Ball cock assembly, float assembly for same, and method of controlling liquid level in a tank
US6510866B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 26, 2001 |
| Grant date | Jan 28, 2003 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 26, 2021 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10T137/7472
- WIPO fieldMechanical elements
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A float assembly for a ball cock assembly for a flush tank of a toilet includes an inner float component which is a buoyant element operatively connected to a shutoff valve atop a standpipe supplying water to the tank. The inner float component is disposed in an outer float component which is in the general form of a container disposed within the flush tank so that its top edge is at a selected water level. In the tank-filling portion of a flush cycle, when the water rises to the selected level, the outer float component suddenly becomes filled with water, causing the inner float element to abruptly rise, shutting off the flow of water into the flush tank. In this manner, the buoyant element is caused to rise at a rate which is greater than a rate at which the water is rising in the tank. The bottom of the outer float component is provided with a one-way valve so that, at the beginning of a flush cycle, when the water level drops to below the outer float component, water drains out of the outer float component. Water level again rises, the one-way valve, which itself is buoyant, closes. According to a feature of the invention, a connecting rod connecting the inner float component t…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.