Control plate assembly for a flushing tank

Abstract

A control plate assembly (1) for a flushing tank comprises a mounting counterplate (10), provided with one or more seats (15) housing respective actuating members (16) cooperating, in use, with a flush valve of the flushing tank; a cover plate (2), provided with one or more supports (4) for respective control members (5) that can be operated by a user and cooperate with respective actuating members (16); and at least a first lever (31, 32) hinged to the mounting counterplate (10) and rotating with respect to the mounting counterplate (10) about a rotation axis (R1, R2) and extending between a first end (33) and a second end (34) positioned on opposite sides of the rotation axis (R1, R2), the first end (33) being fastened to the control member (5) and the second end (34) cooperating with the actuating member (16).

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This patent application claims priority from Italian patent application no. 102021000003224 filed on February 12, 2021.TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present invention relates to a control plate assembly for a flushing tank.STATE OF THE PRIOR ART

[0003] In general, a control plate assembly for a flushing tank (in particular, an in-wall or built-in flushing tank) comprises a frame-shaped mounting counterplate fixed to the wall or to a front wall of the tank around an inspection opening, which gives access to the inside of the tank and to the flush valve housed therein; and a cover plate removably fixed to the counterplate and provided with one or two control buttons which cooperate with actuating members of the flush valve.

[0004] The buttons are hinged to the plate so that the user can press them to activate the desired flush mode (for example, in dual flush tanks: full flush or partial flush). Pressing a button, the corresponding actuating member of the flush valve is pushed.

[0005] Control plates of this type, with hinged buttons which, when pushed by the user, in turn, push the corresponding actuating member, can be relatively complicated to make, in particular, requiring a large number of components to transmit the movement from the button to the respective actuating member.

[0006] Moreover, the use of buttons limits the creativity of designers, while the industry is looking for solutions which are not only fully functional but also aesthetically pleasing and original, which can also stand out ornamentally.

[0007] For example, control plate assemblies for flushing tanks provided with control buttons are disclosed by EP1191158A2, DE8129308U1, and KR102131910B1.

[0008] US2012137421A1 discloses a select-a-flush toilet water saver system in which a conventional toilet handle is replaced with two pull-cord operating handles, one for selecting a short flush to clear only liquid from the toilet or the other for selecting a full flush to clear solids from the toilet. The handles pull respective cables acting on a shutter organ which is directly lifted by the cables.OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

[0009] It is an object of the present invention to provide a control plate assembly for a flushing tank, which is free from the drawbacks of the prior art described herein.

[0010] In particular, it is an object of the invention to provide a control plate assembly for a flushing tank, which is not only simple and inexpensive to manufacture, with a reduced number of components, but also prevents the use of hinged buttons.

[0011] The present invention therefore relates to a control plate assembly for a flushing tank as defined in essential terms in the appended claim 1.

[0012] The control plate assembly of the invention is simple and inexpensive to manufacture and assemble, as well as fully efficient and reliable.

[0013] In particular, the control plate assembly of the invention, still in the context of systems with mechanical transmission of movement to the actuating members of the flush valve, requires a smaller number of parts than in common solutions.

[0014] The control plate of the invention does not include buttons which the user must push to activate the flush, but wire control members which are pulled by the user. This overturning of the common operating mode of control plates, which can be schematically summarized as "pull rather than push", is a solution that is not only fully functional from a technical point of view, but also decidedly original and innovative in aesthetic terms, allowing wide versatility in manufacturing the control plate to meet different aesthetic needs.

[0015] In particular, in the case of dual flush valves, the control plate assembly of the invention allows the control members to be reversed with respect to the common arrangement. In fact, in all common control plates the full flush button is on the left (from the user's point of view) and the partial flush button on the right, so that the respective actuating members can be fastened to the flush valve. The invention, on the other hand, allows the position of the two control members to be reversed, while still using the well-known flush valves.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Further features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description of a non-limiting embodiment thereof, with reference to the figures of the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a front perspective view of a control plate assembly for a flushing tank in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a front perspective view, with parts removed for clarity, of the control plate assembly in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a rear perspective view, with parts removed for clarity, of the control plate assembly in Figure 1; Figure 4 is a further rear perspective view, with parts removed for clarity, of the control plate assembly in Figure 1; Figure 5 is a view on an enlarged scale of a detail in Figure 4; Figures 6 and 7 are rear perspective views, on an enlarged scale, of respective components of the control plate assembly in Figure 1. PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

[0017] In Figure 1, number 1 denotes, as a whole, a control plate assembly for a flushing tank (known and not shown).

[0018] The assembly 1 comprises a cover plate 2, having a front face 3 intended to remain visible in use, and provided with one or more supports 4 for respective control members 5 which can be operated by a user.

[0019] In the non-limiting example illustrated in the accompanying drawings, the assembly 1 is designed to control a dual flush valve (i.e., capable of flushing two different quantities of water) and therefore comprises two control members 5 supported by respective supports 4 side by side on the cover plate 2.

[0020] For example, each support 4 comprises a hole 6 formed through the cover plate 2 and a guide 7, for example arched or curved, extending from the hole and protruding from the face 3. Each control member 5, as will be better described below, is arranged through the respective hole 6 and along the respective guide 7.

[0021] Also with reference to Figures 2 and 3, the assembly 1 further comprises a mounting counterplate 10, which can be fixed to an external structure (for example, a part of the flushing tank) by means of fixing members 11 (only one of which is shown in Figures 1 and 2) engaging respective fixing seats 12 formed in the mounting counterplate 10; and to the cover plate 2, for example by means of fixing screws 13, engaging respective holes 14 formed in the mounting counterplate 10 and in the cover plate 2 and also screwing into the guides 7.

[0022] The mounting counterplate 10 is provided with one or more seats 15 (in the example shown, two seats arranged side by side) which house respective actuating members 16 cooperating, in use, with the flush valve of the flushing tank.

[0023] The actuating members 16 are, for example, rods (preferably threaded) sliding in the seats 15 and having respective free end heads which engage respective parts of the flush valve (as is known).

[0024] In the preferred embodiment shown, but not necessarily, the mounting counterplate 10 is formed by two pieces, namely an inner piece 21, in the form of a polygonal plate; and an outer piece 22, comprising a frame portion 23, having a central through window housing the piece 21, and a bridge portion 24 joining a pair of opposite sides of the frame portion 23 and facing the piece 21 (Figure 3).

[0025] The pieces 21, 22 are joined, for example, by a snap-on fastening system 25.

[0026] The fixing seats 12 for the fixing members 11 and the seats 15 for the actuating members 16 are preferably formed on the piece 22, for example on the frame portion 23 and on the bridge portion 24, respectively.

[0027] The piece 21 is fixed by the fixing screws 13 to the cover plate 2 and has a pair of through holes 26 aligned with respective holes 6 in the cover plate 2.

[0028] Also, with reference to Figures 4 and 5, the piece 21 supports a system of levers 27 connecting the control members 5 to respective actuating members 16.

[0029] In particular, the lever system 27 comprises a first and a second lever 31, 32 connected to respective control members 5 and cooperating with respective actuating members 16 of the flush valve to activate respective flush modes.

[0030] The levers 31, 32 are hinged to the mounting counterplate 10, and precisely to the piece 21 of the mounting counterplate 10, for example by means of respective pairs of pins inserted in respective holes formed in the mounting counterplate 10; the levers 31, 32 rotate with respect to the mounting counterplate 10 about respective rotation axes R1, R2 parallel to each other and vertical in use.

[0031] Also, with reference to Figures 6 and 7, each lever 31, 32 extends between a first end 33 and a second end 34 located on opposite sides of the respective rotation axis R1, R2.

[0032] The first end 33 is fastened to the respective control member 5, whereas the second end 34 has a contact surface 35 cooperating with the respective actuating member 16.

[0033] In particular, each lever 31, 32 comprises a central body 36 hinged to the mounting counterplate 10 along the respective rotation axis R1, R2, and a pair of opposite arms 37, 38, which project from respective opposite longitudinal ends of the central body 36 and on opposite sides of the central body 36, and define the respective end pairs 33, 34.

[0034] The levers 31, 32 are shaped so that the respective ends 33, 34 are located on opposite sides of both rotation axes R1, R2. In other words, the levers 31, 32 cross each other.

[0035] Each lever 31, 32 is actuated by a respective control member 5.

[0036] Each control member 5 comprises a wire 40, which has a first end 41 fixed to the end 33 of the respective lever 31, 32, for example by means of a head 42 engaging a seat 43 formed at the end 33. The wire 40, optionally housed in a groove 44, is inserted in a wire gland 45 oriented perpendicular to the rotation axis R1, R2 and aligned with the holes 26, 6 formed in the mounting counterplate 10 (precisely in the piece 21) and in the cover plate 2; the wire 40 is thus arranged through the wire gland 45 and holes 26, 6 and ends with a second end 46 (Figure 1) located outside the assembly 1, in front of the front face 3 of the cover plate 2, to be gripped by the user. The wire gland 45 defines the point where the control member 5 acts on the respective lever 31, 32, exerting a traction force along the wire 40.

[0037] Each of the control members 5 can be operated by the user by traction, that is, by pulling the control member 5, in particular by pulling the end 46 of the control member 5.

[0038] A return spring 47 connects each lever 31, 32 to the mounting counterplate 10 and is configured to bring the lever 31, 32 back to a rest position after being operated by the user through the control member 5.

[0039] In particular, the return spring 47 comprises a metal wire having two opposite ends 48 fastened to respective levers 31, 32, in particular to respective pins 49 protruding from the arms 37 in an intermediate position between the respective rotation axis R1, R2 and the respective wire gland 45; and a central ring 51 fastened to the mounting counterplate 10, in particular to a projection 52 of the piece 21.

[0040] In use, the user can operate the desired flush mode (full flush or partial flush) by pulling one or the other of the control members 5, in particular by pulling the control member 5 vertically downwards.

[0041] The wire 40 of the control member 5 then pulls the arm 37 of the corresponding lever 31, 32, which rotates about the respective rotation axis R1, R2 against the action of the return spring 47. The lever 31, 32 rotates and pushes with its opposite end 34 the respective actuating member 16, to which a substantially horizontal translation movement is then transmitted. The movement of the actuating member 16 opens the flush valve, as is known.

[0042] The return spring 47 then brings the lever 31, 32 back to the rest position.

[0043] Lastly, it is understood that the control plate assembly as described and illustrated herein can be subject to modifications and variations that do not depart from the scope of the accompanying claims.

Claims

1. A control plate assembly (1) for a flushing tank, comprising a mounting counterplate (10), fixable to an external structure and provided with one or more seats (15), each of the one or more seats housing a respective actuating member (16) cooperating, in use, with a flush valve of the flushing tank; a cover plate (2), removably fastened to the mounting counterplate (10) and provided with one or more supports (4), each of the one or more supports supporting a respective control member (5) that can be operated by a user and cooperate with the respective actuating member (16); and at least a first lever (31, 32) hinged to the mounting counterplate (10) and rotating with respect to the mounting counterplate (10) about a rotation axis (R1, R2) and extending between a first end (33) and a second end (34) positioned on opposite sides of the rotation axis (R1, R2), the first end (33) being fastened to the control member (5) and the second end (34) cooperating with the actuating member (16); characterized in that the control member (5) can be operated by the user by traction, by pulling the control member (5), and against the action of a return spring (47); and the control member (5) comprises a wire (40), which is positioned through a hole (6) formed through the cover plate (2) and has a first end (41) fixed to the lever (31, 32) and a second end (46) positioned, in use, in front of a front face (3) of the cover plate (2) to be gripped by the user.

2. The control plate assembly according to claim 1, wherein the return spring (47) connects the lever (31, 32) to the mounting counterplate (10) to bring the lever (31, 32) back to a rest position after being pulled by the user through the control member (5).

3. The control plate assembly according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the lever (31, 32) comprises a central body (36), hinged to the mounting counterplate (10) along the rotation axis (R1, R2), and a pair of opposite arms (37, 38) projecting from respective opposite longitudinal ends of the central body (36) and on opposite sides of the central body (36).

4. The control plate assembly according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the lever (31, 32) is rotatable about a rotation axis (R1, R2) which is vertical in use, and transmits a substantially horizontal movement to the actuating member (16).

5. The control plate assembly according to one of the preceding claims, comprising a first and a second lever (31, 32) connected to respective control members (5) and cooperating with respective actuating members (16) of the flush valve to activate respective flush modes.

6. The control plate assembly according to claim 5, wherein the two levers (31, 32) are hinged to the mounting counterplate (10) and have respective parallel rotation axes (R1, R2); and have respective first ends (33) connected to the respective control members (5) and respective second ends (34) cooperating with the respective actuating members (16); each lever (31, 32) being shaped so that the respective ends (33, 34) are positioned on opposite sides of the rotation axes (R1, R2) of both levers (31, 32).

7. The control plate assembly according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the return spring (47) comprises a metal wire having two opposite ends (48) fastened to respective levers (31, 32) and a central ring (51) fastened to the mounting counterplate (10).

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