IP Library Granted Patent US 9,469,980
Granted Patent B2
US 9,469,980 · App. 14/062,502 · Granted Oct 18, 2016

Click fit toilet flush handle lever assembly

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,469,980
App. No.
14/062,502
Granted
Oct 18, 2016
Kind
B2
Abstract

A toilet lever assembly, including: (a) a sleeve dimensioned to pass through a toilet tank wall; (b) a rotatable post extending through the sleeve; (c) a toilet flush handle mounted to the end of the rotatable post that is positioned outside of the toilet tank; (d) a nut received onto the end of the sleeve that is positioned outside of the toilet tank; and (e) a lever housing mounted to the end of the post that is positioned inside of the toilet tank, the lever housing comprising: (i) an actuator for moving a toilet lever to cause a flush when the post is rotated, and (ii) a biasing mechanism for rotating the post back to a neutral position.

Claims (32)

1. A toilet lever assembly, comprising:

(a) a sleeve dimensioned to pass through a toilet tank wall;

(b) a rotatable post extending through the sleeve;

(c) a toilet flush handle detachably mounted to an end of the rotatable post; and

(d) a lever housing mounted to an end of the rotatable post that is positioned inside of the toilet tank, the lever housing comprising:

(i) an actuator for moving a toilet lever to cause a flush when the post is rotated, wherein the actuator comprises:

a short arm extending outwardly from the lever housing, the short arm being rotatable about a horizontal axis, and

a lever arm extending from an end of the short arm, the lever arm being rotatable about a vertical axis that is substantially perpendicular to the rotatable post, and

(ii) a biasing mechanism for rotating the post back to a neutral position.

2. The toilet lever assembly of claim 1 , wherein a nut is positioned within a toilet flush handle hub.

3. The toilet lever assembly of claim 1 , wherein the toilet flush handle is click-fit onto the rotatable post.

4. The toilet lever assembly of claim 3 , wherein the toilet flush handle produces an audible sound when the toilet flush handle is click-fit onto the rotatable post.

5. The toilet lever assembly of claim 3 , wherein the toilet flush handle comprises an expandable clip that deforms to pass over the end of the rotatable post and is received into a groove on the rotatable post.

6. The toilet lever assembly of claim 1 , wherein the biasing mechanism rotates the post back to the neutral position from either direction.

7. The toilet lever assembly of claim 1 , wherein the rotatable post comprises a first post section slidably receivable within a second post section such that the length of the post can be adjusted to accommodate the thickness of a toilet tank wall.

8. The toilet lever assembly of claim 7 , wherein the first post section is detachably secured to the second post section.

9. The toilet lever assembly of claim 1 , wherein the lever housing comprises a non-rotatable portion and a rotatable portion, and wherein the rotatable portion of the lever housing rotates together with the rotatable post.

10. The toilet lever assembly of claim 9 , wherein the biasing mechanism moves the rotatable portion of the lever housing with respect to the non-rotatable portion of the lever housing to rotate the post back to the neutral position.

11. The toilet lever assembly of claim 10 , wherein the biasing mechanism is a spring mounted between the rotatable and non-rotatable portions of the lever housing.

12. The toilet lever of claim 1 , wherein the lever is detachably secured to the end of the post.

13. The toilet lever of claim 1 , wherein the actuator further comprises an adjustable cam connecting the lever arm to the short arm.

14. A toilet lever assembly, comprising:

(a) a sleeve dimensioned to pass through a toilet tank wall;

(b) a rotatable post extending through the sleeve;

(c) a toilet flush handle mounted at an end of the rotatable post outside of the toilet tank; and

(d) a lever housing mounted to an end of the rotatable post that is positioned inside of the toilet tank, the lever housing comprising:

(i) an actuator for moving a toilet lever to cause a flush when the post is rotated, wherein the actuator comprises:

a short arm extending outwardly from a lever housing, the short arm being rotatable about a first axis, and

a lever arm extending from an end of the short arm, the lever arm being rotatable about a second axis that is substantially perpendicular to the first axis, and wherein the first and second axes do not intersect; and

(ii) a biasing mechanism for rotating the post back to a neutral position.

15. The toilet lever assembly of claim 14 , wherein the toilet flush handle is click-fit onto the rotatable post.

16. The toilet lever assembly of claim 14 , wherein the biasing mechanism rotates the post back to the neutral position from either direction.

Assignments (2)
ADDENDUM TO NOTICE OF GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS (PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL 027784, FRAME 0094) Recorded Aug 6, 2018
From: FLUIDMASTER, INC.
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.
Reel/Frame 046722/0707 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 9, 2014
From: LE, TUAN; MALLELA, VENKAT; NGUYEN, CAN (KEN)
To: FLUIDMASTER, INC.
Reel/Frame 031931/0087 →