Plumbing Outlet Box

Abstract

A laundry plumbing outlet box having a waterproof trough formed in the bottom thereof to prevent leakage. The bottom of the box is of unitary plastic construction and has a downwardly extending neck around a drain opening formed therein. Upwardly extending surfaces are formed around openings in the bottom of the box through which pipes extend. The neck around the drain opening extends downwardly into a drain pipe.

Parent Case Text

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENTS

This application is a continuation-in-part of my co-pending Application Ser. No. 104,593 filed Jan. 7, 1971, now U.S. Pat. 3,718,154, entitled "WASHING MACHINE OUTLET BOX".

Description

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

Washing machine outlet boxes heretofore developed for use in walls have allowed access to hot and cold water faucets and to drain pipes for connecting the washing machine.

However, such outlet boxes and frames have required substantial welding or braising to form water tight connections between drain pipes and water pipes extending through the box to prevent leakage of water through openings in the box.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

I have developed a washing machine outlet box having a bottom adapted to channelize water toward a drain pipe in which a water proof connection is formed without welding or braising the members together.

A downwardly extending neck, around a drain opening in the bottom of the outlet box, and a drain pipe tailpiece are formed of unitary construction to eliminate leakage therebetween.

Portions of the bottom of the outlet box through which hot and cold water pipes extend are raised and have openings formed therein at an elevation above the elevation of the bottom of the box to prevent flow of water through the openings.

A primary object of the invention is to provide a washing machine outlet box having a leakproof connection between the bottom of the box and the drain pipe which may be formed without welding.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a washing machine outlet box which may be installed in both new and existing installations with minimum labor.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a washing machine outlet box having a unitary bottom of molded plastic.

Other and further objects of the invention will become apparent upon referring to the detailed description hereinafter following and the drawings annexed hereto.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

Drawings of a preferred embodiment of the invention are annexed hereto so that the invention may be better and more fully understood, in which:

FIG. I is an exploded perspective view of the washing machine outlet box; and

FIG. II is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along line II--II of FIG. I.

Numeral references are employed to designate like parts throughout the various figures of the drawing.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIG. I of the drawing numeral 1 generally designates a washing machine outlet box of rectangular configuration having a top 2, bottom 3, ends 4 and 5 and a back 6. The box 1 has a front opening with flanges 7 extending therearound.

Suitable means, such as outwardly extending members 8, is provided to secure the box 1 to an opening formed in a wall. In the particular embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawing members 8 have screw holes 9 formed therein such that members 8 may be positioned behind wall members and connected thereto by screws such that flanges 7 will be disposed substantially flush with the outer surface of the wall.

A molding frame or panel 10 may be detachably secured to flanges 7 by suitable means such as screws 11 to form a cover over flanges 7 while providing access to faucets inside the box.

The top 2 and sides 4 and 5 of the box 1 may have holes or knockout plugs (now shown) formed therein to allow passage of cold and hot water pipes therethrough whether pipes leading to the box are directed thereto only through the top or through the sides or upwardly through the bottom thereof.

As best illustrated in FIGS. I and II a flange 13 extending upwardly from the periphery of the bottom 3 of the box forms a waterproof trough. Openings 12 are formed in upwardly deformed portions of the bottom 3 of the box such that upwardly extending surfaces 14 encircle openings 12. It should be noted that openings 12, covered by knock-out plugs 12a, are disposed at an elevation above that of the bottom 3 of the box to prevent flow of the water from the bottom of the box through openings 12.

As best illustrated in FIG. II of the drawing, the bottom of the box has a well 15 having an opening 15a formed therein about which a downwardly extending neck 16 extends.

The box 1 is preferably constructed of a thermoplastic material which is molded to form bottom 3, flanges 13 and neck 16 as a unitary member.

While numerous thermpolastic materials may be employed for the construction of box 1, I have found that polystyrene provides outstanding characteristics since it is relatively unaffected by moisture. A suitable material is distributed by Shell Oil Company, Polymers Division of Houston, Texas under the trademark "SHELL POLYSTYRENE 303" which is a general purpose polystyrene suited for injection molding applications involving thin walls. However, it should be appreciated that other materials may be employed, such as acrylonitrile-butadine-styrene (ABS) polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polypropylene, and polyethelene.

The neck 16 preferably has an outside diameter slightly less than the inside diameter of a drain pipe 18 and extends downwardly from the bottom 3 of the outlet box into the inside of the drain pipe. Neck 16 preferably has a reduced diameter portion 16a on the lower end thereof to facilitate connection with drain pipes 18 of different inside diameters.

From the foregoing it should be readily apparent that the bottom 3 having upwardly turned flanges 13 about the periphery thereof and upwardly inclined surfaces 14 through which openings 12 are formed and having a downwardly extending well 15 and neck 16 formed in an integral construction provides a washing machine outlet box which completely eliminates the possibility that water may leak causing damage to the building in which the outlet box is installed. Positioning downwardly extending neck 16 inside drain pipe 18 eliminates the possibility of gravity flow of water adjacent the connection between neck 16 and drain pipe 18. Thus sealing is not required.

Bottom 3 of outlet box 1 is secured to the sides 4 and 5 and the back 6 of the box by any suitable means such as spot welding or bonding.

Forming outlet box 1 in three pieces in the manner hereinbefore described permits injection molding of the various parts which can be assembled in minimum time by unskilled labor, thereby providing an outlet box having performance characteristics superior to that of outlet boxes heretofore developed and at a cost which makes the use thereof economically feasible.

It should be appreciated that other and further embodiments of my invention may be devised without departing from the basic concept thereof.

Claims

Having described my invention I claim:

1. A washing machine outlet box having a lower portion of unitary construction comprising: a bottom wall; a downwardly extending well formed in said bottom wall, said well having a drain passage formed therein; a downwardly extending neck about said drain passage, said neck being positioned to extend into a drain pipe; a reduced outside diameter portion on the lower end of said neck; upwardly inclined surfaces formed on said bottom wall having openings extending therethrough to receive water pipes, said upwardly inclined surfaces encircling said openings such that said openings are at an elevation above the bottom wall; flanges extending upwardly from the periphery of the bottom wall; an upper portion of unitary construction comprising: upwardly extending sidewalls and a backwall secured to inner surfaces of said flange; and connector members extending outwardly from said sidewalls adapted for securing the unitary lower portion and unitary upper portion of the outlet box in an opening formed in a vertical wall.