This invention relates to toilet tank controls for selectively providing a water saving short flush or a full flush.
It has long been recognized that toilet flush tanks are one of the worst water wasters in existence. They are flushed often and each time use a full tankful, even through less than half would give an adequate flush for most uses.
Many attempts have been made to develop suitable devices giving the user a choice between a short flush or a full flush. To date, in spite of the demand for water saving, none is on the market. In these devices an extra float is used for pushing the tank flush valve closed before the tank is empty. In the older patents, the float pushes a ball valve straight down. In the newer patents, the float moves straight down and pushes at an angle on the back of the new type pivoted float-flapper valve. These flapper valves are made of a very soft and flexible rubber. Pushing at an angle involves considerable friction loss and the inherent "wobble" of the soft rubber, plus rubbing over trademark raised characters on the flapper valve gives inconsistent results.
The invention disclosed is my application Ser. No. 07/030,080 filed Mar. 26, 1987 now pending overcomes this "wobble" effect of the soft rubber valve with an operator extending across the back of the flapper valve when open. This operator is pivoted so as to push the valve in the same direction it is going, eliminating friction.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds