Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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PLUMBING OUTLET BOX
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to plumbing outlet boxes, such as
outlet
boxes for connecting washers, ice makers, and other equipment to plumbing
systems.
BACKGROUND
Conventional plumbing outlet boxes are typically used as housings for
connections to plumbing systems. A plumbing outlet box may be provided, for
example,
for connecting a washing machine to pipes running within the walls of a
building that are
designed to carry water (e.g., hot and cold water supply and drain
connections). As
another example, a plumbing outlet box may be provided to connect an ice maker
of a
refrigerator to a water supply. Plumbing outlet boxes are generally installed
in the walls
of a house or other climate-controlled building.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for plumbing outlet boxes that provide
overall improved energy efficiency and yet are simple and cost-effective to
produce,
install, and maintain.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS
Embodiments of a plumbing outlet box are described that provide a continuous
seal about a periphery of the plumbing outlet box so as to maximize an energy
efficiency
of the box by reducing the amount of air that escapes around the box. The
plumbing
outlet box may be configured for mounting within a cutout in a drywall panel
and may
have an interior surface and an exterior surface. The plumbing outlet box may
comprise
a housing including a top wall and a bottom wall and an opening providing
access into an
interior of the housing. The plumbing outlet box may further include a
substantially planar
and continuous flange extending proximate to and surrounding the opening, as
well as a
compressible seal having a front surface and a rear surface, where the rear
surface of the
seal is contacting the flange, and a faceplate configured to mount to the
housing. In a
mounted position, the faceplate may contact a portion of the front surface of
the drywall
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panel and compress the seal such that the front surface of the seal contacts
the rear
surface of the drywall panel to create a seal around the drywall panel cutout.
In some cases, the flange may be integral with the housing, whereas in other
cases, the flange may be separate from the housing and may be configured to be
attached to the housing. For example, the flange may be configured to be
attached to the
housing via at least one of a snap-fit attachment, an adhesive attachment, or
a sonic weld
attachment. In some embodiments, the faceplate may be configured to mount to
the
housing via at least one of a snap-fit mounting and a screw mounting.
The seal may comprise a single piece in some cases. Alternatively, the seal
may
comprise two or more pieces. The rear surface of the seal may be affixed to
the flange.
The outlet box may be configured for use as a washing machine outlet box, or
the outlet
box may be configured for use as an ice maker outlet box.
In other embodiments, a method of installing a plumbing outlet box within a
cutout
in a drywall panel having an interior surface and an exterior surface is
provided.
According to the method, a plumbing outlet box housing may be provided that
includes a
top wall, a bottom wall, and an opening providing access into an interior of
the housing. A
substantially planar and continuous flange may also be provided that extends
proximate
and surrounds the opening. A compressible seal having a front surface and a
rear
surface may be applied to the flange such that the rear surface of the seal
contacts the
flange. The plumbing outlet box may be positioned proximate the cutout of the
drywall
panel, and a faceplate may be mounted to the housing so that the faceplate
contacts a
portion of the front surface of the drywall panel and compresses the seal such
that the
front surface of the seal contacts the rear surface of the drywall panel to
create a seal
around the drywall panel cutout.
In some cases, providing a substantially planar and continuous flange may
comprise attaching a flange to the plumbing outlet box housing. Furthermore,
providing a
compressible seal may comprise attaching the compressible seal to the flange.
The
plumbing outlet box may be configured for use as a washing machine outlet box,
or the
plumbing outlet box may be configured for use as an ice maker outlet box.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Having thus described the invention in general terms, reference will now be
made
to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and
wherein:
FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a housing of a plumbing outlet box with a
continuous flange in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present
invention;
FIG. 2 shows a seal configured to be applied to the continuous flange in
accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;
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FIG. 3 shows a front perspective view of a faceplate configured to engage the
housing of Fig. 1 in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present
invention;
FIG. 4 shows a rear perspective view of the faceplate of Fig. 3 in accordance
with
an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 5A shows a side (exploded) view of the plumbing outlet box in accordance
with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 5B shows a side (assembled) view of the plumbing outlet box of Fig. 5A in
accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and
FIG. 6 shows a perspective view housing of a plumbing outlet box in accordance
with another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Some embodiments of the present invention will now be described more fully
hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some, but
not all,
embodiments of the invention are shown. Indeed, various embodiments of the
invention
may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited
to the
embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that
this
disclosure will satisfy applicable legal requirements. Like reference numerals
refer to like
elements throughout. Some components of the plumbing outlet box and associated
systems are not shown in one or more of the figures for clarity and to
facilitate
explanation of embodiments of the present invention.
As used herein, the terms "bottom," "top," "upper," "lower," "interior,"
"exterior," and
similar terms are used for ease of explanation and refer generally to the
position of
certain components of embodiments of the described invention in the installed
configuration (e.g., in an operational configuration). It is understood that
such terms are
not used in any absolute sense, and, as such, a component described as a
"bottom wall"
may be on the same level (e.g., at the same distance from the ground) as
another
component described as a "side wall" in certain configurations of embodiments
of the
described invention, such as when the plumbing outlet boxes are laying on a
flat surface
prior to installation as opposed to held within a wall, as described below.
Moreover, in the
description and examples provided herein, the term "seal" is used with respect
to
minimizing the ingress or egress of any particulates or contaminants (e.g., in
the air within
a wall or outside the wall) and/or with respect to minimizing the transfer of
energy from
the external environment into the plumbing outlet box or from within the
plumbing outlet
box or a component of the plumbing outlet box out into the external
environment.
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Moreover, although the examples used below refer primarily to plumbing outlet
boxes for providing washing machines with access to a hot and cold water
supply and/or
to a drain, embodiments of the present invention may further be applicable to
plumbing
outlet boxes for other applications and in other contexts (e.g., for an ice
maker,
dishwasher, sink and toilet angle stop, etc.), as noted above.
Plumbing outlet boxes are typically installed within a wall of the building,
such as a
house, apartment building, office building, or other residence or dwelling, in
a manner that
the box accessible to a resident or caretaker (e.g., a plumber) when necessary
(e.g., for
installation, maintenance, or trouble shooting) and at the same time is not
obtrusive to the
resident's every day activities. In this regard, a hole is typically cut into
the sheet rock of
the building wall that is sized to provide access to the plumbing outlet box,
and the box is
installed within the appropriately sized hole, such that it is flush or almost
flush with the
inner surface of the wall.
The housing of a conventional plumbing outlet box is generally configured to
hold
certain supply connections (plumbing shut-offs, valves, pipes, and/or
fittings). A faceplate
may be applied to the front face of the plumbing outlet box to only improve
the aesthetics
of the plumbing outlet box (e.g., by providing a finished look and hide the
internal
components of the box).
However, such conventional plumbing outlet boxes are not designed to seal the
box from surrounding environments, in particular from an energy perspective.
Thus, in
many cases, conditioned air (such as, for example, air that has been heated or
cooled in
the living space of a home) may escape around conventional plumbing outlet
boxes to
another environment, such as the space within a wall or the outside
environment.
The International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), for example, is published
by
the International Code Council to provide guidance regarding the design of
energy-
efficient building thermal envelopes. A building's thermal envelope generally
refers to the
enclosure that holds warm or cool air inside a structure. This may include the
exterior
walls, windows, doors, floors, and ceilings of a structure.
Many states have adopted some version of the IECC as part of their commercial
and residential state energy codes. As a result, builders and construction
professionals
operating under the code provisions strive to design, build, procure, and/or
install building
components such that the energy efficiency values for the building thermal
envelope are
met (e.g., values related to insulation, fenestration, and/or air leakage
requirements). In
some cases, for example, a building test may be conducted by pulling a vacuum
about
the structure and recording the air leakage that occurs at a certain pressure
differential.
For instance, according to the 2012 IECC, the air leakage rate of a completed
building
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may not exceed 0.40 cfm/ft2 when a pressure differential of 75 Pascals applied
to the
envelope area.
Common sources of air leakage and energy waste include plumbing outlet boxes
that are installed within the wall of a house to provide a plumbed accessory
with a supply
of water. As noted above, for example, a plumbing outlet box is typically
installed via a
hole that is cut in the drywall forming an interior wall of the structure.
Although a
faceplate may be applied to the front face of the plumbing outlet box, e.g.,
between an
outer edge of the plumbing outlet box and the edge of the drywall,
imperfections in the fit
of the plumbing outlet box and/or faceplate with the hole may allow air to
pass from an
interior side of the wall (e.g., a climate-controlled side of the wall) to an
exterior side of the
wall (e.g. a non-climate controlled side of the wall), reducing the energy
efficiency rating
of the structure.
Accordingly, embodiments of the invention provide a plumbing outlet box that
is
configured for mounting within a cutout in a drywall panel such that a seal is
created
between the plumbing outlet box and the wall, thereby maximizing the energy
efficiency
of the installation by reducing the air leakage between the interior side of
the wall and the
exterior side of the wall resulting from the installation (e.g., around a
periphery of the
plumbing outlet box).
Turning to Figs. 1 and 5, a plumbing outlet box 5 is shown that is configured
to be
mounted within a cutout 8 in a drywall panel 10 (shown in Fig. 5) having an
interior
surface 12 and an exterior surface 14. As noted above, the interior surface 12
may be
the surface of the drywall panel 10 that is closest to a climate-controlled
side of the wall,
and the exterior surface 14 may be the opposite surface of the drywall panel
that is
farthest from the climate-controlled side of the wall.
The plumbing outlet box 5 may comprise a housing 15 that includes a top wall
20
and a bottom wall 25, as well as an opening 30 that is configured to provide
access to an
interior 35 of the housing. The housing 15 may be made of a variety of
materials suitable
for holding plumbing components and connections, such as, but not limited to,
polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS),
or metal. A
substantially planar and continuous flange 40 may be provided that extends
proximate to
and surrounding the opening 30. For example, the flange 40 may lie
substantially within
a plane defined by front-most portion of the housing 15 defining the opening
30. In this
regard, the term "substantially planar" is understood to mean lying
approximately within
the plane, considering a certain degree of tolerance in how the plane is
measured as
would be defined by one skilled in the art of residential and/or commercial
construction.
The flange 40 may be integral with the housing 15 (e.g., formed with the
housing
by the same piece of material), or the flange may be separate from the housing
and
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configured to be attached to the housing. For example, in some cases the
flange 40 may
be configured to be attached to the housing 15 via a snap-fit attachment, an
adhesive
attachment, a sonic weld attachment, or a combination of such attachments.
Turning now to Fig. 2, the plumbing supply box 5 may further include a
compressible seal 45 that is configured to lie against the continuous flange
40 shown in
Fig. 1. In this regard, the seal 45 may have a front surface 50 and a rear
surface 55, and
the rear surface of the seal may contact the flange 40 in the installed
configuration.
Furthermore, a faceplate 60 may be provided, shown in Fig. 3, that is
configured to mount
to the housing 5, as described in greater detail below. In the mounted
position (e.g.,
when the plumbing outlet box is installed within the cutout 8 of the drywall
panel 10), the
faceplate 60 may contact a portion of the interior surface 12 of the drywall
panel and may
compress the seal such that the front surface 50 of the seal 45 contacts the
exterior
surface 14 of the drywall panel 10 so as to create a seal around the drywall
panel cutout.
Accordingly, the seal 45 may be made of a material that is compressible, such
that application of a force on the seal material compresses the material in
the direction in
which the force is applied and, in some embodiments, results in expansion of
the material
outwardly (e.g., in directions perpendicular to the direction in which the
force was
applied). In this way, the material may fill in any gaps or imperfections in
the engagement
of the flange 40 with the exterior surface 14 of the drywall panel 10 when the
faceplate 60
is applied, thereby reducing the amount of air that is able to pass between
the flange and
the drywall panel when the two are engaged. The seal 45 may, for example be
made of
an open-cell foam (e.g., quantum foam, polyurethane foam (foam rubber),
extruded
polystyrene (XPS) foam, polystyrene foam, etc.), silicone sponge rubber, as
well as other
materials exhibiting similar properties.
In such a manner, the seal 45 may, in a sense, be sandwiched between the
drywall panel 10 and the flange 40 when the faceplate 60 is received by and
engaged
with the housing 15. Turning to Figs. 3 and 5, for example, the faceplate 60
may include
a frame portion 65 and a transverse extension 70 extending substantially
perpendicularly
(e.g., at an angle of approximately 85 to approximately 950) from an
innermost edge of
the frame portion. The frame portion 65 may be configured to lie against an
edge of the
drywall panel 10 defining the cutout 8, such that an observer on the interior
side of the
wall would not see the cutout, but rather would see a clean, finished, and
framed
plumbing outlet box 5.
The transverse extension 70 of the faceplate 60 may, in turn, be configured to
fit
within and engage the housing 15 so as to hold the housing, seal 45, and
faceplate 60 in
the installed position with respect to the drywall panel 10. In this regard,
an outer surface
of the transverse extension 70 may define serrated ramps 80 (shown in Figs. 4
and 5)
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that are configured to engage a corresponding feature of the housing 15. The
housing 15
may, for example, define inwardly turned upper and lower edges 85 that are
configured to
progressively engage the serrations of the serrated ramps 80 on the faceplate
60. In this
way, the faceplate 60 may be configured to mount to the housing 15 via a snap-
fit
mounting in some embodiments, such as in embodiments in which serrated ramps
80
and corresponding upper and lower edges 85 of the housing are provided. In
other
embodiments, the faceplate 60 may be configured to mount to the housing 15 via
a screw
mounting. In this regard, the peripheral edge 65 of the faceplate 60 may
define one or
more holes 67 configured to receive fasteners (such as screws) for holding the
faceplate
60 to the housing 15. In still other embodiments, both engaging features
(e.g., serrated
ramps 80) and mechanical fasteners (e.g., screws) may be used to assemble and
install
the faceplate 60, seal 45, and housing 15 within the cutout 8 in the drywall
panel 10.
Turning again to Fig. 5, in some embodiments as the faceplate 60 is received
by
the housing 15, the serrated edges of the serrated ramps 80 may progressively
engage
the corresponding inwardly turned upper and lower edges 80 of the housing. The
serrated edge may be configured such that the faceplate 60 may be moved in a
direction
towards the housing (for further engagement of the serrated ramps 80 with the
corresponding edges 80), but the engagement of the ramps with the edges may
prevent
the faceplate from being disengaged from the housing when an equal force is
applied in
the opposite direction, providing a ratchet-type effect.
Moreover, as the faceplate 60 achieves greater engagement with the housing 15
(e.g., is moved farther in the direction of the housing 15), greater force is
applied to the
seal 45 by the flange 40 of the housing and the exterior surface 14 of the
drywall panel
10. Thus, the degree of engagement between the faceplate 60 and the housing 15
may
be adjusted based on the amount of force to be applied to the seal 45 and the
desired
degree of sealing to be provided by the compression of the seal 45 between the
drywall
panel 10 and the flange 40.
Although in Fig. 2 the seal 45 is depicted as a single piece (e.g., configured
to
extend continuously and uninterrupted about the flange 40 against which it is
applied), in
other embodiments the seal may comprise two or more pieces. For example, four
pieces
(e.g., strips) of material may be provided that are configured to fit together
to form the
seal 45. In some cases, the pieces may be cut so as to form a mitre-type joint
at the
corners of the seal 45. In addition, the rear surface 55 of the seal 45 may be
configured
to be affixed to the flange 40 in some embodiments, such as via the
application of an
adhesive to the rear surface 55 of the seal 45 and/or to the corresponding
surface of the
flange. In this way, the housing 15, together with the affixed flange 40, may
be
appropriately positioned with respect to the cutout 8 in the drywall 10 such
that the
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faceplate 60 may be more easily applied and engaged with the housing to hold
the
assembly in place in the installed position and create the desired seal.
In some embodiments, a method of installing a plumbing outlet box within a
cutout
in a drywall panel having an interior surface and an exterior surface is
provided. The
method includes providing a plumbing outlet box housing that includes a top
wall, a
bottom wall, and an opening providing access into an interior of the housing.
A
substantially planar and continuous flange may also be provided that extends
proximate
and surrounding the opening, and a compressible seal having a front surface
and a rear
surface may be applied to the flange such that the rear surface of the seal
contacts the
flange. The plumbing outlet box may be positioned proximate the cutout of the
drywall
panel, and a faceplate may be mounted to the housing so that the faceplate
contacts a
portion of the front surface of the drywall panel and compresses the seal such
that the
front surface of the seal contacts the rear surface of the drywall panel to
create a seal
around the drywall panel cutout.
In some cases, providing a substantially planar and continuous flange may
comprise attaching a flange to the plumbing outlet box housing, as described
above.
Moreover, in some embodiments, the compressible seal may be applied to the
flange by
attaching the compressible seal to the flange. As noted above, the plumbing
outlet box
may be configured for use as a washing machine outlet box, or the plumbing
outlet box
may be configured for use as an ice maker outlet box, among other plumbing
applications.
As noted above the structures and components depicted in the figures have been
simplified for clarity and ease of explanation. As such, the shape of the
housing,
components of the housing or held within the housing interior (e.g., doors,
fittings,
connections, etc.) and/or external ductwork, connections, appliances, etc.,
although
described above, may not be shown in the figures. Moreover, although a
particular
configuration of a plumbing outlet box 5 is shown in Figs. 1-5, other types,
sizes, and
shapes of plumbing outlet boxes may benefit from embodiments of the present
invention.
For example, in Fig. 6, a plumbing outlet box 100 is depicted that has a
single outlet to a
plumbed appliance (e.g., an icebox), as opposed to two outlets as shown in the
preceding
figures and described above.
In addition, many modifications and other embodiments of the invention will
come
to mind to one skilled in the art to which this invention pertains having the
benefit of the
teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings.
Therefore, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to
the specific
embodiments disclosed and that modifications and other embodiments are
intended to be
included within the scope of the appended claims. Although specific terms are
employed
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herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for
purposes of
limitation.
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