Siphon tube for use with a toilet tank and bowl for maintaining a steady trickle flow of water through a supplying and unheated service line associated with the tank and bowl and method for installing the same

Abstract

A siphon tube for maintaining a trickle flow of fluid through a toilet tank reservoir and a toilet bowl. A water supply line is in fluid communication with the tank by virtue of a ball cock valve, the tank reservoir fluidly interconnects with the bowl by an overflow tube. The siphon tube includes an elongated and interiorly hollowed body having first and second fluidly interconnecting and parallel extending lengths, the first length being shorter than the second length. An upper interconnecting end is established between the fluid lengths and further includes a plurality of winding coils. Upon prefilling the siphon tube with a volume of fluid, the second extending length is inserted into the overflow tube, causing a trickle flow of fluid to be drawn from the tank reservoir, by vacuum pressure, into the first length, across the winding coils, and out the second length into the bowl, the ball cock valve occasionally activating to draw fluid from the supply line into the tank reservoir.

1 . A siphon tube for maintaining a trickle flow of fluid through a tank reservoir and bowl of a toilet, a water supply line being in fluid communication with the tank by virtue of a ball cock valve, the tank reservoir fluidly interconnecting with the bowl by an overflow tube, said siphon tube comprising: 
 an elongated and interiorly hollowed body having first and second fluidly interconnecting and parallel extending lengths, said first length being shorter than said second length; and    an upper interconnecting end established between said fluid lengths further comprising a plurality of winding coils;    upon prefilling said siphon tube with a volume of fluid, said second extending length being inserted into the overflow tube, causing a trickle flow of fluid to be drawn from the tank reservoir, by vacuum pressure, into said first length, across said winding coils, and out said second length into the bowl, the ball cock valve occasionally activating to draw fluid from the supply line into the tank reservoir.    
     
     
         2 . The siphon tube as described in  claim 1 , further comprising an upper end of said winding coils interconnecting with said first length, a lower spiraling end of said coils communicating with said second length.  
     
     
         3 . The siphon tube as described in  claim 2 , said coils extending at a substantially 90° angle relative to an axial extending direction of said first and second lengths.  
     
     
         4 . The siphon tube as described in  claim 1 , further comprising at least one of first and second extending ends associated with said first and second lengths being angled.  
     
     
         5 . The siphon tube as described in  claim 1 , said siphon tube exhibiting a specified shape and size and being constructed of a plastic material.  
     
     
         6 . The siphon tube as described in  claim 1 , said siphon tube exhibiting a specified shape and size, and further comprising a squeeze bottle for prefilling said tube with a volume of a dye colored fluid.  
     
     
         7 . A siphon tube for maintaining a trickle flow of fluid through a tank reservoir and bowl of a toilet, a water supply line being in fluid communication with the tank by virtue of a ball cock valve, the tank reservoir fluidly interconnecting with the bowl by an overflow tube, said siphon tube comprising: 
 an elongated and interiorly hollowed body having first and second fluidly interconnecting and parallel extending lengths, said first length being shorter than said second length, at least one of first and second ends associated with said first and second lengths being angled; and    an upper interconnecting end established between said fluid lengths further comprising a plurality of winding coils, an upper end of said coils interconnecting with said first length, a lower spiraling end communicating with said second length;    upon prefilling said siphon tube with a volume of fluid, said second extending length being inserted into the overflow tube, causing a trickle flow of fluid to be drawn from the tank reservoir, by vacuum pressure, into said first length, across said winding coils, and out said second length into the bowl, the ball cock valve occasionally activating to draw fluid from the supply line into the tank reservoir.    
     
     
         8 . A method for installing a siphon tube for maintaining a trickle flow of fluid through a tank reservoir and bowl of a toilet, a water supply line being in fluid communication with the tank by virtue of a ball cock valve, the tank reservoir fluidly interconnecting with the bowl by an overflow tube, said method of installation comprising the steps of: 
 providing an elongated and interiorly hollowed body having first and second fluidly interconnecting and parallel extending lengths and an upper interconnecting end comprising a plurality of downwardly winding coils, said first length being shorter than said second length;    inverting said siphon tube and so that first and second length ends are arrayed in a generally upwardly extending direction;    prefilling said siphon tube with a volume of fluid;    temporarily sealing said first length end;    inserting said second extending length into the overflow tube; and    vacuum drawing a trickle flow of fluid the tank reservoir, into said first length, across said winding coils, and out said second length into the bowl, the ball cock valve occasionally activating to draw fluid from the supply line into the tank reservoir.    
     
     
         9 . The method as described in  claim 8 , further comprising the step of injecting a nozzle end of filler bottle into a selected one of said first and second length ends.  
     
     
         10 . The method as described in  claim 9 , further comprising the step of applying a dye colorant to a volume of fluid contained within said filler bottle.  
     
     
         11 . The method as described in  claim 9 , said step of temporarily sealing said first length end of said prefilled siphon tube further comprising the step of placing an installer's finger over said first length end and removing the finger upon submerging said first length within the tank reservoir.