Enclosures for automatic bathroom flushers

• US 8,556,228 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2010
• Issued: 10/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sloan Valve Company
• Original Assignee: Sloan Valve Company
• Inventors: Marcichow, Martin E., Parsons, Natan E., Guler, Fatih, Herbert, Kay
• Primary Examiner(s): Bastianelli, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rost, Andrew J
• Application Number:
  US12/804,143
• Publication Number:
  US 20110017930A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,189 Days
• Field of Search: 251 3001- 3005, 251/45, 251/28, 251/129.03, 251/129.04, 430/2, 430/4, 430/5, 431/3, 440/6
• US Class Current: 251/129.04
• CPC Class Codes: E03D 3/02 Self-closing flushing valves self-closing valves in general F16K21/04
• CPC Class Codes: E03D 3/06 with diaphragm valve and pressure chamber for retarding the valve-closing movement
• CPC Class Codes: E03D 5/105 touchless, e.g. using sensors

Abstract

A bathroom flusher includes a flusher body, a valve assembly, an electronic control system, and a flusher cover. The flusher body includes an inlet and an outlet, and is designed to accommodate the valve assembly that controls water flow between the inlet and the outlet. The valve assembly includes a valve member movable with respect to a valve seat providing a sealing action based on applied pressure on the valve assembly. The bathroom flusher also includes an external cover designed for enclosing an electronic control module comprising a battery, a sensor, and an actuator for controlling operation of the flush valve, wherein the external cover includes at least two cover parts separately removable, and wherein the external cover is attachable with respect to the valve body in a manner also allowing removable attachment of the control module.

Claims

1. An automatic toilet room flush valve, comprising:

a valve body including an inlet and an outlet and a valve seat inside said body;

a valve member cooperatively arranged with said valve seat, said valve member being constructed and arranged to control water flow between said inlet and said outlet, movement of said valve member between open and closed positions being controlled by water pressure inside a pilot chamber;

an external cover defining a cavity and including an optical window including a divider element for dividing an optical window into two parts;

an actuator for controlling operation of said valve member;

a plastic housing located inside said external cover constructed to enclose an electronic control module, a battery and an optical sensor in a sealed arrangement;

a reed sensor being located inside said electronic control module and being sealed within said plastic housing; and

a button including a magnet and being constructed to move between upper and lower positions and designed for manually triggering a flush cycle when pushed to said lower position by activation of said reed sensor.

2. The flush valve of claim 1 wherein said plastic housing located inside said external cover is cooperatively arranged with said external cover to be attachable and removable relative to said valve body together with said external cover without closing said water supply.

3. The automatic flush valve of claim 2 wherein said optical sensor includes a presence sensor.

4. The automatic flush valve of claim 2 wherein said optical sensor includes a motion sensor.

5. The automatic flush valve of claim 2 wherein said sensor includes an infrared sensor.

6. The flush valve of claim 1 wherein said external cover includes a main body part and another removable part constructed and arranged to be removed without affecting water pressure in said pilot chamber.

7. The flush valve of claim 1 wherein said optical sensor located within said plastic housing is geometrically aligned with said optical window.

8. The automatic flush valve of claim 1 wherein said valve member includes a piston.

9. The automatic flush valve of claim 1 wherein said valve member includes a flexible diaphragm.

10. The automatic flush valve of claim 9 wherein said flexible diaphragm includes a centrally located passage connecting a relief passage and said outlet.

11. The automatic flush valve of claim 9 wherein said flexible diaphragm is retained with respect to said valve body by a pilot chamber cap defining said pilot chamber.

12. The automatic flush valve of claim 1 wherein said external cover includes a main cover body, a front cover and a top cover.

13. The automatic flush valve of claim 12 wherein said top cover is removable while maintaining said front cover including said optical window located in place with respect to said main cover body.

14. The automatic flush valve of claim 13 further constructed to adjust detection sensitivity of said optical sensor while maintaining said optical window located on said main cover body.

15. The automatic flush valve of claim 12 wherein said top cover is attached with respect to said valve body using at least one screw.

16. The automatic flush valve of claim 15 wherein tightening of said at least one screw attaches said main cover body, said front cover, and said top cover to a pilot cap defining said pilot chamber and being attached to said valve body.

17. An automatic toilet room flush valve, comprising:

a valve body including an inlet and an outlet and a valve seat inside said body;

a valve member cooperatively arranged with said valve seat, said valve member being constructed and arranged to control water flow between said inlet and said outlet, movement of said valve member between open and closed positions being controlled by water pressure inside a pilot chamber;

an external cover defining a cavity and including a vent passage for venting water from inside of said external cover;

an actuator for controlling operation of said valve member;

a plastic housing located inside said external cover constructed to enclose an electronic control module, and a battery in a sealed arrangement;

a reed sensor being located inside said electronic control module and being sealed within said plastic housing; and

a button including a magnet and being constructed to move between upper and lower positions and designed for manually triggering a flush cycle when pushed to said lower position by activation of said reed sensor.

18. The flush valve of claim 17 wherein said plastic housing located inside said external cover is cooperatively arranged with said external cover to be attachable and removable relative to said valve body together with said external cover without closing said water supply.

19. The flush valve of claim 17 wherein said external cover includes a main body part and another removable part constructed and arranged to be removed without affecting water pressure in said pilot chamber.

20. The flush valve of claim 17 further including an optical sensor located within said plastic housing being geometrically aligned with an optical window included in said external cover and being geometrically aligned with said optical sensor.

21. The automatic flush valve of claim 20 wherein said optical sensor includes a presence sensor.

22. The automatic flush valve of claim 20 wherein said optical sensor includes a motion sensor.

23. The automatic flush valve of claim 20 wherein said sensor includes an infrared sensor.

24. The automatic flush valve of claim 17 wherein said valve member includes a piston.

25. The automatic flush valve of claim 17 wherein said valve member includes a flexible diaphragm.

26. The automatic flush valve of claim 17 wherein said external cover includes a main cover body, a front cover and a top cover.

27. The automatic flush valve of claim 26 wherein said top cover is removable while maintaining said front cover including said optical window located in place with respect to said main cover body.

28. The automatic flush valve of claim 27 further constructed to adjust detection sensitivity of said optical sensor while maintaining said optical window located on said main cover body.