Aspects of this invention relate generally to an offset adapter for use with a flushometer and, more particularly, to an offset adapter including a body portion, an inlet portion, and an outlet portion, and having internal features to reduce a pressure drop across the adapter.
Flushometers are often installed beneath grab bars in flush toilets/water closets. When installing a flushometer for a water closet, in particular a wall hung water closet, the position of the grab bar and the rough-in plumbing can create installation and use issues. An exemplary prior art water closet 10 with a flushometer 12 is seen in
It is therefore desirable to install the water closet bowl with the flushometer positioned at least 1.5 inches below the grab bar without needing to modify the height of the rough-in plumbing or to modify the flushometer and its associated piping, which would reduce or overcome some or all of the difficulties inherent in prior known configurations. Particular objects and advantages will be apparent to those skilled in the art, that is, those who are knowledgeable or experienced in this field of technology, in view of the following disclosure and detailed description of certain embodiments.
In accordance with certain embodiments, an offset adapter may include a body, an inlet portion and an outlet portion, and may facilitate connecting a flushometer of a water closet to existing rough-in plumbing, while providing adequate clearance beneath an ADA-compliant grab bar.
In accordance with a first aspect, an offset adapter includes a body having front and rear walls, and a body channel. An inlet portion has first and second ends, and an inlet channel extending from the first end to the second end and in fluid communication with the body channel. An outlet portion has first and second ends, and an outlet channel extending from the first end to the second end and in fluid communication with the body channel. A first recess is formed in the front wall of the body proximate a top of the body and opposite the inlet channel, with a surface of the first recess being forward of the body channel. A second recess is formed in a top of the body forward of the second end of the inlet portion; and a third recess is formed in a bottom of the body rearward of the first end of the outlet portion.
In accordance with another aspect, and offset adapter includes a body having a front wall, a rear wall, and a body channel. An inlet portion has a first end, an opposed second end connected to the body, and an inlet channel extending from the first end to the second end and being in fluid communication with the body channel. An outlet portion has a first end connected to the body, an opposed second end, and an outlet channel extending from the first end to the second end and being in fluid communication with the body channel. A ratio of a length of the adapter extending between the first end of the inlet portion and the second end of the outlet portion to a depth of the body channel extending between the front wall of the body and the rear wall of the body is approximately 6.14.
In accordance with a further aspect, an offset adapter includes a body having a front wall, a rear wall, and a body channel extending between the front wall and the rear wall. An inlet portion has a first end, an opposed second end connected to the body, and an inlet channel extending from the first end to the second end and being in fluid communication with the body channel. An outlet portion has a first end connected to the body, an opposed second end, and an outlet channel extending from the first end to the second end and being in fluid communication with the body channel. An interior surface of the inlet portion has 1 inch Female Pipe Threads (“FPT”), and an exterior surface of the outlet portion has 1 inch Male Pipe Threads (“MPT”). A length of the adapter extending between the first end of the inlet portion and the second end of the outlet portion is approximately 1.758 inches. A distance between a centerline of the inlet portion and a centerline of the outlet portion is approximately 1.5 inches.
These and additional features and advantages disclosed here will be further understood from the following detailed disclosure of certain embodiments, the drawings thereof, and from the claims.
The foregoing and other features and advantages of the present embodiments will be more fully understood from the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
The same reference numbers are used in the drawings for similar or identical components and features shown in various alternative embodiments. Offset adapters as disclosed herein would have configurations and components determined, in part, by the intended application and environment in which they are used.
Offset adapter 30 advantageously allows a connection to existing rough-in plumbing, and a connection to inlet piping 20 of flushometer 12 at a lower point than the standard height P of 11.5 inches above the top of bowl 18, while still connecting to flushometer 12 at the same distance from the wall. This is achieved by the design of offset adapter 30, which has an offset height between the inlet portion 34 and the outlet portion 36 and has a length or depth that is significantly less than would be required by a standard offset adapter having a pair of 90 degree fittings, as described in greater detail below. Such a design will provide for the necessary clearance for flushometer 12 below a grab bar mounted 36 inches above the ground surface, e.g., for ADA-compliance.
Offset adapter 30 may be formed of various materials with various finishes including polished chrome, brushed nickel, polished brass, brushed stainless, and graphite, for example. In one embodiment, the offset adapter 30 is molded from a metal material (e.g., brass) and then machined to final shape.
In the embodiment of
Additionally, in certain embodiments, the cross-sectional area of the body channel 42 at the narrowest portion of the body channel 42 (taken parallel to the axes J and K) is between approximately 0.39 in2 and approximately 0.47 in2, and, in other embodiments, this area may be approximately 0.430 in2. This area is smaller than the cross-sectional area of the outlet channel 54 (measured perpendicular to the axis K) and the cross-sectional area of the inlet channel 48. In certain embodiments, the ratio of the cross-sectional area of the narrowest portion of the body channel 42 to the cross-sectional area of the outlet channel 54 is between approximately 0.487 and approximately 0.587 and, in other embodiments, this ratio may be approximately 0.537. In certain embodiments, the ratio of the cross-sectional area of the narrowest portion of the body channel 42 to the cross-sectional area of the inlet channel 48 is between approximately 0.492 and approximately 0.553 and, in other embodiments, this ratio may be approximately 0.522.
Inlet portion 34 may have an open first end 44, and an opposed second end 46 connected to body 32, and an inlet channel 48 extending from first end 44 to second end 46 and in fluid communication with body channel 42. Inlet channel 48 may extend substantially horizontally within inlet portion 34. In certain embodiments, an inside corner 60 at an intersection of inlet channel 48 and body channel 42 may be beveled. In certain embodiments, inside corner 60 may be beveled at approximately 45°. In certain embodiments, as shown in
Outlet portion 36 may have a first end 50 connected to body 32, an opposed open second end 52, and an outlet channel 54 extending from first end 50 to second end 52 and in fluid communication with body channel 42. Outlet channel 54 may extend substantially horizontally within outlet portion 36. In certain embodiments, an inside corner 66 at an intersection of outlet channel 54 and body channel 42 is radiused with a radius R. In certain embodiments, radius R may be approximately 0.10 inches. A third recess 68 may be formed in the inner surface of bottom 45 of body 32 rearwardly of first end 50 of outlet portion 36. Third recess 68 may also be formed in part by a bulge 69 extending downward/outward from bottom 45 of body 32, such as shown in
Offset adapter 30 is configured to create a vertical offset between inlet portion 34 and outlet portion 36. Inlet channel 48 has a central axis J, and outlet channel 54 has a central axis K, and the body channel 42 extends between the inlet and outlet channels 48, 54 transverse to both of the central axes J, K to create this offset. This vertical offset may be measured by a distance D between central axis J of inlet channel 48 and central axis K of outlet channel 54, as shown in
Offset adapter 30 may have a length X between first end 44 of inlet portion 34 and second end 52 of outlet portion 36. In certain embodiments, length X may be between approximately 1.258 inches and approximately 2.258 inches (i.e., 1.758 inches+/−0.5 inch), or between approximately 1.535 inches and approximately 2.035 inches (i.e., 1.758 inches+/−0.25 inch), and, in other embodiments, length X may be approximately 1.758 inches.
In certain embodiments, a ratio of length X of offset adapter 30 to depth CH of body channel 42 may be between approximately 5.20 and approximately 8.31. In other embodiments, the ratio of length X of offset adapter 30 to depth CH of body channel 42 may be approximately 6.61.
Inlet portion 34 may have internal (i.e., female) threads 56 suitable for connection to a sweat solder adapter on the inlet water supply pipe of the rough-in plumbing (not shown), and outlet portion 36 may have external (i.e., male) threads 58 suitable for connection to an internally threaded fitting of flushometer 12.
In certain embodiments, offset adapter 30 may be a 1 inch female X 1 inch male 1.5 inch offset adapter. That is, inlet portion 34 may have an internal diameter DA of approximately 0.989 inches and 1 inch Female Pipe Thread (“FPT”) internal threads 56, outlet portion 36 may have an internal diameter DA of approximately 0.956 inches and 1 inch Male Pipe thread (“MPT”) external threads 58, and a distance D between central axis J of inlet portion 34 and central axis K of outlet portion 36 may be approximately 1.5 inch. This allows the inlet of flushometer 12 to be positioned 1.5 inch lower than the rough-in plumbing, while maintaining flushometer 12 at the same distance from the wall.
As illustrated in
The configuration of offset adapter 30 advantageously maintains adequate pressure and limits the pressure drop throughout inlet channel 48, body channel 42, and outlet channel 54. In certain embodiments, the pressure drop of liquid having a flow rate 15 GPM through inlet channel 48, body channel 42, and outlet channel 54 is no greater than 1 psi. Additionally, in certain embodiments, this pressure drop may be no greater than 0.7 psi at 10 GPM or 13.5 GPM flow rates, no greater than 1.8 psi or 2 psi at a flow rate of 20 GPM, no greater than 4.5 psi or 5 psi at a flow rate of 30 GPM, and no greater than 13 psi or 15 psi at a flow rate of 50 GPM. Additionally, the offset adapter 30 may experience a pressure drop across the offset adapter 30 of approximately 11.5% to approximately 13% of the inlet pressure, or about 12.25% of the inlet pressure, in various embodiments. It is understood that pressure drop may depend on various parameters, including flow rate.
Various embodiments of an offset adapter for a flushometer may include various components and features. In different embodiments, the offset adapter may be provided with any combination of such components and features. It is also understood that in other embodiments, the various devices, components, and features of the offset adapter described herein may be constructed with similar structural and functional elements having different configurations, including different ornamental appearances.
The terms “top,” “bottom,” “front,” “side,” “rear,” and the like, as used herein, are intended for illustrative purposes only and do not limit the embodiments in any way. Nothing in this specification should be construed as requiring a specific three dimensional orientation of structures in order to fall within the scope of this invention, unless explicitly specified by the claims. The term “plurality,” as used herein, indicates any number greater than one, either disjunctively or conjunctively, as necessary, up to an infinite number. The term “approximately” as used herein implies a variation of up to 5% of the nominal value modified by such term, or up to 5% of a midpoint value of a range modified by such term.
Those having skill in the art, with the knowledge gained from the present disclosure, will recognize that various changes can be made to the disclosed apparatuses and methods in attaining these and other advantages, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. As such, it should be understood that the features described herein are susceptible to modification, alteration, changes, or substitution. For example, it is expressly intended that all combinations of those elements and/or steps which perform substantially the same function, in substantially the same way, to achieve the same results are within the scope of the embodiments described herein. Substitutions of elements from one described embodiment to another are also fully intended and contemplated. The specific embodiments illustrated and described herein are for illustrative purposes only, and not limiting of that which is set forth in the appended claims. Other embodiments will be evident to those of skill in the art. It should be understood that the foregoing description is provided for clarity only and is merely exemplary.
This application claims priority as a continuation-in-part of U.S. Design patent application Ser. No. 29/701,219, filed Aug. 9, 2019, which prior application is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 29701219 | Aug 2019 | US |
Child | 17388672 | US |