Device for Actuating a Flushing System of a Toilet

Abstract

Device for Actuating a Flushing System of a Toilet Abstract  A device (1) for actuating a flushing system (2) of a toilet (3), comprising at least:- a housing (4); and- at least one actuating device (5, 6) for triggering the flushing system (2), wherein the at least one actuating device (5, 6) comprises a pressure surface (7) for an actuating button (7, 8), wherein the pressure surface (7) is at least partially convex. (Fig. 5)

Description

 DeviceforActuatingaFlushingSystemofaToilet  Field of the InventionThis invention relates to a device for actuating a flushing system of a toilet. Toilets of this type are used in particular to collect bodily waste.5BackgroundToilets regularly comprise a toilet bowl that can be cleaned by a flushing system after use. For instance, the flushing system may comprise a toilet tank for receiving a flushing liquid, wherein a drain valve can be used to control a flow of the flushing liquid from the toilet tank into the toilet bowl. A user of the toilet can actuate the drain valve by pressing at least one of the actuating10 buttons of the device.  The device is typically disposed in an inspection shaft in a wall and covered with an (in particular decorative) cover plate that comprises at least one actuating button. The at least one actuating button can be used to press a bellows, for instance, via an actuation mechanism. In this way,15 compressed air, which can be used to control the drain valve, can be generated. The at least one actuating button may be movable in a translational or rotational manner inside the device or in the cover plate. The actuation mechanism has been adapted to the kind of motion or type of guide of the at least one actuating button, such that the device may have actuating buttons that are capable of either translational motion only or rotational motion only. This limits the design20 flexibility of the device.  SummaryTherefore, the invention addresses the problem of solving at least a part of the issues described with reference to the prior art and, in particular, of providing a device for actuating a flushing system, achieving a high design flexibility. In addition, the device can incorporate many common25 parts and / or serve as a universal platform for various design variants.  This problem is solved by a device according to the features of the independent claim. Further advantageous embodiments of the invention are specified in the dependent claims. It will be  appreciated that the features listed individually in the claims may be combined in any technolog-ically useful manner and define further embodiments of the invention. In addition, the features indicated in the claims are further specified and explained in the description, wherein further preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated.5A device for actuating a flushing system of a toilet, comprising at least the components listed below, contributes to solving the problem:a housing; andat least one actuating device for triggering the flushing system, wherein the at least one actu-10ating device has a pressure surface for an actuating button, wherein the pressure surface is designed to be at least partially convex. The toilet may be designed, in particular, as a (seat-type) toilet or a urinal. Furthermore, the toilet may comprise a toilet bowl that can be cleaned by a flushing system. Flushing is performed, in15 particular, by means of a flushing liquid, the release of which into the toilet bowl can be activated by pressing at least one actuating button of a device for actuating the flushing system of the toilet. The flushing system may comprise a toilet tank to receive the flushing liquid and / or a drain valve to control the discharge of the flushing liquid into the toilet bowl. The flushing system may be attached, at least in part, to a mounting frame of the toilet, which mounting frame can be20 used to secure the toilet to a wall of a building. Such mounting frames are known, for instance, as false-wall elements. These are attached to the wall of the building and then covered with a false wall. Wall cladding elements, such as tiles, can be attached to the false wall. An inspection shaft or a wall opening may be formed in the wall and / or the false wall. The device, or a housing of the device, may be disposed, in particular, at least partially inside the inspection shaft or inside25 the wall opening. The toilet tank of the flushing system may be disposed, in particular, behind the device in the wall or in a cavity between the wall and the false wall.  The housing of the device may be at least partially made of plastic and / or metal. For instance, the housing could be an injection-molded plastic part. An installation space is formed inside the housing of the device. The installation space may extend into the housing from an installation space opening in the housing to the bottom of the housing. In the installed state of the device,5 the installation space opening may, in particular, be aligned with the inspection shaft or with the wall opening in the wall and / or the false wall. The installation space opening may extend orthog-onally to a longitudinal axis of the housing or of the installation space. The longitudinal axis of the housing may be the central axis of the housing or of the installation space. The longitudinal axis of the housing may extend through the installation space, at least partially centered and / or10 concentrically with respect to the installation space. The longitudinal axis of the housing may extend, at least in part, centrally and / or concentrically through the opening in the installation space. The housing may have side panels that at least partially enclose the installation space. The device comprises at least one actuating mechanism for triggering the flushing system or for15 actuating the flushing system. The at least one actuating device may be an actuation mechanism or an actuator cartridge. The actuator cartridge may comprise the actuation mechanism. The at least one actuating device is disposed or attached, in particular, in and / or at the housing or the installation space of the housing.The device may comprise a plurality of actuating devices, for instance, two actuating devices. The20 at least one actuating device may, in particular, be actuated by a user of the device via the at least one actuating button. The at least one actuating device may be used to, in particular, actu-ate or control a drain valve. The actuating devices may be of the same or identical design. The at least one actuating device may be an air compressor and / or may comprise an air compressor. The at least one actuating device may be or is connected to the drain valve via a compressed-air25 line. The at least one actuating device may be an electrical or electronic signal generator or may comprise one. The at least one actuating device may be or is connected to the drain valve via a data-transmission line.  The at least one actuating device may comprise a cartridge housing. The cartridge housing may extend along a longitudinal axis of the cartridge and / or be at least partially cylindrical in shape. The cartridge housing may have (in particular orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the cartridge) at least a partially circular cross-section. The at least one actuating device may comprise a push5 rod. The push rod can be a driver rod, for instance. The push rod may extend in parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cartridge and / or be designed, at least in part, as a piston. The at least one actuating device comprises a pressure surface for the actuating button. The pressure surface may be formed at a first longitudinal end of the actuating device. A user of the device can press the pressure surface, in particular via the actuating button. Pressing the pressure surface can actuate10 or activate a trigger or the air compressor. By pressing the pressure surface, the push rod can be moved into the cartridge housing (in particular, in parallel to the longitudinal axis of the car-tridge). Compressed air can be generated by inserting the push rod into the cartridge housing. The at least one actuating device may comprise a return spring for extending the push rod out of the cartridge housing or for returning it to its original position. The return spring can be a coil15 spring. The return spring may be disposed coaxially to the push rod. The stroke of the push rod may be adjustable, for instance, by means of an (in particular movable) stop for the push rod and / or by means of a spacer (in particular attached to the push rod). By adjusting the stroke of the push rod, the volume of the flushing liquid can be adjusted. A large stroke allows a large volume of flushing liquid to be discharged through the drain valve, while a small stroke allows a20 small volume of flushing liquid to be discharged through the drain valve.  The at least one actuating device may comprise a compressed-air output for the compressed air or an (electric) cable connection. The compressed air output or cable port may be disposed, in particular, at a second longitudinal end of the at least one actuating device . A connecting line25 may be connected to the compressed air output or to the cable connection. The connecting line can be, for instance, a compressed-air hose or an electrical cable. The at least one actuating de-vice may be connected to the drain valve via the connecting line. The at least one actuating device may have a length (in particular in parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cartridge) of, for  instance, 10 mm to 200 mm and / or a diameter (in particular orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the cartridge) of, for instance, 10 mm to 50 mm. The at least one actuating device may com-prise all functionally relevant elements of an actuation mechanism. 5 The pressure surface of the at least one actuating device is designed to be at least partially or completely convex. The pressure surface may be formed partially spherically. The pressure sur-face may be oriented toward the first longitudinal end and / or may be at least partially or com-pletely curved toward the first longitudinal end. The pressure surface may be formed concentri-cally with the longitudinal axis of the cartridge. The pressure surface may be oriented toward the10 installation space opening of the housing. Furthermore, the pressure surface may have a pres-sure surface diameter of 10mm to 50 mm and / or a curvature radius of 10 mm to 100 mm. The pressure surface can be used as a contact surface and / or a sliding surface for the actuating but-ton. An actuating button capable of translational motion, in particular on and / or in the device or on and / or in the cover plate, may be attached to the pressure surface and / or on the pressure15 surface. An actuating button that can swivel or rotate, in particular on and / or inside the device or on and / or inside the cover plate, may, in particular with a rear face, come into contact with the pressure surface and / or, when the actuating button is pressed, slide and / or roll across the pressure surface, in particular the rear face. The tilting or rotating actuating button may be a rocker switch. The swiveling actuating button may be mounted on a swivel axis. The swivel axis20 can, for instance, be formed on the housing or on the cover plate. The swivel axis may be per-pendicular to the longitudinal axis of the housing and / or to the longitudinal axis of the cartridge. The convex pressure surface allows the device to be flexibly equipped with both translational and swivel-type actuating buttons. Because the types of buttons can be combined arbitrarily, the de-25sign flexibility of the device can be increased.  The at least one actuation device may be designed as an actuator cartridge.  The pressure surface may be formed on a push rod of the at least one actuating device and / or on a button adapter of the at least one actuating device. The pressure surface may be formed at the push rod or at a button adapter of the push rod. The pressure surface may be formed at a first longitudinal end of the actuating device , the push rod, and / or the button adapter.5The at least one actuating device may comprise a trigger for the flushing system. The trigger could be, for instance, the pressure generator, a bellows, a sleeve, an output valve, or an electronic push button. The trigger may be actuated, for instance, via the push rod. For instance, the trigger can be used to generate compressed air. The trigger may be disposed inside the cartridge hous-10 ing.  The pressure surface can extend in a cross-shaped or in a striped pattern. In particular, the pres-sure surface may extend in a cross-shaped or in a striped pattern orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the housing and / or to the longitudinal axis of the cartridge. This renders designing in par-15 ticular the pressure surface in a material saving manner possible.  The device may comprise at least one actuating button that is capable of translational or rota-tional motion. The device may comprise a plurality of actuating buttons capable of translational motion, for instance, two such buttons, and / or a plurality of swiveling actuating buttons, for in-20 stance, two such buttons.  The device may comprise a first actuating button that is capable of translational motion and a second actuating button that is capable of a swiveling motion. The device may comprise at least one (first) actuating button capable of translational motion and at least one (second) actuating25 button capable of swiveling motion.  The swiveling actuating button may roll on the pressure surface. The swiveling actuating button can roll on the pressure surface, in particular, when it is swiveled about its swivel axis.   The at least one actuating button may comprise at least one first mounting device for the at least one actuating device. In particular, the at least one actuating button capable of translational mo-tion, or the at least one first actuating button, may comprise at least one first mounting device.5 The at least one first mounting device may, for instance, be a snap-in hook, a snap-fit element, a snap-in geometry, a thread, or a screw. Using the at least one first mounting device, the at least one actuating button can be attached, in particular, to the at least one actuating device. The at least one actuating device may comprise at least one second mounting device for at least10 one actuating button. The at least one second mounting device may, in particular, be formed on the push rod or the button adapter. The at least one second mounting device may, for instance, be a snap-in hook, a snap-fit element, a snap-in geometry, a thread, or a screw. Using the at least one second mounting device, the at least one actuating button, the at least one translationally movable actuating button and / or the at least one first actuating button can be attached, in par-15 ticular, to the at least one actuation device.  Brief Description of the DrawingsThe invention and the technical environment are explained in more detail below with reference to the figures. It should be noted that the figures show a particularly preferred embodiment var-iant of the invention, but the invention is not limited thereto. The same reference numerals are20 used for the same components in the figures. In an exemplary and schematic manner,  Fig. 1 shows a perspective representation of a toilet having a device for actuating a flushing sys-tem; 25Fig. 2 shows a perspective cross-sectional representation of a mounting frame of the toilet;  Fig. 3 shows a perspective longitudinal section of the device for actuating the flushing system;  Fig. 4 shows a longitudinal section of the device for actuating a flushing system having a first actuating button in the actuated position; Fig. 5 shows a longitudinal section of the device for actuating a flushing system having a second5actuating button in the actuated position;  Fig. 6 shows a side view of the device having an actuating button in an initial position; and  Fig. 7 shows a side view of the actuating device of the device having the actuating button in the10actuated position.  Detailed DescriptionFig. 1 shows a perspective representation of a toilet 3. The toilet 3 comprises a toilet bowl 13, which is attached to a wall 15 of a building by means of a mounting frame 14 shown in Fig. 2. The mounting frame 14 shown in Fig. 2 is concealed in Fig. 1 by a false wall 16 and wall cladding15 elements 17, which are designed as tiles here. The mounting frame 14 is thus disposed in a cavity 18 between the wall 15 and the false wall 16. The false wall 16 has an opening, not visible here, that connects the cavity 18 to surroundings 19. The opening is covered by a cover plate 20 of a device 1 for actuating a flushing system 2 of the toilet 3 shown in Fig. 2. 20 Fig. 2 shows the mounting frame 14 of the sanitary devices 3 shown in Fig. 1, without the false wall 16 and the wall cladding elements 17. The flushing system 2 of the toilet 3 is attached to the mounting frame 14 and comprises a toilet tank 21 for a flushing liquid. A drain valve (not visible here) is disposed in the toilet tank 21, which drain valve is used to control the flow of flushing liquid from the toilet tank 21 to the toilet bowl 13 shown in Fig. 1. The drain valve can25 be actuated by a user (not shown here) via the device 1.  Fig. 3 shows a perspective longitudinal section of the device 1 for actuating the flushing system 2 (shown in Fig. 2) of the toilet 3 (shown in Fig. 1) with the cover plate 20. The device 1 comprises  a housing 4, in which a first actuating device 5 and a second actuating device 6 are disposed. The actuating devices 5, 6 are each designed as actuator cartridges. The device 1 or the cover plate 20 has a first actuating button 8 and a second actuating button 9. The first actuating button 8 is connected to the first actuating device 5 and the second actuating button 9 is connected to the5 second actuating device 6. In Fig. 3, the actuating buttons 8, 9 are each in an initial position 22.  The housing 4 extends in a tubular and / or rectangular manner along a longitudinal axis 24 of the housing and contains an installation space 25 in its interior. The housing 4 has an installation space opening 28 at a first longitudinal end 26 of the housing and a bottom 29 at a second longi-10 tudinal end 27 of the housing. The installation space opening 28 is covered by the cover plate 20 and the actuating buttons 8, 9. The toilet tank 20 is attached to the housing 4. The actuating devices 5, 6 are mounted in the installation space 25. The first actuating device 5 comprises a cartridge housing 30 that extends along a longitudinal15 axis of the cartridge 31. The cartridge housing 30 is partially tubular in shape and has a circular cross-section (in particular, orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the cartridge 31 and / or, in par-ticular, in a tubular section). A push rod 10 with a button adapter 34 is disposed at a first longi-tudinal end 32 of the first actuating device 5. The button adapter 34 of the push rod 10 has a convex pressure surface 7 at the first longitudinal end 32. The convex pressure surface 7 is ori-20 ented toward the first longitudinal end 32 and is curved toward the first longitudinal end 32, in particular, partially spherically shaped, toward the first longitudinal end 32. The first actuating button 8 has first mounting devices 11 that are designed as snap-in hooks. The push rod 10, or the button adapter 34 of the push rod 10, has second mounting devices 12, which25 are snap-in geometries. The mounting devices 11, 12 are used to secure the first actuating button 8 to the button adapter 34 of the push rod 10 or to the pressure surface 7 of the button adapter 34.  By pressing the first actuating button 8, the push rod 10, in conjunction with the button adapter 34, can be moved into the cartridge housing 30, in parallel to the longitudinal axis 31 of the car-tridge or in parallel to the longitudinal axis 24 of the housing, to actuate a trigger 35 of the first actuation device 5. The first actuating button 8 can move in a translational manner.5The first actuating device 5 comprises a return spring 36, which is used to return the push rod 10, that is, moved out of the cartridge housing 30 in parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cartridge 31 or in parallel to the longitudinal axis 24 of the housing, when the user stops pressing the first actuating button 8. The trigger 35 in this case is a bellows. When the push rod 10 is moved into10 the cartridge housing 30, the trigger 35 generates compressed air, which can be discharged through a compressed air output 37 at a second longitudinal end 33 of the first actuating device5. The first actuating device 5 and the second actuating device 6 are identical in design. The de-scription of the first actuating device 5 is therefore applicable to the second actuating device 6 as well.15The second actuating button 9 can swivel about a swivel axis 38 shown in Figs. 6 and 7, and its rear face 39 makes contact with the convex pressure surface 7 of the second actuating device 6. The second actuating button 9 can be moved in a swiveling motion. 20 Fig. 4 shows the device 1 in a perspective longitudinal section after the first actuating button 8 has been moved by a user of device 1 (not shown here) from the initial position 22 shown in Fig. 3, which is in parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cartridge 31 and in parallel to the longitudinal axis of the housing 24, to an actuation position 23. As a result, the push rod 10 of the first actu-ating device 5 was moved into the cartridge housing 30. By pressing the first actuating button 8,25 the toilet bowl 13 shown in Fig. 1 can be flushed with a first volume or a small volume of the flushing liquid. The second actuating button 9 is shown in Fig. 4 in its initial position 22.  Fig. 5 shows a perspective longitudinal section of the device 1 after the second actuating button 9 has been moved by a user of the device 1 (not shown here) from the initial position 22 shown in Figs. 3 and 4, about the swivel axis 38 shown in Figs. 6 and 7, into the actuation position 23. As a result, the rear face 39 of the second actuating button 9 rolls along the convex pressure surface5 7 of the second actuation device 6. The second actuating button 9 has moved the push rod 10 of the second actuation device 6 into the cartridge housing 30. By pressing the second actuating button 9, the toilet bowl 13 shown in Fig. 1 can be flushed with a second volume or a large volume of the flushing liquid. The first actuating button 8 is shown in Fig. 5 in the initial position 22. 10 Fig. 6 shows a side view of the second actuating device 6 with the second actuating button 9. The second actuating button 9 is in the initial position 22, and its rear face 39 makes contact with the convex pressure surface 7 of the push rod 10 or with the button adapter 34 of the push rod 10. Fig. 7 shows a side view of the second actuating device 6 with the second actuating button 9,15 after the second actuating button 9 has been swiveled by the user (not shown here) from the initial position 22 shown in Fig. 6 about the swivel axis 38 into the actuated position 23. In so doing, the second actuating button 9 rolls along the convex pressure surface 7 of the second actuation device 6 with its rear face 39. The second actuating button 9 has moved the push rod 10 of the second actuation device 6 into the cartridge housing 30.20This invention allows for a high degree of design flexibility of the device 1.  ListofReferenceNumeralsandTerms  1device2flushing system53toilet 4housing 5first actuating device 6second actuating device 7pressure surface108first actuating button 9second actuating button 10push rod 11first mounting device 12second mounting device1513toilet bowl 14installation frame 15wall 16false wall 17wall cladding elements2018cavity 19surroundings 20cover plate 21toilet tank 22initial position2523actuated position 24longitudinal axis of body 25installation space 26first longitudinal housing end 27second longitudinal housing end   28installation space opening 29bottom 30cartridge housing 31longitudinal axis of the cartridge532first longitudinal end 33second longitudinal end 34button adapter 35trigger 36return spring1037compressed air output 38swivel axis 39rear face 

Claims

1. A device (1) for actuating a flushing system (2) of a toilet (3), comprising at least:- a housing (4); and- at least one actuating device (5, 6) for triggering the flushing system (2), wherein the at least one actuating device (5, 6) comprises a pressure surface (7) for an actuating button (8, 9), wherein the pressure surface (7) is at least partially convex. 2. The device (1) according to claim 1, wherein the at least one actuating device (5, 6) is designed as an actuator cartridge. 3. The device (1) according to claim 1, wherein the pressure surface (7) is formed on a push rod (10) of the at least one actuating device (5, 6) or on a button adapter (34) of the at least one actuating device (5, 6). 4. The device (1) according to claim 1, wherein the at least one actuating device (5, 6) comprises a trigger (35) for the flushing system (2). 5. The device (1) according to claim 1, wherein the pressure surface (7) extends in a cross-shaped or in a striped pattern. 6. The device (1) according to claim 1, comprising at least one actuating button (8, 9) that is capable of a translational or a swiveling motion. 7. The device (1) according to claim 6, comprising a first actuating button (8) that is capable of a translational motion and a second actuating button (9) that is capable of a swiveling motion. 8. The device (1) according to claim 6, wherein the swiveling actuating button (9) can roll along the pressure surface (7). 9. The device (1) according to claim 6, wherein the at least one actuating button (8, 9) comprises at least one first mounting device (11) for the at least one actuating device (5, 6). 10. The device (1) according to claim 1, wherein the at least one actuating device (5, 6) comprises at least one second mounting device (12) for at least one actuating button (8, 9). 

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