Dual-Inlet Cistern Fill Valve for Side- and Bottom-Fill Use
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing range of inlet valves for toilet cisterns, specifically 'bottom fill' and 'side fill' types, are not interchangeable, leading to increased stock costs and complexity for repair engineers due to the need to carry both types for various toilet configurations.
Innovation Solution
A versatile inlet valve design that can be fitted to either side-fill or bottom-fill cisterns by selecting and sealingly closing redundant inlet tubes, featuring a manifold for connecting tubes to the valve and an automatic actuation mechanism using a float or water level sensor, allowing for compact and adaptable installation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If separate inlet valves are used for side-fill and bottom-fill applications, then each valve can be optimized for its specific configuration, but the device complexity and inventory requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The inlet valve is designed with multiple inlet tubes (first inlet tube for side-fill, second inlet tube for bottom-fill) that can be selectively connected or sealed, allowing a single valve to function in both side-fill and bottom-fill applications. This eliminates the need for separate valve types and reduces inventory complexity while maintaining optimized performance for each configuration.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a single versatile inlet valve is used for both side-fill and bottom-fill applications, then inventory needs and costs are reduced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The valve body is segmented into multiple inlet tubes (first inlet tube and second inlet tube) that can be independently connected or sealed. This segmentation allows the single valve to adapt to different applications by selectively activating only the required inlet tube, reducing the effective complexity in any given installation while maintaining overall versatility.
Solution Approach 2:
The valve incorporates dynamic sealing mechanisms (seals that can be moved or engaged/disengaged) that allow the inlet tubes to be selectively connected or sealed based on the application requirements. This dynamic adaptability enables a single valve design to handle multiple configurations without requiring complex permanent structures for each variant.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple inlet tubes are provided in a single valve, then versatility for different applications is achieved, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The valve incorporates pre-installed seals and sealing arrangements within the valve body that compensate for potential manufacturing tolerances and alignment variations. These beforehand-cushioned sealing mechanisms ensure reliable sealing between the inlet tubes and valve body without requiring extremely tight manufacturing precision, thereby reducing production costs while maintaining application versatility.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables a single inlet valve to serve both 'side fill' and 'bottom fill' applications, reducing inventory needs and costs for repair engineers by providing a compact, adaptable, and automatically actuated solution for different toilet configurations.
Implementation Method 1
the inlet valve is actuated using a float, which floats on the water in the cistern
Implementation Method 2
Many toilets, especially European type toilets operate using the siphon effect to empty the contents of the toilet pan
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5
AI summary
The invention concerns a fill controller (10) for a toilet cistern. The fill controller has a plurality of inlet tubes (14, 16) and an outlet tube (30). A valve (18) is provided which controls the flow of water between the inlet and outlet tubes and the fill controller is provided with means for selectively and sealingly closing all but one of the inlet tubes. This may take the form of an end closure (24). The fill controller is capable of being used in both "side fill" and "bottom fill" cisterns.