PLUG FOR A TOILET FLANGE FITTING

BOUCHON POUR ACCESSOIRE DE BRIDE DE TOILETTE

English Abstract

A plug for a toilet flange fitting, includes a cylindrical body having an
attachment
end and an insertion end. At least one circumferential seal is positioned
between the
attachment end and the insertion end and circumscribes the body. A stop at the
attachment
end adapted to limit insertion of the body into the toilet flange fitting.

Claims

5
What is Claimed is:

1. A plug for a toilet flange fitting, comprising:
a cylindrical body having an attachment end and an insertion end;
at least one circumferential seal positioned between the attachment end and
the
insertion end and circumscribing the body;
a stop at the attachment end adapted to limit insertion of the body into the
toilet flange
fitting.

2. The plug of Claim 1, wherein the stop is an attachment flange.

3. The plug of Claim 2, wherein the attachment flange has a pattern of bolt
receiving
openings compatible with a bolt pattern on a toilet flange fitting, such that
the attachment
flange can be secured to the toilet flange fitting in the same manner that a
toilet is secured to
the toilet flange fitting.

4. The plug of Claim 2, wherein a sealing gasket underlies the attachment
flange.
5. The plug of Claim 1, wherein there is more than one circumferential seal.

6. The plug of Claim 1, wherein the at least one circumferential seal consists
of at least one
rubber fin.

7. The plug of Claim 3, wherein the bolt receiving openings consist of at
least two arcuate
slots.

8. The plug of Claim 3, wherein screw holes are provided as a secondary means
of
attachment.

9. The plug of Claim 2, wherein the body has a tapered transition portion at
the attachment
end to transition to the attachment flange.


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10. The plug of Claim 1, wherein a handle is provided at the attachment end to
facilitate the
body being pulled out of the toilet attachment flange.

11. A plug for a toilet flange fitting, comprising:
a cylindrical body having an attachment end and an insertion end, with a
tapered
transition portion at the attachment end;
more than one circumferential seal in the form of axially spaced
circumferential
rubber fins positioned between the attachment end and the insertion end and
circumscribing
the body;
an attachment flange attached to the transition portion at the attachment end
of the
body, the attachment flange having a pattern of bolt receiving openings
compatible with a bolt
pattern on a toilet flange fitting, such that the attachment flange can be
secured to the toilet
flange fitting in the same manner that a toilet is secured to the toilet
flange fitting; and
a sealing gasket underling the attachment flange.

12. The plug of Claim 11, wherein the bolt receiving openings consist of at
least two arcuate
slots.

13. The plug of Claim 11, wherein screw holes are provided as a secondary
means of
attachment.

14. A plug for a toilet flange fitting, comprising:
a cylindrical body having an attachment end and an insertion end;
at least one circumferential seal positioned between the attachment end and
the
insertion end and circumscribing the body;
a stop in the form of a flange at the attachment end adapted to limit
insertion of the
body into the toilet flange fitting; and
a handle at the attachment end to facilitate the body being pulled out of the
toilet
attachment flange.


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15. A method of plugging a toilet flange fitting, comprising:
removing a toilet from the toilet flange fitting;
providing a plug, comprising:
a cylindrical body having an attachment end and an insertion end;
at least one circumferential seal positioned between the attachment end and
the insertion end and circumscribing the body;
a stop at the attachment end adapted to limit insertion of the body into the
toilet flange fitting;
inserting the insertion end of the body into a bore of the toilet flange
fitting, with the
at least one circumferential seal sealing against interior walls of the bore
of the toilet flange
fitting.

Description

CA 02578327 2007-02-09
1
TITLE:
Plug for a toilet flange fitting
FIELD
The present invention relates to a plug that is used to plug a bore of a
toilet flange
fitting. A toilet flange fitting is used to mount a toilet to a floor. This
plug is used to seal the
bore of plug the toilet flange fitting when the toilet is removed.

BACKGROUND
A toilet flange fitting (also referred to as a closet flange) is used to mount
a toilet to a
floor. United States Patents 5,377,361 (Piskula) and 7,055,184 (Humber)
disclose toilet
flange fittings with knockout sealing elements that seal a bore of the toilet
flange fitting to
permit line testing prior to installation of a toilet. With the possible
exception of United
States Patent 5,115,554 (Fell, Sr.) the sealing elements used during line
testing can not be
used to seal the bore of the toilet flange when an installed toilet is
subsequently removed.
SUMMARY
There is provided a plug for a toilet flange fitting, which includes a
cylindrical body
having an attachment end and an insertion end. At least one circumferential
seal is positioned
between the attachment end and the insertion end and circumscribes the body. A
stop at the
attachment end adapted to limit insertion of the body into the toilet flange
fitting.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
These and other features will become more apparent from the following
description in
which reference is made to the appended drawings, the drawings are for the
purpose of
illustration only and are not intended to in any way limit the scope of the
invention to the
particular embodiment or embodiments shown, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of a plug being inserted into a toilet flange
fitting.
FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the plug illustrated in FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of another embodiment of a plug being inserted
into a
toilet flange fitting.
FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the plug illustrated in FIG. 3.


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DETAILED DESCRIPTION
A plug for a toilet flange fitting generally identified by reference numeral
10, will now
be described with reference to FIG. 1 and 2. A plug for a toilet flange
fitting generally
identified by reference numeral 110 will be described with reference to FIG. 3
and 4.

Structure and Relationship of Parts:
Referring to FIG. 1, a plug 10 for a toilet flange fitting 12 is described.
Plug 10
consists of a cylindrical body 14, circumferential seals 16, an attachment
flange 18, and a
sealing gasket 22. Cylindrical body 14 has a tapered transition portion 20, an
attachment end
24 and an insertion end 26. Circumferential seals 16 are in the form of
axially spaced
circumferential rubber fins 28. Rubber fms 28 are positioned between
attachment end 24 and
insertion end 26, rubber fms 28 circumscribing cylindrical body 14. In the
embodiment shown
in FIG. 1, there are two rubber fins 28. In general there are more than one
circuxnferential
seals 16. Attachment flange 18 is positioned at attachment end 24 of
cylindrical body 14.
Attachment flange 18 serves as a stop which limits how far body 14 can be
inserted into toilet
flange fitting 12. Referring to FIG. 2, attachment flange 18 has a pattern of
bolt receiving
openings 30 compatible with a bolt pattern on toilet flange fitting 12 (shown
in FIG. 1). This
way attachment flange 18 can be secured to toilet flange fitting 12 in the
same manner that a
toilet is secured to toilet flange fitting 12 (shown in FIG. 1). Referring to
FIG. 1, bolt
receiving openings 30 consist of at least two arcuate slots 32. Screw holes 34
are positioned
on attachment flange 18 as a secondary means of attachment. Referring to FIG.
1, tapered
transition portion 20 is positioned at attachment end 24. Tapered transition
portion 20 is
designed to transition cylindrical body 14 to attach to attachment flange 18.
Sealing gasket 22
underlies attachment flange 18.

Referring to FIG. 3, an alternative embodiment of plug, generally identified
by
reference numeral 110. Plug 110 consists of a cylindrical body 114,
circumferential seals
116, an attachment flange 118, and a handle 122. Cylindrical body 114 has a
tapered
transition portion 120, an attachment end 124 and an insertion end 126.
Circumferential seals
116 are in the form of axially spaced circumferential rubber fins 128. Rubber
fins 128 are


CA 02578327 2007-02-09
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positioned between attachment end 124 and insertion end 126, rubber fins 128
circumscribing
cylindrical body 114. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, there are two rubber
fms 128.
There will be at least one of circumferential seal 116 and there may be two or
more for the
purpose of improving the reliability of the seal. Attachment flange 118 is
positioned at
attachment end 124 of cylindrical body 114. Referring to FIGS. 3 & 4,
attachment flange 118
overlaps toilet flange fitting 12 (shown in FIG. 3). This way attachment
flange 18 can seal
toilet flange fitting 12. Referring to FIG. 3, tapered transition portion 120
is positioned at
attachment end 124. Tapered transition portion 120 is designed to transition
cylindrical body
114 to attach to attachment flange 118.
Operation:
Referring to FIG. 1, a method is provided for plugging toilet flange fitting
12. Toilet
flange fitting 12 consists of a bore 36, through which leads to a regular
toilet drainage system
(not shown). Bore 36 consists of interior walls 38. A toilet (not shown) is
initially installed
overtop of toilet flange fitting 12. The toilet is removed, and insertion end
26 of plug 10 is
inserted into bore 36 of toilet flange fitting 12 in the orientation indicated
by dotted lines 40.
Circumferential seals 16 seal up against interior walls 38 of bore 36,
preventing gases or
liquids from passing through bore 36 in either direction. Attachment flange 18
of plug 10 is
then attached to toilet flange fitting 12 in the same manner that the toilet
was secured to toilet
flange fitting 12. This way plug 10 can be used to seal bore 36 of toilet
flange fitting 12 when
an installed toilet is subsequently removed. Plug 10 is designed using A.B.S.
plastic, and is
meant as a permanent or temporary seal for toilet flange fitting 12. Plug 10
can seal toilet
flange fitting 12 for short or long periods of time, preventing sewer gases
and fluids from
passing into the room where toilet flange fitting 12 is located. Sealing
toilet flange fitting 12 is
advantageous while performing maintenance work on the toilet, or while
removing the toilet
from toilet flange fitting 12 until further notice.

Referring to FIG. 3, another embodiment of a method of plugging toilet flange
fitting
12 is provided. A toilet (not shown) is initially installed overtop of toilet
flange fitting 12. The
toilet is removed, and insertion end 126 of plug 110 is inserted into bore 36
of toilet flange
fitting 12 in the orientation indicated by dotted lines 40. Plug 110 can be
inserted into bore 36.
Circumferential seals 116 seal up against interior walls 38 of bore 36,
preventing gases or


CA 02578327 2007-02-09
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liquids from passing through bore 36 in either direction. Plug 110 is not
secured to toilet
flange fitting 12 with bolts, as was previously described for plug 10. Plug
110 is pushed into
toilet flange fitting 12 and held in place by the friction provided by
circumferential seals
engaging interior walls 38. This way plug 110 can be used to seal bore 36 of
toilet flange
fitting 12 when an installed toilet is subsequently removed. Plug 110 can be
easily removed
from sealing contact with toilet flange fitting 12 using handle 122. Plug 110
is designed using
regular plastic, and is meant as a temporary seal for toilet flange fitting
12. Plug 110 can seal
toilet flange fitting 12 for short periods of time, preventing sewer gases and
fluids from
passing into the room where toilet flange fitting 12 is located. Sealing
toilet flange fitting 12 is
advantageous while performing maintenance work on the toilet. Both of plugs 10
and 110 can
be re-used.

In this patent document, the word "comprising" is used in its non-limiting
sense to
mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically
mentioned are not
excluded. A reference to an element by the indefmite article "a" does not
exclude the
possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context
clearly requires that
there be one and only one of the elements.

It will be apparent to one skilled in the art that modifications may be made
to the
illustrated embodiments without departing from scope of the Claims.

Representative Drawing