GB2358411A

GB2358411A - Syphon apparatus for a toilet cistern

Info

Publication number: GB2358411A
Application number: GB9930444A
Authority: GB
Inventors: George William James Bell
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1999-12-22
Filing date: 1999-12-22
Publication date: 2001-07-25
Also published as: GB9930444D0

Abstract

Syphon apparatus (2) for a toilet cistern wherein the pull member (22) has an air-admitting formation (24) which admits air to the body portion when the pull member (22) is pulled upwardly and held in the upward position thereby to stop the syphoning action;<BR> ```the air-admitting formation (24) being so positioned on the pull member (22) that a reduced-volume flush is achieved when the pull member (22) is pulled upwardly and held in a position in which the air-admitting formation<BR> ```(24) admits air into the body portion; and the air-admitting formation (24) being such that a full-volume flush is achieved when the pull member (22) is pulled upwardly and allowed to return to a position in which the air-admitting formation (24) does not admit air into the body portion.

Description

2358411 1 SYPHON APPARATUS FOR A CISTERN OF A TOILET This invention

relates to syphon apparatus for a cistern of a toilet.

Known syphon apparatus for a cistern of a toilet comprises a U-bend syphon, a diaphragm and a pull member which upstands from the diaphragm. The U-bend syphon comprises a body portion, an up-flow pipe portion up which water from the cistern flows on flushing of the toilet, a down-flow pipe portion down which water from the up-flow pipe portion flows into a toilet bowl of the toilet, and a connecting pipe portion which connects the up-flow pipe portion and the down-flow pipe portion. The diaphragm is movable upwardly in the body portion for the purpose initiating a syphoning action as required for toilet flushing. The pull member upstands from the diaphragm and it is pulled in order to move the diaphragm upwardly. This known syphon apparatus is designed to provide an amount of water which is sufficient to flush away both urine and excreta from the toilet bowl. In the majority of cases, toilets are used by persons who merely wish to urinate, in which case the toilets then provide too much water for flushing purposes. This wastage of water is very substantial.

It is an aim of the present invention to reduce the above mentioned problem.

2 Accordingly, in one non-limiting embodiment of the present invention there is provided syphon apparatus for a cistern of a toilet, which syphon apparatus comprises: a Ubend syphon comprising a body portion, an up-flow pipe portion up which water from the cistern flows on flushing of the toilet, a down-flow pipe portion down which water from the up-flow pipe portion flows into a toilet bowl of the toilet, 2,,ind a connecting pipe portion which connects the up-flow pipe portion and the down-flow pipe portion; a diaphragm which is movable upwardly in the body portion for the purpose of initiating a syphoning action as required for toilet flushing; and.

a pull member upstands from the diaphragm and which is P pulled in order to move the diaphragm upwardly; the syphon apparatus being such that the pull member. has an air-admitting formation which admits air to the body portion when the pull member is pulled upwardly and held in the upward position thereby to stop the syphoning action; the air-admitting formation being so positioned on thE pull member that a. reduced-volume flush is achieved when the pull member is pulled upwardly and held in a position in which the air-admitting formation admits air into the body portion; and the air-admitting formation being such that a fullvolume flush is achieved when the pull member is pulled upwardly and allowed 'to return to a position in which thf-.:

3 air-admitting formation does not admit air into the body portion.

The syphon apparatus of the present invention thus allows two different types of flushing, with the reducedvolume flush being appropriate for flushing urine only from the toilet bowl, and the full-volume flush being appropriate for flushing excreta from the toilet bowl.

Preferably, the syphon apparatus includes biasing means for biasing the pull member to the position in which the airadmitting formation does not admit air into the body portion. The use of the biasing means enables the syphoning apparatus to operate more precisely than without,the biasing means.

Preferably, the biasing means is a spring biasing means. Also preferably, the spring biasing means is a coil spring. Other types of biasing. means may however be employed.

When the biasing means is a coil spring, then the syphon apparatus may be one in which the coil spring is positioned around the pull member such that, when the pull member is pulled, the coil spring is compressed between an inner part of the body portion and the diaphragm whereby, when the pull member is no longer pulled upwardly, the coil spring pushes the diaphragm downwardly.

Various types of air-admitting formation may be employed. Thus, for example, the air-admitting formation may be at least one groove which extends longitudinally 4 along an outer face of the pull member, at least one borE which extends along. the inside of the pull member and which extends at an end remote from the diaphragm into an outer face of the pull member, or at least one flat on an outer face of the pull member.

Where the air-admitting formation is at least one groove, then there may be one of the grooves, or three o'. the grooves. where the air-admitting formation is at leasl--. one bore, then the bore may be an axially extending bore which has a general-Ly transversely extending passageway leading into the outer face of the pull member. Alternatively, the bore may be a sloping bore. Where the. air-admitting format..Lon is at least o. r.ie flat, then there may be one, two, three or four of the flats.

Advantageously, t:.he syphon apparatus includes adjuster means for adjusting the operation of the air-admitting formation in order to vary the amount of water in the reduced-volume flush.

Where the air-admitting formation is a bore, then the adjuster means may be at least two openings of the bore into the outer face of the pull member, the said at least: two openings being longitudinally spaced apart from each other, and the said at least two openings being closablE such that only one operates in use of the syphon apparatus, The openings may be (-.,llosable by being blanked off. Otheimeans for closing the openings may be employed.

Alternatively, if desired, the adjuster means may be a screw-threaded adjuster means. The screw threaded adjuster means may provide very fine adjustment.

Preferably, the screw-thread.ed adjuster means is secured with respect to an outer part of the body portion, and such that the pull member passes through the screwthreaded adjuster means, and the screw-threaded adjuster means being such as to allow air to pass between it and the pull member in order to allow the air to enter the body portion.

The syphon apparatus may include linkage means for connecting the pull member to a flushing member on the cistern. The linkage means is preferably a hook device of the type currently used in the majority of cisterns. other linkage means may be employed.

The syphon apparatus of the present invention may be made of the same materials, for example plastics materials, as are currently used for producing known syphon apparatus. The syphon apparatus of the present invention may be produced in the same manner as known syphon apparatus, for example by moulding. Similarly, the syphon apparatus of the present invention may be fixed in position utilising the fixing devices, for example nuts, currently used for known syphon apparatus. The cistern may be such that it has a press lever arrangement for operating the pull member, or it may have a pull chain arrangement for operating the pull member.

6 The present invention also extends to a cistern wh(-.tn including the syphon apparatus, and to a toilet whea including the cistern.

Embodiments of the invention wi_l now be describe.d solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a side sectional view of a toilet cistern provided with first syphon apparatus of the invention; Figure 2 is a. p-lan view of the toilet cistern and syphon apparatus as shown in Figure 1; Figures 3(i) - (viii) are side VieWS of different pull members forming part of the syphon apparatus of the present. invention; Figures. 4 (i) - Iviii) are cross sections through the pull members shown in Figures 3(i) - (viii); Figure 5 shows Part of second syphon apparatus of the present invention; and Figure 6 shows:art of third syphon apparatus of th(.: present invention.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, there is shown syphor., apparatus 2 for a cistern 4 of a toilet. The syphon apparatus 2 comprises a U-bend syphon 6. The U-bend syphon 6 comprises a body pcrtion 8, and an up-flow pipe portion 10 up which water from the cistern 4 flows on flushing of the toilet. The U-1end syphon 6 also comprises a down-flow pipe portion 12 down. which water from the up-flow pip(-., portion 10 flows in.to a toilet bowl (not shown) of the 7 toilet. A connecting pipe portion 14 connects the up-flow portion 10 and the down-flow portion 12.

The syphon apparatus 2 also comprises a diaphragm 16 which is movable upwardly in the body portion 8 for the purpose of initiating a syphoning action as required for toilet flushing. The diaphragm 16 comprises a rigid plate member 18 and a thin flexible member 20 which lies on top of the plate member 18. The member 20 may be made of a plastics material or a rubber material.

The syphon apparatus 2 further comprises a pull member 22 which upstands from the diaphragm 16 and which is pulled in order to move the diaphragm 16 upwardly.

The syphon apparatus 2 is such that the pull member 22 has an airadmitting formation 24 which admits air to the body portion 8 when the pull member 22 is pulled upwardly and held in the upward position, thereby to stop the syphoning action.

The air-admitting formation 24 is so positioned on the pull member 22 that a reduced-volume flush is achieved when the pull member 22 is pulled upwardly and held in a position in which the air-admitting formation 24 admits air into the body portion 8.

The air-admitting formation 24 is also such that a full-volume flush is achieved when the pull member 22 is pulled upwardly and allowed to return to a position in which the air-admitting formation 24 does not admit air into the body portion 8.

8 The syphon apparatus 2 includes b--asing means 26 for biasing the pull mem1)er 22 to the position in which the air-admitting formation 24 does not admit air into the bod)7 portion 8. As can be seen from Figure 1, the biasing means, 26 is a spring biasing means in the form of a coil spring which is positioned around the pull member 22. When th(-z pull member 22 is pulled upwardly, the biasing means 26 i:---. compressed between an. inner part 28 of the body 8 and th(:-! diaphragm 16. When the pull member 22 is no longer pulled upwardly, then the biasing means 26 pushes the diaphragni 16 downwardly to the position shown in Figure 1.

The airadmittin.g formation 24 is a groove which is o-square cross sect. ional shape and which extenci:g longitudinally along an outer face 30 of the pull membCC 22.

The syphon apparatus 2 includes 'Linkage means 32 for connecting the pull member 22 to a flushing member 34 on the cistern 4. The linkage means 32 is a wire hook device having a lower hooked end 36 for fitting in an aperture '18 in the pull member 22. The flushing. member 34 has i3n upper hooked end 40 Eor fitting in an aperture 42 in an a:r,rr 44. The arm 44 connects to a pivot shaft- 46 which i.,pivotally mounted in the cistern 4 as can best.-)E appreciated from Figure 2. A flushing lever 48 4.tc connected as shown to the pivot shaft 46. Depression z.) f the flushing lever 48 causes the pull member 22 to hE pulled upwardly and flushing to commence.

9 As is well known with U-bend syphons, the lifting of the pull member 22 causes the diaphragm 16 to move upwardly, which in turn causes the water 50 that is in the body portion 8 to rise and flow into the toilet bowl via the up-flow pipe portion 10, the connecting pipe portion 14 and the down-flow pipe portion 12. The f low of the water 50 through the up-flow portion 10, the connecting pipe portion 14 and the down-flow pipe portion 12 creates a suction effect which draws water 50 from the cistern 4 into the bottom of the body portion 8. The water passes through apertures (not shown) in the plate member 18. The water then raises the membrane 20 sufficient to allow the water to pass through the diaphragm 16 and up through the body portion 8, the up-flow pipe portion 10, the connecting pipe 14 and the down-flow pipe portion 12 into the toilet bowl in order to complete flushing of the toilet bowl. This effects a full-volume flush of the toilet bowl and the Ubend syphon 6 operates in a well known manner.

The syphon apparatus 2 is additionally able to operate such that a reduced-volume flush is achieved when the pullmember 22 is pulled upwardly and held in a position in which the air-admitting formation 24 admits air into the body portion 8. More specifically, with a maintained downward pressure on the flushing lever 48, the diaphragm 16 will be held in a raised position and the air-admitting formation 24 will then be extending through the top 52 of the body portion 8. When the level of the water 50 drops from the initial level 54 shown in' Figure 1 to the top E,, of the body portion 8, air in the cistern 4 will be able to enter the body portion 8 via the air-admitting formation 24. The admission of the air into the body portion S breaks the vacuum in the body portion 8 and stops the. syphoning action. Thus all that it is necessary to do L..). order to achieve the reduced-volume flush is to hold th(z-! flush lever 48 down for a few seconds until the water SC drops from the level 54 shown in Figure:L to the top 52 of the body portion 8. The reduced-volume flush is ample foiflushing the toilet 1)(,-)wl when the toilet has only been used for urinating. Thus a considerable saving in water is able to be achieved most flushings of toilet are for the purposes of flushing away urine only.

The pull member:22 and the air-adiritting formation 24 are shown in more detail in Figure 3 (i) and Figure 4 (i). Alternative types of airadmitting formations are also shown in Figures 3 and 4 with Figure 3(ii) and Figure 4(ii) showing three grooves 56 forming the air-admitting formation 24. Figures 3 (iii) and Figure 4 (iii) show a longitudinally extending bore 58 and a traversely extending passage 60 forming the airadmitting formation- 24. FigurE 3 (iii) also illustrates how the pull member 22 can bE! provided with an extension bore 62 and an extension passagE! 64. The two passages 60, 64 thus form adjuster means for adjusting the oper;=.kti.c:)n of the air-admitting formation in order to vary the amount of water flushed in the reduced- 11 volume flush. The passage 64 will break the syphon in the U-bend syphon 6 before the passage 60. The passage that is not desired to be used can be blocked off, for example using a blanking member such for example as a plug.

Figure 3 (iv) and Figure 4 (iv) shows an air-admitting formation in the form of a sloping bore 66. Figure 3 (v) and Figure 4 (v) show an airadmitting formation in the form of a single flat 68. Figure 3 (vi) and Figure 4 (vi) show an air-admitting formation in the form of two flats 70, 72. Figure 3 (vii) and Figure 4 (vii) show an airadmitting formation in the form of three flats 74, 76, 78. Figure 3 (viii) and Figure 4 (viii) show an air-admitting formation in the form of four flats 80, 82, 84, 86.

Figure 5 shows part of second syphon apparatus 88. Similar parts as in Figure 1 have been given the same reference numerals for ease of comparison and understanding. In Figure 5, the syphon apparatus 88 is provided with adjuster means 90 for adjusting the operation of the airadmitting formation 24 in order to vary the amount of water in the reduced-volume flush. The adjuster means 90 comprises a short tube 92 which has a screw threaded end 94 which screws into a screw threaded recess 96 in the top 52 of the body portion 8. The tube 92 can be screwed into or out of the recess 96 to vary the effective height of the tube 92. This in turn controls the time during which the air-admitting formation 24 will extend above the top 98 of the tube 92 in order to allow air to be 12 admitted into the body portion 8. The air will pasi-z between the tube 9. 2 arid the pull member, 22.

Figure 6 shows syphon apparatus 100 which operate.--similar to the syphon apparatus 88. Similar parts as ir. Figure 5 have been given the same reference numerals fo:r, ease of comparison and understanding. In Figure 6, the tube 92 has been replaced by two tubes 102, 104. The tube102 is externally threaded along its entire length and il: screws into the recess 96. The tube 104 is internally, threaded and it screws over the tube 102. This means thal: the tube 104 can be moved up and down by nearly the entiret length of the tube 102. This gives more vertical adjustment than the vertical adjustment which is achievable in Figure 5 and which is limited by the depth of therecess 96.

The various illustrated types of syphon apparatus 2, 88, 100 all operate simply and give the required choice ol' the reduced VOlUMe flush or the full volume flush. The biasing means 26 wil.'!,:. normally be employed in all of thedifferent types of sy-phon apparatus 2, 88, 100 because it gives a good positive action and demarcation between the: reduced-volume flush and the full-volume flush..

It is to be appreciated that the embodiments of the invention described above with reference to the accompanying drawings have been given by way of example. only and that modifications may be effected. Thus, f or example, biasing means 26 other than the illustrated coil i j I! 13 spring may be employed. Different types of air-admitting formations may be employed other than those shown.

14

Claims

1. Syphon apparatus for a cistern of a toilet, whici-i syphon apparatus comprises: a U-bend syphon comprising a body portion, an upfl(--;,,.i pipe portion up wh--i..ch water from the cistern flows oi flushing of the tc)i,Ie.t, a down-flow pipe portion down whic.,-.,-i water from the up-f-, -ow pipe portion flows into a tOilE-bowl of the toilet, and a connecting pipe portion whic"i connects the up-flow pipe portion and the down-flow pipe portion; a diaphragm WhIch is movable upwardly in the boc3,,,, portion for the purpose of initiating a syphoning action required for toilet flushing; and a pull member upstands from the diaphragm and which i-, pulled in order to move the diaphragm upwardly; the syphon appaj:.atus being such -hat the pull member has an air-admitting formation which admits air to the body portion when the pull member is pulled upwardly and held irL the upward position thereby to stop the syphoning action; the air-admitting formation being so positioned on th. pull member that a, .-educed-volume flush is achieved when the pull member is Pulled upwardly and held in a positio-:-] in which the air-admitting formation admits air into th,:- body portion; and the air- admit. t ing formation being such that a fullvolume flush is achieved when the pul-1 member is pulle(--! i upwardly and allowed to return to a position in which the air-admitting formation does not admit air into the body portion.

2. Syphon apparatus according to claim 1 and including biasing means for biasing the pull member to the position in which the air-admitting formation does not admit air into the body portion.

3. Syphon apparatus according to claim 2 in which the biasing means is a spring biasing means.

4. Syphon apparatus according to claim 3 in which the spring biasing means is a coil spring.

5. Syphon apparatus according to claim 4 in which the coil spring is positioned around the pull member such that, when the pull member is pulled, the coil spring is compressed between an inner part of the body portion and the diaphragm whereby, when the pull member is no longer pulled upwardly, the coil spring pushes the diaphragm downwardly.

6. Syphon apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims in which the air-admitting formation is at least one groove which extends longitudinally along an outer face of the pull member, at least one bore which extends along the 16 inside of the pull member and which extends at an en(i remote from the diaphragm into an outer face of the pull member, or at least one flat on an out-er face of the pull member.

7. Syphon apparatus according to claim 6 in which thereis one of the grooves, or there are three of the grooves.

8. Syphon apparatus according to claim 6 in which the. bore is an axially extending bore which has a generall. transversely extending passageway leading into the outeface of the pull member.

9. Syphon apparatuE:. according to claim 6 in which the bore is a sloping bore.

10. Syphon apparatus according to claim 6 in which there is a single one of the flats, or in which there are two of the flats, three of tI-ie flats, or four of the flats.

11. Syphon apparat:us according to any one of the precedin,3 claims and including adjuster means for adjusting the operation of the air-admitting formation in order to var.,i the amount of water in the reduced-volume flush.

12. Syphon apparatus according to claims 8 and 11 or tC, claims 9 and 11, in which the air-admitting formation is 17 the bore, and in which the adjuster means is at least two open ends of the bore into the outer f ace of the pull member, the said at least two open ends being longitudinally spaced apart from each other, and the said at least two openings being closable such that only one operates in use of the syphon apparatus.

13. Syphon apparatus according to claim 12 in which the openings are closable by being blanked off.

14. Syphon apparatus according to claim 11 in which the adjuster means is a screw threaded adjustor means.

15. Syphon apparatus according to claim 14 in which the screw-threaded adjuster means is secured with respect to an outer end part of the body portion, and such that the pull member passes through the screw threaded adjuster means, and the screw threaded adjuster means being such as to allow air to pass between it and the pull member in order to allow the air to enter the body portion.

16. Syphon apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims and including linkage means for connecting the pull member to a flushing member on the cistern.

17. Syphon apparatus according to claim 16 in which the linkage means is a hook device.

4 1.

18 18. Syphon apparatus f or a cistern of a toilet, substantially as herein described with reference to th.,:1 accompanying drawings.

19. A cistern whe).-i provided with syphon apparatu:-: according to any one of the preceding claims.

20. A toilet when provided with a cistern according tcclaim 19.