Universal Flapper Kit with Adjustable Mounting Legs
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional flapper valves for gravity-operated flush toilets lack versatility in accommodating varying flush valve sizes, leading to inefficiencies in water usage and sealing effectiveness.
Innovation Solution
A modular flapper kit with adjustable mounting legs and a cylindrical bar that can attach to either side-mounted pegs or rear-mounted C-shaped channels, allowing for flexible attachment to different flush valve sizes and ensuring secure sealing across various configurations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a conventional flapper valve is designed for a specific flush valve size, then it provides reliable sealing for that specific size, but it cannot accommodate different flush valve sizes
Solution Approach 1:
The flapper valve is designed with a universal mounting structure that can attach to different types of flush valves (side-mounted pegs and rear-mounted C-shaped channels). The mounting arms with adjustable positioning features enable a single flapper design to serve multiple flush valve configurations, eliminating the need for different flapper models for different toilet sizes.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting arms incorporate adjustable positioning mechanisms that allow the flapper to be configured for different mounting positions. This dynamic adjustment capability enables the same flapper structure to adapt to various flush valve sizes and mounting configurations, providing versatility without requiring multiple fixed-design flappers.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the flapper mounting structure is made fixed and simple, then it is easy to manufacture and install, but it cannot adapt to varying flush valve configurations
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting structure is divided into separate mounting arms that can be independently positioned and adjusted. Each mounting arm can be configured separately to accommodate different flush valve types, allowing for modular assembly and adjustment without requiring complex integrated designs.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the flapper is designed with fixed mounting arms, then the structure is simple and reliable, but it cannot accommodate different distances between mounting points
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting arms are designed with adjustable positioning features that allow the distance between mounting points to be varied. This dynamic adjustment capability enables the flapper to accommodate different flush valve sizes where the distance between side-mounted pegs or C-shaped channels varies, while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.
Data Source
AI summary
A flapper kit comprises a flapper body, a pair of mounting legs disposed rearwardly of the flapper body and a unitary mounting bar, the mounting bar used in combination with a flush valve overfill portion, the collective elements forming an assembly.