DK1964988T3 - Electromechanical flushing device - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to an apparatus for the electrical actuation of a flushing process in a sanitary cistern, comprising a cistern, a drain valve arranged in the cistern, and comprising a valve body in the form of an overflow pipe and provided with at least one pivotally-mounted lever which causes the valve body to rise upon a pivoting movement, an electronic control, and at least one sensor connected to the electronic control to actuate the drain valve, wherein the drain valve is associated with an electric linear drive that is controlled by the electronic control.

Conventional actuator plates for actuating a WC flushing process work purely mechanically. They usually have one or two operating buttons that are movable and are usually pivotally mounted.

Furthermore, devices for actuating toilet flushing with one or more electrical actuation switches are known. DE 31 40 307 A1 discloses a control device for the electrical actuation of a cistern valve provided with an electromagnetic actuator that has a capacitive sensor button. The sensor button is screwed to an inspection plate (cover plate] covering a wall opening, and comprises an insulating material, e.g. a glass ceramic plate, which is provided with metal coatings that serve as capacitor plates. The front of the sensor button has two sensor areas in order to either initiate a partial flush or a full flush, while two separate metal coatings are mounted opposite each of the metal coatings serving as sensor areas on the back of the sensor button. An electronic evaluation circuit is connected to the sensor areas, and emits a corresponding output signal in response to a momentary contacting of one of the sensor areas. A control circuit is connected to the evaluation circuit and contains a timing element associated with each sensor area of the sensor button, and which emits a control signal upon receipt of the output signal from the evaluation circuit, wherein the length of time of the control signal is determined by the relevant timing element. The cistern valve of this control device is in the form of an electromagnetic cistern valve. It differs from conventional cistern valves in that it has no float to keep the valve open. The valve is closed by switching off the electromagnet.

Furthermore, EP 1 057 942 A2 discloses an automatic urinal flushing system comprising a cistern, a control unit, a motor and a number of ultrasonic distance sensors. When the ultrasonic distance sensors detect that a person has moved away from the urinal, they relay the signal to the control unit, which then drives the motor. The motor raises a drain valve via a rod and a double-armed lever to actuate the flush.

Furthermore, an apparatus for actuating a cistern is known from WO 2006/079233 A2, wherein the drain valve is lifted by means of a Bowden cable which is fastened to a lifting element. The other end of the Bowden cable is attached to an eccentric gear that is driven by an electric motor arranged outside the cistern. The flush is actuated by the user at the push of a button and controlled by a stored program control. EP 0 629 748 A1 discloses an electronically-controlled flushing mechanism, wherein the electronic control detects the actuation of push buttons by a user. A motor is then actuated in order to raise a drain valve via a rod and thus to effect the flush. One of the buttons actuates a full flush while the other button actuates a partial flush via a timing element. Both buttons may also be designed as tactile sensors. FR 2 712 320 A1 discloses a mechanical flushing system that has a lever which actuates a flushing process by lifting a drain valve. The lever is connected via a Bowden cable to a mechanical push button, which may be operated by a user to actuate the flushing process.

Finally, FR 2 740 793 A1 discloses a control device for sanitary facilities, in particular for toilet cisterns. The device consists of an electronic control unit, which drives an electric motor after actuating buttons. The motor then raises a drain valve to cause flushing. A different flushing duration may be set for each of the buttons.

Document EP 1 057 942 is considered to be the closest prior art. The preamble of claim 1 corresponds to that document.

The present invention has the object of providing an apparatus for actuating a toilet flushing process that can be operated comfortably, is flexible to mount, and may be implemented relatively inexpensively while providing a high level of reliability in terms of proper flushing.

This object is achieved according to the invention by an apparatus having the features of claim 1.

The apparatus according to the invention is characterized in that the valve body is provided with at least one float while the at least one sensor is designed as a touch sensor, wherein, upon tactile actuation of the touch sensor, the electric linear drive is controlled by the electronic control to actuate the drain valve by means of a Bowden cable connected to the lever, wherein the electric linear drive is arranged within the cistern, wherein the drain valve comprises a housing while the lever is pivotally mounted in a bracket that is detachably connectable with the housing, and wherein the electronic control and/or the linear drive has at least one adjustment element for adjusting of different operating displacements of the linear drive.

The drain valve may be conveniently actuated by means of the tactile sensor(sj. By using a linear drive that is independent of the drain valve, the apparatus according to the invention may be implemented using an existing conventional cistern drain valve, in particular, a drain valve provided with a float may be used. The implementation of the invention thus requires no special electromagnetic drain valve without a float, but may be implemented using an existing cistern drain valve that was originally designed for mechanical actuation. The use of an existing drain valve type offers cost advantages, because existing machines that were previously used to produce the drain valve may also be used to provide the apparatus according to the invention. The concomitant standardization allows more economical production of the existing drain valve type and, in particular, lower storage costs.

The use of a linear drive that is independently producible from the drain valve, in combination with a Bowden cable also has the advantage that the arrangement of the linear drive within the cistern may be very flexible. This results in greater freedom in the design of a corresponding cistern system. Thus, for example, the linear drive may be arranged directly on the drain valve or, alternatively, on a mounting frame in the region of an inspection opening of the cistern.

According to the invention, the electronic control or the linear drive has at least one adjustment element to set different operating displacements of the linear drive. As a result, the opening width of the drain, and thus the hydraulic flushing power, may be adjusted or influenced.

In an advantageous embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention, the drain valve may be additionally provided with a mechanical actuation device. The mechanical actuation device has a manual actuation element, in particular a pushbutton or a handle, wherein the manual actuation element is connected to a further Bowden cable to actuate the drain valve. This embodiment ensures that, in the event of a power failure, a defined amount of water may be released to flush the connected toilet bowl. As a result, a high level of reliability with regard to proper flushing is achieved.

In a further embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention, the electronic control is so designed that the drain valve remains open as long as the touch sensor is actuated. This embodiment allows the user to determine the length of time of the water flow in the WC itself.

Further preferred and advantageous embodiments of the inventive apparatus are specified in the subclaims.

The invention will be explained in more detail by means of a drawing illustrating two exemplary embodiments, wherein :

Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a partial section of a concealed cistern according to a first embodiment,

Fig. 2 shows a perspective view of a partial section of a surface type cistern according to a second embodiment; and

Fig. 3 shows another perspective view of the cistern of Fig. 2.

The cistern 1 as shown in Fig. 1 is intended for installation in a wall. It has a drain valve 2, which is mounted on an opening in the bottom of the cistern body. The raisable and lowerable valve body 3 of the drain valve 2 consists of an overflow pipe with a flangeshaped sealing ring 4 attached to the lower end of the overflow pipe. The sealing ring 4 is located on a valve seat in the closed state of the drain valve 2, the valve seat is formed at the top of the pipe socket 5 penetrating the cistern bottom 7. If there is a certain amount of water in the cistern 1, the water column pushes the sealing ring 4 against the annular valve seat. An annular flange 6 is integrally formed on the pipe socket 5 and rests via a sealing ring (not shown] on a cistern bottom 7. The pipe socket 5 is provided below the flange 6 with an external thread 8, on which a nut 9 is screwed for the sealed attachment of the pipe socket 5 (not shown in Fig. 1, but compare Fig. 3).

The drain valve 2 has a housing 10 which is connected with the flange 6 via web-shaped support elements 11. The valve body 3, which is in the form of an overflow pipe, is provided with a float (not shown] that is guided in the housing 10.

The drain valve 2 is provided with a pivotally-mounted lever (not shown], which causes a lifting of the valve body 3 via a pivoting movement and is connected to a Bowden cable 12. The lever is mounted in a bracket (holder] 13 which is releasably connectable to the housing 10 of the drain valve 2. A projection (not shown] is formed on the outside of the pipe-shaped valve body 3, wherein the projection is engaged on its underside by the lever. The Bowden cable 12 allows the lever to be pivoted upwards so that the lever catches the projection on the valve body 3 and lifts it against the pressure on the sealing ring 4. In this case, a slight lifting of the sealing ring 4 from the valve seat is sufficient. The further lifting of the valve body 3 is effected by the float attached to the valve body 3 in the cistern 1 filled with water.

The actuation of the lever via the Bowden cable 12 is effected by means of an electrical linear drive 14. This linear drive 14 may also be referred to as a linear motor or a translationally-acting actuator. An electronic control is provided to control the electric linear drive 14 to which at least one touch sensor (not shown] is connected in order to actuate the drain valve 2.

Preferably, however, at least two touch sensors are connected to the electronic control, wherein one touch sensor actuates a full flush with a defined amount of water while a second touch sensor actuates a partial flush with a lower defined amount of water. The electronic control then contains at least two timing elements, wherein each touch sensor is associated with a timing element. The touch sensor(s] is/are preferably (a] capacitive touch elementfs]. Due to the timing elements, the touch sensors for actuating full or partial flushing need only be touched or actuated for a short time. After expiration of the time that is determined by the timing element associated with the respective touch sensor, the electric linear actuator 14 is reset by the electronic control, so that the Bowden cable 12 moves the associated lever on the drain valve 2 to its original position and the valve body 3 may again be lowered on to the valve seat. The Bowden cable 12 and/or the lever are biased to the starting position for this purpose by means of a spring element (not shown]. The timing elements are preferably provided with an adjustment element, so that the duration of the control of the drain valve 2, i.e. the duration of the lifting of the valve body 3 may be adjusted.

Furthermore, it is provided that the electronic control or the linear drive 14 has at least one adjustment element in order to set different operating displacements of the linear drive 14.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, the electrical linear drive 14 is mounted on a mounting frame 15, which is designed for mounting on an inspection opening 16 of the cistern 1. The linear drive 14 is accommodated in a housing 18 which may be sealed tightly with a cover 17. The electronic control may also be integrated in the housing 18. An electrical connection 19 for the power supply of the linear drive 14 and, optionally, the electronic control is provided at the top of the housing 18.

The apparatus according to the invention also has the possibility of an emergency release in the event of a power failure. For this purpose, the drain valve 2 is additionally provided with a mechanical release device 20. As indicated in Fig. 1, the mechanical release device 20 has a manual actuating element, which is connected to a further Bowden cable 21 to actuate the drain valve 2. The manual actuator (not shown] is designed, for example, as a pushbutton or handle, in particular as a pull knob, and that is preferably arranged in a hidden location on the outside of a cover covering an inspection opening 16 or at another location on the outside of the cistern 1 wall, and that is accessible to the user when needed.

For the emergency release of the drain valve 2, a further lever (not shown] is used and is also pivotally mounted in the bracket (holder] 13 to cause a lifting movement of the valve body 3 of the drain valve 2 via a pivoting movement.

The embodiment illustrated in Fig. 2 and 3 essentially differs from the exemplary embodiment according to Fig. 1 in that the electric linear drive (linear motor] 14 is mounted on the bracket 13 connected to the housing 10 of the drain valve 2. The linear drive 14 is, in turn, housed in housing 18 that may be tightly closed by with a cover 17. An electrical connection for the linear drive 14 is designated by 19.

In contrast to the concealed cistern 1 according to Fig. 1 the cistern 1' shown in Fig. 2 and 3 is a surface type cistern which consist, for example, of ceramic.

The implementation of the invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. Rather, a variety of variants are possible and that make use of the invention defined in the claims even with fundamentally different designs.

Claims (9)

An apparatus for electrically releasing a flushing process in a sanitary flushing tank (1, 1 '), comprising a flushing cistern (1, 1'), a drain valve (2) disposed in the flushing canister (1,1 ') and comprises a valve body (3) designed as an overflow tube and provided with at least one pivotally mounted arm thereby raising a pivotal movement of the valve body (3), an electronic control unit and at least one sensor connected to the electronic control unit , for operating the drain valve, in which is provided to the drain valve (2) an electric linear drive (14) controlled by the electronic control unit, characterized in that the valve body (3) is provided with at least one float valve and the at least one sensor is designed as a key sensor, wherein the electric linear drive (14) is controlled by the electronic control unit by touching the key sensor and operates the drain valve (2) by means of a Bowden cable (12) connected to the arm, wherein the electric linear drive (1) 4) is disposed in the rinse tank (1,1 '), wherein the drain valve (2) comprises a housing (10) and the arm is pivotally mounted in a holder (13) which can be releasably connected to the housing (10) and electronic control unit or linear drive (14) comprises at least one adjusting element for adjusting various alignment paths of the linear drive (14). Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the electric linear drive (14) is mounted on the holder (13). Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the electric linear drive (14) is mounted on a mounting frame (15) intended for mounting on an inspection opening (16) of the flushing container (1). Device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the drain valve (2) is furthermore provided with a mechanical release device. Device according to claim 4, characterized in that the mechanical release device comprises a manual control element, in particular a push button or handle, wherein the manual control element is connected to a further Bowden cable (21) for operating the drain valve (2). Device according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the key sensor or key sensors are capacitive key elements. Device according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that at least two key sensors are connected to the electronic control unit. Device according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the electronic control unit contains timers, one timer being assigned to each key sensor. Device according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the electronic control unit is designed so that the drain valve (2) remains open as long as the key sensor is operated.