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 stored 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 jet drain valve (10) that is disposed in the outer tank and outside the inner tank and switches between discharge and stop of washing water from a jet water discharge port (2d) disposed on a flush toilet bowl body (2) by opening and closing a first drain port (12a) formed in the outer tank; a rim water discharge switching mechanism (8) that is disposed in the inner tank and switches between discharge and stop of the washing water from a rim water discharge port (2c) of the flush toilet bowl body; and a water pressure drive mechanism (18) to open the jet drain valve by feed water pressure of the washing water fed through the feed water valve.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 is a flush water tank device that is attached to a flush toilet main body and used to supply flush water, and is characterized by having 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 this outer tank and stores flush water to be supplied to the flush toilet main body, a water supply valve that switches the supply and stopping of flush water to be stored in the outer tank and inner tank, a jet drain valve that is placed inside the outer tank but outside the inner tank and opens and closes a first drain outlet formed in the outer tank to switch the discharge of flush water from a jet spout provided in the flush toilet main body on and off, a rim water discharge switching mechanism that is placed inside the inner tank and switches the discharge of flush water from the rim water discharge outlet of the flush toilet main body on and off, and a water pressure drive mechanism that opens the jet drain valve using the water supply pressure of flush water supplied via the water supply valve.

[0007] According to the present invention configured in this manner, opening the jet drain valve drains flush water stored in the outer tank outside the inner tank, and the rim water spouting switching mechanism drains flush water stored in the inner tank. This allows for accurate distribution of the amount of flush water dispensed from each spout, 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 for a more compact tank. 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, because flush water dispensed from the rim spout, a relatively small amount of flush water for rim spouting, which requires only a relatively small amount, can be secured by a relatively small, precisely formed inner tank, while the remaining space can be allocated to jet spouting. This maximizes the amount of flush water for jet spouting and improves the flushing performance of the flush toilet body.

[0008] In the present invention, the rim water discharge switching mechanism is preferably a rim drain valve that opens and closes an outlet formed in the inner tank, and flush water discharged from the outlet is discharged from the rim water discharge outlet of the flush toilet body through a second drain outlet formed in the outer tank to align with the outlet, and the water supply outlet, first drain outlet, and second drain outlet provided on the bottom surface of the outer tank that supply flush water to the water supply valve are arranged side by side in the width direction of the flush toilet body, and do not overlap each other on the projection plane in the front-to-back direction of the flush toilet body.

[0009] According to the present invention configured in this way, the water supply port, first drain port, and second drain port, which are provided on the bottom surface of the outer tank and supply flushing water to the water supply valve, are arranged side by side in the width direction of the flush toilet body, and do not overlap each other on the projection surface of the flush toilet body in the front-to-back direction, so even if two drain valves are provided, the depth dimension of the tank can be made small.

[0010] In the present invention, the first drain outlet of the outer tank is preferably formed so as to overlap with the center line of the flush toilet body in the width direction.

[0011] With the present invention configured in this way, the first drain outlet of the outer tank is formed to overlap with the center line of the flush toilet body in the width direction, so a water conduit that is connected to the first drain outlet and extends to the jet spout of the flush toilet body can be easily formed within the flush toilet body.

[0012] In the present invention, preferably, the water supply valve is configured to start supplying water when the water level in the inner tank drops, and the water pressure drive mechanism is configured to drive the jet drain valve by the water supply pressure when water supply is started by the water supply valve, and the water supply valve and the rim drain valve are arranged on either side of the jet drain valve in the width direction of the outer tank.

[0013] According to the present invention configured in this way, the water supply valve and the rim drain valve are located on either side of the jet drain valve in the width direction of the outer tank, so the water supply valve and the rim drain valve can be located close to each other. As a result, the water supply valve can immediately detect a drop in the water level in the inner tank due to the opening of the rim drain valve, and can operate the water hydraulic drive mechanism without delay.

[0014] In the present invention, the rim drain valve is preferably configured to seat on a seat surface provided on the inner tank, and the seat surface is configured integrally with the inner tank.

[0015] According to the present invention configured in this manner, the seat surface of the rim drain valve is configured integrally with the inner tank, so the inner tank can be made smaller than if the seat surface were provided as a separate component, and the amount of flush water stored in the outer tank can be increased.

[0016] 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.

[0017] 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.

[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 device 4 from a water supply source 6 such as a water line, and the supplied flush water is stored inside the flush water tank device 4. The flush water tank device 4 also has built-in rim drain valve 8 and jet drain valve 10, which are rim water discharge switching mechanisms, and are configured to open and close drain ports provided at the bottom of the flush water tank device 4, respectively.

[0025] In this embodiment, by opening the rim 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 jet 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 jet drain valve 10 arranged in the outer tank 12, a rim drain valve 8 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 jet water channel 2f 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 rim water channel 2e 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 discharge outlet 14a is formed on the bottom surface of the inner tank 14. This discharge outlet 14a of the inner tank 14 is arranged concentrically so as to align 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 discharge outlet 14a coincide when viewed from above. For this reason, flush water in the inner tank 14 flows into the rim water channel 2e of the flush toilet body 2 through the discharge outlet 14a of the inner tank 14 and the second drain outlet 12b of the outer tank 12.

[0030] A seat surface is provided around the discharge port 14a of the inner tank 14, and the discharge port 14a is closed when the rim drain valve 8 sits on this seat surface. Therefore, in this embodiment, the seat surface on which the rim drain valve 8 sits is configured integrally with the inner tank 14.

[0031] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 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 Figure 2) of the flush toilet main body 2 and a short depth (the direction of arrow D in Figure 2). Furthermore, the inner tank 14, which is placed inside the outer tank 12, is narrower than the outer tank 12, and is generally square when viewed from above.

[0032] Specifically, in this embodiment, the jet drain valve 10 is disposed in the widthwise center of the outer tank 12. The inner tank 14 is disposed at the right end of the outer tank 12, and a ball tap 16 and a rim drain valve 8 are disposed inside this inner tank 14. In addition, in this embodiment, the inner tank 14 is made of resin, and since it is possible to configure the wall surface thinner than when the inner tank 14 is made of ceramic, the volume inside the outer tank 12 can be used effectively.

[0033] Next, the jet drain valve 10 is a valve body 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 jet drain valve 10 is pulled upward. This causes flush water in the outer tank 12 to be discharged into the jet water conduit 2f (Figure 1) in the flush toilet main body 2 and then discharged from the jet water spout 2d. Therefore, the jet drain valve 10 switches between discharging and stopping flush water from the jet water spout 2d provided in the flush toilet main body 2 by opening and closing the first drain outlet 12a provided in the outer tank 12.

[0034] In this embodiment, the jet drain valve 10 is configured to be pulled up from the first drain port 12a by the water hydraulic drive mechanism 18. That is, the jet 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 jet 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 first drain port 12a. The configuration of the water hydraulic drive mechanism 18 will be described later.

[0035] The rim drain valve 8, which is the rim water spout switching mechanism, is a valve body arranged to open and close the discharge port 14a provided in the inner tank 14, and by pulling the rim drain valve 8 upward, it lifts off the seat surface of the discharge port 14a, opening the discharge port 14a. As a result, flush water within the inner tank 14 is discharged from the discharge port 14a, passes through the second drain port 12b, flows into the rim water conduit 2e (Figure 1) of the flush toilet main body 2, and is discharged from the rim water spout 2c. Therefore, the rim water spout switching mechanism is arranged inside the inner tank 14, and switches between starting and stopping the discharge of flush water from the rim water spout 2c of the flush toilet main body 2.

[0036] In this embodiment, the user rotates the lever handle 4a provided on the flush water tank device 4, which pulls the ball chain 8a (Figure 3) connected to the rim drain valve 8, causing the rim drain valve 8 to be raised. As a variation, the present invention can also be configured so that the rim drain valve 8 is raised 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).

[0037] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a rim drain valve 8 is provided as the rim water spouting switching mechanism, but a configuration other than the rim drain valve 8 can be used as the rim water spouting switching mechanism. For example, a jet pump (not shown) that flows flush water stored in the inner tank 14 into the rim water conduit 2e can be used as the rim water spouting switching mechanism. In this case, a jet pump nozzle (not shown) is placed inside the inner tank 14, and a portion of the flush water supplied via a water supply valve such as a ball tap 16 is sprayed from this nozzle. By spraying flush water from the nozzle inside the inner tank 14, the flush water stored in the inner tank 14 is drawn in, and the flush water in the inner tank 14 can be caused to flow into the rim water conduit 2e by the jet pump action. In addition to such a jet pump (not shown), any configuration that switches between discharging and stopping flush water from the rim spout 2c of the flush toilet main body 2 can be used as the rim water spouting switching mechanism.

[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 right 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 is configured to move up and down as the arm portion 24 rotates. In this embodiment, the float 22 is disposed in the inner tank 14 and moves up and down depending on the water level in the inner tank 14. As a result, when the water level in the inner tank 14 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 inner tank 14 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 inner tank 14 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 left in FIG. 4), and the main valve element 20a closes the valve seat 20b.

[0045] On the other hand, when the rim drain valve 8 is opened by the cleaning operation and the water level in the inner tank 14 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 right 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. The water pressure drive mechanism 18 is configured to drive the jet drain valve 10 using the water supply pressure of flush water supplied to the flush water tank device 4 from the water main. Specifically, the water pressure drive mechanism 18 has a cylinder 18a into which water supplied from the ball tap 16 flows, a piston 18b slidably arranged within this cylinder 18a, and a rod 28 that protrudes from the bottom end of the cylinder 18a and drives the jet drain valve 10. Furthermore, a spring 18c is arranged inside the cylinder 18a and urges the piston 18b downward, and a packing is attached to the piston 18b to ensure watertightness between the inner wall surface of the cylinder 18a and the piston 18b. Furthermore, a clutch mechanism 30 is provided at the bottom end of the rod 28, and this clutch mechanism 30 connects and disconnects the rod 28 and the valve stem 10a of the jet 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, two outlet holes are provided at the upper end of cylinder 18a, and water supply pipes 32a and 32b are connected to these outlet holes, respectively. Therefore, when water flows into cylinder 18a from outlet 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 outlet holes, the water that has flowed into cylinder 18a flows out into water supply pipes 32a and 32b.

[0049] Here, flush water that flows into water supply pipe 32a flows into inner tank 14, and flush water that flows into water supply pipe 32b flows into outer tank 12. The system is configured so that flush water that flows into cylinder 18a flows into water supply pipes 32a, 32b at a predetermined ratio. As a result, flush water supplied via ball tap 16 is distributed to outer tank 12 and inner tank 14 at a predetermined ratio.

[0050] The rod 28 is a rod-shaped member connected to the underside of the piston 18b, and extends through a through-hole formed in the bottom surface of the cylinder 18a so as to protrude downward from within the cylinder 18a. The valve stem 10a of the jet drain valve 10 is connected to the lower end of the rod 28 via a clutch mechanism 30, and the rod 28 connects the piston 18b and the jet drain valve 10. Therefore, when water flows into the cylinder 18a and pushes up the piston 18b, the rod 28 connected to the piston 18b lifts the jet drain valve 10 upward, and the jet drain valve 10 opens.

[0051] 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 outer tank 12. 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.

[0052] Furthermore, the clutch mechanism 30 detachably connects the rod 28 and the jet drain valve 10. When the jet 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 jet drain valve 10 from the rod 28. With the clutch mechanism 30 in a disconnected state, the jet drain valve 10 is no longer linked to the movement of the piston 18b and the rod 28, and the jet drain valve 10 descends as the water level in the outer tank 12 drops, closing the first drain port 12a of the outer tank 12.

[0053] 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 jet drain valve 10. 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 rim drain valve 8.

[0054] 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 line via an inlet pipe 16a (FIG. 4). This inlet pipe 16a is connected to the ball tap 16 through water supply ports 12c provided on the bottom surfaces of the inner tank 14 and the outer tank 12. 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.

[0055] 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 left 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.

[0056] In this embodiment, the first drain outlet 12a, the second drain outlet 12b, and the water inlet 12c are arranged in order from the left 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 and right 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.

[0057] 2, 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. In this manner, 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 jet water conduit 2f extending from the first drain outlet 12a to the jet water spouting outlet 2d can be shortened.

[0058] 2, the center C2 of the second drain outlet 12b 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 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 rim water conduit 2e extending from the second drain outlet 12b to the rim water spout 2c can be shortened.

[0059] 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.

[0060] Also, as shown in Figure 2, the first drain outlet 12a is formed so that it overlaps with the centre line CW in the width direction of the flush toilet main body 2. Because of this, the jet water conduit 2f, which is connected to the first drain outlet 12a and extends to the jet spout 2d of the flush toilet main body 2, can be easily formed within the flush toilet main body 2. In other words, with this configuration, the jet water conduit 2f of the flush toilet main body 2 can be formed so that it overlaps the top of the drain trap pipe 2b, making it possible to form part of the bottom wall of the jet water conduit 2f and part of the ceiling wall of the drain trap pipe 2b into a single wall surface.

[0061] Furthermore, the ball tap 16, which is a water supply valve, and the rim drain valve 8 are arranged on one side in the width direction of the outer tank 12 (the right side in this embodiment) relative to the jet drain valve 10. In this way, because the ball tap 16 and the rim drain valve 8 are arranged on one side in the width direction of the outer tank 12 relative to the jet drain valve 10, the ball tap 16 and the rim drain valve 8 can be arranged close to each other. As a result, the ball tap 16 can immediately detect a drop in the water level in the inner tank 14 due to the opening of the rim drain valve 8, and can operate the water hydraulic drive mechanism 18 without delay.

[0062] 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.

[0063] 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 jet drain valve 10 and the rim drain valve 8, respectively. Also, in the standby state, the initial water level in the inner tank 14 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.

[0064] 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 rim drain valve 8. This causes the rim drain valve 8 to be pulled away from the outlet 14a of the inner tank 14, opening the outlet 14a. When the outlet 14a is opened, the flush water that had been stored in the inner tank 14 flows through the outlet 14a and second drain outlet 12b into the rim water conduit 2e (Figure 2), and is then discharged from the rim water outlet 2c. The rim water discharged 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.

[0065] Here, in standby mode with the discharge outlet 14a closed, there is no flush water within the rim water conduit 2e. In this embodiment, the centre C2 of the second drain outlet 12b 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, which runs from the second drain outlet 12b to the rim water spout 2c, is configured to be relatively short. For this reason, when the discharge outlet 14a is opened, the rim water conduit 2e is filled with water in a short time, allowing flush water to be discharged quickly from the rim water spout 2c with high head pressure.

[0066] As flush water is discharged from the outlet 14a, the water level in the inner tank 14 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.

[0067] 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 jet drain valve 10, opening the first drain port 12a of the outer tank 12. In other words, the jet drain valve 10 is driven and opened by the water supply pressure of the tap water supplied via the ball tap 16.

[0068] As a result, at time t2 in Figure 6, first drain outlet 12a is opened, and flush water that had been stored in outer tank 12 (outside inner tank 14) flows through first drain outlet 12a into jet water conduit 2f (Figure 2) and is discharged from jet water outlet 2d. Jet water discharge from jet water outlet 2d fills drain trap pipe 2b, inducing siphon action. Due to the siphon action, the accumulated water and waste in bowl portion 2a is sucked into drain trap pipe 2b and discharged into the sewer pipe (not shown).

[0069] Here, when the first drain outlet 12a is closed, the jet water conduit 2f is filled with flush water up to the level of the water surface in the bowl portion 2a, and no flush water is present in the space above this level. Therefore, before the jet drain valve 10 is opened, no flush water is present at the upstream end of the jet water conduit 2f. In this embodiment, the center C1 of the first drain outlet 12a is positioned forward of the center line CL in the front-to-rear direction of the bottom surface of the outer tank 12 (Fig. 2), so the jet water conduit 2f from the first drain outlet 12a to the jet water spouting outlet 2d is configured to be relatively short.

[0070] For this reason, when the jet 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 outlet 2d early on. In particular, the flush water that is initially discharged from the first drain outlet 12a has a high head pressure because the water level in the outer tank 12 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 filling up 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 outlet 2d can be increased.

[0071] Meanwhile, when the jet 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 jet drain valve 10 is separated from the rod 28 by the clutch mechanism 30 (Fig. 5). As a result, the jet drain valve 10 descends toward the first drain port 12a as the water level in the outer tank 12 drops. Then, at time t3 in Fig. 6, the jet drain valve 10 seats on the first drain port 12a, which closes. This stops jet water spouting from the jet water spouting port 2d.

[0072] As described above, 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 hydraulic drive mechanism 18 via the ball tap 16 and flows into the inner tank 14 and outer tank 12 through water supply pipes 32a, 32b (Figure 5) connected to the cylinder 18a. In this way, some of the flush water flows into the outer tank 12 through water supply pipe 32b, but because the flow rate of flush water flowing out of the first drain outlet 12a is greater than the flow rate of flush water flowing in from water supply pipe 32b, the water level in the outer tank 12 drops, as described above.

[0073] Meanwhile, because the rim drain valve 8 is still open, flush water in the inner tank 14 flows out from the outlet 14a. Also, because the flow rate of flush water flowing out from the outlet 14a is greater than the flow rate of flush water flowing in from the water supply pipe 32a, the water level in the inner tank 14 drops. Then, at time t4 in Figure 6, when the water level in the inner tank 14 drops to a predetermined dead water level, the rim drain valve 8 seats on the outlet 14a and the rim drain valve 8 closes. This stops rim water spouting from the rim water outlet 2c.

[0074] Furthermore, even after the rim 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 from the water supply pipes 32a and 32b via the ball tap 16 and the water pressure drive mechanism 18 into the inner tank 14 and the outer tank 12, respectively. This causes the water levels in the outer tank 12 and the inner tank 14 to rise. Then, at time t5 in FIG. 6, when the water level in the inner tank 14 rises to a predetermined 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 body 20a of the ball tap 16 cannot flow out, and the pressure in the pressure chamber 20d rises. Then, the main valve element 20a is pressed against the valve seat 20b by the pressure in the pressure chamber 20d, and the main valve element 20a is closed, thereby stopping the water supply from the water supply source 6 via the ball tap 16.

[0075] When the water supply from the ball tap 16 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 jet drain valve 10. This completes one toilet flush, and the flush toilet device 1 returns to its standby state for toilet flushing.

[0076] According to the flush water tank device 4 of the embodiment of the present invention, when the jet drain valve 10 is opened, flush water stored in the outer tank 12 outside the inner tank 14 is drained, and flush water stored in the inner tank 14 is drained by the rim drain valve 8, which is the rim water spout switching mechanism, so the amount of flush water discharged from the rim water outlet 2c and the jet water outlet 2d can be accurately distributed, thereby improving flush 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, and an inner tank 14 with a large volume can be placed in a narrow space. Furthermore, because flush water stored in the inner tank 14 is discharged from the rim spout 2c, a minimum amount of flush water for rim spouting, which requires only a relatively small amount, can be secured by the relatively small and precisely formed inner tank 14, with the remaining space allocated for jet spouting. This makes it possible to secure the maximum amount of flush water for jet spouting, improving the flushing performance of the flush toilet body 2.

[0077] Furthermore, according to the flush water tank device 4 of this embodiment, the water supply port 12c, first drain port 12a, and second drain port 12b, which are provided on the bottom surface of the outer tank 12 and supply flush water to the ball tap 16, are arranged side by side in the width direction W of the flush toilet main body 2, and do not overlap each other on the projection plane P in the front-to-back direction D of the flush toilet main body 2, so even if two drain valves are provided, the depth dimension of the tank can be made small.

[0078] Furthermore, according to the flush water tank device 4 of this embodiment, the first drain outlet 12a of the outer tank 12 is formed so that it overlaps with the center line CW of the width direction W of the flush toilet main body 2, so a jet water conduit 2f that is connected to the first drain outlet 12a and extends to the jet water outlet 2d of the flush toilet main body 2 can be easily formed within the flush toilet main body 2.

[0079] Furthermore, according to the flush water tank device 4 of this embodiment, the ball tap 16, which is a water supply valve, and the rim drain valve 8 are positioned on one side of the jet drain valve 10 in the width direction W of the outer tank 12, so the ball tap 16 and the rim drain valve 8 can be positioned close to each other. As a result, the ball tap 16 can immediately detect a drop in the water level inside the inner tank 14 due to the rim drain valve 8 opening, and the water pressure drive mechanism 18 can be operated without delay.

[0080] Furthermore, according to the flush water tank device 4 of this embodiment, the seat surface of the rim drain valve 8 is configured integrally with the inner tank 14, so the inner tank 14 can be made smaller than if the seat surface were provided as a separate component, and the amount of flush water stored in the outer tank 12 can be increased.

[0081] 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 D of the outer tank 12, making it possible to position the first drain outlet 12a and the second drain outlet 12b closer to the width direction W of the flush toilet body 2, and making it possible to configure the width of the outer tank 12 to be smaller.

[0082] The flush water tank device and flush toilet device equipped with the same according to the embodiment of the present invention have been described above, but various modifications can be made to the above-described embodiment. 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 inner tank, but a water supply valve other than a ball tap can also be used. [Explanation of symbols]

[0083] 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 Rim drain valve (rim water discharge switching mechanism) 8a Ball Chain 10 Jet 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 Inflow 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 32a Water supply pipe 32b 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 jet drain valve that is disposed inside the outer tank but outside the inner tank, and that switches between starting and stopping the discharge of flush water from a jet spout provided in the flush toilet body by opening and closing a first drain outlet formed in the outer tank; a rim water discharge switching mechanism that is disposed within the inner tank and switches between discharging and stopping flush water from the rim water discharge port of the flush toilet main body; a water pressure drive mechanism that opens the jet drain valve using the water supply pressure of the wash water supplied via the water supply valve; A flush water tank device comprising:

2. The rim water discharge switching mechanism is a rim drain valve that opens and closes a discharge port formed in the inner tank, and flush water discharged from the discharge port passes through a second drain port formed in the outer tank so as to align with the discharge port, and is discharged from the rim water discharge port of the flush toilet main body, The flush water tank apparatus according to claim 1, wherein 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.

3. 2. The flush water tank apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first drain outlet of the outer tank is formed so as to overlap with the center line of the flush toilet body in the width direction.

4. the water supply valve is configured to start supplying water when the water level in the inner tank drops, and the water pressure drive mechanism is configured to drive the jet drain valve by the water supply pressure when water supply is started by the water supply valve, 3. A flush water tank apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the water supply valve and the rim drain valve are disposed on either side of the outer tank in the width direction relative to the jet drain valve.

5. 3. A flush water tank device according to claim 2, wherein the rim drain valve is configured to seat on a seat surface provided on the inner tank, the seat surface being integral with the inner tank.

6. 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.

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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