Baths – closets – sinks – and spittoons – Flush closet bowl support – coupling – seal or fastener – Flange with aperture for fastener
Reexamination Certificate
2002-04-01
2004-02-17
Fetsuga, Robert M. (Department: 3751)
Baths, closets, sinks, and spittoons
Flush closet bowl support, coupling, seal or fastener
Flange with aperture for fastener
C004S252600, C277S606000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06691331
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is for a gasket which provides a seal between a base of a toilet bowl and a closet flange, and more particularly for a gasket which is simple in structure and accommodates substantial variation in the gap between the base of the toilet bowl and the closet flange.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A seal is used between a toilet base of a toilet bowl and a closet flange, which in turn mounts on a floor. When the toilet bowl is installed, the toilet base rests on the floor, and the closet flange is positioned beneath the toilet base. The toilet bowl usually has a horn attached to the toilet base and, when the toilet is installed, the horn extends into the closet flange and directs waste and water into the closet flange when the toilet is flushed. The closet flange in turn opens into a drainpipe which connects to a sewer line that carries the waste-containing water away from the toilet. The seal prevents water from seeping through the gap between the toilet horn and the closet flange when the toilet is flushed and the closet flange is filled with waste water, and also blocks the escape of sewer gases from the drain pipe when the closet flange is not filled. The seal should also preferably prevent water seepage from occurring not only when the toilet is flushed, but also when the closet flange is subject to back pressure from the drainpipe. The elimination of sewer gases and overflow of water from the closet flange improves sanitation and prevents water damage to the surrounding floor.
Classically, the seal has been provided by a ring of soft deformable wax. The wax seal is designed to have an opening sufficient to accept the horn on the base of a conventional toilet. The wax seal is also chosen to be pliable enough that, when compressed between the toilet base and the closet flange when the toilet base is secured with respect to the closet flange by mounting bolts, the compression of the wax seal deforms the ring to the contour of the toilet base and the closet flange, creating a seal therebetween when the base rests on the floor. However, these seals may be subject to loads during assembly which can cause deformations that distort the ring and can result in the ring failing to seal the toilet base with respect to the closet flange when the toilet base rests on the floor. For example, deformation caused when setting the toilet base onto the floor can cause damage to the ring by distorting its profile, thereby resulting in unsealed regions of the toilet base with respect to the closet flange. The properties of these wax seals are also strongly temperature dependant, and can result in thermal creep over time which can eventually result in leakage. The problems associated with thermal creep are particularly troublesome in buildings with radiant heating installed into the floor, since the resulting heat in the floor can accelerate creep and, in some cases, could result in at least partial melting of the seal. The problem of melting when subjected to high temperatures can also create problems when wax seals are stored in an environment where the temperature is elevated. An additional problem with wax seals is their lack of elastic deformation, which limits the ability of the seal to conform to irregularities in the contour of the toilet bowl base, which can contribute to leakage. Furthermore, if the toilet is rocked or shifts over time, the seal may pull away from either the toilet base, the horn, or the closet flange.
Many attempts to overcome the shortcomings of the wax seal have been tried. Many other materials, including rubber gaskets and foam rings have been tried as substitutes for the wax seal, but none have met with success. The rubber materials are reported to tend to pull away from the surfaces over time. Foam rings provide elastic behavior and are better able to conform to any irregularities, but foam materials are permeable, allowing the seal to be penetrated in time, and are highly subject to deterioration over time. One attempt to overcome these problems has been to fill the cells of the foam with wax, as taught in U.S. Pat. No. 3,400,411; however, this solution has proven to be less than satisfactory. The wax-filled foam is still liable to set once in place, resulting in leakage if the toilet is rocked or shifted. Even if the foam retains sufficient resiliency to compensate for shifting, the wax in the cells will tend to remain in its deformed state, and may create paths for water to permeate through the seal.
Various other devices have attempted to overcome the problem of providing a seal. Such devices are taught, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,750,216; 2,976,543; 3,224,014; 3,349,412; 3,400,411; 3,821,820; 4,423,526; 4,482,161; and 5,185,890.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,750,216 teaches one attempt to overcome the deficiencies of wax and sponge rubber seals by employing a ring gasket of wax or sponge rubber with a tapered sleeve or ferrule extending downwardly therefrom. The upper end of the ferrule has a flange which engages an annular slot in the ring, while the lower end of the ferrule extends into the drain and is sized to be spaced away from the sidewall of the drain to prevent leakage through capillary action. U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,976,543; 3,224,014; 3,349,412; 3,400,411; and 3,821,820 teach similar seals which employ ferrules.
Another attempt to overcome the problems due to lack of resiliency in wax seals is taught in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,423,526 and 4,482,161, which teach reusable gaskets formed of “memory material”, such as rubberlike PVC, which are compressed between the toilet horn and the closet flange. The gaskets of the '526 patent have a disk which extends over the entire surface of the closet flange, having holes for receiving the toilet bolts. The gasket of the '161 patent, which is a CIP of the '526 patent, has a sealing ring portion for sealing between the toilet horn and the closet flange, and a surrounding sheet-like web portion which covers the closet flange and has concentric ridges for sealing between the toilet base and the closet flange. The '161 patent also teaches a preferred hardness of the “memory material” of durometer 60 (Shore A±5). While these patents teach a reusable seal, neither provides for a universal seal which can be used where the gap between the toilet horn and the closet flange differs significantly from one installation to another. Furthermore, since the contact area is large, the pressure on the seal will be small and effectiveness of the seal is due in part to the large area of the seal. However, when the flange surface is tilted with respect to the floor, this tilt reduces the effective contact surface and thus the sealing area. In which case, seepage can result if the sewer line backs up, creating a head of waste water above the seal.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,185,890 is designed to overcome the problem of accommodating variation in height between the toilet horn and the closet flange which may occur in various installation situations. The invention of the '890 patent accommodates variation in height by employing a semi-rigid funnel which is adhered to the toilet bowl to form an extension of the horn, and a sealing ring of neoprene-like material configured to be compressed between the funnel and the closet flange. The sealing ring either extends to substantially cover the closet flange, having bolt holes, or may be adhered to the closet flange. While this seal may overcome the problem of variation in the separation between the toilet horn and the closet flange in various installations, it requires a more complex structure and creates a protrusion which extends below the base of the toilet, with the result that the toilet cannot be rested on its base unless there is a hole for receiving the funnel.
Thus, while may seals have been developed to overcome the shortcomings of the wax seal, they have at best been only partly successful, and for this reason have not met with great commercial success. Despite its known deficiencies, the wax seal remains the standard.
Thus, there is a n
Adams Dwayne B.
Gallacher Steven J.
Bakup, LLC
Fetsuga Robert M.
Semprebon Jeffrey E.
Weins Michael J.
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