Washing water tank device and flush toilet bowl device having the same

Abstract

To provide a washing water tank device capable of being downsized while accurately distributing washing water in a washing water tank.SOLUTION: A washing water tank device (4) of the invention comprises: an outer tank (12); an inner tank (14) disposed in the outer tank; a feed water valve (16); a first drain valve (8) to open and close a first drain port (12a); a second drain valve (10) to switch between discharge and stop of washing water from a second drain port (12b); and a water pressure drive mechanism (18) to open the first drain valve or the second drain valve by feed water pressure of the washing water fed through the feed water valve. A water feed port to feed the washing water to the feed water vale, the first drain port, and the second drain port provided on a bottom of the outer tank are disposed in a width direction of a flush toilet bowl body and are not overlapped with each other on a projection surface in a front-back direction of the flush toilet bowl body.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a flush water tank apparatus, and in particular to a flush water tank apparatus that is attached to a flush toilet body in use so as to supply flush water, and a flush toilet apparatus equipped with the same. [Background technology]

[0002] Chinese Patent Application Publication No. CN111456183 (Patent Document 1) describes a flush toilet. This flush toilet comprises a toilet body with a bowl portion and a water storage tank provided at the rear of the toilet body, with a rim spout provided at the top of the bowl portion and a jet spout provided at the bottom of the bowl portion. The water storage tank is provided with a first drain valve and a second drain valve, and a first mounting hole opened and closed by the first drain valve is connected to a water supply pipe extending from the rim spout, and a second mounting hole opened and closed by the second drain valve is connected to a water supply pipe extending from the jet spout. This allows flush water to be distributed rationally to each water supply pipe, resulting in a good water-saving effect. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Chinese Patent Application Publication No. CN111456183 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the invention described in Patent Document 1, because a first drain valve and a second drain valve are provided in a single water storage tank, the flush water discharged through the first drain valve and the flush water discharged through the second drain valve affect each other. As a result, it is difficult to precisely set the amount of flush water discharged through the first drain valve and the amount of flush water discharged through the second drain valve, and there is a problem that sufficient flushing effect and water-saving effect cannot be obtained. Furthermore, if two drain valves are provided in a water storage tank, the bottom area of ​​the water storage tank taken up by the drain valves increases, resulting in the problem of the water storage tank becoming larger.

[0005] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a flush water tank device that can be made compact while still allowing the flush water stored in the flush water tank to be accurately distributed, and a flush toilet device equipped with the same. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a flush water tank device that is attached to a flush toilet body and used to supply flush water, comprising an outer tank that stores flush water to be supplied to the flush toilet body, an inner tank made of resin that is placed inside this outer tank and stores flush water to be supplied to the flush toilet body, a water supply valve that switches the supply and stop of flush water to be stored in the outer tank and inner tank, and a first drain valve that is placed inside the outer tank but outside the inner tank and switches the discharge and stop of flush water to the flush toilet body by opening and closing a first drain outlet formed in the outer tank. The toilet comprises a drain valve, a second drain valve that is located within the inner tank and opens and closes the drain outlet formed in the inner tank to switch between discharging and stopping flush water from a second drain outlet formed in the outer tank to the flush toilet body so as to match the drain outlet, and a hydraulic drive mechanism that opens the first drain valve or the second drain valve using the water supply pressure of flush water supplied via the water supply valve, and is characterized in that the water supply port that supplies flush water to the water supply valve, the first drain outlet, and the second drain outlet, which are located on the bottom surface of the outer tank, are arranged side by side in the width direction of the flush toilet body and do not overlap each other on a projection plane in the front-to-back direction of the flush toilet body.

[0007] According to the present invention configured in this manner, opening the first drain valve drains flush water stored in the outer tank outside the inner tank, and opening the second drain valve drains flush water stored in the inner tank. This allows the amount of flush water supplied to the flush toilet body via each drain valve to be accurately distributed, thereby improving flushing efficiency and water conservation. Furthermore, because the inner tank is made of resin, its walls can be made thin, reducing the volume occupied by the inner tank and allowing the tank to be made more compact. Furthermore, because the inner tank is made of resin, it can be formed into a complex shape, allowing the inner tank to be placed in a small gap within the outer tank, allowing a large-volume inner tank to be placed in a narrow space. Furthermore, the water supply port that supplies flush water to the water supply valve, the first drain port, and the second drain port are arranged side by side in the width direction of the flush toilet body and do not overlap each other on a front-to-back projection of the flush toilet body. This allows the tank depth to be made small even when two drain valves are installed.

[0008] In the present invention, preferably, flush water discharged through the first drain outlet is discharged from the rim spout of the flush toilet main body, and flush water discharged through the second drain outlet is discharged from the jet spout of the flush toilet main body.

[0009] According to the present invention configured in this way, flush water discharged through the first drain outlet is discharged from the rim spout, and flush water discharged through the second drain outlet is discharged from the jet spout, so the amount of flush water discharged from the rim spout and jet spout can be accurately regulated. Furthermore, because resin inner tanks have small manufacturing errors and little variation in volume, the amount of flush water supplied from the inner tank from the jet spout can be stabilized.

[0010] In the present invention, the second drain port is preferably formed so that its center is located forward of the center line of the bottom surface of the outer tank in the front-rear direction.

[0011] Flush water in the inner tank flows through the second drain outlet into the water conduit inside the flush toilet body. At the upstream end of this water conduit, there is a space where air stagnates during flush standby, and when flushing begins, this space must be filled with flush water flowing in from the second drain outlet. According to the present invention configured as described above, the center of the second drain outlet is located forward of the front-to-rear centerline of the bottom surface of the outer tank, making it possible to shorten the water conduit from the second drain outlet to the jet spout. As a result, the space where air stagnates within the water conduit can be reduced, reducing the amount of flush water required to fill the space and allowing more flush water to be used for flushing.

[0012] In the present invention, the first drain port is preferably formed so that its center is located forward of the center line of the bottom surface of the outer tank in the front-rear direction.

[0013] According to the present invention configured in this way, the centre of the first drain outlet is formed to be located forward of the front-to-rear centre line of the bottom of the outer tank, so it is possible to shorten the water conduit from the first drain outlet to the rim spout. As a result, the space in the water conduit where air stagnates can be reduced, the amount of flush water required to fill the space is reduced and more flush water can be used for flushing.

[0014] In the present invention, the first drain outlet and the second drain outlet are preferably formed so that the center of the first drain outlet and the center of the second drain outlet are offset from each other in the front-rear direction of the outer tank.

[0015] According to the present invention configured in this manner, the centers of the first drain outlet and the second drain outlet are formed so that they are offset from each other in the front-to-back direction of the outer tank, making it possible to position the first drain outlet and the second drain outlet close together in the width direction of the flush toilet body, and making it possible to configure the width of the outer tank to be small.

[0016] In the present invention, preferably, a seat surface on which the second drain valve is seated is provided inside the inner tank, and this seat surface is made of a member separate from the inner tank.

[0017] Generally, the seat surface of the drain valve can be damaged by foreign matter getting caught in it, and is therefore more likely to require maintenance than the tank body. According to the present invention configured as described above, the seat surface of the second drain valve is made of a separate member from the inner tank, so that only the seat surface can be replaced as needed, making maintenance easier.

[0018] The present invention is also a flush toilet device that is flushed with flush water stored in a flush water tank, characterized by having a flush toilet main body provided with a bowl portion, a rim spout, and a jet spout, and a flush water tank device of the present invention that supplies flush water to the rim spout and jet spout of this flush toilet main body. [Effects of the Invention]

[0019] The flush water tank device of the present invention, and the flush toilet device equipped with it, makes it possible to accurately distribute the flush water stored in the flush water tank, while also making it possible to reduce the size of the flush water tank device. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of a flush toilet apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a top view showing the schematic configuration of a flush toilet apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a front cross-sectional view showing the general configuration of a flush water tank apparatus provided in a flush toilet apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of a ball tap built into a flush water tank device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5]1 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of a water pressure drive mechanism built into a flush water tank assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 4 is a time chart showing the operation of a flush toilet device according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] Next, a flush water tank apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and a flush toilet apparatus equipped with the same, will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of a flush toilet apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a top view showing the general configuration of a flush toilet apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 3 is a front cross-sectional view showing the general configuration of a flush water tank apparatus provided in a flush toilet apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of a ball tap built into a flush water tank apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of a water pressure drive mechanism built into a flush water tank apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, a flush toilet apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention is made up of a flush toilet main body 2 and a flush water tank apparatus 4 located at the rear of this flush toilet main body 2. The flush toilet apparatus 1 of this embodiment is configured so that flushing is carried out by operating a lever handle 4a provided on the flush water tank apparatus 4 after use.

[0023] The flush toilet body 2 comprises a bowl portion 2a and a drain trap pipe 2b extending from the bottom of the bowl portion 2a. A rim water outlet 2c is provided on the upper edge of the bowl portion 2a, and a jet water outlet 2d is provided on the bottom of the bowl portion 2a. When flushing the toilet, flush water is discharged from the rim water outlet 2c and the jet water outlet 2d at a predetermined timing, cleaning the waste receiving surface of the bowl portion 2a and discharging the waste and flush water from within the bowl portion 2a into the drain trap pipe 2b. The waste and flush water discharged into the drain trap pipe 2b pass through a drain socket (not shown) and are discharged into the sewer pipe (not shown).

[0024] Flush water is supplied to the flush water tank apparatus 4 from a water supply source 6 such as a tap, and the supplied flush water is stored inside the flush water tank apparatus 4. The flush water tank apparatus 4 also has a first drain valve 8 and a second drain valve 10 built in, which are configured to open and close drain ports provided at the bottom of the flush water tank apparatus 4, respectively.

[0025] In this embodiment, by opening the first drain valve 8, flush water passes through the rim water conduit 2e formed inside the flush toilet main body 2, and is discharged from the rim water spout 2c. Also, by opening the second drain valve 10, flush water passes through the jet water conduit 2f formed inside the flush toilet main body 2, and is discharged from the jet water spout 2d.

[0026] Next, the internal structure of the flush water tank device 4 will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the flush water tank device 4 has an outer tank 12, an inner tank 14 arranged inside the outer tank, a first drain valve 8 arranged in the outer tank 12, a second drain valve 10 arranged in the inner tank 14, a ball tap 16 which is a water supply valve, and a water hydraulic drive mechanism 18.

[0027] The outer tank 12 and inner tank 14 are containers configured to store flush water to be supplied to the flush toilet body 2. In this embodiment, the outer tank 12 is made of ceramic, and the inner tank 14, which is placed inside this outer tank 12, is made of resin.

[0028] 3, a first drain outlet 12a and a second drain outlet 12b are provided on the bottom surface of the outer tank 12, and in this embodiment, these drain outlets are configured to be circular. Here, flush water stored inside the outer tank 12 (and outside the inner tank 14) flows into the rim water conduit 2e of the flush toilet main body 2 through the first drain outlet 12a, and flush water stored in the inner tank 14 flows into the jet water conduit 2f of the flush toilet main body 2 through the second drain outlet 12b.

[0029] The inner tank 14 is placed on the bottom surface of the outer tank 12, and a circular outlet 14a is formed in the bottom surface of the inner tank 14. This outlet 14a of the inner tank 14 is arranged concentrically so as to match with the second drain outlet 12b provided in the outer tank 12. That is, in this embodiment, the center of the circular second drain outlet 12b and the circular outlet 14a coincide when viewed from above. For this reason, flush water in the inner tank 14 flows into the jet water conduit 2f of the flush toilet body 2 through the outlet 14a of the inner tank 14 and the second drain outlet 12b of the outer tank 12.

[0030] 3, in this embodiment, the discharge port 14a of the inner tank 14 is formed by a discharge port forming member 14b that is formed separately from the main body of the inner tank 14. This discharge port forming member 14b is a cylindrical member that is attached watertight to the bottom surface of the inner tank 14 and forms the discharge port 14a inside. In addition, a seat surface is provided at the upper end of the discharge port forming member 14b, and the discharge port 14a is closed when the second drain valve 10 sits on this seat surface. Therefore, in this embodiment, the seat surface on which the second drain valve 10 sits is formed by a member separate from the inner tank 14.

[0031] 2, the outer tank 12 of the flush water tank device 4 is configured in a generally rectangular shape when viewed from above, with a long width (the direction of arrow W in FIG. 2) of the flush toilet main body 2 and a short depth (the direction of arrow D in FIG. 2). The inner tank 14, which is placed inside the outer tank 12, is also configured in a top view that is long widthwise and short depthwise, and is an irregular shape so as to avoid the first drain valve 8 and ball tap 16.

[0032] Specifically, in this embodiment, a ball tap 16 is disposed at the front left end (lower left corner in FIG. 2) inside the outer tank 12, and a first drain valve 8 is disposed at the front right end (lower right corner in FIG. 2). The inner tank 14 is configured such that the front portions at both widthwise ends are cut out when viewed from above to avoid the ball tap 16 and the first drain valve 8.

[0033] In other words, the inner tank 14 is formed so that its depth is greater at the center in the width direction and smaller at both width direction ends than at the center. The second drain valve 10 is located in the part of the inner tank 14 where the depth is greater at the center. Also, the ball tap 16 and the first drain valve 8 are located in the space freed up by reducing the depth of the inner tank 14 at both width direction ends. In this way, by forming the inner tank 14 into an irregular shape from resin, sufficient volume is ensured for the inner tank 14 while keeping the depth dimension of the flush water tank device 4 down. Also, because the resin inner tank 14 can have thinner walls than an inner tank 14 made of ceramic, the volume within the outer tank 12 can be used effectively.

[0034] Next, the first drain valve 8 is a valve element arranged to open and close the first drain outlet 12a provided in the outer tank 12, and the first drain outlet 12a is opened when the first drain valve 8 is pulled upward. This causes flush water in the outer tank 12 to be discharged into the rim water conduit 2e (Figure 1) of the flush toilet main body 2 and then ejected from the rim spout 2c. Therefore, the first drain valve 8 switches between discharging and stopping flush water to the flush toilet main body 2 by opening and closing the first drain outlet 12a provided in the outer tank 12.

[0035] In this embodiment, the user rotates the lever handle 4a provided on the flush water tank device 4, which pulls the ball chain 8a (Fig. 3) connected to the first drain valve 8, thereby lifting up the first drain valve 8. As a variation, the present invention can also be configured so that the first drain valve 8 is lifted and flushing is performed based on a control signal from a remote control device (not shown) or a detection signal from a human presence sensor (not shown).

[0036] The second drain valve 10 is a valve element arranged to open and close the discharge port 14a provided on the inner tank 14, and by pulling the second drain valve 10 upward, the second drain valve 10 lifts off the seat surface of the discharge port 14a, opening the discharge port 14a. As a result, flush water in the inner tank 14 is discharged from the discharge port 14a, passes through the second drain port 12b, flows into the jet water conduit 2f (Figure 1) of the flush toilet main body 2, and is discharged from the jet spout 2d. Therefore, by opening and closing the discharge port 14a formed in the inner tank 14, the second drain valve 10 switches between discharging and stopping flush water from the second drain port 12b formed in the outer tank 12 to align with the discharge port 14a into the flush toilet main body 2.

[0037] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the second drain valve 10 is configured to be pulled up from the discharge port 14a by the water hydraulic drive mechanism 18. That is, the second drain valve 10 is a valve body equipped with a valve stem 10a that extends upward, and the valve stem 10a is pulled up by the water hydraulic drive mechanism 18. Then, when the second drain valve 10 is pulled up to a predetermined height, it is separated from the water hydraulic drive mechanism 18 and gently descends to close the discharge port 14a. The configuration of the water hydraulic drive mechanism 18 will be described later.

[0038] Furthermore, the ball tap 16, which is a water supply valve, is configured so that cleaning water supplied from the water supply source 6 flows in through the inlet pipe 16a, and switches on and off the supply of cleaning water to be stored in the outer tank 12 and the inner tank 14.

[0039] Next, the configuration of the ball tap 16 will be described with reference to FIG. 4, the ball tap 16 has a main body 20 to which the inlet pipe 16a and the outlet pipe 16b are connected, a main valve element 20a arranged within this main body 20, a valve seat 20b on which this main valve element 20a sits, an arm 24 that is rotated by a float 22, and a pilot valve 26 that is moved by the rotation of this arm 24. In other words, the ball tap 16 is equipped with a float 22 that operates in conjunction with the water level within the flush water tank device 4, and is configured to supply flush water to the water pressure drive mechanism 18 when the float 22 drops to a predetermined position.

[0040] The main body 20 is a component having a connection for the inlet pipe 16a at its bottom and a connection for the outlet pipe 16b on one side. A valve seat 20b is formed inside the main body 20, and this valve seat 20b is connected to the outlet pipe 16b connected to the connection. A main valve element 20a is disposed inside the main body 20 to open and close the valve seat 20b. When the valve is open, tap water flowing in from the inlet pipe 16a passes through the valve seat 20b and flows out into the outlet pipe 16b. The outlet pipe 16b is connected to a water hydraulic drive mechanism 18.

[0041] The main valve element 20a is a generally disc-shaped diaphragm-type valve element that is attached inside the main body 20 so that it can seat on and lift off from the valve seat 20b. A bleed hole 20c is provided around the periphery of the main valve element 20a. A pressure chamber 20d is formed inside the main body 20 on the opposite side of the main valve element 20a from the valve seat 20b (the left side in FIG. 4). That is, the pressure chamber 20d is defined by the inner wall surface of the main body 20 and the main valve element 20a. When the pressure inside this pressure chamber 20d increases, this pressure presses the main valve element 20a against the valve seat 20b, causing it to seat on the valve seat 20b.

[0042] Furthermore, a pressure passage 20e extends upward to communicate with the pressure chamber 20d provided within the main body 20, and a pilot valve port 26a is provided at the upper end of this pressure passage 20e. This pilot valve port 26a opens upward and is configured to be opened and closed by the pilot valve 26.

[0043] Meanwhile, the float 22 is supported by an arm portion 24, which is rotatably supported by a support shaft 24a. Furthermore, a pilot valve 26 is connected to the arm portion 24, and the pilot valve 26 moves up and down as the arm portion 24 rotates. In this embodiment, the float 22 is disposed in the outer tank 12 and moves up and down depending on the water level in the outer tank 12. As a result, when the water level in the outer tank 12 rises above a predetermined water level, the float 22 is pushed upward, which in turn moves the pilot valve 26 downward, seating on and closing the pilot valve port 26a. On the other hand, when flush water is drained from the outer tank 12 and the water level drops, the float 22 moves downward, which moves the pilot valve 26 upward, opening the pilot valve port 26a. Therefore, during standby for toilet flushing when the water level in the outer tank 12 is higher than the predetermined water level, the pilot valve port 26a of the main body 20 is in a closed state.

[0044] Furthermore, tap water that flows into the main body 20 from the inlet pipe 16a flows into the annular space around the valve seat 20b, and from there flows into the pressure chamber 20d through the bleed hole 20c in the main valve element 20a. When the pilot valve port 26a is closed by the pilot valve 26, there is no path for the tap water that has flowed into the pressure chamber 20d from the bleed hole 20c to flow out, and the pressure in the pressure chamber 20d rises. When the pressure in the pressure chamber 20d rises in this way, this pressure presses the main valve element 20a toward the valve seat 20b (to the right in FIG. 4), and the valve seat 20b is closed by the main valve element 20a.

[0045] On the other hand, when the first drain valve 8 is opened by the flushing operation and the water level in the outer tank 12 falls below a predetermined level, the float 22 moves down, the pilot valve 26 moves upward, and the pilot valve port 26a opens. When the pilot valve port 26a opens, water in the pressure chamber 20d flows out through the pilot valve port 26a, and the pressure in the pressure chamber 20d drops. This causes the main valve element 20a to move away from the valve seat 20b (to the left in FIG. 4), opening the valve seat 20b. In this way, with the pilot valve port 26a open, the pressure in the pressure chamber 20d does not increase, and the valve seat 20b remains open.

[0046] Next, the configuration of the water hydraulic drive mechanism 18 will be described with reference to FIG. Water hydraulic drive mechanism 18 is configured to drive second drain valve 10 using the water supply pressure of flush water supplied to flush water tank device 4 from the water main. Specifically, water hydraulic drive mechanism 18 has a cylinder 18a into which water supplied from ball tap 16 flows, a piston 18b slidably disposed within cylinder 18a, and a rod 28 that protrudes from the lower end of cylinder 18a and drives second drain valve 10. Furthermore, spring 18c is disposed inside cylinder 18a and urges piston 18b downward, and a packing is attached to piston 18b to ensure watertightness between the inner wall surface of cylinder 18a and piston 18b. Furthermore, a clutch mechanism 30 is provided at the lower end of rod 28, and clutch mechanism 30 connects and disconnects rod 28 and valve stem 10a of second drain valve 10.

[0047] Cylinder 18a is a cylindrical member that is disposed with its axis oriented vertically and that slidably receives piston 18b inside. An outlet pipe 16b extending from ball tap 16 is connected to the lower end of cylinder 18a, allowing flush water flowing out from ball tap 16 to flow into cylinder 18a. As a result, piston 18b inside cylinder 18a is pushed up against the biasing force of spring 18c by the water that has flowed into cylinder 18a.

[0048] Meanwhile, an outflow hole is provided at the upper end of cylinder 18a, and water supply pipe 32 is connected to this outflow hole. Therefore, when water flows into cylinder 18a from outflow pipe 16b connected to the bottom of cylinder 18a, piston 18b is pushed upward from the bottom of cylinder 18a. Then, when piston 18b is pushed up to a position above the outflow hole, the water that flowed into cylinder 18a flows out from the outflow hole into water supply pipe 32. In addition, flush water that flows into water supply pipe 32 flows into inner tank 14.

[0049] Rod 28 is a rod-shaped member connected to the underside of piston 18b, and extends through a through-hole formed in the bottom surface of cylinder 18a so as to protrude downward from within cylinder 18a. Furthermore, valve stem 10a of second drain valve 10 is connected to the lower end of rod 28 via clutch mechanism 30, and rod 28 connects piston 18b and second drain valve 10. Therefore, when water flows into cylinder 18a and pushes up piston 18b, rod 28 connected to piston 18b lifts second drain valve 10 upward, and second drain valve 10 opens.

[0050] Furthermore, a gap is provided between the rod 28 protruding from below the cylinder 18a and the inner wall of the through-hole of the cylinder 18a, and some of the water that flows into the cylinder 18a flows out through this gap. The water that flows out through the gap flows into the inner tank 14. Note that because this gap is relatively narrow and has high flow resistance, even when water flows out through the gap, the water flowing into the cylinder 18a from the outflow pipe 16b increases the pressure inside the cylinder 18a, and the piston 18b is pushed up against the biasing force of the spring 18c.

[0051] Furthermore, the clutch mechanism 30 detachably connects the rod 28 and the second drain valve 10. When the second drain valve 10 is lifted a predetermined distance together with the rod 28, the clutch mechanism 30 is configured to disconnect the valve stem 10a of the second drain valve 10 from the rod 28. With the clutch mechanism 30 in a disconnected state, the second drain valve 10 is no longer linked to the movement of the piston 18b and the rod 28, and the second drain valve 10 descends as the water level in the inner tank 14 drops, closing the discharge port 14a of the inner tank 14.

[0052] Next, the layout of each component provided in the flush water tank device 4 will be explained with reference to FIGS. As described above, flush water stored in the outer tank 12 of the flush water tank device 4 is supplied to the flush toilet main body 2 through the first drain outlet 12a by opening the first drain valve 8. Furthermore, flush water stored in the inner tank 14 is supplied to the flush toilet main body 2 through the discharge outlet 14a provided in the inner tank 14 and the second drain outlet 12b provided in the outer tank 12 by opening the second drain valve 10.

[0053] Meanwhile, the supply and stop of flush water to be stored in the outer tank 12 and the inner tank 14 is switched on and off by a ball tap 16, and flush water is supplied to the ball tap 16 from the water mains via an inlet pipe 16a (Fig. 4). This inlet pipe 16a passes through a water supply port 12c provided on the bottom surface of the outer tank 12 and is connected to the ball tap 16. That is, in this embodiment, three circular holes are provided on the bottom surface of the ceramic outer tank 12: a first drain port 12a, a second drain port 12b, and a water supply port 12c that supplies flush water to the ball tap 16.

[0054] As shown in Figure 2, in this embodiment, a first drain outlet 12a, a second drain outlet 12b, and a water supply outlet 12c are lined up on the bottom surface of the outer tank 12, starting from the right side in the width direction of the flush toilet body 2. These first drain outlet 12a, second drain outlet 12b, and water supply outlet 12c do not overlap each other on the projection plane P in the front-to-back direction of the flush toilet body 2. In other words, the projections p1, p2, and p3 of the first drain outlet 12a, second drain outlet 12b, and water supply outlet 12c onto the projection plane P do not overlap each other, but are offset. By arranging the first drain outlet 12a, second drain outlet 12b, and water supply outlet 12c so that they do not overlap each other on the projection plane P in the front-to-back direction in this way, it is possible to reduce the depth dimension of the outer tank 12, even if two drain valves are provided.

[0055] In this embodiment, the first drain outlet 12a, the second drain outlet 12b, and the water inlet 12c are arranged in order from the right side in the width direction, but as a modified example, the first drain outlet 12a, the second drain outlet 12b, and the water inlet 12c can also be arranged in order from the left side in the width direction. Alternatively, the order of the first drain outlet 12a, the second drain outlet 12b, and the water inlet 12c can be changed as appropriate.

[0056] 2, the center C2 of the second drain outlet 12b is located forward of the center line CL in the front-to-rear direction of the bottom surface of the outer tank 12. In this manner, in this embodiment, the center C2 of the second drain outlet 12b is located forward of the center line CL in the front-to-rear direction of the bottom surface of the outer tank 12, so that the jet water conduit 2f extending from the second drain outlet 12b to the jet water spouting outlet 2d can be shortened.

[0057] 2, the center C1 of the first drain outlet 12a is also located forward of the center line CL in the front-to-rear direction of the bottom surface of the outer tank 12. In this way, in this embodiment, the center C1 of the first drain outlet 12a is located forward of the center line CL in the front-to-rear direction of the bottom surface of the outer tank 12, so that the rim water conduit 2e extending from the first drain outlet 12a to the rim water spout 2c can be shortened.

[0058] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2, the center C1 of the first drain outlet 12a and the center C2 of the second drain outlet 12b are formed so that they are offset from each other in the front-to-rear direction of the outer tank 12. In this way, because the center C1 of the first drain outlet 12a and the center C2 of the second drain outlet 12b are formed so that they are offset from each other in the front-to-rear direction of the outer tank 12, it is possible to position the first drain outlet 12a and the second drain outlet 12b close together in the width direction of the flush toilet body 2, making it possible to configure the outer tank 12 to be smaller in width.

[0059] Next, with new reference to FIG. 6, the operation of the flush toilet apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be explained. FIG. 6 is a time chart showing the operation of a flush toilet device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing, from the top, the jet water spouting state, the rim water spouting state, and the ball tap state.

[0060] First, in the standby state for toilet flushing, the first drain port 12a of the outer tank 12 and the discharge port 14a of the inner tank 14 are closed by the first drain valve 8 and the second drain valve 10, respectively. Also, in the standby state, the initial water level in the outer tank 12 is higher than a predetermined water level, which causes the pilot valve port 26a of the main body 20 (FIG. 4) of the ball tap 16 to be in a closed state, and the valve seat 20b is closed by the main valve body 20a.

[0061] Next, at time t1 in Figure 6, when the user rotates the lever handle 4a (Figure 3) of the flush water tank device 4 to flush the toilet, the ball chain 8a connected to it pulls up the first drain valve 8. This separates the first drain valve 8 from the first drain outlet 12a, opening the first drain outlet 12a. When the first drain outlet 12a is opened, flush water that had been stored in the outer tank 12 (outside the inner tank 14) flows from the first drain outlet 12a into the rim water conduit 2e (Figure 2) and is discharged from the rim water outlet 2c. The rim water discharge from the rim water outlet 2c creates a swirling flow on the waste receiving surface of the bowl portion 2a, cleaning the waste receiving surface.

[0062] Here, in the standby state with the first drain outlet 12a closed, there is no flush water within the rim water conduit 2e. In this embodiment, the centre C1 of the first drain outlet 12a is positioned forward of the front-to-rear centre line CL of the bottom of the outer tank 12 (Figure 2), so the rim water conduit 2e that runs from the first drain outlet 12a to the rim water spout 2c is configured to be relatively short. For this reason, when the first drain outlet 12a is opened, the rim water conduit 2e is filled with water in a short time, allowing flush water to be discharged early from the rim water spout 2c with high head pressure.

[0063] As flush water is discharged from the first drain port 12a, the water level in the outer tank 12 drops. This causes the float 22 of the ball tap 16 to drop, opening the pilot valve 26 (Figure 4). This causes the pressure in the pressure chamber 20d to drop, opening the main valve body 20a, and flush water begins to be supplied to the water pressure drive mechanism 18 through the outflow pipe 16b.

[0064] When flush water is supplied to the water pressure drive mechanism 18, the flush water that flows into the cylinder 18a (Fig. 5) pushes up the piston 18b against the biasing force of the spring 18c. This causes the rod 28 connected to the piston 18b to pull up the valve stem 10a of the second drain valve 10, opening the outlet 14a of the inner tank 14. In other words, the second drain valve 10 is driven and opened by the water supply pressure of the tap water supplied via the ball tap 16.

[0065] As a result, at time t2 in Figure 6, the discharge port 14a opens, and the flush water stored in the inner tank 14 flows through the discharge port 14a and second drain port 12b into the jet water conduit 2f (Figure 2), and is discharged from the jet water outlet 2d. The jet water discharged from the jet water outlet 2d fills the drain trap pipe 2b, inducing a siphon action. The siphon action causes the accumulated water and waste in the bowl portion 2a to be sucked into the drain trap pipe 2b, and is discharged into the sewer pipe (not shown).

[0066] Here, when the discharge outlet 14a is closed, the inside of the jet water conduit 2f is filled with flush water up to the level of the water surface in the bowl section 2a, and no flush water is present in the space above this water surface. Therefore, before the second drain valve 10 is opened, no flush water is present at the upstream end of the jet water conduit 2f. And in this embodiment, the center C2 of the second drain outlet 12b is positioned forward of the center line CL in the front-to-rear direction of the bottom surface of the outer tank 12 (Figure 2), so the jet water conduit 2f from the second drain outlet 12b to the jet water spouting outlet 2d is configured to be relatively short.

[0067] For this reason, when the second drain valve 10 is opened, the space in the jet water conduit 2f where there is no flush water is filled with water in a short time, allowing flush water to be discharged from the jet water spouting outlet 2d early on. In particular, the flush water that is initially discharged from the second drain outlet 12b (discharge outlet 14a) has a high head pressure because the water level in the inner tank 14 is high. In this embodiment, the space in the jet water conduit 2f where there is no flush water is configured to be relatively small, so flush water with a high head pressure immediately after draining begins is unlikely to be wasted by filling the space where there is no flush water. As a result, flush water with a high head pressure can be used effectively to flush the toilet, and the instantaneous flow rate of flush water discharged from the jet water spouting outlet 2d can be increased.

[0068] Meanwhile, when the second drain valve 10 is raised to a predetermined height together with the piston 18b of the water hydraulic drive mechanism 18, the valve stem 10a of the second drain valve 10 is separated from the rod 28 by the clutch mechanism 30 (Fig. 5). As a result, the second drain valve 10 descends toward the discharge port 14a as the water level in the inner tank 14 drops. Then, at time t3 in Fig. 6, the second drain valve 10 seats on the discharge port 14a, closing the discharge port 14a. This stops the jet spouting of water from the jet water spouting port 2d.

[0069] When the main valve body 20a of the ball tap 16 is open, flush water supplied from the water supply source 6 (tap water) is supplied to the water pressure drive mechanism 18 via the ball tap 16, and flows into the inner tank 14 through the water supply pipe 32 (Figure 5) connected to the cylinder 18a. For this reason, after the jet water spouting is stopped at time t3 in Figure 6, the water level in the inner tank 14 rises due to the flush water flowing in from the water supply pipe 32.

[0070] Meanwhile, because the first drain valve 8 is still open, flush water in the outer tank 12 flows out from the first drain outlet 12a, and the water level in the outer tank 12 continues to drop. Then, at time t4 in Figure 6, when the water level in the outer tank 12 drops to a predetermined dead water level, the first drain valve 8 seats on the first drain outlet 12a and the first drain valve 8 closes. This stops rim spouting from the rim spout outlet 2c.

[0071] Furthermore, even after the first drain valve 8 is closed, the main valve body 20a of the ball tap 16 remains open, so flush water supplied from the water supply source 6 (tap water) flows into the inner tank 14 from the water supply pipe 32 via the ball tap 16 and the water pressure drive mechanism 18. This causes the water level in the inner tank 14 to rise. Then, at time t5 in Figure 6, when the inner tank 14 is full, the flush water that flowed into the inner tank 14 from the water supply pipe 32 overflows and flows into the outer tank 12. This causes the water level in the outer tank 12 to begin to rise.

[0072] Next, when the water level in the outer tank 12 rises to a predetermined water level, the float 22 of the ball tap 16 rises and the pilot valve 26 (Fig. 4) is closed. When the pilot valve 26 is closed in this way, flush water that has flowed into the pressure chamber 20d from the bleed hole 20c provided in the main valve element 20a of the ball tap 16 cannot flow out, and the pressure in the pressure chamber 20d rises. Then, at time t6 in Fig. 6, the pressure in the pressure chamber 20d presses the main valve element 20a so that it seats on the valve seat 20b, and the main valve element 20a is closed. This stops the water supply from the water supply source 6 to the water pressure drive mechanism 18 via the ball tap 16, and stops the supply of flush water into the inner tank 14.

[0073] When the water supply to the water hydraulic drive mechanism 18 is stopped, the piston 18b (Figure 5) inside the cylinder 18a, which had been pushed up by the water supply, is pushed down by the biasing force of the spring 18c. As a result, the rod 28 attached to the piston 18b also drops. When the rod 28 drops to a predetermined position, the clutch mechanism 30 reconnects the rod 28 to the valve stem 10a of the second drain valve 10. This completes one toilet flush, and the flush toilet device 1 returns to its standby state for toilet flushing.

[0074] According to the flush water tank apparatus 4 of the embodiment of the present invention, opening the first drain valve 8 drains flush water stored in the outer tank 12 outside the inner tank 14, and opening the second drain valve 10 drains flush water stored in the inner tank 14, so the amount of flush water supplied to the flush toilet body 2 via each drain valve can be accurately distributed, thereby improving flushing efficiency and water conservation. Also, because the inner tank 14 is made of resin, the walls that make it up can be made thin, and the volume occupied by providing the inner tank 14 is reduced, allowing the tank to be made more compact. Furthermore, because the inner tank 14 is made of resin, it can be formed into a complex shape, making it possible to place the inner tank 14 in a small gap within the outer tank 12, allowing a large-volume inner tank 14 to be placed in a narrow space. Furthermore, the water supply port 12c, first drain port 12a, and second drain port 12b that supply flushing water to the ball tap 16 are arranged side by side in the width direction of the flush toilet body 2, and do not overlap each other on the projection plane P in the front-to-back direction of the flush toilet body 2, so even if two drain valves are installed, the depth dimension of the tank can be made small.

[0075] Furthermore, according to the flush water tank device 4 of this embodiment, flush water discharged through the first drain outlet 12a is discharged from the rim water spout 2c, and flush water discharged through the second drain outlet 12b is discharged from the jet water spout 2d, so the amount of flush water respectively discharged from the rim water spout 2c and the jet water spout 2d can be accurately regulated. Furthermore, because the resin inner tank 14 has small manufacturing errors and little variation in volume, the amount of flush water supplied from the inner tank 14 from the jet water spout 2d can be stabilized.

[0076] Furthermore, according to the flush water tank apparatus 4 of this embodiment, the centre C2 of the second drain outlet 12b is located forward of the centre line CL in the front-to-rear direction of the bottom surface of the outer tank 12, so it is possible to shorten the jet water conduit 2f that runs from the second drain outlet 12b to the jet water spouting outlet 2d. As a result, the space in the water conduit where air stagnates can be reduced, the amount of flush water required to fill the space is reduced and more flush water can be used for flushing.

[0077] Furthermore, according to the flush water tank apparatus 4 of this embodiment, the centre C1 of the first drain outlet 12a is formed so that it is positioned forward of the centre line CL in the front-to-rear direction of the bottom surface of the outer tank 12, so it is possible to shorten the rim water conduit 2e that runs from the first drain outlet 12a to the rim water spout 2c. As a result, the space in the water conduit where air stagnates can be reduced, reducing the amount of flush water needed to fill the space and allowing more flush water to be used for flushing.

[0078] Furthermore, according to the flush water tank device 4 of this embodiment, the center C1 of the first drain outlet 12a and the center C2 of the second drain outlet 12b are formed so that they are offset from each other in the front-to-rear direction of the outer tank 12, making it possible to position the first drain outlet 12a and the second drain outlet 12b close to each other in the width direction of the flush toilet body 2, and making it possible to configure the width of the outer tank 12 to be small.

[0079] Furthermore, according to the flush water tank device 4 of this embodiment, the seat surface (the upper end surface of the drain outlet forming member 14b) of the second drain valve 10 is made of a material separate from the inner tank 14, so that only the seat surface can be replaced as needed, making maintenance easier.

[0080] The above has described a flush water tank apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and a flush toilet apparatus equipped with it, but various modifications can be made to the above-described embodiment. In particular, in the above-described embodiment, flush water stored in the inner tank was discharged from the jet spout, and flush water stored in the outer tank was discharged from the rim spout. However, as a modified example, the present invention can also be configured so that flush water from the inner tank is discharged from the rim spout, and flush water from the outer tank is discharged from the jet spout. Alternatively, the present invention can be applied to a flush water tank apparatus that supplies flush water to a flush toilet main body that has a spout other than a rim spout or jet spout.

[0081] In addition, in the above-described embodiment, a ball tap was used as the water supply valve that switches the supply and stop of flush water to be stored in the outer tank and the inner tank, but a water supply valve other than a ball tap can also be used. Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the second drain valve was driven by a water pressure drive mechanism, but the present invention can also be configured so that the first drain valve is driven by a water pressure drive mechanism. [Explanation of symbols]

[0082] 1 Flush toilet device 2 Flush toilet body 2a Bowl section 2b Drain trap pipe 2c Rim Spout 2d jet spout 2e Rim Waterway 2F Jet Waterway 4. Cleaning water tank device 4a Lever handle 6 Water source 8. First drain valve 8a Chain 10 Second drain valve 10a valve stem 12 outer tank 12a 1st drain 12b 2nd drain 12c water inlet 14 Inner tank 14a Outlet 14b Drain hole forming member 16 Ball tap (water supply valve) 16a Inlet pipe 16b Outflow pipe 18 Water Hydraulic Drive Mechanism 18a cylinder 18b piston 18c spring 20 Main body 20a Main valve body 20b Valve seat 20c bleed hole 20d pressure chamber 20e Pressure passage 22 Float 24 Arm section 24a Support shaft 26 Pilot valve 26a Pilot valve port 28 Rod 30 Clutch mechanism 32 Water supply pipe

Claims

1. A flush water tank device that is attached to a flush toilet body to supply flush water, an outer tank that stores flush water to be supplied to the flush toilet main body; an inner tank made of resin that is placed inside the outer tank and stores flush water to be supplied to the flush toilet body; a water supply valve for switching on and off the supply of flush water to be stored in the outer tank and the inner tank; a first drain valve that is disposed inside the outer tank but outside the inner tank and that switches between discharging and stopping flush water into the flush toilet body by opening and closing a first drain port formed in the outer tank; a second drain valve that is disposed within the inner tank and that switches between discharging and stopping flush water from a second drain outlet formed in the outer tank so as to align with the discharge outlet and into the flush toilet main body by opening and closing a discharge outlet formed in the inner tank; a water pressure drive mechanism that opens the first drain valve or the second drain valve using the water supply pressure of flush water supplied via the water supply valve; and A flush water tank apparatus characterized in that the water supply port that supplies flush water to the water supply valve, the first drain port, and the second drain port, which are provided on the bottom surface of the outer tank, are arranged side by side in the width direction of the flush toilet main body, and do not overlap each other on a projection plane in the front-to-rear direction of the flush toilet main body.

2. 2. A flush water tank device according to claim 1, wherein flush water discharged through the first drain outlet is discharged from a rim spout of the flush toilet body, and flush water discharged through the second drain outlet is discharged from a jet spout of the flush toilet body.

3. 3. A flush water tank apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the second drain port is formed so that its center is located forward of the center line of the bottom surface of the outer tank in the front-to-rear direction.

4. 3. A flush water tank apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the first drain port is formed so that its center is located forward of the center line of the bottom surface of the outer tank in the front-to-rear direction.

5. 3. A flush water tank apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the first drain outlet and the second drain outlet are formed so that the center of the first drain outlet and the center of the second drain outlet are offset from each other in the front-to-rear direction of the outer tank.

6. 3. A flush water tank apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a seat surface on which the second drain valve sits is provided inside the inner tank, and this seat surface is made of a separate member from the inner tank.

7. A flush toilet device that is flushed with flush water stored in a flush water tank, a flush toilet body provided with a bowl portion, a rim spout, and a jet spout; A flush water tank device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, which supplies flush water to the rim spout and the jet spout of the flush toilet body; A flush toilet apparatus comprising:

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