Flush Valve With Relief Valve Having Axially-Translatable Valve Element

Abstract

A flush valve has a relief valve including a stationary relief valve housing and an axially-translatable valve element. The axially-translatable valve element has an axial end that can be selectively translated to unseal an upper opening in a relief passageway through the stationary relief valve housing in order to permit fluid flow therethrough in order to initiate a flush cycle by the lifting of a diaphragm assembly. The axially-translatable valve element may include lead screw-like features which can be used to axially drive the axially-translatable valve element relative to the stationary relief valve housing to open or close the relief valve.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A flush valve comprising:
 a valve housing defining a fluid passageway between a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, the fluid passageway having a diaphragm valve seat disposed between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet;   a diaphragm assembly including a diaphragm and a disc, the diaphragm having a primary opening and a bypass opening, the primary opening receiving the disc therein and the bypass opening allowing water under pressure supplied to the fluid inlet to pass from a fluid inlet side of the diaphragm into a chamber in the fluid passageway established by a presence of the diaphragm assembly in the fluid passageway, wherein the diaphragm assembly is disposed in the fluid passageway and is movable between an opened position in which the disc of the diaphragm assembly is not in contact with the diaphragm valve seat and a closed position in which the disc of the diaphragm assembly is in contact with the diaphragm valve seat; and   a relief valve configured to selectively control fluid flow from the chamber to the fluid outlet, the relief valve comprising a stationary relief valve housing and an axially-translatable valve element, the stationary relief valve housing having a relief passageway and the axially-translatable valve element having an axial end positionable to selectively seal an upper opening in the relief passageway of the relief valve housing to regulate fluid flow therethrough;   wherein, in the closed position of the diaphragm assembly and with the relief valve closed, the disc contacts the diaphragm valve seat to form a seal therebetween and wherein, when the flush valve is activated and the relief valve is opened by lifting the axial end of the axially-translatable valve element from the upper opening of the relief passageway, a flow of water from the chamber into the fluid outlet via the relief passageway occurs thereby relieving a fluid pressure in the chamber and causing the diaphragm assembly to move from the closed position to the opened position such that the disc is unseated from the diaphragm valve seat further permitting water to pass from the fluid inlet to the fluid outlet in a space between the disc and the diaphragm valve seat.   
     
     
         2 . The flush valve of  claim 1 , further comprising a motor wherein an axial position of the axially-translatable valve element relative to the stationary relief valve housing is configured to be controlled by the motor and a drive train that includes a lead screw part that is integral with the axially-translatable valve element. 
     
     
         3 . The flush valve of  claim 2 , wherein the lead screw part that is integral with the axially-translatable valve element is a male lead screw part, wherein the drive train further comprises a female driving part positioned to selectively drive the male lead screw part, and wherein the axially-translatable valve element is restricted from angular rotation such that driving of the male lead screw part by the female driving part displaces the axially-translatable valve element axially, but not angularly. 
     
     
         4 . The flush valve of  claim 3 , wherein the female driving part is rotationally driven and meshes with the male lead screw part to provide axial translation of the axially-translatable valve element. 
     
     
         5 . The flush valve of  claim 1 , wherein, when the diaphragm assembly is in the open position and the relief valve is returned to the closed position, fluid pressure builds in the chamber thereby causing the disc to contact the diaphragm valve seat thereby reforming a seal therebetween, returning the diaphragm assembly to the closed position. 
     
     
         6 . The flush valve of  claim 1 , wherein the chamber in the fluid passageway is established by a presence of the diaphragm assembly in the fluid passageway and a fixed member disposed within the valve housing, the fixed member contacts the diaphragm in at least one radial position and has an extension that extends away from the diaphragm assembly, the extension of the fixed member has an inner chamber. 
     
     
         7 . The flush valve of  claim 6 , wherein the inner chamber of the fixed member is configured to support at least the stationary relief valve housing of the relief valve assembly. 
     
     
         8 . The flush valve of  claim 7 , wherein the stationary relief valve housing is threadably connected to the fixed member and wherein threads of the stationary relief valve housing have at least one planar flat surface formed therein to create fluid communication between a volume of an upper chamber between the fixed member and the diaphragm assembly and a volume between the stationary relief valve housing and the axial-translatable valve element. 
     
     
         9 . The flush valve of  claim 6 , wherein the fixed member is configured to ensure accurate flush volume. 
     
     
         10 . The flush valve of  claim 1 , wherein the diaphragm valve seat defines a peripheral fluid passageway wherein the peripheral fluid passageway is in fluid communication with the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet when the diaphragm assembly is in the open position thereby allowing additional fluid to flow from the fluid inlet to the fluid outlet. 
     
     
         11 . The flush valve of  claim 1 , wherein the open position of the relief valve occurs when the axial end of the axially-translatable valve element is translated out of contact with the stationary relief valve housing. 
     
     
         12 . The flush valve of  claim 1 , wherein the diaphragm is flexible. 
     
     
         13 . The flush valve of  claim 1 , wherein the diaphragm is configured to bend to allow the diaphragm assembly to move from the closed position to the open position. 
     
     
         14 . The flush valve of  claim 1 , wherein the disc has a circular outer periphery. 
     
     
         15 . The flush valve of  claim 1 , wherein the relief valve assembly is configured to be in an open position from 0.5 to 3 seconds which results in the flush valve being open from 3 to 10 seconds. 
     
     
         16 . The flush valve of  claim 1 , wherein the axial end of the axially-translatable valve element has an elastomeric element on a tip thereof that seals the opening of the relief passageway of the stationary relief valve housing when the relief valve is in the closed position. 
     
     
         17 . A method for operating a flush valve, the method comprising the steps of:
 (a) providing a fluid under pressure to a fluid passageway in a valve housing via a fluid inlet;   (b) communicating the fluid through a bypass opening in a diaphragm assembly into a chamber, the diaphragm assembly being disposed in the fluid passageway and being movable between an opened position in which the diaphragm assembly is not in contact with a diaphragm valve seat and a closed position in which the diaphragm assembly is in contact with the diaphragm valve seat, wherein the chamber is established by a presence of the diaphragm assembly in the fluid passageway;   (c) communicating the fluid in the chamber into a relief valve, the relief valve comprising a stationary relief valve housing and an axially-translatable valve element, the stationary relief valve housing having a relief passageway and the axially-translatable valve element having an axial end positionable to selectively seal an upper opening in the relief passageway of the stationary relief valve housing to regulate fluid flow therethrough;   (d) translating the axially-translatable valve element into an open position such that the upper opening in the relief valve housing is unsealed by the axial end of the axially-translatable valve element;   (e) communicating the fluid through the relief valve to a fluid outlet; and   (f) translating the diaphragm assembly from the closed position to the open position such that the diaphragm assembly is unseated from the diaphragm valve seat permitting water to pass from the fluid inlet to the fluid outlet in a space between the diaphragm assembly and the diaphragm valve seat.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the axially-translatable valve element includes a male lead screw part and a drive train of the flush valve includes a female driving part and wherein the step of translating the axially-translatable valve element involves driving the female driving part such that the female driving part meshes with the male lead screw part to translate the axially-translatable valve element. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein, during the step of translating the axially-translatable valve element, the axially-translatable valve element is restricted from angular rotation such that driving of the male lead screw part by the female driving part displaces the axially-translatable valve element axially, but not angularly.