Reduced water consumption flush toilet
View Patent ↗A reduced water consumption flush toilet for a motor vehicle includes a bowl assembly, a waste ball valve assembly and a water valve assembly. The bowl assembly defines a bowl and a discharge opening at a lower end of the bowl. The waste ball valve assembly is mounted to the flush toilet for selectively opening and closing the discharge opening of the bowl assembly. The water valve assembly delivers a source of flush water to the bowl. The water valve assembly includes a water valve operable in a water valve open condition and a water valve closed condition. The flush toilet further includes a common actuator for controlling both the waste ball valve assembly and the water valve assembly. The common actuator is movable from a first position to an intermediate position and from the intermediate position to a second position such that in the first position the waste ball valve assembly closes the discharge opening and the water valve assembly is in the closed condition, in the intermediate position the waste ball valve assembly closes the discharge opening and the water valve assembly is in the open position for adding water to the bowl, and in the second position the waste ball valve assembly opens the discharge opening and the water valve assembly is in the open position for flushing the bowl.
1. A flush toilet comprising:
a bowl assembly defining a bowl and a discharge opening at a lower end of the bowl;
a waste ball valve assembly mounted to the flush toilet for selectively opening and closing the discharge opening of the bowl assembly;
a water valve assembly for selectively delivering a source of flush water to the bowl, the water valve assembly including a water valve operable in a water valve open condition and a water valve closed condition; and
a common actuator for controlling opening and closing of both the waste ball valve assembly and the water valve assembly;
wherein the common actuator is connected to one of the waste ball valve assembly and the water valve assembly and the waste ball valve assembly is coupled to the water valve assembly such that the common actuator drives the one of the waste ball valve assembly and the water valve assembly, and movement of the one of the waste ball valve assembly and water valve assembly resultantly drives the other of the waste ball valve assembly and the water valve assembly,
wherein the common actuator is interconnected to the waste ball valve assembly and the water valve assembly by a flexible cable, the flexible cable attached to a water valve drive arm for driving the water valve assembly between the open and closed conditions.
2. The flush toilet of claim 1 , wherein the waste ball valve is rotatably mounted to the flush toilet.
3. The toilet of claim 1 , wherein the actuator is a foot actuated lever.
4. The flush toilet of claim 1 , wherein the actuator is positioned proximate a front portion of the flush toilet and the water valve assembly is positioned proximate a rear portion of the flush toilet.
5. The flush toilet of claim 1 , wherein the actuator is mounted to the flush toilet for rotation about a first axis and the waste ball valve assembly is mounted to the flush toilet for rotation about a second axis, the first axis being substantially perpendicular to the second axis.
6. The flush toilet of claim 1 , wherein the waste valve assembly is driven by a waste valve drive arm, the waste valve drive arm being driven by rotation of the water valve drive arm.