Smart Toilet Connection

Abstract

A fill valve for installation into a toilet tank and for connection to a water supply of a building; the fill valve includes a fill valve body, a nut, a quick-connect fitting, and a water supply tube. The quick-connect fitting includes an O-ring and a collet. The water supply tube is connected to a water supply valve at one end and is inserted into the quick-connect fitting at another end and is held in friction with the quick-connect fitting. The fill valve is useful for providing a means of quick connect and disconnect of the water supply to a toilet and prevent leaks associated with conventional connections.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A fill valve for installation into a toilet tank and for connection to a water supply of a building, the fill valve comprising:
 a fill valve body including an elongated length configured for vertical orientation in the toilet tank, the fill valve body having a bottom end sized for insertion through a tank aperture located in the toilet tank, the fill valve body further including a refill tube and a float device;   a nut configured to mate with the bottom end and secure the fill valve body in the toilet tank;   a quick-connect fitting located at the bottom end of the fill valve body, the quick-connect fitting including a quick-connect fitting body having an outer shell defining an inner capacity, the inner capacity housing an O-ring configured to create a water tight seal, and a collet, the collet being moveable inside the inner capacity between a retracted position and an extended position, and wherein the quick-connect fitting body, the O-ring, and the collet are all concentric relative to the vertical axis; and   a water supply tube configured for connection to a water supply valve at a first end, and for insertion into the quick connect fitting at a second end, wherein the second end of the water supply tube is configured for insertion into the collet and is held in friction within the inner capacity of the quick-connect fitting body.   
     
     
         2 . The fill valve of  claim 1 , wherein the fill valve does not comprise a coupling nut to attach the water supply tube to the fill valve body. 
     
     
         3 . The fill valve of  claim 1 , wherein quick-connect fitting body is cylindrical. 
     
     
         4 . The fill valve of  claim 1 , wherein a concentricity of the quick-connect fitting body, the O-ring and the collet defines a tube-passageway having a passage-diameter substantially equal to an outer diameter of the water supply tube. 
     
     
         5 . The fill valve of  claim 4 , wherein the water supply tube includes the outer diameter of ⅜ inches. 
     
     
         6 . The fill valve of  claim 1 , wherein the collet includes a cylindrical collet body and a circumferential collar. 
     
     
         7 . The fill valve of  claim 6 , wherein the cylindrical collet body includes an outer collet surface and an inner collet surface,
 wherein the inner collet surface includes a gripping means; and   wherein the gripping means is configured to grip the water supply tube when the tube is inserted into the collet.   
     
     
         8 . The fill valve of  claim 7 , wherein an inner fitting surface of the quick-connect fitting body includes a stop means. 
     
     
         9 . The fill valve of  claim 8 , wherein the stop means is configured to block the gripping means. 
     
     
         10 . The fill valve of  claim 9 , wherein the stop means is configured to prevent the collet from falling out of the quick-connect fitting body when pulled into the extended position. 
     
     
         11 . The fill valve of  claim 1 , wherein the bottom end of the fill valve body includes a threaded outer surface. 
     
     
         12 . The fill valve of  claim 11 , wherein the nut includes a threaded aperture configured to mate with the threaded outer surface. 
     
     
         13 . The fill valve of  claim 1 , further comprising an O-ring guide adjacent to the O-ring, the O-ring guide being concentric with the quick-connect fitting body, the O-ring and the collet. 
     
     
         14 . The fill valve of  claim 13 , wherein the O-ring guide is made from a metallic material. 
     
     
         15 . The fill valve of  claim 14 , wherein the metallic material is stainless steel. 
     
     
         16 . The fill valve of  claim 1 , wherein the quick-connect fitting body is made from a plastic material. 
     
     
         17 . The fill valve of  claim 1 , wherein the collet is made from a plastic material. 
     
     
         18 . A fill valve for installation into a toilet tank and for connection to a water supply of a building, the fill valve comprising:
 a fill valve body including an elongated length configured for vertical orientation in the toilet tank relative to a vertical axis, the fill valve body having a top end and a bottom end relative to the vertical axis, the bottom end sized for insertion through a tank aperture located in the toilet tank, the fill valve body installed in the toilet tank when the bottom end is inserted through the tank aperture, the fill valve body further including a refill tube and a float device;   a quick-connect fitting located at the bottom end of the fill valve body, the quick-connect fitting including a quick-connect fitting body having an outer shell defining an inner capacity, the inner capacity housing an O-ring configured to create a water tight seal, an O-ring guide adjacent to the O-ring, and a collet, the collet being moveable inside the inner capacity between a retracted position and an extended position, and wherein the quick-connect fitting body, the O-ring, the O-ring guide and the collet are all concentric relative to the vertical axis; and   a water supply tube configured for connection to a water supply valve at a first end, and for insertion into the quick connect fitting at a second end, wherein the second end of the water supply tube is configured for insertion into the collet and is held in friction within the inner capacity of the quick-connect fitting body; and   wherein the fill valve does not comprise a coupling nut to attach the water supply tube to the fill valve body;   wherein quick-connect fitting body is cylindrical;   wherein a concentricity of the quick-connect fitting body, the O-ring, the O-ring guide and the collet defines a tube-passageway having a passage-diameter equal to a tube-diameter of the water supply tube;   wherein the water supply tube includes an outer diameter of ⅜ inches;   wherein the collet includes a cylindrical collet body and a circumferential collar;   wherein the cylindrical collet body includes an outer collet surface and an inner collet surface;   wherein the inner collet surface includes a gripping means;   wherein the gripping means is configured to grip the water supply tube when inserted into the collet;   wherein an inner fitting surface of the quick-connect fitting body includes a stop means;   wherein the stop means is configured to block the gripping means;   wherein the stop means is configured to prevent the collet from falling out of the quick-connect fitting body when pulled into the extended position;   wherein the bottom end of the fill valve body includes a threaded outer surface;   wherein the nut includes a threaded aperture configured to mate with the threaded outer surface;   wherein the O-ring guide is made from a metallic material;   wherein the metallic material is stainless steel;   wherein the quick-connect fitting body is made from a plastic material; and   wherein the collet is made from a plastic material.   
     
     
         19 . A method of installing a fill valve into a toilet tank, the method comprising the steps of:
 providing the fill valve including:
 a fill valve body including an elongated length configured for vertical orientation in the toilet tank relative to a vertical axis, the fill valve body having a top end and a bottom end relative to the vertical axis, the bottom end sized for insertion through a tank aperture located in the toilet tank, the fill valve body installed in the toilet tank when the bottom end is inserted through the tank aperture, the fill valve body further including a refill tube and a float device; 
 a quick-connect fitting located at the bottom end of the fill valve body, the quick-connect fitting including a quick-connect fitting body having an outer shell defining an inner capacity, the inner capacity housing an O-ring configured to create a water tight seal, and a collet, the collet being moveable inside the inner capacity between a retracted position and an extended position, and wherein the quick-connect fitting body, the O-ring, and the collet are all concentric relative to the vertical axis; and 
 a water supply tube configured for connection to a water supply valve at a first end, and for insertion into the quick connect fitting at a second end, wherein the second end of the water supply tube is configured for insertion into the collet and is held in friction within the inner capacity of the quick-connect fitting body; 
   placing the fill valve body in the toilet tank;   inserting the bottom end of the fill valve body through the tank aperture located in the toilet tank;   mating the nut with the bottom end of the fill valve body to secure the fill valve body in the toilet tank;   connecting the water supply tube to the water supply valve at the first end; and   inserting the second end of the water supply tube into the quick-connect fitting.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising the steps of:
 pressing a circumferential collar of the collet such that the collet is held in the retracted position; and   pulling the water supply tube from the quick-connect fitting to remove.