Seal for a joint or juncture – Seal between fixed parts or static contact against... – Contact seal for a pipe – conduit – or cable
Reexamination Certificate
2001-06-12
2003-11-11
Gall, Lloyd A. (Department: 3676)
Seal for a joint or juncture
Seal between fixed parts or static contact against...
Contact seal for a pipe, conduit, or cable
C277S609000, C277S612000, C277S616000, C277S626000, C277S644000, C004S252400, C052S171100, C052S302300, C285S056000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06644670
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This application claims the benefit of the filing date of applications nos. M 00 01 05379 and M 00 01 05380, both filed in Argentina on Dec. 1, 2000. This invention relates to means for mounting water closets on supporting surfaces such as walls, floors and other fixtures. The term “water closets” is intended to mean any contrivance for carrying off toilet discharges through a waste pipe below by the agency of water, and includes sanitary fixtures such as toilet bowls, bidets, urinals, wash basins and the like.
Bathroom toilets, for example, are generally installed by fitting the side or rear openings of the toilet bowl and anchoring it to the floor with bolts, attaching the toilet bowl with nuts and washers after previously inserting the trap discharge end into the floor drain. In general, supporting the toilet body on the floor requires certain precautions because of the fragile nature of the material of the toilet, and the nuts must be tightened carefully in order to avoid cracking or breaking the base of the bowl. Due to irregularities in the floor level or defects in the installation of ceramic tile or flooring, this type of installation causes formation of cracks or gaps between the supporting edge of the toilet and the toilet itself, which allows flushing water or waste matter, sewage, etc. to enter the inside of the toilet base and, in turn, allows odors to escape from the coupling between the trap and the drain line if this connection has not been properly sealed off.
This problem has generally been obviated by placing a gasket made of rubber, mastic or some other isolating material in the supporting area of the bottom edge of the toilet body, and for this reason the fixture must have been previously supported. Although this procedure provides a temporary solution of the problem, it is not very effective because the mastic tends to deteriorate or because the rubber gasket is not properly seated.
In general, the installation of toilets is not a complicated procedure because only a couple of screws or bolts are required to attach this type of fixture to the floor, and the joining of its waste outlet to the drain line is a simple plug-in procedure.
Most of these fixtures are installed with the bottom edge of the bowl resting on the floor, which tends to cause certain drawbacks because, in some cases, the floor has irregularities in the placement of the flooring or ceramic tiles, thus creating, along the supporting edge of the fixture, gaps or passageways for the flush water or for the escape of gases from the sewer line.
This drawback is usually remedied by placing an isolating material between the aforesaid edge and the floor, which makes it possible to isolate the interior of the bowl or base from the environment and which, at the same time, can be easily removed in order to take out the fixture whenever some problem occurs. To this end, it is also customary to apply, between the edge of the fixture and the floor, rubber rings that absorb the aforementioned irregularities between the floor and the edge of the fixture, but it is difficult to adapt them to the various models of fixtures currently on the market.
Despite the use of these elements, it has not proved possible to solve the problem of entry of water or filth into toilet bowls, which over time undergo deterioration due to the incomplete sealing of the fixture support, nor the problem that causes the escape of gases from the waste line.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In the following description toilet bowls are referred to for purposes of description, but it should be understood that the invention applies equally to other types of water closets as well.
In order to successfully maintain the proper installation of a toilet on the floor without using any kind of adherence by adding isolating materials, and in order to ensure rapid installation without any risk of cracking the toilet bowl, aside from floor irregularities, a feature of this invention comprises a toilet sealing gasket whose annular shape can be adapted to the shape of the various toilet models available on the market.
In one embodiment the sealing gasket of this invention consists of an integral annular member and has an essentially flat core serving as a supporting seat for the bottom edge of the toilet body. This makes it possible to correct for any irregularities that might be present on said edge and any differences in the bathroom floor level.
Surrounding the perimeter of this annular seat of the gasket is a small flange or projection that covers the perimeter of the outside edge of the toilet base, thereby preventing waste or water used for washing the floor from penetrating the inside of the toilet. The inside of said seat is also surrounded by a rib for sealing the inner surface of said base, thereby preventing the escape of gases and any waste water discharged for unforeseen reasons. The rib is slightly higher than the small outer flange of the gasket and has an inverted L-cross section with a vertical leg having a triangular cross-section which, in conjunction with its other leg connected to the inner edge of the seat, forms a means of hinging for purposes of providing slight flexibility with respect to the support of the toilet base.
This rib, located at symmetrically opposed points, is interrupted by respective cylindrical or oblong bushings that allow the passage of the toilet anchor bolts, with said bushings being located laterally from and toward the inside of the annular seat in order to allow for the free support of the toilet body.
In one embodiment the seat core has one trapezoidal projection and three or more sawtooth projections opposite a half-shaft rib.
In one embodiment the gasket consists of an integral member formed of molded plastic, preferably polyvinyl, rubber or a similar elastically formable material, with said member having an oblong annular section whose overall shape matches that of the lower supporting edge of a given fixture model and which delimits between its inner and outer edges a flat annular seat for supporting the fixture properly positioned along said edges, by means of a flange and a rib supported against the inner and outer surfaces, respectively, adjacent to the supporting edge of said toilet. The plastic member also includes a section of gasket and seal for connecting the toilet discharge line with the sewer line located on the floor, with said section, in one embodiment, being basically made up of an annular wall or area with concentric corrugations that has a circular inner lip for sealing off the point where the discharge line is connected to the sewer line, which on the exterior is connected to and superimposed on the annular toilet supporting seat and which, below the lip, has a vent-type boot for connecting said connection point with a lower support in order to prevent the escape of water or sewer gases.
In other embodiments, instead of the boot making up the section of gasket and seal for discharge line and sewer pipe, the gasket consists of a series of concentric ribs of varying heights that rest on the floor in order to prevent the escape of water or sewer gases and, instead of a lip, a tubular extension of an upper base connected to the annular seat.
In all embodiments this portion of gasket has a union with the annular portion of the gasket that allows for adapting to dimensional differences that might be present during the installation of the toilets or other sanitary fixtures.
Thus the invention provides a gasket for sealing the supporting edge of toilet bowls or bases against the floor, specifically a gasket for supporting the body of a toilet against the floor for isolating the inside of the toilet from the surrounding environment.
The subject of the invention is an oblong gasket or washer made of non-rigid material such as slightly elastic plastic, rubber or the like in order to ensure a tight fit with the irregularities of the aforesaid supporting edges of toilet bowls, as well as any other sanitary fixture, bidet, urinal, wash basin, etc., being attached to both
Gall Lloyd A.
Lahive & Cockfield LLP
Patel Vishal
Peb S.A.
LandOfFree
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