Waste line connector assembly for food waste disposer

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6772968
  • Patent Number
    6,772,968
  • Date Filed
    Wednesday, November 20, 2002
    21 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, August 10, 2004
    20 years ago
Abstract
A waste line connector assembly for connecting a food waste disposer to a waste line is disclosed. The connector assembly isolates vibrational forces of the waste disposer from the waste line caused during the operation of the waste disposer. The connector assembly includes a flexible isolation coupler. The flexible isolation coupler has a flexible portion for absorbing the vibrational forces of the waste disposer. The flexible isolation coupler may be directly coupled to the discharge outlet of the waste disposer or to the waste line. The flexible isolation coupler may also be attached between two tubular tailpipes, which are coupled to the discharge outlet of the waste disposer or to the waste line.
Description




FIELD OF THE INVENTION




The present invention relates generally to food waste disposers and, more particularly, to a new waste line connector assembly for a food waste disposer.




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION





FIG. 1

depicts a typical food waste disposer


10


. The food waste disposer


10


mounts to a sink (not shown) by a number of methods and techniques known in the art. In the present example, the disposer


10


mounts to the sink using a vibration isolation mounting system


60


. The sink represents a first, substantially fixed point P


1


in the vibrational system of the disposer


10


.




The disposer


10


includes an upper food conveying section


12


, a lower motor section


14


, and a central grinding section


16


disposed between the food conveying section


12


and the motor section


14


. The food conveying section


12


is connected to the vibration isolation mounting system


60


and includes a housing


18


that forms an inlet


20


at its upper end for receiving food waste. The food conveying section


12


conveys the food waste to the central grinding section


16


. The motor section


14


includes a motor


22


imparting rotational movement to a motor shaft


24


. The motor


22


is enclosed within a motor housing


26


. The grinding section


16


includes a grinding mechanism having lugs


36


, a rotating plate


34


, and a stationary shredder ring


38


.




In the operation of the food waste disposer, the food waste delivered by the food conveying section


12


to the grinding section


16


is forced by lugs


36


against teeth


42


of the shredder ring


38


. The edges of the teeth


42


grind the food waste into particulate matter sufficiently small to pass from above the grinding plate


34


to below the grinding plate


34


via gaps between the teeth


42


outside the periphery of the plate


34


. Due to gravity and water, the particulate matter that passes through the gaps between the teeth


42


drops onto base frame


28


and, along with water injected into the disposer, is discharged through a discharge outlet


44


into a tailpipe


46


and a waste line


58


.




As best shown in

FIG. 2

, one end


47


of the tailpipe


46


is connected to the discharge outlet


44


by a non-conventional fitting consisting of a gasket


48


, a flange ring or connection member


50


, and at least one bolt


52


. Typically, the tailpipe


46


, gasket


48


, flange ring


50


and bolt(s)


52


are supplied with the disposer. The gasket


48


is made of rubber and fits over a flanged end


47


of the tailpipe


46


. The flange ring


50


is made of metal and slips over the tailpipe


46


. The flange ring


50


attaches to the discharge outlet


44


of the disposer with the bolt(s)


52


. This compresses the gasket


48


between the flange ring


50


and the discharge outlet


44


of the disposer. At the other end of the tailpipe, a nut


54


and seal


56


are used to produce a slip joint to the other household plumbing of the waste line


58


, which represents a second, substantially fixed point P


2


in the vibrational system of the disposer. The slip joint is capable of a limited amount of axial movement and is capable of minimal radial movement. Consequently, the slip joint is incapable of sufficiently isolating vibrations from the disposer


10


to the waste line


58


.




When operating, the disposer


10


can vibrate due to rotation of the motor


22


and the forces created within the disposer


10


when food waste is impacted. The vibration of the disposer


10


can include movement in all three axes. For simplicity, the vibrational movement is described herein as having an axial component A, a rotational component R, and a lateral component L, which can occur as the disposer


10


moves relative to fixed point P


1


. It is understood that this description of the vibrational movement is merely used to simplify the discussion of vibration of the food waste disposer


10


and that the actual vibration of the disposer


10


can be described with more complexity.




The vibration of the disposer


10


due to the rotational forces and impacting of the food waste is transmitted through the rigid connection of the discharge


44


to the tailpipe


46


. Although there is a gasket


48


, once it is compressed sufficiently to seal against the disposer outlet


44


and the tailpipe


46


, it becomes essentially rigid and transmits vibration. The joint between the tailpipe


46


and the waste line


58


(nut


54


and seal


56


), while not perfectly rigid, is sufficiently constrained to transmit the vibration of the tailpipe


46


into the household plumbing


58


.




As shown in

FIG. 1

, using the vibration isolation mounting system


60


between the disposer


10


and the sink reduces the amount of vibration transmitted from the disposer


10


to the fixed point P


1


of the sink. Reductions in sink vibration up to 85% have been found in tests. The typical vibration isolation mounting system


60


includes a flexible element


62


and flexible support posts


64


between the sink and the disposer


10


, allowing for additional motion of the disposer


10


during grinding. A side effect of the additional motion of the disposer


10


, however, is greater movement of the disposer


10


in the axial, rotational, and lateral directions A, R, L and higher forces acting upon the rigid connections in the tailpipe


46


and other plumbing of the waste line


58


. These increased forces may eventually result in failure of the joints, creating leaks and may create additional noise during the operation of the disposer


10


.




The present invention is directed to overcoming, or at least reducing the effects of, one or more of the problems set forth above.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




To that end, the present invention provides a connector assembly for attaching a waste disposer to a waste line. In one embodiment, the connector assembly includes a flexible isolation coupler. The flexible isolation coupler has a flexible portion for absorbing the vibrational forces of the waste disposer.




The connector assembly may also include at least one rigid tubular body portion. The flexible isolation coupler may be attached to the discharge outlet of the waste disposer and between the discharge outlet of the waste disposer and the at least one rigid tubular body portion. In this case, the at least one rigid tubular body portion is attached to the waste line and between the flexible isolation coupler and the waste line.




The flexible isolation coupler may also be attached to the waste line and between the waste line and the at least one rigid tubular body portion. In this case, the at least one rigid tubular body portion is attached to the discharge outlet of the waste disposer and between the discharge outlet of the waste disposer and the flexible isolation coupler.




The at least one rigid tubular body portion may also include a first rigid tubular body portion and a second rigid tubular body portion. In this embodiment, the first rigid tubular body portion is attached to the discharge outlet of the waste disposer and between the discharge outlet of the waste disposer and the flexible isolation coupler. The second rigid tubular body portion is attached to the waste line and between the flexible isolation coupler and the waste line. The attachments of the first and second rigid tubular body portions to the flexible isolation coupler may be made by several means including by using ring clamps or other clamp devices or by integrally molding the components together.




In another embodiment, the connector assembly includes a flexible isolation coupler and a tubular tailpipe. The flexible isolation coupler has a first end, a second end, and a flexible portion. The first end of the flexible isolation coupler is attached to the discharge outlet of the waste disposer. The tubular tailpipe has a first end and a second end. The first end of the tubular tailpipe is attached to the second end of the flexible isolation coupler. The second end of the tubular tailpipe is attached to the waste line. The flexible portion of the flexible isolation coupler isolates the vibrational forces created in the disposer during operation from the waste line.




In yet another embodiment, the connector assembly has a first tubular tailpipe, a flexible isolation coupler, and a second tubular tailpipe. The first tubular tailpipe has a first end and a second end. The first end of the first tubular tailpipe is attached to the discharge outlet of the waste disposer. The flexible isolation coupler has a first end and a second end. The first end of the flexible isolation coupler is attached to the second end of the first tubular tailpipe. The second tubular tailpipe has a first end and a second end. The first end of the second tubular tailpipe is attached to the second end of the flexible isolation coupler. The second end of the second tubular tailpipe is attached to the waste line.




Another embodiment of the connector assembly is used to attach a discharge outlet of a waste disposer to a waste line where the waste line has an outer threaded portion. The connector assembly has a tubular tailpipe, a nut, and a flexible isolation coupler. The tubular tailpipe has a first end and a second end. The first end of the tubular tailpipe is attached to the discharge outlet. The nut has an inner threaded portion and an end portion. The inner threaded portion is capable of being attached to the outer threaded portion of the waste line. The flexible isolation coupler is attached to the nut. The flexible isolation coupler has a flexible lip. The second end of the tubular tailpipe is capable of being inserted into the flexible isolation coupler and through the flexible lip. The flexible lip of the flexible isolation coupler allows isolation the vibrational forces from the waste line that may be created in the disposer during operation.




In another embodiment of the present invention, the connector assembly includes a first tubular tailpipe, a flexible isolation coupler, and a second tubular tailpipe. The first tubular tailpipe has a first end and a second end. The first end of the first tubular tailpipe is attached to the discharge outlet of the waste disposer. The flexible isolation coupler has a first end and a second end. The first end of the flexible isolation coupler is attached to the second end of the first tubular tailpipe by a first ring clamp or other clamp device. The second tubular tailpipe has a first end and a second end. The first end of the second tubular tailpipe is attached to the second end of the flexible isolation coupler by a second ring clamp or other clamp device. The second end of the second tubular tailpipe is attached to the waste line.




Another embodiment of the present invention includes a connector assembly for a food waste disposer having a first rigid portion, a flexible isolation coupler, and a second rigid portion. The first rigid portion is tubular and has a first end and a second end. The first end of the first rigid portion is attached to the discharge outlet of the waste disposer. The flexible isolation coupler has a first end and a second end. The first end of the flexible isolation coupler is integrally molded to the second end of the first rigid portion. The second rigid portion is tubular and has a first end and a second end. The first end of the second rigid portion is integrally molded to the second end of the flexible isolation coupler. The second end of the second rigid portion is attached to the waste line.




The above summary of the present invention is not intended to represent each embodiment, or every aspect of the present invention. This is the purpose of the figures and detailed description, which follow.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS




Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the drawings.





FIG. 1

is a cross-section of a typical prior art food waste disposer.





FIG. 2

is an enlarged cross-section of a portion of the disposer in

FIG. 1

showing a discharge outlet to a waste line.





FIG. 3A

is an enlarged cross-section of a portion of the disposer showing a waste line connector assembly for a first embodiment of the present invention.





FIG. 3B

is a schematic illustration showing degrees of freedom for a flexible portion of the waste line connector assembly of the present invention.





FIG. 4

is an enlarged cross-section of a portion of the disposer showing a waste line connector assembly for a second embodiment of the present invention.





FIGS. 5A and 5B

are enlarged cross-sections of portions of the disposer showing a waste line connector assembly for a third embodiment of the present invention.





FIG. 6

is an enlarged cross-section of a portion of the disposer showing a waste line connector assembly for a fourth embodiment of the present invention.





FIG. 7

is an enlarged cross-section of a portion of the disposer showing a waste line connector assembly for a fifth embodiment of the present invention.





FIG. 8A

is an enlarged cross-section of a portion of the disposer showing a waste line connector assembly for a sixth embodiment of the present invention.





FIG. 8B

is a perspective view of the tailpipe isolation gasket of the waste line connector assembly of FIG.


8


A.











While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, a specific embodiment thereof has been shown by way of example in the drawing and will herein be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that it is not intended to limit the invention to the particular forms disclosed but, on the contrary, to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.




DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS




Turning to the drawings,

FIG. 3A

depicts one embodiment of a waste line connector assembly


170


for a food waste disposer. The connector assembly


170


is suitable for disposers to reduce the vibrational forces that may be imposed on joints of the household waste line plumbing. As explained above in the background section, such vibrational forces may produce excess noise and leaks. This is especially true for disposers using a vibration isolation mounting system between the disposer and the sink as described above.




The waste line connector assembly


170


is used to attach a discharge outlet


44


of the disposer to a waste line


58


. As shown in

FIG. 3A

, the connector assembly


170


includes a flexible isolation portion or coupler


172


and a rigid portion or tailpipe


174


. In this embodiment, the rigid portion or tailpipe


174


is preferably tubular and made of a hard plastic material. Some suitable materials include acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyester, and polypropylene (PP). The flexible isolation portion or coupler


172


is made of rubber or other flexible material such as Thermoplastic Elastomers (TPEs) or Thermoplastic Rubbers (TPRs).




The flexible isolation coupler


172


has a flexible portion


180


, which can be substantially tubular as shown, and has a first portion or end


182


, and a second portion or end


184


. The first end


182


directly couples or connects to the discharge outlet


44


. The first end


182


has a flange member formed thereon and can be coupled to the discharge outlet


44


of the disposer with the use of a connection member


50


. In the present embodiment, the connection member


50


is a flange ring made of metal that slips over the flexible portion


180


of the flexible isolation coupler


172


and attaches to the discharge outlet


44


of the disposer with one or more bolt(s)


52


. This compresses the flange member of the first end


182


between the flange ring


50


and the discharge outlet


44


of the disposer. In an alternative embodiment to the use of the flange ring


50


and bolts


52


, the connection member can be a threaded plumbers nut—not unlike that commonly used in the art—capable of disposing on the flexible portion


180


. Such a connection member can attach to a complimentary discharge outlet (not shown) by threading thereon and can engage the flange member of the first end


182


. As shown in

FIG. 3A

, the first end


182


may also have a geometry to allow it to act as a male connector and be pressed through the opening of the flange ring


50


. The second end


184


of the flexible isolation coupler


172


couples to the tailpipe


174


, which is used to indirectly couple or connect the flexible isolation coupler


172


to the waste line


58


.




The tailpipe


174


has a first end


176


and a second end


178


. The first end


176


couples to the flexible isolation coupler


172


. In one embodiment, the tailpipe


174


may have the end


184


of the isolation coupler


172


over molded thereon. Alternatively, the first end


176


of the tailpipe


174


may have ridges that capture or trap the second end


184


of the flexible isolation coupler


172


as illustrated. In another alternative, the first end


176


may have the end


184


of the isolation coupler


172


held in place with a ring clamp or other clamp device (not shown) known in the art. The second end


178


of the tailpipe


174


has a straight tubular portion to provide attachment to the waste line


58


. This attachment may be done by conventional methods as described in the background section. Namely, a nut


54


and seal


56


are used to produce a slip joint to the waste line


58


.




Once the waste line connector assembly


170


is in place, the flexible portion


180


permits the connector assembly


170


to absorb vibrational forces that may occur during the operation of the disposer. For example, the flexible portion


180


can isolate the axial, lateral, and radial movements A, L, and R of the disposer discussed above without substantially disturbing the waste line


58


.




In particular, the flexible portion


180


, which is schematically illustrated in

FIG. 3B

, can flex in response to movements of the outlet with respect to the waste line during vibration of the disposer. The first end


182


is coupled to the disposer, and the second end


184


is coupled to the tailpipe connected to the waste line. Thus, the first end


182


is movable with the vibrations of the disposer, while the second end


184


is essentially fixed with respect to the first end


182


.




Being flexible, the flexible portion


180


interposes a degree of freedom and preferably at least two degrees of freedom between the first end


182


coupled to the vibrating disposer and the second end


184


coupled to the essentially fixed waste line. In particular, the flexible portion


180


can expand and contract in an axial direction A′ due to axial forces imposed thereon by vibration of the disposer. The flexible portion


180


can bend or flex in lateral directions L′ due to lateral or shear forces imposed thereon by vibration of the disposer.




One benefit of interposing at least two degrees of freedom between the outlet


44


of the disposer and the waste line


58


includes the reduction of leaks and other problems as discussed above. Another benefit of the design in

FIG. 3A

is that it may be used with a standard disposer. In other words, the discharge outlet


44


of typical disposers does not need to be changed. The design also works well with a standard flange ring or other connection member


50


.




The waste line connector assembly


170


in

FIG. 3A

introduces a vibration isolation feature at the connection of the tailpipe to the disposer. In another embodiment, as shown in

FIG. 4

, the vibration isolation feature is incorporated in a flexible section for isolating the tailpipe itself.

FIG. 4

depicts a waste line connector assembly


270


for a food waste disposer. The connector assembly


270


is suitable for disposers to reduce the vibrational forces that may be imposed on joints of the household waste line plumbing. As explained above in the background section, such vibrational forces may produce excess noise and leaks. This is especially true for disposers using a vibration isolation mounting system between the disposer and the sink as described above.




The waste line connector assembly


270


in

FIG. 4

is also used to attach a discharge outlet


44


of the disposer to a waste line


58


. The connector assembly


270


includes a first rigid portion or tailpipe


272


, a flexible isolation portion or coupler


274


, and a second rigid portion or tailpipe


276


. In this embodiment, the first and second tailpipes


272


and


276


are preferably tubular and made of a hard plastic material. Some suitable materials include acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyester, and polypropylene (PP). The flexible isolation coupler


274


is made of rubber or other flexible material such as Thermoplastic Elastomers (TPEs) or Thermoplastic Rubbers (TPRs).




The first tailpipe


272


has a first end


278


and a second end


280


. The first end


278


may be attached to the discharge outlet


44


by the same fitting discussed above in the background section. This would include a gasket


48


, a flange ring


50


, and at least one bolt


52


. The gasket


48


is made of rubber and fits over the first end


278


(which is flanged) of the first tailpipe


272


. The flange ring


50


is made of metal and slips over the tailpipe


272


. The flange ring


50


attaches to the discharge outlet


44


of the disposer with the bolt(s)


52


. This compresses the gasket


48


between the flanged ring


50


and the discharge outlet


44


of the disposer.




The second end


280


of the first tailpipe


272


attaches to a first end or portion


282


of the flexible isolation coupler


274


. The end


282


of the flexible isolation coupler


274


may be over molded onto the second end


280


of the tailpipe


272


. Alternatively, the second end


280


of the tailpipe


272


may have ridges that capture or trap the end


282


of the flexible isolation coupler


274


or may be held in place with a ring clamp or other clamp device (not shown) known in the art.




The flexible isolation coupler


274


has a first end


282


, a second end


284


, and a flexible portion


286


, which can be substantially tubular as shown. The first end


282


attaches to the first tailpipe


272


as discussed above. The second end


284


of the flexible isolation coupler


274


attaches to the second tailpipe


276


. This second end


284


of the flexible isolation coupler


274


may be over molded onto the second tailpipe


276


. Alternatively, the second tailpipe


276


may have ridges that capture or trap the second end


284


of the flexible isolation coupler


274


or may be held in place with a ring clamp or other clamp device (not shown) known in the art.




The second tailpipe


276


has a first end


288


and a second end


290


. In one embodiment, the first end


288


is attached to the flexible isolation coupler


274


as described above. The second end


290


has a straight tubular portion to provide attachment to the waste line


58


. This attachment may be done by conventional methods as described in the background section. Namely, a nut


54


and seal


56


are used to produce a slip joint to the waste line


58


.




Once the waste line connector assembly


270


is in place, the flexible portion


286


permits the connector assembly


270


to absorb vibrational forces that may occur during the operation of the disposer. The flexible portion


286


isolates movements of the disposer without substantially disturbing the waste line


58


. This reduces leaks and other problems as discussed above. Another benefit of the design in

FIG. 4

is that it may be used with a standard disposer. In other words, the discharge outlet


44


of typical disposers does not need to be changed.





FIGS. 5A and 5B

show another embodiment of a waste line connector assembly


370


.

FIG. 5A

shows an exploded view of the connector assembly


370


, and

FIG. 5B

shows an assembled version of the connector assembly


370


. The waste line connector assembly


370


in this embodiment introduces a vibration isolation feature at a connection of a rigid portion or tailpipe


372


to the waste line


58


. Like the previous embodiments, the connector assembly


370


is suitable for disposers to reduce the vibrational forces that may be imposed on joints of the household waste line plumbing. As explained above in the background section, such vibrational forces may produce excess noise and leaks. This is especially true for disposers using a vibration isolation mounting system between the disposer and the sink as described above.




The waste line connector assembly


370


is used to connect a discharge outlet


44


of the disposer to a waste line


58


. As shown in

FIGS. 5A and 5B

, the connector assembly


370


includes the rigid portion or tailpipe


372


and a flexible isolation portion or coupler


380


. In this embodiment, the tailpipe


372


is preferably tubular and made of a hard plastic material. Some suitable materials include acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyester, and polypropylene (PP).




The tailpipe


372


has a first end


374


and a second end


376


. The first end


374


may be coupled to the discharge outlet


44


by the same fitting discussed above in the background section. This would include a gasket


48


, a flange ring


50


, and at least one bolt


52


. The gasket


48


is made of rubber and fits over the first end


374


(which is flanged) of the tailpipe


372


. The flange ring


50


is made of metal and slips over the tailpipe


372


. The flange ring


50


attaches to the discharge outlet


44


of the disposer with the bolt(s)


52


. This compresses the gasket


48


between the flanged ring


50


and the discharge outlet


44


of the disposer. The second end


376


of the tailpipe


372


couples to the flexible isolation coupler


380


. In this embodiment, the second end


376


has a rib


378


that inserts into and engages with the flexible isolation coupler


380


as described below.




The flexible isolation coupler


380


includes a flexible portion or lip


382


and a second portion or nut


384


. The flexible lip


382


is a continuous annular member having an inner dimension


387


and an outer dimension


388


. Alternatively, the flexible isolation coupler


380


need not be formed as a continuous annular member but can include a plurality of flexible segments formed adjacent one another in an annular arrangement. The second end


376


of the tailpipe


372


is capable of movably disposing in the inner dimension or passage


387


formed through the flexible isolation coupler


380


and is capable of engaging the inner dimension of the lip


382


. The outer dimension


388


of the lip


382


is molded or formed onto the nut


384


. The flexible lip


382


is made of rubber or other flexible material such as Thermoplastic Elastomers (TPEs) or Thermoplastic Rubbers (TPRs). The nut


384


is preferably made of PVC or other types of hard plastic material. The nut


384


has an inner threaded portion


386


so that it may be attached to an outer threaded portion


59


of the waste line


58


. As an alternative embodiment, a reverse arrangement can be used where the nut


384


threads onto the second end


376


of the tailpipe


372


, which would be threaded, and where the flexible lip


382


engages an end of the waste line


58


. The flexible isolation coupler


380


may also be formed of a single material, e.g., a hard but flexible rubber, that is sufficiently malleable to absorb vibrational forces, but hard enough to form a nut capable of screwing onto the pipe


58


.




As shown in the assembled version of the waste line connector assembly


370


in

FIG. 5B

, the second end


376


of the tailpipe


372


is inserted into the flexible lip


382


of the isolation coupler


380


. The tailpipe


372


is inserted until the rib


378


passes through the flexible lip


382


. The flexible lip


382


induces compressive forces around the outer perimeter of the tailpipe


372


to hold it in place. The downward and inward shape of the flexible lip


382


and the protruding shape of the rib


378


prevent the tailpipe


372


from coming out of the flexible isolation coupler


380


.




In the final assembled version of the waste line connector assembly


370


, an air gap


390


is preferably provided between the downward protruding flexible lip


382


and the nut


384


. The flexible lip


382


allows the tailpipe


372


to move or vibrate in axial, lateral, and radial directions without substantially disturbing the waste line


58


by permitting the rigid second end


376


to move in the flexible lip


382


while maintaining engagement therewith. In other words, the flexible lip


382


permits the connector assembly


370


to absorb vibrational forces that may occur during the operation of the disposer. This reduces leaks and other problems as discussed above. Another benefit of the design in

FIG. 5B

is that it may be used with a standard disposer. In other words, the discharge outlet


44


of typical disposers does not need to be changed.




In another embodiment, as shown in

FIG. 6

, a waste line connector assembly


470


for a food waste disposer has a flexible member or portion incorporated into the tailpipe. The connector assembly


470


is suitable for disposers to reduce the vibrational forces that may be imposed on joints of the household waste line plumbing. As explained above in the background section, such vibrational forces may produce excess noise and leaks. This is especially true for disposers using a vibration isolation mounting system between the disposer and the sink as described above.




The waste line connector assembly


470


in

FIG. 6

is also used to attach a discharge outlet


44


of the disposer to a waste line


58


. The connector assembly


470


includes a first rigid portion or tailpipe


472


, a flexible isolation portion or coupler


474


, and a second rigid portion or tailpipe


476


. In this embodiment, the first and second tailpipes


472


and


476


are preferably tubular and made of a hard plastic material. Some suitable materials include acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyester, and polypropylene (PP). The flexible isolation coupler


474


is made of rubber or other flexible material such as Thermoplastic Elastomers (TPEs) or Thermoplastic Rubbers (TPRs).




The first tailpipe


472


has a first end


478


and a second end


480


. The first end


478


may be attached to the discharge outlet


44


by the same fitting discussed above in the background section. This would include a gasket


48


, a flange ring


50


, and at least one bolt


52


. The gasket


48


is made of rubber and fits over the first end


478


(which is flanged) of the first tailpipe


472


. The flange ring


50


is made of metal and slips over the first tailpipe


472


. The flange ring


50


attaches to the discharge outlet


44


of the disposer with the bolt(s)


52


. This compresses the gasket


48


between the flanged ring


50


and the discharge outlet


44


of the disposer. The second end


480


of the first tailpipe


472


attaches to a first end or portion


482


of the flexible isolation coupler


474


. In this embodiment, the first end


482


of the flexible isolation coupler


474


is held in place with a ring clamp or clamp device


475


.




The flexible isolation coupler


474


has a first portion or end


482


, a second portion or end


484


, and a flexible portion


486


, which can be substantially tubular as shown. The first end


482


attaches to the first tailpipe


472


with a ring clamp or clamp device


475


as discussed above. The second end


484


of the flexible isolation coupler


474


attaches to the second tailpipe


476


. In this embodiment, this second end


484


of the flexible isolation coupler


474


is held in place with a ring clamp or clamp device


477


.




The second tailpipe


476


has a first end


488


and a second end


490


. In one embodiment, the first end


488


is attached to the flexible isolation coupler


474


with the ring clamp


477


as described above. The second end


490


has a straight tubular portion to provide attachment to the waste line


58


. This attachment may be done by conventional methods as described in the background section. Namely, a nut


54


and seal


56


are used to produce a slip joint to the waste line


58


.




Once the waste line connector assembly


470


is in place, the flexible portion


486


permits the connector assembly


470


to absorb vibrational forces that may occur during the operation of the disposer. The flexible portion


486


isolates movements of the disposer without substantially disturbing the waste line


58


. This reduces leaks and other problems as discussed above. Another benefit of the design in

FIG. 6

is that it may be used with a standard disposer. In other words, the discharge outlet


44


of typical disposers does not need to be changed.




In yet another embodiment, as shown in

FIG. 7

, a waste line connector assembly


570


for a food waste disposer has a flexible member or portion incorporated into the tailpipe. Alternatively, the entire tailpipe may be made of a flexible material. The connector assembly


570


is suitable for disposers to reduce the vibrational forces that may be imposed on joints of the household waste line plumbing. As explained above in the background section, such vibrational forces may produce excess noise and leaks. This is especially true for disposers using a vibration isolation mounting system between the disposer and the sink as described above.




The waste line connector assembly


570


in

FIG. 7

is also used to attach a discharge outlet


44


of the disposer to a waste line


58


. The connector assembly


570


includes a first rigid portion


572


, a flexible isolation portion or coupler


574


, and a second rigid portion


576


. In this embodiment, the first and second rigid portions


572


and


576


are preferably made of a hard plastic material. Some suitable materials include acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyester, and polypropylene (PP). The flexible isolation coupler


574


is made of rubber or other flexible material such as Thermoplastic Elastomers (TPEs) or Thermoplastic Rubbers (TPRs).




The first rigid portion


572


has a first end


578


and a second end


580


. The first end


578


may be attached to the discharge outlet


44


by the same fitting discussed above in the background section. This would include a gasket


48


, a flange ring


50


, and at least one bolt


52


. The gasket


48


is made of rubber and fits over the first end


578


(which is flanged) of the first rigid portion


572


. The flange ring


50


is made of metal and slips over the first rigid portion


572


. The flange ring


50


attaches to the discharge outlet


44


of the disposer with the bolt(s)


52


. This compresses the gasket


48


between the flanged ring


50


and the discharge outlet


44


of the disposer.




The second end


580


of the first rigid portion


572


attaches to an end


582


of the flexible isolation coupler


574


. In this embodiment, the end


582


of the flexible isolation coupler


574


is integrally molded with the second end


580


of the first rigid portion


572


. The integrally molded attachment may be formed on the inner surface of the first rigid portion


572


(as shown in FIG.


7


), on the outer surface of the first rigid portion


572


, or both the inner surface and outer surface of the first rigid portion


572


.




The flexible isolation coupler


574


has a first end or portion


582


, a second end or portion


584


and a flexible portion


586


, which can be substantially tubular as shown. The first end


582


attaches to the first rigid portion


572


as discussed above. The second end


584


of the flexible isolation coupler


574


attaches to the second rigid portion


576


. In this embodiment, this second end


584


of the flexible isolation coupler


574


is integrally molded with the end


588


of the second rigid portion


576


. The integrally molded attachment may be formed on the inner surface of the first rigid portion


572


(as shown in FIG.


7


), on the outer surface of the first rigid portion


572


, or both the inner surface and outer surface of the first rigid portion


572


.




The second rigid portion


576


has a first end


588


and a second end


590


. In one embodiment, the first end


588


is attached to the flexible isolation coupler


574


as described above. The second end


590


has a straight tubular portion to provide attachment to the waste line


58


. This attachment may be done by conventional methods as described in the background section. Namely, a nut


54


and seal


56


are used to produce a slip joint to the waste line


58


. Alternatively, the components


586


,


572


, and


576


can be formed of a uniform material that is both flexible enough to absorb vibrational forces but rigid enough to mechanically couple to the discharge outlet


44


and the waste line


58


.




Once the waste line connector assembly


570


is in place, the flexible portion


586


permits the connector assembly


570


to absorb vibrational forces that may occur during the operation of the disposer. The flexible portion


586


isolates movements of the disposer without substantially disturbing the waste line


58


. This reduces leaks and other problems as discussed above. Another benefit of the design in

FIG. 7

is that it may be used with a standard disposer. In other words, the discharge outlet


44


of typical disposers does not need to be changed.




Referring to

FIGS. 8A-B

, yet another embodiment of a waste line connector assembly


670


for a food waste disposer is illustrated. In

FIG. 8A

, the waste line connector assembly


670


is shown coupled to a discharge outlet


44


of the disposer, which is only partially shown. The connector assembly


670


includes a rigid portion or tailpipe


672


, a flexible isolation portion or coupler


680


, and a clamp device


690


. In

FIG. 8B

, the isolation coupler


680


of the assembly


670


is shown in a perspective view to show relevant details.




The tailpipe


672


is preferably made of a hard plastic material, such as acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyester, or polypropylene (PP). At least a portion or all of the isolation coupler


680


is flexible. Consequently, the isolation coupler


680


can be made of rubber or other flexible material, such as Thermoplastic Elastomers (TPEs) or Thermoplastic Rubbers (TPRs).




The waste line connector assembly


670


introduces a vibration isolation feature at a connection of the tailpipe


672


to the discharge outlet


44


. The connector assembly


670


is suitable for reducing the vibrational forces imposed on joints of the household waste line plumbing. As explained above in the background section, such vibrational forces may produce excess noise and leaks, which is especially true for disposers using a vibration isolation mounting system between the disposer and the sink as described above.




The isolation coupler


680


has a first portion or end


682


, an isolation or flexible portion


684


, an intermediate portion


686


, and a second portion or end


688


. In the present embodiment, the isolation coupler


680


directly couples or connects to the discharge outlet


44


. In particular, the first portion


682


has a flange member formed thereon and is directly coupled to the discharge outlet


44


of the disposer with the use of a flange ring or connection member


50


. The flange ring


50


is made of metal and fits around part of the isolation portion


684


of the flexible isolation coupler


670


. The first flanged portion


682


is disposed in the outlet


44


, and the flange ring


50


attaches to the discharge outlet


44


with one or more bolts


52


. Thus, the flanged first portion


682


is compressed between the flange ring


50


and the discharge outlet


44


of the disposer and creates a substantially fluid tight interface.




The isolation portion


684


is adjacent the flanged first portion


682


held in the discharge outlet


44


. In one embodiment of the present invention, the isolation portion


684


has a length of approximately 0.25-inch and has a thickness of approximately 0.1 to 0.2-inch, which produces suitable flexibility for the present embodiment. The internal diameter defined by of the flanged first portion


682


and the isolation portion


684


is approximately 1.44-inch. One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the dimensions presented herein are only exemplary and can be changed depending on a number of variables, including the required amount of vibration isolation and the flexibility of material used.




In the present embodiment, the isolation coupler assembly connects to the waste line (not shown). The intermediate portion


686


, which is adjacent the isolation portion


684


, defines an internal recess


687


. The second portion


688


of the flexible isolation coupler


670


in the present embodiment fits over the tailpipe


672


, and a flanged end


677


of the tailpipe


672


disposes in the internal recess


687


. The internal diameter defined by the second portion


688


is approximately 1.47-inch, and the second portion


688


can have a length of approximately 0.37-inch. The clamp device


690


is positioned around the second portion


688


to couple the isolation coupler


680


to the tailpipe


672


. The clamp device


690


also maintains the flanged end


677


of the tailpipe


672


in the recess,


687


of the intermediate flanged portion


686


.




The clamp device


690


can be any suitable device for holding the second portion


688


on the tailpipe


672


. For example, the clamp device


690


can be a spring clip or can be a standard ring clamp having a rotatable gear (not shown) for tightening. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that a number of clamp devices known in the art can be used to attach the second portion


688


to the tailpipe


672


. In addition, it will also be appreciated that the second portion


688


can be molded over the tailpipe


672


or can be coupled thereto by other methods and techniques disclosed herein.




As best described in other embodiments, the tailpipe


672


can have a bend (not shown) and a straight tubular portion (not shown) to provide attachment to a waste line (not shown). The attachment may be done by conventional methods as described in the background section, such as with a nut and seal to produce a slip joint to the waste line.




Once the waste line connector assembly


670


is in place, the isolation portion


684


permits the connector assembly


670


to absorb vibrational forces that may occur during the operation of the disposer without substantially transmitting the forces to the waste line, which reduces leaks and other problems as discussed above. Being flexible, the connector assembly


670


interposes flexible movement between the coupling of the discharge outlet


44


to the waste line (not shown). Defining a passage, the connector assembly


670


is also capable of communicating waste from the discharge outlet


44


to the waste line. The isolation coupler


670


of

FIGS. 8A-B

can be used with a standard disposer so that the discharge outlet


44


of a typical disposer does not need to be changed. The isolation coupler


670


also works well with a standard flange ring or other connection member


50


.




It is intended that the disclosed assembly and food waste disposer include all such modifications and alterations to the full extent that they come within the scope of the following claims or the equivalents thereof. Moreover, it should be noted that the various tailpipe isolation schemes disclosed herein can be useful together, or in various combinations, to even further increase the degree of isolation.



Claims
  • 1. An assembly for communicating waste from a discharge outlet of a food waste disposer to a waste line, the assembly comprising:an isolation portion being at least partially flexible for isolating vibration of the disposer and defining a passage between first and second ends for communicating waste; a first connection portion for connecting the first end of the isolation portion to the discharge outlet; and a second connection portion for connecting the second end of the isolation portion to the waste line.
  • 2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the isolation portion comprises a flexible body portion being substantially tubular and composed of rubber, Thermoplastic Elastomers (TPEs), or Thermoplastic Rubbers (TPRs).
  • 3. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the first connection portion comprises a flange member integrally formed on the first end of the isolation portion.
  • 4. The assembly of claim 3, wherein the first connection portion comprises a connection member disposed on the isolation portion, the connection member attaching to the discharge outlet and engaging the flange member.
  • 5. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the first connection portion comprises a first rigid portion coupled to the first end of the isolation portion.
  • 6. The assembly of claim 5, wherein the first rigid portion is substantially tubular and composed of plastic.
  • 7. The assembly of claim 5, wherein:the first rigid portion comprises a first flanged end, and the first connection portion comprises a connection member disposing on the first rigid portion, the connection member attaching to the discharge outlet and engaging the first flanged end.
  • 8. The assembly of claim 5, wherein the first rigid portion is integrally molded to the first end of the isolation portion.
  • 9. The assembly of claim 5, wherein the first rigid portion comprises a second flanged end, the second flanged end engaging a recess defined in the passage of the isolation portion.
  • 10. The assembly of claim 5, wherein the first connection portion comprises a first clamp device attaching an end of the first rigid portion to the first end of the isolation portion.
  • 11. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the second connection portion comprises a second rigid portion coupled to the second end of the isolation portion.
  • 12. The assembly of claim 11, wherein the second rigid portion is integrally molded to the second end of the isolation portion.
  • 13. The assembly of claim 11, wherein the second rigid portion comprises a flanged end, the flanged end engaging a recess defined in the passage of the isolation portion.
  • 14. The assembly of claim 11, wherein the second connection portion comprises a second clamp device attaching an end of the second rigid portion to the second end of the isolation portion.
  • 15. The assembly of claim 1, wherein:the first connection portion comprises a first rigid portion coupled to the first end of the isolation portion, and the second connection portion comprises a second rigid portion coupled to the second end of the isolation portion.
  • 16. An assembly for communicating waste from a discharge outlet of a food waste disposer to a waste line, the assembly comprising:an isolation portion being at least partially flexible for isolating vibration of the disposer, the isolation portion comprising a substantially annular member having an inner dimension and an outer dimension; a first connection portion for connecting the isolation portion to the discharge outlet, the first connection portion comprising a rigid portion movably disposing in the substantially annular member and engaging the inner dimension; and a second connection portion for connecting the outer dimension of the isolation portion to the waste line.
  • 17. The assembly of claim 16, wherein the rigid portion comprises a rim adjacent the inner dimension.
  • 18. The assembly of claim 16, wherein the second connection portion comprises a threaded member integrally molded to the outer dimension and capable of threading onto the waste line.
  • 19. A food waste disposer connectable to a waste line and having a grinding section, comprising:a discharge outlet for discharging waste from the grinding section; and an assembly for communicating waste from the discharge outlet of the food waste disposer to the waste line, the assembly comprising: first means for coupling to the discharge outlet; second means for coupling to the waste line; and means for isolating vibration between the first and second means.
  • 20. A food waste disposer connectable to a waste line, comprising:a discharge outlet; and an assembly for communicating waste from the discharge outlet to the waste line, comprising: an isolation portion being at least partially flexible for isolating vibration of the disposer and defining a passage between first and second ends, a first connection portion for connecting the first end of the isolation portion to the discharge outlet, and a second connection portion for connecting the second end of the isolation portion to the waste line.
  • 21. The food waste disposer of claim 20, wherein the isolation portion comprises a flexible body portion being substantially tubular and composed of rubber, Thermoplastic Elastomers (TPEs), or Thermoplastic Rubbers (TPRs).
  • 22. The food waste disposer of claim 20, wherein the first connection portion comprises a flange member integrally formed on the first end of the isolation portion.
  • 23. The food waste disposer of claim 22, wherein the first connection portion comprises a connection member disposed on the isolation portion, the connection member attaching to the discharge outlet and engaging the flange member.
  • 24. The food waste disposer of claim 20, wherein the first connection portion comprises a first rigid portion coupled to the first end of the isolation portion.
  • 25. The food waste disposer of claim 24, wherein the first rigid portion is substantially tubular and composed of plastic.
  • 26. The food waste disposer of claim 24, wherein:the first rigid portion comprises a first flanged end, and the first connection portion comprises a connection member disposing on the first rigid portion, the connection member attaching to the discharge outlet and engaging the first flanged end.
  • 27. The food waste disposer of claim 24, wherein the first rigid portion is integrally molded to the first end of the isolation portion.
  • 28. The food waste disposer of claim 24, wherein the first rigid portion comprises a second flanged end, the second flanged end engaging a recess defined in the passage of the isolation portion.
  • 29. The food waste disposer of claim 24, wherein the first connection portion comprises a first clamp device attaching an end of the first rigid portion to the first end of the isolation portion.
  • 30. The food waste disposer of claim 20, wherein the second connection portion comprises a second rigid portion coupled to the second end of the isolation portion.
  • 31. The food waste disposer of claim 30, wherein the second rigid portion is integrally molded to the second end of the isolation portion.
  • 32. The food waste disposer of claim 30, wherein the second rigid portion comprises a flanged end, the flanged end engaging a recess defined in the passage of the isolation portion.
  • 33. The food waste disposer of claim 30, wherein the second connection portion comprises a second clamp device attaching an end of the second rigid portion to the second end of the isolation portion.
  • 34. The food waste disposer of claim 20, wherein:the first connection portion comprises a first rigid portion coupled to the first end of the isolation portion, and the second connection portion comprises a second rigid portion coupled to the second end of the isolation portion.
  • 35. A food waste disposer connectable to a waste line, comprising:a discharge outlet; and an assembly for communicating waste from the discharge outlet to the waste line, comprising: an isolation portion being at least partially flexible for isolating vibration of the disposer, the isolation portion comprising a substantially annular member having an inner dimension and an outer dimension, a first connection the isolation portion to the discharge outlet, the first connection portion comprising a rigid portion movably disposing in the substantially annular member and engaging the inner dimension, and a second connection portion for connecting the outer dimension of the isolation portion to the waste line.
  • 36. The food waste disposer of claim 35, wherein the rigid portion comprises a rim adjacent the inner dimension.
  • 37. The food waste disposer of claim 35, wherein the second connection portion comprises a threaded member integrally molded to the outer dimension and capable of threading onto the waste line.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 60/332,150, filed Nov. 21, 2001, which is incorporated herein by reference.

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Entry
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Provisional Applications (1)
Number Date Country
60/332150 Nov 2001 US