Cistern Assembly

Abstract

The current invention is directed to a cistern assembly for a flush toilet where the cistern assembly includes a cistern housing including a cistern lid and a cistern base, a cistern member pivotally attached within the cistern housing, and an actuator means associated with the cistern member to pivot the cistern member relative to the cistern housing to discharge the stored water. The cistern member has a base wall that forms a chamber to store the water and a passageway to discharge the water from the chamber, the passageway has an internal inlet and a cistern outlet and is shaped to siphon water through the passageway. The internal inlet is positioned substantially on or adjacent to the pivot vertical axis of the cistern member when the cistern member is in one of the pivoted positions. The actuator means can tilt the cistern member to actuate discharge of water through the passageway so that when the cistern member is pivoted and the passageway is moved below the water level of the stored water of the chamber, the water is drawn through the passageway to the cistern outlet until air within the chamber enters the passageway preventing further water from being drawn into the passageway.

1 - 13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . A cistern assembly for a flush toilet including
 a cistern housing;   a cistern member pivotally attached within the cistern housing and able to move between pivoted positions through an equilibrium position, the cistern member has a base wall that forms a chamber to store water and a passageway to discharge water from the chamber, the passageway has an internal inlet and a cistern outlet and is shaped to siphon water through the passageway; the passageway forms a substantially U-shaped channel where the base wall bends in a U-shape so that an inner section of the base wall cooperates to form the internal inlet and an outer section of the base wall cooperates to form the cistern outlet; and   an actuator associated with the cistern member to pivot the cistern member relative to the cistern housing wherein when the cistern member is pivoted and the passageway is moved below the water level of the stored water of the chamber, the water is drawn through the passageway to the cistern outlet until air within the chamber enters the passageway preventing further water from being drawn into the passageway.   
     
     
         15 . A cistern assembly for a flush toilet including
 a cistern housing;   a cistern member pivotally attached within the cistern housing and able to move between pivoted positions through an equilibrium position, the cistern member has a base wall that forms a chamber to store water and a passageway to discharge water from the chamber, the passageway has an internal inlet and a cistern outlet and is shaped to siphon water through the passageway; the passageway forms a substantially U-shaped channel where an internal inlet channel section is spaced apart at a substantially constant distance from a cistern outlet channel section; and   an actuator associated with the cistern member to pivot the cistern member relative to the cistern housing wherein when the cistern member is pivoted and the passageway is moved below the water level of the stored water of the chamber, the water is drawn through the passageway to the cistern outlet until air within the chamber enters the passageway preventing further water from being drawn into the passageway.   
     
     
         16 . A cistern assembly as claimed in  claim 15  wherein the passageway is formed by an inner side wall and an inner section of the base wall, a U-shaped curved portion, and an outer side wall and an outer section of the base wall. 
     
     
         17 . A cistern assembly as claimed in  claim 15  wherein there are two passageways positioned on opposite sides of the cistern chamber; at least one of the passageways has an aperture in a base wall section adjacent the internal inlet. 
     
     
         18 . A cistern assembly as claimed in  claim 15  wherein there are two passageways positioned on opposite sides of the cistern chamber; at least one of the passageways has an aperture in a base wall section adjacent the internal inlet; wherein in use the aperture allows air to be introduced breaking the siphoning action and causing the passage of a reduced volume of water. 
     
     
         19 . A cistern assembly as claimed in  claim 15  wherein there are two passageways positioned on opposite sides of the cistern chamber; at least one of the passageways has a plurality of apertures with removable seals in a base wall section adjacent the internal inlet. 
     
     
         20 . A cistern assembly as claimed in  claim 15  wherein there are two passageways positioned on opposite sides of the cistern chamber; at least one of the passageways has a plurality of apertures with removable seals in a base wall section adjacent the internal inlet; wherein in use one of the plurality of apertures remains open and allows air to be introduced breaking the siphoning action and causing the passage of a reduced volume of water. 
     
     
         21 . A cistern assembly as claimed in  claim 15  wherein there are two passageways positioned on opposite sides of the cistern chamber; each of the passageways has an internal inlet that has a similar position on opposite sides of the vertical pivot axis. 
     
     
         22 . A cistern assembly as claimed in  claim 15  wherein the cistern member has a center of gravity that is lower than its pivot point so that the cistern member can return to an upright position when the cistern member is substantially emptied of water. 
     
     
         23 . A cistern assembly as claimed in  claim 15  wherein the cistern member is substantially semicircular in shape. 
     
     
         24 . A cistern assembly as claimed in  claim 15  wherein the base wall has a substantially flat or substantially convex portion that is substantially symmetrical about the vertical axis of the cistern member when the cistern member is in the upright position. 
     
     
         25 . A cistern assembly as claimed in  claim 15  wherein the cistern member comprises at least one recessed portion to reduce the volume of the cistern member below the pivot point of said cistern member, said at least one recessed portion being located substantially symmetrically about the vertical axis when the cistern member is in an upright position. 
     
     
         26 . A cistern assembly as claimed in  claim 15  wherein the cistern member is shaped so that the center of gravity of the stored water mass is positioned to the pivoted side relative to the vertical axis of the pivot when the cistern member is pivoted. 
     
     
         27 . A cistern assembly as claimed in  claim 15  wherein when the cistern member is pivoted the internal inlet is positioned substantially at the lowest point of the cistern member and the cistern outlet is substantially adjacent to the exit of the cistern housing. 
     
     
         28 . A cistern assembly as claimed in  claim 15  wherein the actuator is a lever that pivots the cistern member relative to the cistern housing. 
     
     
         29 . A cistern assembly as claimed in  claim 15  wherein the actuator is a lever with a transverse pin that is positioned within a slot in an outer wall of the cistern housing, said transverse pin can move within the slot and movement of the transverse pin causes the cistern member to pivot. 
     
     
         30 . A cistern assembly as claimed in  claim 15  wherein said actuator is a magnetic actuator comprising a plurality of magnets associated with the cistern member and the cistern housing, wherein the plurality of magnets are arranged relative to each other so that the magnetic fields of at least one cistern member magnet of said plurality of magnets interacts with at least one cistern housing magnet of said plurality of magnets to initiate pivoting of the cistern member when the magnetic actuator is actuated. 
     
     
         31 . A cistern assembly as claimed in  claim 15  wherein said actuator is a magnetic actuator comprising a plurality of magnets associated with the cistern member and the cistern housing, wherein the plurality of magnets are arranged relative to each other to enable the magnetic field of at least one cistern member magnet of said plurality of magnets to interact by magnetic repulsion with the magnetic field of at least one similarly polarized cistern housing magnet associated when actuated to initiate pivoting of the cistern member. 
     
     
         32 . A cistern assembly as claimed in  claim 15  wherein said actuator is a magnetic actuator comprising a plurality of magnets associated with the cistern member and the cistern housing, wherein the plurality of magnets are arranged relative to each other to enable the magnetic field of at least one cistern member magnet of said plurality of magnets to interact by magnetic repulsion with the magnetic field of at least one similarly polarized cistern housing magnet of said plurality of magnets when actuated to initiate pivoting of the cistern member and subsequent or concurrent magnetic attraction of a cistern housing magnet of said plurality of magnets with an oppositely polarized cistern member magnet of said plurality of magnets to assist with pivoting of the cistern member. 
     
     
         33 . A cistern assembly as claimed in  claim 15  wherein said actuator is a magnetic actuator comprising a plurality of magnets associated with the cistern member and the cistern housing, the plurality of magnets associated with the cistern member and cistern housing are arranged relative to each other so that, on actuation, pivoting of the cistern housing is initiated by magnetic repulsion between the magnetic field of a first magnet on the cistern housing and the magnetic field of a second similarly polarized magnet located on the cistern member; the resulting pivoting bringing the magnetic field of an oppositely polarized third magnet into attractive magnetic interaction with the magnetic field of said first magnet to increase the degree of pivoting of the cistern member. 
     
     
         34 . A cistern assembly as claimed in  claim 15  wherein said actuator is a magnetic actuator comprising a plurality of magnets associated with the cistern member and the cistern housing, wherein the plurality of magnets are arranged relative to each other so that the magnetic fields of at least one cistern member magnet of said plurality of magnets interacts with at least one cistern housing magnet of said plurality of magnets to initiate pivoting of the cistern member when the magnetic actuator is actuated; one or more of said magnets are permanent magnets. 
     
     
         35 . A cistern assembly as claimed in  claim 15  wherein said actuator is a magnetic actuator comprising a plurality of magnets associated with the cistern member and the cistern housing, wherein the plurality of magnets are arranged relative to each other so that the magnetic fields of at least one cistern member magnet of said plurality of magnets interacts with at least one cistern housing magnet of said plurality of magnets to initiate pivoting of the cistern member when the magnetic actuator is actuated; one or more of said magnets are electromagnets. 
     
     
         36 . A cistern assembly as claimed in  claim 15  wherein said actuator is a magnetic actuator comprising a plurality of magnets associated with the cistern member and the cistern housing, wherein the plurality of magnets are arranged relative to each other so that the magnetic fields of at least one cistern member magnet of said plurality of magnets interacts with at least one cistern housing magnet of said plurality of magnets to initiate pivoting of the cistern member when the magnetic actuator is actuated; there is at least one permanent magnet of the plurality of magnets that is associated with the cistern housing and at least one permanent magnet of the plurality of magnets that is associated with the cistern member and arranged so that the cistern housing magnet is pushed into an operative position relative to the cistern member magnet to enable the magnetic fields to interact and initiate pivoting of the cistern member within the cistern housing. 
     
     
         37 . A cistern assembly as claimed in  claim 15  wherein said actuator is a magnetic actuator comprising a plurality of magnets associated with the cistern member and the cistern housing, wherein the plurality of magnets are arranged relative to each other so that the magnetic fields of at least one cistern member magnet of said plurality of magnets interacts with at least one magnet of said plurality of cistern housing magnets to initiate pivoting of the cistern member when the magnetic actuator.