Kohler Company

Douglas E Bogard

Daniel N Halloran

Clayton C Garrels

Peter William Swart

Randy O Mesun

Sudip Mukerji

Jeffrey T Laundre

Billy Jack Ahola

Lawrence E Duwell

Andrew L Smith

Michael J Luettgen

John F Emmerling

Tony L Lambert

Donald G Bogenschuetz

Scott R Krebs

Bradley Strasser

Kari L Jaeckels

Matthew Krebs

Michael D Lindsay

Edward F Malis, Jr

Eric Derner

Stewart Anthony Schaal

William C Kuru

Peter W Denzin

Peter Kajuch

Kyle L Hokel

Wiliam C Kuru

A universal canister flush valve having a valve body configured to be fixed relative to a toilet tank and having a hollow wall defining an internal flow passage; a guide post coupled to and extending away from the valve body; a float fitted about and configured to slide relative to the guide post between a closed position and an open position, the float having an open top; and an extender that selectively couples to the open top in a first position, in which a first end of the extender is received in and coupled to the open top, and in a second position, in which a second end of the extender is received in and coupled to the open top, wherein the extender and float define a first overflow height in the first position and define a second overflow height in the second position.

Universal canister flush valve

A toilet includes a bowl and a vertically-elongated jet hole disposed within a portion of the bowl, near a top of the bowl between a rear of the bowl and a side of the bowl. The vertically-elongated jet hole is configured to direct flush water around an inner surface of the bowl to wash the inner surface of the bowl. The bowl does not include a rim that overhangs any portion of the bowl above the vertically-elongated jet hole.

Rimless toilet

A urinal is disclosed as having a spreader assembly. The spreader assembly includes a spreader body that may be mounted to the urinal, and a spreader mat. The spreader mat includes a series of spray holes. The spreader body is connected to a water supply, and a perimeter of the spreader mat is sealed to the spreader body. Each spray hole of the spreader mat is oriented to direct water onto a particular area of the urinal, when water is supplied to flush the urinal.

Urinal spreader assembly

A toilet includes a bowl having a vertically-elongated jet orifice near a top of the bowl that is designed to introduce flush water into the bowl from an interior water channel through a surface of an inner wall of the bowl, such that the flush water is directed around the inner wall of the bowl to wash the inner wall. The toilet also includes a shelf for directing the flush water. The toilet is a gravity-fed toilet that does not include an overhanging rim.

An actuation mechanism for a dual flush toilet that includes a rotatable pivot pin including a body and an extension extending outwardly from the body; a first lever configured to contact the extension after a predetermined rotation of the first lever, such that continued rotation of the first lever rotates the pivot pin a first rotation to actuate the first flush mode; and a second lever configured to contact the extension after a predetermined rotation of the second lever, such that continued rotation of the second lever rotates the pivot pin a second rotation to actuate the second flush mode; wherein the first rotation is different than the second rotation.

Multi-flush mode toilet

An actuation mechanism comprising a first handle, a second handle, a housing, a link arm member provided within the housing and pivotally coupled to the handles, and a moveable stop member provided within the housing. The first handle may be mounted to a first side of a toilet tank, and the second handle may be mounted coaxially relative to the first handle on the first side. The housing may be mounted to a second side of the tank. A rotation of one of the first and second handles results in rotation of the link arm member being limited by the moveable stop member such that the link arm member is permitted to rotate a first amount. Rotation of both the first and second handles results in movement of the moveable stop member such that the link arm member is permitted to rotate a second amount greater than the first amount.

A flush valve for a toilet has a valve body with a flow passage that narrows non-linearly down from the valve seat. The flow passage is formed by a surface that follows a polynomial expression so as to define a computationally derived flow profile that more closely follows the narrowing exhibited by falling water as it accelerates under gravity. The non-linear flow profile of the valve reduces the presence of air in the valve after a flush cycle is initiated so that greater flush efficiency can be achieved. The flush valve can also have a wide mouth overflow that narrows to improve flow in an overflow situation.

Flush valve

Growing community of inventors

Kohler, WI, United States of America

Douglas E Bogard