U.S. patent application number 10/789991 was filed with the patent office on 2004-09-09 for backflow preventing attachment for toilets.
Invention is credited to Hatfield, J. Paul.
Application Number | 20040172745 10/789991 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 32930573 |
Filed Date | 2004-09-09 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040172745 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Hatfield, J. Paul |
September 9, 2004 |
Backflow preventing attachment for toilets
Abstract
A toilet backflow preventing means and toilet bowl support for
mounting between a standard soil pipe mounting flange and drain
horn of a standard toilet bowl supports the toilet bowl closely
adjacent the floor level, receives standard toilet bolts clamping
the backflow presenting means between the toilet bowl and within
the uppermost position of the soiled pipe. The backflow preventing
means comprises a duckbill valve secured in said soil pipe.
Inventors: |
Hatfield, J. Paul;
(Woodbridge, VA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
ERIC P. SCHELLIN
6831 CLOISTERS DRIVE
\
Mc LEAN
VA
22101
US
|
Family ID: |
32930573 |
Appl. No.: |
10/789991 |
Filed: |
March 2, 2004 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60450712 |
Mar 3, 2003 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
4/252.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E03D 11/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
004/252.1 |
International
Class: |
E03D 011/00 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1) A toilet backflow preventing means comprising an elongated
tubular device having a first end and a second opposite end, said
first end having a perpendicular flange, said second end
terminating in a plurality radial slits, said slits having edges
normally in abutment to valve close said elongated tubular device,
said slits adapted and constructed to part under the aegis of a
liquid discharge in one slits direction through said elongated
tubular decice, at least the second opposite end of the elongated
tubular device having said plurality of radial slits being
constructed of an elastomeric material, whereby with the cessation
of the liquid discharge the slits will assume a normal abutment,
thereby preventing a gaseous flow through the elongated device in
an opposite direction.
2) The toilet backflow preventing means of claim 1 wherein slits
define a dukbill valve.
Description
[0001] Priority is claimed based on Provisional patent application
Serial No. 60/450,712, filed Mar. 3, 2003
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the invention
[0003] This invention relates to the art of backflow valves for
toilets and specifically deals with a backflow duckbill valve
attachment depending from a gasket ring into the uppermost portion
of a soil pipe wherein the gasket ring when used is sandwiched
between standard toilet bowls and said soil pipe without a need to
raise the height of the toilet bowl.
[0004] Backflow devices for toilets have heretofore required
special toilet bowl constructions, revision of soil pipe
constructions and have presented obstacles to full drainage flow
from the toilet bowl to the soiled pipe.
[0005] It would be a vast improvement in this art to provide a
relatively easily fitted backflow preventing valve assembly capable
of being positioned to the bottom of a toilet bowl and into the
uppermost portion of a soil pipe which is self-activating.
[0006] 2. Prior Art
[0007] A prior attempt to prevent backflow into toilets can be seen
in U.S. Pat. No. 4,637,079 to Hodge. However, this patent teaches
the use of a slide valve to close the opening of a soil pipe and is
interposed between the bottom of the toilet bowl and the top of the
entrance to the soil pipe.
[0008] The conventional toilet bowl has a wax ring or wax gasket
interposed between the upwardly facing flange of a soil pipe and
the downwardly facing opening of the horn of a toilet bowl and is
sandwiched therebetween to form a good seal. Frequently, the wax
ring or wax gasket is fitted with a downwardly extending tubular
skirt which extends for a small distance into the soil pipe thereby
improving the sealing characteristics of the ring or gasket. Such
skirts are seen in such prior art U.S. Pat. No. 3,224,614 to
Pietrzak; U.S. Pat. No. 3,311,391 to Harrell; U.S. Pat. No.
3,349,412 to Shwartz et al U.S. Pat. No. 3,409,918 to Gaddy; U.S.
Pat. No. 3,568,222 to Gantzert; U.S. Pat. No. 4,384,910 to Prodyma;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,482,161 to Izzi, Jr; U.S. Pat. No. 5,134,727 to
Scott; U.S. Pat. No. 5,185,890 to Dismore et al; U.S. Pat. No.
5,291,619 to Adoyan; U.S. Pat. No. 5,432,957 to Fermie et al; U.S.
Pat. No. 5,608,922 to Leivis; U.S. Pat. No. 5,957,201 to Gorsior;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,026,521 to Atkins; U.S. Pat. No. 6,085,363 to
Huber; U.S. Pat. No. 6,128,947 to Anderson Sr., U.S. Pat. No.
6,325,356 to Rozenblatt; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,442,769 to
Phillips.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] According to this invention there is provided a gasket or
ring having the conventional configuration and size of a wax ring
long used in sealing the bowl of a toilet bowl to the upwardly
facing flange of a soil pipe. However, preferably, the said ring or
gasket is not fabricated of a wax but rather in a plastic,
preferably of a thermoplastic such as polyethylene or
polypropylene. The ring or gasket has a tubular skirt depending
therefrom. The skirt is a diameter whereby it extends for a
distance into the soil pipe. The skirt terminates in a duckbill
valve detailed to open upon the release of water from the toilet
reservoir or the pressure of water from another source occurring
upon flushing. The weight of water opens the duckbill valve
permitting the flow therethrough. The duckbill valve closes upon
the cessation of a flushing and concomitant cessation of water
flow. The valve closes under the aegis of its own elasticity as the
duckbill valve is constructed of rubber or the like. The self
closing of the duckbill valve prevents backflow into the toilet
bowl of foam or bubbles that may have accumulated in the soil pipe
a comment occurrence in tall apartment houses having a plurality of
dish washers and/or laundry washers which all discharge into soil
pipes that flow downwardly through numerous floors. The bubbles and
foam produced from the suds of the said washers, being light have a
tendency to hang up in the soil pipe rather than immediately
flowing out through the sewer to the street. The many serpentine
soil pipes result in convoluted flow providing hang ups for the
accumulation of bubbles and foam. In many instances the thusly
accumulated bubbles have a tendency to move up the horn of the
toilet bowl to make their presence known in the toilet bowl
water.
[0010] The present invention-provides a salutary solution to the
problem of bubbles or foam emerging out of the toilet bowl
water.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] FIG. 1 is a perspective showing the device of the present
invention shown explosively between a flange bearing soil pipe and
the bottom of a toilet bowl.
[0012] FIG. 2 is a perspective of the device of the present
invention with the duckbill valve in an open and expanded
condition.
[0013] FIG. 3 is a schematic of the device of the present invention
in two positions; one closed and the other as completely open.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0014] FIG. 1 shows the device of the present invention shown,
generally, by reference numeral 11. The device has a ring 12, with
a skirt 13 that extends downwardly. It terminates in a duckbill
valve 14 whose lips 15 are ordinarily in abutment and therefore
closed. The ring 12 is of a conventional size, similar to a wax
ring which is usually associated with the bottom of a toilet bowl
and is sandwiched between the toilet bowl and a horizontal flange
15 upon which the ring 12 rests. The horizontal flange 15 is part
of the soil pipe 16. The horizontal flange 15 has conventional
adjustable bolts 17 extending vertically upwardly. The bolts 17 are
payed upwardly through bores 18.
[0015] The left side of FIG. 3 shows in cross-section the device 11
of the present invention mounted on the flange 15 of the soil pipe
16. The outer diameter of the skirt 13 is detailed to essentially
fit closely to the inside of the soil pipe 16 to provide a snug
fit.
[0016] The right side of FIG. 3 depicts the bottom of the toilet
bowl which has its horn portion 20 fitted to the bolts 17 of the
flange 15 in a conventional manner with nuts 21 which clamps the
bottom of the toilet bowl to the flange 15 with the ring 15
carrying its skirt 13 sandwiched there between.
[0017] The soil pipe 16 with its flange 15 extends vertically out
of the floor 22 is a conventional manner.
[0018] The right side of FIG. 3 shows the device of the present
invention and soil pipe in cross section with water flowing
therethrough whereby the lips 15 of the skirt are parted and the
passage of copious quantities of water is afforded.
[0019] In the right side of FIG. 3, with the lips of the duckbill
valve being closed, as no water is flowing, it is seen that an
accumulation of bubbles 23 has gathered beneath the duckbill valve,
but, due to the presence of the duckbill valve cannot progress
upwardly thereby preventing egress into the toilet bowl.
[0020] It is contemplated in a preferred embodiment that the ring
and its skirt with its duckbill valve carrying skirt will be of the
same material, i.e. an elastomeric material. In another embodiment,
it is contemplated that the ring may be fabricated of a
conventional way employed in a conventional toilet assembly, with a
depending tubular duckbill valve carrying skirt of an elastomeric
material.
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