Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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CLOSET CARRIER SYSTEM
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The invention relates to wall mounted toilets and, in particular, to a
carrier or a support
system for adequately supporting a toilet and the weight of the user, and for
placing the toilet in
fluid communication with a waste fitting.
DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART
[0002] Typical closet carrier systems and fittings are designed for mounting
and supporting
water closets that include a flush valve or flush tank that flushes the water
closet with a volume
of 1.5 gallons per flush or greater and for placing such water closets in
fluid communication with
a waste fitting. Accordingly, such typical systems have been designed to
accommodate a large
volume of flushed fluid. However, recently, flush valves and tanks are being
developed to utilize
much less water volume per flush in order to conserve water and may now
utilize as little as 1.28
gallons per flush. The carrier systems are not configured to accommodate such
a low flush
volume and cannot adequately flush material down the drain lines.
[0003] An example of a closet carrier of the type discussed above is disclosed
in U.S. Patent
No. 8,141,177, issued on March 27, 2012, which is assigned to Zurn Industries,
LLC. The
adjustable coupling, faceplate, fitting, and other components of the
carrier(s) disclosed therein
are configured, both in terms of size and general shape, to convey flush water
and waste from a
water closet to a waste line at a volume of 1.5 gallons per flush or greater.
When such carriers
are used in conjunction with a water closet utilizing a low amount of water
per flush, the flush
water and waste is conveyed more slowly and inefficiently through the coupling
and the fitting,
resulting in water and waste becoming retained or trapped within the coupling
or fitting and
leading to clogs within the system.
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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] Accordingly, there is a general need in the art for a water closet
carrier system that is
configured to mount and support a water closet on a wall, and accommodate
flush volumes as
little as 1.28 gallons per flush in order to adequately convey flushed fluid
from the water closet
to a horizontal fitting.
[0001] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a closet carrier
system is
configured to provide optimized flow and evacuate waste more efficiently
downstream from the
toilet to the fitting by increasing flow velocity through the carrier system
and is substantially
lighter in weight as compared to prior art carrier systems.
[0002] According to another embodiment of the present invention, a closet
carrier system
includes a unique faceplate, waste fitting, and feet, and is configured to
more efficiently convey
waste fluid from a water closet having a flush tank or valve that flushes at
1.28 gallons per flush.
In other words, the closet carrier system is configured to transmit waste
fluid down the line
further when used in connection with a water closet having a flush tank or
valve that flushes with
a volume of 1.28 gallons per flush. To that end, certain components of the
system, such as the
adjustable coupling and the sweep passageway in the waste fitting, are
specifically designed to
optimize flow and to evacuate the waste more efficiently and get it down the
line further.
[0005] Further, the closet carrier system will be configured such that the
components of the
system, as well as the entire system itself, are smaller, lighter, and easier
to move around a job
site. As a result, installation of the closet carrier system will be easier
and reduce the likelihood
of worker fatigue, lifting injuries, etc.
[0006] According to a particular embodiment of the present invention, a closet
carrier for a
water closet is provided. The closet carrier includes a faceplate having a
first side and a second
side, an adjustable coupling connected to and extending from the first side of
the faceplate, the
adjustable coupling being configured to be connected to the water closet and
placed in fluid
communication therewith, at least two vertical supports adjustably connected
to the first side of
the faceplate for supporting the system on a floor surface, and a fitting
connected to the second
side of the faceplate. The fitting includes an endplate, an inlet defined
within the endplate, an
intermediate portion, and a main body defining a main passageway of the
fitting. The fitting is
connected to the second side of the faceplate by the endplate, such that the
inlet of the fitting is in
1
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fluid communication with the adjustable coupling. The main passageway of the
fitting is placed
in fluid communication with the inlet by the intermediate portion of the
fitting. The intermediate
portion of the fitting is configured to accelerate a velocity of a flow of
waste fluid from the inlet
of the fitting to the main passageway.
[0007] According to another particular embodiment of the present invention, a
method of
conveying waste fluid from a water closet to a fluid waste system is provided.
The method
includes providing a closet carrier that includes a faceplate having a first
side and a second side,
an adjustable coupling connected to and extending from the first side of the
faceplate, the
adjustable coupling being configured to be connected to the water closet and
placed in fluid
communication therewith, at least two vertical supports adjustably connected
to the first side of
the faceplate for supporting the system on a floor surface, and a fitting
connected to the second
side of the faceplate. The fitting includes an endplate, an inlet defined
within the endplate, an
intermediate portion, and a main body defining a main passageway of the
fitting. The fitting is
connected to the second side of the faceplate by the endplate, such that the
inlet of the fitting is in
fluid communication with the adjustable coupling. The main passageway of the
fitting is placed
in fluid communication with the inlet by the intermediate portion of the
fitting. The method
further includes transmitting waste fluid to the intermediate portion of the
fitting through the
adjustable coupling and the inlet of the fitting, and accelerating a velocity
of a flow of the waste
fluid to the main passageway of the fitting within the intermediate portion of
the fitting.
[0008] According to yet another embodiment of the present invention, an
arrangement of
closet carriers is provided. The arrangement includes at least two closet
carriers, each closet
carrier including a faceplate having a first side and a second side, a
coupling connected to and
extending from the first side of the faceplate, the coupling being configured
to be connected to
the water closet and placed in fluid communication therewith, at least two
vertical supports
adjustably connected to the first side of the faceplate for supporting the
system on a floor
surface, and a fitting connected to the second side of the faceplate. The
arrangement further
includes at least two strut members, each of the at least two strut members
being connected to a
respective one of the at least two closet carriers, and a carrier member
connected to all of the at
least two strut members. The at least two strut members connect the at least
two closet carriers
,
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to the carrier member for common transportation and installation of the at
least two closet
carriers.
[0009] Further details and advantages of the invention will become clear upon
reading the
following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawing
figures, wherein
like parts are designated with like reference numerals throughout.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] FIG. 1 depicts an upper front perspective view of a closet carrier
system in accordance
with an embodiment of the present invention;
[0011] FIG. 2 depicts an upper rear perspective view of the closet carrier
system of FIG. 1;
[0012] FIG. 3 depicts a front view of the closet carrier system of FIG. 1;
[0013] FIG. 4 depicts a top view of the closet carrier system of FIG. 1;
[0014] FIG. 5 depicts a right side view of the closet carrier system of FIG.
1;
[0015] FIG. 6 depicts a cross-sectional side view of the closet carrier system
of FIG. 1;
[0016] FIG. 7 depicts a cross-sectional top view of the closet carrier system
of FIG. 1;
[0017] FIG. 8 depicts a perspective view of the cross-sectional side view of
FIG. 6;
[0018] FIG. 9 depicts a perspective view of the cross-sectional top view of
FIG. 7;
[0019] FIG. 10 depicts an upper front perspective view of a closet carrier
system in
accordance with another embodiment of the present invention; and
[0020] FIG. 11 depicts a front view of an arrangement of closet carriers in
accordance with yet
another embodiment of the present invention.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0021] For purposes of the description hereinafter, spatial orientation terms,
if used, shall
relate to the referenced embodiment as it is oriented in the accompanying
drawing figures or
otherwise described in the following detailed description. However, it is to
be understood that
the embodiments described hereinafter may assume many alternative variations
and
embodiments. It is also to be understood that the specific devices illustrated
in the
accompanying drawing figures and described herein are simply exemplary and
should not be
considered as limiting.
[0022] With reference to FIGS. 1-9, a closet carrier 10 is shown in accordance
with an
embodiment of the present invention. The closet carrier system 10 is
configured to be connected
to a water closet or toilet (not shown) in order to mount and support the
water closet on the wall
of a structure, and to place the water closet or toilet in fluid communication
with a fluid waste
system.
[0023] As shown in FIGS. 1-9, the closet carrier system 10 includes a
faceplate 11 having a
first side 12 facing upstream with respect to the flow of waste fluid through
the system 10 and a
second side 13 facing downstream. The faceplate 11 includes an internally-
threaded horn 17
extending from the first side 12 of the faceplate 11. The horn 17 is provided
for connecting an
adjustable coupling 30 to the faceplate 11, such that the coupling 30 extends
from the first side
12 of the faceplate 11. The horn 17 surrounds an opening extending through the
faceplate 11
from the first side 12 to the second side 13. The adjustable coupling 30 has a
hollow cylindrical
body that defines an internal passage 33 having an internal diameter ID. The
adjustable coupling
30 includes closet gasket 31 that is configured to form a tight fluid
connection between the
adjustable coupling 30 and a discharge port (not shown) of the water closet so
that the adjustable
coupling 30 is placed in fluid communication with the water closet, and waste
fluid released
from the water closet when the water closet is flushed is conveyed into the
internal passage 33 of
the coupling 30. The adjustable coupling 30 also includes a threaded exterior
surface 32 for
adjustably connecting the coupling 30 to the horn 17 of the faceplate 11. The
horn 17 may
include a notch (not shown) defined therein that receives an 0-ring (not
shown) to seal the
engagement between the adjustable coupling 30 and the horn 17. The adjustable
coupling 30
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may further include a knockout diaphragm 30A provided within the internal
passage 33. The
knockout diaphragm 30A allows for pressure testing of the carrier assembly 10
during
installation. After the carrier assembly 10 is assembled and pressure tested,
the knockout
diaphragm 30A may be dislodged from the internal passage 33 of the adjustable
coupling 30 and
removed.
[0024] The faceplate 11 includes at least two threaded holes 14 that are
provided for
connecting a support arrangement, such as horizontally-extending threaded rods
or carriage bolts
(not shown), to the faceplate 11. The support arrangement serves to
structurally connect the
water closet to the faceplate 11 such that the closet carrier system 10 is
able to support the weight
of the water closet and the user on the structure.
[0025] The closet carrier system 10 also includes at least two vertical
supports 20 provided on
each of the lateral sides of the faceplate 11. Each vertical support 20
includes a foot 21
configured to engage the floor of the structure, wherein the water closet is
mounted such that the
at least two vertical supports 20 support the weight of the water closet on
the floor of the
structure. Each foot 21 includes a U-shaped notch 22 defined therein to allow
a fastener (not
shown) to be passed through the foot 21 in order to fasten the vertical
support 20 to the floor of
the structure and secure the vertical support 20 in place on the floor. Each
of the at least two
vertical supports 20 also includes a vertical elongated slot 23, which is
provided for receiving
fasteners (not shown) to connect the vertical support 20 to the first side 12
of the faceplate 11.
The fasteners extend through the elongated slot 23 and engage holes 15 defined
in the faceplate
11 in order to adjustably connect the faceplate 11 to the vertical support 20.
In this manner, the
vertical position of the faceplate 11 with respect to the floor of the
structure may be adjusted
during installation of the system 10. According to one embodiment, each of the
vertical supports
20 may be symmetric in shape with a foot 21 provided at each end of the
vertical support 20 such
that the vertical support 20 is reversible and may be connected to either one
of the right and left
sides of the faceplate 11.
[0026] The carrier system 10 further includes a waste fitting 40 connected to
the second side
13 of the faceplate 11. The waste fitting 40 includes an endplate 41, an inlet
43 defined within
the endplate 41, an intermediate portion, and a main body 46 defining a main
passageway of the
fitting 40. The waste fitting 40 is connected to the second side 13 of the
faceplate 11 by way of
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the endplate 41 that includes holes 42 defined therein for receiving fasteners
(not shown) that
connect the endplate 41 to the faceplate 11. The faceplate 11 includes
vertical elongated slots 16
that receive the fasteners to connect the waste fitting 40 to the faceplate
11, such that the vertical
position of the waste fitting 40 with respect to the floor and the faceplate
11 may be adjusted
during installation of the system 10. As shown in FIGS. 6-9, the endplate 41
of the fitting 40 is
connected to the second side 13 of the faceplate 11, such that the inlet 43 is
in fluid
communication with the internal passage 33 of the adjustable coupling 30. The
inlet 43 of the
fitting 40 may have an oblong circular shape having a width or diameter
approximately equal to
the inner diameter ID of the internal passage 33 of the adjustable coupling
30. The adjustable
coupling 30 may be connected to the horn 17 of the faceplate 11 so as to
extend through the
faceplate 11 and be in direct fluid communication with the inlet 43 of the
fitting 40. A gasket
(not shown) may be provided between the endplate 41 and the second side 13 of
the faceplate 11
in a position surrounding the inlet 43 to seal the engagement between the
faceplate 11 and the
endplate 41 of the fitting 40. The gasket may be shaped in a corresponding
manner to the
endplate 41 and may further include holes for the fasteners connecting the
faceplate 11 and the
endplate 41 to ensure proper alignment of the gasket with the inlet 43 and the
adjustable coupling
30.
[0027] The waste fitting 40 also includes an oblong circular plenum chamber or
bubble 44 at
the upstream end thereof on which the endplate 41 is disposed. The interior of
the bubble 44 is
in fluid communication with the internal passage 33 of the adjustable coupling
30 via the inlet 43
defined in the endplate 41. The waste fitting 40 further includes a sweep
passageway 45
extending at an angle from the bubble 44. The sweep passageway 45 is in fluid
communication
with the interior of the bubble 44 and the main passageway defined in the main
body 46 of the
fitting 40. The bubble 44 and the sweep passageway 45 of the fitting 40, in
combination, form
an intermediate portion of the fitting 40 by which the main passageway of the
fitting is placed in
fluid communication with the inlet 43 of the fitting 40. The main passageway
of the fitting 40, in
turn, is configured to be connected with the fluid waste system of the
building so as to convey
fluid waste from the fitting 40 to the fluid waste system. Accordingly, waste
fluid flushed from
the water closet is conveyed from the water closet through the internal
passage 33 of the
adjustable coupling 30 and into the bubble 44 of the waste fitting 40 via the
oblong circular-
,
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shaped inlet 43. The waste fluid then passes from the bubble 44 through the
sweep passageway
45 into the main passageway defined in the main body 46 of the fitting 40
where it is then
conveyed into the building's fluid waste system in a manner well known to
those having
ordinary skill in the art. The waste fitting 40 may further include an anchor
support 47 disposed
on the main body 46 for connecting the waste fitting 40 to an anchor bar or
similar support (not
shown) fastened to the floor of the structure in order to anchor the waste
fitting 40 to the floor of
the structure against the weight of the water closet and a user.
[0028] The
adjustable coupling 30, the horn 17 of the faceplate 11, and the fitting 40,
in
particular the bubble 44 and the sweep passageway 45 of the fitting 40, are
configured for
accommodating a lower flush volume than typical for standard closet carrier
systems and
specifically to accommodate a flow volume of approximately 1.28 gallons per
flush from the
water closet. Accordingly, the internal passage 33 of the adjustable coupling
30 has a reduced
internal diameter ID that is optimized for encouraging increased flow velocity
of the waste fluid
through the coupling 30 and evacuating waste through the system 10 such that
the flow of waste
fluid through the coupling 30 is more efficient. The bubble 44 and the sweep
passageway 45 of
the waste fitting 40 are similarly optimized such that a smaller volume of
waste fluid,
specifically 1.28 gallons per flush, can be efficiently and completely
conveyed from the water
closet to the main passageway defined by the main body 46 of the fitting 40.
[0029] More specifically, to achieve more efficient flow of waste fluid
through the system 10,
the intermediate portion of the fitting 40, in particular the sweep passageway
45, is configured to
accelerate the velocity of the flow of waste fluid from the inlet 43 to the
main passageway
defined in the main body 46 of the fitting 40. The effect of accelerating the
flow of waste fluid
through the sweep passageway 45 is achieved by configuring the sweep
passageway 45 to
decrease in size between the bubble 44 and the main passageway defined in the
main body 46 of
the fitting 40. Decreasing the size of the sweep passageway 45 accelerates the
flow of waste
fluid through the fitting 40 by converting the pressure of the flow into
kinetic energy in a manner
similar to the effect of a nozzle on a flow of fluid therethrough. To that
end, the sweep
passageway 45 is provided with an optimized shape and dimensions to achieve
acceleration of
the flow of waste fluid to a highest practical velocity for the fitting 40 so
that the flow of waste
fluid through the fitting 40 is efficiently conveyed to the fluid waste system
of the building.
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[0030] Typically, when a water closet is flushed to dispose of a waste fluid
consisting of a
mixture of flush water and other liquids and solid and semi-solid materials,
the pressure of the
flow volume of the waste fluid, typically 1.5-1.6 gallons per flush, is
sufficient to carry the
entirety of the waste fluid from the water closet through the carrier system
to the fluid waste
system of the building. For newer water closets designed to utilize a low
volume of water per
flush, for instance 1.28 gallons per flush, the pressure of the flow of waste
fluid from the water
closet may be insufficient to carry all of the solid and semi-solid material
forming part of the
waste fluid from the water closet to the fluid waste system of the building
and the solid and semi-
solid materials will become stuck and accumulate within the coupling or the
fitting of the carrier,
resulting in clogs within the carrier system. The adjustable coupling 30 and
the fitting 40, in
particular the sweep passageway 45 of the fitting 40, of the closet carrier 10
according to the
invention are configured to optimize the flow of waste fluid through the
closet carrier 10. The
sweep passageway 45 is specifically configured to accelerate the flow of waste
fluid through the
fitting 40 in order to impart greater kinetic energy to the flow of waste
fluid through the closet
carrier 10 and thereby carry the solid and semi-solid materials forming part
of the waste fluid
farther through the closet carrier 10 and break up the solid and semi-solid
materials for more
efficient conveyance with the liquid portions of the waste fluid.
[0031] With reference to FIG. 7, the sweep passageway 45 is at least partially
defined by a
first internal sidewall 45A substantially extending at a first acute angle A
with respect to a plane
defined by the endplate 41 of the fitting 40 and a second internal sidewall
45B substantially
extending at a second acute angle B with respect to the plane defined by the
endplate 41 of the
fitting 40. The first acute angle A is greater than the second acute angle B
such that the second
internal sidewall 45B converges toward the first internal sidewall 45A as the
first and second
internal sidewalls 45A, 45B extend from the bubble 44 to the main passageway
defined in the
main body 46. It is to be appreciated that the first and second internal
sidewalls 45A, 45B may
have slight curvature at a radius significantly larger than their length.
Accordingly, the sidewalls
45A, 45B will extend roughly along a tangent extending at the respective
angles A, B with
respect to the plane defined by the endplate 41 of the fitting 40. It is also
to be appreciated that
the sweep passageway 45 may also extend from the bubble 44 along a downward
angle to the
main passageway. According to one embodiment of the invention, the first acute
angle A is
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greater than 30 and the second acute angle B is less than 25 . According to
another
embodiment of the invention, the first acute angle A is approximately 35.5
and the second acute
angle B is approximately 23 . According to yet another embodiment of the
invention, a
difference between the first acute angle A and the second acute angle B is
greater than 10 .
[0032] With further reference to FIG. 7, the sweep passageway 45 has a maximum
width X
between the first internal sidewall 45A and the second internal sidewall 45B
at a point within the
sweep passageway 45 proximate to the bubble 44, and a minimum width Y between
the first
internal sidewall 45A and the second internal sidewall 45B at a point within
the sweep
passageway 45 proximate to the main passageway defined in the main body 46.
The maximum
width X of the sweep passageway 45 is approximately equal to the inner
diameter ID of the
internal passage 33 of the adjustable coupling 30, and the minimum width Y of
the sweep
passageway 45 is less than the maximum width X of the sweep passageway 45 and
the internal
diameter ID of the adjustable coupling 30. According to one embodiment of the
invention, the
internal diameter ID of the adjustable coupling 30 and the maximum width X of
the sweep
passageway 45 are less than or equal to 4 inches and are greater than 2.75
inches, and the
minimum width Y of the sweep passageway 45 is greater than or equal to 2.125
inches and less
than 2.75 inches. According to another embodiment of the invention, the
internal diameter ID of
the adjustable coupling 30 and the maximum width X of the sweep passageway 45
are
approximately 3 inches, and the minimum width Y of the sweep passageway 45 is
approximately
2.25 inches.
[0033] It is to be appreciated that the specific dimensions ID, A, B, X, Y
described above may
be varied within ranges deemed to be suitable by one having ordinary skill in
the art to achieve
the effect of accelerating the flow of waste fluid through the fitting 40, and
efficiently conveying
waste fluid through the system 10 to the fluid waste system of the building.
[0034] With reference to FIGS. 1-9, a method of conveying waste fluid from a
water closet to
a fluid waste system includes providing the above-described closet carrier 10
having the
faceplate 11, the adjustable coupling 30, the at least two vertical supports
20, and the fitting 40.
The method further includes transmitting waste fluid to the intermediate
portion of the fitting 40
through the adjustable coupling 30 and the inlet 43 of the fitting 40 and
accelerating a velocity of
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a flow of the waste fluid to the main passageway defined in the main body 46
of the fitting 40
within the intermediate portion of the fitting 40.
[0035] With reference to FIGS. 10 and 11, according to another embodiment of
the invention,
multiple closet carriers 10 of the type discussed above may be assembled into
an arrangement of
closet carriers for purposes of pre-fabrication of the carriers 10 away from
the installation site,
and subsequent common transportation and installation of the carriers 10 at
the job site. As
shown in FIG. 11, the arrangement includes at least two and particularly three
closet carriers 10,
each of which includes a faceplate 11, a coupling 30, at least two vertical
supports 20, and a
fitting 40, as described above with reference to FIGS. 1-9. As shown in FIGS.
10 and 11, the
arrangement further includes at least two strut members 50, each of which is
connected to a
respective closet carrier 10. In particular, the arrangement includes at least
four strut members
50, each strut member 50 being connected to a respective vertical support 20
of the closet carrier
10. The strut members 50 are, in turn, connected to a carrier member 52 such
that the closet
carriers 10 are mutually connected to the carrier member 52 for common
transportation and
installation of the closet carriers 10. To that end, each of the strut members
50 includes a slot or
hole 51 formed in the upper and lower ends of the strut member 50. The slots
or holes 51 in the
ends of the strut member 50 are configured to receive fasteners (not shown)
that connect the strut
member 50 to the carrier member 52 and to the adjoining end of the respective
vertical support
20 by also engaging the notch 22 in the end of the vertical support 20. In
this manner, the closet
carriers 10 may be pre-fabricated away from the installation site by
assembling each carrier 10
and then arranging the carriers 10 in a bank for common transportation and
installation at the
installation site by connecting the carriers 10 to the carrier member 52. Each
of the carriers 10
within the bank may also be pre-adjusted to a desired height, for instance a
set height along a fall
line for aiding the transmission waste fluid through multiple carriers 10 to
the fluid waste system
of the building, in a manner well known to those having ordinary skill in the
art.
[0036] While specific embodiments of the invention have been described in
detail, it will be
appreciated by those having ordinary skill in the art that various
modifications and alternatives to
those details could be developed in light of the overall teachings of the
disclosure. The scope of
the claims should not be limited by the preferred embodiments set forth in the
examples, but
should be given the broadest interpretation consistent with the description as
a whole.
