Patent ID: 6691331
Filing Date: 2004-02-17
Classification: E03D

Abstract:
A gasket for positioning between a toilet base and a conventional closet flange to form a seal therebetween, the toilet base having a downwardly extending horn surrounded by a substantially planar toilet lower surface and the closet flange having a central opening surrounded by a substantially planar flange upper surface, the gasket comprising:a water impermeable elastomer ring bounded by a substantially planar ring upper surface, a substantially planar ring lower ledge that is spaced apart from said substantially planar ring upper surface by a separation distance S, a ring inner surface configured to surround a portion of the horn of the toilet base when the horn is placed therein, and a ring outer surface spaced apart from said ring inner surface, and wherein said ring is quasi trapezoidal in cross section, being essentially trapezoidal with a groove extending upward from said substantially planar ring lower ledge, said ring having, an upper continuous region extending downwardly from said substantially planar ring upper surface, an inner diverging leg attached to said upper continuous region and having an inner leg free end, and an outer diverging leg attached to said upper continuous region and having an outer leg free end, the cross section of said ring having a maximum thickness Tmax at said substantially planar ring lower ledge, said inner leg free end and said outer leg free end defining said substantially planar ring lower ledge, said inner diverging leg and said outer diverging leg diverging such as to form said groove therebetween, said groove extending upwardly from said substantially planar ring lower ledge into said ring and having a groove depth D, and said separation distance S being at least about Â½ inch (13 mm) to assure that said water impermeable elastomer ring is compressed when the toilet base is mounted to the closet flange with said ring interposed therebetween; and an annular extension forming a protrusion on said substantially planar ring lower ledge, said annular extension having en extension outer surface extending from said substantially planar ring lower ledge and configured to be insertable into the central opening of the closet flange such that, when so inserted, said substantially planar lower ledge of said ring abuts the substantially planar flange upper surface of the closet flange, said annular extension also having an extension inner surface which is spaced apart from said extension outer surface.