HK1179315B - Dual flush activation - Google Patents

Description

Dual flush trigger

The application is a divisional application of an invention patent application named as 'double-flushing trigger', with an international application date of 2007, 2-27, PCT/US2007/004983 and a national application number of 200780012750.9.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Priority of U.S. provisional patent application 60/776,993 filed on 27.2006 and U.S. provisional patent application 60/849,042 filed on 3.10.2006 are claimed in the present application, and are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

Technical Field

The present invention relates generally to the field of flush valves in general. In particular, the present invention relates to a dual flush volume flush valve.

Background

Flush valves are used to selectively control flushing of urinals or toilets with a volume of water. Typically, flush valves include a flexible diaphragm in the form of a seal between the inlet and outlet, whereby a disruption of the diaphragm will result in water flowing into the urinal or toilet. This disruption controls the volume of the flush and is substantially fixed.

Commercial toilets and urinals have traditionally utilized a single flush volume in their operation. The flush volume is designed to provide the maximum amount of water that may be required to clean the solid waste. However, solid waste and liquid waste require different volumes of water. In a single flush system, the larger volume of water required to flush solid waste is also used to flush liquid waste, with the consequence that more water is often used than is necessary. There is a need for a dual flush volume toilet that allows for the use of a smaller volume of water when full volume is not required to clear waste.

Some prior art flush valves provide dual flush. Typically, however, this prior art dual flush mechanism relies on modifying the action of the flush handle. This presents the user with a non-standard rinsing experience and reduces the likelihood of proper use.

Due to the ubiquitous nature of urinals and toilets, their operation has become an afterthought for most users. Accordingly, there is a need for a dual flush toilet that allows for easy operation and provides operation and design similar to current commercially used systems.

Disclosure of Invention

One embodiment of the present invention relates to systems and devices for providing more than one flush volume. The user can select between larger and smaller flush volumes, either by manual actuation or automatic actuation.

In one embodiment, the flush device involves a handle including a housing mountable to a valve body having a diaphragm valve disposed therein with a stem extending downwardly therefrom. A handle is pivotally mounted to the housing and is engaged with the rod by a plunger. The plunger has an outer end for engagement with the handle, an inner end for engagement with the rod, and a shaft therebetween, the plunger being axially slidable through the passage in the bushing. A bushing is positioned between the stem and the valve. The passage includes a first axis and a second axis that are substantially within the same vertical plane and intersect at a point that is a pivot point of the plunger. Actuation of the handle in a first direction moves the plunger axially along a first axis and actuation of the handle in a second direction moves the plunger axially along a second axis.

In one embodiment, the pivot point is adjacent the valve body. In another embodiment the pivot point is opposite the valve body. In one embodiment, the first axis is horizontal and the second axis slopes upward or downward from the valve body. In another embodiment, the channel includes a third axis that is oppositely inclined to the inclination of the second axis relative to the first axis.

These and other objects, advantages and features of the invention, together with the organization and manner of operation thereof, will become apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like elements have like numerals throughout the several drawings described below.

Drawings

FIG. 1 shows a longitudinal cross-section of a valve body;

FIG. 2 shows a longitudinal cross-section of the handle assembly;

figures 3A to 3F show different handle and plunger arrangement embodiments; figures 3A to 3C show a pivot point having access to the handle and figures 3D to 3F have a pivot point having access to the valve body;

FIGS. 4A through 4C illustrate operation of an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5a shows a view along axis A-A of FIG. 1 showing the plunger head, the bore at the pivot point and the opposing boundaries of the opposing ends of the bore; FIG. 5b shows a partially cut-away perspective view of the plunger and plunger sleeve along axis A-A;

fig. 6A through 6C illustrate the operation of one embodiment of the present invention having a bead hand-operated handle and a conical plunger head.

Figures 7A to 7C illustrate the operation of one embodiment of the present invention having an automatic handle and a conical plunger head.

Detailed Description

The invention relates to a flush valve system having at least two flush volumes. As shown in fig. 1, the flush valve system 10 of the present invention includes a body having an inlet 12 and an outlet 14. When installed, the inlet 12 is connected to a water source (not shown) and the outlet 14 is connected to a fixture (not shown) such as a toilet or urinal. The valve assembly is generally indicated at 16. The valve assembly 16 may be any of the various assemblies shown in the art that utilize a plunger and sleeve. In the exemplary embodiment, valve assembly 16 is a valve assembly but it may be otherwise, such as a plunger assembly. In one embodiment, the valve assembly 16 includes a diaphragm 18 circumferentially affixed to the body by an inner cover 20. The diaphragm 18 is seated on a shoulder 22 at the upper end of the body by an inner cover 20. The diaphragm edge 52 of the diaphragm 18 is clamped in this position by the inner cover 20. The outer cover 21 is attached to the body to maintain the inner cover 20 in place.

In addition to the diaphragm 18 and the excess flow valve, the valve assembly 16 includes a backup disc 43, a refill ring 42, and a flow control ring 44. The underside of the support disc 43 is e.g. screwed to a collar 46, which collar 46 is also screwed e.g. on its exterior to a chamber flow sleeve 48 with a refill ring 42. The combination of the above features securely maintains the diaphragm 18 between the upper surface of the refill ring 42 and the lower surface of the collar 46. A pressure chamber 50, which maintains the valve assembly 16 in a closed position when the flush valve system is in a rest state, i.e., not flushing, is on the valve assembly 16.

The valve assembly 16 closes on a valve seat 26 formed at the upper end of a barrel 28. The barrel 28 forms a fluid conduit connecting the valve seat 26 with the outlet 14. In one embodiment with a telescopically movable sleeve 34, the valve assembly 16 includes a relief valve having a downwardly extending stem 32. The stem assembly 37 of the present invention is described in more detail below and is shown in FIG. 2. Typically, the handle assembly 37 includes a handle 38 that manually or automatically drives the plunger 36. The sleeve 34 is positioned to contact the plunger 36 when it is operated by the handle 38.

As is known in the art, when the handle 38 is operated, the plunger 36 will contact the sleeve 34, tilting the relief valve away from its housing on the retaining disc 43. This will allow water in the pressure chamber 50 to drain downwardly through the chamber flow sleeve 48. The inlet pressure will then cause the diaphragm 18 to move upwardly away from its housing 26, allowing direct communication between the inlet 12 and the outlet 14 through the space between the bottom of the valve assembly 16 and the housing 26. The raising of the diaphragm 18 also raises the spill valve sleeve 34, allowing it to clear the plunger 36 and return to vertical, a position that is not tilted even if the user holds the handle 38 in the activated position. Once the sleeve 34 clears the plunger 36, the relief valve reseats on the backup disc 43. Once this operation has occurred, the pressure chamber 50 will begin to fill through the bypass port 54 and filter in the valve assembly. As fluid continues to enter the pressure chamber 50, the valve assembly will move back down to its valve seat 26, and when it has reached this position, the flush valve will close.

It will be appreciated that the location on the vertical axis of the sleeve where the plunger 36 contacts the sleeve 34 and the distance the plunger 36 travels after initial contact with the sleeve 34 (commonly referred to as the stroke of the plunger 36) controls the volume of water that will flow through the diaphragm 18 due to the interaction of the sleeve 34, the handle 32 and the diaphragm 18. Lowering the plunger tip 35 to a lower position will allow the relief valve sleeve 34 to clear the plunger tip 35 earlier than would be the case when the plunger is traveling on a horizontal axis and the tip is at position 108. The spill valve closes earlier due to earlier plunger clearing, which allows the pressure in the chamber 50 to recover earlier, causing the diaphragm 18 to close earlier and no flush cycle less volume. The plunger 36 will be angled downward and there will be minimal or reduced flushing when the user pushes the handle 38 upward. When the user pushes the handle 38 in any direction other than upward, the plunger 36 will move in the horizontal axis and a larger or maximum flush volume will be produced. Similarly, the opposite movement of the plunger tip 35 results in the opposite effect, i.e. the sleeve 34 cannot clear the plunger tip 35 until later, so that the relief valve remains open longer.

A stem assembly 37 is mounted through an opening in the valve body and retained therein. In one embodiment, the stem assembly 37 is retained on the valve body by a nut 35. The stem assembly 37 includes a stem 38 having an inner end adjacent the valve body and an outer end 40 opposite the valve body. The handle 38 includes a faceplate 58 at an inner end thereof. The faceplate 58 is maintained in a cavity 61 formed by the stem socket 60. In one embodiment, the stem 38 is partially disposed in the stem socket 60. The socket 60 includes an inner end 63 adjacent the valve body and an outer end remote from the valve body. An inwardly extending flange 62 on the outer end 64 of the receptacle retains the grip panel 58. The cover 65 may align the socket cavity 61 and the flange 62. In one embodiment, inner end 63 of socket 60 is threaded into bushing 66 in one embodiment. Skirt 71 is threaded to socket 60 in one embodiment. The handle assembly 37 may include a handle 38 (fig. 7) for manual activation or may be engaged with an automatic drive mechanism.

The bushing 66 has a plunger sleeve 68 defining a bore or channel 78 in the stem assembly 37 and an outer skirt 71 engaging the wall 72. The passage 78 has an inner end 77 adjacent the valve body and an outer end 79 adjacent the stem 38. Further details of the passage 78 will be described below. The inner end 69 of the plunger sleeve 68 in one embodiment has an angled nose 74 that mounts a stem seal packing or seal 76. Plunger 36 includes a handle 80 and an inner end 81 adjacent the valve body and an outer end 82 opposite the valve body. In one embodiment, the head is positioned on the outer end 82 of the plunger shaft 80. The head interacts with a face plate 58 of the handle 38. In an exemplary embodiment, the handle assembly 37 includes a biasing mechanism 84. The biasing mechanism 84 provides a force to maintain the handle 38 in a neutral (i.e., horizontal) position despite the force of gravity. In one embodiment, a compression spring or other suitable biasing device 84 is mounted between the bushing 66 and the head 82 to engage the plunger 36 with the face plate 58 of the handle 38.

In one embodiment, it can be seen that the diameter of the passage 78 (as defined by the sleeve 65) is only slightly larger than the diameter of the plunger 36 at its smallest. Thus, the plunger 36 can slide and tilt freely in the circular opening 92 but it cannot move up, down or sideways appreciably. This is in contrast to the elliptical opening 94 which allows appreciable upward and downward movement of the plunger at this point. The combination of the passage 78 and the openings 92, 94 results in the plunger 36 being able to tilt up and down as well as slide axially.

The present invention provides a mechanism to engage the sleeve 34 with the plunger 36 at two or more locations along the vertical axis of the sleeve 34. Figures 3A to F illustrate several embodiments provided with two or more flushing volumes. Fig. 3A to 3C illustrate an embodiment having a pivot point 130 adjacent the handle 38. In one embodiment, the handle 38 is engaged with the plunger 36 generally as described above. Movement of the handle 38 rotates the plunger 36 about the pivot point 130 so that the inner end of the plunger pivots, resulting in a varying flush volume.

Fig. 3D to F show an embodiment having a pivot point 130 adjacent the valve body. The positioning of the pivot point at the end of the plunger 36 opposite the handle 38 results in an increased need for the plunger 36/handle 38 interface to be able to generate a moment to rotate the plunger about several axes. Movement of the handle 38 rotates the plunger about the pivot point 130, resulting in a varying flush volume.

The engagement of the handle 38 and the plunger 36 may be any of a variety of designs that enable the plunger 36 to move statically-dictated about the pivot point 130. Likewise, the embodiments utilized typically require a plunger head and or a stem panel 58 having a special shape designed to generate torque at the inner end, i.e., adjacent the valve body rather than the stem 38. In one embodiment, the plunger 36 of fig. 3A and B includes a head portion having a flattened conical shape (best shown in fig. 6). In this embodiment the downward movement of the handle 38 causes the plunger to swing upward about the spindle. The plunger head may be formed of any shape that generates a moment to rotate the plunger about the axis. For example, an alternative embodiment utilizes an inverted flat top cone shape and achieves the inverse relationship of the movement of the handle 38 and the pivoting of the plunger 36, i.e., downward movement of the handle 38 causes the plunger 36 to also pivot downward. Thus, the handle 38/plunger 36 interface may be selected to provide a particular use profile.

As shown in fig. 3A through F, the plunger 36 may be provided with multiple axes. For example, there may be a widened channel opening at the inner end of the bushing rather than at the outer end of the bushing. Alternatively, rather than having the lowermost edge of the channel horizontal and the uppermost edge inclined as shown, the arrangement may be reversed. A further option is to provide the channel with a horizontal axis and an angled axis, wherein the inner end of the plunger is inclined above the horizontal. In that case, the horizontal movement caused by the upward motion of the handle 38 will provide a lower flush volume. Similarly, an upwardly inclined motion caused by a downward action of the handle 38 will provide a higher flush volume. In conjunction with this arrangement, it may be necessary to shorten the relief valve sleeve somewhat. Another possible alternative configuration for the bushing passage 78 is to make the inside diameter of the bushing passage 78 appreciably larger than the outside diameter of the plunger. This will cause the plunger to tilt slightly, regardless of the direction in which the handle is actuated, but only tilting in the vertical plane will affect the flush volume.

In one embodiment, as shown in fig. 3A and 3D, the plunger includes a substantially horizontal axis a-a, similar to the arrangement of a conventional plunger 36. The plunger 36 of fig. 3A and 3D is also provided with an axis B-B that is tilted upward away from the axis a-a but still in the same vertical plane so that the axes a-a and B-B are not parallel and intersect at the pivot point 130. As the plunger moves along axis B-B, it strikes the sleeve 34 at a higher point on the vertical axis of the sleeve causing a higher flush volume than if the plunger 36 were along axis A-A. Thus, for the embodiment of fig. 3A, downward movement of the handle 38 results in a maximum flush volume and other movements result in a lesser flush volume. For the embodiment of fig. 3D, upward movement of the handle 38 results in a reduced flush volume and downward or lateral movement results in a maximum flush volume.

In another embodiment, shown in fig. 3B and 3E, the plunger includes a substantially horizontal axis a-a, similar to the arrangement of a conventional plunger 36. The plunger 36 of fig. 3B and 3E is also provided with an axis C-C that is tilted downward away from the axis a-a but still in the same vertical plane so that the axes a-a and C-C are not parallel and intersect at the pivot point 130. As the plunger moves along axis C-C, it strikes the sleeve 34 at a lower point on the vertical axis of the sleeve causing a lower flush volume than if the plunger 36 were along axis A-A. Thus, for the embodiment of fig. 3B, upward movement of the handle 38 results in a reduced flush volume and downward or lateral movement results in a maximum flush volume. For the embodiment of fig. 3E, upward movement of the handle 38 results in a reduced flush volume.

In one embodiment, shown in fig. 3C and 3F, the plunger includes a substantially horizontal axis a-a, similar to the arrangement of a conventional plunger 36. The plunger 36 of fig. 3C and 3F is also provided with an axis B-B that slopes upwardly away from the axis a-a and an axis C-C that slopes downwardly away from the axis a-a. All of these axes are still in the same vertical plane so that axes a-A, B-B and C-C are not parallel and intersect at pivot point 130. As the plunger moves along axis B-B, it strikes the sleeve 34 at a higher point on the vertical axis of the sleeve causing a higher flush volume than if the plunger 36 were along axis A-A or axis C-C. As the plunger moves along axis C-C, it strikes the sleeve 34 at a lower point on the vertical axis of the sleeve causing a lower flush volume than if the plunger 36 were along axis A-A or axis B-B. If the plunger is moved along axis A-A, the flush volume is between the volume induced by the path along B-B and the volume induced by the path along C-C. Thus, for the embodiment of fig. 3C, downward movement of the handle 38 results in a maximum flush volume and upward movement results in a reduced flush volume.

The embodiment shown in fig. 3A, 3B, 3D, and 3E shows the orientation of the handle 38 to the plunger 36 and to the valve body. For embodiments where plunger 36 has a horizontal axis A-A and an upwardly inclined axis B-B or a downwardly inclined axis C-C, handle 38 and plunger 36 must be properly oriented with bushing 66 and the valve body and with each other to achieve proper tilting of plunger 36 in passage 78. That is, the plunger 36 and or the handle 38 include a particular profile due to the torque required to tilt the plunger 36. Due to the noted tilt of the axis (i.e., only up (fig. 3A and 3D) or down (fig. 3B and 3E) occurs for plunger 36), only one of the directions in which plunger 36 operates is required to achieve a moment.

However, in some embodiments of the stem assembly 37, the orientation of the stem 38 to the plunger 36 and to the valve body is not related to the flush volume, i.e., the assembly is orientation neutral. The non-oriented embodiment provides for simpler assembly and maintenance. As opposed to fig. 3A-B and 3D-E, the embodiment of fig. 3C and 3F provides a handle 38/plunger 36 interface that slopes upward and downward, and thus requires a moment to be generated whether handle 38 is moved upward or downward. This orientation-free design is particularly useful where it is desired to have a two-handed flush valve assembly so that the handle 38 can be left-handed or right-handed, particularly where the handle 38 is automatically actuated (see fig. 7A-C).

Turning now to fig. 4A-C, details of the bushing passage 78 of one embodiment (shown generally in fig. 3F) are shown. The passage 78 can be considered to be defined by a plurality of bores extending through the plunger sleeve 68, such as first and second bores 88 and 90. Each hole corresponds to the axis. For example, the first bore 88 corresponds to axis A-A and the second bore 90 corresponds to axis B-B (the third bore 91 would correspond to axis C-C). The holes 88, 90 are preferably located substantially at the center of the same vertical plane. The first bore 88 is horizontal and defines a horizontal plunger travel axis a. The second hole 90 is not horizontal. The second bore 90 is inclined from the end adjacent the stem 38 to the end adjacent the valve assembly 16 at the outer end 70 of the plunger sleeve 68 and defines an inclined plunger travel axis B. The second bore can be considered an angled portion of the bushing passage 78. The bores preferably each have a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of plunger shaft 80. The bores overlap and merge together at the inner end 69 of the plunger sleeve 68 such that they define a generally circular opening 92 at the inner end 69. At the outer end 94, the diverging axes of the holes result in an elliptical opening. Fig. 5A shows a view along axis a-a showing the relative shape and position of the two openings. Fig. 5b shows a perspective, partially cut-away view of the plunger 36 and plunger sleeve 68 along axis a-a. In one embodiment (fig. 3B and 3E), at the outer end 70 of the plunger sleeve, the second bore 90 is above the first bore 88. In another embodiment, the outer end of the second bore 90 is below the first bore 88. As shown in fig. 5, the opening 94 at the outer end 70 of the plunger sleeve 68 includes an upper arcuate portion 96, a lower portion 98, and a pair of extensions 100 and 102 that engage the upper and lower arcuate portions. The result is a somewhat elliptical opening 94, although not strictly elliptical. As shown in fig. 5, the opening 92 at the inner end 69 of the plunger sleeve 68 includes an upper arcuate portion 104, a lower arcuate portion 106. In one embodiment, the height of the extension at the opening has been reduced to substantially zero so that the arcuate portions 104 and 106 engage each other.

The operation of one embodiment of the handle assembly 37 will now be described. In one embodiment, shown in fig. 3D and 3F, downward movement of the handle 38 results in a reduced flush volume and upward movement results in a standard or larger flush volume. Downward movement of the handle 38 causes the faceplate 58 to rotate about the upper portion of the plate (which is in contact with the receptacle flange 62) while the lower portion of the plate 58 moves to the right. This places a force F on the plunger 36_handleThe plunger 36 remains centered on the horizontal plunger travel axis a-a. The handle 38 is moved upward by the user in the actuated position. Upward movement of the handle 38 causes the face plate 58 to rotate about the lower portion of the plate while the upper portion of the plate 58 moves to the right. This places a force F on the upper portion of the plunger head 58_handle. Using the indicated force F on the plunger 36_bushingThe plunger 36 is tilted upward at the left end and downward at the right end, bringing the plunger 36 into the second bore 90 where it is aligned with the tilted plunger travel axis B. This lowers the plunger 36An inner tip.

As will become apparent from the above description, the second bore 90 is provided with an inclined portion of the bushing passage 78. This creates an asymmetric configuration of the channel, as compared to having only a simple, single horizontal hole at 88. To provide a correspondingly lower flush volume for the vertical plunger tip drop D, the bushing 66 must be mounted on the valve body so that the first and second bores 88, 90 are reoriented in a generally vertical plane with the second bore 90 at the top. However, because the holes are internal to the bushing 66, neither the holes nor the indicia 86 are visible to the installer of the valve body once the bushing 66 has entered the valve body. The present invention solves this problem by providing an externally visible marking or indicia 85 showing the location of the second aperture. The wall 72 may have indicia 85 thereon showing which side of the bushing 66 has an inclined axis as described above. The markings 85 may be in the form of dimples 86 in the wall. The markings 85 will assist the installer in properly orienting the bushing 66. Other indicia 85 may be used without altering the scope and intent of the present invention. In an exemplary embodiment, indicia 85 is simply a line that may be suitably printed on a label attached to exterior portion 112 of receptacle 60. The label may optionally be provided with additional graphics 116 to guide the user regarding the usability of the reduced flush option. The indicia 114 may be engraved or otherwise formed directly on the receptacle rather than a label. The indicia 114 can be used in conjunction with the indicia 86 on the liner 66. That is, when the stem assembly 37 is installed onto the valve body, the installer can view to ensure that the indicia 114 is rotationally aligned with the indicia 86 and then ensure that the indicia is at the top of the stem assembly 37 when the nut 45 is tightened. This will cause the bushing passage 78 to have the proper orientation with respect to the valve body and relief valve sleeve 34. Proper orientation may be further ensured by placing flats 118 on the outer flange of the bushing 66. Aligning the marker 114 with the plane 16 during assembly of the handle 38 and then placing the marker on top of the handle 38 during installation of the handle assembly 37 will result in the correct orientation.

In one example embodiment, a downward motion of the handle 38 results in a reduced flush volume and an upward motion of the handle 38 results in a standard flush volume. It will be appreciated that this orientation may be reversed depending on the desired manner of operation of the toilet. In the embodiment shown in fig. 6, the plunger head comprises a tapered conical head and a stem panel 58 comprising a bead 61. The beads provide discrete points of contact to engage the conical head. Placing the beads around the periphery of the panel causes the handle 38 to have a non-discrete orientation relative to the plunger 36, thereby providing for easier and error-free assembly.

In this embodiment, movement of the handle 38 in any direction other than upward or downward results in a reduced flush volume depending on the exact position of the handle 38 during movement. The plunger 36 is provided with a tapered head 56 having a generally conical shape with a diameter much larger than the height, and at least one projection 60, such as a bead 61, engages the tapered surface of the tapered head 56 when the handle 38 is actuated. In operation, actuation of the handle 38 causes the plunger 36 to tilt in a direction opposite to the direction of movement of the handle 38. For example, with the handle 38 moved upwardly, the bead 61 engages the top of the tapered surface, and the force applied is sufficient to both move the plunger 36 laterally to engage the handle and rotate the plunger 36 relative to the rest plane so that the plunger 36 strikes the handle at a position above the rest plane. The higher the point of impact of the plunger 36 on the stem causes the valve housing to move longer, providing a longer flush, i.e., a larger volume. Likewise, the opposite movement of the handle 38 causes the opposite effect on the flush volume.

The foregoing descriptions of embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed, and modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings or may be acquired from practice of the invention. For example, while the present invention has been primarily described with reference to one embodiment of a valve assembly, it will be appreciated that various other embodiments of valve assemblies may be utilized without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to explain the principles of the invention and its practical application to enable one skilled in the art to utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.

Claims (22)

1. A flush valve assembly, comprising:

a valve body having a diaphragm valve disposed therein, a stem extending downwardly from the diaphragm valve;

an automatic actuation assembly coupled to the valve body, the automatic actuation assembly including a rotatable cam;

a plunger having a shaft extending from the plunger head to an inner end for engaging the rod and a plunger head at an outer end, the plunger axially slidable through a channel in a bushing positioned between the automatic actuation assembly and the rod;

the rotatable cam is engageable with the plunger head;

wherein rotation of the rotatable cam in a first direction causes the plunger to move along a first plunger travel path to achieve a first flush volume and rotation of the rotatable cam in a second direction causes the plunger to move along a second plunger travel path to achieve a second flush volume, and wherein the first plunger travel path is horizontal and the second plunger travel path is non-parallel relative to the first plunger travel path.

2. The flush valve assembly of claim 1, wherein the plunger head comprises an inverted conical shape with a tip extending toward the plunger.

3. The flush valve assembly of claim 1, wherein the plunger head comprises a conical shape with a tip extending from the plunger.

4. The flush valve assembly of claim 3, wherein the rotatable cam includes a plurality of extensions for engaging the plunger head.

5. The flush valve assembly of claim 3, wherein the plunger head includes a lower portion and an upper portion.

6. The flush valve assembly of claim 5, wherein the extended portion of the cam engages a lower portion of the plunger when the cam is rotated in the first direction and the extended portion of the cam engages an upper portion of the plunger when the cam is rotated in the second direction.

7. The flush valve assembly as recited in claim 6, wherein the cam engages a lower portion of the plunger when rotated in the second direction, and the plunger tilts within the bushing passage.

8. An automatic dual flush mode actuation assembly, comprising:

an automatic actuation assembly coupled to a valve body, the automatic actuation assembly including a rotatable cam, the valve body having a diaphragm valve disposed therein, a valve stem extending downwardly from the diaphragm valve,

a plunger having a shaft and a plunger head at an outer end, the shaft extending from the plunger head to an inner end for engaging the valve stem, the plunger axially slidable through a passage in a bushing positioned between the automatic actuation assembly and the valve stem;

the rotatable cam is engageable with the plunger head;

wherein rotation of the rotatable cam in a first direction causes the plunger to move axially along a first plunger travel path to achieve a first flush volume and rotation of the rotatable cam in a second direction causes the plunger to move axially along a second plunger travel path to achieve a second flush volume, and wherein the first plunger travel path is horizontal and the second plunger travel path is non-parallel relative to the first plunger travel path.

9. The automatic dual flush mode actuation assembly of claim 8, wherein the plunger head comprises an inverted conical shape with a tip extending toward the plunger.

10. The automatic dual flush mode actuation assembly of claim 8, wherein the plunger head comprises a conical shape with a tip extending from the plunger.

11. The automatic dual flush mode actuation assembly of claim 10, wherein the rotatable cam includes a plurality of extensions for engaging the plunger head.

12. The automatic dual flush mode actuation assembly of claim 10, wherein the plunger head comprises a lower portion and an upper portion.

13. The automatic dual wash mode actuation assembly as recited in claim 12, wherein an extension of the cam engages a lower portion of the plunger when the cam is rotated in the first direction and an extension of the cam engages an upper portion of the plunger when the cam is rotated in the second direction.

14. The automatic dual flush mode actuation assembly of claim 13, wherein the cam engages a lower portion of the plunger when rotated in the second direction and the plunger tilts within the bushing channel.

15. A flush valve assembly, comprising:

a valve body having a relief valve and a main valve disposed therein, a stem extending downwardly from the relief valve;

an automatic actuation assembly coupled to the valve body, the automatic actuation assembly including a rotatable cam;

a bushing having a passage therethrough for receiving a plunger, the plunger having a shaft extending from the plunger head to an inner end for engaging the rod, and a plunger head at an outer end, the plunger being axially slidable through the passage in the bushing and tiltable in the passage, the bushing being positioned between the automatic actuation assembly and the rod;

the rotatable cam includes a plurality of extensions positioned to engage an upper portion of the plunger head when the rotatable cam is rotated in a first direction and to engage a lower portion of the plunger head when the rotatable cam is rotated in a second direction.

16. The flush valve assembly of claim 15, wherein engagement of an upper portion of the plunger head by the stem achieves a second flush volume for the flush valve assembly, and engagement of a lower portion of the plunger head by the stem achieves a first flush volume for the flush valve assembly.

17. The flush valve assembly of claim 15, wherein the plunger head comprises a conical shape with a top end extending from the plunger, and an upper portion of the plunger head is engaged by a stem to achieve a first flush volume for the flush valve assembly and a lower portion of the plunger head is engaged by the stem to achieve a second flush volume for the flush valve assembly.

18. The flush valve assembly of claim 15, wherein the plunger head comprises an inverted conical shape with a tip extending toward the plunger.

19. A flush valve handle assembly, comprising:

a stem having a crown portion with a bead disposed about a panel of the crown portion;

a plunger having a shaft and a plunger head, the plunger head having a conical panel;

a bushing having a passage therethrough for slidably and tiltably receiving a shaft of the plunger;

a socket engageable with the bushing to form a cavity in which the plunger head and the tang are disposed;

wherein the bead of the handle head is engageable with the plunger head when the handle is actuated, and wherein the bead comprises a plurality of individual beads.

20. The flush valve stem assembly of claim 19, wherein the stem head bead is positioned to engage an upper portion of the plunger head when the stem is actuated in a first direction, and to engage a lower portion of the plunger head when the stem is actuated in a second direction.

21. The flush valve stem assembly of claim 20, wherein the stem includes an automatic actuation mechanism having a rotatable cam, the stem head bead corresponding to at least one extension of the cam, the at least one extension positioned to engage an upper portion of the plunger head when the rotatable cam is rotated in the first direction and to engage a lower portion of the plunger head when the rotatable cam is rotated in the second direction.

22. The flush valve stem assembly of claim 21, wherein the cam engages a lower portion of the plunger head when rotated in the second direction, and the plunger tilts within the bushing channel.