Motion limitation means for enhanced-function flush handles

Abstract

A toilet flusher comprising an exterior flush handle and a means for limiting the flush handle's rotation, the means being located entirely within the toilet tank. The means involve both the rear planar as well as the side cylindrical walls of the spud, in order to enhance the spud's strength and rigidity. The means further comprise a bent lift arm within the tank, and a motion limitation hub on the lift arm. The hub is sufficiently distant from the bend of the lift arm that conventional attachment of the toilet flusher to the front wall of a toilet tank, by passing the conventional left-handed nut over the entire visible length of the lift arm, including over the motion limitation hub, and onto the threads of the spud, may be easily accomplished. This is particularly advantageous for enhanced-function flush handles that are designed to be connected removably to the remainder of the toilet flusher and that will thus typically lack space within their housings to accommodate the usual, motion limitation means. The present invention allows an enhanced-function flush handle to be located as close to a tank as a conventional flush handle, and thus to accommodate more easily those installations where, for whatever reason, the tank lids are missing or slip backwards easily when the seats are leaned back against the lids.

1 . A toilet flusher comprising a flush handle, a spud, and a lift arm, said toilet flusher being adapted to transmit motion to said lift arm when said toilet flusher is attached to the water tank of a toilet and said flush handle is actuated by a person, said motion having a limited range and being sufficient within said limited range to flush said toilet, said lift arm comprising a motion limitation hub, said spud comprising a rear hub having a side wall and a rear wall, said side wall and said rear wall being adapted to engage said motion limitation hub of said lift arm such that said motion of said lift arm is limited by said engagement to said range of motion.  
   
   
       2 . A toilet flusher as in  claim 1  wherein said motion is a rotary motion.  
   
   
       3 . A toilet flusher as in  claim 2  wherein said rotary motion has an axis of rotation and said spud has a cylindrical counterbore, and wherein said axis of rotation is substantially coincident with the axis of said cylindrical counterbore.  
   
   
       4 . A toilet flusher as in  claim 1  wherein said rear wall has a cylindrical bearing surface and said motion limitation hub has a cylindrical bearing surface in engagement with said cylindrical bearing surface of said rear wall.  
   
   
       5 . A toilet flusher as in  claim 1  wherein said rear hub has two flat surfaces orthogonal to the same plane, said two flat surfaces including between them an acute angle, and each of said two flat surfaces involves both said side wall and said rear wall of said rear hub.  
   
   
       6 . A toilet flusher as in  claim 1  wherein said rear hub has a cylindrical external surface and said motion limitation hub comprises a plurality of cylindrical surfaces parallel to said cylindrical external surface of said rear hub, but wherein the radius of each cylindrical surface of said plurality is less than the radius of said cylindrical external surface of said rear hub.  
   
   
       7 . A toilet flusher as in  claim 1  wherein said means for limiting said motion of said lift arm comprises a flat bearing surface, and said lift arm has a motion limitation hub having a flat bearing surface in engagement with said flat bearing surface of said means.  
   
   
       8 . A toilet flusher as in  claim 7  wherein said flat bearing surface limits the translational motion of said lift arm.  
   
   
       9 . A toilet flusher comprising a flush handle, an externally threaded spud, an internally threaded nut capable of threaded engagement with said spud, and a lift arm, said lift arm being inseparable from said spud, said toilet flusher being adapted to transmit motion to said lift arm when said toilet flusher is attached to the water tank of a toilet and said flush handle is actuated by a person, said toilet flusher having a means for limiting said motion of said lift arm, said motion of said lift arm being limited to a range of motion and being sufficient within said range to flush said toilet, said means for limiting said motion of said lift arm being located entirely within said tank when said toilet flusher is attached to said tank, said lift arm having a portion extending from said spud and into the interior of said tank, and said portion of said lift arm can pass through said nut such that said nut can be brought into threaded engagement with said threaded spud.  
   
   
       10 . A toilet flusher as in  claim 9  wherein said motion is a rotary motion.  
   
   
       11 . A toilet flusher as in  claim 10  wherein said rotary motion has an axis of rotation and said spud has a cylindrical counterbore, and wherein said axis of rotation is substantially coincident with the axis of said cylindrical counterbore.  
   
   
       12 . A toilet flusher as in  claim 9  wherein said means for limiting said motion of said lift arm comprises a cylindrical bearing surface, and said lift arm has a motion limitation hub having a cylindrical bearing surface in engagement with said cylindrical bearing surface of said means.  
   
   
       13 . A toilet flusher as in  claim 9  wherein said means for limiting said motion of said lift arm comprises two flat surfaces orthogonal to the same plane, said two flat surfaces including between them an acute angle.  
   
   
       14 . A toilet flusher as in  claim 9  wherein said means for limiting said motion of said lift arm comprises a flat bearing surface, and said lift arm has a motion limitation hub having a flat bearing surface in engagement with said flat bearing surface of said means.  
   
   
       15 . A toilet flusher as in  claim 14  wherein said flat bearing surface limits the translational motion of said lift arm.  
   
   
       16 . A toilet flusher as in  claim 9  wherein said lift arm has a bend and a motion limitation hub, said bend being joined to said motion limitation hub by an extension integrally formed with said bend and said motion limitation hub.