US5129110A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Selectable toilet-water-level flushing system
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1990-07-16
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Granted: 1992-07-14
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Expires: 2010-07-16
Abstract
Abstract A selectable toilet-water-level flushing system (10) that allows a toilet user to selectively control the quantity of water that is used for a toilet flush. The quantity of water used depends on whether liquid or solid waste is to be flushed. For liquid waste, only a partial flush is necessary; for solid waste, a full-flush is used. The system (10) functions by performing a simple modification to the toilet flush valve (12). The modification consists of inserting into the valve opening a weight (16) that causes the normally buoyant valve to become non-buoyant. Since the valve is non-buoyant, the lifting of the valve from the valve seat (36) is totally controlled by the toilet flush handle (38) which, in turn, is controlled by the user. Typically, for a partial flush the handle (38) is temporarily held in its depressed position for two seconds while for a full flush, it is held for four seconds. Over a period of time, by using partial flushes a large savings of fresh water can be realized.
Inventors
- 👤 Robert A. Richter
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-07 16:00
CPC Classifications
E; E03; E03D; E03D1/00; E03D1/02; E03D1/14; E03D1/142; Y; Y02; Y02A; Y02A20/00; Y02A20/40
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 6
Claim 1
Independent Claim
212 words
A selectable toilet-water-level flushing system that allows the quantity of water available for a toilet flush to be selected by a user, where said system comprises: a) a toilet bowl, b) a toilet water tank attached to the toilet bowl so that when a toilet flush occurs, the flush water from the tank drains into the toilet bowl, where the tank comprises in part: (1) a flush handle, (2) a bottom surface having a tank drain that includes a valve seat, (3) a flush valve removably mounted on said valve seat made of a resilient material and having a hollow interior with an opening therethrough and having on its upper end an attachment point operatively connected to said flush handle, and, (4) a weight inserted loosely into the flush valve opening where said weight modifies the flush valve so its combined weight exceeds the specific gravity of water to make said valve non-buoyant, wherein said weight is sized to allow a clearance between the circumferential perimeter of said weight and the inner surface of said flush valve so that said flush valve remains resilient near its lower perimeter to allow said valve to conform to and seal against the contour of the valve seat when said valve is in its seated position.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
212 words
A selectable toilet-water-level flushing system that allows the quantity of water available for a toilet flush to be selected by a user, where said system comprises: a) a toilet bowl, b) a toilet water tank attached to the toilet bowl so that when a toilet flush occurs, the flush water from the tank drains into the toilet bowl, where the tank comprises in part: (1) a flush handle, (2) a bottom surface having a tank drain that includes a valve seat, (3) a flush valve removably mounted on said valve seat made of a resilient material and having a hollow interior with an opening therethrough and having on its upper end an attachment point operatively connected to said flush handle, and, (4) a weight inserted loosely into the flush valve opening where said weight modifies the flush valve so its combined weight exceeds the specific gravity of water to make said valve non-buoyant, wherein said weight is sized to allow a clearance between the circumferential perimeter of said weight and the inner surface of said flush valve so that said flush valve remains resilient near its lower perimeter to allow said valve to conform to and seal against the contour of the valve seat when said valve is in its seated position.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
169 words
A selectable toilet-water-level flushing system that allows the quantity of water available for a toilet flush to be selected by a user, where said system comprise: a) a toilet bowl, b) a toilet water tank attached to the toilet bowl so that when a toilet flush occurs, the flush water from the tank drains into the toilet bowl, where the tank comprises in part: (1) a flush handle, (2) a bottom surface having a tank drain that includes a valve seat, (3) a modified flush valve removably mounted on said valve seat made of a resilient material and having a hollow interior with an opening therethrough and having on its upper end an attachment point operatively connected to said flush handle, (4) a weight inserted loosely into the flush valve opening said weight having a radial slot that facilitates the insertion of said weight into said opening where said weight modified the flush valve so its combined weight exceeds the specific gravity of water to make said valve non-buoyant.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
169 words
A selectable toilet-water-level flushing system that allows the quantity of water available for a toilet flush to be selected by a user, where said system comprise: a) a toilet bowl, b) a toilet water tank attached to the toilet bowl so that when a toilet flush occurs, the flush water from the tank drains into the toilet bowl, where the tank comprises in part: (1) a flush handle, (2) a bottom surface having a tank drain that includes a valve seat, (3) a modified flush valve removably mounted on said valve seat made of a resilient material and having a hollow interior with an opening therethrough and having on its upper end an attachment point operatively connected to said flush handle, (4) a weight inserted loosely into the flush valve opening said weight having a radial slot that facilitates the insertion of said weight into said opening where said weight modified the flush valve so its combined weight exceeds the specific gravity of water to make said valve non-buoyant.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
137 words
A method of modifying a toilet flushing system to allow the quantity of water available in a toilet water tank for a toilet flush to be selected by a user, where said system incorporates a standard flush valve having an opening on one end, where, said flush valve is modified by performing the following steps: a) remove the existing said flush valve from the toilet water tank, b) hold said flush valve with the flush valve opening facing upwardly, c) obtain a weight having a radial slot and that is sized to loosely fit inside said flush valve, d) grasp said weight and insert said radial slot into the edge of the opening, e) press and manipulate said weight until said weight falls into said opening, and f) reinstall said modified flush valve in the toilet tank.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
137 words
A method of modifying a toilet flushing system to allow the quantity of water available in a toilet water tank for a toilet flush to be selected by a user, where said system incorporates a standard flush valve having an opening on one end, where, said flush valve is modified by performing the following steps: a) remove the existing said flush valve from the toilet water tank, b) hold said flush valve with the flush valve opening facing upwardly, c) obtain a weight having a radial slot and that is sized to loosely fit inside said flush valve, d) grasp said weight and insert said radial slot into the edge of the opening, e) press and manipulate said weight until said weight falls into said opening, and f) reinstall said modified flush valve in the toilet tank.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1995-07-14 | 1996-01-13 | 1996-07-14 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1999-07-14 | 2000-01-13 | 2000-07-14 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2003-07-14 | 2004-01-13 | 2004-07-14 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |