Abstract:
A toilet carrier for supporting a wall-hung toilet can include a smooth pipe nipple that attaches a toilet to a waste pipe. A seal can be formed with the pipe nipple at the waste pipe end using a gasket compression seal, where a gasket is compressed between two opposing flanges encircling the pipe nipple, forcing a seal to be formed with the pipe nipple.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD  
         [0001]    This invention relates to a toilet carrier, and more particularly to a wall hung toilet carrier.  
         BACKGROUND  
         [0002]    Many toilets are arranged to connect to the drain through the floor of the room in which they are kept. Such toilets can rely on the floor to support the weight of their components and to assist in making a seal with the waste pipe. Wall hung toilets connect to a waste pipe through a wall rather than through the floor and thus face different challenges, particularly in making a seal with the waste pipe. A wall hung toilet connector facilitates attachment of a wall hung toilet to a waste pipe. A typical connector supports the toilet off the floor and includes a threaded seal between the toilet and the waste pipe.  
         SUMMARY  
         [0003]    According to one aspect of the invention, a plumbing system includes a wall hung toilet and a waste pipe with a toilet carrier coupling the toilet to the waste pipe. The toilet carrier includes a connecting pipe positioned to place the toilet and waste pipe in fluid communication and at least a portion of the connecting pipe has a smooth outer wall. The toilet carrier has a first flange positioned about the smooth portion of the connecting pipe, a second flange positioned about the smooth portion of the connecting pipe and opposing the first flange, and a gasket positioned between the first and second flanges.  
           [0004]    Embodiments of this aspect of the invention may include one or more of the following features. The gasket is made of neoprene. The toilet is, for example, a siphon jet toilet or a blowout toilet.  
           [0005]    The toilet carrier has a faceplate attached to the toilet, and the faceplate includes the first flange. The plumbing system includes a frame attached to the faceplate that permits vertical adjustment of the position of the faceplate.  
           [0006]    In an illustrated embodiment, the gasket has a trapezoidal cross-section. The gasket can has a first surface in contact with the second flange, an angled, second surface in contact with the first flange, a flat, third surface in contact with the first flange, and a flat, fourth surface forming a seal with the portion of the connecting pipe. The plumbing system includes a fastener for adjusting the relative position of the first and second flanges such that the flanges compress the gasket to form a seal.  
           [0007]    According to another aspect of the invention, a wall hung toilet carrier for coupling a wall hung toilet to a waste pipe includes a connecting pipe positioned to place the toilet and waste pipe in fluid communication. At least a portion of the connecting pipe has a smooth outer wall. The toilet carrier further includes a first flange positioned about the smooth portion of the connecting pipe, a second flange positioned about the smooth portion of the connecting pipe and opposing the first flange, and a gasket positioned between the first and second flanges.  
           [0008]    According to another aspect of the invention a sealing device includes a pipe having at least a portion with a smooth outer wall, a first flange positioned about the smooth portion of the pipe, a second flange positioned about the smooth portion of the pipe and opposing the first flange, a gasket with a trapezoidal cross-section positioned between the two flanges, where the gasket has i) a flat surface in contact with the second flange, ii) an angled surface in contact with the first flange, iii) a flat surface in contact with the first flange, and iv) a flat surface forming a seal with the portion of the pipe. The sealing device includes a fastener for adjusting the relative position of the first and second flanges such that the flanges compress the gasket to form a seal.  
           [0009]    Advantages of the invention may include a leak proof seal between the pipe nipple and the waste pipe. Previous designs use a threaded connection at the pipe nipple-waste drain connection that has historically been prone to leaking. The advantages of the invention are that the seal formed is leak proof and that the seal is easily adjustable without the threads and sealing compounds common to other marketed wall hung carriers.  
           [0010]    The details of one or more embodiments of the invention are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS  
       [0011]    [0011]FIG. 1 is a schematic of a plumbing system showing a cross-section of a wall hung toilet carrier taken along lines  1 - 1  in FIG. 3.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 2 is a cross-section of the wall hung toilet carrier taken along lines  2 - 2  in FIG. 3.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 3 is an end view of the wall hung toilet carrier.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 4 is a side view of the wall hung toilet carrier.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 5A is an illustration of a flange of the wall hung toilet carrier.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view of the flange taken along lines  5 B- 5 B in FIG. 5A.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 6A is an illustration of a faceplate of the wall hung toilet carrier.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 6B is a cross-sectional view of the faceplate taken along lines  6 B- 6 B in FIG. 6A.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a gasket of the wall hung toilet carrier.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a gasket-clamping portion of the wall hung toilet carrier. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0021]    Referring to FIG. 1, a wall hung toilet carrier  100  extends through a bathroom wall  104  to support a wall-hung toilet  102 . Toilet  102  is secured to toilet carrier  100  by four support screws  106  (only two being shown in the cross section of FIG. 1) that extend from the toilet  102  through the wall  104  and through a faceplate  124  of the wall hung toilet carrier  100 . The faceplate  124  attaches to a frame  126  that includes carrier feet  118  to secure the carrier  100  to the floor  122 . The frame  126  allows for the faceplate  126  to be positioned at a variety of vertical positions, as discussed below. The toilet carrier  100  includes a pipe nipple  112  for connecting the toilet  102  to a waste pipe  134 . Nipple  112  extends from the toilet  102  through the wall  104  and through the faceplate  124  of carrier  100  to the waste pipe  134 . The faceplate  124  forms a seal with the waste pipe via a fitting gasket  130 . The nipple  112  forms a seal with the toilet via a bowl gasket  132 . The carrier  100  has positioning notches  108  (described in detail below) that allow for the carrier  100  to be vertically positioned through a plurality of vertical positions to match the height of the pipe nipple  112  with the height of the waste pipe  134 .  
         [0022]    The faceplate  124  of the carrier has a faceplate flange  120  that circumferentially surrounds the nipple  112 . Located between the faceplate flange  120  and an outer wall  128  of the pipe nipple  112  is a gasket  116  circumferentially positioned in contact with the outer wall  128  and the faceplate flange  120 . Located to the toilet side of the gasket  116  is a second flange  114 . Flanges  114  can be moved relative to flange  120  to compress gasket  116  to form a seal between the faceplate  124  and the outer wall  128  of the pipe nipple  112 .  
         [0023]    Referring to FIG. 2, outer wall  128  of the pipe nipple  112  is preferably smooth in that it is not threaded or otherwise marked and forms a seal with gasket  116 . The seal is formed by virtue of compression of the gasket  116  against outer wall  128  by faceplate flange  120  and second flange  114 . As the two flanges are brought toward one another, the gasket  116  is compressed toward the outer wall  128  resulting in a seal. The faceplate flange  120  also includes an O-ring  204  that forms a secondary seal with the outer wall  128 . The pipe nipple  112 , initially, has a punch out  208  that is removed after the seal between the faceplate  124  and the pipe nipple  112  has been tested. Faceplate  124  has slots  312  for connecting to the waste pipe. Slots  312  allow the faceplate  124  to attach to a variety of different vertical positions of waste pipes. Faceplate  124  also has holes  306  (FIG. 3) and  308  for receiving screws  106  for connecting to the toilet  102 .  
         [0024]    Referring also to FIG. 3, flange  114  has four, uniformly spaced bolts  304  for attaching flange  114  to the faceplate flange  120  spaced uniformly around the pipe nipple  112 . Faceplate  124  attaches to a siphon jet or standard flush toilet  102  via screw receiving holes  306  and  308 . The faceplate  124  can be inverted and attached to a blow out or pressurized flush toilet by way of screw receiving holes  306  and  310 . The faceplate  124  is attached to the waste pipe  134  via standard fasteners received in slots  312 . The slots  312  allow for a variety of different pipe types and vertical placements. Faceplate  124  has positioning notches  108  that can be removed at each notch to facilitate attachment to low hung toilets. Referring to FIG. 4, faceplate  124  has threaded side holes  314  that receive fasteners for attachment of faceplate  124  to frame  126 . Frame  126  has side slots  127  (FIG. 1) that permit vertical positioning of the faceplate  124  relative to the frame  126  and secure the carrier  100  to the floor  104 . The pipe nipple has a punch out  208  and notches  316  to facilitate attachment to the toilet. Notches  316  provide and entry into a slot for interaction with male counterparts on the toilet  102  when nipple  112  is placed flush to the toilet and rotated.  
         [0025]    Referring to FIGS. 5A and 5B flange  114  includes a lip  506  that defines 4 holes  502  through which bolts  304  (FIG. 3) extend for attaching flange  114  to the faceplate flange  120 . Flange  114  has a wall  508  defining a through hole  510  through which pipe nipple  112  extends. Wall  508  has a compression face  504  that contacts gasket  116  (FIG. 1).  
         [0026]    Referring to FIGS. 6A and 6B, faceplate  124  has a wall  608  with a terminal portion that forms flange  120 . Wall  608  defines a through hole  610  through which pipe nipple  112  extends. Wall  608  has a compression face  602  and an inner facing surface  604  that contact gasket  116 . Face  602  is at an approximately 45° angle relative to surface  604 . Flange  120  defines four holes  606  through which bolts  304  (FIG. 3) extend.  
         [0027]    Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, the gasket  116  that forms the seal between the flanges and the pipe nipple  112  has a first compression face  708  that contacts face  504  of flange  114 , a second compression face  710  that contacts face  602  of flange  120 , an inner compression face  712  that contacts surface  604  of flange  120 , and an outer sealing face  714  that contacts the outer wall of the pipe nipple. Compression face  710  is at an approximate 45° angle relative to  712 . Flange  114  is drawn toward faceplate flange  120  by tightening compression bolts  304  resulting in compression of gasket  116  between the compression faces  504  and  602 , surface  604  and the outer wall of the pipe nipple. This forms a circumferential seal along the outer face  714  of gasket  116  with the pipe nipple  112 . Prior to tightening bolt  304 , to aid assembly, pipe nipple  112  and faceplate  124  are initially sealed by O-ring  704  received with a notch  804  in faceplate  124 . Gasket  116  forms a leak tight seal and also holds the pipe nipple such that the pipe nipple does not slide relative to the waste pipe and toilet.  
         [0028]    The O-ring and gaskets can be made from any suitable gasket material, for example, the gaskets can be made from Neoprene. The pipe nipple is molded with no threads and can be made from any suitable material for carrying waste including for example, molded plastic including molded resins and specifically PVC and ABS. The faceplate also has no threads along its inner face and may be made from any suitable material including cast iron. The frame can also be cast iron or any other material suitable to the purpose. The toilet carrier can be used with different types of waste pipes including vertical and horizontal pipes. The carrier has flexibility built into its design in order to be able to service as many types of toilets as possible. For example, the frame may be inverted to support a blow out pressurized flush toilet, or can be used upright for a siphon jet toilet.  
         [0029]    A number of embodiments of the invention have been described. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims.