Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Title: ANGLED WATER CLOSET FLANGE
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to the field of plumbing fittings and in
particular to plumbing fittings that are used in association with water
closets or
toilets to join the water closet or toilet to a waste water drain pipe.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Water toilets or water closets have a water storing receptacle, called a
water tank, which is attached to a toilet bowl. Periodically, waste is removed
from the toilet bowl by flushing, in which water is allowed to drain from the
tank
through the bowl and into a waste pipe. In order to work however the toilet
bowl
must be connected to the waste pipe by fluid carrying conduits. Typically the
toilet will sit flat on the floor and connect with a water closet outlet
flange. The
water closet outlet flange in turn connects with conduits leading to the waste
water drain.
Typically such a toilet flange includes a conduit portion for passing the
waste fluids through the floor upon which the toilet sits, a number of
openings
to fasten the flange to the floor, and other openings to attach the toilet
bowl to
the flange itself. Additionally, there may be an appropriate seat for a toilet
seal
which typically may be made either from wax or relatively high-density foam.
Toilets are located in the bathroom in accordance with interior decorating
aesthetics of the bathroom. The location of the toilet will of course
determine
the location of the toilet bowl discharge and hence the outlet flange.
However,
in making openings through floors there is some likelihood that the toilet
bowl
opening will be in an awkward or inconvenient place. An example would be
where the toilet discharge opening is directly above a floor beam. To overcome
such problems there have been provided, in the past, offset flanges for toilet
bowls. An example of such an offset flange is United States Patent No.
3,967,836 which issued on July 6, 1976 to Lewis B. Izzi Sr.
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This prior offset flange attempts to overcome the problems associated
with positioning of the toilet bowl outlet pipe by positioning the conduit at
one
end of the flange adjacent one lateral edge of the flange. In this way, the
toilet
bowl outlet pipe can be positioned adjacent to a beam or tight against a wall
or
other obstacle without much inconvenience.
However, a problem with this prior device is that even though it provides
some flexibility in close positioning of the fall conduit of the flange itself
adjacent
to a floor beam, because the outlet of the fall conduit is straight down,
there is
only limited flexibility. For example, such prior fittings have a maximum
offset
of one and a half or one and three quarter inches which cannot be exceeded.
Further, any horizontal offset to the waste pipe requires a fall length,
(typically
1/4 inch per foot) thus the low point of the outlet below the flange is
magnified
as a function of distance. Finally, it can be difficult and awkward to secure
connector elbows to the outlet conduit if it is cramped against a floor joint.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, what is desired is an outlet flange which is easily adjustable
to accommodate close positioning adjacent to walls, or to floor beams or other
sub-floor obstacles. Preferably such an outlet flange would also provide easy
connection to a conduit system for carrying flushed waste water to a waste
water pipe.
According to the present invention there is provided a closet flange for
connecting an outlet of a toilet bowl with a waste water drain conduit, the
closet
flange comprising:
an outer flange having an upper surface and a lower surface and having
at least two generally opposed fastener retaining holes which extend through
said outer flange between the upper surface and the lower surface, said outer
flange being adapted to retain first fasteners passing through said fastener
retaining holes wherein said first fasteners can be used to secure the outer
flange to an underlying surface such that at least a portion of the lower
surface
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lies against said underlying surface, and at least two second apertures
extending from said lower surface to said upper surface, said outer flange
being
adapted to retain second fasteners passing through said second apertures
wherein said second fasteners can be used to secure said outer flange to said
toilet bowl, and
a main body rotatably connected to said outer flange, wherein said main
body includes
a seat for a seal positioned proximate to and inside of said outer flange,
a curved tubular section extending away from the seat, said curved
tubular section providing a smooth transition for sweeping discharge through
said tubular section without plugging and for directing said discharge passing
through said tubular section from a substantially vertical flow direction to
an
angled outlet flow direction, and
a conduit receiving flange adjacent the other end of said main body, said
conduit receiving flange being sized and shaped to be coupled to said waste
water drain conduit within said conduit receiving flange.
In another aspect of the present invention there is provided a closet
flange for directing waste discharge from an outlet of a toilet bowl to a
waste
water drain conduit, said closet flange comprising:
an outer flange, said outer flange being adapted to be secured between
a toilet and an underlying surface, and
a main body, rotatably attached to said outer flange at a first end of said
main body, said main body including
a seal seat at said first end sized and shaped to accommodate a seal
wherein said outlet of said toilet bowl can be sealed to said closet flange
when
a seal is placed in said seal seat, said seal seat defining an inflow axis;
a curved conduit section extending from said seal seat and defining, at
an end remote from said seal seat, an outflow axis and
a conduit receiving flange at the other end of said body remote from said
seal seat to receive said waste water conduit,
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wherein said outflow axis forms an angle with said inflow axis of between
15 and 75 degrees and said curved conduit section provides a smooth
transition for the discharge flow between said inflow axis and said outflow
axis
to inhibit plugging of said curved conduit by said discharge flow.
In yet another aspect of the present invention there is provided a closet
flange for connecting an outlet of a toilet bowl with a waste water drain
conduit,
the closet flange comprising:
an outer flange having an upper surface and a lower surface and having
at least two generally opposed first apertures which extend through said outer
flange between the upper surface and the lower surface, said outer flange
being
adapted to retain first fasteners passing through said first apertures wherein
said first fasteners can be used to secure the outer flange to an underlying
surface such that at least a portion of the lower surface lies against said
underlying surface, and at least two second apertures extending from said
lower
surface to said upper surface, said outer flange being adapted to retain
second
fasteners passing through said second apertures wherein said second
fasteners can be used to secure said outer flange to said toilet bowl, and
a main body rotatably connected to said outer flange, wherein said main
body includes
an interiorly positioned seat for a seal at one end proximate to said outer
flange, wherein said seat is sized and shaped to permit a toilet bowl to be
sealed to said closet flange when said seal is placed on said seat,
a curved tubular section extending away from the seat, said curved
tubular section providing a smooth transition from a substantially circular
inlet
opening to a substantially circular outlet opening for sweeping discharge
through said tubular section without clogging and for directing said discharge
passing through said tubular section from a substantially vertical flow
direction
to an angled outlet flow direction, and
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a conduit receiving flange adjacent to said second substantially circular
outlet opening, said conduit receiving flange being sized and shaped to
closely
receive said waste water drain conduit,
wherein said rotatable connection between said main body and said outer
flange permits rotation of said main body relative to said outer flange
without
raising or lowering of said main body relative to said outer flange.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Reference will now be made to the following drawings which depict
embodiments of the present invention by way of example only and in which:
Figure 1A is a view of an outlet flange according to the prior art;
Figure 1 B is a view of an offset outlet flange assembly according to the
prior art;
Figure 2 is a view of an outlet flange assembly according to the present
invention;
Figure 3 is a side view of the outlet flange of Figure 2;
Figure 4 is a cross sectional view of part of the assembly of Figure 3;
Figure 5 is a view of the outlet flange of Figure 2 assembled into a
90°
bend configuration;
Figure 6 is the outlet flange of Figure 2 assembled into an offset position;
and
Figure 7 is the flange of Figure 2 assembled with a direct run into the
waste pipe.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Figure 1A shows the configuration, typically used prior to this invention
which illustrates the problems of the prior methods and assemblies. In Figure
1A an outlet conduit 10 of a water closet flange 12 is shown. The outlet
conduit
10 is straight and usually has an internal cuff for attachment to other
conduits
or fittings. In order to connect the vertical outlet flange 10 with the waste
pipe
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shown at 16 in Figure 1A, it is necessary to include a Y-fitting 18 in the
waste
pipe 16. Then, three additional fittings are required, namely, a straight
portion
14, a straight portion 20 and an elbow 22 to make a fluid tight connection
between the outlet conduit 10 and the waste pipe 16.
Figure 1 B shows a typical connection with an offset flange, shown at 11.
The offset flange 11 has a vertical outlet 13, which feeds into a straight
conduit
an elbow 17 which in turn, through a second straight conduit 15 connects to
a T-connector 19 in the waste pipe 16. The offset flange 11 includes a ramped
offset portion 11 a which deflects waste laterally to the vertical outlet 13.
10 As will be understood by those familiar with toilet installation, the
direct
vertical outflow of the outlet conduit 10, 11 requires a clear space below the
toilet bowl exit. Thus, in the past, even where positioning of the toilet was
desirable in one position, it may have been necessary to adjust the toilet
laterally by the thickness of a floor beam in order to overcome the problems
of
15 the vertical outflow conduit 10. Additionally, considerable effort is
required in
making and securing the joints at either ends of the elbows 17, 22 and the
straight conduit 15, 20. Finally, the downward extension outlet conduit 10
imposes a limitation on how close the corner 23 can be to the floor, shown at
25. This requires a lower ceiling, in any finished room under the bathroom.
Figure 2 shows an outlet flange assembly according to the present
invention. Essentially, the closet flange is divided into two main components,
namely an outer flange or rim 24 and a main body 26. As can be seen from
Figure 4, the outer flange 24 has an upper surface 27 into which a number of
openings are formed as herein described, and a lower surface 28.
For clarity in viewing the elements of the outlet flange assembly, Figs. 2-4
show the device in isolation and in an inverted position, with the outer
flange 24
resting on a flat surface, below the main body 26. Accordingly, in these
figures
"upper" surface 27 appears below "lower" surface 28. In Figs. 5-7 the outer
flange assembly is shown installed and in its normal "non-inverted"
operational
state.
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On opposite sides of the outer flange 24 are formed fastener retaining
holes 32 and 34 which are for retaining fasteners for securing the outer
flange
to an underlying surface. Located between the fastener retaining holes 32 and
34 is a toilet bowl fastening aperture 36. The toilet bowl fastening aperture
36
comprises a two-part slot which includes a wide opening 38 at one end which
narrows to a narrow opening 40 at the other end. The configuration of the
toilet
bowl fastening aperture is for the purpose of allowing a head of a fastening
means, such as a bolt, to be passed through the wider opening 38. The neck
of the bolt may then be slid into the narrow portion 40 securing the head
beneath the narrow portion 40. By passing a threaded end of the bolt through
a rim of a toilet, and fastening a nut thereto, the toilet bowl can be drawn
down
onto the flange and thus the toilet bowl can be securely attached to the
flange.
It will be noted that there is a space 44 between the bottom of the narrow
portion and the bottom surface of the outer flange to allow the head of the
bolt
to slide under the narrow portion.
Also shown in the outer flange 24 are material saving openings 46, 48,
and 50. These material saving openings allow ribs to be formed in the flange
for strength, without requiring full amount of material. The remainder of the
flange on the lower surface 28, lies in a plane, to provide a good seat
against
the bathroom floor.
The main body 26 of the closet flange includes an outer rounded portion
52 which is the outside of the toilet bowl seal seat. A curved conduit section
54
extends outwardly from the section 52 and ends in a conduit receiving flange
56.
As shown in Figure 3, the present invention results in an out flow
connection to a toilet out flow pipe on an axis 0, wherein angle 55 equals
45°
to vertical (shown by line V). In Figure 3, V is an axis parallel to the
central axis
of the toilet seal seat, displaced as shown for ease of understanding.
As shown in Figure 4, it is preferable that the outer flange 24 be rotatably
connected to the main body 26 by means of an overlap. This means that the
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outlet pipe or main body is positionable to any degree of rotation relative to
the
flange to allow it to be positioned adjacent to or around any obstacle under
the
floor 25 in the sub-floor.
Figure 4 shows one form of overlap that has been satisfactory. The main
body 26 is formed with a stop rim 60, and a catch lip 62. In turn, the outer
flange 24 is formed with a stop rim seat 64 and a mating catch 66. The outer
flange 24 can be pressed into place on the main body 26 in a simple and easy
operation. Angled surfaces 67 and 68 respectively come into contact as the
outer flange is pushed onto the main body, and then as the mating catch lips
64, 66 clear, the rim is secured onto the main body. The stop rim 60 then
rides
on the stop rim seat 64 to allow the main body to be positioned as desired
with
respect to the outer rim. This allows for a maximum ease of use, since the
fasteners can be positioned optimally, and then prior to the toilet being
secured
to the flange, the outlet can be optionally positioned.
Figure 5 shows the toilet flange of the present invention connected to a
second 45° fitting 70 which is in turn connected to an outflow conduit
72. In this
configuration, with two fittings, a horizontal outflow run can be formed.
In Figure 6, the present invention is shown in an offset configuration in
which the fitting is attached to a second 45° joint 74 and an outflow
conduit 76.
In this manner, the fitting can be positioned around any sub-grade obstacles.
Finally, Figure 7 shows the fitting of the present invention connected
directly to a waste pipe through the use of a single straight conduit section
80.
Because only two joints are required shown as 81 and 82, the installation as
shown in Figure 7 is quick and easy reducing expense and time of installation.
It can now be appreciated how the instant invention provides additional
flexibility. In the configuration of Figure 5, there is provided a lower
corner 23'
which is higher than in the prior art, by as much as 3 inches, yielding an
additional 12 feet of horizontal run at a fall of 1/4 inch per foot.
Alternatively,
this higher location of 23' might permit smaller boards to be used in the
floor
construction (2 x 6 rather than 2 x 10 or the like) saving on materials. In
the
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configuration of Figure 6 it can be appreciated how the swivelling between the
outer flange and the main body adds flexibility. For example, instead of being
fixed at a set amount of offset as shown in the prior art of Figure 1 B, the
main
body can be swivelled relative to the outer flange to yield anywhere from zero
to a predetermined maximum amount of offset. This maximum is preferred to
be around one and one and three quarters of an inch, but can be varied to suit
the particular circumstances. Finally, it will be noted that the curved body
portion provides a smooth transition between the vertical outflow and the
angled
outlet of the closet flange, which smooth transition inhibits plugging which
could
otherwise occur. A curved body is thus preferred to an angled body as shown
in the prior art.
It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the present invention
has been described with respect to particular preferred embodiments and that
other configurations of the invention are possible without departing from the
scope of the instant invention. For example, while the instant invention is
described with respect to a 45° bend in the conduit other angles may
also be
used without significantly departing from the scope of the instant invention.
In
particular, a 45° angle is convenient because another45° angle
fitting allows the
outflow to run either generally horizontal (Figure 5) or vertical (Figure 6).
However, if a 30° angle were chosen, the same effect could be
achieved by
using a complementary 60° angled fitting.
