Reconfigurable flapper assembly for toilet flush valve

Abstract

A flapper assembly for a flush valve for a toilet is provided. The flapper assembly may be reconfigurable to work with different sized or configured flush valve bodies. Further, the flapper assembly is configured to avoid the pull chain getting tangled around various components of the flapper assembly. Further yet, the flapper assembly is configured to minimize a spacing between a pivot point/axis about which the seal member may pivot relative to the frame of the flapper assembly and the seal face of the seal member.

1 - 8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . A flapper assembly for a flush valve for a toilet, the flush valve having a valve seat provided by a valve body, the flapper assembly comprising:
 a seal member having a first side providing a sealing face configured to seal with the valve seat and a second side providing a back support face opposite the first side;   a frame assembly including:
 a) a main frame operably configured to pivotally attach to the valve body of a toilet; 
 b) a seal support body having a seal support flange defining a seal support surface, the seal support surface defining a support plane, the seal member attachable to the frame assembly with the back support face facing the seal support surface of the seal support flange and the sealing face facing away from the seal support surface; and 
 c) a pivotal connection arrangement pivotally connecting the seal support body to the main frame, the pivotal connection arrangement having a first portion provided by a first arm member of the main frame and a second portion provided by the seal support body, wherein one of the first and second portions is a first pivot pin and the other one of the first and second portions is a first pin receiver, the first pin receiver pivotally receiving the first pivot pin to pivotally connect the seal support body for pivotal movement about a pivot axis to the first arm of the main frame, the pivot axis being substantially parallel to the support plane, the first pivot pin having an outermost pivot surface positioned closest to the seal member, the outermost pivot surface having an outermost extent that is substantially co-planar with the support plane. 
   
     
     
         10 . The flapper assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the outermost extent of the outermost surface is no further than 2 millimeters from the support plane. 
     
     
         11 . The flapper assembly of  claim 9 , wherein:
 the outermost extent of the outermost surface is positioned coplanar with or on a side of the support plane opposite the sealing face.   
     
     
         12 . The flapper assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the first arm provides the first pin receiver therein. 
     
     
         13 . The flapper assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the first arm has a distal end providing an outermost extent of the first arm, the outermost extent of the first arm positioned on a first side of the support plane, the sealing surface being on the first side of the support plane. 
     
     
         14 . The flapper assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the seal support body defines an aperture therethrough, the first arm extending through the aperture in the seal support body. 
     
     
         15 . A flapper assembly for a flush valve for a toilet, the flush valve having a valve seat provided by a valve body, the flapper assembly comprising:
 a seal member having a first side providing a sealing face configured to seal with the valve seat and a second side providing a back support face opposite the first side;   a frame assembly including:
 a) a main frame operably configured to pivotally attach to the valve body of a toilet; 
 b) a seal support body having a seal support flange defining a seal support surface, the seal support surface defining a support plane, the seal member attachable to the frame assembly with the back support face facing the seal support surface of the seal support flange and the sealing face facing away from the seal support surface; and 
 c) a pivotal connection arrangement pivotally connecting the seal support body to the main frame, the pivotal connection arrangement having a first portion provided by a first arm member of the main frame and a second portion provided by the seal support body, wherein one of the first and second portions is a first pivot pin and the other one of the first and second portions is a first pin receiver, the first pin receiver pivotally receiving the first pivot pin to pivotally connect the seal support body for pivotal movement about a pivot axis to the first arm of the main frame, the pivot axis being substantially parallel to the support plane, the first arm has a distal end providing an outermost extent of the first arm, both the outermost extent of the first arm and the sealing surface being positioned on a same first side of the support plane. 
   
     
     
         16 . The flapper assembly of  claim 15 , wherein the seal support body defines an aperture therethrough, the first arm extending through the aperture in the seal support body. 
     
     
         17 . The flapper assembly of  claim 15 , wherein the outermost extent of the first arm is positioned between the support plane and the sealing surface. 
     
     
         18 . The flapper assembly of  claim 15 , wherein a gap is formed between the back support face of the seal member and the seal support surface of the seal support flange. 
     
     
         19 . The flapper assembly of  claim 15 , wherein the pivotal connection arrangement includes a third portion provided by a second arm member of the main frame and a fourth portion provided by the seal support body, wherein one of the third and fourth portions is a second pivot pin and the other one of the third and fourth portions is a second pin receiver, the second pin receiver pivotally receiving the second pivot pin to pivotally connect the seal support body for pivotal movement about the pivot axis to the second arm of the main frame, the second arm has a distal end providing an outermost extent of the second arm, the outermost extent of the second arm being positioned on a same first side of the support plane. 
     
     
         20 . The flapper assembly of  claim 19 , wherein the first and second pivot pins extend axially away from one another. 
     
     
         21 . A flapper assembly for a flush valve for a toilet, the flush valve having a valve seat provided by a valve body, the flapper assembly comprising:
 a seal member having a first side providing a sealing face configured to seal with the valve seat;   a frame assembly including:
 a) a main frame operably configured to pivotally attach to the valve body of a toilet for pivotal movement about a pivot axis between a seated position and an unseated position, the main frame including:
 i) a main body having first, second, third and fourth attachment locations, each attachment location having an attachment abutment facing away from the pivot axis, the first and second attachment locations spaced apart a first distance from one another parallel to the pivot axis, the third and fourth attachment locations spaced apart a second distance from one another different than the first distance; 
 ii) a first leg having a first body portion selectively attachable to the first and third attachment locations and a first pivot lever attached to the first body portion at a first fulcrum, the first pivot lever including a first lever arm and a first lever abutment, the first pivot lever is configured such that when the first body portion is attached to the first or third attachment location and the first lever arm is moved in a first direction relative to the first fulcrum the first lever abutment disconnects from the attachment abutment of the corresponding one of the first or third attachment locations; 
 iii) a second leg having a second body portion selectively attachable to the second and fourth attachment locations, the second leg having a second pivot lever attached to the second body portion at a second fulcrum, the second pivot lever including a lever arm and a second lever abutment, the second pivot lever is configured such that when the second body portion is attached to the second or fourth attachment location and the second lever arm is moved in a first direction relative to the second fulcrum the second lever abutment disconnects from the attachment abutment of the corresponding one of the second or fourth attachment locations. 
 
   
     
     
         22 . The flapper assembly of  claim 21 , wherein:
 the first lever arm is located on a first side of the first fulcrum and the first lever abutment is located on a second side of the first fulcrum such that when the first lever arm is moved towards the first body portion, the first lever abutment moves away from the first body portion; and   the second lever arm is located on a first side of the second fulcrum and the second lever abutment is located on a second side of the second fulcrum such that when the second lever arm is moved towards the second body portion, the second lever abutment moves away from the second body portion.   
     
     
         23 . The flapper assembly of  claim 21 , wherein:
 the first lever arm and first lever abutment pivot about the first fulcrum; and   the second lever arm and the second lever abutment pivot about the second fulcrum.   
     
     
         24 . The flapper assembly of  claim 21 , wherein:
 the first, second, third and fourth attachment locations each have a leg post defining a polarizing slot extending between first and second ends, the polarizing slot having a polarizing mouth in a side thereof extending between the first and second ends defining a leg post mounting axis;   the first leg has a polarizing tab that extends through a corresponding polarizing mouth while the first leg is axially slid along the leg post mounting axis of the leg post of the first or third attachment location while mounting or dismounting the first leg to or from the leg post of the first or third attachment location;   the second leg has a polarizing tab that extends through a corresponding polarizing mouth while the second leg is axially slid along the leg post mounting axis of the leg post of the second or fourth attachment location while mounting or dismounting the second leg to or from the leg post of the second or fourth attachment location.   
     
     
         25 . The flapper assembly of  claim 24 , wherein while mounting the first or second leg to a corresponding leg post of a corresponding attachment location, the polarizing tab of the corresponding first or second leg extends through the polarizing mouth of the corresponding leg post generally perpendicular to the leg post mounting axis of the corresponding leg post. 
     
     
         26 . The flapper assembly of  claim 24 , wherein:
 the first leg has a first post receiver configured to receive a distal end of the leg post of the first and third attachment locations, the polarizing tab of the first leg being located, at least in part, within the first post receiver; and   the second leg has a second post receiver configured to receive a distal end of the leg post of the second and fourth attachment locations, the polarizing tab of the second leg being located, at least in part, within the second post receiver.   
     
     
         27 . The flapper assembly of  claim 21 , wherein the first leg has a first indicator proximate a distal end thereof and the second leg has a second indicator proximate a distal end thereof;
 the first and second attachment locations have a same first identifier proximate thereto;   the third and fourth attachment locations have a same second identifier proximate thereto;   the first indicator aligning with the first identifier proximate the first attachment location when the first leg is mounted to the first attachment location, the first indicator aligning with the second identifier proximate the third attachment location when the first leg is mounted to the third attachment location, the second indicator aligning with the first identifier proximate the second attachment location when the second leg is mounted to the second attachment location, the second indicator aligning with the second identifier proximate the fourth attachment location when the second leg is mounted to the fourth attachment location.   
     
     
         28 . The flapper assembly of  claim 27 , wherein the first indicator includes a cutout region in the first leg that surrounds, at least in part, the corresponding first or second indicator when attached to the corresponding one of the first attachment location or the third attachment location. 
     
     
         29 - 47 . (canceled)