Water saver toilet control valves and methods

Abstract

In accordance with embodiments of apparatus and methods, a control valve suitable for use with a gravity-assisted flush toilet is presented providing means for automatically controlling the supply of mains water to the bowl. In accordance with some embodiments, the control valve supplies at least a portion of the mains water from the fill valve bowl outlet to the tank reservoir until the tank water level is at a predetermined height in the tank reservoir, at which time, the control valve diverts at least a portion of the mains water supplied by the fill valve bowl outlet to the overflow pipe, and therefore to the bowl.

1 . A control valve for use with a toilet, the toilet including a tank in fluid communication with a bowl, the tank defining a tank reservoir operable for storing water and housing associated plumbing including an overflow pipe and a fill valve, the overflow pipe including a lumen therethrough defining an overflow pipe inlet at one end in fluid communication with the tank reservoir and an overflow pipe outlet at an opposite end in fluid communication with the bowl, the fill valve including a fill valve inlet, a fill valve tank outlet in fluid communication with the tank reservoir, and a fill valve bowl outlet in fluid communication with the overflow pipe inlet, the fill valve inlet in fluid communication with the fill valve tank outlet and the fill valve bowl outlet, the bowl in fluid communication with a water trap and drain, the control valve comprising:
 means for automatically controlling a flow of water from the fill valve bowl outlet to the tank reservoir and the bowl operable to control a water level in the bowl and to substantially prevent wasting bowl water over the water trap and down the drain during the refilling of the bowl,   the means for automatically controlling the flow of water from the fill valve bowl outlet to the tank reservoir and the bowl comprising:   a valve body including a body outer surface and a body inner surface defining a valve chamber, the valve body defining an inlet, a first outlet and a second outlet, each of the inlet, first outlet and second outlet providing fluid conduits from the body inner surface to the body outer surface such that water may flow into and out of the valve chamber;   a vane disposed within the valve chamber and operable to substantially divide the valve chamber into a first sub-chamber and a second sub-chamber, the vane comprising a vane first side and a vane second side opposite the vane first side, the vane first side defining a portion of the first sub-chamber and the vane second side defining a portion of the second sub-chamber, the vane being operable to substantially conform to a geometry of the body inner surface of the valve body so as to establish a substantially fluid tight cooperation between the first sub-chamber and the second sub-chamber, the vane being pivotally coupled within the valve chamber about a pivot axis and operable to allow rotation of the vane between a first position and a second position, wherein the vane and the location of the inlet, the first outlet, and the second outlet are in cooperative arrangement to substantially restrict fluid communication from the inlet to substantially only the first outlet when the vane is in the first position and to substantially restrict fluid communication from the inlet to substantially only the second outlet when the vane is in the second position; and   buoyancy means operable to move the vane between the first position and the second position in cooperative engagement with water in the tank reservoir.   
     
     
         2 . The control valve of  claim 1 , the buoyancy means comprising a vane float coupled to the vane wherein the position of the vane is controlled by the buoyancy of the vane float in cooperative engagement with water in the tank reservoir, wherein when water in the tank reservoir is disengaged from the vane float, the vane float positions the vane in the first position, and wherein when the water in the tank reservoir engages and lifts the vane float, the vane float rotates the vane to the second position. 
     
     
         3 . The control valve of  claim 1 , further comprising means for restricting the rotation of the vane between the first position and the second position. 
     
     
         4 . The control valve of  claim 3 , the means for restricting the rotation of the vane between the first position and the second position comprising a first stop and a second stop operable to control the rotation of the vane between the first position and the second position, each of the first stop and second stop define a projection from the body inner surface into the valve chamber upon which the vane may abut at the respective first and second positions. 
     
     
         5 . The control valve of  claim 4 , wherein the location of the inlet, the first outlet, the second outlet, the first stop and the second stop, are in cooperative arrangement to substantially restrict fluid communication from the inlet to substantially only the first outlet when the vane is in the first position and to substantially restrict fluid communication from the inlet to substantially only the second outlet when the vane is in the second position. 
     
     
         6 . The control valve of  claim 4 , wherein the first stop is operable to engage the vane so as to prevent rotation of the vane in a counter-clockwise direction about the pivot axis beyond the first position wherein the vane substantially restricts fluid communication from the inlet to substantially only the first outlet wherein both the inlet and the first outlet are co-located within the first sub-chamber, and wherein the second stop is operable to engage the vane so as to prevent rotation of the vane in a clockwise direction about the pivot axis beyond the second position wherein the vane substantially restricts fluid communication from the inlet to substantially only the second outlet wherein both the inlet and the second outlet are co-located within the second sub-chamber. 
     
     
         7 . The control valve of  claim 4 , the valve body further comprising a pair of apertures aligned with the pivot axis, an armature defining a C-shape including two armature ends operable to extend through the valve body via the apertures to couple with opposite edges of the vane intersecting the pivot axis, the cooperative arrangement of the armature ends and the apertures being operable to allow pivotal motion of the vane. 
     
     
         8 . The control valve of  claim 7 , the means for restricting the rotation of the vane between the first position and the second position comprising a first stop and the second stop each defining a projection from the body outer surface operable to abut the armature in the first position and the second position, respectively. 
     
     
         9 . The control valve of  claim 3 , wherein the first outlet defines an elongated slot operable to provide fluid communication between the valve chamber and the tank reservoir, the control valve further comprising a vane float stem extending from an edge of the vane and extending through the slot and coupled to the vane float. 
     
     
         10 . The control valve of  claim 9 , wherein the slot defines a slot first end and a slot second end opposite the slot first end, wherein the means for restricting the rotation of the vane between the first position and the second position comprises the slot wherein abutment of the float stem against the slot first end in the first position and abutment of the float stem against the slot second end in the second position restricts the rotation of the vane between the first position and the second position. 
     
     
         11 . The control valve of  claim 1 , wherein the first outlet is operable to be in fluid communication with the tank reservoir and the second outlet is operable to be in fluid communication with the overflow pipe inlet. 
     
     
         12 . The control valve of  claim 1 , wherein the second outlet is operable to be in fluid communication with the tank reservoir and the first outlet is operable to be in fluid communication with the overflow pipe inlet. 
     
     
         13 . The control valve of  claim 1 , wherein the valve chamber defines a substantially cylindrical shape, wherein the vane is a straight vane defining a rectangular profile. 
     
     
         14 . The control valve of  claim 1 , wherein the valve chamber defines a substantially spherical shape, wherein the vane defines a disk shape. 
     
     
         15 . The control valve of  claim 1 , wherein the vane is a bent vane defining a V-shaped profile, the bent vane comprising a first half vane and a second half vane joined at an apex. 
     
     
         16 . The control valve of  claim 1 , the vane further comprising a dimple projection extending from opposite vane edges and aligned with the pivot axis and operable to cooperate with corresponding divots in the body inner surface, the divots being operable to allow pivotal motion of the dimple projection therein. 
     
     
         17 . The control valve of  claim 1 , the inlet comprising an inlet nipple operable for coupling with a first refill hose operable for providing a fluid connection between the fill valve bowl outlet of the fill valve and the inlet, wherein the second outlet comprises a second outlet nipple operable for coupling with a second refill hose, the second refill hose being operable for providing a fluid connection between the second outlet and the overflow pipe. 
     
     
         18 . The control valve of  claim 1 , further comprising an overflow pipe coupler coupled to the valve body, the overflow pipe coupler comprising means for removable coupling with the overflow pipe and operable for adjusting the position of the control valve along a length of the overflow pipe. 
     
     
         19 . The control valve of  claim 1 , further comprising an overflow pipe coupler coupled to the valve body, the overflow pipe coupler comprising a split ring including a first half ring and a second half ring, the split ring defining an inner diameter for cooperative engagement with the outer surface of the overflow pipe having a complementary diameter, and including a fastener operable to clamp together the first half ring and the second half ring for removable engagement with the overflow pipe, the overflow pipe coupler being operable to allow for adjusting the position of the overflow pipe coupler along a length of the overflow pipe. 
     
     
         20 . The control valve of  claim 19 , the overflow pipe coupler further comprising a coupler pivot pivotally coupling the second half ring to the first half ring, the coupler pivot operable for spreading apart the second half ring relative to the first half ring such that the overflow pipe may be positioned therebetween. 
     
     
         21 . A method for automatically controlling a flow of water in a toilet from a fill valve bowl outlet to a tank reservoir and a bowl, comprising:
 providing a toilet including a tank in fluid communication with a bowl, the tank defining a tank reservoir operable for storing water and housing associated plumbing including an overflow pipe and a fill valve, the overflow pipe including a lumen therethrough defining an overflow pipe inlet at one end in fluid communication with the tank reservoir and an overflow pipe outlet at an opposite end in fluid communication with the bowl, the fill valve including a fill valve inlet, a fill valve tank outlet in fluid communication with the tank reservoir, and a fill valve bowl outlet in fluid communication with the overflow pipe inlet, the fill valve inlet in fluid communication with the fill valve tank outlet and the fill valve bowl outlet;   providing a control valve comprising:   a valve body including a body outer surface and a body inner surface defining a valve chamber, the valve body defining an inlet, a first outlet and a second outlet, each of the inlet, first outlet and second outlet providing fluid conduits from the body inner surface to the body outer surface such that water may flow into and out of the valve chamber, the inlet being operable for fluid communication with the fill valve bowl outlet, the first outlet being operable for fluid communication with the tank reservoir, and the second outlet being operable for fluid communication with the overflow pipe inlet;   a vane disposed within the valve chamber and operable to substantially divide the valve chamber into a first sub-chamber and a second sub-chamber, the vane comprising a vane first side and a vane second side opposite the vane first side, the vane first side defining a portion of the first sub-chamber and the vane second side defining a portion of the second sub-chamber, the vane being operable to substantially conform to a geometry of the body inner surface of the valve body so as to establish a substantially fluid tight cooperation between the first sub-chamber and the second sub-chamber, the vane being pivotally coupled within the valve chamber about a pivot axis and operable to allow rotation of the vane between a first position and a second position, wherein the vane and the location of the inlet, the first outlet, and the second outlet are in cooperative arrangement to substantially restrict fluid communication from the inlet to substantially only the first outlet when the vane is in the first position wherein both the inlet and the first outlet are co-located within the first sub-chamber, and to substantially restrict fluid communication from the inlet to substantially only the second outlet when the vane is in the second position wherein both the inlet and the second outlet are co-located within the second sub-chamber;   buoyancy means operable to move the vane between the first position and the second position in cooperative engagement with water in the tank reservoir; and   an overflow pipe coupler coupled to the valve body, the overflow pipe coupler comprising means for removable coupling with the overflow pipe and operable for adjusting the position of the control valve along a length of the overflow pipe;   installing the control valve in the tank reservoir by receiving the overflow pipe coupler onto the overflow pipe such that the buoyancy means may interact with the water in the tank reservoir operable to move the vane between a first position and a second position;   positioning the control valve higher on the overflow pipe if the water in the bowl is above a predetermined level at the completion of a flush refill; and   positioning the control valve lower on the overflow pipe if the water in the bowl is below a predetermined level at completion of a flush refill.