Semi auto water saving flush valve

Abstract

The present invention relates to a user-detecting water-saving flush valve. Toilets installed in public restrooms or office buildings are equipped with flush valves, and after a user finishes using the toilet, they operate a lever to flush the toilet by discharging water from the inlet pipe through the outlet pipe. However, due to infectious viruses such as COVID-19, users are reluctant to operate the lever, and sometimes, users fail to operate the lever while distracted, causing serious discomfort to the next user. Therefore, the present invention relates to a semi-automatic water-saving flush valve that detects the user's movement and allows the toilet to be flushed automatically after use without the user having to operate the lever for defecation or urination.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a user-detecting water-saving flush valve, and more specifically, to an automatic water-saving flush valve that detects the user's movement and allows the user to automatically flush the toilet bowl after using it without operating the lever for feces or urine. Furthermore, it relates to a semi-automatic water-saving flush valve that can be manually operated by the user in the event that it fails to operate due to a malfunction of the infrared receiver or battery discharge. Background Technology

[0002] Toilets installed in typical public restrooms or office buildings are equipped with a flush valve. After use, users manually operate a lever to flush the toilet by discharging water from the inlet valve through the outlet valve. However, due to infectious viruses such as COVID-19, users have been reluctant to operate the lever, and sometimes, while distracted, they fail to do so, causing serious discomfort to the next user. To address this, warning signs such as "Please pull the lever" have been placed within the user's line of sight while using the toilet. To resolve this situation, it is believed that it would be significantly more convenient for users if the toilet could operate automatically without requiring manual lever operation. Prior art literature

[0003] Korean Patent No. 876951 describes a water-saving device for a flush valve for a toilet that exhibits an efficient water-saving effect by simplifying the internal structure of the toilet and adjusting the water discharge volume during feces and urine flushing. Korean Utility Model Registration No. 472448 describes a water-saving toilet that enables water conservation by supplying a small amount of water when a push button is operated, and prevents the intrusion of foreign substances. Korean Utility Model No. 320595 relates to a water-saving device for a flush valve that can save flush water by discharging flush water from the valve differentially depending on whether it is feces or urine. However, while such flush valves can save a certain amount of water, they still cause discomfort to the next user due to flushing with higher pressure or if the user forgets to operate the lever. The problem to be solved

[0005] The present invention automatically detects feces and urine via an infrared receiver without the user operating a lever, discharging a preset amount of water. In the event of a malfunction in the infrared receiver, the user manually operates the lever to discharge the preset amount of water. Conventionally, when manually flushing, the water volume control in the "Hold" (automatic shut-off) function during feces operation was very fine, making it difficult to perceive the effect of water volume control. However, the present invention allows anyone to easily adjust the flow rate to suit on-site conditions. When increasing or decreasing the amount of water, rotating the flow control bolt mounted in the middle of the shut-off valve within the piston clockwise increases the flow rate from the set amount, while rotating it counterclockwise discharges less water than the existing amount. Furthermore, conventionally, connecting a bidet to a toilet requires detaching the valve cover connected to the existing check valve body and using a check valve cover specifically for bidet connection. In contrast, the present invention separately mounts a bidet connection pipe to the conventional union valve, allowing the water supply to be shut off solely by the opening / closing bolt of the connected check valve cover. This enables easy connection by detaching the bidet connection nut whenever necessary, and eliminates the risk of leakage even when the bidet is not in use.

[0006] In addition, the water flow path within the toilet body valve is formed larger than conventional designs to generate high pressure with a small amount of water, thereby configuring it to discharge high-pressure water all at once to improve the cleaning function. means of solving the problem

[0007] To solve the above problem, the water-saving flush valve of the present invention comprises a body valve having an inlet valve and a discharge valve, including a feces valve and a urine valve; an inlet valve that introduces water from an external water supply by means of a flow regulator; a discharge valve that discharges the water introduced from the inlet valve; an infrared receiver installed above the body valve to detect a user; a solenoid valve mounted on the upper part inside the body valve such that when a user is detected by the infrared receiver, the solenoid packing opens to allow water to move; and a piston that moves up and down inside the body valve due to the pressure difference between the upper and lower parts according to the movement of the water. When a user is detected, water moves from the inlet valve through a piston micro-flow path formed inside the piston via a filter part of the piston, raising the pressure above the piston and causing water to move through the body flow path. The water moved through the body flow path raises the pressure in the upper pressure chamber of the piston, causing the piston to rise due to the pressure difference between the upper and lower parts of the piston, and the water is discharged all at once through the discharge valve by means of a flow control bolt installed inside the piston.

[0008] In addition, the above preset amount of water is characterized by discharging about 6 liters of water when the infrared receiver detection time is 1 minute or more, and discharging 4 liters of water when it is 1 minute or less.

[0009] In addition, the body passage is characterized by being formed as an annular hole in the body from below the solenoid valve inside the body valve to the piston hook.

[0010] In addition, the lower part of the piston is characterized by forming a sway to assist in the up-and-down movement of the body valve.

[0011] In addition, the flow control bolt of the inlet valve controls the speed of the water, and the flow control bolt inside the piston controls the amount of water. Effects of the invention

[0012] The present invention is a flush valve that minimizes malfunctions by simplifying the flush valve configuration and automatically recognizes whether the waste is feces or urine by means of an infrared receiver installed on the flush valve, thereby flushing the toilet by introducing and discharging a preset appropriate amount of water even when the user does not operate the lever after using the toilet. In the event of a malfunction of the infrared receiver, the user can flush the toilet by directly operating the lever. Furthermore, it allows for simple water supply to the bidet body without the need for a separate bidet connection valve and enables easy adjustment of the water volume considering the on-site conditions. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0013] FIG. 1 is an illustration of a cleaning valve according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a drawing for explaining the structure of a cleaning valve according to the present invention. Figures 3 to 5 are drawings illustrating the process of water moving in a washing valve body according to the present invention. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0014] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0015] FIG. 1 is an overall illustration of a flush valve according to the present invention. As illustrated, the flush valve according to the present invention comprises a body valve (10), a toilet lever (11) connected to the body valve, an inlet valve (12) for introducing water into the body valve, a discharge valve (13) for discharging the introduced water, a flow regulator (14) installed in the inlet valve for controlling the speed of the introduced water, a piston that moves up and down within the body valve due to a pressure difference, and an infrared receiver (15) installed on the upper part of the body valve for detecting a user.

[0016] As described above, an electronic infrared receiver (15) is installed inside the upper part of the body valve (10), which is covered by an infrared receiver case (17). The infrared receiver (15) detects whether the user is sitting on the toilet or standing nearby, distinguishing between urine and feces. That is, after detecting urine and feces, the water flowing in through the inlet valve (12) is adjusted, and the amount of water discharged through the body valve (10) is also appropriately adjusted to a preset amount corresponding to urine and feces. Inside the lower part of the infrared receiver case (17) installed on the upper part of the body valve, a piston that moves up and down according to the pressure difference of the water is installed. The piston is composed of a first wing, a second wing, and a slat, allowing water flowing in from the inlet valve (12) to be discharged through the discharge valve (13). In other words, the piston moves up and down by the operation of the infrared receiver, thereby discharging the amount of flushing water flowing in from the inlet valve.

[0017] And a bidet valve (16) that can connect to the body valve is connected to the above-mentioned body valve, so that the user can easily supply water to the installed bidet by simply detaching the water supply nut of the bidet, and an inflow regulator (14) that controls the amount of water flowing in according to the flow rate of the water is installed at the top of the inflow valve, thereby primarily controlling the flow rate (speed) of the water to suit the site conditions, and as will be explained later, the amount of water can be secondarily controlled by adjusting the flow rate control bolt inside the piston in consideration of the pressure of the inflowing water.

[0018] In addition, an infrared receiver installed on the upper part of the body valve detects the amount of water being discharged and the status of the flush valve, or detects the process from when the user has finished using the toilet until the incoming water is discharged. The infrared receiver is made of plastic material with one side formed at an angle to prevent water from accumulating, and is configured to be firmly fixed to the upper part of the body valve so that it does not malfunction due to potential moisture.

[0019] Below the infrared receiver, a piston that moves up and down is mounted, including a micro-flow channel formed on the side of the piston inside the body valve. The piston forms a first wing and a second wing in a circular shape to facilitate movement inside the body valve. Below the second wing, four slats are formed along the circumference to facilitate movement inside the body valve. On the first wing, a piston upper cap is formed on the upper part, and a micro-flow channel is formed as a passage for water flowing in through a filter unit installed on the side. Here, a first rubber ring is mounted along the circumference of the first wing to prevent water from leaking through the piston moving inside the body valve. On the lower surface of the second wing below the first wing, a second rubber ring is formed above the slats to catch on the body valve lip and prevent water from flowing from the discharge port to the upper part of the body valve, thereby configuring the piston to maintain pressure inside the body. Below the second wing, a sway is formed to allow the piston to move up and down smoothly by water inside the body valve, and typically three to four sways are formed.

[0020] The filter portion formed in the middle part between the first wing and the second wing filters out debris that may occur during the process of water moving from the inlet valve, allowing the filtered water to be discharged through the fine passage of the piston.

[0021] A variable rod is installed at the center inside the piston, extending from the piston cap through the first wing to the second wing and down to the lower wing section. This variable rod moves by the operation of an infrared receiver or a key lever, causing water to move and generate a pressure difference, thereby causing the piston to move up and down within the body valve. In the event of a failure of the infrared receiver, a manually operated key lever is formed in the shape of a handle for convenient use by the user. When the handle is operated, the spring of the lever's push plate inside the lever tube is pressed, causing the piston's actuation valve to move, and water is discharged due to the pressure difference of the piston. This process is identical to that of the infrared receiver operation.

[0022] FIG. 2 is an overall structural diagram of the washing valve of the present invention, wherein the washing valve of the present invention is divided into an infrared receiver (15), a cover (17), a key (11), a body valve (10), an inlet valve (12), a discharge valve (13), and a bidet valve (16). Inside the body valve (10) below the infrared receiver (15), a solenoid valve (19) is mounted on the upper part of the body valve (10), and a piston (18) is mounted below the solenoid valve (19). As shown in the figure, a variable rod (20) installed at the center of the piston (18) is in contact with the rod (21) of the key that is operated manually so as to be linked together. The solenoid valve (19) is a valve that controls fluid flow through control, and is configured to allow pre-set water to pass through the body valve (10) by repeatedly opening and closing the valve by recognizing the user through the infrared receiver (15). A piston (18) is installed inside the body valve and moves up and down due to a pressure difference to discharge a certain amount of water through the discharge valve (13). The piston (18) is composed of a filter section (22) that filters water flowing in from the inlet valve (12), a variable rod (20) inserted into the center of the piston (18), an upper piston cap, a piston spring, a first wing (23), a second wing (24), and a wing (25) formed along the outer surface of the piston. It also includes first and second rubber rings that prevent water from moving between the outer walls of the piston moving inside the body valve (10), and three to four wings that help the piston move stably up and down inside the body valve.

[0023] Meanwhile, the inlet valve (12) is equipped with an inlet regulator (14) that primarily controls the speed of the inflowing water. The inlet regulator (14) can control the amount of water by pre-setting the speed of the water discharged through the body valve. In addition, the washing valve of the present invention is configured such that a bidet valve (16) is installed between the inlet valve (12) and the body valve (10) to block the water supplied to the bidet body and allow direct connection without removing the valve nut later.

[0024] Figures 3 to 5 are structural diagrams for explaining the movement of water in a washing valve according to the present invention.

[0025] Typically, after the user has finished using the toilet, the flush valve is operated by the operation of the infrared receiver (15), and before the user directly operates the stool or urine operating lever, the inside of the body valve (10) is blocked by the piston (18), so the water remains in a stopped state. That is, the water is kept in a stopped state by a certain pressure applied by the piston (18) to the pressure chamber located at the top of the body valve (10), so the piston (18) maintains the water in a stopped state.

[0026] Next, as shown in Fig. 3, when a user is detected by the infrared receiver (15), the solenoid opening / closing valve (19) inside the body valve (10) is opened, and at the same time, water moves along the piston micro-flow path formed adjacent to the piston (18) cap. The moving water moves along the solenoid valve flow path, and due to the pressure difference between the upper and lower parts of the piston, the piston begins to rise, and the water moves along the body flow path (27) formed from the upper part to the piston hook (26) inside the body valve (10), and at this time, water begins to be discharged through the discharge valve (13). Here, the water passing through the micro-flow path of the piston passes through the filter part (22) installed on the middle side of the cylindrical piston. The water passing through the filter part moves through the micro-flow path and flows along the body flow path (27), creating a pressure difference, causing the piston (18) to rise, and at this time, the water introduced from the inlet valve (12) is discharged through the discharge valve (13) to perform cleaning.

[0027] Next, like the city of 4 degrees, after the cleaning operation by the discharged water, when the packing of the solenoid opening / closing valve (19) blocks the movement of water flowing through the solenoid path, that is, when all the pre-set incoming water supply is blocked, the water supply stops, and the pressure at the top of the body valve (10) becomes higher than at the bottom, causing the piston valve to descend and the water supply to decrease slowly.

[0028] Next, as in the city of 5 degrees, when all incoming water is cut off after the washing operation, the water supply stops, and due to the pressure difference, the piston (18) valve descends, and the pressure is balanced, so the inside of the body valve is in a closed state. Here, if the user detection time is detected as 1 minute or more, it is considered feces, and the discharge flow rate is set so that 6 liters of water are introduced through the inlet and discharged, and if the user detection time is detected as 1 minute or less, it is recognized as urine, and 4 liters of water are introduced and discharged. The amount of water discharged can be further adjusted by a regulator.

[0029] If the infrared receiver installed on the upper part of the body valve (10) does not operate due to a malfunction, the user manually presses the toilet lever (11) for about 1 second, and the column valve (20) of the piston valve moves water, causing the piston to descend due to the pressure difference between the upper and lower parts of the piston, and an appropriate amount of water moves to wash. In other words, when the actuation valve linked to the lever is moved, water in the pressure chamber at the upper part of the piston moves to the lower part of the piston through the piston micro-flow path, and simultaneously with the movement, the pressure balance between the upper and lower parts of the piston is broken, causing the piston to descend due to the pressure, and at this time, water is introduced from the inlet valve and remains in a closed state, and when operated, water is discharged again through the discharge valve (13) to repeat the washing process.

[0030] This cleaning process is repeated in the same way as the process of detecting and operating the user. In other words, the water that was stopped at the top of the piston moves through the micro-channels of the body and moves to the bottom through the body channel. At this time, the pressure at the top of the piston decreases and the pressure at the bottom of the piston increases, causing the piston to rise upward. As a result, the water that entered through the inlet valve (12) moves to the discharge valve (13) all at once to perform cleaning. After cleaning, the pressure at the bottom decreases again, causing the piston to descend to the bottom so that the pressure becomes equilibrium, the piston returns to its original position, and the process of blocking the inflow of water is repeated.

[0031] If the infrared receiver malfunctions or the battery runs out, the user manually dispenses water by directly operating the lever key as described above. Since the process of water inflow and discharge in manual mode is identical to that of discharge via the infrared receiver, a detailed explanation is omitted. Industrial applicability

[0032] The present invention can be used to manufacture a water-saving device for a toilet flush valve. Explanation of the symbols delete

Claims

Claim 1 The device comprises a body valve having an inlet valve and a discharge valve, including a stool valve and a urinary valve; an inlet valve that introduces water from the outside via a flow regulator; a discharge valve that discharges the water introduced from the inlet valve; an infrared receiver installed above the body valve to detect a user; a solenoid valve mounted on the upper part inside the body valve such that when a user is detected by the infrared receiver, the solenoid packing opens to allow water to move; and a piston that moves up and down inside the body valve due to the pressure difference between the upper and lower parts according to the movement of the water. The piston comprises a filter part that filters the water introduced from the inlet valve, a variable rod inserted into the center of the piston, an upper piston cap, a piston spring, a first wing, a second wing, and a flange formed along the outer surface of the piston. The variable rod inserted into the center of the piston is linked to the stool lever in the left, right, up, and down directions. When a user is detected, water moves from the inlet valve through the filter part of the piston and through the piston micro-flow path formed inside, raising the pressure at the top of the piston and causing water to move through the body flow path. The water moved through the body flow path raises the pressure in the upper pressure chamber of the piston, thereby moving the piston A semi-automatic water-saving flush valve characterized by a piston rising due to a pressure difference between the upper and lower parts, and water pre-set by a flow control bolt installed on the upper part of a variable rod that moves left, right, up, and down from the center of the piston, being discharged all at once through a discharge valve. Claim 2 A semi-automatic water-saving flush valve according to claim 1, characterized in that the preset amount of water discharges 6 liters or less when the infrared receiver detection time is 1 minute or more, and 4 liters or less when the detection time is 1 minute or less. Claim 3 A semi-automatic water-saving flush valve according to claim 1, characterized in that the body passage is formed as an annular hole in the body from below the solenoid valve inside the body valve to the piston hook jaw. Claim 4 A semi-automatic water-saving flush valve according to claim 1, characterized in that a sway is formed at the lower part of the piston to assist in the up-and-down movement of the body valve. Claim 5 A semi-automatic water-saving flush valve according to claim 1, characterized in that the inflow regulator of the inflow valve controls the speed of the water, and the flow control bolt inside the piston controls the amount of water.

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