Dual flush toilet valve

Abstract

A dual flush valve includes an outflow pipe, a lower seal, and an upwardly extending guide. A lower flush valve reciprocates on the guide between a lowered position sealing the lower seal and a full volume flush position unsealing the lower seal with respect to the outflow pipe. An upper flush valve reciprocates on the guide between a lower sealed position sealing the upper seal with respect to the lower flush valve, an intermediate partial volume flush position unsealing the upper seal and a higher full volume flush position unsealing the lower seal. An interconnecting lost motion member allows movement of the upper valve between the lower sealed position and the partial volume flush position without disturbing the lower valve, while transmitting additional upward movement of the upper valve to the lower valve to move the lower valve between the lowered position and the full volume flush position.

1 . A dual flush valve for a water closet, where an operator can flush the water closet in a chosen operational mode using a manual lever provided for selectively controlling an operational flush mode between a first mode releasing a preselected portion, and a second mode releasing substantially all, of a quantity of liquid held in a flush tank, each release completing an operator initiated flush cycle, the dual flush valve comprising:
 an outflow pipe sealingly attachable to a flush tank to extend through an opening in a bottom of the flush tank, the outflow pipe including an upwardly extending guide member;   a lower flush valve guidingly engaged on the upwardly extending guide member for reciprocal movement between a lowered sealingly engaged position and a full volume flush position spaced from the lowered position;   an upper flush valve guidingly engaged on the upwardly extending guide member for reciprocal movement between a lower sealed position engaged with the lower flush valve, a partial volume flush position spaced from the lower flush valve, and a full volume flush position; and   an interconnecting lost motion member extending between the Tower flush valve and the upper flush valve, such that the lost motion member allows movement of the upper flush valve between the lower sealed position and the partial volume flush position without disturbing the lower flush valve, while transmitting additional vertical movement of the upper flush valve to the lower flush valve to move the lower flush valve between the lowered sealingly engaged position and the full volume flush position.   
   
   
       2 . The dual flush valve of  claim 1  further comprising: the lower and upper valves arranged in vertical axial alignment with one another. 
   
   
       3 . The dual flush valve of  claim 1 , wherein the interconnecting lost motion member further comprises:
 a vertically extending arm associated with one of the lower flush valves and having an enlarged outer end; and   a complementary engaging structure associated with the other of the flush valves and operably interacting with the vertically extending arm of the one flush valve, the complementary structure allowing movement of the upper flush valve between the lower sealed position and the partial volume flush position without disturbing the lower flush valve, while transferring additional vertical movement of the upper flush valve beyond the partial volume flush position to the full volume flush position to the lower flush valve to move the lower flush valve from the lowered sealingly engaged position to the full volume flush position.   
   
   
       4 . The dual flush valve of  claim 1 , wherein the upwardly extending guide member further comprises:
 two vertically extending walls having a horizontal cross section defining a generally X-shaped intersection with respect to one another adjacent a midpoint, each vertically extending outer end of the two walls defining a guide surface for engagement with complementary interior surfaces of the lower and upper flush valves; and   a cap attached to an upper end of the upwardly extending guide member to maintain an assembly of the lower and upper flush valves on the guide member.   
   
   
       5 . The dual flush valve of  claim 1  further comprising:
 an overflow pipe extending along the guide member and defined between an upper end of the upper flush valve and a lower end of the lower flush valve when sealingly engaged with respect to one another.   
   
   
       6 . The dual flush valve of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a manually operated flush lever for driving pivoting movement of an associated cam surface; and   an actuator arm mounted at one end for rotation about a fixed axis spaced from the manually rotated lever, the actuator arm connected at an opposite end to the upper flush valve, the actuator arm having a cam follower surface engageable with the cam surface of the lever for movement between a dual flush valve closed position to a partial flush position and to a full flush position in response to rotation of the manually operated lever.   
   
   
       7 . The dual flush valve of  claim 1  further comprising:
 an upper float operably associated with the upper flush valve.   
   
   
       8 . The dual flush valve of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a lower float operably associated with the lower flush valve.   
   
   
       9 . The dual flush valve of  claim 8  further comprising:
 an adjustable connection of the lower float to the lower flush valve, the adjustable connection allowing adjustable vertical positioning of the lower float with respect to the lower flush valve.   
   
   
       10 . The dual flush valve of  claim 9 , wherein the adjustable connection further comprises:
 at least one inwardly extending wall associated with the lower float and operably engageable with respect to one of a plurality of complementary wall-receiving apertures formed in a vertically extending array along the lower flush valve.   
   
   
       11 . A dual flush valve for a water closet, where an operator can flush the water closet in a chosen operational mode using a manual lever provided for selectively controlling an operational flush mode between a first mode releasing a preselected portion, and a second mode releasing substantially all, of a quantity of liquid held in a flush tank, each release completing an operator initiated flush cycle, the dual flush valve comprising:
 an outflow pipe sealingly attachable to a flush tank to extend through an opening in a bottom of the flush tank, the outflow pipe including an upwardly extending guide member;   a lower seal;   a lower flush valve guidingly engaged on the upwardly extending guide member for reciprocal movement between a lowered position sealingly engaged with respect to the outflow pipe and a full volume flush position spaced from the lowered position;   a lower float operably associated with the lower flush valve;   an upper seal;   an upper flush valve guidingly engaged on the upwardly extending guide member for reciprocal movement between a lower sealed position sealingly engaged with respect to the lower flush valve, a partial volume flush position spaced from the lower flush valve, and a full volume flush position; and   an upper float operably associated with the upper flush valve.   
   
   
       12 . The dual flush valve of  claim 11  further comprising:
 the lower and upper valves arranged in vertical axial alignment with one another.   
   
   
       13 . The dual flush valve of  claim 11  further comprising:
 an interconnecting lost motion member extending between the lower flush valve and the upper flush valve, such that the lost motion member allows movement of the upper flush valve between the lower sealed position and the partial volume flush position without disturbing the lower flush valve, while transmitting additional vertical movement of the upper flush valve to the lower flush valve to move the lower flush valve between the lowered position and the full volume flush position.   
   
   
       14 . The dual flush valve of  claim 13 , wherein the interconnecting lost motion member further comprises:
 a vertically extending arm associated with one of the flush valves and having an enlarged outer end; and   a complementary engaging structure associated with the other of the flush valves and operably interacting with the enlarged outer end of the vertically extending arm of the one flush valve, the complementary engaging structure allowing movement of the upper flush valve between the lower sealed position and the partial volume flush position without disturbing the lower flush valve, while transferring additional vertical movement of the upper flush valve beyond the partial volume flush position to the full volume flush position to the lower flush valve to move the lower flush valve from the lowered position to the full volume flush position.   
   
   
       15 . The dual flush valve of  claim 11 , wherein the upwardly extending guide member further comprises:
 two vertically extending walls having a horizontal cross section defining a generally X-shaped intersection with respect to one another adjacent a midpoint, each vertically extending outer end of the two walls defining a guide surface for engagement with complementary interior surfaces of the lower and upper flush valves; and   a cap attached to an upper end of the upwardly extending guide member to maintain an assembly of the lower and upper flush valves on the guide member.   
   
   
       16 . The dual flush valve of  claim 11  further comprising:
 an overflow pipe extending along the guide member and defined between an upper end of the upper flush valve and a lower end of the lower flush valve when sealingly engaged with respect to one another.   
   
   
       17 . The dual flush valve of  claim 11  further comprising:
 a manually operated flush lever for driving pivoting movement of an associated cam surface; and   an actuator arm mounted at one end for rotation about a fixed axis spaced from the manually rotated lever, the actuator arm connected at an opposite end to the upper flush valve, the actuator arm having a cam follower surface engageable with the cam surface of the lever for movement between a dual flush valve closed position to a partial flush position and to a full flush position in response to rotation of the manually operated lever.   
   
   
       18 . The dual flush valve of  claim 11  further comprising:
 an adjustable connection of the lower float to the lower flush valve, the adjustable connection allowing adjustable vertical positioning of the lower float with respect to the lower flush valve.   
   
   
       19 . The dual flush valve of  claim 18 , wherein the adjustable connection further comprises:
 at least one inwardly extending wall associated with the lower float and operably engageable with respect to one of a plurality of complementary wall- receiving apertures formed in a vertically extending array along the lower flush valve.   
   
   
       20 . A dual flush valve for a water closet, where an operator can flush the water closet in a chosen operational mode using a manual lever provided for selectively controlling an operational flush mode between a first mode releasing a preselected portion, and a second mode releasing substantially all, of a quantity of liquid held in a flush tank, each release completing an operator initiated flush cycle, the dual flush valve comprising:
 an outflow pipe sealingly attachable to a flush tank to extend through an opening in a bottom of the flush tank, the outflow pipe including an upwardly extending guide member;   a lower seal;   a lower flush valve guidingly engaged on the upwardly extending guide member for reciprocal movement between a lowered position sealingly engaged with respect to the outflow pipe and a full volume flush position spaced from the lowered position;   a lower float operably associated with the lower flush valve;   an upper seal;   an upper flush valve guidingly engaged on the upwardly extending guide member for reciprocal movement between a lower sealed position engaged with respect to the lower flush valve, a partial volume flush position spaced from the lower flush valve, and a full volume flush position, the lower and upper valves arranged in vertical axial alignment with one another and when sealingly engaged with respect to one another defining an overflow pipe extending along the guide member between an upper end of the upper flush valve and a lower end of the lower flush valve, the upper flush valve including an actuator attachment for moving the upper flush valve between the lower sealed position, the partial volume flush position, and the full volume flush position;   an upper float operably associated with the upper flush valve; and   an interconnecting lost motion member extending between the lower flush valve and the upper flush valve, such that the lost motion member allows movement of the upper flush valve between the lower sealed position and the partial volume flush position without disturbing the lower flush valve, while transmitting additional vertical movement of the upper flush valve to the lower flush valve to move the lower flush valve between the lowered position and the full volume flush position.