Did You Know...
...that the video game, Pong, was invented by a guy who graduated at the bottom of his engineering class? Nolan Bushnell spent more time running the games at a local amusement park than he did on his studies at the University of Utah. His dreams of working for Disney's amusement empire were dashed when the company wouldn't hire him. Taking a boring job, Nolan daydreamed about electronic versions of popular games. He invented Pong, the first video game, and went on to found Atari Co.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7992232 | Toilet flush control device A device for controlling valve travel of the flush valve of a toilet operated by a rigid linkage rod and for forcibly returning the valve to the closed position. The device may comprise a spring contained within a sleeve. The sleeve has end caps bearing openings for... | 08/09/2011 |
| 7861330 | Universal toilet tank lever A toilet tank lever assembly may be mounted in various toilet tanks by selective positioning of a long lever arm relative a short lever arm. One such lever assembly includes a long lever arm which may be mounted at an infinite degree of adjustment relative a short l... | 01/04/2011 |
| 7596819 | Trip lever assembly A trip lever assembly for initiating a flush cycle of a toilet is constructed to have a more solid and smooth feel with less play. The assembly includes a handle accessible with a stem extending into an interior of the toilet. An inner bushing fits onto the stem and... | 10/06/2009 |
| 7434275 | Apparatus for selectively preventing flushing of a toilet Apparatus for selectively preventing flushing of a toilet includes a flush handle mounted on the tank of the toilet and structure in the tank interior for engaging a float of the water inlet valve control assembly of the toilet when the flush handle is actuated. A l... | 10/14/2008 |
| 7415737 | Automatic flusher for tank-type toilet An automatic flushing system is equipped with a buoyancy mechanism to unseat a valve set in a tank of a toilet. The automatic flushing system, equipped with battery power, includes sets of sensing, actuating, latching, buoyancy, unseat/seat and valve members. The ba... | 08/26/2008 |
| 7310832 | Apparatus for operating toilet flush valves An automatic flush valve comprising: a linear actuator; an actuator rod in operable communication with the linear actuator; an actuator chain in communication with the actuator rod; a wheel anchor in communication with the actuator chain; a force compensating wheel ... | 12/25/2007 |
| 7140050 | Automatic flushing actuator for tank style toilet An automatic flushing actuator that mounts to an overflow pipe in a tank style toilet includes a proximity sensor, a housing enclosing a motor mount and gear assembly, and a rotatably mounted lever on top of the housing. A clamp is adapted to be affixed to the side ... | 11/28/2006 |
| 7137820 | Potty training cabinet A cabinet is used for potty training. The cabinet is comprised of several doors behind which are compartments. The compartments are made to contain candy. A recorded message congratulates a child when a button is pushed, and directs the child to open one door to rec... | 11/21/2006 |
| 7120944 | Gripe mechanism of a reservoir tank for a toilet bowl A gripe mechanism of a reservoir tank for a toilet bowl is assembled to a through hole defined in the reservoir tank. The gripe mechanism includes a bolt extending through the through hole of the reservoir tank, a position limit member locating at an inner side of t... | 10/17/2006 |
| 7100218 | Lifting lever for a cistern flush valve A lifting lever (10) for a cistern flush valve. The lever includes a first end (14) adapted for operative engagement with the cistern flush valve, a second end (18) adapted for operative engagement with a flush actuation button (24) and a... | 09/05/2006 |
| 7096517 | Flushing device for a lavatory A flushing device includes a cistern, in which at least one pressure chamber is arranged with a supply line for water and a discharge valve. At least part of the flushing water may be pressurised in the pressure chamber and may be discharged for flushing through the... | 08/29/2006 |
| 7069604 | Tankless western-style flush toilet The present invention provides an open/close valve which contributes the stabilization of the operation responsibility. A housing has a water-in port and a water-out port. Furthermore, a piston which is slidably mounted in the housing in an axial direction by means ... | 07/04/2006 |
| 7032256 | Tank toilet with autoflusher An arrangement for flushing a toilet of the type that comprises a toilet bowl and a toilet tank. In one embodiment, the arrangement comprises a handle assembly comprising a manually actuatable handle that provides a flush signal to the flush valve flapper lifting as... | 04/25/2006 |
| 7028347 | Digital electronic volume/flow control sensor toilet A digital electronic volume/flow control sensor toilet includes a bowl, a water storage tank interconnected with the bowl, and a digital electronic volume/flow control sensor flushing mechanism. The flushing mechanism has components including a volume sensor, a shut... | 04/18/2006 |
| 6834399 | Pressure vessel A pressure vessel has a tank portion for preserving water and a drain mechanism mounted on the tank portion. An outlet is defined at a bottom of the tank portion for draining water. A through hole is defined at a top of the tank portion and corresponding to the outl... | 12/28/2004 |
| 6651263 | Toilet tank having a two-stage flushing device A toilet tank having a two-stage flushing device includes a housing, a first water outlet tube, a second water outlet tube, a first water relief valve, a second water relief valve, and a control unit. Thus, the toilet tank can provide a two-stage flushing... | 11/25/2003 |
| 6637044 | Statement regarding federally sponsored research/development A toilet trip lever assembly provides a lever arm that extends in the tank perpendicular to the tank wall. As an outer handle is rotated, it drives a stem, which in turn drives an arm inside the tank that extends parallel to the tank wall, which pushes do... | 10/28/2003 |
| 6510563 | Flush valve adapter for converting a single flush valve system to a dual flush valve system An adapter for attachment to an existing single flush valve system to convert the single valve system to a dual flush valve system comprises a pair of tubular sections vertically offset from one another and connected by a hollow, enclosed channel. The upp... | 01/28/2003 |
| 6453480 | Separate-type cistern handle base mount A separate-type cistern handle base mount has a base mount installed onto the side wall of a cistern, a pressure control seat assembled to the front end of the base mount, and a stem inserted through the base mount and fixed at the front end of the pressu... | 09/24/2002 |
| 6421844 | Toilet flushing apparatus A toilet flushing apparatus for using a portion of the water in the tank of the toilet for flushing light waste materials from the bowl of the toilet. The toilet flushing apparatus includes a bracket member being designed for coupling to an exterior surfa... | 07/23/2002 |
| 6385786 | Two-stage flush device for a toilet water tank Water-saving device for flush toilets comprises a bracket which can be mounted on the exterior of a toilet water tank directly behind the flush handle on the front wall of the water tank. The device comprises a bracket body, having a lever pivotally secur... | 05/14/2002 |
| 6282731 | Multiple variable flush water storage tank toilet A multiple variable flush storage tank toilet has been developed as preferred state-of-the-art to improve the means of reducing the amount of water used in a water flush type toilet. The improved mechanism within the toilet storage tank relies on a partit... | 09/04/2001 |
| 6282732 | Toilet flushing handle accessory The toilet flushing handle accessory of the present invention includes a decorative figure attached to an existing toilet flushing handle to customize and decorate a toilet. The toilet flushing handle accessory can include an electronic sound module to pr... | 09/04/2001 |
| 6219884 | Method and apparatus for decorative toilet flush handles The present invention 14 discloses a method and apparatus for attaching a decorative flush handle 10 to a conventional toilet 12. Shown is a threaded shaft 16 having a first rotatable member 18 mounted thereon having a pair of oppositely opposing, hingedl... | 04/24/2001 |
| 6178567 | Multi-flush system and method The flush system for a toilet provides a discharge pipe upstanding within a flush tank of the toilet. The pipe has a bottom with a bottom opening through which water from the flush tank travels to the toilet bowl of the toilet. The bottom is connected to ... | 01/30/2001 |
| 6138292 | Cover for toilet handle A novelty cover used for commercial advertising, for the flush handle of commercially made toilets and urinals. One is a container, where printed matter which illustrates a particular advertisement is inserted between two tubes that make up a unitary piec... | 10/31/2000 |
| 6115851 | Toilet flushing apparatus A toilet flushing aid for use with a toilet having a flushing handle. The toilet flushing aid has a first actuating member adapted for actuation by an elbow of a user; a second actuating member adjacent the toilet and adapted for actuation by movement tow... | 09/12/2000 |
| 6092245 | Toilet operating lever for multiple applications A universal-fit, multiple-application molded thermoplastic operating lever for a flush toilet, the toilet having a buoyant flush valve flapper, tank ball or activating disk utilizing flexible connection chain for momentarily lifting the flush valve by man... | 07/25/2000 |
| 6041452 | Water-saving toilet A toilet water tank is provided with a water discharging seat which is in turn provided in the top thereof with an upright tube, a high water discharging port and a low water discharging port. The high and the low water discharging ports are movably cover... | 03/28/2000 |
| 6035457 | Toilet tank flush handle An improved hand-actuated toilet tank flush handle assembly with an essentially counterweighted flush actuator rod for use by a physically challenged person in flushing a bowl mounted water storage tank of a toilet assembly. The flush handle is substantia... | 03/14/2000 |
| 5933878 | Tank device for flushing toilet bowl A tank device for flushing a toilet bowl includes a tank body in which flushing water is stored and in which a discharge opening is provided at the bottom. A discharge valve body is linked to the discharge opening at the bottom of the tank body. The disch... | 08/10/1999 |
| 5918324 | Water saving two-stage toilet A two-stage toilet is composed of a handle switching device, a locating and fastening device, a water adjusting device, and a water stopping valve device. The handle switching device consists of a camshaft on which the locating and fastening device and th... | 07/06/1999 |
| 5873136 | Pop-up bowl valve for toilet with two flush modalities A two flush modality toilet composed of a bowl, a tank connected with the bowl wherein the tank is connected to a water supply, a conventional flush modality for flushing solid waste from the bowl, and a urinal flush modality for flushing liquid only wast... | 02/23/1999 |
| 5855027 | Automatic bathroom door and toilet flushing system A new automatic bathroom door and toilet flushing system for automatically raising the door and flushing the toilet when a user is finished. The system includes a housing secured to a ceiling between a pair of walls. The housing has an opening in a lower ... | 01/05/1999 |
| 5771502 | Flush lever assembly that prevents flushing of the toilet unless the seat and lid are in a lowered position A flush lever assembly for use in a toilet having a main body, a seat, a closure lid movable between a first position in which the seat is covered and a second position in which the seat is not covered, and a drainage mechanism, comprises: a bolt for enga... | 06/30/1998 |
| 5737778 | Toilet seat actuator A toilet seat lifter is provided for the manually lifting and lowering of a toilet seat without requiring the user to actually touch the toilet seat. The toilet seat lifter is not secured to the toilet seat. It is in the form of a stick-like member having... | 04/14/1998 |
| 5708990 | Commode flush accessory Water-saving device for flush toilet. A water-saving device as shown and described herein comprises a frame which can be mounted on the exterior of a conventional toilet water tank, a vertical shaft which is integrally formed on the frame for receiving a ... | 01/20/1998 |
| 5680659 | Water conserving toilet flush mechanism A toilet flush mechanism for use with a toilet including a water tank and a water outlet for conducting water out of the tank. The flush mechanism includes a valve element positioned at the outlet for closing and opening the outlet, and a first actuator f... | 10/28/1997 |
| 5611091 | Toilet trip lever arm with integral energy absorbing member A toilet trip lever mechanism for use with pressure flush toilets including a coil-type member formed integrally as part of the lever arm. The coil member acts as a shock absorber during the flushing process to absorb kickback during flushing.... | 03/18/1997 |
| 5544368 | Two-stage flush device for a toilet tank A two-stage flush device for a toilet tank comprising a cylindrical bolt adapted to be fixed in a hole of a side wall of a toilet tank and partly exposed out of the side wall, a rotatable button having a shaft portion fitting in a center hole of the cylin... | 08/13/1996 |
