当前申请(专利权)人地址：
Incorporated in the United Kingdom, P O Box 28, Dauntless Works, Birmingham New Road, DUDLEY, West Midlands, DY1 4SN , United Kingdom
摘要：
The method comprises bringing together a cavity part and core part 11 having a hole insert 12 mounted at a first location 10a and a blank insert 13 mounted at a second location 10b, moulding a first cistern by filling a mould cavity C between the cavity part and the core part, the hole insert describes an outlet hole (20, fig 1) through a base wall (2, fig 1) at the first location and the blank insert describes a projecting witness mark (21, fig 1) on the base wall at the second location. The mould has a second configuration, another hole inserts 14 is mounted at the second location and the blank insert is mounted at the first location. The method involves moulding first and second cisterns when the mould is in its respective first and second configurations. A partition (5, fig 1) may be provided separating the cistern into flush volume and storage volume, and may be received within a guide (30, fig 1) aligned with the projecting witness mark. An injection nozzle 15 may feed molten material through an injection gate 16. A mould and a moulded toilet cistern (1, fig 1) made using the mould are also provided.
权利要求：
CLAIMS
1. A method of making a plurality of toilet cisterns, the method comprising:
bringing together a cavity part and a core part having a hole insert mounted
thereto at a first location and a blank insert mounted thereto at a second location,
different from the first location;
moulding a first cistern by filling a mould cavity described between the cavity
part and the core part such that the hole insert describes an outlet hole through a
base wall of the first cistern at the first location and such that the blank insert describes
a projecting witness mark on the base wall of the first cistern at the second location;
removing the inserts from the core part;
mounting either the same or a further blank insert to the core part at the first
location;
mounting either the same or a further hole insert to the core part at the second
location; and
moulding a second cistern by filling the mould cavity such that the blank insert
describes a projecting witness mark on the base wall of the cistern at the first location
and such that the hole insert describes an outlet hole through a base wall of the
second cistern at the second location.
2. A method according to claim 1 comprising mounting a partition within the first cistern
such that an aperture, cutout and/or recess at or adjacent a lower edge of the partition
receives the projecting witness mark at the second location.
3. A method according to claim 2, wherein mounting the partition comprises receiving
the projecting witness mark within a recess described by a part-cylindrical receptacle
at or on a base of the partition.
4. A method according to claim 2 or claim 3 comprising separating the cistern into a first,
flush volume and a second, storage volume with the partition such that the aperture
or cutout joins the first and second volumes.
5. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the inserts are mounted to the
core part using a fastener and moulding each cistern comprises forming a projecting
witness mark described at least in part by the fastener of the blank insert.
6. A method according to claim 3, wherein forming the projecting witness mark
comprises forming a hexagonal projection corresponding to a socket or head of the
fastener.
7. A moulded toilet cistern obtainable by a method according to any one of claims 1 to
6, the cistern comprising a base wall, a pair of side walls and a pair of end walls,
wherein the base wall comprises an outlet hole through its thickness at a first location
and a projecting witness mark at a second location.
8. A moulded toilet cistern according to claim 7 comprising a partition removably
mounted within the cistern, wherein the partition comprises an aperture, cutout and/or
recess at or adjacent a lower edge thereof and aligned with the projection of the base
wall to enable the partition to rest along the base wall of the cistern.
9. A moulded toilet cistern according to claim 8, wherein the partition comprises a plate
having a part-cylindrical receptacle at or on its base, which may describes the recess.
10. A moulded toilet cistern according to claim 8 or claim 9, wherein the partition
separates the cistern into a first, flush volume and a second, storage volume and the
aperture or cutout joins the first and second volumes such that the water level in the
first and second volumes equalises after a flushing event.
11. A moulded toilet cistern according to claim 10 when dependent upon claim 9, wherein
the aperture or cutout is adjacent or above the part-cylindrical receptacle.
12. A moulded toilet cistern according to any one of claims 8 to 11, wherein the aperture
or cutout comprise a slot extending substantially parallel to the base wall.
13. A moulded toilet cistern according to any one of claims 8 to 12, wherein each side
wall comprises a guide for receiving the partition, the partition comprising one or more
flanges projecting from each of its sides and along one of its edges, which is received
within and engages the guide.
14. A moulded toilet cistern according to any one of claims 7 to 13, wherein the projection
comprises a hexagonal cross-section corresponding to a socket or head of the
fastener.
15. A moulded toilet cistern according to any one of claims 7 to 14 comprising mounting
features on, in or through each of its side walls such that the cistern is reversible.
16. A moulded toilet cistern according to any one of claims 7 to 15 comprising an outlet
valve or syphon mounted to the base wall in fluid communication with the outlet hole.
17. A moulded toilet cistern according to any one of claims 7 to 16 comprising an inlet
valve mounted thereto and in fluid communication with an inlet hole in the base or
one of the end walls.
18. A mould for making a toilet cistern, the mould comprising a core part, a cavity part
describing with the core part a mould cavity for moulding a cistern, one or more hole
inserts removably mountable to the core part for describing an outlet hole through a
base wall of the cistern and one or more blank inserts removably mountable to the
core part for describing a projecting witness mark on the base wall of the cistern,
wherein the mould comprises a first configuration, in which one of the hole insert(s)
is mounted to the core part at a first location and one of the blank insert(s) is mounted
to the core part at a second location, different from the first location, and a second
configuration, in which one of the hole insert(s) is mounted to the core part at the
second location and one of the blank insert(s) is mounted to the core part at the first
location.
19. A mould according to claim 18, wherein the hole insert mounted to the core part at
the first location when the mould is in the first configuration comprises a first hole
insert describing at least part of an injection gate in a central region thereof and a pair
of opposed runners extending from the injection gate to the cavity, thereby to enable
molten material to flow from the injection gate into the cavity via the runners.
20. A mould according to claim 19, wherein the hole insert mounted to the core part at
the second location when the mould is in the second configuration comprises a
second hole insert free of an injection gate and runners.
21. A mould according to any one of claims 18 to 20, wherein each insert is mounted to
the core part by one or more fasteners operable or accessible from a cavity-facing
side of the core part such that a projection is described, in use, at least in part by the
fastener at the second location when the mould is in the first configuration and such
that a projection is described, in use, at least in part by the fastener at the first location
when the mould is in the second configuration.
22. A computer program element comprising a three-dimensional design for use with a
simulation means or a three-dimensional additive or subtractive manufacturing
means, the three-dimensional design comprising an embodiment of a cistern
according to any one of claims 7 to 17.