Siphon-Driven Flush Assembly Eliminates Flapper Leakage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional toilet flush assemblies experience leakage due to degradation of flappers and flush ports, leading to inefficiencies in water flow and refilling.
Innovation Solution
A siphon-driven flush assembly that eliminates the need for flappers by using a siphon body with a siphon inlet, passage, and outlet, coupled with an expandable bellows and adjustable depth stop, to establish a siphon-driven flow from the toilet tank to the bowl, and includes a refill port to refill the tank without directing water into the overflow tube.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a flapper is used to seal the flush port, then the toilet can be manufactured with a simple and conventional structure, but leakage occurs due to degradation of the flapper and flush port
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the flapper component entirely from the system and replaces it with a siphon-based flushing mechanism. The siphon body with inlet, outlet, and passage creates a sealless flushing system that eliminates the degradation issues associated with flappers while maintaining reliable operation over extended periods
Solution Approach 2:
The invention utilizes hydraulic principles through the siphon mechanism to achieve flushing without mechanical sealing components. The siphon body creates a water seal through its passage design, allowing water to flow from the tank to the bowl while preventing air ingress and maintaining system reliability without degradable parts
2Productivity
If a conventional flapper system is used, then the device structure remains simple, but water flow efficiency decreases due to leakage and degradation
Solution Approach 1:
By extracting the flapper component and replacing it with a siphon mechanism, the system eliminates the source of leakage and maintains optimal water flow efficiency throughout the product lifecycle, preventing energy loss associated with degraded sealing
Solution Approach 2:
The siphon mechanism changes the operational parameters of the flushing system by using hydrostatic pressure and siphon action rather than mechanical lifting and sealing. This creates a more efficient water flow path that maintains consistent performance without the degradation seen in flapper systems
3Ease of manufacture
If flappers and flush ports are used, then the initial device complexity is low, but maintenance and repair become necessary due to degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates the flapper component that requires maintenance and replacement, substituting it with a siphon body that has no degradable moving parts. This reduces long-term maintenance requirements while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through the use of standard plumbing components
Solution Approach 2:
The siphon body and associated components are designed as a durable, long-lasting alternative to disposable flappers. The system uses robust materials and sealless design to create a flushing mechanism that does not require periodic replacement, reducing maintenance burden and operational costs
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
This solution reduces leakage, enhances flushing performance by maintaining high water velocity regardless of tank water level, and improves refilling efficiency by eliminating the need for a fill valve overflow, resulting in a more effective and water-efficient flushing system.
Implementation Method 1
The siphon body can be configured to float within the tank and, during a flushing sequence, to be submerged to establish a siphon-driven flow of liquid from the tank to the flush port
Data Source
AI summary
A flush assembly for a toilet with a tank can include a rigid siphon body with a siphon inlet, a siphon outlet, and a siphon passage. An outlet assembly can be coupled to the siphon outlet to provide a liquid flow path between the siphon outlet and a flush port of the tank. The rigid siphon body can be configured to float within the tank and to be submerged to establish a siphon-driven flow of liquid from the tank to the flush port to flush the toilet.