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US5327931A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Flush valve leakage prevention and detection device
Assignee: Waterguard Inc
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Filing: 1993-08-02
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Granted: 1994-07-12
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Expires: 2013-08-02
Abstract
Abstract A flush valve leakage prevention and detection device includes a hood for being assembled over a water inlet valve assembly of a toilet tank, a latch for being mounted by the hood for rotation from a locked position wherein a locking arm of the latch holds a float lever of the water inlet valve assembly in a raised position corresponding to a closed position for the water inlet valve assembly and an unlocked position wherein the locking arm is disengaged from the float lever to allow the float lever to move to a lowered position corresponding to an open position for the water inlet valve assembly in response to flushing of the toilet tank and a stop for preventing over rotation of the latch to the unlocked position to permit the latch to automatically return to the locked position upon filling of the toilet tank with water by the water inlet valve assembly. That latch includes a control arm disposed in resting engagement upon a flush lever of the toilet tank to rotate the locking arm to the unlocked position in response to movement of the flush lever due to flushing. The hood includes a plurality of gripping arms allowing the hood to be assembled to the water inlet valve assembly with a snap fit and opposing side walls. The locking arm and stop extend between the hood and side walls with the stop being spaced from the locking arm in the direction of rotation of the latch to the unlocked position.
Inventors
- 👤 Galen E. Royalty
- 👤 Gerald S. Gelfeld
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 10:38
CPC Classifications
E; E03; E03D; E03D1/00; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T137/00; Y10T137/7287; Y10T137/7358; Y10T137/7361; Y10T137/7381; Y10T137/7394; Y10T137/7397; Y10T137/7413
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 23
Claim 1
Independent Claim
199 words
A flush valve leakage prevention and detection device for use in a toilet tank having a flush lever movable to flush the toilet tank and a float controlled water inlet valve assembly operated by a float lever comprising: hood means for being assembled to the water inlet valve assembly and including opposing side walls for being disposed on opposite sides of the float lever and extending in the same direction as the float lever; a latch including a locking section for holding the float lever in a raised position corresponding to a closed position for the water inlet valve assembly and a control section supported on the flush lever and movable with the flush lever to pivot said latch to release said locking section from the float lever in response to movement of the flush lever to flush the toilet tank whereby the float lever is allowed to move to a lowered position corresponding to an open position for the water inlet valve assembly; and means for pivotally mounting said latch on said hood means with said locking section disposed between said side walls transverse to the float lever and said control section disposed transverse to the flush lever.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
199 words
A flush valve leakage prevention and detection device for use in a toilet tank having a flush lever movable to flush the toilet tank and a float controlled water inlet valve assembly operated by a float lever comprising: hood means for being assembled to the water inlet valve assembly and including opposing side walls for being disposed on opposite sides of the float lever and extending in the same direction as the float lever; a latch including a locking section for holding the float lever in a raised position corresponding to a closed position for the water inlet valve assembly and a control section supported on the flush lever and movable with the flush lever to pivot said latch to release said locking section from the float lever in response to movement of the flush lever to flush the toilet tank whereby the float lever is allowed to move to a lowered position corresponding to an open position for the water inlet valve assembly; and means for pivotally mounting said latch on said hood means with said locking section disposed between said side walls transverse to the float lever and said control section disposed transverse to the flush lever.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
28 words
A flush valve leakage prevention and detection device as recited in claim 1 wherein said side walls are substantially parallel to one another and to the float lever.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
46 words
A flush valve leakage prevention and detection device as recited in claim 2 wherein said hood means further includes a top wall transversely joining said side walls and being disposed over the float lever when said hood means is assembled to the water inlet valve assembly.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
34 words
A flush valve leakage prevention and detection device as recited in claim 3 wherein said top wall includes a section extending beyond said side walls for being disposed over the water inlet valve assembly.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
58 words
A flush valve leakage prevention and detection device as recited in claim 4 and further including a plurality of resilient arms depending from said top wall section for being disposed around the water inlet valve assembly in frictional retention with the water inlet valve assembly when said top wall section is disposed over the water inlet valve assembly.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
24 words
A flush valve leakage prevention and detection device as recited in claim 5 wherein said hood means is made integrally, unitarily as one piece.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
32 words
A flush valve leakage prevention and detection device as recited in claim 5 wherein said locking section and said control section are made integrally, unitarily as a single piece of bent wire.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
31 words
A flush valve leakage prevention and detection device as recited in claim 5 wherein said mounting means includes a pair of aligned holes in said side walls for receiving said latch.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
202 words
A flush valve leakage prevention and detection device for use in a toilet tank having a flushed lever movable to flush the toilet tank and a float controlled water inlet valve assembly operated by a float lever extending from a water supplied pipe comprising a hood having resilient gripping means for engaging a portion of the water inlet valve assembly to allow said hood to be assembled over the water supply pipe with a snap fit; and a latch rotatably mounted on said hood and including a locking arm for holding the float lever in a raised position corresponding to a closed position for the water inlet valve assembly and a control arm for being supported on the flush lever, said control arm being movable with the flush lever to rotate said locking arm from a locked position wherein the float lever is held in the raised position by said locking arm and an unlocked position wherein said locking arm is released from the float lever in response to movement of the flush lever to flush the toilet tank whereby the float lever is allowed to move to a lowered position corresponding to an open position for the water inlet valve assembly.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
202 words
A flush valve leakage prevention and detection device for use in a toilet tank having a flushed lever movable to flush the toilet tank and a float controlled water inlet valve assembly operated by a float lever extending from a water supplied pipe comprising a hood having resilient gripping means for engaging a portion of the water inlet valve assembly to allow said hood to be assembled over the water supply pipe with a snap fit; and a latch rotatably mounted on said hood and including a locking arm for holding the float lever in a raised position corresponding to a closed position for the water inlet valve assembly and a control arm for being supported on the flush lever, said control arm being movable with the flush lever to rotate said locking arm from a locked position wherein the float lever is held in the raised position by said locking arm and an unlocked position wherein said locking arm is released from the float lever in response to movement of the flush lever to flush the toilet tank whereby the float lever is allowed to move to a lowered position corresponding to an open position for the water inlet valve assembly.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
72 words
A flush valve leakage prevention and detection device as recited in claim 9 wherein the water inlet valve assembly includes a cover disposed over an upper end of the water supply pipe, said hood includes a top wall for being disposed over the cover and said gripping means includes a plurality of gripping arms extending in a substantially perpendicular direction from said top wall for gripping the cover with a snap fit.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
42 words
A flush valve leakage prevention and detection device as recited in claim 10 wherein the cover has a lower edge and further including fingers extending inwardly from said gripping arms at an acute angle for engaging the lower edge of the cover.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
22 words
A flush valve leakage prevention and detection device as recited in claim 11 and further including strengthening ribs on said gripping arms.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
27 words
A flush valve leakage prevention and detection device as recited in claim 12 wherein said hood is integrally, unitarily molded as a single piece of plastic material.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
48 words
A flush valve leakage prevention and detection device as recited in claim 12 wherein said top wall extends beyond the cover in the same direction as the float lever and said locking arm extends between said side walls and said control arm extends exteriorly of said side walls.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
33 words
A flush valve leakage prevention and detection device as recited in claim 9 and further including means for preventing over rotation of said locking arm from said locked position to said unlocked position.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
226 words
A flush valve leakage prevention and detection device for use in a toilet tank having a flush lever movably to flush the toilet tank and a float controlled water inlet valve assembly operated by a float lever comprising a hood means being disposed over the float lever; a latch including a locking section for engaging the float lever to hold the float lever in a raised position corresponding to a closed position for the water inlet valve assembly and a control section supported on the flush lever and movable with the flush lever to rotate said latch to disengage said locking section from the float lever in response to movement of the flush lever to flush the toilet tank whereby the float lever is allowed to move to a lowered position corresponding to an open position for the water inlet valve assembly; support means for rotatably mounting said latch in the toilet tank; and means disposed on the hood means for preventing over rotation of said latch when said latch is rotated to disengage said locking section from the float lever whereby said locking section is permitted to automatically re-engage the float lever to hold the float lever in the raised position upon return of the float lever to the raised position with filling up the toilet tank with water from the water inlet valve assembly.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
226 words
A flush valve leakage prevention and detection device for use in a toilet tank having a flush lever movably to flush the toilet tank and a float controlled water inlet valve assembly operated by a float lever comprising a hood means being disposed over the float lever; a latch including a locking section for engaging the float lever to hold the float lever in a raised position corresponding to a closed position for the water inlet valve assembly and a control section supported on the flush lever and movable with the flush lever to rotate said latch to disengage said locking section from the float lever in response to movement of the flush lever to flush the toilet tank whereby the float lever is allowed to move to a lowered position corresponding to an open position for the water inlet valve assembly; support means for rotatably mounting said latch in the toilet tank; and means disposed on the hood means for preventing over rotation of said latch when said latch is rotated to disengage said locking section from the float lever whereby said locking section is permitted to automatically re-engage the float lever to hold the float lever in the raised position upon return of the float lever to the raised position with filling up the toilet tank with water from the water inlet valve assembly.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
50 words
A flush valve leakage prevention and detection device as recited in claim 16 wherein said locking section extends transverse to the float lever and said over rotation preventing means includes a stop spaced from said locking section in the direction of rotation of said latch to disengage said locking section.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
54 words
A flush valve leakage prevention and detection device as recited in claim 16 wherein the hood means includes a hood for being secured to the water inlet valve assembly, said hood including a pair of opposing side walls and wherein said latch and said over rotation preventing means are mounted between said side walls.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
34 words
A flush valve leakage prevention and detection device as recited in claim 18 wherein said stop includes opposing ends and further including aligned apertures in said side walls for frictionally receiving said opposing ends.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
54 words
A flush valve leakage prevention and detection device as recited in claim 19 wherein said stop is provided attached to said hood by one of said opposing ends, said one opposing end adapted to be broken away from said hood by a consumer to allow said opposing ends to be inserted in said apertures.
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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) | 1997-07-11 | 1998-01-10 | 1998-07-12 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2001-07-11 | 2002-01-10 | 2002-07-12 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2005-07-11 | 2006-01-10 | 2006-07-12 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |