U.S. patent application number 10/306777 was filed with the patent office on 2004-05-27 for toilet outlet seal.
Invention is credited to Atkins, Nicholas, Egleton, Philip.
Application Number | 20040098798 10/306777 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 32325770 |
Filed Date | 2004-05-27 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040098798 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Atkins, Nicholas ; et
al. |
May 27, 2004 |
Toilet outlet seal
Abstract
A seal 10 for a toilet outlet is described. The seal 10
comprises a body 12 and a deformable undercut lip 16. The lip 16 is
arranged so as to roll radially from the body 12 when subject to
load, such as that exerted by a toilet outlet. The rolling motion
of the lip ensures that the seal 10 deforms evenly and predictably
when subject to load, so reducing the need for precise alignment of
the toilet with the seal when installing the toilet.
Inventors: |
Atkins, Nicholas; (Banchory,
GB) ; Egleton, Philip; (Aberdeen, GB) |
Correspondence
Address: |
DYKAS, SHAVER & NIPPER, LLP
P.O. BOX 877
802 WEST BANNOCK STREET, SUITE 405
BOISE
ID
83701
US
|
Family ID: |
32325770 |
Appl. No.: |
10/306777 |
Filed: |
November 26, 2002 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
4/252.6 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E03D 11/17 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
004/252.6 |
International
Class: |
E03D 011/17 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A seal comprising a generally tubular body for location between
two members to be connected, the body comprising a deformable lip
for abutting one of the members to be connected, the lip being
arranged such that the lip rolls radially when subject to axial
compression.
2. The seal of claim 1, wherein the body is generally tapered, with
an upper portion being of greater diameter than a lower
portion.
3. The seal of claim 1, wherein the body is generally
frustoconical.
4. The seal of claim 1, wherein the lip is undercut.
5. The seal of claim 1, wherein the lip provides a generally
cylindrical surface profile.
6. The seal of claim 5, wherein the surface profile of the lip is
substantially hemicylindrical.
7. The seal of claim 5, wherein a highest point of the lip is
positioned radially outwardly of a mid-point of the adjacent body
wall.
8. The seal of claim 1, wherein the lip in use abuts only one of
the members to be connected.
9. The seal of claim 1, wherein the body further comprises a flange
located spaced from the lip, for spacing the lip from the second
member to be connected.
10. The seal of claim 9, wherein the flange is substantially
rigid
11. The seal of claim 1, wherein the body is substantially
resilient.
12. The seal of claim 1, wherein the body comprises elastomeric
material.
13. The seal of claim 1, wherein the lip further comprises
friction-increasing formations thereon.
14. The seal of claim 1, wherein the lip further comprises ridges
thereon.
15. The seal of claim 14, wherein the ridges extend substantially
circumferentially around the lip.
16. The seal of claim 1, wherein the body further comprises a
sealing portion for forming a seal between the body and the second
member to be connected.
17. The seal of claim 16, wherein the sealing portion comprises a
protrusion on an outer surface of a body wall.
18. A seal member comprising a body having a bore therethrough, the
body being for location between two members to be connected, the
body comprising a lip for abutting one of the members to be
connected, the lip being undercut.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a seal for a waste outlet;
and particularly, but not exclusively, to a seal for a toilet
outlet for connecting a toilet to a soil pipe.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] In certain countries, it is conventional for a toilet waste
outlet to be formed in the base of a toilet bowl, with the outlet
connected to a soil pipe or a soil stack. With this arrangement,
waste travels vertically from the toilet into the soil stack, and a
particular configuration of seal is required to connect the outlet
to the soil stack. One common form of seal which is used is an
annular wax seal, which receives the base of the toilet bowl within
the soil stack inlet; the wax seal deforms to provide a seal
against the toilet bowl. However, this deformation is not easily
reversible, such that in the event that the toilet is, for example,
misaligned during fitting and part of the seal experiences a high
degree of compression, the seal cannot be easily reformed and may
have to be replaced. In practice, such damage to the seal is not
likely to be apparent to the person fitting the toilet, and the
toilet will then be fitted with an imperfect seal. Furthermore, wax
is a relatively unstable material, and may melt if the seal is
exposed to even relatively low temperatures, for example, above
40.degree. C., and may become brittle at lower temperatures.
[0003] An alternative arrangement makes use of a rubber or other
elastomeric seal ring, which sits between the toilet bowl outlet
and the soil stack. The seal ring is resiliently deformable, and is
thus intended to deform when a toilet bowl is received therein to
provide a seal. The seal ring includes an upper lip which abuts the
toilet outlet and the upper edge of the soil stack; the lip is
pushed against the edge of the soil stack by the weight of the
toilet bowl to provide a seal Such a seal ring is described in
International Patent Application WO00/09825. While this arrangement
provides improved features when compared with conventional wax
seals, there are however disadvantages with this type of resilient
seal. In particular, the seal relies on pressure being applied by
the toilet evenly around the circumference of the lip of the seal
ring. In the event that the toilet is installed slightly off
centre, or at a skewed angle, uneven deformation may result, which
may lead to splaying or collapse of the lip and failure to form an
effective seal. Thus, careful alignment and fitting of the toilet
is necessary for the seal ring to be effective.
[0004] It is among the objects of embodiments of the present
invention to obviate or alleviate these and other disadvantages of
conventional seal arrangements.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] According to a first aspect of the present invention, there
is provided a seal comprising a generally tubular body for location
between two members to be connected, the body comprising a
deformable lip for abutting one of the members to be connected, the
lip being arranged such that the lip rolls radially when subject to
axial compression.
[0006] Thus, the seal of the present invention may be located, for
example, between a toilet outlet and a soil pipe, and the
compression of the lip caused by the weight of the toilet on the
seal will cause the lip to roll radially. This arrangement not only
allows an effective seal to form between the rolled lip and the
toilet bowl, but the rolling action reduces unpredictable slippage
between the bowl and lip; the contact between the toilet and the
seal lip will be a rolling contact, and as such will be relatively
unaffected by the frictional properties of the surfaces of the
toilet or Lip. Further, the predictable rolling action of the lip
reduces the likelihood of buckling of the lip or other parts of the
body, which would affect formation of a seal, and reduces the need
for maintaining accurate alignment of the toilet on the seal during
installation.
[0007] Preferably the body is generally tapered, with an upper
portion being of greater diameter than a lower portion. Preferably
the body is generally frustoconical.
[0008] Preferably the lip is undercut; that is, the lip extends
radially beyond a side wall of the body in the immediate vicinity
of the lip. The lip may also provide a generally cylindrical
surface profile; that is, the profile of the lip forms a section of
a cylindrical surface. Conveniently the surface profile of the lip
is substantially half of a cylinder, or hemicylindrical.
Undercutting the lip in this manner serves to improve radial
rolling of the lip. Most preferably, the highest point of the lip,
that is the part of the lip which first engages said one of the
members to be connected, is positioned radially outwardly of a
mid-point of the adjacent body wall, to ensure that the lip rolls
radially outwardly relative to the body wall.
[0009] Preferably the lip in use abuts only one of the members to
be connected. Conveniently the body further comprises a flange
located spaced from the lip, for spacing the lip from the second
member to be connected. The flange is preferably substantially
rigid, in that little or no deformation of the flange occurs when
the lip and flange are under load. The flange arrangement ensures
that the lip is at least initially clear of the second member to be
connected, and hence that the lip is free to roll radially under
pressure.
[0010] Preferably the body is substantially resilient. Conveniently
the body comprises elastomeric or rubber material. This allows the
body to conform to the members to be connected. Alternatively, only
the lip may be substantially resilient; however, this is not a
preferred embodiment.
[0011] Preferably the lip further comprises ridges or other
friction-increasing formations thereon. Conveniently the ridges
extend substantially circumferentially around the lip. This serves
to increase the friction between the toilet and the lip, and
maintain the desired rolling movement of the lip and formation and
maintenance of a sealing contact.
[0012] Preferably the body further comprises a sealing portion for
forming a seal between the body and the second member to be
connected. The sealing portion conveniently comprises a ridge or
other protrusion on an outer surface of the body wall. This
conveniently forms an interference fit between the body and the
second member to be connected, and hence will provide a sealing
contact. The sealing portion is preferably on a lower portion of
the body.
[0013] According to a further aspect of the present invention,
there is provided a seal member comprising a body having a bore
therethrough, the body being for location between two members to be
connected, the body comprising a lip for abutting one of the
members to be connected, the lip being undercut.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] These and other aspects of the present invention will now be
described by way of example only and without limitation, with
reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0015] FIG. 1 shows a side view of a seal in accordance with an
embodiment of the present invention;
[0016] FIG. 2 shows a sectional side view on line B-B of FIG.
1;
[0017] FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the seal of FIG. 1;
and
[0018] FIG. 4 shows a sectional side view of the seal of FIG. 1 in
combination with a toilet bowl and soil stack inlet.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0019] Referring first of all to FIGS. 1 to 3, these show a seal 10
in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention The seal
10 is formed of a moulded hollow rubber body 12 having a generally
frustoconical form. The body 12 has a lower seal 14 formed of a
thickened ring of rubber extending around the circumference of the
body 12.
[0020] On the upper portion of the body 12 is an undercut lip 16
extending circumferentially around the body 12. The lip is
generally semicircular in cross-section, as can be seen best in
FIG. 2, and carries a number of circumferential ribs 18. Located on
the body below and spaced from the lip 16 is a circumferential
shoulder or flange 20, which is generally solid.
[0021] In use, the seal 10 may be disposed, as illustrated in FIG.
4, between a toilet bowl 22 and a soil pipe 24. The soil pipe 24
may be set into an opening in a floor (not shown), and leads into a
soil stack which connects to a mains sewerage system. In installing
the seal 10, the seal 10 is first placed into the pipe 24. The
resilient nature of the rubber body 12 allows the seal 10 to be
easily placed into the pipe 24 by deformation of the body 12. The
body 12 is lowered into the soil pipe 24 until the flange 20 rests
on the upper edge of the soil pipe, formed as a pipe flange 26.
[0022] The lower seal 14 of the body 12 is sized to fit securely in
an interference fit into the soil pipe 24, and so create a seal
with the pipe 24, preventing gases, fluids, and the like from
escaping past the seal 10.
[0023] Once the seal 10 is located within the soil pipe 24, the
toilet 22 may be placed in position. The toilet 22 is lowered onto
the lip 16 of the seal 10. As the toilet 22 is lowered, the ribs 18
serve to increase the friction between the toilet 22 and the lip
16, while the undercut formation of the lip 16 causes the lip 16 to
roll radially outwardly from the centre of the body 12 as load is
exerted vertically thereon by the weight of the toilet 22.
[0024] The flange 20 is relatively heavy and incompressible, and
supports the weight of the toilet and the seal 10 itself, such that
the walls of the body 12 do not buckle. Further, the rolling action
of the lip 16 provides for predictable and recoverable deformation
of the lip as the toilet 22 is lowered onto the lip, such that
precise alignment of the toilet is not necessary to prevent
buckling of the seal; this effect is improved by the spacing of the
lip 16 and the flange 20 such that the lip 16 contacts only the
toilet 22, and not the soil pipe 24, and so is free to roll
outwardly without external constraint. In certain embodiments of
the invention, under sufficient load, the lip 16 may roll
sufficiently to form a tube contacting the flange 20.
[0025] Once the full weight of the toilet is supported by the seal
10, an effective seal is created between the lip and the toilet, so
preventing escape of noxious gases or fluids.
[0026] Thus, the present invention allows creation of an effective
seal between a toilet and a soil pipe with a reduced risk of
buckling or otherwise undesirable distortion of the seal, and hence
a lesser need for careful alignment of the toilet during fitting.
Further, although the invention has been primarily described with
reference to sealing between a toilet and a soil pipe, it will be
understood that the seal of the invention may be applied to any
suitable members to be sealed.
[0027] In addition, given the frustoconical shape of the body 12,
and its production from resilient rubber material, judicious
selection of diameters of the upper and lower portions of the body
12 may allow the body to be collapsed into itself for storage and
transport.
[0028] It will be understood that the foregoing is for illustrative
purposes only, and that various modifications may be made to the
seal described herein without departing from the scope of the
invention. For example, reference is made herein to outward rolling
of the seal lip; in other embodiments, it may be more convenient
for the lip to roll radially inwardly, for example when the lip is
intended for location within a member For this reason, reference
should be made to the appended claims for determination of the
scope of the invention.
* * * * *