Toilet tank float valve assembly

• US 4,646,780 A
• Filed: 07/30/1986
• Issued: 03/03/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/1986
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kohler Company
• Original Assignee: Kohler Company
• Inventors: Spooner, Tobin H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Walton, George L.
• Application Number:
  US06/891,864
• Time in Patent Office: 216 Days
• Field of Search: 137/426, 137/434, 137/444, 137/445
• US Class Current: 137/426
• CPC Class Codes: E03D 1/003 Cisterns in combination with wash-basins, urinals, or the like domestic plumbing installations E03C
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/265 with a second lever or toggle between the pivoted arm and the valve
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7413 Level adjustment or selection means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7472 Vertical inlet riser
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7475 With toggle or second lever connected to valve

Abstract

There is disclosed a float valve assembly of the type especially well suited to control the flow of inlet water to a toilet tank having a lavatory defined by its cover. The invention relates in particular to a means of making the fitting suitable for use in toilets having different optimal fill levels, and in particular to a means of adjusting the fill level which involves rotation of the rod attached to the float ball on its longitudinal axis. A lead screw-type mechanism causes a connecting linkage to move along the rod into response to such rotation.

Claims

1. In a toilet tank float valve assembly of the type having:

(a) a valve housing with an inlet and an outlet and a valve bore between the inlet and the outlet;

(b) a piston valve member positioned to reciprocate in the valve bore to control the fluid flow from said inlet to said outlet through the valve housing;

(c) a lever arm;

(d) a connecting link;

(e) said lever arm being linked to the valve housing so as to pivot with respect thereto on a first axis;

(f) said pivoting of said lever arm causing the piston valve member to reciprocate in the valve bore;

(g) said lever arm also being linked to the connecting link;

(h) a float having a rod-like member extending therefrom;

(i) means connecting the rod-like member to a support for pivotal movement with respect to the valve housing; and

(j) means for attaching the connecting link to the rod-like member such that the connecting link may be adjustably connected to the rod-like member at a plurality of locations along the rod-like member;

the improvement comprising;

the rod-like member and the connecting link being fashioned and connected to each other such that rotation of the rod-like member causes the connecting link to automatically move from one connection position along the rod-like member to any other connection position such that the effective length of the connecting link and the lever arm is different from the one connection position to the other connection positions, whereby the level of water required in the toilet tank to close the piston valve member can be adjusted by rotating the rod-like member.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the rod-like member has threads on its periphery, the connecting link has a threaded through bore, and the rod-like member extends into the threaded through bore so that its threads mesh with those of the through bore, whereby rotation of the rod-like member threads drives the through bore threads along the rod-like member.

3. The assembly of claim 2, wherein the rod-like member is connected to the valve housing by a universal joint.

4. The assembly of claim 3, wherein the rod-like member is formed with a ball-like end and the valve housing has a U-shaped slot for providing access to a socket.

5. A toilet tank float valve assembly, comprising:

a valve housing for controlling the admission of water from a water supply conduit to the toilet tank, said valve housing having an inlet and an outlet;

movable means for providing communication between said inlet and outlet in an open position and sealing off communication between said inlet and outlet in a closed position;

a float responsive to the tank water level, said float having a rod-like member extending therefrom, said rod-like member being threaded;

a nut threadably engaged with said rod-like member;

a linkage connected to the nut and to the movable means for moving said movable means between the open and closed positions in response to movement of the float; and

a joint for mounting the rod-like member to a support with the rod-like member being rotatable about its own axis and pivotable about a rod pivot axis which is different from its own axis;

wherein the tank water level can be varied by adjustably rotating the rod-like member on its own axis to expand or contract the effective length of the linkage.

6. A toilet tank valve assembly as in claim 5, wherein the joint is a universal joint and comprises:

a ball-head defined by the end of the rod-like member; and

a valve housing support surface which mates with the ball-head to hold the ball-head in position relative to the valve housing while allowing it to pivot about the rod pivot axis and be rotated about the axis of the rod-like member.