Patent Application
20120291190
The present application relates generally to the field of toilets. More specifically, the present application relates to improved systems and methods for installing a toilet (e.g., coupling the toilet to a trap assembly and/or mounting the toilet to the floor).
There is an increasing demand from consumers for toilets having bases or pedestals with smooth exterior surfaces, in part due to their improved aesthetics and cleanability. These toilets with smooth exterior surfaces may include pedestal side walls (or portions thereof) that are spaced a distance outward from the internal trapway of the toilet (hereinafter referred to as “skirted toilets”). In other words, the skirted feature of the toilet is created by the pedestal having a wall with a smooth exterior surface for aesthetic purposes and an interior surface that is separated by a gap (e.g., open space) from the external surfaces of the passageway (e.g., trap passageway). Many conventional non-skirted toilets have pedestals that include externally visible fasteners, indentations or voids (e.g., voids that outline the functional features, such as the trapway, contained within the toilet to transfer the water and waste), and other features that it may be desirable to eliminate for aesthetic and other purposes.
One challenge associated with skirted toilets relates to the manner in which such toilets must be mounted or coupled to the trap assembly and/or to the floor to prevent rotating, twisting, or rocking of the toilet during the user experience. For conventional toilets, a typical mounting method involves inserting a fastener through a horizontal portion (e.g., flange) of the toilet base or pedestal directly into the closet flange, the soil pipe, and/or the floor (i.e., the fastener is arranged perpendicular to the surface of the floor). In skirted toilets, however, such a configuration may not be appropriate or desirable because of the design of the skirted portion (e.g., there may not be a surface of the skirt that is parallel to the floor that would allow a fastener to be driven directly through the toilet and into the closet flange and/or the floor). It would be advantageous to provide a simple and secure method and system for mounting or coupling a skirted toilet to the trap, soil pipe, and/or the floor without having functional issues (e.g., leaking) and/or aesthetic issues (e.g., large openings requiring additional vitreous plastic covers or patches).
Additionally, there is a need to provide a more secure coupling between the toilet and the closet flange and/or the soil pipe, in order to improve the stability of the toilet, such as during use of the toilet, as well as, to reduce the likelihood of leaking, such as between the toilet and the drain pipe (or soil pipe or sanitary sewer system). Current skirted toilet couplings (or installation mountings) only provide either a horizontal force or a vertical force, but not both, to secure the toilet to the soil pipe. It would be advantageous to be able to couple the toilet to the soil pipe in a manner that provides both horizontal and vertical clamping forces to more securely couple the toilet and to reduce the likelihood of leaking, while simultaneously minimizing the aesthetic impact of the coupling (or fastening) system.
One embodiment relates to a mounting assembly for securing a pedestal of a toilet to a trap. The mounting assembly including a clamping member pivotally coupled to the trap, the clamping member having an opening extending therethrough, and an adjusting member extending through an opening in the pedestal and through the opening in the clamping member. The adjusting member is configured to pivot the clamping member between a first position in which a portion of the clamping member contacts the adjusting member to secure the pedestal to the trap and a second position in which the portion of the clamping member does not contact the adjusting member.
The mounting assembly may also include a pivot member pivotally coupled to the clamping member, wherein the pivot member may be configured to be coupled to the adjusting member. Accordingly, adjustment of the adjusting member may be configured to pivot the clamping member by moving the pivot member relative to the adjusting member. The pivot member may also include threads configured to engage mating threads of the adjusting member, such that rotation of the adjusting member in a first direction moves the clamping member toward the first position and rotation of the adjusting member in a second direction moves the clamping member toward the second position.
The mounting assembly may also include a pin configured to pivotally couple the clamping member to the trap. The pin may include a body and a shoulder to contact the trap to limit a travel of the pin relative to the trap, wherein the body is configured to pivot in an opening in the trap. The clamping member may also include a second opening configured to receive the pin to pivotally couple the clamping member to the trap. The clamping member may also include a cavity configured to retain the pivot member while allowing for relative rotation between the clamping member and pivot member.
Another embodiment relates to a toilet including a pedestal having a wall, a trap having a passageway in fluid communication with the bowl and a base configured to be coupled to a soil pipe, and a mounting assembly for coupling the pedestal to the trap. The mounting assembly may include a clamping member pivotally coupled to the trap about a pivot axis, the clamping member having an opening extending therethrough, and an adjusting member provided in the opening and configured to be engaged by the clamping member and the wall of the pedestal. The adjusting member is configured to pivot the clamping member into and out of engagement with the adjusting member, and when the clamping member engages the adjusting member, the pedestal is secured to the trap.
When the clamping member engages the adjusting member, a wall of the opening of the clamping member may contact the adjusting member along at least a portion of the length of the adjusting member. The wall of the pedestal may include a side wall portion and a rear wall portion, wherein the side wall portion extends to the rear wall having a substantially smooth contour. The mounting assembly may be a first mounting assembly and the toilet may further include a second mounting assembly for coupling the pedestal to the trap, wherein the second mounting assembly may be configured substantially the same as the first mounting assembly, wherein the first and second mounting assemblies provided on opposite sides of the trap and configured to engage opposite side walls of the pedestal.
Yet another embodiment relates to a method for installing a skirted toilet having a pedestal and a bowl. The method includes: i. securing a trap to a soil pipe, the trap having a base and a passageway configured to be fluidly connected between the bowl of the toilet and the soil pipe, wherein the base comprises a clamping member pivotally coupled thereto; ii. positioning the pedestal over the trap to fluidly couple the bowl to the trap such that an opening in a wall of the pedestal is substantially aligned with an opening in the clamping member; and iii. securing the toilet to the trap by inserting an adjusting member through the opening of the pedestal and into the opening of the clamping member and rotating the adjusting member to pivot the clamping member into engagement with the adjusting member.
The clamping member may include a pivot member having threads configured to engage mating threads of the adjusting member, such that rotation of the adjusting member in a first direction pivots the clamping member to engage the adjusting member and rotation of the adjusting member in a second direction pivots the clamping member to disengage the adjusting member.
With general reference to the Figures, disclosed herein are toilets configured having a coupling or mounting assembly for securing a pedestal of the toilet to a trap, which may be attached to a soil pipe or drain pipe. The mounting assemblies as disclosed herein may include a clamping member and an adjusting member. The clamping member may be pivotally coupled to the trap and may include an opening extending through the clamping member. The adjusting member may be provided in the opening of the clamping member and may be configured to be engaged by the clamping member and the pedestal, such as a wall of the pedestal. The adjusting member may be configured to pivot the clamping member into and out of engagement with the adjusting member, such as to secure and unsecure the pedestal from the trap, respectively. The mounting assemblies as disclosed herein may advantageously be configured to secure the pedestal of the toilet from inside the pedestal (e.g., inside the wall forming the pedestal) with just a portion of the adjusting member being visible. The mounting assemblies as disclosed herein may also advantageously be configured to apply clamping forces in more than one direction, such as, for example, in both the horizontal and vertical directions, to more securely couple the pedestal to the trap and thereby to the floor.
It should be noted that the shapes and configurations of the tank, pedestal, seat assembly, and the internal components (including the trapways and other features) may vary from the embodiments shown and described herein, and that the embodiments disclosed herein are not intended as limitations. It should be noted, for example, that although the exemplary embodiment of the toilet 10 is shown configured with the tank 11 formed separately from the pedestal 21 and later coupled to the pedestal, the tank may be integrally formed with the pedestal as a one-piece design. In other words, the toilet may be a one-piece design, a two-piece design, or have any suitable configuration. The installation (e.g., mounting, coupling) systems and methods described herein may be used with a wide variety of skirted toilet configurations, and all such configurations are intended to be encompassed herein. The following description of various toilet features is therefore intended as illustration only of one possible embodiment, and it should be understood by those reviewing the present description that similar concepts or features may be included in various other embodiments.
The tank 11 may include an inlet opening (not shown) configured to receive water from a coupled water supply (not shown), such as from a hose (e.g., line, tube). The tank 11 may also include an inlet valve assembly (not shown) or other device configured to control the flow of water from the water supply into the tank through the inlet opening. Within the tank 11 may be provided a float device (not shown) for controlling the inlet valve assembly, such as by opening the valve to refill the bowl 12 of the tank 11 after an operational cycle and closing the valve when the water in the bowl 12 reaches a preset volume or height. The tank 11 may also include an outlet opening (not shown) configured to transfer (e.g., conduct) the water stored in the bowl 12 of the tank to the pedestal 21 (e.g., the bowl) upon activation of the actuator 14. The tank 11 may include an outlet valve assembly (not shown) or other device configured to control the flow of water from the tank into the pedestal 21 through the outlet opening.
The pedestal 21 (or base) of the toilet 10 may include a wall 22 having any suitable shape that is configured to form a bowl 23 having an opening formed by an upper rim at the top of the opening. The pedestal 21 may also be configured to include a plurality of walls having varying shapes that together form a bowl having an opening formed by a rim. The wall 22 of the pedestal may extend downward and/or rearward from the bowl 23 to form a lower portion 25 configured to support the pedestal 21 and the toilet 10. The lower portion 25 may be formed by the end (e.g., lower rim) of the wall 22, or may include a member that extends generally in a horizontal plane from one or more than one end of the wall. The pedestal 21 may also include a top member 24 that extends between two sides of the wall 22 (or between two opposing walls) and is provided rearward (or behind) the bowl 23, wherein the top member 24 forms a plateau for supporting the tank 11, such as the bottom surface of the bowl 12 of the tank 11. The top member 24 may include an inlet opening (not shown) that may be aligned with the outlet opening of the tank 11, such as when the tank 11 is coupled to (or resting above) the pedestal 21, wherein water is selectively transferred (e.g., conducted) from the tank 11 through the outlet opening of the tank to the pedestal 21 through the inlet opening of the pedestal 21, when the toilet is activated through the actuator 14. The outlet valve assembly may control the flow of water from the tank to the pedestal. The toilet may also include a gasket or seal (not shown) that is provided between the tank 11 and the pedestal 21 to prohibit leaking For example, a gasket may be provided between the outlet opening of the tank and the inlet opening of the pedestal to prohibit leaking between the tank and the pedestal.
The plateau formed by the top member 24 of the pedestal 21 may also provide for coupling of the seat assembly 17 to the pedestal 21 of the toilet 10. For example, the top member 24 may include one or more than one opening, wherein each opening is configured to receive a fastening device (e.g., bolt, screw, etc.) to couple (e.g., attach) the seat assembly 17 to the top member 24 of the pedestal 21. As another example, the top member 24 may include one or more than one fastening device (e.g., bolts, recessed nuts, etc.) integrally formed therein (i.e., already provided connected or coupled to the pedestal 21), wherein the fastening device may be used to couple or secure at least a portion of the seat assembly 17 to the pedestal 21.
The bowl 23 of the pedestal 21 may be configured to include a receptacle (e.g., sump) and an outlet opening, wherein the water and waste is collected in the receptacle until being removed through the outlet opening, such as upon activation of the actuator 14. The pedestal 21 may also include a passageway (not shown), such as a passageway, that fluidly connects the outlet opening of the bowl 23 to an exiting device (e.g., a trap or a soil pipe). The passageway generally includes a first portion, a second portion, and a weir separating the first and second portions. The first portion of the passageway may extend from the outlet opening of the bowl 23 at an upwardly oblique angle to the weir. The second portion of the passageway may extend from the weir downwardly to the exiting device, such as to the trap.
Between operational cycles of the toilet 10, the water (and waste) is collected in the first portion of the passageway (in addition to the receptacle of the bowl), such that the weir prohibits the water from passing past the weir and into the second portion of the passageway. Upon activation of the actuator 14, additional water is discharged from the tank 11 into the bowl 23 of the pedestal 21, resulting in the flushing action and waste removal through the soil pipe.
The seat assembly 17 may include a cover member 18 (e.g., lid), a seat member 19 (e.g., ring member), and a hinge (not shown). The seat member 19 may be configured to include an annular member that encircles an opening, wherein the annular member provides a seating surface for the user of the toilet 10. The seat member 19 may also be pivotally coupled (e.g., attached) to the hinge, wherein the seat member may rotate (or pivot) about the hinge, such as between a first lowered or seated position and a second raised or upright position. The cover member 18 may be configured to be round, oval, or any other suitable shape. Typically, the profile or shape of the outer surface of the cover member will be configured to match (i.e., to be substantially similar) to the profile of the outer surface of the seat member to improve the aesthetics of the seat assembly and toilet. The cover member 18 may also be coupled to the hinge, wherein the cover member may rotate (or pivot) about the hinge, such as between a first down lowered or down position and a second raised or upright position. The cover member 18 may be provided above the seat member in the down position to thereby cover the opening of the seat member 19, as well as to conceal the inside of the bowl 23 of the pedestal 21. The cover member 18 may be configured to rest against the outside surface of the tank 11, when the cover member 18 is in the upright position, such that the cover member 18 remains in the upright position in order for a user to sit upon the seat member 19.
In contrast to the skirted toilet shown in
As shown in
The coupling assembly 30 is uniquely configured to provide horizontal and vertical loading (e.g., clamping) to secure the toilet 10, such as by securing the pedestal 21 of the toilet 10 to the trap 60, which may be fixedly coupled to the soil pipe and/or the floor of the washroom. The method of achieving the horizontal and vertical forces (e.g., loading) to secure the toilet is discussed in greater detail below.
The trap 60 may be made from a polymer or a composite material through a molding (e.g., injection molding) process, may be made from a metal (e.g., steel, cast iron, etc.) through a casting or other forming process, or may be made from any suitable material through any suitable process as may be appropriate or desired for a given application. According to the exemplary embodiment shown in
The base 62 of the trap 60 may be circular shaped and may surround a portion of the second end 64 of the trap passageway 61. The base 62 may be configured to be coupled to the gasket (e.g., wax ring), the soil pipe and/or to the floor of the washroom, such as through conventional fasteners (e.g., bolts, screws, etc.). The base 62 may also be configured to be coupled to the coupling assembly 30, as discussed in more detail below, to secure (e.g., couple) the toilet to the soil pipe and/or the floor of the washroom through the trap 60. According to other exemplary embodiments, the base and other features of the trap may have different configurations (e.g., the base may be non-circular).
According to the exemplary embodiment shown in
According to the exemplary embodiment shown in
The clamping member 32 may include a body 39 that has a generally triangular cross-section (with rounded corners and one or more non-straight sides), with the legs of the triangular shape being longer than the base of the triangular shape, wherein the legs point downwardly and the base is above the legs. The clamping member may also include a base and two side walls, wherein each side wall has a polygonal or other cross-section that extends from the base. It should be noted that the clamping member may be configured to have any shape suitable for withstanding the stresses and/or for transferring the horizontal and vertical forces that result during coupling the toilet and securing the toilet during subsequent use of the toilet. Thus, the embodiments of the clamping members disclosed herein are not intended to serve as limitations.
The clamping member 32 may include a first opening 40 (e.g., aperture, hole, etc.), a second opening 41 (e.g., aperture, hole, etc.), and a third opening 42 (e.g., aperture, hole, etc.). The first opening 40 may be provided near the lower point of the triangular shaped body 39 (i.e., where the legs intersect) and may extend through the width of the body 39 to provide a pivot axis for the clamping member 32 to pivot about. The first opening 40 may be configured to be round to receive the pin 31, such as the body 35 of the pin 31, wherein that the clamping member 32 may rotate or pivot about the pin 31 and about the axis defined by the first opening 40. The second opening 41 may be provided near one of the upper points of the triangular body 39 (i.e., where one of the legs intersects the base) and may extend through the width of the body 39. The second opening 41 may be configured to be round to receive the pivot member 33, wherein the pivot member 33 may rotate or pivot relative to the clamping member 32 about the axis formed by the pivot member and second opening 41 of the clamping member. The clamping member 32 may also include a cavity 45 configured to retain the pivot member 33 from moving linearly relative to the clamping member 32, while allowing rotation of the pivot member 33 relative to the clamping member 32. The cavity 45 may be defined by the second opening 41, such as by being an extension of the second opening 41, may be a bore configured adjacent to the second opening 41, or may have any other suitable configuration.
The third opening 42 of the clamping member 32 may extend through the upper portion of the body 39 in a direction transverse to the first and second openings 40, 41. According to an exemplary embodiment, the third opening 42 is configured to be cone shaped (as shown in
According to other exemplary embodiments, the third opening 42 may be configured to have any other shape, such as being curved (e.g., concave, convex) or irregular. Also, the surface or surfaces that define the shape of the third opening 42 may include a cam or a cam surface (i.e., an eccentric surface having a center axis that is offset from the pivot axis of the cam), wherein the cam surface may be configured to influence the forces or loads (e.g., vertical load, horizontal load), such as when the adjusting member is adjusted. For example, a cam surface may protrude beyond the conical surface defining the third opening 42 (i.e., the cam surface may extend into the opening defined by the otherwise conical surface) to impart forces into the adjusting member to secure the toilet in place. It should be noted that the geometric configuration of the cam may be varied to tailor the forces securing the toilet in place.
The clamping member 32 may also include a fourth opening 43 that extends through the upper potion of the body 39 away from the third opening 42 (and transverse to the first and second openings 40, 41). The fourth opening 43 may be cone shaped, curved, or may have any suitable shape. For example, the sides of the cone shaped fourth opening 43 may extend approximately from the axis of the second opening 41 in two directions at an angle B (as shown in
According to the exemplary embodiment shown in
The threaded portion 47 may include threads provided along an inner diameter that are configured to be engaged by mating threads from the adjusting member 34 to provide adjustable coupling between the pivot member 33 and the adjusting member 34 in order to tailor the clamping loads (e.g., horizontal clamping loads, vertical clamping loads). The threaded portion 47 of the pivot member 33 may be made from a metal (e.g., brass, stainless steel), a polymer, a composite, or any suitable material that is strong enough to withstand the stresses induced by loads generated by the coupling assembly. According to an exemplary embodiment, the pivot member 33 includes the body 46 made from a polymer overmolded (or co-molded) onto the threaded portion 47 that is made from brass. This configuration allows for efficient rotation of the pivot member 33 by having a body 46 with a relative low coefficient of friction and provides strength and durability by having a threaded portion 47 with relative high mechanical properties (e.g., yield strength, tensile strength, etc.).
The pivot member 33 may be configured so that the body 46 fits into the second opening 41 of the clamping member 32. The clamping member 32 may have a retaining feature that is configured to retain the pivot member 33 in position while allowing rotation of the pivot member 33 relative to the clamping member 32. The clamping member 32 may also include a fifth opening 44 that is concentric with the second opening 41, but provided on the opposite side of the clamping member 32 to thereby provide two bearing surfaces about which the pivot member 33 may rotate (or pivot) relative to the clamping member 32. Alternatively, the pivot member 33 may also include a shoulder 48 that extends from one side of the body 46, wherein the shoulder 48 may be configured to have a smaller diameter relative to the diameter of the body 46. The shoulder 48 may be configured to be inserted into the fifth opening 44 of the clamping member 32, which may be configured to have a smaller diameter relative to the diameter of the second opening 41. This configuration allows the pivot member 33 to rotate (or pivot) relative to the clamping member 32 on two bearing surfaces and also retains the lateral position of the pivot member 33 relative to the clamping member 32.
The pivot member 33 may also include an aligning feature that is configured to properly align the threaded insert such that when the adjusting member 34 is inserted through the wall of the pedestal, the threads of the adjusting member 34 find or locate the threads of the insert of the pivot member 33 in order to adjustably couple the adjusting member 34 to the clamping member 32. For example, the shoulder 48 of the pivot member 33 may be configured to have a D-shape as the aligning feature. The fifth opening 44 of the clamping member 32 may be configured as a D-shape with a similar diameter (with clearance to allow for relative rotation), but with the flat of the D positioned farther away from the center of the circular portion (relative to the flat of the D on the shoulder 48) to allow a predetermined degree of rotation in each direction (e.g., clockwise, counterclockwise) of the pivot member 33 relative to the clamping member 32. Alternatively, the fifth opening 44 of the clamping member 32 may include a semi-circular portion that is interrupted by a V-shape portion, which allows the D-shape shoulder 48 to rotate a predetermined amount of angular rotation. Thus, the aligning feature may be configured to allow the pivot member 33 to rotate (within the clamping member 32) the full angular travel represented by angle A formed by the third opening 42 of the clamping member 32 to provide adjustable clamping, but to prevent the pivot member 33 from rotating beyond the third opening 42 to make installation easier.
The threaded portion 51 of the adjusting member 34 may also include a lead-in or any suitable feature that ensures the proper alignment of the threads of the threaded portion 51 with the threads of the threaded portion 47 of the pivot member 33 to prevent cross-threading when the adjusting member 34 is threaded into the pivot member 33. As shown in
As shown in
The toilets 10, 110 may be assembled in place in the washroom using a four step method. The first step includes positioning the seal (e.g., wax ring) and the trap relative to the drain pipe (or soil pipe) and/or the floor of the washroom. The trap 160 may be coupled to the soil pipe with the wax ring (or alternate sealing material or alternate seal device) provided therebetween to form a seal to prohibit leaking For example, the base of the trap may include one or more openings (e.g., apertures, holes, slots), wherein each opening in the trap is configured to receive a fastener (e.g., bolt, screw, etc.) to clamp the trap to the floor and/or the soil pipe. According to an exemplary embodiment, the base 162 of the trap 160 includes two openings 170 one opening 170 provided on each side of the base 162 (i.e., one opening 170 on each side of the trap passageway 161) to provide a secure coupling of the trap to the soil pipe and/or the floor of the washroom.
The second step includes coupling (e.g., attaching) the coupling assembly 30 to the trap 160. As shown in
The pivot member 33 may be preassembled to the clamping member 32. For example, the pivot member 33 may be pivotally coupled to the clamping member 32 during manufacturing, such that the person installing the toilet does not need to couple the pivot member and the clamping member. Alternatively, the second step may include assembling the pivot member 33 to the clamping member 32, if the pivot member 33 is not preassembled to the clamping member 32. The body 46 of the pivot member 33 may be inserted through the second opening 41 and into the cavity 45 of the clamping member 32, wherein the pivot member 33 may be retained therein, yet free to rotate in the cavity 45 relative to the clamping member 32. The threads of the threaded portion 47 of the pivot member 33 may also be oriented (e.g., aligned) to face in the direction toward the third opening 42 of the clamping member 32 to allow access to the threads of the threaded portion 47 by the threads of the adjusting member 34. For example, the aligning feature discussed above may ensure proper orientation or alignment of the pivot member 33 relative to the clamping member 32. This configuration allows for the person coupling the toilet to the soil pipe and/or the floor, to properly thread (e.g., without cross-threading) the adjusting member 34 into the pivot member 33 with ease, even though this may be a blind coupling (i.e., having little or no visual access of the threads of the threaded portion 47 of the pivot member 33, since they are obscured by the adjusting member and/or the pedestal).
It should be noted that the coupling assembly may include more than one clamping member, such as shown in
The coupling assembly 30 may also be configured to retain the clamping member 32 in a position, such as the in the upright position shown in
The third step includes locating the toilet 10, 110 (in particular, its associated pedestal) in place over the trap 60, 160. The third step may also include connecting (e.g., fluidly, structurally) the passageway of the pedestal to the trap passageway 61 of the trap 60, if necessary. For example, the pedestal 21 may be located or positioned over the coupled trap 60 and coupling assembly 30 (e.g., the clamping member, pin, and pivot member), such that that the openings 28 in the wall 22 of the pedestal 21 are aligned with the clamping member 32, such as the third opening 42 of the clamping member. Additionally, if needed, the trap passageway and the passageway may be fluidly (and/or structurally) coupled, such as through an elastomeric seal or other suitable coupling, wherein the water (and waste) may pass from the passageway of the pedestal to the trap passageway of the trap.
The fourth step includes securing the toilet 10 to the trap 60 and/or the soil pipe, through the coupling assembly 30, such as by adjusting the adjusting member 34. With the openings 28 in the wall 22 of the pedestal 21 being aligned with the clamping member 32 (e.g., the third opening 42), one adjusting member 34 may be inserted through each opening 28 in the wall 22 (e.g., right wall 22a, left wall 22b ) to engage the threaded portion 51 of the adjusting member 34 with the threaded portion 47 of the pivot member 33. As shown in
As shown in
Also, once the clamping member 32 (e.g., top surface 42a of the third opening 42) is contacting the adjusting member 34, further rotation of the clamping member 32 is prevented (except to remove tolerances, elastic bending or flexing, plastic bending or flexing etc.). Accordingly, additional adjustment of the adjusting member 34 in the clamping direction (after such contact between the clamping member 32 and adjusting member 34) puts the adjusting member 34 in tension (under an increasing tensile load that is a function of the adjustment), which imparts an axial force Fa into the adjusting member 34. The axial force Fa may also include a horizontal component force and a vertical component force to provide clamping forces in both the horizontal and vertical directions, depending on the alignment or orientation of the adjusting member relative to horizontal. The axial force Fa may be adjusted (e.g., by rotating the adjusting member 34) to increase (or decrease) the clamping pressure (e.g., horizontal clamping pressure) that the adjusting member 34 imparts on the wall 22 of the pedestal 21 of the toilet 10. Thus, the clamping pressure securing the toilet (e.g., the pedestal) may be varied by adjusting the adjusting member. In other words, the more the adjusting member is rotated in the clamping (e.g., clockwise) direction, the higher the resulting forces in the horizontal and vertical directions (from the normal force Fn and the axial force Fa) to clamp or secure the toilet (e.g., the pedestal) to the trap, soil pipe, and/or the floor of the washroom.
It should be noted that the geometry of the coupling assembly may vary in order to influence the forces Fa and Fn, which influences the horizontal and vertical forces securing the toilet in place. For example, the relative positions of the first opening 40, second opening 41 and/or third opening 42 of the clamping member 32 may be configured differently (e.g., spaced farther apart, spaced closer together, or a combination thereof) than as shown in the embodiments disclosed herein, in order to influence the forces Fa and Fn. Additionally, other geometric relationships may be changed to influence the forces Fa and Fn, and other geometric relationships may be changed to influence other performance parameters of the coupling assemblies disclosed herein.
The amount of adjustment necessary for the clamping member of the coupling assembly to rotate from an unclamped (or non-locked) position, such as shown in
The clamping member 32 having a cone shaped third opening 42 may allow the normal force Fn to be distributed over the length of the top surface 42a of the third opening 42, as well as over the length of the adjusting member 34 contacting the clamping member 32. This distribution of the force allows the configuration of the coupling assembly 30 (e.g., the clamping member 32, adjusting member 34) to be optimally configured (e.g., thickness, material, cost, etc.) to provide increased clamping force with an improved longevity. For example, a clamping member may be configured to have a point contact or a line of contact, as opposed to a surface of contact, with the adjusting member, which concentrates the force to the point or line, and may accordingly require a change in design, such as in material to increase the mechanical properties, to accommodate the stress concentration that results. The distribution of force (or pressure) ameliorates the issues associated with stress concentrations.
According to an exemplary embodiment, the trap of the toilet may be configured to accommodate varying width toilets. Accordingly, the same trap may be used to couple more than one model of toilet with each toilet having different widths (e.g., distance between the walls of the pedestal such as the distance between 22a and 22b shown in
According to an exemplary embodiment shown in
As shown, each coupling assembly 430 includes a pin 431 configured to engage the base 462, a clamping member 432 pivotally coupled to the pin 431, a pivot member 433, and an adjusting member 434. The pivot member 433 may be disposed in a cavity of the clamping member 432, such that the clamping member 432 retains the pivot member 433, yet the pivot member 433 is free to rotate in the cavity relative to clamping member 432. The adjusting member 434 is configured to engage the pivot member 433, such that the adjusting member 434 is adjustably restrained by the pivot member 433.
The third opening 442 of the clamping member 432 may be configured having any suitable shape that may receive the adjusting member 434 therein. For example, the third opening 442 may have a generally conical shape that is defined by a surface with a slot provided therein. As shown, the slot may be defined by a curved upper surface 442a and the conical portion of the third opening 442 may be defined by a surface 442b. The slot may be configured with side walls that extend generally downward from the ends of the curved upper surface 442a to define an elongated slot. The width of the slot of the third opening 442 may be configured to receive the shank 434a of the adjusting member 434 therein, such as when the coupling assembly 430 is securing the pedestal 421 to the fixture (e.g., drain pipe, floor, etc.). This arrangement may capture the shank 434a in the slot and therefore support the shank 434a on multiple sides thereby reducing the degrees of freedom between the adjusting member 434 and the clamping member 432. This arrangement may advantageously increase the amount of lock-up to provide a stronger connection by the coupling assembly 430 to the pedestal 421 and the fixture. In other words, this arrangement may advantageously reduce the likelihood of movement (e.g., lateral, fore-aft) of the pedestal 421, such as the nose of the pedestal during use of the toilet, after being secured to the fixture.
The fourth opening 443 of the clamping member 432 may be provided on a side of the body 439 opposing the third opening 442, where the fourth opening 443 allows for the shank 434a of the adjusting member 434 to pass through, such as during adjustment of the adjusting member 434 to secure the pedestal 421 of the toilet 410 to the fixture. Accordingly, the fourth opening 443 may have any suitable shape and size, which may be tailored to the shape and size of the shank 434a along with any necessary clearance to accommodate the relative movement between the clamping member 432 and the adjusting member 434.
The fifth opening 444 of the clamping member 432 may be provided on a side of the body 439 opposing the second opening 441, such as to allow a portion (e.g., an end portion) of the pivot member 433 to pass through the fifth opening 444. The fifth opening 444 may have any suitable shape and size. As shown, the fifth opening 444 is configured as a generally round opening having a diameter that is smaller than the diameter of the second opening 441. This may advantageously allow the pivot member 433 to be inserted into the cavity 445 through the second opening 441, such that the fifth opening 444 receives a locking end of the pivot member 433 to allow relative rotation between the pivot member 433 and the clamping member 432 about a pivot axis, while preventing displacement of the pivot member 433 relative to the clamping member 432 along the pivot axis.
The pivot member 433 may be configured generally as described herein for other pivot members (e.g., the pivot member 33). The pivot member 433 is configured to be pivotally coupled to the clamping member 432. The pivot member 433 may have any suitable shape and size. As shown in
The pivot member 433 may also include a locking feature configured to pivotally couple the pivot member 433 to the clamping member 432. As shown in
The pivot member 433 includes a feature to adjustably couple the adjusting member 434 to the pivot member 433. For example, the body 446 of the pivot member 433 includes an internal threaded opening 447 that is configured to receive mating external threads of the shank 434a of the adjusting member 434. However, it should be noted that the pivot member 433 may include any suitable feature that couples (e.g., adjustably couples) the adjusting member 434 to the pivot member 433.
As shown in
The shank 434a may also include a lead-in feature to help facilitate coupling the adjusting member 434 to the pivot member 433, such as during installation of the pedestal to the fixture. As shown in
The coupling assembly 430 may also include a connecting feature that is configured to retain the head 434b of the adjusting member 434 with respect to the opening 28 in the wall 22 of the pedestal 21. As shown, the connecting feature is configured as a bushing 481 having a body that is configured to engage the opening 28 in the wall 22 and a head that is configured to abut the outer surface of the wall 22. In other words, the body of the bushing 481 acts as a bearing surface (although not necessarily for pivoting purposes) to distribute loading from the adjusting member 434 to the pedestal 21 through the contact surface of the wall 22, and the head of the bushing 481 limits movement of the bushing 481 (and the adjusting member 434) in the direction toward the wall 22. The bushing 481 may include a recess that is configured to receive the adjusting member 434, such as the head 434b of the adjusting member 434, to retain the coupled adjusting member 434 and bushing 481 to the wall 22 of the pedestal 21. For example, the recess of the bushing 481 may be configured so that there is an interference fit between the head 434b and the inner surface of the body of the bushing 481, such that once the head 434b is pressed into place into the recess, the inner surface of the body prohibits the head 434b from passing back out of the recess.
The head 434b of the adjusting member 434 may be configured to have a diameter that is larger than the diameter of the opening 28 in the wall 22 of the pedestal 21 and/or that is larger than an inner diameter of the body of the bushing 481, so that the adjusting member 434 may impart clamp forces (e.g., horizontal forces, vertical forces) into the wall 22 directly or indirectly through the bushing 481. For example, once the coupling assembly 430 is installed to secure the pedestal 21 to the trap and floor, adjustment (e.g., rotation) of the adjusting member 434 is configured to move the pivot member 433 along the shank 434a of the adjusting member 434, where the movement of the pivot member 433 in turn pivots the clamping member 432 relative to the trap 460. The clamping member 432 may pivot between a first position in which a portion (e.g., the upper surface 442a ) of the clamping member 432 contacts the adjusting member 434 (e.g., to thereby load the shank 434a ) to secure the pedestal 421 to the trap 460 and a second position in which the portion of the clamping member 432 does not contact the adjusting member 434.
When the clamping member is in the first position and the upper surface 442a of the clamping member 432 contacts the adjusting member 434, a normal force Fn is imparted from the clamping member 432 to the adjusting member 434, which is transferred through the adjusting member 434 and/or the bushing 481 to the wall 22 of the pedestal 21. The normal force Fn acts to secure (e.g., clamp) the pedestal to the trap and/or floor. The normal force Fn may be varied by adjustment of the adjusting member 434, such as to increase the clamping force between the pedestal 21 and the trap and/or floor. When the clamping member 432 contacts the adjusting member 434, this contact acts to prohibit additional pivoting of the clamping member 432, which in turn acts to maintain the relative position or location of the pivot member 433. This arrangement induces an axial force Fa that is directed along the longitudinal axis of the shank 434a of the adjusting member 434. Accordingly, additional adjustment of the adjusting member 434 in the tightening direction increases the axial force Fa since the relative position of the pivot member 433 is restrained (e.g., relatively fixed) and the threaded engagement between the adjusting member 434 and pivot member 433 moves the pivot member 433 along the adjusting member 433. In other words, since the head 434b of the adjusting member 434 is fixed (e.g., in the lateral direction) by the wall 22 and/or the bushing 481 and the pivot member 433 is relatively fixed due to the contact between the clamping member 432 and the adjusting member 433, an increasing tension force in the shank 434a is induced by additional adjustment (e.g., tightening) that increases the axial force Fa. The axial force Fa is transferred to the wall 22 to secure the pedestal 21 in the lateral direction, while the normal force Fn is transferred to the wall 22 to secure the pedestal 21 in the vertical direction.
Additionally, the toilets having coupling assemblies disclosed herein may be configured to couple the trap and/or soil pipe to the toilets having varying offset distances (i.e., the distance between the passageway of the soil pipe and the rear wall provided behind the toilet of the washroom). For example, some toilets are configured to have a ten inch (10 in.) offset distance, having approximately ten inches in length between the centerline of the passageway of the soil pipe and the rear wall. Other toilets are configured to have twelve inch (12 in.) or fourteen inch (14 in.) offset distances. The coupling assemblies disclosed herein may be used to couple toilets to traps configured with any offset distance (e.g., 10 in., 12 in., 14 in., etc.). The coupling assemblies disclosed herein allow for the flexibility to couple any trap (e.g., 10 in., 12 in., 14 in.) to any toilet and allow for a single toilet model to couple these alternate soil pipe passageway offset distances.
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It should be noted that clamping members may have other various configurations, such as, for example, the clamping members may be A-shaped, rectangular shaped, triangular shaped, or may have any suitable shape. The clamping members may be used in coupling or mounting assemblies to more properly secure the toilet in place, such as through the use of an adjusting member.
The toilets disclosed herein having coupling assemblies are able to secure the toilet to the trap and drain pipe (or soil pipe) by applying clamping forces in both the horizontal and vertical directions, as opposed to just the horizontal direction or just the vertical direction. This provides a much more secure coupling between the toilet and the soil pipe and/or trap, which in addition to providing an improved retention of the toilet, provides stability to the toilet, such as during use thereof, and also improves the seal formed between the toilet and the soil pipe to reduce the likelihood of leaking through the seal.
As utilized herein, the terms “approximately,” “about,” “substantially”, and similar terms are intended to have a broad meaning in harmony with the common and accepted usage by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the subject matter of this disclosure pertains. It should be understood by those of skill in the art who review this disclosure that these terms are intended to allow a description of certain features described and claimed without restricting the scope of these features to the precise numerical ranges provided. Accordingly, these terms should be interpreted as indicating that insubstantial or inconsequential modifications or alterations of the subject matter described and claimed are considered to be within the scope of the invention as recited in the appended claims.
It should be noted that the term “exemplary” as used herein to describe various embodiments is intended to indicate that such embodiments are possible examples, representations, and/or illustrations of possible embodiments (and such term is not intended to connote that such embodiments are necessarily extraordinary or superlative examples).
The terms “coupled,” “connected,” and the like as used herein mean the joining of two members directly or indirectly to one another. Such joining may be stationary (e.g., permanent) or moveable (e.g., removable or releasable). Such joining may be achieved with the two members or the two members and any additional intermediate members being integrally formed as a single unitary body with one another or with the two members or the two members and any additional intermediate members being attached to one another.
References herein to the positions of elements (e.g., “top,” “bottom,” “above,” “below,” etc.) are merely used to describe the orientation of various elements in the FIGURES. It should be noted that the orientation of various elements may differ according to other exemplary embodiments, and that such variations are intended to be encompassed by the present disclosure.
It is important to note that the construction and arrangement of the toilets and installation (or clamping or mounting) systems as shown in the various exemplary embodiments is illustrative only. Although only a few embodiments have been described in detail in this disclosure, those skilled in the art who review this disclosure will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible (e.g., variations in sizes, dimensions, structures, shapes and proportions of the various elements, values of parameters, mounting arrangements, use of materials, colors, orientations, etc.) without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the subject matter described herein. For example, elements shown as integrally formed may be constructed of multiple parts or elements, the position of elements may be reversed or otherwise varied, and the nature or number of discrete elements or positions may be altered or varied. The order or sequence of any process or method steps may be varied or re-sequenced according to alternative embodiments. Other substitutions, modifications, changes and omissions may also be made in the design, operating conditions and arrangement of the various exemplary embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention.
This application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/488,608, filed May 20, 2011. U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/488,608 is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61488608 | May 2011 | US |
