Toto Ltd.

Nok Corporation

Akihiko Koba

Kazuyuki Enomoto

Jyunichi Tani

Katsuhiko Nagano

A flush valve deviceof a flush toilet includes a flush valve bodyconnected to a city water source and an operation unit. The operation unithas an operation buttonand a flexible inner cable, which is part of a cable mechanism. The inner cableis extended from a rear side to a lateral side of a toilet bodyand is linked with the operation button. In response to a press of the operation button, the flush valve bodyopens to make a supply of washing water flown into the toilet body. This arrangement desirably increases the degree of freedom in positioning of the flush valve body and the operation unit, enhances the operability of the flush valve device, and effectively facilitates installation of the flush valve device

Flush valve device of flush toilet

A magnetic fluid seal apparatus adapted to prevent a magnetic fluid from being displaced along a shaft or housing during linear motion of the shaft. In the apparatus of the bore mounted type, a pole piece is hermetically fixed within a bore of the housing, while an associated inner ring is fitted over the shaft so as to form an annular magnetic gap in which the magnetic fluid is magnetically retained. The inner ring has an axial length smaller than that of the pole piece. Thus, a portion of the magnetic fluid is retained along the outer face of the inner ring, while the remainder of the fluid is retained along the inner face of the pole piece to form a film of magnetic fluid. The pole piece has an axial length equal to or greater than the travel of linear motion of the shaft so that the portion of magnetic fluid retained along the inner ring is in continuous, integrated fluid-to-fluid engagement with the film of magnetic fluid throughout the travel of the shaft. Various other embodiments, including a magnetic fluid seal apparatus of the shaft mounted type, are also disclosed.

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Kitakyushu, Japan

Akihiko Koba