Overflow assembly and toilet

Abstract

The present invention provides an overflow assembly and a toilet. The overflow assembly includes a housing, a floating drive, and a sealing cover. The housing is provided with an overflow channel and a liquid chamber. The overflow channel has an inlet that communicates with the liquid chamber. The floating drive is floatably disposed within the liquid chamber. The sealing cover is movably disposed at the inlet, with a portion of the sealing cover located within the movement path of the floating drive. The sealing cover can selectively seal the inlet or open the inlet when driven by the floating drive. Based on the above structure, by adopting a separate design for the floating drive and the sealing cover, transmission is not required through a complex transmission structure. The negative pressure or suction generated by the overflow channel during overflow or when the water is not fully replenished will not affect the floating drive. The floating drive can float normally with the water level in the liquid chamber, and can normally drive the sealing cover to open the inlet.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of bathroom equipment, and in particular to an overflow assembly and a toilet. Background Art

[0002] With the continuous development of bathroom products, there are more and more types of toilets. Most of the existing toilets have an overflow function. The overflow pipe in the toilet is connected to the drain outlet of the drain valve. However, the existing overflow pipe is directly connected to the outside world. In this way, the overflow pipe cannot isolate the air when the drain valve is draining, resulting in the drain valve being unable to drain quickly.

[0003] Although a few overflow assemblies of toilets have the function of air isolation, the overflow assembly has a complex structure and is easily affected by negative pressure or suction, and cannot overflow in time. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The embodiments of the present invention provide an overflow assembly and a toilet to solve the above problems.

[0005] The embodiments of the present invention achieve the above-mentioned objectives through the following technical solutions.

[0006] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides an overflow assembly, comprising a shell, a floating drive member, and a sealing cover. The shell is provided with an overflow channel and a liquid chamber. The overflow channel has an inlet, which is connected to the liquid chamber. The floating drive member can be floatably disposed in the liquid chamber. The sealing cover can be movably disposed at the inlet, and a portion of the sealing cover is located in the movement path of the floating drive member. The sealing cover can selectively seal the inlet or open the inlet under the drive of the floating drive member.

[0007] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a toilet, which includes a drain valve and the above-mentioned overflow assembly, wherein the drain valve is connected to the overflow channel.

[0008] Compared with the prior art, the overflow assembly and toilet provided by the present invention have a sealing cover that is movably arranged at the inlet, and a floating drive member that is floatingly arranged in the liquid cavity, and part of the sealing cover is located in the movement path of the floating drive member. By adopting a separate design for the floating drive member and the sealing cover, there is no need to use a complex transmission structure to achieve the transmission of the two, which is conducive to reducing the product size and simplifying the product structure. When the floating drive member floats to a position where it is against the sealing cover, the floating drive member can float up with the sealing cover. Since the floating drive member is set separately, the negative pressure or suction generated by the overflow channel when overflowing or when the water replenishment is not full will not affect the floating drive member. In this way, the floating drive member can float normally as the water level in the liquid cavity rises, so as to normally drive the sealing cover to open the inlet. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.

[0010] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of the overflow assembly provided by an embodiment of the present invention in an assembled state.

[0011] Figure 2 Yes Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the exploded structure of the overflow assembly shown.

[0012] Figure 3 Yes Figure 1 A schematic cross-sectional view of the overflow assembly is shown.

[0013] Figure 4 Yes Figure 2 The overflow assembly is shown as a schematic structural diagram from another perspective. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0014] In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the solutions of the present invention, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the embodiments described are only some of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of them. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without making any creative efforts shall fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0015] See also Figure 1 An embodiment of the present invention provides a toilet (not shown in the figure), which includes a drain valve (not shown in the figure) and an overflow assembly 10, and the drain valve is connected to the overflow assembly 10.

[0016] In this embodiment, the toilet also includes a water tank and a toilet body. The toilet body is provided with a flushing channel, and a drain valve is connected to the flushing channel. The water tank is mounted on the toilet body. The toilet also includes an inlet valve, which is connected to the water tank and the overflow assembly 10. When the inlet valve is in operation, it can fill the water tank with water and also fill the overflow assembly 10 with water. The injected water flows through the overflow assembly 10 to "replenish" the flushing channel. If the water tank overflows, the overflowing water can enter the overflow assembly 10 to overflow and be discharged through the drain valve.

[0017] See also Figure 1 and Figure 2In this embodiment, the overflow assembly 10 includes a housing 11, a floating actuator 12, and a sealing cover 13. The housing 11 defines an overflow channel 114 and a liquid chamber 113. The overflow channel 114 has an inlet 1141 that communicates with the liquid chamber 113. The floating actuator 12 is floatably disposed within the liquid chamber 113. The sealing cover 13 is movably disposed at the inlet 1141, with a portion of the sealing cover 13 located within the movement path of the floating actuator 12. The sealing cover 13 can selectively seal the inlet 1141 or open the inlet 1141 when driven by the floating actuator 12. A drain valve communicates with the overflow channel 114 of the overflow assembly 10.

[0018] By movably arranging the sealing cover 13 at the inlet 1141, the floating drive member 12 can be floated in the liquid chamber 113, and part of the sealing cover 13 is located in the movement path of the floating drive member 12. By adopting a separate design for the floating drive member 12 and the sealing cover 13, there is no need to use a complex transmission structure to achieve transmission between the two, which is conducive to reducing the product size and simplifying the product structure. When the floating drive member 12 floats to a position where it abuts the sealing cover 13, it can float up with the sealing cover 13. Since the floating drive member 12 is arranged separately, the negative pressure or suction generated by the overflow channel 114 when overflowing or when the water replenishment is not full will not affect the floating drive member 12. In this way, the floating drive member 12 can float normally as the water level in the liquid chamber 113 rises, and it can normally drive the sealing cover 13 to open the inlet 1141.

[0019] In one application environment, when the water level in the liquid chamber 113 is low, the floating drive member 12 may be located near the bottom of the liquid chamber 113. At this time, the floating drive member 12 is away from the sealing cover 13. The sealing cover 13 is located at the inlet 1131 due to its own gravity. The sealing cover 13 can seal the inlet 1141, thereby completely isolating the drain valve from the outside air. Since no air enters, the drain valve is in a full pipe water state, and the drain valve has a faster drainage speed and efficiency.

[0020] In another application environment, when an abnormality occurs in the water inlet valve, the water level in the toilet tank rises, and the rising water flow can flow into the liquid cavity 113, thereby causing the water level in the liquid cavity 113 to continue to rise, and the floating drive component 12 floats up with the water level. When the floating drive component 12 floats to a position where it is against the sealing cover 13, the floating drive component 12 floats up with the sealing cover 13 as the water level continues to rise, and the sealing cover 13 is separated from the inlet 1141 to open the inlet 1141. At the same time, the water submerges the inlet 1141, and the overflowing water from the water tank can be discharged through the overflow channel 114, thereby realizing the overflow function of the toilet.

[0021] In another application environment, the toilet can also achieve a water replenishment function through the liquid chamber 113. During the water injection process, the water level of the liquid chamber 113 rises, and the floating drive member 12 can float to a position where it is against the sealing cover 13, and float up with the sealing cover 13. The sealing cover 13 is separated from the inlet 1141 to open the inlet 1141, and the replenished water flow can flow in through the overflow channel 114, thereby achieving the water replenishment function.

[0022] Compared to other technical solutions, other technical solutions increase the length of the single-tube structure floating out of the overflow channel to avoid the problem of insufficient buoyancy of the single-tube structure and the inability of the single-tube structure to open the overflow channel in time due to the negative pressure or suction of the overflow channel. The increase in the length of the single-tube structure in other technical solutions will lead to an increase in the height of the entire overflow assembly, which is not conducive to reducing the size of the product. However, in this application, the floating drive 12 is used to provide the driving force for the sealing cover 13 to open the inlet 1141. Therefore, it is only necessary to locate part of the sealing cover 13 in the movement path of the floating drive 12, and there is no need to increase the length of the sealing cover 13 floating out of the overflow channel 114, which is conducive to reducing the size of the product and simplifying the product structure. In addition, the overflow channel 114 does not need to be set too long, so the height difference between the inlet 1141 and the liquid seal water level below the drain valve is small, effectively avoiding the noise generated by the water replenishment process.

[0023] See also Figure 1 and Figure 2 In this embodiment, the housing 11 includes a housing body 111 and a housing cover 112. The housing cover 112 is detachably mounted on the housing body 111. The liquid chamber 113 and the overflow channel 114 are disposed in the housing body 111. In this embodiment, the housing cover 112 is provided with an overflow port 1121, which is configured to communicate with the overflow channel 114. When the water tank overflows, the overflowing water can enter the liquid chamber 113 through the overflow port 1121 and be discharged through the overflow channel 114.

[0024] See also Figure 2 and Figure 3In this embodiment, the shell body 111 can be roughly a double-cylindrical structure, including two cylinders. The two cylinders can be detachably connected or integrally formed. In this embodiment, the liquid chamber 113 includes a first liquid chamber 1131 and a second liquid chamber 1132, which are each disposed within a single cylinder structure. The first and second liquid chambers 1131 and 1132 can be arranged side by side. The overflow channel 114 is disposed in the first liquid chamber 1131, and the second liquid chamber 1132 is used to mount the floating drive element 12. The shell 11 may also include a tube that passes through and communicates with the first liquid chamber 1131. The overflow channel 114 is disposed in the tube. The overflow port 1121 can be disposed adjacent to the shell cover 112, protruding from the bottom of the liquid chamber 113, with a height difference between the overflow port 1121 and the bottom of the liquid chamber 113.

[0025] In this embodiment, the housing 11 includes a water retaining portion 1151, which is located between the first liquid chamber 1131 and the second liquid chamber 1132 to partially separate the first liquid chamber 1131 from the second liquid chamber 1132. Specifically, the water retaining portion 1151 may be a stepped structure or a partition structure, which can separate the bottom of the first liquid chamber 1131 from the second liquid chamber 1132. When the water level in the first liquid chamber 1131 rises to the maximum retaining height of the water retaining portion 1151, the water in the first liquid chamber 1131 can flow from above the water retaining portion 1151 into the second liquid chamber 1132. This allows the buoyant actuator 12 to have a certain upward acceleration. Once the buoyant actuator 12 reaches a certain height, it can drive the sealing cover 13 to rise rapidly, allowing the sealing cover 13 to quickly open the inlet 1141.

[0026] In addition, the water retaining portion 1151 may be omitted, and it is only necessary to ensure that the water level at the inlet 1141 of the overflow channel 114 is greater than the lowest water level of the second liquid chamber 1132 .

[0027] In this embodiment, the floating actuator 12 is disposed within the second liquid chamber 1132 and is capable of floating up and down in response to changes in the water level within the second liquid chamber 1132. When the floating actuator 12 floats down to a first position, which may be the lowest position of the second liquid chamber 1132, there is a height difference between the floating actuator 12 and the sealing cover 13, wherein the height difference may be equal to the maximum water retaining height of the water retaining portion 1151. Thus, when the water level rises to the maximum water retaining height of the water retaining portion 1151, the floating actuator 12 can abut against the sealing cover 13. Furthermore, as the overall water level within the liquid chamber 113 rises, the floating actuator 12 can drive the sealing cover 13 to continue floating upward, thereby opening the inlet 1141. The sealing cover 13 no longer contacts the inlet 1141, and the liquid level has now exceeded the lower edge of the sealing cover 13, thereby forming a water seal around the inlet 1141. Since the floating drive member 12 and the sealing cover 13 are designed to be separable, the floating drive member 12 will not come into contact with the inlet 1141 of the overflow channel 114, and the buoyancy will not be destroyed during the water replenishment and overflow process. When water is replenished or overflowed again, the floating drive member 12 can promptly drive the sealing cover 13 to open the inlet 1141, avoiding affecting the water replenishment / overflow speed due to the inability to open the inlet 1141 in time.

[0028] The second liquid chamber 1132 can communicate with the water replenishment channel and can also communicate with the water tank. When the water level of the water replenishing or overflowing the second liquid chamber 1132 rises, the floating actuator 12 floats upward with the rising water level, driving the sealing cover 13 to open the inlet 1141. As a result, the water replenishing or overflowing the second liquid chamber 1132 can flow out of the overflow channel 114, achieving water replenishment or overflow.

[0029] In this embodiment, the housing 11 is provided with a water inlet channel 116, which is connected to the liquid chamber 113. The water inlet channel 116 can serve as a water replenishment channel and is connected to the water inlet valve. The water inlet valve can be replenished through the liquid chamber 113. After replenishment, the water level of the liquid chamber 113 increases, and the floating drive member 12 can float to a position where it abuts against the sealing cover 13. The floating drive member 12 floats up with the sealing cover 13. At this time, the water flow in the liquid chamber 113 can submerge the inlet 1141. During the water replenishment process, the inlet 1141 remains isolated from the outside air. Therefore, the inlet 1141 can form a water seal to prevent air from entering through the inlet 1141. Excess water flows into the water trap to maintain a full pipe state. The replenished water flow or water overflowing from the water tank can flow in through the overflow channel 114, thereby achieving the purpose of water replenishment or overflow. When water replenishment stops or overflow occurs, the water level in the second liquid chamber 1132 drops, the floating drive member 12 floats down with the water level, and the sealing cover 13 also floats down with the drop in water level. When it floats down to the inlet 1141, the inlet 1141 of the sealing cover 13 is sealed again to form a mechanical seal, so that the drain valve can always be separated from the outside world, ensuring that the drain valve is always in a full pipe state, so that the drain valve can always maintain a faster drainage speed.

[0030] See also Figure 2 and Figure 3 In this embodiment, the water inlet channel 116 has a water inlet 1161, which is staggered with the floating actuator 12. The water inlet 1161 can be partially or completely staggered with the floating actuator 12. For example, the water inlet 1161 is completely staggered with the floating actuator 12 along the height direction of the housing 11. This can reduce or prevent the impact of water flowing from the water inlet 1161 into the liquid chamber 113 on the floating actuator 12, effectively preventing the noise generated by the water impacting the floating actuator 12.

[0031] For example, the housing 11 includes a supporting protrusion 1152 and a bottom wall 1153 located within the liquid chamber 113. The floating actuator 12 is separated from the bottom wall 1153 to form a water inlet gap 1154. The supporting protrusion 1152 is located in the water inlet gap 1154. The water inlet 1161 corresponds to the water inlet gap 1154 and communicates with the liquid chamber 113 through the water inlet gap 1154. The provision of the supporting protrusion 1152 allows the floating actuator 12 and the water inlet 1161 to be staggered, preventing water from directly impacting the floating actuator 12 when entering the liquid chamber 113, thereby hindering its buoyancy. Furthermore, this helps reduce noise.

[0032] As an example, the distance between the water inlet 1161 and the bottom wall 1153 of the second liquid chamber 1132 can be between 5 and 15 mm, so that there is a suitable distance between the water inlet 1161 and the bottom wall 1153, and there is also a relatively suitable distance between the floating drive component 12 and the bottom wall 1153, so that more water inlet space is provided for the water inlet gap 1154, and the water flow will not generate impact force on the floating drive component 12.

[0033] See also Figure 3 and Figure 4 In this embodiment, the floating driver 12 includes a floating body 121 and a force-applying portion 122 protruding from the floating body 121. The floating body 121 may be a buoy structure with an opening. The opening of the buoy structure is oriented such that water flowing into the second liquid chamber 1132 can quickly fill the floating body 121. The buoy structure has a large contact area with the water flow, providing a large buoyancy force for the floating body 121, thereby ensuring the floating speed of the floating driver 12. Alternatively, the floating body 121 may be a floating block structure.

[0034] In this embodiment, the force applying portion 122 may be a convex block structure, which is protruded from the outer periphery of the floating body 121 . The force applying block can be used to resist the sealing cover 13 to provide a buoyancy force for the sealing cover 13 .

[0035] Please continue reading Figure 3 and Figure 4 In this embodiment, the sealing cover 13 includes a sealing body 131 and a force-bearing portion 132 protruding from the sealing body 131. The sealing body 131 can selectively open or seal the inlet 1141. In this embodiment, the sealing body 131 can include a cover 1311 and a sealing protrusion 1312. The cover 1311 can be an inverted cylindrical structure. The cover 1311 is covered on the outer periphery of the inlet 1141. The sealing protrusion 1312 is provided inside the cover 1311 and protrudes from the top wall of the cover 1311. The sealing protrusion 1312 is adapted to the shape of the inlet 1141 and can be embedded in the inlet 1141 to seal the inlet 1141. A sealing ring can be provided on the outer periphery of the sealing protrusion 1312 to ensure that the sealing cover 13 is sealed to the inlet 1141. When water flows into the first liquid chamber 1131 from the second liquid chamber 1132, as the water level of the first liquid chamber 1131 rises, the water flow can fill into the cover body 1311 to provide a larger buoyancy for the cover body 1311. The cover body 1311 is located on the periphery of the inlet 1141, so that the cover body 1311 will not be affected by the negative pressure or suction of the overflow channel 114, ensuring that the sealing cover 13 can open the inlet 1141 in time to quickly overflow or replenish water.

[0036] In this embodiment, the force-applying portion 122 may be a protruding block structure that may be protruding from the outer periphery of the sealing body 131. The force-applying portion 122 and the force-receiving portion 132 are disposed opposite each other, with at least a portion of the force-receiving portion 132 located within the movement path of the force-applying portion 122. The force-applying portion 122 may selectively move closer to or further away from the force-receiving portion 132. When the floating actuator 12 is in the first position, a large distance exists between the force-applying portion 122 and the force-receiving portion 132. As the water level within the second liquid chamber 1132 rises, the floating actuator 12 moves closer to the force-applying portion 132 as the water level rises. When the floating actuator 12 continues to float to the second position, the force-applying portion 122 contacts the force-receiving portion 132. The force-applying portion 122 may exert an upward force on the force-receiving portion 132, thereby causing the sealing body 131 to open the inlet 1141.

[0037] In some embodiments, as Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the housing 11 is provided with a guide portion 1155, to which the force-applying portion 122 and the force-receiving portion 132 are slidably connected. For example, the guide portion 1155 may be a guide groove structure, positioned between the first liquid chamber 1131 and the second liquid chamber 1132. The guide portion 1155 may be arranged generally along the height direction of the housing 11, and both the force-applying portion 122 and the force-receiving portion 132 are slidably connected. This ensures the stable floating of the floating drive member 12 and the sealing cover 13, ensuring stability during their movement. It also ensures that the force-receiving portion 132 is located within the movement trajectory of the force-applying portion 122, thereby ensuring product reliability.

[0038] In addition, the guide portion 1155 may also be a guide rod structure, which may be disposed through the force-applying portion 122 and the force-receiving portion 132. Alternatively, the guide portion 1155 may also be a guide column structure.

[0039] In some embodiments, as Figure 3As shown, the housing 11 is provided with a limiting portion 118. The limiting portion 118 is provided on the side of the sealing cover 13 facing away from the inlet 1141. When the sealing cover 13 is in the position of opening the inlet 1141, it can abut against the limiting portion 118. For example, the limiting portion 118 can be provided on the inner wall of the shell cover 112, and the limiting portion 118 is located in the movement path of the sealing cover 13. The limiting portion 118 can be a limiting plate or a limiting protrusion. By directly providing the limiting portion 118 on the shell cover 112, it is easier to manufacture and install. When the shell cover 112 is covered on the shell body 111, the limiting portion 118 can be exactly opposite to the sealing cover 13. By providing the limiting portion 118, the distance between the sealing cover 13 and the inlet 1141 can be limited, preventing the sealing cover 13 from being too far away from the inlet 1141. For example, the maximum distance between the sealing cover 13 and the inlet 1141 can be less than or equal to the thickness of the sealing cover 12. By limiting the maximum distance between the sealing cover 13 and the inlet 1141, when water replenishment stops or overflow occurs, the sealing cover 13 can float down in time to seal the inlet 1141. The limiting portion 118 has a limiting effect on the sealing cover 13, and an appropriate distance is maintained between the sealing cover 13 and the inlet 1141. In this way, water can flow into the inlet 1141 normally while the water flow can submerge the inlet 1141, so that the inlet 1141 remains in a water-sealed state.

[0040] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, rather than to limit the same. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments, or make equivalent replacements for some of the technical features therein. These modifications or replacements do not deviate the essence of the corresponding technical solutions from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the various embodiments of the present invention, and should all be included in the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An overflow assembly, characterized in that: The overflow assembly comprises: The housing is provided with an overflow channel and a liquid cavity, wherein the overflow channel has an inlet, and the inlet is communicated with the liquid cavity; a floating drive member and a sealing cover, wherein the floating drive member is floatably disposed in the liquid chamber, and the sealing cover is movably disposed at the inlet, with a portion of the sealing cover located in a movement path of the floating drive member, and the sealing cover can selectively seal the inlet or open the inlet under the drive of the floating drive member; The sealing cover includes a sealing body and a force-bearing portion protruding from the sealing body. The floating driving member includes a floating body and a force-applying portion protruding from the floating body. The force-applying portion is arranged opposite to the force-bearing portion and can selectively move closer to or farther from the force-bearing portion. The housing includes a supporting protrusion and a bottom wall located in the liquid chamber, the floating driving member and the bottom wall are separated to form a water inlet gap, and the supporting protrusion is arranged in the water inlet gap; The liquid chamber includes a first liquid chamber and a second liquid chamber that are connected to each other. The shell includes a water retaining portion, which is arranged between the first liquid chamber and the second liquid chamber to partially separate the first liquid chamber from the second liquid chamber. The overflow channel is arranged in the first liquid chamber, and the floating drive component is arranged in the second liquid chamber.

2. The overflow assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that The housing is provided with a guide portion, and the force-applying portion and the force-receiving portion are slidably connected to the guide portion.

3. The overflow assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that The shell is provided with a water inlet channel, and the water inlet channel is communicated with the liquid cavity.

4. The overflow assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that The water inlet channel has a water inlet, which is staggered with the floating driving component. The water inlet corresponds to the water inlet gap and is connected to the liquid cavity through the water inlet gap.

5. The overflow assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The housing is provided with a limiting portion, which is provided on a side of the sealing cover away from the inlet, and the sealing cover at a position where the inlet is opened abuts against the limiting portion.

6. The overflow assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that The shell includes a shell body and a shell cover, the shell cover is detachably mounted on the shell body, the liquid cavity and the overflow channel are arranged in the shell body, and the limiting portion is arranged on the inner wall of the shell cover.

7. A toilet, characterized in that: It comprises a drain valve and an overflow assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the drain valve is connected to the overflow channel.

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