Patent Application
20140062035
The present disclosure relates generally to devices for connecting conduits, such as plumbing fixtures to waste drain conduits, and more particularly to a flexible seal, including a specially configured flexible sleeve, which mounts to a closet flange and also provides a sealed interconnection between a water closet (toilet) and a water waste drain pipe. Related methods for interconnecting conduits are also described.
Water closets, also called toilets, are waste disposal devices commonly installed in most bathrooms. These kinds of plumbing appliances generally include a water-storing receptacle called a water tank that is attached to a siphon seat-shaped bowl called a toilet bowl. Periodically, waste is removed from the toilet bowl by flushing, thereby allowing water to drain from the water tank through the toilet bowl and into a waste drainpipe. In order to work, however, the toilet bowl must be connected to the waste drainpipe by fluid carrying conduits. Typically, the toilet bowl will sit flat on a floor and connect with a rigid water closet flange. The water closet flange in turn connects with conduits leading to a waste drainpipe.
Existing toilet flanges often include a conduit portion for passing the waste fluids through the floor (upon which the toilet sits), a number of openings to fasten the flange to the floor, and other openings to attach the toilet bowl to the flange itself. Additionally, there may be an appropriate seat for a toilet seal, which typically may be made either from wax or by a relatively high-density foam or rubber.
Toilets are installed and located in accordance with interior decorating aesthetics of the bathroom. The location of the toilet is determined by the location of the waste drainpipe in the floor, and logically, this will determine the location of the toilet bowl discharge and hence the location of the outlet flange. In addition, toilets are placed on varying heights of a finished floor. However, in making openings through floors and in making the connection between the toilet bowl discharge and the waste drainpipe, there is some likelihood that the toilet bowl opening will be in an awkward or inconvenient place.
As can be appreciated, the aforementioned problems are attributable to varying construction methods and materials. Most professionals who deal with these kinds of problems turn to the use of wax seals and/or modification of the waste drainpipe. When confronted with a difference in floor height between a ground level on which the outlet flange is installed and a finished floor height on which the toilet sits, the professional may be required to install several stacked wax rings to provide a connection between the outlet flange and the toilet bowl discharge. However, these solutions are messy and are not reliable because the seal connection is not strong enough to prevent leakage and associated odors, and oftentimes they can be expensive and inefficient due to delays in the installation process.
Also, conventional closet flanges are made for a specific type of piping, such as cast iron piping, PVC piping, or ABS piping, but not compatible with multiple types of pipings. One reason is due to metal piping having a smaller internal diameter than the ones made from PVC or ABS.
Improved seals for addressing the above-described problems are desired. Related methods for installing improved seals are also desired.
In an embodiment, an adjustable seal for coupling a plumbing fixture to a waste outlet includes a member, a flexible sleeve, and a modular spacer. The flexible sleeve is operable to be connected to an upper surface of the member. The modular spacer is operable to couple the modular spacer to the member.
In another embodiment, a method of manufacturing a seal includes: forming a member; forming a flexible sleeve operable to be connected to an upper surface of the member; and forming at least one modular spacer operable to couple the modular spacer to the member.
Reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
Various aspects of a flexible seal apparatus and related methods for installing a flexible seal apparatus according to the present disclosure are described. It is to be understood, however, that the following explanation is merely exemplary in describing the devices and methods of the present disclosure. Accordingly, several modifications, changes and substitutions are contemplated.
The sleeve 18 includes an upper portion 30, which may be seated in a radial groove 34 defined in an upper surface of the supporting member 16. In some embodiments, the supporting member 16 includes a uniform upper surface with no radial grooves and the upper portion 30 of the sleeve 18 is seated on the substantially planar upper surface of the supporting member 16. The upper portion 30 of the sleeve 18 includes an inwardly-extending radial lip 36, which is sufficiently flexible to deflect downwardly relative to the upper surface of the supporting member 16 as will be described further below. The inwardly-extending radial lip may be provided at an upper surface of the sleeve 18.
The sleeve 18 further includes a lower portion 38 generally defined as the portion of the sleeve 18 extending below the upper surface of the supporting member 16. In one embodiment, the sleeve 18 is made of substantially uniform material, and thus, the lower portion 38 is sufficiently flexible to permit distortion of the lower portion to achieve non-negligible angles of deflection relative to a non-distorted longitudinal axis thereof. In one example, a non-negligible angle of deflection may be ten degrees or more of deflection of one end of the sleeve 18 relative to an opposing end of the sleeve. The sleeve 18 may be formed of various materials to permit non-negligible flexibility. For example, the sleeve 18 may be formed of materials having a hardness ranging from 35 shore A to 90 shore A, or from 35 shore A to 65 shore A, or more specifically about 50 shore A. As can be appreciated, the uniform nature of the sleeve 18 leads to a reduction in manufacturing costs and the likelihood of error during installation. In some embodiments the hardness of the sleeve 18 is less than the hardness of the supporting member 16. Also, the sleeve 18 may be of any suitable length. In one example, the sleeve 18 is 3-4 inches in length.
The sleeve 18 further includes one or more sealing elements 44 extending annularly about the sleeve. In some embodiments, the sealing elements 44 form a portion of the sleeve 18, and therefore, constitute a region of increased diameter relative to other regions of the sleeve. The sealing element 44 may have a maximum diameter at its upper longitudinal end and generally decrease in diameter to its lower longitudinal end distal from the supporting member 16. In this manner, the sealing element 44 provides a tight water seal with a larger longitudinal coverage than other sealing structures. It is contemplated that the sealing elements 44 may take other shapes so long as they seal the interface between the sleeve 18 and a waste drainpipe or waste flange. For example, the sealing elements 44 may be modified to have a substantially uniform diameter, an increasing diameter from the lower longitudinal end to the upper longitudinal end of the sealing elements, or a varying diameter between longitudinal ends of the sealing elements.
Referring to
In another embodiment, as shown in
It is to be appreciated that the flexible seal apparatus 10 has additional benefits, such as the ability to deform to fit undersized pipes. The sleeve 18 may have a substantially circular cross section when not subjected to external forces. Such a configuration is desirable to accommodate connection to a circular-shaped waste flange 15 or waste drainpipe 14. As can be appreciated, the sleeve 18 may accommodate connection to a variety of drainpipes of non-standardized schedules and to plastic or cast-iron drainpipes. Also, the sleeve 18 may accommodate connection to waste drainpipes having varying sizes. For example, the sleeve 18 can be implemented in waste drainpipes having 3 inch (7.5 cm) and 4 inch (10 cm) diameters because of the flexibility of the sleeve. Alternatively, the flexible sleeve 18 can be implemented into either 3 inch or 4 inch drainpipes when utilizing an appropriately-sized seal, such as the seal 44.
Referring to
As discussed above, the sealing element 44 provides a tight seal between the sleeve 18 and the drainpipe 14, thereby preventing fluid and gases from traveling back up the sides of the sleeve when installed.
The seal apparatus 10 may be seated against a surface disposed between a plumbing fixture discharge and a waste drainpipe, such as a floor surface. The sleeve 18 is flexible enough to permit installation between offset, misaligned, angled, or otherwise incongruous plumbing fixture discharges and waste drainpipe outlets.
The seal apparatus 10 may be used to connect a plumbing fixture discharge, such as the distal portion of a toilet, to a waste drainpipe, such as a sewage line. In facilitating this connection, the seal apparatus 10 provides a tight seal and reliable connection to prevent any undue leakage or other undesirable consequence of the connection.
Referring back to
An approach to compensate for the offset distance 54 is to install one or more wax rings stacked together or a standard wax ring combined with an extension ring. However, preparing such a wax ring assembly is an inconvenient task for the installer, and more importantly, the addition of the wax ring parts to the installation introduces additional sources of leaks.
The exemplary seal apparatus 10 shown in
The modular spacer 17 may be seated directly on the ground slab 50 or the waste flange 15 and disposed beneath the lower surface of the supporting member 16. In an embodiment, the modular spacer 17 may include at least one projection operable to be received in a recessed area defined in the supporting member 16. In another embodiment, the modular spacer 17 may not include an projection, but may be shaped to fit in an recessed area defined in the lower surface of the supporting member 16. In yet another embodiment, the lower surface of the supporting member 16 may simply rest on top of the modular spacer 17 without mechanical couplings.
Due to the flexibility of the seal apparatus 10, it may be connected to many types of piping, such as piping made of cast iron, PVC, or ABS. It is to be appreciated that the use of the disclosed seal apparatus 10 together with the modular spacer of the present application allows for unexpected, synergistic results during the installation of the seal apparatus 10. Government regulations often require water or air tests to ensure the absence of any leakage in the waste drainpipe. Conducting such tests, however, sometimes requires a flange apparatus to be installed over the waste drainpipe and sealed either by an integral sealing element or an external plug. The installation of a conventional flange apparatus may involve cementing or laminating one end of the conventional flange apparatus to the waste drainpipe. As such, when the finished flooring is laid down after the water or air test, the finished flooring is above the upper surface of the conventional flange apparatus because the vertical position of the conventional flange apparatus can no longer be adjusted. In this respect, the seal apparatus 10 allows for the freedom to adjust for height after the finished flooring is laid down after the water or air test. It is to be appreciated that such height adjustments are effected without the use of wax rings, thereby eliminating additional sources of leaks and improving the ease of installation.
Referring to
The desired height of the plurality of the stacked modular spacers 17 in
The height of the plurality of stacked modular spacers 17 in
Referring
Referring to
The inward and upwardly extending lip 136 may be offset from an upper surface 150 of the sleeve 118 by a height 152. The height 152 may be approximately the same as a thickness of the supporting member 116, though this is merely exemplary and other displacements may also be used.
The inward and upwardly extending lip 136 may form a non-zero or acute angle 154 with a plane orthogonal to a longitudinal axis L of the seal apparatus 100. The angle 154 and a length 156 of the inward and upwardly extending lip 136 may be selected such that an inner surface 160 of the inwardly and upwardly extending lip 136 is at or near a height similar to that of the upper surface 150. The inner surface 160 may be at the same longitudinal height at the upper surface 150 or it may be above or below the upper surface 150.
Referring to
The inwardly extending lip 236 may be offset from an upper surface 250 of the sleeve 218 by a height 252. The height 252 may be approximately the same as a thickness of the supporting member 216, though this is merely exemplary and other displacements may also be used. The inwardly extending lip 236 may substantially parallel with the upper surface 250. The thickness or number of the modular spacers 17 may be increased to accommodate the height offset 252 and provide a good seal between the extended portion 42 and the inwardly extending lip 236.
In the example shown, the upper surface 250 is above the upper surface 224. However, the upper surface 250 may also be even with or lower than the upper surface 224. Preferably, the upper surface 250 is provided low enough such that the extended portion 42 engages with the inwardly extending lip 236 before the plumbing fixture discharge 12 comes into contact with the upper surface 250 or the supporting member 216.
The breadth and scope of the invention(s) should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments, but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims and their equivalents. Moreover, the above advantages and features are provided in described embodiments, but shall not limit the application of the claims to processes and structures accomplishing any or all of the above advantages.
Additionally, the section headings herein are provided for consistency with the suggestions under 37 CFR 1.77 or otherwise to provide organizational cues. These headings shall not limit or characterize the invention(s) set out in any claims that may issue from this disclosure. Specifically and by way of example, although the headings refer to a “Technical Field,” the claims should not be limited by the language chosen under this heading to describe the so-called technical field. Further, a description of a technology in the “Background” is not to be construed as an admission that technology is prior art to any invention(s) in this disclosure. Neither is the “Brief Summary” to be considered as a characterization of the invention(s) set forth in the claims found herein. Furthermore, any reference in this disclosure to “invention” in the singular should not be used to argue that there is only a single point of novelty claimed in this disclosure. Multiple inventions may be set forth according to the limitations of the multiple claims associated with this disclosure, and the claims accordingly define the invention(s), and their equivalents, that are protected thereby. In all instances, the scope of the claims shall be considered on their own merits in light of the specification, but should not be constrained by the headings set forth herein.
