Patent Application
20060080763
This present application claims all available benefit, under 35 U.S.C. §119(b), of Utility Patent Application No. GB0422136.2, filed in the United Kingdom on Oct. 6, 2004.
This invention relates to a urinal outlet assembly, and to a connection for coupling a urinal outlet to a waste pipe.
Conventionally, the waste pipe leading from a urinal is coupled to the soil pipe system via exposed plumbing, that is piping and water traps which are visible to a washroom user. However, there is increasing demand for the provision of urinals in which the plumbing is concealed.
In one arrangement a “low profile” water trap is concealed within a recess in the rear face of the urinal. Such water traps feature a hollow body having a centrally located inlet in a front face, which inlet is provided with a seal arrangement and connects directly to the urinal outlet. The trap outlet pipe extends from a lower part of the body and, in one version, extends horizontally from the rear of the body. In use, this outlet extends from the trap and into an opening in the wall on which the urinal is mounted. A waste pipe is concealed within the wall, and the waste pipe inlet is positioned and oriented in the opening for coupling to the trap outlet pipe; achieving the correct location of the waste pipe inlet will often require accurate cutting of the waste pipe within the wall. Furthermore, the coupling of the trap outlet pipe to the waste pipe inlet is problematic, given that the coupling location is within the wall and is intentionally concealed behind the trap and the urinal. Also, if it is ever necessary to access the waste pipe inlet area for cleaning or other purposes, removal of the trap from the waste pipe may require cutting of piping or other plumbing components. The cut components must then be repaired or replaced, all within the restricted confines of a relatively small wall opening.
It is among the objectives of embodiments of the present invention to provide a urinal outlet connection which avoids some of these difficulties.
According to the present invention there is provided a urinal outlet assembly comprising: a urinal outlet pipe; and a connector for coupling the outlet pipe to a waste pipe inlet, the arrangement being such that, in use, the connector receives the outlet pipe in a sliding sealing fit.
According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of coupling a urinal outlet to a waste pipe, the method comprising:
providing a urinal outlet pipe;
providing a connector;
coupling the connector to a waste pipe inlet; and
mating the urinal outlet pipe with the connector such that the connector receives the outlet pipe in a sliding sealing fit.
In use, the connector may be coupled to a waste pipe inlet by any appropriate means. The urinal outlet pipe may then be slid into the connector. The provision of a sliding sealing fit between the connector and the outlet pipe provides a degree of flexibility in the relative axial location of the connector and the urinal, such that the location of the connector, and thus the waste pipe inlet, becomes less critical than in conventional coupling arrangements. Also, the provision of the sliding sealing fit facilitates making up of the connection; in a preferred embodiment, all that is required is for the end of the outlet pipe to be located in the open end of the connector and the urinal then moved rearwards to push the outlet pipe into the connector. Once the end of the outlet pipe has been correctly located in the open end of the connector an operator involved in fitting the urinal may then concentrate on other matters, such as correctly and securely mounting the urinal on the supporting wall.
The urinal outlet pipe may be formed directly on the urinal or may be piping adapted to be coupled to a urinal. Preferably, the urinal outlet pipe is in the form of a trap outlet pipe of a trap adapted to be coupled to a urinal outlet.
Preferably, the connector comprises a seal, which will typically take the form of a ring seal. Most preferably, the connector comprises a ring seal adjacent the open end of the connector adapted to receive the outlet pipe. Thus, typically the most difficult part of the coupling operation between the outlet pipe and the connector, that is the location of the outlet pipe free end within the connector seal, is achieved while there is still the maximum facility to manoeuvre and align the parts.
Preferably, the connector is adapted to engage with, but need not be a tight fit on, the waste pipe inlet. This facilitates making up the connection between the connector and the waste pipe inlet, and is particularly useful when the connection is relatively inaccessible, for example within a wall opening. The end of the connector may be adapted to be received in the waste pipe inlet, or may be adapted to receive the waste pipe inlet. The connector may be adapted to be solvent welded, glued or otherwise permanently fixed to the waste pipe.
The connector may comprise an inlet portion of a first diameter selected to receive the outlet pipe. Preferably, an outlet portion of the connector is of a second diameter the same or larger than the first diameter, and may be dimensioned to receive the waste pipe inlet. Alternatively, the outlet portion of the connector may be of a smaller second diameter, and may be dimensioned to permit the outlet portion to be located within the waste pipe inlet. Thus, the outlet pipe may be the same or similar diameter to the waste pipe, or may be smaller or larger than the waste pipe.
The connector may be adapted to guide a portion of the outlet pipe into the waste pipe inlet. Alternatively, the inlet portion of the connector may be adapted to receive and accommodate a portion of the outlet pipe.
According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a urinal connector for coupling a urinal to a waste pipe, the connector including means for coupling the connector to a waste pipe inlet and means for receiving a urinal outlet pipe in a sliding sealing fit.
These and other aspects of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing, which is a part sectional view of a urinal trap assembly, in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention.
The drawing shows a part sectional view of a urinal trap assembly, including a urinal trap 10 (not shown in section). The urinal trap 10 features a tubular inlet 11 which is normally fitted with an elastomer seal (not shown) which allows the inlet 11 to be fitted over the outlet formed in the rear of a urinal (not shown). A connector 12 is provided for coupling the trap 10 to a waste pipe inlet 14. The waste pipe inlet 14 is shown located in an opening in a wall 15 which contains concealed pipe work.
The trap 10 features an outlet pipe in the form of a horizontal constant diameter tube 16.
The connector 12 is generally tubular and includes an inlet portion 18 for receiving the trap outlet pipe 16, and an outlet portion 20 for receiving the waste pipe inlet 14. In this embodiment, the connector 12 is adapted to be glued or solvent welded to the waste pipe inlet 14 to create a permanent coupling. However, the inlet portion 18 is intended to receive the trap outlet pipe 16 in a sliding sealing fit, as will be described.
The connector inlet portion 18 comprises a ring seal 22 retained in the flared end of the connector body 24 by a cap 26. The elastomeric seal 22 is generally u-shaped in cross-section, thus providing one or more sealing lips, and accommodates a relatively stiff support ring 30. The seal 22 is dimensioned to provide a sliding sealing fit with the outlet pipe 16.
In the illustrated embodiment the connector 12 is dimensioned for fitting to a waste pipe 14 which is larger than the trap outlet pipe 16. Thus, the outer diameter of the trap outlet pipe 16 is less than the inner diameter of the waste pipe 14, such that, if necessary, the trap outlet pipe may extend into the waste pipe 14.
To make up the coupling, the waste pipe will first be installed and positioned such that the waste pipe inlet 14 is at the appropriate location within the wall on which the urinal is to be mounted. The connector 12 is then solvent welded to the waste pipe 14, before the trap 10, mounted to an outlet on the rear of a urinal, is located such that the trap outlet pipe 16 is positioned in the connector inlet portion 18. The urinal and the trap 10 are then moved towards the wall, and the outlet pipe 16 slides through the seal 22, through the connector 12, and into the waste pipe inlet 14.
Previously, it was necessary to locate the end of the waste pipe inlet in the wall opening with some accuracy, to ensure that the various fittings could be coupled in the appropriate manner: if the waste pipe inlet extended too far, the urinal might be held spaced from the wall, whereas if the waste pipe inlet was cut too short it would not be possible to form a sealed connection with the urinal. However, with this embodiment of the present invention it will be observed that there is a considerable degree of flexibility permitted as to the relative axial locations of the waste pipe inlet 14 and the trap outlet pipe 16: the trap outlet pipe 16 may be slid into and out of the connector 12 while still maintaining a sealed coupling between the outlet pipe 16 and the inlet 14.
Of course the provision of a seal arrangement which accommodates sliding also facilitates both fitting and disassembly, and allows the urinal to be removed to allow cleaning of the waste pipe without any cutting of the assembly.
In other embodiments of the invention, the connector may feature one or both of a relatively long inlet portion and a relatively long outlet portion. This may be the case where the outlet portion is intended to fit within the end of the waste pipe inlet. Also, where the connector is dimensioned to couple, for example, a 50 mm outer diameter waste pipe and a 50 mm trap outlet pipe, it is not possible for the trap outlet pipe to extend into the waste pipe. Rather, a portion of the free end of the trap outlet pipe may be accommodated within the relatively long inlet portion.
It will be apparent to those of skill in the art that the above described embodiments provide a convenient means for connecting urinals to concealed plumbing systems while avoiding many of the problems associated with the prior art. Those of skill in the art will also recognise that these embodiments are merely exemplary of the present invention and that various modifications and improvements may be made thereto without departing from the present invention. For example, the connector may be adapted to co-operate with piping which is not associated with a trap, or may co-operate directly with a urinal outlet. Furthermore, other aspects of the invention may find utility in combination with plumbing fittings other than urinals.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB0422136.2 | Oct 2004 | GB | national |
