Self-venting tank valve for toilet tanks

Claim 2

A tank valve for use in a tank-type toilet having an exit port at the bottom thereof and a valve seat having an opening therein for connecting the interior of the tank to the exit port, said valve comprising: a closed upper portion adapted to extend across the opening of the valve seat with a predetermined surface area on said upper portion adapted to face said valve seat for closing the opening in the valve seat when engaged therewith; and a lower portion extending downwardly from adjacent the predetermined surface area of the closed upper portion and adapted to extend within the opening of the valve seat, said lower portion having a cavity therein and a downwardly facing opening adjacent the bottom of the lower portion of the valve in communication with the cavity, the cavity when substantially filled with air providing a buoyancy force to the valve when said valve is opened with respect to the valve seat sufficient to delay the descent of the valve until water is substantially emptied from the tank; said lower portion having a vent hole extending from the outer surface thereof to the cavity therein and adapted to vent air outwardly from the cavity, the position of the vent hole at the outer surface of the lower portion being below the predetermined surface area of the closed upper portion and at a predetermined determined distance above said opening in the lower portion and enabling sufficient water to enter the cavity as air is vented therefrom to reduce the buoyancy of the valve such that the valve will descent and close the opening in the valve seat before the water in the tank has emptied.

Claim 3

A tank valve in accordance with claim 1 wherein the vent hole is located in said lower portion substantially the furthest distance above the opening in the lower portion.

Claim 4

A valve in accordance with claim 1 wherein said upper portion further includes a flange extending laterally around the complete perimeter thereof, the flange having a bottom laterally extending surface facing the lower portion of the valve, and wherein said vent hole is located adjacent the interconnection of said flange and the lower portion of the valve.

Claim 5

A valve in accordance with claim 1 and further comprising means for pivotally mounting the valve for movement about a pivotal axis offset from and at an angle to the central axis of the valve, the mounting means enabling the valve to operate as a flapper valve, and in which the axis of the vent hole is disposed at a predetermined angle to the central axis of the valve extending through the upper and lower portion thereof such that when the valve is opened with respect to the valve seat the vent hole faces in a substantially horizontal direction to facilitate the venting of air from the cavity.

Claim 6

A valve in accordance with claim 1 wherein the vent hole is of a predetermined size which causes the rate of air vented therefrom to be sufficient to reduce the buoyancy of the valve and thereby cause the valve to close the opening in the valve seat in a time less than that required for the water in the tank to completely drain therefrom.

Claim 7

A valve in accordance with claim 5 wherein the predetermined size of the vent hole results in a rate of air vented therefrom to cause the valve to close the opening in the valve seat after about one-half the water in the tank has drained therefrom.

Claim 8

A valve in accordance with claim 6 wherein the vent hole is in the range in the vicinity of about 0.031 inches in diameter.

Claim 9

A tank valve of the flapper type for use in a tank-type toilet said toilet having an exit port at the bottom thereof and a valve seat having an opening therein for connecting the interior of the tank to the exit port, said valve made of flexible material and comprising: a circular hollow body portion having a cavity therein and a downwardly facing opening adjacent the bottom of the body portion in communication with the cavity, the cavity when substantially filled with air providing a buoyancy force to the valve when the valve is opened with respect to the valve seat sufficient to delay the descent of the valve until water is substantially emptied from the tank; a circular flat flange extending laterally around the the complete perimeter of said body portion, the bottom surface of said flange adapted to face the valve seat for closing the opening in the valve seat when engaged therewith, said flange dividing the body portion into upper and lower portions, said lower portion adapted to extend within the opening in the valve seat; means for pivotally mounting the valve for movement about a pivotal axis offset from and at an angle to the central axis of the valve; the lower portion of said hollow body having a vent hole located substantially adjacent the interconnection of said flange and said lower portion, the vent hole extending from the outer surface of the lower portion to the cavity therein and adapted to vent air outwardly from the cavity such that sufficient water enters the cavity as air is vented therefrom to reduce the buoyancy of the valve such that the valve will descend and close the opening in the valve seat before the entire water in the tank has drained therefrom.

Claim 10

A tank valve of the flapper type for use in a tank-type toilet said toilet having an exit port at the bottom thereof and a valve seat having an opening therein for connecting the interior of the tank to the exit port, said valve made of flexible material and comprising: a circular hollow body portion having a cavity therein and a downwardly facing opening adjacent the bottom of the body portion in communication with the cavity, the cavity when substantially filled with air providing a buoyancy force to the valve when the valve is opened with respect to the valve seat sufficient to delay the descent of the valve until water is substantially emptied from the tank; a circular flat flange extending laterally around the the complete perimeter of said body portion, the bottom surface of said flange adapted to face the valve seat for closing the opening in the valve seat when engaged therewith, said flange dividing the body portion into upper and lower portions, said lower portion adapted to extend within the opening in the valve seat; means for pivotally mounting the valve for movement about a pivotal axis offset from and at an angle to the central axis of the valve; the lower portion of said hollow body having a vent hole located substantially adjacent the interconnection of said flange and said lower portion, the vent hole extending from the outer surface of the lower portion to the cavity therein and adapted to vent air outwardly from the cavity such that sufficient water enters the cavity as air is vented therefrom to reduce the buoyancy of the valve such that the valve will descend and close the opening in the valve seat before the entire water in the tank has drained therefrom.

Claim 11

A tank valve of ball-type for use in a tank-type toilet, said toilet having an exit port at the bottom thereof and a valve seat having an opening therein for connecting the interior of the tank to the exit port, said valve comprising: a circular hollow body portion having a cavity therein and a downwardly facing opening adjacent the bottom of the body portion in communication with the cavity, the cavity when substantially filled with air providing a buoyancy force to the valve when the valve is opened with respect to the valve seat sufficient to delay the descent of the valve until water is substantially emptied from the tank; a circular flat flange extending laterally around the complete perimeter of said body portion, the bottom surface of said flange adapted to face the valve seat for closing the opening in the valve seat when engaged therewith, said flange dividing the body portion into upper and lower portions, said lower portion adapted to extend within the opening in the valve seat; said upper and lower portions constructed such that at least about 90% of the total void volume of said cavity resides in the lower portion; means for lifting the valve to a position above said valve seat; the lower portion of said hollow body having a vent hole located substantially adjacent the interconnection of said flange and said lower portion, the vent hole extending from the outer surface of the lower portion of the cavity therein and adapted to vent air outwardly from the cavity such that sufficient water enters the cavity as air is vented therefrom to reduce the buoyancy of the valve such that the valve will descend and close the opening in the valve seat before the entire water in the tank has drained therefrom.

Claim 12

A tank valve of ball-type for use in a tank-type toilet, said toilet having an exit port at the bottom thereof and a valve seat having an opening therein for connecting the interior of the tank to the exit port, said valve comprising: a circular hollow body portion having a cavity therein and a downwardly facing opening adjacent the bottom of the body portion in communication with the cavity, the cavity when substantially filled with air providing a buoyancy force to the valve when the valve is opened with respect to the valve seat sufficient to delay the descent of the valve until water is substantially emptied from the tank; a circular flat flange extending laterally around the complete perimeter of said body portion, the bottom surface of said flange adapted to face the valve seat for closing the opening in the valve seat when engaged therewith, said flange dividing the body portion into upper and lower portions, said lower portion adapted to extend within the opening in the valve seat; said upper and lower portions constructed such that at least about 90% of the total void volume of said cavity resides in the lower portion; means for lifting the valve to a position above said valve seat; the lower portion of said hollow body having a vent hole located substantially adjacent the interconnection of said flange and said lower portion, the vent hole extending from the outer surface of the lower portion of the cavity therein and adapted to vent air outwardly from the cavity such that sufficient water enters the cavity as air is vented therefrom to reduce the buoyancy of the valve such that the valve will descend and close the opening in the valve seat before the entire water in the tank has drained therefrom.