Author: claimsbot

What is claimed is:

1. A semiconductor device equipped with an interconnection or a via plug, being formed by the damascene method; which comprises
a structure in which a barrier film made of a plurality of layered films containing silicon and carbon, with different carbon contents, is disposed between said interconnection or said via plug and its overlying layer that is an interlayer insulating film.
2. A semiconductor device equipped with an interconnection or a via plug, being formed by the damascene method; which comprises
a structure in which a barrier film made of a plurality of layered films containing silicon, carbon and nitrogen, with different carbon contents, is disposed between said interconnection or said via plug and its overlying layer that is an interlayer insulating film.
3. A semiconductor device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said barrier film comprises, on the side of said interconnection or said via plug, a low-carbon-concentration film with a small carbon content and, on the side of said interlayer insulating film, a high-carbon-concentration film with a carbon content larger than that of said low-carbon-concentration film.
4. A semiconductor device according to claim 3; wherein when, in the infrared absorption spectrum for said barrier film, infrared absorption areas of infrared absorption bands having a peak in the vicinity of 810 cm1 and having a peak in the vicinity of 1250 cm1 are denoted by I1 and I2, respectively,
a value of I2I1 for said low-carbon-concentration film in said barrier film is approximately 0.004 to 0.0067, and a value of I2I1 for said high-carbon-concentration film in said barrier film is approximately 0.0067 to 0.014.
5. A semiconductor device according to one of claims 1-4, wherein said interlayer insulating film formed on said barrier film is made of an insulating film whose main constituent elements are silicon, carbon and oxygen.
6. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device wherein an interconnection or a via plug is formed by the damascene method; which comprises the steps of
disposing a barrier film made of a plurality of layered films containing silicon and carbon, with different carbon contents, between said interconnection or said via plug and its overlying layer that is an interlayer insulating film.
7. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device wherein an interconnection or a via plug is formed by the damascene method; which comprises the steps of
disposing a barrier film made of a plurality of layered films containing silicon, carbon and nitrogen, with different carbon contents, between said interconnection or said via plug and its overlying layer that is an interlayer insulating film.
8. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 6 or 7, wherein a low-carbon-concentration film with a small carbon content is formed on the side of said interconnection or said via plug, and thereafter a high-carbon-concentration film with a carbon content larger than that of said low-carbon-concentration film is formed on the side of said interlayer insulating film.
9. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device according to one of claims 6-8, wherein said interlayer insulating film placed on said barrier film is formed of an insulating film whose main constituent elements are silicon, carbon and oxygen.
10. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, which comprises at least the steps of:
forming, on a substrate in which an interconnection or a via plug is formed, a barrier film wherein, at least, a low-carbon-concentration film containing silicon, carbon and nitrogen, with a small carbon content, and a high-carbon-concentration film containing silicon, carbon and nitrogen, with a carbon content larger than that of said low-carbon-concentration film, are laid in this order;
forming, on said barrier film, an interlayer insulating film, main constituent elements of which are silicon, carbon and oxygen;
performing dry etching, while using a resist pattern formed on said interlayer insulating film as a mask and said low-carbon-concentration film as an etching stopper, and thereby removing said interlayer insulating film and said high-carbon-concentration film;
removing said resist pattern by means of ashing with an oxygen-containing gas;
removing said low-carbon-concentration film by etch back to form a via hole or an interconnection trench; and
filling up said via hole or said interconnection trench with a barrier metal and an interconnection material, and thereby forming a via plug or an interconnection.
11. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, which comprises at least the steps of:
forming, on a substrate in which a first interconnection is formed, a first barrier film wherein, at least, a low-carbon-concentration film containing silicon, carbon and nitrogen, with a small carbon content, and a high-carbon-concentration film containing silicon, carbon and nitrogen, with a carbon content larger than that of said low-carbon concentration film, are laid in this order;
forming, on said first barrier film, a first interlayer insulating film, a second barrier film and a second interlayer insulating film, main constituent elements of any of which are silicon, carbon and oxygen;
performing dry etching, while using a first resist pattern formed on said second interlayer insulating film as a mask and said low-carbon-concentration film as an etching stopper, and thereby removing said second interlayer insulating film, said second barrier film, said first interlayer insulating film and said high-carbon-concentration film;
removing said first resist pattern by means of ashing with an oxygen-containing gas;
performing dry etching, while using a second resist pattern formed on said second interlayer insulating film as a mask and said second barrier film as an etching stopper, and thereby removing said second interlayer insulating film;
removing said second resist pattern by means of ashing with an oxygen-containing gas;
removing said low-carbon-concentration film by etch back to form an interconnection trench that includes a via hole; and
filling up said interconnection trench with a barrier metal and an interconnection material, and thereby forming a second interconnection.
12. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device according to one of claims 6-11, wherein, with the plasma CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) method being used, said barrier film or said first barrier film is formed continuously in one and the same chamber, changing the source gas pressure.
13. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 12, wherein one of trimethylsilane, tetramethylsilane and trimethylvinylsilane is used for said source gas.
14. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device according to one of claims 8, 10 and 11, wherein, using the plasma CVD method with a source gas of trimethylsilane, NH3 and He, said low-carbon-concentration film is grown at a gas pressure of approximately 330 to 530 Pa, while said high-carbon-concentration film is grown at a gas pressure of approximately 530 to 730 Pa.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. A method for adjusting a channel delay parameter of a multi-channel signal, comprising:
performing down-mixing processing on a multi-channel signal to obtain a processed signal;
calculating energy distribution of the processed signal; and
determining whether a comb filtering effect occurs in the processed signal according to the energy distribution of the processed signal, and adjusting a channel delay parameter of the multi-channel signal if the comb filtering effect occurs in the processed signal.
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the processed signal comprises a sum signal and an edge signal.
3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the performing the down-mixing processing on the multi-channel signal to obtain the processed signal comprises one of:
performing down-mixing processing on a current frame signal of the multi-channel signal to obtain a sum signal and an edge signal; or,
performing down-sampling on a current frame signal of the multi-channel signal, and performing down-mixing processing on a down-sampled signal, which is obtained after the down-sampling, to obtain a sum signal and an edge signal.
4. The method according to claim 1, wherein
the performing the down-mixing processing on the multi-channel signal to obtain the processed signal comprises:
obtaining a channel delay parameter of a current frame of the multi-channel signal, and performing down-mixing on the multi-channel signal according to the channel delay parameter of the current frame to obtain a down-mixed sum signal and a down-mixed edge signal; and

the calculating the energy distribution of the processed signal comprises:
dividing a superposed value of energy parameters of each sampling point in the edge signal by a superposed value of energy parameters of each sampling point in the sum signal to obtain a first energy parameter ratio.
5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the determining whether the comb filtering effect occurs in the processed signal according to the energy distribution of the processed signal comprises one of:

determining that the comb filtering effect occurs in the processed signal if the first energy parameter ratio is greater than a preset first threshold value; or
determining that the comb filtering effect occurs in the processed signal if the first energy parameter ratio, which is obtained after long smoothing processing, is greater than a preset second threshold value.
6. The method according to claim 4, wherein
the calculating the energy distribution of the processed signal further comprises:
calculating a cross-correlation coefficient corresponding to zero delay of the multi-channel signal, and performing long smoothing processing to obtain a cross-correlation coefficient after the long smoothing processing; and

the determining whether the comb filtering effect occurs in the processed signal according to the energy distribution of the processed signal comprises:
determining that the comb filtering effect occurs in the processed signal, if the cross-correlation coefficient, which is obtained after the long smoothing processing, is greater than a preset fifth threshold value, and the first energy parameter ratio is greater than a preset first threshold value; or
determining that the comb filtering effect occurs in the processed signal, if the cross-correlation coefficient, which is obtained after the long smoothing processing, is greater than a preset fifth threshold value, and the first energy parameter ratio obtained after the long smoothing processing is greater than a preset second threshold value.
7. The method according to claim 4, wherein
the performing the down-mixing processing on the multi-channel signal to obtain the processed signal further comprises:
performing down-mixing on the multi-channel signal according to the channel delay parameter being zero, to obtain a down-mixed second sum signal and a down-mixed second edge signal; and

the calculating the energy distribution of the processed signal further comprises:
dividing a superposed value of energy parameters of each sampling point in the second edge signal by a superposed value of energy parameters of each sampling point in the second sum signal to obtain a second energy parameter ratio; and

dividing the first energy parameter ratio by the second energy parameter ratio, to obtain a third energy parameter ratio; or, performing long smoothing processing on the first energy parameter ratio and the second energy parameter ratio respectively, and dividing the first energy parameter ratio, which is obtained after the long smoothing processing, by the second energy parameter ratio obtained after the long smoothing processing, to obtain a third energy parameter ratio.
8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the determining whether the comb filtering effect occurs in the processed signal according to the energy distribution of the processed signal comprises:
determining that the comb filtering effect occurs in the processed signal if the third energy parameter ratio is greater than a preset third threshold value.
9. The method according to claim 7, wherein
the calculating the energy distribution of the processed signal further comprises:
performing floor removing processing on the third energy parameter ratio, to obtain a fourth energy parameter ratio, and performing long smoothing processing on the fourth energy parameter ratio, to obtain the fourth energy parameter ratio after the long smoothing processing.
10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the judging whether the comb filtering effect occurs in the processed signal according to the energy distribution of the processed signal comprises:
determining that the comb filtering effect occurs in the processed signal if the fourth energy parameter ratio, which is obtained after the long smoothing processing, is greater than a preset fourth threshold value.
11. The method according to claim 7, wherein
the calculating the energy distribution of the processed signal further comprises:
calculating a cross-correlation coefficient corresponding to zero delay of the multi-channel signal, and performing long smoothing processing to obtain a cross-correlation coefficient after the long smoothing processing; and

the determining whether the comb filtering effect occurs in the processed signal according to the energy distribution of the processed signal comprises:
judging that the comb filtering effect occurs in the processed signal, if the cross-correlation coefficient, which is obtained after the long smoothing processing, is greater than a preset fifth threshold value, and the third energy parameter ratio is greater than a preset third threshold value.
12. The method according to claim 9, wherein
the calculating the energy distribution of the processed signal further comprises:
calculating a cross-correlation coefficient corresponding to zero delay of the multi-channel signal, and performing long smoothing processing to obtain a cross-correlation coefficient after the long smoothing processing; and
the determining whether the comb filtering effect occurs in the processed signal according to the energy distribution of the processed signal comprises:
determining that the comb filtering effect occurs in the processed signal, if the cross-correlation coefficient, which is obtained after the long smoothing processing, is greater than a preset fifth threshold value, and the fourth energy parameter ratio, which is obtained after the long smoothing processing, is greater than a preset fourth threshold value.
13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the adjusting the channel delay parameter of the multi-channel signal comprises one of:
setting the channel delay parameter of a current frame of the multi-channel signal to zero;
calculating a cross-correlation coefficient corresponding to zero delay of the multi-channel signal, and increasing the cross-correlation coefficient corresponding to the zero delay; or
calculating a normalization cross-correlation coefficient corresponding to zero delay of the multi-channel signal, and increasing the normalization cross-correlation coefficient corresponding to the zero delay.
14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the increasing the cross-correlation coefficient corresponding to the zero delay comprises:
adding a constant to the cross-correlation coefficient corresponding to the zero delay; or multiplying the cross-correlation coefficient corresponding to the zero delay by a constant; or multiplying the cross-correlation coefficient corresponding to the zero delay by an amplification factor, wherein the amplification factor is obtained according to the energy distribution of the processed signal.
15. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:
adjusting a channel delay parameter of a frame in a tailing range after the current frame, after the channel delay parameter of the current frame signal of the multi-channel signal is adjusted.
16. An apparatus for adjusting a channel delay parameter of a multi-channel signal, comprising:
a down-mixing processing module, configured to perform down-mixing processing on a multi-channel signal to obtain a processed signal;
an energy distribution obtaining module, configured to calculate energy distribution of the processed signal;
a determining module, configured to determine whether a comb filtering effect occurs in the processed signal according to the energy distribution of the processed signal; and
a channel delay parameter adjusting module, configured to adjust a channel delay parameter of the multi-channel signal if the determining module fudges determines that the comb filtering effect occurs in the processed signal.
17. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein
the down-mixing processing module is configured to perform down-mixing processing on a current frame signal of the multi-channel signal to obtain a sum signal and an edge signal; or,
the down-mixing processing module is configured to perform down-sampling on a current frame signal of the multi-channel signal, and perform down-mixing processing on a down-sampled signal, which is obtained after the down-sampling, to obtain a sum signal and an edge signal.
18. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein
the down-mixing processing module is configured to obtain a channel delay parameter of a current frame of the multi-channel signal, and perform down-mixing on the multi-channel signal according to the channel delay parameter of the current frame to obtain a down-mixed sum signal and a down-mixed edge signal; and
the energy distribution obtaining module is configured to divide a superposed value of energy parameters of each sampling point in the edge signal by a superposed value of energy parameters of each sampling point in the sum signal to obtain a first energy parameter ratio.
19. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein
the determining module is configured to determine that the comb filtering effect occurs in the processed signal if the first energy parameter ratio is greater than a preset first threshold value; or
the determining module is configured to determine that the comb filtering effect occurs in the processed signal if the first energy parameter ratio, which is obtained after long smoothing processing, is greater than a preset second threshold value.
20. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the energy distribution obtaining module is further configured to calculate a cross-correlation coefficient corresponding to zero delay of the multi-channel signal, and perform long smoothing processing to obtain a cross-correlation coefficient after the long smoothing processing; and
the determining module is configured to determine that the comb filtering effect occurs in the processed signal, if the cross-correlation coefficient, which is obtained after the long smoothing processing, is greater than a preset fifth threshold value, and the first energy parameter ratio is greater than a preset first threshold value;
or the determining module is configured to determine that the comb filtering effect occurs in the processed signal, if the cross-correlation coefficient, which is obtained after the long smoothing processing, is greater than a preset fifth threshold value, and the first energy parameter ratio, which is obtained after the long smoothing processing, is greater than a preset second threshold value.
21. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein
the down-mixing processing module is further configured to perform down-mixing on the multi-channel signal according to the channel delay parameter being zero, to obtain a down-mixed second sum signal and a down-mixed second edge signal; and
the energy distribution obtaining module is further configured to divide a superposed value of energy parameters of each sampling point in the second edge signal by a superposed value of energy parameters of each sampling point in the second sum signal to obtain a second energy parameter ratio, and divide the first energy parameter ratio by the second energy parameter ratio, to obtain a third energy parameter ratio; or, perform long smoothing processing on the first energy parameter ratio and the second energy parameter ratio respectively, and divide the first energy parameter ratio, which is obtained after the long smoothing processing, by the second energy parameter ratio obtained after the long smoothing processing, to obtain a third energy parameter ratio.
22. The apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the determining module is configured to determine that the comb filtering effect occurs in the processed signal if the third energy parameter ratio is greater than a preset third threshold value.
23. The apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the energy distribution obtaining module is further configured to perform floor removing processing on the third energy parameter ratio, to obtain a fourth energy parameter ratio, and perform long smoothing processing on the fourth energy parameter ratio, to obtain the fourth energy parameter ratio after the long smoothing processing.
24. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the determining module is configured to determine that the comb filtering effect occurs in the processed signal if the fourth energy parameter ratio, which is obtained after the long smoothing processing, is greater than a preset fourth threshold value.
25. The apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the energy distribution obtaining module is further configured to calculate a cross-correlation coefficient corresponding to zero delay of the multi-channel signal, and perform long smoothing processing to obtain a cross-correlation coefficient after the long smoothing processing; and
the determining module is configured to determine that the comb filtering effect occurs in the processed signal, if the cross-correlation coefficient, which is obtained after the long smoothing processing, is greater than a preset fifth threshold value, and the third energy parameter ratio is greater than a preset third threshold value.
26. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the energy distribution obtaining module is further configured to calculate a cross-correlation coefficient corresponding to zero delay of the multi-channel signal, and perform long smoothing processing to obtain a cross-correlation coefficient after the long smoothing processing; and
the determining module is configured to determine that the comb filtering effect occurs in the processed signal, if the cross-correlation coefficient, which is obtained after the long smoothing processing, is greater than a preset fifth threshold value, and the fourth energy parameter ratio, which is obtained after the long smoothing processing, is greater than a preset fourth threshold value.
27. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the channel delay parameter adjusting module is configured to set a channel delay parameter of a current frame of the multi-channel signal to zero; or, the channel delay parameter adjusting module is configured to calculate a cross-correlation coefficient corresponding to zero delay of the multi-channel signal, and increase the cross-correlation coefficient corresponding to the zero delay; or, the channel delay parameter adjusting module is configured to calculate a normalization cross-correlation coefficient corresponding to zero delay of the multi-channel signal, and increase the normalization cross-correlation coefficient corresponding to the zero delay.
28. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the channel delay parameter adjusting module is further configured to adjust a channel delay parameter of a frame in a tailing range after the current frame, after the channel delay parameter of the current frame signal of the multi-channel signal is adjusted.

1. A method, comprising:
exposing an alignment material to an interference pattern to cause a chemical reaction in the alignment material; and
exposing the alignment material to a liquid crystal,
wherein the liquid crystal aligns relative to the alignment material based on the interference pattern.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the chemical reaction causes polymerization in the alignment material.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the chemical reaction causes depolymerization in the alignment material.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the chemical reaction comprises a photochemical reaction.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein a surface of the alignment material is exposed to the interference pattern.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein the surface is substantially planar.
7. The method of claim 5, wherein the surface is curved.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein the surface is an inner-surface of a tube.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein the tube comprises one of a glass and a polymer.
10. The method of claim 5, wherein the surface comprises a channel.
11. The method of claim 1, wherein the alignment material is disposed on a surface of a substrate comprising a substrate material.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein the substrate material is at least one of a glass, a polymer, a metal and a semi-conductor.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein the substrate comprises an electrode layer.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein the electrode layer comprises a transparent electrically conductive material.
15. The method of claim 12, wherein the substrate comprises a thin film transistor.
16. The method of claim 1, wherein the liquid crystal permeates the alignment material.
17. The method of claim 1, wherein the alignment material comprises a liquid crystal.
18. The method of claim 1, wherein the alignment material comprises a polymer.
19. The method of claim 18, wherein the polymer comprises a cinnamate group.
20. The method of claim 18, wherein the polymer is a polyimide.
21. The method of claim 1, wherein the alignment material comprises a silane.
22. The method of claim 1, wherein the interference pattern is formed from two or more optical beams which originate from the same source.
23. The method of claim 22, wherein the optical beams comprise UV radiation.
24. The method of claim 1, wherein the interference pattern is formed from two or more electron beams.
25. The method of claim 1, wherein the interference pattern comprises regions of high intensity and regions of low intensity.
26. The method of claim 25, wherein the liquid crystal aligns relative to the alignment material based on the intensity of the interference pattern.
27. The method of claim 26, wherein the liquid crystal aligns substantially homeotropically where the alignment material is exposed to regions of high intensity.
28. The method of claim 26, wherein the liquid crystal aligns substantially homogeneously where the alignment material is exposed to regions of low intensity.
29. The method of claim 26, wherein the liquid crystal aligns substantially homeotropically where the alignment material is exposed to regions of low intensity.
30. The method of claim 26, wherein the liquid crystal aligns substantially homogeneously where the alignment material is exposed to regions of high intensity.
31. The method of claim 1, wherein the interference pattern comprises regions of different polarization.
32. The method of claim 31, wherein the interference pattern comprises regions of different linear polarization.
33. The method of claim 31, wherein the interference pattern comprises regions of linear polarization and regions of elliptical polarization.
34. The method of claim 31, wherein the liquid crystal aligns relative to the alignment material based on the polarization of the interference pattern.
35. The method of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the liquid crystal aligns substantially homeotropically relative to a surface of the alignment material.
36. The method of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the liquid crystal aligns obliquely relative to a surface of the alignment material.
37. The method of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the liquid crystal aligns substantially homogeneously relative to a surface of the alignment material.
38. The method of claim 1, wherein the interference pattern is formed by overlapping two or more beams.
39. The method of claim 38, wherein two of the beams have similar polarization states.
40. The method of claim 38, wherein two of the beams have different polarization states.
41. The method of claim 38, wherein the interference pattern is formed by overlapping three or more beams and at least two of the beams have similar polarization states.
42. The method of claim 1, wherein the liquid crystal is disposed on the surface prior to exposure to the interference pattern.
43. The method of claim 1, wherein the liquid crystal is disposed on the surface after exposure to the interference pattern.
44. The method of claim 1, further comprising rubbing a surface of the alignment material prior to exposing the alignment material to the interference pattern.
45. The method of claim 1, further comprising exposing a surface of the alignment material to polarized radiation prior to exposing the alignment material to the interference pattern.
46. A method, comprising:
exposing an alignment material to radiation; and
exposing the alignment material to a liquid crystal,
wherein different portions of the alignment material are simultaneously exposed to different polarization states of the radiation and the liquid crystal aligns relative to the alignment material based on the polarization state of the radiation.
47. The method of claim 46, wherein the polarization state of the radiation varies continuously across the alignment material.
48. The method of claim 46, wherein the radiation causes isomerization in the alignment material.
49. A method, comprising:
exposing an alignment material to polarized radiation; and
exposing the alignment material to a liquid crystal,
wherein the polarization state of the radiation varies continuously across a portion of the alignment material and the liquid crystal aligns relative to the alignment material based on the polarization state of the radiation.
50. A method, comprising:
exposing a curved surface comprising an alignment material to polarized radiation; and
disposing a liquid crystal on the curved surface;
wherein the liquid crystal aligns substantially parallel to an alignment direction related to the polarized radiation.
51. The method of claim 50, wherein the curved surface is a cylindrical surface.
52. An article, comprising:
a cylindrical cladding having an axis;
a core surrounding the cladding comprising a liquid crystal;
wherein the liquid crystal is aligned substantially parallel to an alignment direction that is uniform through a cross-section of the cylindrical cladding.
53. A method, comprising:
overlapping at least three beams to form an interference pattern, wherein the beams originate from the same source;
exposing an alignment material to the interference pattern; and
exposing the alignment material to a liquid crystal,
wherein the liquid crystal aligns relative to the alignment material based on the interference pattern.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

What is claimed is:

1. A pressure flush system for use within a toilet tank including:
a pressure flush tank having an inlet port and a discharge port;
an air inlet for said pressure flush tank, with said pressure flush tank, prior to discharge, containing water under pressure;
a valve assembly within said pressure flush tank including a generally cylindrical housing containing water under pressure, a water inlet in fluid communication with said pressure flush tank, a water outlet in fluid communication with said discharge port, a normally closed valve being movable to allow fluid communication between said water inlet and said water outlet and to permit discharge of water contained within said housing, a piston axially spaced from said valve and in fluid communication therewith, said piston being movable, relative to said valve, into and out of sealing engagement with said discharge port to permit discharge of water under pressure contained within said pressure flush tank, and a flexible tube positioned within said housing carried between said valve and said piston and in fluid communication therebetween and being movable in response to movement of said piston.
2. The pressure flush system of claim 1 wherein said valve assembly defines inner and outer coaxial fluid passageways.
3. The pressure flush system of claim 2 wherein said inner and outer coaxial fluid passageways which are fluidly sealed therebetween by said valve when said valve is closed and in fluid communication therebetween when said valve is opened.
4. The pressure flush system of claim 2 wherein said inner coaxial fluid passageway is in fluid communication with said discharge port.
5. The pressure flush system of claim 2 wherein said outer coaxial fluid passageway is in fluid communication with said pressure flush tank and contains water under pressure therefrom when said valve is closed.
6. The pressure flush system of claim 1 wherein said flexible tube is an axially collapsible bellows tube.
7. The pressure flush system of claim 1 wherein said flexible tube axially retracts in response to upward axial movement of said piston and axially expands in response to downward axial movement of said piston.
8. The pressure flush system of claim 1 further comprising a valve return spring.
9. The pressure flush system of claim 1 further comprising a piston return spring.
10. The pressure flush system of claim 1 further comprising a sleeve which extends internally into said flexible tube.
11. The pressure flush system of claim 10 wherein said sleeve is in fluid communication with said discharge port.
12. The pressure flush system of claim 10 wherein said sleeve is axially spaced from said valve when said piston is in sealing engagement with said discharge port.
13. The pressure flush system of claim 10 wherein said sleeve is positioned axially adjacent said valve when said piston is out of sealing engagement with said discharge port.
14. A pressure flush system for use within a toilet tank including:
a pressure flush tank including an inlet port and a discharge port;
an air inlet for said pressure flush tank, with said pressure flush tank, prior to discharge, containing water under pressure;
a valve assembly within said pressure flush tank including a generally cylindrical housing containing water under pressure, a water inlet in fluid communication with said pressure flush tank, a water outlet in fluid communication with said discharge port, a normally closed valve being movable to allow fluid communication between said water inlet and said water outlet and to permit discharge of water contained within said housing, a piston axially spaced from said valve and in fluid communication therewith, said piston being axially aligned with said discharge port and being movable into and out of sealing engagement therewith to permit discharge of water contained within said pressure flush tank, said piston including an axial bore which receives at least one axially disposed fluid conduit therein such that water contained within said housing is discharged axially through said piston.
15. The pressure flush system of claim 14 wherein said fluid conduit is selected one of a flexible tube and a rigid sleeve.
16. The pressure flush system of claim 14 wherein said valve assembly defines inner and outer coaxial fluid passageways.
17. A pressure flush system for use within a toilet tank including:
a pressure flush tank including an inlet port and a discharge port;
an air inlet for said pressure flush tank, with said pressure flush tank, prior to discharge, containing water under pressure;
a valve assembly within said pressure flush tank including a generally cylindrical housing and a normally closed valve, said valve assembly defining inner and outer coaxial fluid passageways which are fluidly sealed therebetween by said valve, said inner coaxial fluid passageway being in fluid communication with said discharge port, said outer coaxial fluid passageway being in fluid communication with said pressure flush tank and containing water under pressure therefrom, said inner and outer coaxial fluid passageways being in fluid communication therebetween upon actuation of said valve to allow discharge of water contained within said outer passageway through said discharge port.
18. The pressure flush system of claim 17 further comprising a piston axially spaced from said valve and in fluid communication therewith, said piston being axially aligned with said discharge port and being movable into and out of sealing engagement therewith to permit discharge of water contained within said pressure flush tank, said piston including an axial bore which receives selected one of a flexible tube and a rigid sleeve which is axially disposed therein.
19. The pressure flush system of claims 18 wherein at least one of said flexible tube and said rigid sleeve defines said inner coaxial fluid passageway.
20. The pressure flush system of claim 18 wherein said inner coaxial fluid passageway extends through said piston axial bore such that water contained within said housing is discharged axially through said piston.
21. The pressure flush system of claim 18 wherein said outer coaxial fluid passageway is circumferentially disposed around said flexible tube.