Patent Application
20250230669
This disclosure generally relates to the field of structures covering openings in the floors of manufactured homes. More particularly, this disclosure is directed to a cover for sealing an opening between a floor and subfloor, facilitating the installation of various building components.
Manufactured homes are dwellings assembled partially or entirely at an off-site manufacturing facility and then relocated to a piece of property, where they may be installed either permanently or temporarily. Off-site assembly significantly streamlines and speeds the building process, but the modularity of the assembly process may also create new challenges in some cases due to the order of assembly.
One particular challenge is the installation of building components such as plumbing systems, which may be installed after flooring. Certain plumbing components such as “p-traps” rely on an elevation change to create a barrier between the sewer system to which the manufactured home is connected and the interior of the home. Often, builders must cut an opening or “floor penetration” in the flooring to access the subfloor and install the components. It is advantageous to seal the floor penetrations for several reasons; sealing the floor penetration allows for leak detection and creates an air and moisture barrier between subfloor, which may or may not be open to the environment, and the interior of the home. Moreover, various home energy efficiency certification programs, such as the Department of Energy's Zero Energy Ready program require all such floor penetrations to be sealed to meet minimum requirements.
Accordingly, what is desired is an easy-to-use, low-cost structure for sealing floor penetrations that also allows for easy installation and maintenance of various building components.
The above and other needs are met by a cover for sealing floor penetrations in a manufactured home.
In one embodiment, a cover is disclosed that is configured to be placed over the floor penetration, the cover having an upper surface and opposing lower surface, as well as a rim portion and a recessed portion. The rim portion forms a flange having an outer edge, and the recessed portion extends downward from the rim portion and defines a cavity.
In some embodiments, the cavity has a rounded or dome-like shape.
In some embodiments, the outer edge of the flange may have several sides. In some variations, the outer edge may have four sides.
In some embodiments, the rim portion is dimensioned and configured such that the outer edge of the flange extends over the penetration and the lower surface of the rim portion contacts the floor. In some variations of these embodiments, the apparatus may further comprise one or more adhesive layers disposed over the upper surface of the outer edge of the flange and the floor, thereby creating a seal between the cover and the floor, creating an air and moisture barrier between the interior of the home and the portion of the home accessed through the floor penetration. The adhesive layers may be tape, in some variations one-sided adhesive sealing tape.
In some embodiments, the rim portion and the recessed portion comprise a unitary structural element.
In some embodiments, the rim portion and recessed portion are formed from a continuous piece of thermoplastic material. In some variations of these embodiments, the thermoplastic material may be colorless. In other variations, the thermoplastic material may be substantially transparent.
In some embodiments, the cover may formed from a polymeric material selected from polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, polypropylene, or other similar suitable materials.
In another embodiment, a method is disclosed for sealing a penetration in the floor of a manufactured home including the step of providing a cover having an upper surface and opposing lower surface, as well as a rim portion and a recessed portion. The rim portion forms a flange having an outer edge, and the recessed portion extends downward from the rim portion and defines a cavity. The method further includes the step of positioning the cover over the penetration in the floor such that the outer edge of the flange extends over the penetration and the lower surface of the rim portion contacts the floor, the recessed portion extending through the penetration in the floor, the cavity being at least partially disposed below the floor.
In some embodiments, the method further includes the step of disposing one or more adhesive layers on the upper surface of the outer edge of the flange and the floor, thereby creating a seal between the cover and the floor. In some variations of these embodiments, the adhesive layers may be tape, in some variations one-sided adhesive sealing tape.
In some embodiments, the cover may formed from a polymeric material selected from polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, polypropylene, or other similar suitable materials.
Further advantages of the disclosure are apparent by reference to the detailed description when considered in conjunction with the figures, which are not to scale so as to more clearly show the details, wherein like reference numbers indicate like elements throughout the several views, and wherein:
Depicted in
The cover 10 preferably includes two portions, a rim portion 12 and a recessed portion 14, the rim portion 12 extending horizontally out from the top of the recessed portion 14 to form a flange 16 having an outer edge 19 that may take a variety of shapes. The cover 10 further includes an upper surface 15 and a lower surface 17. Preferably, shown in
The recessed portion 14 extends downward from the plane of the flange 16 to define a cavity 18. Preferably, shown in
In use, the cover 10 is aligned over a floor penetration 30 desired to be sealed and lowered down so that the recessed portion 14 is at least partially inserted within the floor penetration 30. In some embodiments, the lower surface 17 of the cover 10 may contact the floor 50 surrounding the floor penetration 30. In some applications, the cover 10 may sufficiently seal the floor penetration 30 merely by being placed over it. In other applications, the cover 10 may be combined with various other sealing means, such as adhesives. In some embodiments, liquid adhesive or double-sided adhesive sealing tape may be applied to the lower surface 17 of the cover 10 prior to installation of the cover 10 on the floor 50 in order to form an air and moisture resistant barrier between the floor 90 and subfloor of the home. In other preferred embodiments shown in
In the preferred embodiment of the disclosure, both the rim portion 12 and recessed portion 14 of the cover 10 are a unitary structural element formed from one continuous piece of thermoplastic material, such as polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, polypropylene, or other similar suitable materials. Preferably, the thermoplastic material is colorless and substantially transparent. Thus, when used in applications such as for p-traps 90 or other plumbing components, the cover 10 seals the floor penetration 30, allows for the detection of leaks in plumbing from above and below—useful when building manufactured homes—and acts as catchment in the case of a leak, preventing destruction of the underlying floor and subfloor and allowing removal and service of the p-trap or other building or plumbing components. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, the cover 10 as depicted in the
The foregoing description of preferred embodiments for this disclosure has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure to the precise form disclosed. Obvious modifications or variations are possible in light of the above teachings. The embodiments are chosen and described in an effort to provide the best illustrations of the principles of the disclosure and its practical application, and to thereby enable one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the disclosure in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. All such modifications and variations are within the scope of the disclosure as determined by the appended claims when interpreted in accordance with the breadth to which they are fairly, legally, and equitably entitled.
