Adjustable Toilet Flapper Valve Mounting Arms Prevent Tank Wall Jamming

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional toilet flapper valves are prone to getting stuck in the open position due to their fixed dimensions, leading to excessive water loss and manual intervention to close them, as they rotate against the toilet tank wall.

Innovation Solution

A flush valve assembly with adjustable mounting arms and pivot members that include extensions to prevent contact with the tank wall, allowing for varying distances between the arms and accommodating different overflow tube sizes, thereby preventing jams.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional flapper valves are installed with fixed mounting arms, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the mounting arms contact the tank wall during rotation causing the flapper to get stuck in the open position

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveflapper valve operation reliabilityVSAvoidmounting arm structure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The mounting arms are made adjustable rather than fixed, allowing the width between arms to be varied to accommodate different tank configurations and prevent contact with the tank wall during rotation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The mounting arm assembly is divided into separate adjustable components (first mounting arm and second mounting arm) that can be independently positioned, allowing the flapper valve to adapt to different overflow tube sizes and tank geometries

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Adaptability or versatility

If flapper valves are manufactured according to exact specifications for a specific overflow tube size, then manufacturing precision is high, but the adaptability to different toilet tank configurations is poor

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecompatibility with different overflow tube sizesVSAvoidexact specification manufacturing

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The flapper valve assembly with adjustable mounting arms can accommodate multiple overflow tube sizes and different toilet tank configurations, making a single design universal across various applications

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The width between mounting arms can be varied to match different overflow tube diameters, allowing the same flapper valve design to work with multiple specifications rather than requiring precise manufacturing for each specific size

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Loss of energy

If mounting ears are positioned close to the tank wall, then the device complexity is low, but the flapper valve gets stuck in the open position causing excessive water loss

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewater lossVSAvoidmounting ear structure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Extensions are added to the mounting ears to extract them away from the tank wall, creating clearance that prevents the mounting arms from contacting the tank wall during rotation and causing the flapper to stick

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentUS8104103B2Toilet flapper flush valve assembly

Publication Date: 2012.01.31 FLUIDMASTER INC

AI summary

A flapper flush valve assembly includes a pair of laterally movable mounting arms which may be adjusted to vary a width therebetween to accommodate overflow tubes of different sizes. The flapper valve assembly is coupled to pivot members connected to an overflow tube. Mounting ears on the pivot members may include projections to provide spacing between the rotating mounting arms and adjacent sidewall of a toilet tank, thereby preventing jams.