Title: Automatic lid-lifting and flushing device for water closet

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Claims: We claim:

1. A control mechanism in combination with a water closet having a bowl, a flush tank, a raisable and closable lid, a raisable and closable seat and a flushing mechanism, said control mechanism being operable to automatically control the raising and lowering movements of said lid and seat as well as the actuation of said flushing mechanism, said control mechanism comprising:

a casing;

a low speed motor mounted in said casing;

motor actuated means operably connected to be driven by said motor;

lid operating means interconnecting said motor-actuated means and said lid for raising and lowering said lid;

seat operating means interconnecting said motor-actuated means and said seat for raising and lowering said seat;

electric control means electrically connected to said motor, said electric control means comprising:

a first manually operable switch for actuating said motor and said motor-actuated means through a lid-raising sequence in which said lid operating means raises said lid;

a second manually operable switch for actuating said motor and said motor-actuated means through a seat-raising sequence in which said seat operating means raises the seat; and

a third manually operable switch for actuating said motor and said motor-actuated means in reverse for closing said seat if the latter is raised and for closing said lid; and

flush operating means interconnecting said flashing mechanism and said motor-actuated means and being driven by the latter only during said reverse actuation thereof in response to operation of said third switch, to flush said bowl.

2. A control mechanism according to claim 1 wherein:

a mounting plate is connected to and extends from said casing for mounting said casing to the water closet;

said motor actuated means comprises:

a small drive gear-cam set driven by said motor and including a drive gear section and a plurality of drive cam sections rotatable with said drive gear section;

a big driven gear-cam set fixedly mounted on a first shaft and being arranged so as to be rotated through selected angles by said small drive gear-cam set, said big driven gear-cam set including:

a driven gear section having discontinuous portions and first and second toothed portions arranged to be rotated by said drive gear section;

a plurality of cam sections; and

a plurality of tooth sections arranged to be driven by said drive cam sections when said drive gear faces said discontinuous portions of said driven gear;

said lid operating means comprising:

a first driving-gear set mounted on said first shaft so as to be rotatable in response to rotation of said big driven gear-cam set, said first driving-gear set including:

a first drive gear section;

a first single-toothed driving gear section; and

a first position-limiting cam section;

a second shaft located above said first shaft and extending parallel thereto, said second shaft projecting beyond said casing;

a hub loosely mounted on said second shaft;

a first driven gear set freely mounted on said second shaft and arranged to be driven by said first driving gear set for lifting and closing the lid, said first driven gear set comprising:

a first driven gear section arranged to be driven by said first drive gear section;

a first single-toothed driven gear section arranged to be driven by said first single-toothed driving gear section; and

a first positioning cam section arranged to engage said first position-limiting cam section; and

bracket means fixedly mounted to said hub and projecting from said casing, said bracket means being arranged to support the lid for lifting and closing movements;

said seat operating means comprising:

a second driving-gear set mounted on said first shaft so as to be rotatable in response to rotation of said big driven gear-cam set, said second driving-gear set including:

a second drive gear section;

a second single-toothed driving gear section; and

a second position-limiting cam section;

a second driven gear set fixedly mounted on said second shaft and arranged to be driven by said second driving gear set for lifting and closing the seat, said second driven gear set including:

a second driven gear section arranged to be driven by said second drive gear section;

a second single-toothed driven gear section arranged to be driven by said second single-toothed driving gear section; and

a second positioning cam section arranged to be engaged by said first positioning cam section; and

arm means being fixedly mounted to said second shaft and projecting from said casing, said arm means being arranged to support the seat for lifting and closing movements;

a retaining plate is mounted on said casing;

said flush operating means comprising:

a pulley-cam assembly floatingly mounted in said retaining plate, said pulley-cam assembly including a gear section, a cam section rotatable with said gear section, and a pulley section rotatable with said last-named gear section; said pulley-cam assembly being arranged so that the gear section thereof meshes with said driven gear section of said big driven gear-cam set to be rotated thereby when the latter rotates in one direction during a lid closing operation, said gear section being out of meshing engagement with said driven gear section when the latter rotates in the opposite direction during lid and seat lifting operations;

linkage connected to said flushing mechanism;

a spring connected to said linkage to bias the latter to a non-flush position; and

a flushing string having one end connected to said pulley section so as to be wound-up thereon when said pulley section is rotated by said big driven gear-cam set, and the other end thereof being connected to said linkage so as to move said linkage to a flush-initiating position when said string is wound-up on said pulley section as said lid is being closed.

3. A control mechanism according to claim 2 including: a plurality of microswitches positioned for engagement with said cam sections of said big driven gear-cam set to de-energize said motor in response to completion of the action initiated by said switch means.

4. A control mechanism according to claim 2 including:

a first stabilizing wheel mounted on said first shaft; and

a second stablizing wheel mounted on said second shaft;

said first and second stabilizing wheels being configured so as to be in frictional driving engagement when the lid is being lifted or closed to prevent the lid from colliding with the flush tank or bowl.

5. The device according to claim 2, wherein said small drive gear-cam set further comprises a first guide wheel disposed adjacent to the outer side of said drive gear section and having a notch thereon, one of said drive cam sections being disposed adjacent the inner side of said drive gear section and having a tooth projected corresponding to the notch of the first guide wheel, the other of said drive cam sections being disposed adjacent to the outer side of said first guide wheel and having a tooth projected adjacent to the notch of the first guide wheel; and a second guide wheel located adjacent to the said other of said drive cam sections and having a notch located corresponding to the projected tooth of said other drive cam section.

6. The device according to claim 2, wherein said tooth portions of said big driven gear-cam sets occupy about one-half of the circumference of said driven gear section, one of said discontinuous portions being located centrally intermediate said toothed portions such that each toothed portion occupies about one-quarter of the periphery of said driven gear section; the other of said discontinuous portions being disposed at the finishing end of said second toothed section corresponding to the end of a seat-lifting operation; each toothed section including a stopper tooth having a higher addendum than the remaining teeth and being disposed respectively at the beginning end of said first toothed section and at the finishing end of said second toothed section to limit the rotating angle of the big driven gear-cam set; between said stopper-tooth members there being disposed a pair of toothless portions separated by a gear portion, the last-named gear portion having a higher elevation than the first and second toothed portions; said last-named gear portion being operable to mesh with said gear section of said pulley-cam assembly to rotate the latter to wind-up said flushing string; said tooth sections of said big driven gear-cam set being disposed respectively at opposite sides of said driven gear section in alignment with said discontinuous portion; a pair of arc-shaped plates being disposed on said driven gear section in alignment with said discontinuous portions to limit the rotational position of said driven gear section and permit travel of said drive cam sections of said small drive gear-cam set when in engagement with said tooth sections.

7. A device according to claim 2 wherein said pulley-cam assembly comprises a gear wheel carrying said gear section and said cam section, the former occupying about one-half of said gear wheel, said pulley section comprising a pulley wheel formed integrally with said gear wheel; said mounting plate having a vertical slot receiving said pulley-cam assembly; said flushing string being anchored in a groove of said pulley wheel; a plurality of guide pulleys being provided, with said string being wrapped therearound to guide said string toward its connection with said linkage; said driven gear section including a gear portion arranged relative to said pulley-gear assembly so that when said driven gear section rotates in said opposite direction for opening the lid or seat said gear portion displaces said pulley-gear assembly in said slot and the assembly does not rotate, and when said driven gear section rotates in said one direction to close the lid, said gear portion meshes with said gear section of said assembly to wind-up said string.

8. A device according to claim 2 wherein said first and second position-limiting cams of said first and second driving-gear sets includes a fan sector and a semi-circular recess; said first and second positioning cam sections being mutually oriented about one hundred eighty degrees out of phase along said first shaft; said first and second single-toothed gear sections being mutually in-phase along said first shaft.

9. A device according to claim 2 wherein said first and second driven gear sections of said first and second driven gear sets each includes a concave arc and two projections; each of said first and second positioning cams including a concave arc between two projections; each driven gear set being arranged so that

the arcs of the driven gear sections and the positioning cams are mutually in-phase along said second shaft; and

the single tooth of each of said single tooth gears are in-phase with said respective arcs.

10. A device according to claim 2 wherein said second driven gear set includes a sleeve extending toward said first driven gear set and fixed to said second shaft; said hub of said first driven gear set having one end freely rotatably mounted on said sleeve and another end freely rotatably mounted on said second shaft.

11. A device according to claim 2 wherein said single toothed gears of said first and second driven gear sets are disposed ninety degrees out-of-phase on said second shaft; in a condition where said lid and seat are both closed, the tooth of said second single toothed driven gear being oriented vertically downwardly.

Other info:

Inventors: Liu, Yu-Hsing
Chiu, Fon-Wen (11, TH)

Application Number: 695786
Filing Date: 1976-06-14
Publication_date: 1977-11-01
Assignee:
Primary Class(es): 4/253 4/246.1, 4/DIG3
Other Classes:
US Patent Ref:

3024469	Mar, 1962	Lewis et al.	4/DIG.
3048854	Aug, 1962	Miller	4/253.
3590397	Jul, 1971	Akamatsu et al.	4/249.
3621495	Nov, 1971	Carson	4/DIG.
3965492	Jun, 1976	Hendricks	4/DIG.

Other Refs:
Primary Examiner: Gerin, Leonard H.
Assistant Examiner:
Attorney: Burns, Doane, Swecker & Mathis