Patent Application
20250101730
The present invention relates generally to a mounting device of a toilet bowl, and more particularly to a toilet bowl mounting assembly, a toilet bowl holder, and a method for positioning a toilet firmly on the ground.
A conventional floorstanding toilet usually has two mounting holes, wherein a fixing screw passes through each of the two mounting holes to fix the toilet on a mounting surface (e.g. ground). The two mounting holes are respectively located on a right side and a left side of a drain hole. Since the drain hole is located under the toilet and is relatively near to a rear side and away from a front side of the toilet, the mounting holes on the toilet are relatively near to the rear side of the toilet. In such a situation, when the front side of the toilet is impacted by an external force, the toilet can be easily shaken or moved away from an original mounting position, which is not firm.
So far, in order to firmly mount the toilet, concrete is used to seal an interface between the toilet and the mounting surface to adhere the toilet seat on the mounting surface. However, after the toilet has adhered to the mounting surface, the toilet is hard to maintain, because the concrete between the toilet and the mounting surface has to be broken, which can probably break the toilet seat. Additionally, after apply the concrete to the interface between the toilet and the mounting surface, the concrete needs time to be dried and solidified. Therefore, the time spent on mounting the toilet is prolonged. Therefore, the conventional method of mounting the toilet has room for improvement.
In view of the above, the primary objective of the present invention is to provide a toilet bowl mounting assembly, a toilet bowl holder, and a method of positioning a toilet to firmly mount the toilet on the mounting surface, which could effectively reduce the time spent on mounting the toilet.
The present invention provides a toilet bowl mounting assembly that is adapted to position a toilet, wherein a bottom portion of the toilet has two mounting holes. The toilet bowl mounting assembly includes a toilet bowl holder and a guiding frame. The toilet bowl holder includes an abutting portion and two extending arms, wherein the abutting portion has an abutting surface that is adapted to abut against an inner circumference of a front side of the bottom portion of the toilet. The two extending arms are connected to the abutting portion and are spaced apart from each other. The two extending arms extend away from the abutting portion in an extending direction that is away from the abutting surface. Each of the two extending arms has a first positioning structure. The guiding frame includes two guiding arms and a connecting rod, wherein each of the two ends of the connecting rod is connected to one of the two guiding arms. Each of the two guiding arms has a first end and a second end that is opposite to the first end. The first end of each of the two guiding arms is disposed with a second positioning structure, and the second end of each of the two guiding arms is disposed with a restricting column. Each of the second positioning structures is detachably engaged with one of the first positioning structures to restrict the guiding frame from moving relative to the toilet bowl holder along the extending direction.
The present invention provides a toilet bowl holder, including an abutting portion and two extending arms. The abutting portion has an abutting surface, wherein the abutting surface is adapted to abut against the inner circumference of the front side of the bottom portion of the toilet. The two extending arms are connected to the abutting portion and spaced apart from each other. The two extending arms extend away from the abutting portion in an extending direction. Each of the two extending arms has a first positioning structure.
The present invention provides a method of positioning the toilet, including the following steps:
With the aforementioned design, the abutting surface of the toilet bowl holder could abut against the inner circumference of the front side of the bottom portion of the toilet to support the toilet, thereby preventing the front side of the toilet from shaking or moving when the toilet is impacted by the external force. Additionally, the toilet bowl holder could allow the toilet to be easily positioned at the proper mounting position, thereby reducing the time spent on mounting the toilet.
The present invention will be best understood by referring to the following detailed description of some illustrative embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which
As illustrated in
The toilet bowl holder 10 includes an abutting portion 12 and two extending arms 14, wherein the abutting portion 12 is an arc-shaped body. The abutting portion 12 has an abutting surface 121, a connecting surface 122, and a bottom surface 123, wherein the connecting surface 122 and the abutting surface 121 face opposite directions, and the bottom surface 123 is a flat surface and connects the abutting surface 121 and the connecting surface 122. The bottom surface 123 is adapted to contact a mounting surface M. The abutting surface 121 is adapted to abut against an inner circumference of a front side of a bottom portion of the toilet T. The two extending arms 14 are connected to the connecting surface 122 and are spaced apart from each other. The two extending arms 14 extend away from the abutting portion 12 in an extending direction X. In the current embodiment, the extending direction X is a direction from the abutting surface 121 to the connecting surface 122. Each of the extending arms 14 has a first positioning structure 16. The toilet bowl holder 10 is made of plastic.
In the current embodiment, the abutting surface 121 of the abutting portion 12 is a curve surface. The curve surface gradually approaches to the connecting surface 122 in a direction away from the bottom surface 123 to a top of the abutting portion 12. With such design, the abutting surface 121 could perfectly fit with the inner circumference of the front side of the bottom portion of the toilet T.
The guiding frame 20 includes a connecting rod 22 and two guiding arms 24, wherein each of the two ends of the connecting rod 22 is connected to one of the two guiding arms 24. Each of the two guiding arms 24 has a first end 241 and a second end 242 that is opposite to the first end 241. The first end 241 of each of the two guiding arms 24 is disposed with a second positioning structure 26. The second end 242 of each of the two guiding arms 24 is disposed with a restricting column 28. Each of the restricting columns 28 is adapted to insert into two mounting holes P at the bottom portion of the toilet T or insert into two slots S of a toilet flange F. The guiding frame 20 is detachably engaged with the first positioning structure 16 of the toilet bowl holder 10 via the second positioning structure 26, thereby restricting the guiding frame 20 from moving relative to the toilet bowl holder 10 along the extending direction X. The guiding frame 20 is made of plastic.
More specifically, in the current embodiment, the first positioning structure 16 of each of the two extending arms 14 includes a plurality of restricting holes 161, wherein the restricting holes 161 are arranged along the extending direction X, and the restricting holes 161 communicate with each other. The second positioning structure 26 of each of the guiding arms 24 is a protruding column 261. Each of the protruding columns 261 is adapted to be engaged with one of the restricting holes 161 of each of the extending arms 14, thereby restricting the guiding frame 20 from moving relative to the toilet bowl holder 10 along the extending direction X. Since the first positioning structure 16 includes the restricting holes 161 that are arranged along the extending direction X, by engaging the protruding column 261 of each of the guiding arms 24 with a different one of the restricting holes 161 of each of the extending arms 14, a first length L1 of the toilet bowl mounting assembly 100 could be adjusted. The first length L1 is a distance between a midpoint of the abutting surface 121 and a midpoint between two restricting columns 28. Additionally, since the restricting holes 161 communicate with each other, after the second positioning structure 26 of each of the guiding arms 24 is engaged with the first positioning structure 16 of each of the extending arms 14, by applying a force along the extending direction X to the toilet bowl holder 10 and/or the guiding frame 20, each of the protruding columns 261 of the guiding frame 20 could be moved between the restricting holes 161 of one of the extending arms 14 to adjust the first length L1 of the toilet bowl mounting assembly 100. Thus, the first length L1 of the toilet bowl mounting assembly 100 could be easily and delicately adjusted.
In other embodiments, the restricting holes 161 could be substituted by a plurality of restricting recess, a plurality of holes that are not communicated with each other, or any restricting structures. The protruding column 261 could be substituted by a bolt, a hook, or any structure that could be engaged with the restricting structures.
In other embodiments, the first positioning structure 16 of each of the extending arms 14 is a protruding column, and the second positioning structure 26 of each of the guiding arms 24 is a plurality of restricting holes, wherein the restricting holes are arranged along the extending direction X.
In the current embodiment, the toilet bowl holder 10 further includes a strengthen rod 18, wherein two ends of the strengthen rod 18 are connected between the two extending arms 14, and the strengthen rod 18 has a fixing hole 181. Each of the two extending arms 14 has a first section 141 and a second section 142, and the first section 141 is located between the abutting portion 12 and the second section 142. A height of the first section 141 is smaller than a height of the abutting portion 12. The height of the first section 141 is greater than a height of the second section 142. Each of the first sections 141 has a perforation 144, and each of the second sections 142 has the restricting holes 161. The two perforations 144 are long holes. The fixing hole 181 on the strengthen rod 18 is circular. The perforations 144 and the fixing hole 181 are adapted to be inserted by fasteners (not shown).
As illustrated in
Additionally, a distance between the two extending arms 14 is gradually increased along the extending direction X, so that a distance between the symmetrical two of the restricting holes 161 could be various. In order to make the two protruding columns 261 on the guiding arms 24 could be engaged with any symmetrically two of the restricting holes 161 on the extending arms 14. The first end 241 of each of the guiding arms 24 has a first elastic section 243, and each of the protruding columns 261 is disposed on the first elastic section 243 of one of the guiding arms 24. The first elastic section 243 of each of the two guiding arms 24 could be deformed along a horizontal plane H that is parallel to the bottom surface 123, thereby adjusting a distance between the two protruding columns 261.
On the other hand, since a distance between the two mounting holes P on the bottom portion of the toilet T is fixed, and a distance between the two mounting holes P of different toilets T could be various. Therefore, the two restricting columns 28 of the guiding arms 24 could be respectively engaged with the two mounting holes P of the different toilets T. The second end 242 of each of the guiding arms 24 has a second elastic section 244, and the restricting column 28 is disposed on the second elastic section 244 of each of the guiding arms 24. The second elastic section 244 of each of the two guiding arms 24 could be deformed along the horizontal plane H, thereby adjusting a distance between the two restricting columns 28.
In the current embodiment, each of the guiding arms 24 includes the first elastic section 243, the second elastic section 244, and a middle section 245, wherein the middle section 245 is connected between the first elastic section 243 and the second elastic section 244. A width of the first elastic section 243 is a first width W1. A width of the second elastic section 244 is a second width W2. A width of the middle section 245 is a third width W3. The first width W1 is smaller than the third width W3, and the second width W2 is smaller than the third width W3. In an embodiment, the first width W1 is equal to the second width W2.
As illustrated in
In the current embodiment, the connecting rod 22 of the guiding frame 20 has a first thickness T1, and each of the two guiding arms 24 has a second thickness T2. The first thickness T1 is greater than the second thickness T2. Additionally, a distance between two guiding arms 22 of the guiding frame 20 is gradually increased along the extending direction X.
As illustrated in
Step 1: As illustrated in
Step 2: A position of the toilet bowl holder 10 is adjusted along the extending direction X to allow the abutting surface 12 of the toilet bowl holder 10 to abut against the inner circumference of the front side of the bottom portion of the toilet T, and the first positioning structure 16 is engaged with the second positioning structure 26 to restrict the guiding frame 20 from moving relative to the toilet bowl holder 10 in the extending direction X.
In the current embodiment, the first positioning structure 16 includes the plurality of restricting holes 161, wherein the restricting holes 161 are arranged along the extending direction X, and the second positioning structure 26 of each of the guiding arms 24 is a protruding column 261. Therefore, in step 2, after the abutting surface 12 of the toilet bowl holder 10 abuts against the toilet T, the protruding columns 261 of the guiding frame 20 are respectively engaged with symmetrical two of the restricting holes 161 of the extending arms 14. As a result, the first length L1 of the toilet bowl mounting assembly 100 is adjustable to adapt toilets with different lengths.
When the restricting holes 161 of the first positioning structure 16 of each of the extending arms 14 communicates with each other, the step 1 and the step 2 of the method of positioning the toilet could be changed as below:
Each of the protruding columns 261 could be engaged with one of the restricting holes 161 of each of the extending arms 14. The two restricting columns 28 of the guiding frame 20 are respectively inserted into the two mounting holes P of the toilet T;
Then, the toilet bowl mounting assembly 100 is exerted by an external force to move the protruding columns 261 relative to the restricting holes 161 along the extending direction X, thereby adjusting the first length L1 of the toilet bowl mounting assembly 100 until the abutting surface 12 of the toilet bowl holder 10 abuts against the inner circumference of the front side of the bottom portion of the toilet T, as shown in
Step 3: As illustrated in
In the current embodiment, step 3 could further include fixing the toilet bowl holder 10 on the mounting surface M. After the toilet bowl holder 100 is positioned properly, each of fasteners 30 (e.g. screws) passes through the perforation 144 of each of the two extending arms 14 to secure the toilet bowl holder 10 on the mounting surface M to prevent the toilet bowl holder 10 from moving along a direction that is perpendicular to the central plane C. Additionally, the fixing hole 181 of the strengthen rod 18 of the toilet bowl holder 10 could also be passed through by the fastener to fix the toilet bowl holder 10 on the mounting surface M. In other embodiments, a means of fixing the toilet bowl holder 10 could further include using adhesive, but is not limited to use the fastener.
In step 3, after the toilet bowl holder 10 is fixed to the mounting surface M, the guiding frame 20 is removed, as shown in
Step 4: The toilet T is disposed on the mounting surface M to allow the inner circumference of the front side of the bottom portion of the toilet T to be abutted against by the abutting surface 121 of the toilet bowl holder 10, so that the front side of the toilet T could be supported by the toilet T, thereby preventing the toilet bowl holder 10 from shaking.
In step 4, the front side of the toilet T is aligned with the abutting surface 12 of the toilet bowl holder 10, and the two mounting holes P of the toilet T are aligned with the two fixing screws. Then, the toilet T is put on the mounting surface M to allow the inner circumference of the front side of the toilet T to be supported by the abutting surface 12 of the toilet bowl holder 10. Simultaneously, the body portions of the two fixing screws are respectively inserted through the two mounting holes P of the toilet T.
In step 4, after the toilet T is disposed on the mounting surface M, the two nuts (not shown) are respectively screws on the two fixing screws to fix the toilet T on the mounting surface M. Additionally, after the nuts are detached, the toilet T could be easily removed from the mounting surface to perform maintenance or to replace with a new toilet.
To sum up, the toilet bowl mounting assembly, the toilet bowl holder, and the method of positioning the toilet of the present invention could be applied to toilets of various sizes and to firmly mount the toilet on the mounting surface, thereby increasing the convenience of mounting the toilet and reducing the time spent on mounting the toilet.
It must be pointed out that the embodiment described above is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention. All equivalent structures which employ the concepts disclosed in this specification and the appended claims should fall within the scope of the present invention.
