 built in, which are configured to open and close the first drain outlet 4b and second drain outlet 4c, respectively, located at the bottom of the flush water tank 4.

Flush water flowing out from the first drain outlet 4b passes through the rim water conduit 2f formed inside the flush toilet main body 2 and is discharged from the rim water outlet 2d. Therefore, the first drain valve 10 switches between on and off the discharge of flush water from the rim water outlet 2d by opening and closing the first drain outlet 4b provided in the flush water tank 4. Furthermore, flush water flowing out from the second drain outlet 4c passes through the jet water conduit 2g formed inside the flush toilet main body 2 and is discharged from the jet water outlet 2e. Therefore, the second drain valve 12 switches between on and off the discharge of flush water from the jet water outlet 2e by opening and closing the second drain outlet 4c provided in the flush water tank 4.

Next, the internal structure of the flush water tank 4 will be described with reference to FIG.
As shown in Figure 2, the flush water tank 4 has a first drain valve 10 that opens and closes the first drain outlet 4b, a second drain valve 12 that opens and closes the second drain outlet 4c, a ball tap 14 that is a delay mechanism, and a water pressure drive mechanism 16.

The flush water tank 4 is a tank configured to store flush water to be supplied to the flush toilet main body 2, and is formed at the bottom with a first drain outlet 4b and a second drain outlet 4c for discharging the stored flush water into the flush toilet main body 2. Furthermore, a partition wall 6 is provided inside the flush water tank 4, dividing the flush water tank 4 into a first tank section 6a, which is provided with the first drain outlet 4b, and a second tank section 6b, which is provided with the first drain outlet 4b.

The first drain valve 10 is a valve element arranged to open and close the first drain outlet 4b, and the first drain outlet 4b is opened when the first drain valve 10 is pulled upward. This causes flush water in the first tank section 6a of the flush water tank 4 to be discharged into the rim water conduit 2f (Figure 1) of the flush toilet main body 2 and then ejected from the rim spout 2d. In this embodiment, the first drain valve 10 is a valve element equipped with a float 10b, and after being pulled up from the first drain outlet 4b and opened, it is configured to gradually drop as the water level in the first tank section 6a drops.

In this embodiment, the user rotates the lever handle 5a provided on the flush water tank 4, which pulls up the first drain valve 10 and opens it. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the large flush mode and the small flush mode can be selectively executed depending on the direction in which the lever handle 5a is rotated. The lever handle 5a forms part of the operating unit 5, which selectively executes the large flush mode and the small flush mode, which supplies a smaller amount of flush water to the bowl portion 2a than in the large flush mode and executes a different flush sequence from the large flush mode. The configuration of the operating unit 5 will be described later.

The second drain valve 12 is a valve body positioned to open and close the second drain outlet 4c, and when the second drain valve 12 is pulled upward, the second drain outlet 4c opens. This causes flush water in the second tank section 6b of the flush water tank 4 to be discharged into the jet water conduit 2g (Figure 1) of the flush toilet main body 2 and sprayed from the jet water outlet 2e.

In this embodiment, the second drain valve 12 is configured to be pulled up from the second drain port 4c by the hydraulic drive mechanism 16. The second drain valve 12 is a valve body equipped with a valve stem 12a extending upward and a float ball 12b, and the valve stem 12a is pulled up by the hydraulic drive mechanism 16. Once pulled up to a predetermined height, it is disconnected from the hydraulic drive mechanism 16 and gently descends as the water level in the second tank section 6b drops, closing the second drain port 4c.

The ball tap 14, which acts as a delay mechanism, is configured so that flush water supplied from the water supply source 7 flows in through the inlet pipe 14a. Due to the action of this ball tap 14, during a large flush, the second drain valve 12 opens later than the first drain valve 10.

Next, the configuration of the operation unit 5 will be described with reference to FIG.
As shown in Figure 3, the operating unit 5 has a lever handle 5a which is a handle provided on the side of the flush water tank 4, a shaft 5b which is rotated by this lever handle 5a, a first arm 5c and a second arm 5d attached to this shaft, a large flush ball chain 5e which connects the first arm 5c to the first drain valve 10, and a small flush ball chain 5f which connects the second arm 5d to the first drain valve 10.

The lever handle 5a is a lever mounted on the side of the flush water tank 4 and is configured to be rotatable toward the front and rear of the flush toilet device 1, allowing for selective activation of large flush mode or small flush mode depending on the direction of rotation.

The shaft 5b is fixed to the lever handle 5a and is a rod-shaped member that extends horizontally across the width of the flush toilet device 1 above the flush water tank 4. The shaft 5b is rotatably supported relative to the flush water tank 4, and is rotated together with the lever handle 5a when the lever handle 5a is rotated.

The first arm 5c is a long, slender member fixed in a direction perpendicular to the shaft 5b, extending horizontally toward the front of the flush toilet device 1. One end of the large-flush ball chain 5e is attached to the tip of the first arm 5c, and the other end of this large-flush ball chain 5e is fixed to the first drain valve 10. With this configuration, when the lever handle 5a is rotated in the first direction, that is, the direction of arrow D1, the tip of the first arm 5c moves upward. This pulls the large-flush ball chain 5e upward, pulling up the first drain valve 10 and opening it.

The second arm 5d is a long, slender member fixed in a direction perpendicular to the shaft 5b, extending horizontally toward the front and rear of the flush toilet device 1. One end of the small-flush ball chain 5f is attached to the rear end of the second arm 5d, and the other end of this small-flush ball chain 5f is fixed to the first drain valve 10. Meanwhile, the front end of the second arm 5d is provided with a protrusion 5g that protrudes downward, and this protrusion 5g is located above and near the float 24 (Figure 4) of the ball tap 14.

With this configuration, when the lever handle 5a is rotated in the second direction, that is, the direction of arrow D2, the rear end of the second arm 5d moves upward. This pulls the small-flush ball chain 5f upward, pulling up the first drain valve 10 and opening it. At the same time, the protrusion 5g at the front end of the second arm 5d moves downward, pushing the float 24 provided on the ball tap 14 downward. This opens the main valve body 20 (Figure 4) provided on the ball tap 14, and water begins to be supplied to the water pressure drive mechanism 16. The configuration and operation of the ball tap 14 will be described later.

In this way, when the lever handle 5a is rotated in the direction of arrow D1, the large-flush ball chain 5e is pulled upward, the first drain valve 10 is raised, and the large-flush mode is executed. Furthermore, when the lever handle 5a is rotated in the direction of arrow D2, which is the opposite direction to arrow D1, the small-flush ball chain 5f is pulled upward, the first drain valve 10 is raised, and the small-flush mode is executed. In this embodiment, the large-flush ball chain 5e is shorter (less slack) than the small-flush ball chain 5f. Therefore, when the first drain valve 10 is raised by the large-flush ball chain 5e, it is raised to a higher position than when it is raised by the small-flush ball chain 5f. As a result, when the large-flush mode is executed, the first drain valve 10 remains open for a longer period of time than when the small-flush mode is executed, and more flush water is discharged from the rim spout 2d.

Next, the configuration of the ball tap 14 will be described with reference to FIG.
4, the ball tap 14 has a main body 18 to which the inlet pipe 14a and the outlet pipe 14b are connected, a main valve element 20 arranged in this main body 18, a valve seat 22 on which this main valve element 20 sits, an arm 26 that is rotated by a float 24, and a pilot valve 28 that is moved by the rotation of this arm 26. In other words, the ball tap 14 is equipped with a float 24 that operates in conjunction with the water level in the flush water tank 4, and is configured to supply flush water to the water pressure drive mechanism 16 when the float 24 drops to a predetermined position.

The main body 18 is a component with a connection for the inlet pipe 14a at the bottom and a connection for the outlet pipe 14b on one side. A valve seat 22 is formed inside the main body 18, and this valve seat 22 is connected to the outlet pipe 14b, which is connected to the connection. A main valve element 20 is also located inside the main body 18 to open and close the valve seat 22. When the valve is open, tap water flowing in from the inlet pipe 14a passes through the valve seat 22 and flows out into the outlet pipe 14b. The outlet pipe 14b is then connected to the hydraulic drive mechanism 16.

The main valve element 20 is a roughly disc-shaped diaphragm-type valve element that is attached inside the main body 18 so that it can seat and unseat on the valve seat 22. A bleed hole 20a is provided around the periphery of the main valve element 20. A pressure chamber 18a is formed inside the main body 18 on the opposite side of the main valve element 20 from the valve seat 22 (to the left in Figure 4). That is, the pressure chamber 18a is defined by the inner wall surface of the main body 18 and the main valve element 20, and when the pressure inside this pressure chamber 18a increases, this pressure presses the main valve element 20 against the valve seat 22, causing it to seat on the valve seat 22.

Furthermore, a pressure passage 18b extends upward to communicate with the pressure chamber 18a provided within the main body 18, and a pilot valve port 28a is provided at the upper end of this pressure passage 18b. This pilot valve port 28a opens upward and is configured to be opened and closed by the pilot valve 28.

[0033] Meanwhile, the float 24 is supported by an arm portion 26, which is rotatably supported by a support shaft 26a. Furthermore, a pilot valve 28 is connected to the arm portion 26, and is configured to move up and down as the arm portion 26 rotates. As a result, when the water level in the first tank portion 6a of the flush water tank 4 rises above a predetermined set water level _L1 , the float 24 is pushed upward, which in turn moves the pilot valve 28 downward, seating on and closing the pilot valve port 28a. On the other hand, when flush water is drained from the first tank portion 6a and the water level in the first tank portion 6a drops, the float 24 moves downward, causing the pilot valve 28 to move upward and opening the pilot valve port 28a. Therefore, during standby for toilet flushing when the water level in the first tank portion 6a is higher than the set water level _L1 , the pilot valve port 28a of the main body portion 18 is in a closed state.

Furthermore, tap water that flows into the main body 18 from the inlet pipe 14a flows into the annular space around the valve seat 22, and from there flows into the pressure chamber 18a through the bleed hole 20a in the main valve element 20. When the pilot valve port 28a is closed by the pilot valve 28, there is no path for the tap water that has flowed into the pressure chamber 18a from the bleed hole 20a to flow out, and the pressure in the pressure chamber 18a increases. When the pressure in the pressure chamber 18a increases in this way, this pressure presses the main valve element 20 toward the valve seat 22 (to the right in Figure 3), causing the main valve element 20 to close the valve seat 22.

On the other hand, when the first drain valve 10 is opened by the flushing operation and the water level in the first tank section 6a of the flush water tank 4 falls below the set water level _L1 , the float 24 moves downward, the pilot valve 28 moves upward, and the pilot valve port 28a opens. When the pilot valve port 28a opens, water in the pressure chamber 18a flows out from the pilot valve port 28a, and the pressure in the pressure chamber 18a drops. This causes the main valve element 20 to move away from the valve seat 22 (to the left in Figure 4), opening the valve seat 22. In this way, with the pilot valve port 28a open, the pressure in the pressure chamber 18a does not rise, and the valve seat 22 remains open.

As described above, the ball tap 14 is configured so that the float 24 moves up and down in conjunction with the water level in the flush water tank 4. When the float 24 drops to a predetermined position, the main valve body 20 opens and flush water is supplied to the water pressure drive mechanism 16. However, as described above, the protrusion 5g (Figure 3) of the operating unit 5 is located above and near the float 24. When the lever handle 5a is operated to move the protrusion 5g downward, the float 24 of the ball tap 14 is pushed down. As a result, the float 24 is forcibly pushed down regardless of the water level in the flush water tank 4, and the main valve body 20 opens. In this way, when the float 24 is forcibly lowered based on operation of the operating unit 5, the supply of flush water to the water pressure drive mechanism 16 begins regardless of the water level in the flush water tank 4.

Next, the configuration of the water hydraulic drive mechanism 16 will be described with reference to FIG.
The water hydraulic drive mechanism 16 is configured to drive the second drain valve 12 using the water supply pressure of flush water supplied to the flush water tank from the water main. Specifically, the water hydraulic drive mechanism 16 includes a cylinder 16a into which water supplied from the ball tap 14 flows, a piston 16b slidably disposed within the cylinder 16a, and a rod 30 that protrudes from the lower end of the cylinder 16a and drives the second drain valve 12. Furthermore, a spring 16c is disposed within the cylinder 16a to bias the piston 16b downward, and a gasket is attached to the piston 16b to ensure watertightness between the inner wall surface of the cylinder 16a and the piston 16b. Furthermore, a clutch mechanism 32 is provided at the lower end of the rod 30, and this clutch mechanism 32 connects and disconnects the rod 30 and the valve stem 12a of the second drain valve 12.

Cylinder 16a is a cylindrical member with its axis oriented vertically, and slidably accommodates piston 16b inside. Furthermore, an outlet pipe 14b extending from ball tap 14 is connected to the lower end of cylinder 16a, allowing flushing water flowing out from ball tap 14 to flow into cylinder 16a. Therefore, piston 16b inside cylinder 16a is pushed up against the biasing force of spring 16c by the water flowing into cylinder 16a.

Meanwhile, an outlet hole is provided at the upper end of the cylinder 16a, and the water supply pipe 34 communicates with the interior of the cylinder 16a through this outlet hole. Therefore, when water flows into the cylinder 16a from the outlet pipe 14b connected to the bottom of the cylinder 16a, the piston 16b is pushed upward from the bottom of the cylinder 16a. Then, when the piston 16b is pushed up to a position above the outlet hole, the water that has flowed into the cylinder 16a flows out from the outlet hole into the water supply pipe 34. Furthermore, the flush water that has flowed into the water supply pipe 34 falls into the second tank section 6b of the flush water tank 4, supplying flush water to the flush water tank 4.

The rod 30 is a rod-shaped member connected to the underside of the piston 16b, and extends through a through-hole formed in the bottom surface of the cylinder 16a, protruding downward from within the cylinder 16a. The valve stem 12a of the second drain valve 12 is connected to the lower end of the rod 30 via a clutch mechanism 32, and the rod 30 connects the piston 16b and the second drain valve 12. Therefore, when water flows into the cylinder 16a and pushes up the piston 16b, the rod 30 connected to the piston 16b lifts the second drain valve 12 upward, opening the second drain valve 12.

In addition, a gap is provided between the rod 30 protruding from below the cylinder 16a and the inner wall of the through-hole in the cylinder 16a, and some of the water that flows into the cylinder 16a flows out through this gap. The water that flows out through the gap flows into the second tank section 6b. However, because this gap is relatively narrow and has high flow resistance, even when water is flowing out through the gap, the water flowing into the cylinder 16a from the outflow pipe 14b increases the pressure inside the cylinder 16a, pushing up the piston 16b against the biasing force of the spring 16c.

Furthermore, the clutch mechanism 32 detachably connects the rod 30 and the second drain valve 12. When the second drain valve 12 is lifted a predetermined distance together with the rod 30, the clutch mechanism 32 is configured to disconnect the valve stem 12a of the second drain valve 12 from the rod 30. When the clutch mechanism 32 is disconnected, the second drain valve 12 is no longer linked to the movement of the piston 16b and the upper part of the rod 30, and the second drain valve 12 descends as the water level in the second tank portion 6b of the flush water tank 4 drops.

Next, with additional reference to Figures 6 to 14, the operation of the flush toilet apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be explained.
Figures 6 to 9 are schematic diagrams for explaining the operation when the large-flush mode is executed by a flush toilet apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Figure 10 is a time chart showing the operation when the large-flush mode is executed by a flush toilet apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Figures 11 to 13 are schematic diagrams for explaining the operation when the small-flush mode is executed by a flush toilet apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Figure 14 is a time chart showing the operation when the small-flush mode is executed by a flush toilet apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

First, in the standby state for toilet flushing as described above, as shown in Figure 2, the first drain outlet 4b and second drain outlet 4c of the flush water tank 4 are closed by the first drain valve 10 and second drain valve 12, respectively. Also, the second tank section 6b of the flush water tank 4 is full (the water level is the same as the upper end of the partition wall 6). Meanwhile, the initial water level _L2 in the first tank section 6a is higher than the predetermined set water level _L1 (the reason why the initial water level _L2 is higher than the set water level _L1 will be explained later). As a result, the pilot valve port 28a of the main body section 18 (Figure 4) of the ball tap 14 is in a closed state, and the valve seat 22 is closed by the main valve body 20.

Next, at time t1 in Figure 10, when the user rotates the lever handle 5a of the flush water tank 4 to flush the toilet in large flush mode, the large flush ball chain 5e lifts the first drain valve 10. This causes the first drain valve 10 to be pulled away from the first drain outlet 4b, opening the first drain outlet 4b, as shown in Figure 6. When the first drain outlet 4b is opened, flush water stored in the first tank section 6a of the flush water tank 4 flows from the first drain outlet 4b into the rim water conduit 2f (Figure 1) and is discharged from the rim water outlet 2d. The rim water discharged from the rim water outlet 2d creates a swirling flow above the waste receiving surface of the bowl section 2a, cleaning the waste receiving surface. Note that the water level in the first tank section 6a drops as the flush water is discharged.

As flush water is discharged from the first drain port 4b, the water level in the first tank portion 6a drops. Then, at time t2 in Figure 10, when the water level in the first tank portion 6a falls below the set water level _L1 , the float 24 of the ball tap 14 drops, opening the pilot valve 28 (Figure 4). This reduces the pressure in the pressure chamber 18a, opening the main valve element 20, and starting the supply of water to the water hydraulic drive mechanism 16, as shown in Figure 7.

When flush water is supplied to the water pressure drive mechanism 16, the flush water that flows into the cylinder 16a (Figure 5) pushes up the piston 16b against the biasing force of the spring 16c. This causes the rod 30 connected to the piston 16b to pull up the valve stem 12a of the second drain valve 12, opening the second drain port 4c. In other words, the second drain valve 12 is driven and opened by the water supply pressure of tap water supplied via the ball tap 14. Thus, in the large-flush mode, the first drain valve 10 opens at time t1, and the second drain valve 12 opens at time t2 after a predetermined time has elapsed.

When the second drain outlet 4c is opened, flush water stored in the second tank section 6b of the flush water tank 4 flows from the second drain outlet 4c into the jet water conduit 2g (Figure 1) and is discharged from the jet water outlet 2e. The jet water discharged from the jet water outlet 2e fills the drain trap pipe 2c, inducing a siphon action. The siphon action causes the accumulated water and waste in the bowl section 2a to be sucked into the drain trap pipe 2c and discharged into the sewer pipe (not shown).

When the second drain valve 12 is raised to a predetermined height together with the piston 16b of the hydraulic drive mechanism 16, the clutch mechanism 32 (Figure 5) separates the valve stem 12a of the second drain valve 12 from the rod 30. This causes the second drain valve 12 to descend toward the second drain outlet 4c. Then, at time t3 in Figure 10, as shown in Figure 8, the second drain valve 12 seats on the second drain outlet 4c, closing the second drain outlet 4c. This stops jet water spouting from the jet water outlet 2e. Note that because the second drain outlet 4c and the jet water conduit 2g connected to it have low flow resistance, flush water is discharged from the jet water outlet 2e at a high flow rate. As a result, the water level in the second tank section 6b drops rapidly, and the second drain valve 12 closes earlier than the first drain valve 10.

In the state shown in Figure 8, the main valve body 20 of the ball tap 14 is open, so flush water supplied from the water supply source 7 (tap water) is supplied to the water pressure drive mechanism 16 via the ball tap 14 and flows into the second tank section 6b through the water supply pipe 34 connected to the cylinder 16a. Meanwhile, because the first drain valve 10 is still open, flush water in the first tank section 6a flows out from the first drain outlet 4b and is discharged from the rim water outlet 2d. After the jet water discharge is stopped at time t3 in Figure 10, the flush water discharged from the rim water outlet 2d is used as refill water to return the water level in the bowl section 2a to the stored water level in the standby state.

Next, at time t4 in Figure 10, when the water level in the second tank section 6b of the flush water tank 4 drops to the dead water level DWL, the first drain valve 10 seats on the first drain outlet 4b and closes, as shown in Figure 9. This stops rim water spouting from the rim spout outlet 2d.

Furthermore, even after the first drain valve 10 is closed, the main valve body 20 of the ball tap 14 remains open, so flush water supplied from the water supply source 7 (tap water) flows from the water supply pipe 34 via the ball tap 14 and the water pressure drive mechanism 16 into the second tank portion 6b of the flush water tank 4. Then, when the water level in the second tank portion 6b becomes higher than the height of the partition wall 6, flush water flows over the partition wall 6 from the second tank portion 6b into the first tank portion 6a. This causes the water level in the first tank portion 6a to rise. Then, at time t5 in Figure 10, when the water level in the first tank portion 6a rises to the set water level _L1 , the float 24 of the ball tap 14 rises and the pilot valve 28 (Figure 4) closes.

When the pilot valve 28 is closed in this way, flush water that has flowed into the pressure chamber 18a through the bleed hole 20a provided in the main valve element 20 of the ball tap 14 cannot flow out, and the pressure within the pressure chamber 18a rises. Then, at time t6 in Figure 10, the pressure within the pressure chamber 18a presses the main valve element 20 against the valve seat 22, closing the main valve element 20. This stops the water supply from the water supply source 7 to the water pressure drive mechanism 16 via the ball tap 14, and stops the supply of flush water to the flush water tank 4.

When the water supply to the water hydraulic drive mechanism 16 is stopped, the piston 16b (Figure 5) inside the cylinder 16a, which had been pushed up by the water supply, is pushed down by the biasing force of the spring 16c. As a result, the rod 30 attached to the piston 16b also drops. When the rod 30 drops to a predetermined position, the clutch mechanism 32 reconnects the rod 30 to the valve shaft 12a of the second drain valve 12. This completes one toilet flush, and the flush toilet device 1 returns to the toilet flush standby state shown in Figure 2.

In this way, there is a certain time lag between the timing when the water level in the first tank section 6a of the flush water tank 4 rises to the set water level _L1 and the pilot valve 28 closes (time t5 in Figure 10), and the timing when the main valve element 20 of the ball tap 14 closes (time t6 in Figure 10). Then, between times t5 and t6, the main valve element 20 is open, so the supply of flush water continues, and when the main valve element 20 closes at time t6, the water level in the first tank section 6a reaches the initial water level _L2 , which is higher than the set water level _L1 .

As a result, the initial water level _L2 in the first tank portion 6a when the flush toilet apparatus 1 is in standby mode is higher than the predetermined set water level _L1 at which the pilot valve 28 closes. For this reason, when the user operates the lever handle 5a in standby mode (time t1 in Figure 10), the water level in the first tank portion 6a is higher than the set water level _L1 , and the main valve body 20 of the ball tap 14 does not open. Then, between times t1 and t2, a predetermined amount of flush water is discharged from the first drain outlet 4b as rim spouting, and when the water level in the first tank portion 6a drops to the set water level _L1 , the pilot valve 28 opens and the main valve body 20 of the ball tap 14 also opens. As a result, at time t2, water supply to the water pressure drive mechanism 16 begins, the water pressure drive mechanism 16 opens the second drain valve 12, and jet spouting begins.

Next, toilet flushing in the small flush mode will be described with reference to FIGS.
First, at time t11 in Figure 14, when the user rotates the lever handle 5a of the flush water tank 4 to flush the toilet in the small-flush mode, the small-flush ball chain 5f pulls up the first drain valve 10. This causes the first drain valve 10 to be pulled away from the first drain outlet 4b, opening the first drain outlet 4b, as shown in Figure 11. At the same time, by rotating the lever handle 5a, the protrusion 5g (Figure 3) of the operating part 5 is moved downward, forcibly lowering the float 24 of the ball tap 14.

When the float 24 is lowered, the pilot valve 28 (Figure 4) opens. This reduces the pressure in the pressure chamber 18a, opening the main valve body 20 and starting the supply of water to the hydraulic drive mechanism 16, as shown in Figure 11. When flush water is supplied to the hydraulic drive mechanism 16, the second drain valve 12 is raised and the second drain port 4c is opened.

In this way, when the small-flush mode is executed, the float 24 is forcibly pushed down and water supply to the water pressure drive mechanism 16 begins without waiting for the water level in the first tank section 6a to drop to the set water level _L1 . As a result, in the small-flush mode, the first drain valve 10 and the second drain valve 12 are opened substantially simultaneously, that is, after the first drain valve 10 is opened, the second drain valve 12 is opened before the predetermined time (between times t1 and t2 in Figure 10) has elapsed. As a result, in the small-flush mode, rim spouting and jet water spouting begin almost simultaneously at time t11 in Figure 14.

Furthermore, when the second drain valve 12 is raised to a predetermined height by the water hydraulic drive mechanism 16, the valve stem 12a of the second drain valve 12 is separated from the rod 30 by the clutch mechanism 32 (Figure 5). As a result, the second drain valve 12 descends toward the second drain outlet 4c. Then, at time t12 in Figure 14, as shown in Figure 12, the second drain valve 12 seats on the second drain outlet 4c, closing the second drain outlet 4c. This stops jet water spouting from the jet water outlet 2e. As described above, because flush water is discharged at a large flow rate from the jet water outlet 2e, the water level in the second tank section 6b drops rapidly, and the second drain valve 12 closes earlier than the first drain valve 10.

In the state shown in Figure 12, the main valve body 20 of the ball tap 14 is open, so flush water supplied from the water supply source 7 (tap water) is supplied to the water pressure drive mechanism 16 via the ball tap 14 and flows into the second tank section 6b through the water supply pipe 34 connected to the cylinder 16a. Meanwhile, because the first drain valve 10 is still open, flush water in the first tank section 6a flows out from the first drain outlet 4b and is discharged from the rim spout 2d.

Next, at time t13 in Figure 14, when the water level in the second tank section 6b of the flush water tank 4 drops to the dead water level DWL, the first drain valve 10 seats on the first drain outlet 4b and closes, as shown in Figure 13. This stops rim water spouting from the rim spout outlet 2d.

Here, the height to which the first drain valve 10 is raised by the small-flush ball chain 5f of the operating unit 5 at time t11 in Figure 14 when the small-flush mode is being performed is set lower than the height to which the first drain valve 10 is raised in the large-flush mode, as described above. For this reason, the period from when the first drain valve 10 is opened until when it is closed in the small-flush mode (the period from times t11 to t13 in Figure 14) is shorter than the open period of the first drain valve 10 in the large-flush mode (the period from times t1 to t4 in Figure 10). As a result, the amount of flush water discharged from the rim spout 2d in the small-flush mode is less than the amount of flush water discharged from the rim spout 2d in the large-flush mode, and the dead water level DWL in Figure 13 (small-flush mode) is higher than the dead water level DWL in Figure 9 (large-flush mode).

Furthermore, after rim spouting is stopped at time t13 in Figure 14, the water level in the first tank section 6a of the flush water tank 4 rises to the set water level _L1 at time t14, and the pilot valve 28 closes. Furthermore, at time t15, the main valve body 20 of the ball tap 14 closes, and the flush toilet apparatus 1 returns to standby mode. The operation after time t13 until the flush toilet apparatus 1 returns to standby mode is the same as in large-flush mode, so explanation will be omitted.

In this embodiment, the first drain valve 10 and the second drain valve 12 are opened almost simultaneously in the small-flush mode. However, as a modification, the present invention can also be configured so that the second drain valve 12 is opened before a predetermined time (between times t1 and t2 in Figure 10) has elapsed after the first drain valve 10 has been opened. In this case, for example, an appropriate gap is provided between the protrusion 5g (Figure 3) of the operating unit 5 and the float 24 of the ball tap 14. As a result, when the shaft 5b is rotated in the direction of arrow D2, the first drain valve 10 is pulled up by the small-flush ball chain 5f, and then, a short time later (before the predetermined time has elapsed), the protrusion 5g forcibly pushes down the float 24, water supply to the water hydraulic drive mechanism 16 begins, and the second drain valve 12 is pulled up.

In the flush toilet apparatus 1 of the first embodiment of the present invention, the discharge of flush water from the rim spout 2d is switched on and off by the first drain valve 10, and the discharge of flush water from the jet spout 2e is switched on and off by the second drain valve 12 (Figure 2). This allows the timing of rim spouting and jet spouting to be freely and independently set while all flush water used for flushing is supplied from the flush water tank 4. This allows the flush water stored in the flush water tank 4 to effectively flush the bowl section 2a of the flush toilet main body 2. Furthermore, in the flush toilet apparatus 1 of the first embodiment of the present invention, when the large flush mode (Figure 10) is being performed, the first drain valve 10 is opened, and then the second drain valve 12 is opened a predetermined time later to supply flush water to the bowl section 2a. In the small flush mode (Figure 14), the first drain valve 10 and the second drain valve 12 are opened substantially simultaneously. This allows for a reduction in the amount of water spouted from the rim before the start of jet water spouting, which is less necessary in small flush mode, and reduces the amount of flush water used while still ensuring sufficient flushing performance.

Furthermore, with the flush toilet device 1 of this embodiment, the second drain valve 12 is opened by the water pressure drive mechanism 16, so in large flush mode, jet water spouting can be initiated a predetermined time after rim spouting has begun, without the need to pull up the drain valve using electrical power such as a motor. This allows the bowl portion 2a to be effectively cleaned while limiting the amount of flush water used.

Furthermore, with the flush toilet device 1 of this embodiment, when the large flush mode is being executed, the float 24 lowers as the water level in the flush water tank 4 drops, and the supply of flush water to the water pressure drive mechanism 16 begins, so jet spouting begins after the water level in the flush water tank 4 drops. On the other hand, when the small flush mode is being executed, the float 24 is forcibly lowered and the supply of flush water to the water pressure drive mechanism 16 begins, so jet spouting begins without waiting for the water level in the flush water tank 4 to drop. This makes it possible to set the flush sequences for the large flush mode and small flush mode without using electrical control.

Furthermore, with the flush toilet device 1 of this embodiment, rotating the lever handle 5a in a first direction activates the large flush mode, and rotating it in a second direction activates the small flush mode, making it possible to control the execution of the large flush mode and the small flush mode with a simple mechanism.

Next, a flush toilet apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 14 and 15.
The flush toilet device of this embodiment differs from the first embodiment described above in the configuration of the operating section for executing the large flush mode and small flush mode. Therefore, below, only the differences between the second embodiment of the present invention and the first embodiment will be explained, and similar configurations will be assigned the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment and explanations will be omitted.

Figure 15 is a cross-sectional view showing the general configuration of a flush water tank provided in a flush toilet apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Figure 16 is a schematic diagram showing the general configuration of an operating unit provided in a flush water tank of a flush toilet apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in Figure 15, the flush water tank 4 provided in the flush toilet device of this embodiment has a first drain valve 10, a second drain valve 12, a ball tap 14, and a water pressure drive mechanism 16. Also, as in the first embodiment described above, the bottom surface of the flush water tank 4 is provided with a first drain outlet 4b that is opened and closed by the first drain valve 10, and a second drain outlet 4c that is opened and closed by the second drain valve 12. Furthermore, a partition wall 6 is provided in the flush water tank 4, dividing the interior of the flush water tank 4 into a first tank section 6a in which the first drain outlet 4b is provided, and a second tank section 6b in which the second drain outlet 4c is provided.

In this embodiment, the first drain valve 10 is connected to a large-flush ball chain 40a and a small-flush ball chain 40b provided on the operating unit (not shown in Figure 16), and the second drain valve 12 is connected to a small-flush ball chain 40c.

Next, as shown in Figure 16, the operating unit 40 has a first button 42a for a large flush, a second button 42b for a small flush, a lever 44 that is pressed by these push buttons, a shaft 46 attached to the lever 44, and a first arm 48a and a second arm 48b attached to the shaft 46.

The first button 42a and the second button 42b are push buttons located on the top surface of the flush water tank 4, and the user can press these buttons to activate the large flush mode or the small flush mode. The first button 42a and the second button 42b are supported by the flush water tank 4 so that they can move up and down when pressed by the user. After being pressed by the user, the first button 42a and the second button 42b are configured to return to their original state by a spring (not shown). Only the upper ends of the first button 42a and the second button 42b are exposed from the top surface of the flush water tank 4, and the lower portions are covered by a cover (not shown) on the top surface of the flush water tank 4.

The lever 44 is a rod-shaped member oriented approximately horizontally so as to extend in the front-to-rear direction of the flush toilet device, and is positioned below the first button 42a and the second button 42b.

The shaft 46 is a rod-shaped member that extends horizontally in the width direction of the flush toilet apparatus 1 above the flush water tank 4. This shaft 46 is rotatably supported relative to the flush water tank 4, and a lever 44 is fixed to its middle section so that it is perpendicular to the shaft 46. When the first button 42a or the second button 42b is pressed, the shaft 46 rotates together with the lever 44. Specifically, the first button 42a is located above the rear end of the lever 44, and when the first button 42a is pressed, the shaft 46 fixed to the lever 44 rotates in the direction of arrow D1. On the other hand, the second button 42b is located above the front end of the lever 44, and when the second button 42b is pressed, the shaft 46 fixed to the lever 44 rotates in the direction of arrow D2.

The first arm 48a is a long, slender member fixed in a direction perpendicular to the shaft 46, extending horizontally toward the front and rear of the flush toilet device 1. One end of a large-flush ball chain 40a is attached to the front tip of the first arm 48a, and the other end of this large-flush ball chain 40a is fixed to the first drain valve 10. Meanwhile, one end of a small-flush ball chain 40b is attached to the rear tip of the first arm 48a, and the other end of this small-flush ball chain 40b is also fixed to the first drain valve 10.

The second arm 48b is a long, slender member fixed in a direction perpendicular to the shaft 46, extending horizontally toward the rear of the flush toilet device 1. One end of the small-flush ball chain 40c is attached to the rear end of the second arm 48b, and the other end of this small-flush ball chain 40c is fixed to the second drain valve 12.

With this configuration, when the first large-flush button 42a is pressed and the shaft 46 is rotated in the first direction, indicated by arrow D1, the tip of the first arm 48a moves upward. This pulls the large-flush ball chain 40a upward, pulling up the first drain valve 10 and opening it.

On the other hand, when the second small-flush button 42b is pressed and the shaft 46 is rotated in the second direction, indicated by arrow D2, the rear ends of the first arm 48a and second arm 48b move upward. This pulls the small-flush ball chain 40b upward, pulling up the first drain valve 10 and opening it. At the same time, the small-flush ball chain 40c attached to the rear end of the second arm 48b is also pulled upward, pulling up the second drain valve 12 and opening it.

In this way, when the first button 42a is pressed and the shaft 46 is rotated in the direction of arrow D1, the large-flush ball chain 40a is pulled upward, the first drain valve 10 is raised, and the large-flush mode is executed. Furthermore, when the second button 42b is pressed and the shaft 46 is rotated in the direction of arrow D2, opposite to arrow D1, the small-flush ball chains 40b and 40c are pulled upward, the first drain valve 10 and the second drain valve 12 are raised, and the small-flush mode is executed. Here, in this embodiment, the large-flush ball chain 40a is configured shorter (less slack) than the small-flush ball chain 40b. Therefore, when the first drain valve 10 is raised by the large-flush ball chain 40a, it is raised to a higher position than when it is raised by the small-flush ball chain 40b. As a result, when the large-flush mode is executed, the first drain valve 10 remains open for a longer period of time than when the small-flush mode is executed, and the amount of flush water discharged from the rim spout 2d is also increased.

Next, the operation of the flush toilet apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be explained.
First, when the user presses the first button 42a for the large flush, the first drain valve 10 is pulled up by the large-flush ball chain 40a, and rim water is discharged from the rim spout 2d. When the first drain valve 10 is pulled up and flush water is discharged, the water level in the first tank section 6a drops from the initial water level _L2 to the set water level _L1 , and the float 24 of the ball tap 14 drops, and the pilot valve 28 opens.

This opens the main valve body 20 of the ball tap 14, starting the supply of water to the water hydraulic drive mechanism 16. When water supply to the water hydraulic drive mechanism 16 starts, the water hydraulic drive mechanism 16 opens the second drain valve 12, and jet water spouting occurs from the jet water spouting port 2e. That is, in the large-flush mode, which is started by pressing the first button 42a, jet water spouting begins a predetermined time (corresponding to times t1 to t2 in Figure 10 in the first embodiment) after rim water spouting from the rim water spouting port 2d. Note that the operation after jet water spouting in the large-flush mode starts is the same as in the first embodiment described above, so a description will be omitted.

Next, when the user presses the second small-flush button 42b, the small-flush ball chain 40b and the small-flush ball chain 40c are pulled almost simultaneously, and the first drain valve 10 and the second drain valve 12 are pulled up. This causes rim water spouting from the rim water spout 2d and jet water spouting from the jet water spout 2e to start substantially simultaneously. That is, when the small-flush mode is being performed, the second drain valve 12 is forcibly opened and jet water spouting is started based on operation of the operation unit 40. Next, when the water level in the first tank section 6a drops from the initial water level _L2 to the set water level _L1 , the float 24 of the ball tap 14 drops and the pilot valve 28 opens.

This opens the main valve body 20 of the ball tap 14, and water begins to be supplied to the hydraulic drive mechanism 16. That is, in small-flush mode, the second drain valve 12 is pulled up by the small-flush ball chain 40c, and then water begins to be supplied to the hydraulic drive mechanism 16. The flush water supplied to the hydraulic drive mechanism 16 flows into the second tank section 6b through the water supply pipe 34. Note that the operation after water supply to the hydraulic drive mechanism 16 begins in small-flush mode is the same as in the first embodiment described above, and therefore will not be described here.

In this embodiment, the first drain valve 10 and the second drain valve 12 are opened almost simultaneously in the small-flush mode. However, as a modification, the present invention can also be configured so that the second drain valve 12 is opened before a predetermined time has elapsed after the first drain valve 10 is opened. In this case, for example, the small-flush ball chain 40c is configured to be slightly longer (slacker) than the small-flush ball chain 40b. As a result, when the shaft 46 is rotated in the direction of arrow D2, the first drain valve 10 is pulled up by the small-flush ball chain 40b, and then, a short time later (before the predetermined time has elapsed), the second drain valve 12 is pulled up by the small-flush ball chain 40c.

In the flush toilet apparatus of the second embodiment of the present invention, when the large flush mode is in operation, the float 24 drops as the water level in the first tank section 6a of the flush water tank 4 drops, and the supply of flush water to the water pressure drive mechanism 16 begins, so jet water spouting begins after the water level in the flush water tank 4 drops. On the other hand, when the small flush mode is in operation, the second drain valve 12 is forcibly opened and jet water spouting begins based on operation of the operating unit 40. This makes it possible to set the flush sequences for the large flush mode and small flush mode without using electrical control.

Furthermore, with the flush toilet device of this embodiment, the large flush mode is executed when the first button 42a is pressed, and the small flush mode is executed when the second button 42b is pressed, so the execution of the large flush mode and the small flush mode can be controlled with a simple mechanism.

The above describes embodiments of the present invention, but various modifications can be made to the above-described embodiments. In particular, in the first embodiment described above, a lever handle is provided as the operating unit, and in the second embodiment, first and second buttons are provided as the operating unit. However, the present invention can also be configured so that the large flush mode and small flush mode can be selectively executed using any other operating unit. Furthermore, the first and second buttons can be applied to the first embodiment of the present invention, and the lever handle can be applied to the second embodiment of the present invention.

Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, a partition wall was provided in the flush water tank, and a first drain outlet and a second drain outlet were provided in the first tank section and the second tank section, respectively. However, the partition wall in the flush water tank can also be omitted. In this case, the first drain outlet and the second drain outlet may be configured to overlap each other when viewed from above. In this case, the present invention can be configured, for example, so that the first drain outlet and the second drain outlet are arranged concentrically, with the inner drain outlet opened and closed by a circular drain valve and the outer drain outlet opened and closed by a donut-shaped drain valve.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Flush toilet device 2 Flush toilet body 2a Bowl portion 2c Drain trap pipe 2d Rim spout 2e Jet spout 2f Rim water conduit 2g Jet water conduit 4 Flush water tank 4b First drain outlet 4c Second drain outlet 5 Operating portion 5a Lever handle (handle)
5b Shaft 5c First arm 5d Second arm 5e Large flush ball chain 5f Small flush ball chain 5g Projection 6 Partition wall 6a First tank section 6b Second tank section 7 Water supply source 8 Stop valve 10 First drain valve 10a Ball chain 10b Float ball 12 Second drain valve 12a Valve shaft 12b Float ball 14 Ball tap (delay mechanism)
14a Inlet pipe 14b Outlet pipe 16 Water hydraulic drive mechanism 16a Cylinder 16b Piston 16c Spring 18 Main body 18a Pressure chamber 20 Main valve body 20a Bleed hole 22 Valve seat 24 Float 26 Arm 26a Support shaft 28 Pilot valve 28a Pilot valve port 30 Rod 32 Clutch mechanism 34 Water supply pipe 40 Operating unit 40a Large-flush ball chain 40b Small-flush ball chain 40c Small-flush ball chain 42a First button 42b Second button 44 Lever 46 Shaft 48a First arm 48b Second arm

Claims (7)

A flush toilet apparatus that performs flushing in large flush mode and small flush mode using flush water stored in a flush water tank,
a flush toilet body having a bowl portion and a drain trap pipe extending from a lower portion of the bowl portion;
a flush water tank that is disposed at the rear of the flush toilet main body and stores flush water for flushing the bowl portion of the flush toilet main body;
a first drain valve that switches between discharging and stopping flush water from a rim spout provided on the upper edge of the bowl portion by opening and closing a first drain outlet provided in the flush water tank;
a second drain valve that switches between discharging and stopping flush water from a jet spout provided at the bottom of the bowl portion by opening and closing a second drain outlet provided in the flush water tank;
an operating unit that can selectively execute a large flush mode and a small flush mode in which a smaller amount of flush water is supplied to the bowl portion than in the large flush mode;
and
A flush toilet apparatus characterized in that, when a large flush mode is performed, flush water is supplied to the bowl section by opening the first drain valve and then opening the second drain valve after a predetermined time has elapsed, and when a small flush mode is performed, the first drain valve and the second drain valve are opened simultaneously, or the first drain valve is opened and then the second drain valve is opened before the predetermined time has elapsed. The flush toilet apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the operating unit is configured to open the first drain valve and then the second drain valve when the large-flush mode is executed, and to open the first drain valve and the second drain valve substantially simultaneously when the small-flush mode is executed. The flush toilet apparatus according to claim 1 further comprises a water pressure drive mechanism that uses the water supply pressure of flush water supplied from a water main to the flush water tank to open the second drain valve. The flush toilet apparatus of claim 3 further comprises a ball tap equipped with a float that operates in conjunction with the water level in the flush water tank, and this ball tap is configured to supply flush water to the water pressure drive mechanism when the float drops to a predetermined position; when large flush mode is activated by the operating unit, the float drops as the water level in the flush water tank drops, commencing the supply of flush water to the water pressure drive mechanism; and when small flush mode is activated, the float is forcibly lowered based on operation of the operating unit, commencing the supply of flush water to the water pressure drive mechanism. The flush toilet apparatus of claim 3 further comprises a ball tap equipped with a float that operates in conjunction with the water level in the flush water tank, the ball tap being configured to supply flush water to the water pressure drive mechanism when the float drops to a predetermined position, and when large flush mode is executed by the operating unit, the float drops as the water level in the flush water tank drops, commencing the supply of flush water to the water pressure drive mechanism, and when small flush mode is executed, the second drain valve is forcibly opened based on operation of the operating unit before the float drops to the predetermined position. A flush toilet apparatus according to claim 2 or 4, wherein the operating unit includes a handle, and when the handle is rotated in a first direction, a large flush mode is executed, and when the handle is rotated in a second direction opposite to the first direction, a small flush mode is executed. A flush toilet apparatus according to claim 2 or 4, wherein the operating unit comprises a first button and a second button, and when the first button is pressed, the large flush mode is executed, and when the second button is pressed, the small flush mode is executed.