Adjustable toilet valve assembly

Abstract

A modular outflow valve assembly for a toilet tank includes a base for attachment to the toilet tank. An elongate guide is attached to the base and extends longitudinally upward from the base, the guide having a tube stop piece adjustably secured thereto at an upper end thereof. An outflow tube assembly is installed over the guide so that the guide extends through the hollow interior of the outflow tube assembly and the outflow tube assembly extends upwardly from the base and the hollow interior of the outflow tube structure is in fluid communication with a water outflow opening in the base. The outflow tube assembly is slidably and upwardly coupled to the guide. The outflow tube assembly is separable from the base and is configured to pass a selected amount of water from the toilet tank when separated from the base. The outflow tube assembly includes a lower outflow tube section, a lighter-than-water segment that surrounds the lower outflow tube section, and an upper outflow tube section extending upward from the lower outflow tube and adjustably coupled and fixed to the lower outflow tube section.

1 . A modular outflow valve assembly for a toilet tank comprising: 
 a base for attachment to the toilet tank, the base having an opening configured to pass water out of the toilet tank,    an elongate guide attached to the base and adapted to extend longitudinally upward from the base, the guide having a tube stop piece adjustably secured thereto at an upper end thereof, and    an outflow tube assembly having a hollow interior and adapted to be installed over the guide so that the guide extends through the hollow interior of the outflow tube assembly and the outflow tube assembly extends upwardly from the base and the hollow interior of the outflow tube structure is in fluid communication with the opening in the base, said outflow tube assembly being slidably and upwardly coupled to said guide, said outflow tube assembly being separable from the base and configured to pass a selected amount of water from the toilet tank when separated from the base, the outflow tube assembly including a lower outflow tube section, a lighter-than-water segment that surrounds the lower outflow tube section, and an upper outflow tube section extending upward from the lower outflow tube and adjustably coupled and fixed to said lower outflow tube section.    
   
   
       2 . An outflow valve assembly according to  claim 1 , comprising a locking collar mounted to the lower outflow tube section for fixing the upper outflow tube section in position relative to the lower outflow tube section.  
   
   
       3 . An outflow valve assembly according to  claim 1 , comprising adhesive means fixing the upper outflow tube section to the lower outflow tube section.  
   
   
       4 . An outflow valve assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein one of the upper and lower outflow tube sections is fitted within the other of the upper and lower outflow tube sections and the outflow tube sections are fixed together by chemical means.  
   
   
       5 . An outflow valve assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the upper and lower outflow tube sections are in threaded engagement.  
   
   
       6 . An outflow valve assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the tube stop piece is adjustable in height relative to the base.  
   
   
       7 . An outflow valve assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the guide is threaded at its upper end and the tube stop piece is in threaded engagement with the upper end of the guide.  
   
   
       8 . An outflow valve assembly according to  claim 7 , wherein the guide is threaded at its upper end and the tube stop piece is secured to the guide by an adapter piece that is in threaded engagement with the upper end of the guide and with the tube stop piece.  
   
   
       10 . An outflow valve assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein said lighter-than-water segment of the outflow tube assembly defines a chamber that generally surrounds the lower outflow tube section and also defines at least one drain hole.  
   
   
       11 . An outflow valve assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the base is formed with a peripheral groove and the base further comprises a cantilevered diaphragm seated in the peripheral groove and providing an upper surface against which the outflow tube assembly seats.  
   
   
       12 . An outflow tube assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the outflow tube assembly is a single volume outflow tube structure and the guide is configured to receive interchangeably a dual volume outflow tube assembly in lieu of the single volume outflow tube assembly.  
   
   
       13 . A toilet assembly comprising: 
 a toilet bowl,    a toilet tank having an outflow opening coupled to the toilet bowl, and    a toilet tank outflow valve assembly installed in the toilet tank, the outflow valve assembly comprising a base installed in the toilet tank outflow opening and attached to the toilet tank, the base having an opening configured to pass water out of the toilet tank, an elongate guide extending upward from the base and having an upper end, a stop piece attached to the guide at the upper end thereof and adjustable in height relative to the base, and an outflow tube assembly extending upward from the base and in fluid communication with the outflow opening, wherein the guide extends through the outflow tube assembly and the outflow tube assembly is slidable lengthwise of the guide and the stop piece limits upward movement of the outflow tube assembly relative to the guide, said outflow tube assembly being separable from the base and configured to pass a selected amount of water from the toilet tank when separated from the base, and wherein the outflow tube assembly defines an overflow passage such that in the event that water fills the tank up to the upper end of the outflow tube assembly water overflows from the tank through the overflow passage and passes to the toilet bowl, and the outflow tube assembly is of a height such that the volume of the toilet tank above the base and below the upper end of the outflow tube assembly limits flush volume so as to comply with regulations governing implementation of restrictions on flush volume.    
   
   
       14 . A toilet assembly comprising: 
 a toilet bowl,    a toilet tank having an outflow opening coupled to the toilet bowl,    a toilet tank outflow valve assembly installed in the toilet tank, the outflow valve assembly comprising a base installed in the toilet tank outflow opening and attached to the toilet tank, the base having an opening configured to pass water out of the toilet tank, an elongate guide extending upward from the base and having an upper end, a stop piece attached to the guide at the upper end thereof and adjustable in height relative to the base, and an outflow tube assembly extending upward from the base and in fluid communication with the outflow opening, wherein the guide extends through the outflow tube assembly and the outflow tube assembly is slidable lengthwise of the guide and the stop piece limits upward movement of the outflow tube assembly relative to the guide, said outflow tube assembly being separable from the base and configured to pass a selected amount of water from the toilet tank when separated from the base, and    a handle assembly mounted to the toilet tank and coupled to the outflow tube assembly for lifting the outflow tube assembly to separate the outflow tube assembly from the base, wherein the handle assembly is operable interchangeably with either a dual volume outflow tube assembly or a single volume outflow tube assembly.    
   
   
       15 . A modular dual flush-volume outflow valve assembly for a toilet tank comprising: 
 a base for attachment to the toilet tank, the base having an opening configured to pass water out of the toilet tank,    an elongate guide attached to the base and adapted to extend longitudinally upward from the base, the guide having a tube stop piece adjustably secured thereto at an upper end thereof,    a dual volume outflow tube assembly having a hollow interior and adapted to be installed over the guide so that the guide extends through the hollow interior of the dual volume outflow tube assembly and the dual volume outflow tube assembly extends upwardly from the base, said dual volume outflow tube assembly being slidably and upwardly coupled to said guide, said dual volume outflow tube assembly comprising a lower outflow tube structure having a lower end and an upper end, and a lighter-than-water segment that surrounds the lower end of the lower outflow tube structure, the lower outflow tube structure being separable from the base and configured to pass a first larger amount of water from the toilet tank when separated from the base, and the dual volume outflow tube assembly further comprising an upper valve structure including an overflow tube having a lower end and an upper end and extending upward from the lower outflow tube structure and a lighter-than-water segment that surrounds the lower end of the overflow tube and defines at least one drain hole in communication with said hollow interior, the upper valve structure being movable upward along the guide independently of the lower outflow tube structure and being separable from the lower outflow tube structure and configured to pass a second smaller amount of water from the toilet tank when separated from the lower outflow tube.    
   
   
       16 . An outflow tube assembly according to  claim 15 , wherein the lower outflow tube structure comprises a single lower outflow tube that is not adjustable in length.  
   
   
       17 . An outflow tube assembly according to  claim 16 , wherein the lower outflow tube defines a passage extending downward from an upper end of the lower outflow tube substantially to the base and said passage is of substantially uniform cross sectional configuration over substantially its entire length.  
   
   
       18 . An outflow tube assembly according to  claim 15 , wherein the lower outflow tube has a valve element at its lower end cooperating with a seat element of the base, and the valve element has an outer perimeter that lies wholly within the outer perimeter of the seat element.  
   
   
       19 . An outflow valve assembly according to  claim 15 , wherein the lower outflow tube structure comprises a lower tube section surrounded by the lighter-than-water segment of the lower outflow tube structure and an upper tube section extending upward from the lower tube section and adjustably coupled and fixed to said lower tube section.  
   
   
       20 . An outflow valve assembly according to  claim 19 , comprising a locking collar mounted to the lower tube section for fixing the upper tube section in position relative to the lower tube section.  
   
   
       21 . An outflow valve assembly according to  claim 19 , comprising adhesive means fixing the upper tube section to the lower tube section.  
   
   
       22 . An outflow valve assembly according to  claim 19 , wherein one of the upper and lower tube sections is fitted within the other of the upper and lower tube sections and the tube sections are fixed together by chemical means.  
   
   
       23 . An outflow valve assembly according to  claim 19 , wherein the upper and lower tube sections are in threaded engagement.  
   
   
       24 . An outflow valve assembly according to  claim 16 , wherein the tube stop piece is adjustable in height relative to the base.  
   
   
       25 . An outflow valve assembly according to  claim 24 , wherein the guide is threaded at its upper end and the tube stop piece is in threaded engagement with the upper end of the guide.  
   
   
       26 . An outflow valve assembly according to  claim 25 , wherein the guide is threaded at its upper end and the tube stop piece is secured to the guide by an adapter piece that is in threaded engagement with the upper end of the guide and with the tube stop piece.  
   
   
       27 . An outflow valve assembly according to  claim 15 , wherein said lighter-than-water segment that surrounds the lower end of the lower outflow tube structure of the outflow tube assembly defines a chamber that generally surrounds the lower outflow tube structure and also defines at least one drain hole that opens into the hollow interior of the dual volume outflow tube assembly.  
   
   
       28 . A method of modifying a toilet tank outflow valve assembly installed in a toilet tank having an outflow opening that is coupled to a toilet bowl, the outflow valve assembly comprising a base installed in the toilet tank outflow opening and attached to the toilet tank, the base having an opening configured to pass water out of the toilet tank, an elongate guide extending upward from the base and having an upper end, a stop piece attached to the guide at the upper end thereof and adjustable in height relative to the base, and a first outflow tube assembly extending upward from the base and in fluid communication with the outflow opening, 
 wherein the guide extends through the first outflow tube assembly and the first outflow tube assembly is slidable lengthwise of the guide and the stop piece limits upward movement of the first outflow tube assembly relative to the guide,    wherein the method comprises removing the first outflow tube assembly and replacing the first outflow tube assembly with a second outflow tube assembly so that the second outflow tube assembly extends upward from the base and is in fluid communication with the outflow opening and the guide extends through the second outflow tube assembly and the second outflow tube assembly is slidable lengthwise of the guide and the stop piece limits upward movement of the second outflow tube assembly relative to the guide,    wherein one of the first and second outflow tube assemblies is a single volume outflow tube assembly and the other of the first and second outflow tube assemblies is a dual volume outflow tube assembly,    wherein the single volume outflow tube assembly comprises an outflow tube having a lower end segment, and a lighter-than-water segment that surrounds the lower end segment of the outflow tube,    wherein the dual volume outflow tube assembly comprises a lower outflow tube structure having a lower end and an upper end, and a lighter-than-water segment that surrounds the lower end of the lower outflow tube structure, and the dual volume outflow tube assembly further comprises an upper valve structure including an overflow tube having a lower end and an upper end and extending upward from the lower outflow tube structure and a lighter-than-water segment that surrounds the lower end of the overflow tube and defines at least one drain hole in communication with the outflow tube, the upper valve structure being movable upward along the guide independently of the lower outflow tube structure,    whereby when the single volume outflow tube assembly is fitted to the guide, the single volume outflow tube assembly is separable from the base to pass a selected volume of water from the toilet tank to the bowl, and when the dual volume outflow tube assembly is fitted to the guide the lower outflow tube structure is separable from the base to pass a first larger volume of water from the toilet tank to the bowl and the upper valve structure is upwardly separable from the lower outflow tube structure to pass a second smaller volume of water from the toilet tank to the bowl by way of the lower outflow tube structure.    
   
   
       29 . A method according to  claim 28 , wherein the first outflow tube assembly is a single volume outflow tube assembly, the toilet tank is equipped with a handle assembly including a first handle member adapted for single flush operation, and the method further comprises installing a second handle member whereby the handle assembly is adapted for dual flush operation.  
   
   
       30 . A method according to  claim 28 , wherein the first outflow tube assembly is a dual volume outflow tube assembly, the toilet tank is equipped with a handle assembly adapted for dual flush operation, the handle assembly including a first handle member and a second handle member, and the method further comprises removing the second handle member, whereby the handle assembly is adapted for single flush operation.