Cistern Flush Valve Movable Drainage Pipe Siphon Initiation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing flush valve systems require substantial force or power to initiate the siphon effect, making them inconvenient for users, especially the elderly or infirm, and unsustainable for battery-powered systems due to high energy consumption.
Innovation Solution
A flush valve design with a movable drainage pipe portion that creates a siphon effect by moving between standby and flush positions, eliminating the need for a floating means and reducing the number of components to be manually operated, and utilizing a motorized actuating means powered by a battery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If floating means are attached to the drainage pipe to keep it afloat, then the siphon effect can be initiated by pushing the pipe below water level, but substantial force is required to overcome the upward buoyant force and initiate flushing
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the floating means from the system. Instead of using a float that must be pushed down, the drainage pipe is designed to be naturally positioned above the water level without buoyant forces, removing the source of the problem entirely.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using buoyancy to keep the pipe afloat and then requiring force to submerge it, the invention inverts the approach by designing a pipe that remains naturally above water level without active floating mechanisms, making initiation easier.
2Ease of operation
If a motorised system is used to move the drainage pipe, then flushing can be initiated with minimal effort, but high power consumption requires connection to power mains which is undesirable near drainage systems
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the weight of the water itself to drive the siphon effect once the pipe is positioned, eliminating the need for continuous motor power during the flushing operation. The motor only needs to provide brief assistance to initiate the siphon, after which the water's own weight sustains the flow.
Solution Approach 2:
The motor operates periodically rather than continuously - providing brief bursts of power to initiate the siphon effect at appropriate moments, then remaining inactive while the siphon effect maintains flushing operation, significantly reducing overall energy consumption.
3Force
If the drainage pipe is positioned above water level without floating means, then no force is needed to initiate siphon effect, but the pipe cannot remain afloat without active control
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the water's own weight to automatically position and sustain the drainage pipe above the water level without requiring active floating mechanisms or complex control systems, achieving both ease of operation and simplicity.
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
Reduces the effort and power required to initiate flushing, making it convenient for various users and suitable for battery operation, avoiding the need for mains electrical connections in damp environments.
Implementation Method 1
the draining pipe and the siphon bell collectively create a siphon effect to cause the liquid to be flushed from the cistern
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
The present invention relates to a flush valve (100) for use in a cistern (10) containing liquid, said flush valve (100) comprising a siphon bell (130), and a drainage pipe (120) comprising a movable portion (124) movable with respect to the siphon bell (130) between a standby position and a flush position. In the standby position, the movable portion (124) prevents liquid in the cistern (10) from entering the draining pipe (120), and in the flush position, the movable portion (124) allows the liquid to enter the drainage pipe (120), and the draining pipe (120) and the siphon bell (130) collectively create a siphon effect to cause the liquid to be flushed from the cistern (10).