Patent Grant
9663934
This is a utility application based upon U.S. patent application Ser. No. 61/780,668 filed on Mar. 13, 2013. This related application is incorporated herein by reference and made a part of this application. If any conflict arises between the disclosure of the invention in this utility application and that in the related provisional application, the disclosure in this utility application shall govern. Moreover, the inventor(s) incorporate herein by reference any and all patents, patent applications, and other documents hard copy or electronic, cited or referred to in this application.
(1) Field of the Invention
The invention generally relates to wax free toilet installation systems. More particularly, the invention relates to wax free means and methods of attaching a soil pipe to a toilet in new construction or in a retro fit configuration.
(2) Related Art
Other wax free toilet installation systems and sleeve type configurations are known in the related art. But, the related art fails to provide a kit system providing a plumber means and methods of applying an adjustable height wax free system in either new construction and for a retro fit application using a single threaded adapter sleeve.
The prior art fails to disclose, anticipate or suggest the use of lower seals to stop the flow of sewer gasses. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,335,056 and 1,594,350 would not be code compliant in modern construction, as the two patents fail to provide for, inter alia, sewer gas stoppage as now required in all current building codes.
The prior art also fails to teach, disclose or suggest a new closet flange system or male female pipe coupler for new home construction that integrates with the disclosed threaded adapter sleeve.
The present invention overcomes shortfalls in the related art by presenting an unobvious and unique combination and configuration of sleeves, threads, mechanical attachments, adjustment nuts, threaded adapter sleeves, male female pipe couplers, and other components to artfully attach a toilet to a prior art closet flange for a retro fit application and to install a new male female pipe coupler to a soil pipe in new home construction.
The present invention overcomes shortfalls in the prior art by presenting a kit system that enables a plumber to retro fit an older wax seal system with the disclosed wax free system while using an existing prior art closet flange. In the prior art, converting a prior art closet flange to a wax free system required the use of many parts and intensive labor. The present invention integrates several prior art components into a few multi-function components that provide lower labor and part costs. The new multi-function components include a new threaded adapter sleeve or floating nipple that works with both prior art closet flanges and the disclosed male female pipe coupler.
In a retro fit application, a plumber is presented with an existing prior art closet flange that is either three inches or four inches in diameter. With the present invention, a plumber may remove an old wax seal system and insert the disclosed threaded adapter sleeve into the existing three inch or four inch prior art closet flange.
The disclosed threaded adapter sleeve or floating nipple comes with various adjustment nuts and seals to quickly adjust the mounting face of the threaded adapter sleeve to the correct height. Since the disclosed threaded adapter sleeve works with both three inch and four inch prior art closet flanges, less parts need to be stocked by a plumber. The disclosed threaded adapter sleeve provides for quick and nondestructive height adjustments that are often needed in bathroom remodeling projects where finished floor heights are often subject to a home owner's fluid design choices.
For new construction, the same threaded adapter sleeve seamlessly integrates into the disclosed male female pipe coupler. When a plumber is called to a job site, the plumber does not know if a three inch or four inch soil pipe will be found. In the prior art, a plumber would need to stock and carry both three inch and four inch closet flanges. The present invention overcomes this shortfall in the art by disclosure of a new male female pipe coupler that works with both three inch and four inch soil pipes.
The disclosed male female pipe coupler works with the disclosed threaded adapter sleeve and provides advantages over the prior art closet flanges. The disclosed male female pipe coupler includes various advantages over the prior art closet flanges.
In a disclosed embodiment, a disclosed system or kit includes a soil pipe, washer, seal body, treated female standups having ears, female threads in the ears, closet bolts accepting floating nipple nuts or units in a system to attach a new or old toilet base or system. An optional integrated cap nut is secured over a toilet base. In a disclosed embodiment, a new floating nipple assembly provides seamless height adjustment of sea bodies and reduces the number of needed tools and components in water closet installation.
These and other objects and advantages will be made apparent when considering the following detailed specification when taken in conjunction with the drawings.
The following detailed description is directed to certain specific embodiments of the invention. However, the invention can be embodied in a multitude of different ways as defined and covered by the claims and their equivalents. In this description, reference is made to the drawings wherein like parts are designated with like numerals throughout.
Unless otherwise noted in this specification or in the claims, all of the terms used in the specification and the claims will have the meanings normally ascribed to these terms by workers in the art.
Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout the description and the claims, the words “comprise,” “comprising” and the like are to be construed in an inclusive sense as opposed to an exclusive or exhaustive sense; that is to say, in a sense of “including, but not limited to.” Words using the singular or plural number also include the plural or singular number, respectively. Additionally, the words “herein,” “above,” “below,” and words of similar import, when used in this application, shall refer to this application as a whole and not to any particular portions of this application.
The above detailed description of embodiments of the invention is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed above. While specific embodiments of, and examples for, the invention are described above for illustrative purposes, various equivalent modifications are possible within the scope of the invention, as those skilled in the relevant art will recognize. For example, while steps are presented in a given order, alternative embodiments may perform routines having steps in a different order. The teachings of the invention provided herein can be applied to other systems, not only the systems described herein. The various embodiments described herein can be combined to provide further embodiments. These and other changes can be made to the invention in light of the detailed description.
Any and all the above references and U.S. patents and applications are incorporated herein by reference. Aspects of the invention can be modified, if necessary, to employ the systems, functions and concepts of the various patents and applications described above to provide yet further embodiments of the invention.
These and other changes can be made to the invention in light of the above detailed description. In general, the terms used in the following claims, should not be construed to limit the invention to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification, unless the above detailed description explicitly defines such terms.
A new floating nipple assembly 200 comprises a set of floating nipples 210, with the floating nipples having inner voids 212 and outer male threads 214, ear voids 220 with the ear voids having inner female threads 222 and closet bolts 230. Floating nipples 210 used with the threaded ear voids and closet bolts provide a new system of efficiently securing a toilet assembly to a soil pipe or other base structure. The disclosed threading of the components of the floating nipple assembly 200 vitiates the prior art shortfall of making height adjustments by the cutting of closet bolts. In the prior art, closet bolts would need to be cut so as not to overly protrude over a toilet assembly. The disclosed floating nipple assembly 200 and other disclosed components reduce the time and effort in toilet installation and allow for easy height adjustments of a seal body to comport with either new or existing water closet construction.
A closet bolt 231 is positioned within the soil pipe flange 300. A clearer view of a closet bolt 230 is shown unattached to the soil pipe flange 300. The nipples 210 have outer threads complementary to the inner threads 222 of the ear voids 220.
Upon assembly, the closet bolts 231 may be positioned within the soil pipe flange 300, the floating nipples 210 may be rotationally attached or screwed into the ear voids 220, and the closet bolts may be inserted though the interior voids of the floating nipples. The closet bolts and floating nipples pass though the bolt voids 415 defined within the toilet base. The integrated cap nuts 500 have inner threaded void areas 510 that may be rotationally fastened or screwed down upon the protruding closet bolts. As the floating nipples are screwed, the seal body and other components self-adjust to the correct elevations to create a wax free seal or installation of the toilet.
The disclosed soil pipe flange 300 will comport with either 3 inch or 4 inch soil pipes. In
Items
Disclosed embodiments may include, but are not limited to the disclosed items below. The definitions or descriptions within this specification do not limit the scope of the claims.
Item 1. A system for wax free installation of a toilet, the system comprising:
one or more closet bolts 230 the closet bolts comprised of a longitudinal void;
one or more floating nipples 210, the floating nipples comprising a longitudinal void and outer threads 214;
a seal body 100 comprising one or more ear assemblies 110 disposed upon an upper section of the seal body, each ear assembly defining an ear void 220, the perimeter of each ear void comprising threads; and
one or more integrated nut caps 500, each nut cap comprising an inner threaded void area 510.
Item 2. The system of item 1 wherein the floating nipples comprise outer male threads and the perimeter of each ear void comprises female threads.
Item 3. The system of item 1 wherein each closet bolt further comprises a lower stopper section 235.
Item 4. The system of item 1 further comprising an inferior seal 125 frictionally attached to an inferior section 105 of the seal body.
Item 5. The system of item 1 further comprising a seal 120 disposed upon the seal body.
Item 6. The system of item 1 wherein the seal body comprises flexible material generating an upward bias upon compression.
Item 7. The system of item 1 further comprising a soil pipe flange 300, the soil pipe flange defining one or more closet bolt voids 302.
Item 8. A kit for wax free installation of a toilet, the kit comprising:
one or more closet bolts 230 the closet bolts comprised of a longitudinal void;
one or more floating nipples 210, the floating nipples comprising a longitudinal void and outer threads 214;
a seal body 100 comprising one or more ear assemblies 110 disposed upon an upper section of the seal body, each ear assembly defining an ear void 220, the perimeter of each ear void comprising threads; and
one or more integrated nut caps 500, each nut cap comprising an inner threaded void area 510.
Item 9. The kit of item 8 wherein the floating nipples comprise outer male threads and the perimeter of each ear void comprises female threads.
Item 10. The kit of item 8 wherein each closet bolt further comprises a lower stopper section 235.
Item 11. The kit of item 9 further comprising a soil pipe flange.
Item 12. The kit of item 11 wherein the soil pipe flange defines one or more closet bolt voids.
Item 13. A method of installing a toilet without the use of wax, the method comprising the steps of:
using one or more closet bolts frictionally attached to a soil pipe flange;
rotationally attaching one or more floating nipples into an ear void, the ear void defined within an ear assembly of a seal body;
inserting each closet bolt through each floating nipple;
inserting each floating nipple through a bolt void, the bolt void defined within a toilet base; and
frictionally attaching an integrated cap nut upon each closet bolt.
Item 14. The method of item 13 using floating nipples with outer male threads and using ear voids with female threads.
Item 15. The method of item 13 including the step of adjusting the height of the seal body by rotating each floating nipple.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4515398 | Machon, Sr. | May 1985 | A |
| 5590992 | Russell | Jan 1997 | A |
| 6430756 | Reilly | Aug 2002 | B1 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20150322661 A1 | Nov 2015 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61780688 | Mar 2013 | US |
