WATER CONSERVATION BASED ON TOILET SEAT POSITION

• US 20140165278A1
• Filed: 12/19/2013
• Published: 06/19/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gmat Ventures, LLC
• Original Assignee: Primoris Holdings, LLC
• Inventors: Hutchinson, Steven R., Holbrook, Troy A., Holbrook, Scott A., Knapp, Christopher J.
• Granted Patent: US 10,640,961 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 4/324
• CPC Class Codes: E03D 3/12 Flushing devices discharging variable quantities of water flushing cisterns discharging variable quantities of water E03D1/14
• CPC Class Codes: E03D 5/04 directly by the seat or cover combined with devices for opening and closing shutters in the bowl outlet and/or with devices for raising and lowering seat or cover; Raising or lowering seat and/or cover by flushing or by the flushing mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49428 Gas and water specific plumbing component making

Abstract

Various embodiments for conserving fluid based on the position of a toilet seat are presented. One example embodiment includes a toilet flushing system having a fluid regulation component and a position detector. The fluid regulation component is configured to regulate an amount of fluid used to flush a toilet during a flush cycle. The position detector is configured to detect whether the toilet seat is in a raised position or a lowered position. The position detector is coupled to the fluid regulation component to communicate whether the toilet seat is in the raised position or the lowered position. The fluid regulation component is further configured to regulate the amount of fluid used during the flush cycle based at least in part on whether the toilet seat is in the raised position or the lowered position.

Claims

1. A toilet flushing system comprising:

a fluid regulation component configured to regulate an amount of fluid used to flush a toilet during a flush cycle; and

a position detector configured to detect whether the toilet seat is in a raised position or a lowered position, the position detector being coupled to the fluid regulation component to communicate whether the toilet seat is in the raised position or the lowered position, and the fluid regulation component being further configured to regulate the amount of fluid used during the flush cycle based at least in part on whether the toilet seat is in the raised position or the lowered position.

2. The toilet flushing system of claim 1, wherein the position detector includes a position detector that is configured to transmit the position of the toilet seat to the fluid regulation component.

3. The toilet flushing system of claim 2, wherein the fluid regulation component is locatable downstream of a flush valve of a toilet, locatable upstream of a flush valve of the toilet, is incorporateable into a flush valve of the toilet, or is incorporated into the position detector.

4. The toilet flushing system of claim 3, wherein the fluid regulation component includes a valve situated in a fluid regulation chamber, the valve being configured to control the amount of fluid that passes through the fluid regulation chamber during a flush cycle based on whether the toilet seat is in the raised position or the lowered position.

5. The toilet flushing system of claim 1, wherein the position detector includes an optical sensor.

6. The toilet flushing system of claim 5, wherein the optical sensor is electronically coupled to the fluid regulation component and the fluid regulation component is electronically actuateable.

7. The toilet flushing system of claim 1, wherein the position detector includes a mechanical assembly connectable to the toilet seat and connectable to the flow regulation component, the mechanical assembly configured to transmit a movement of the toilet seat from the toilet seat to the flow regulation component when the toilet seat is raised from the lowered position to the raised position or when the toilet seat is lowered from the raised position to the lowered position.

8. The toilet flushing system of claim 1, wherein the position detector is coupleable to the toilet seat.

9. The toilet flushing system of claim 1, wherein the toilet includes a tank or the toilet is a tankless toilet.

10. The toilet flushing system of claim 1, wherein a flush valve of the toilet includes the flow regulation component.

11. The toilet flushing system of claim 1, further comprising:

a toilet seat raising and lowering device for raising and the lowering the toilet seat, the position detector being included in the toilet seat raising and lowering device and including a sensor for sensing a position of the toilet seat.

12. A flow regulation component, comprising:

a valve including one or more regulating components for regulating a flow of a fluid for flushing a toilet based on a position of a toilet seat of the toilet, the valve including an input portion configured to receive an input from a position detector, the input communicating whether the toilet seat is located in a raised position or a lowered position.

13. The flow regulation component of claim 12, wherein the valve is coupleable to an upstream side or downstream side of a flush valve of a toilet.

14. The flow regulation component of claim 12, wherein the valve is incorporated into the flush valve of the toilet.

15. The flow regulation component of claim 12, wherein the input is an electronic input or a mechanical input.

16. A method comprising:

equipping a toilet with a flow regulation component, the flow regulation component configured to regulate the flow of a fluid for flushing the toilet based whether a toilet seat of the toilet is in the raised or lowered position; and

equipping the toilet with a position detector, the position detector configured to determine whether a toilet seat of the toilet is in a raised or lowered position, the position detector configured to communicate a position of the toilet seat to the flow regulation component.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein equipping the toilet with the position detector includes coupling the position detector to the flow regulation component so the position detector can communicate the position of the toilet seat to the flow regulation component.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein equipping the toilet with the position detector includes coupling the position detector proximate the toilet seat.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the position detector includes a sensor and equipping the toilet with the position detector includes attaching the position detector on a structural member included in or around the toilet in a location that gives the position detector a line of sight to a top surface of the toilet seat or to a patron using the toilet.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein equipping the toilet with the flow regulation component includes attaching the flow regulation component upstream or downstream of a flush valve of the toilet.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the toilet includes a tank or the toilet is a tankless toilet.