Abstract:
This disclosure provides a square closet flange support for overall support of closet flange and toilet bolts and to be used with new construction projects as well as in renovation projects to level, support and determine the final height of the closet flange and to prevent a need of cutting circular forms from floor tiles, hardwood or other floor covering. The square support has a seam that allows it to be snapped into two identical halves for use in renovation projects to enable sliding the support halves under the flange without a need to remove and reinstall an already installed flange.

Description:
PRIORITY 
       [0001]    This application claims priority of U.S. provisional application No. 61/603,857 filed on Feb. 27, 2012 the contents of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The invention relates to plumbing and more particularly the invention relates to fittings and flanges to couple a toilet closet flange and to secure and support the toilet closet flange onto the floor. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    A closet flange (also called toilet flange or toilet closet flange) is a pipe fitting that mounts a toilet to the floor and connects the toilet to a waste pipe. The closet flange is a connecting interface between the toilet, the floor structure and a wastepipe. The closet flange is mounted on top of the subfloor that is under the final tiling or finished floor surface and the toilet is bolted to the flange. Usually the flange has rectangular holes that allow rectangular headed bolts to slide into. These bolts attach the toilet to the flange and the square heads prevent the bolts from turning when the bolts are tightened down. The current methodology of the installation of toilets provides no support under these bolts and toilet flange, often making it difficult to ensure the stability of the bolt and the toilet flange, especially when installing or removing the toilet bowl at a future date. The flange also has holes that allow long screws to fasten it into the floor structure. The current methodology provides no support when these screws are attached. 
         [0004]    When installing a closet flange, the height of the flange is essential. The height of the flange has an effect on the height of the toilet bowl, and toilet&#39;s proper connection and relationship to the finished floor. This relationship is essential for the stability of the toilet bowl. The closet flange must be installed either flush with the tiles or up a ¼″ to ensure proper installation. A proper installation prevents rocking of the toilet and eliminates pressure placed on the waste pipe which, if installed improperly will create further problems down the road. The height of the flange is also an important factor depending on the type of tiles or other floor covers, such as hardwood, vinyl or stone that are to be used. With thicker tiles for example the flange has to be installed in a higher position than with thinner tiles. For thicker hardwoods the flange must be installed in a higher position than thinner hardwoods. 
         [0005]    The current art knows circular closet flange spacers. The primary purpose of these circular spacers is to install them on top of an existing closet flange to raise the height of the flange. Such a system provides no support under the existing closet flange. Accordingly, such circular spacers solve the problem of lifting the flange to the floor level, but these devices overlook other problems in the current art. 
         [0006]    Because closet flange is circular an installer has to cut a circular pattern in the tile or other finished floor coverings, such as hardwood, when installing the floor covering around the circular flange. Cutting a circular pattern on the tiles is disproportionally time taking. Additionally loss of material is often experienced as tiles tend to break during the cutting of a circular hole or improper cuts of the finished material cause improper fitting. Often times an installer of the floor material will remove the plumber&#39;s bolts and try to slide the tiles or other floor material under the closet flange—creating improper connection of the closet flange to the subfloor. Furthermore, when the toilet is installed, the plumber must spend time removing the grout around the closet flange to properly secure the toilet. Breaking a tile is likely to happen. If the bolts have been removed, the plumber must spend time correcting the installation before setting the toilet bowl in place. A circular closet flange spacer does not bring any solution to this problem. 
         [0007]    Moreover, the circular flange spacers can be easily used only in new construction projects where the flange is not yet installed in its place. In renovation projects where the flange is already in place but needs support, the currently existing circular spacers require the installer to remove the closet flange, then install the circular spacer and then reinstall the closet flange again. 
         [0008]    Furthermore, as the toilet bowl is attached to the flange with the bolts and not to the floor it is utterly important that the flange has enough support beneath it. A circular spacer does not provide the needed support since its intended purpose is to sit on top of an existing closet flange. 
         [0009]    The invention according to this disclosure provides solutions to all the above mentioned flaws of the prior art and others. 
         [0010]    European Patent Application number 2060685 provides a mounting plate with a square shape and a recess for a rim in a round drain bowl. This device may partially solve the problem of cutting circular pattern on a tile or finished floor surfaces, but it does not allow any adjustment of the height if the flange. Moreover, this device can be only used with drain bowls having the rim that fits into the recess, and therefore it is not useful for regularly and commonly used closet flanges. The design of the device disclosed does not allow this drain to be adapted to use with a closet flange. Furthermore, the square shape is integral with the design of the drain and therefore it is not a closet flange but a drain. A drain cannot act as a closet flange, even if a closet flange may act as a drain. 
         [0011]    U.S. Pat. No. 8,196,229 provides an adjustable floor drain that allows adjustment of a grate of a drain to be raised to the level of new floor. This is not a closet flange, nor does it provide any support to a closet flange. 
         [0012]    U.S. Pat. No. 4,780,915 provides a toilet floor flange, where there is a square flange member. However, the flange member is integrated to a sleeve member. This floor flange fails to provide any support for the bolts that attach the toilet bowl. The current methodology of installing closet flanges is the same as shown in this patent. The flange is directly mounted to the subfloor and allows no adjustment in its height (see e.g. FIG. 1 of the patent). Further it places the flange below the allowable height and the toilet must be placed prior to the floor finish and then have the floor finish brought up to the toilet. This is a significant departure and creates more work for the finished floor installer, increasing cost, waste, labor and decreasing productivity. The invention disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,780,915 was developed to solve the problem of cutting a round hole for the waste pipe, and instead cutting a square hole. However, installation of this device would require it to be raised in height leaving no positive support underneath it and creating the same problems that exist in circular closet flange installations. Furthermore, since the device disclosed in this patent is a closet flange, it provides no support for the toilet hold down bolts. In fact, by cutting a square hole in the subfloor creates a greater chance for the toilet hold down bolts to be lost or improperly installed, which again creates additional time and labor requirements to correct the installation. 
         [0013]    The invention described in this disclosure solves the above problems and others. The invention according to this discloser reduces labor, increases support to the toilet bowl, decreases damage to the flange and pipes. Furthermore, the device of this invention can be used in new construction projects as well as in reconstruction projects without a need to remove the already installed closet flange before installing the support of this invention. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0014]    It is an object of this invention to provide a square support for a toilet closet flange, the support having four equal sides, a centered hole in middle of the support, support tabs to support toilet bowl attachment bolts and counter sunk holes in each of its four corners to attach the support directly on a subfloor of a tile backer board. 
         [0015]    It is a further object of this invention to provide a square support for a toilet closet flange, the support having four equal sides, a centered hole in middle of the support, support tabs to support toilet bowl attachment bolts, and counter sunk holes in each of its four corners, wherein the support has at least two breakable seams on two opposite sides of the square, said seams extending perpendicularly from the sides toward a central point of the centered hole, whereby breaking the seam results in two identical halves of the square support. 
         [0016]    It is another object of this invention to provide a square support for a toilet closet flange, wherein the square support has support tabs to support the bolts attaching the toilet bowl on the flange and prevent the bolts to fall down. 
         [0017]    It is an object of this invention to provide a support for closet flange. 
         [0018]    It is another object of this invention to provide a square support for closet flange. 
         [0019]    It is another object of this invention to provide a support for closet flange that is invisible once the toilet bowl has been installed. 
         [0020]    It is yet another object of this invention to provide a toilet closet flange support that is compatible with any closet flange. 
         [0021]    It is yet another object of this invention to provide a method to install a closet flange, said method comprising the steps of sliding a square support over a waste pipe through a centered hole of the support; attaching the closet flange to the waste pipe; lining the support with the closet flange by lining toilet bowl attachment bolts on the flange with support tabs of square support; attaching the square support on a subfloor or tile backer board; attaching the closet flange to the subfloor or tile backer board through the support; and finalizing flooring by attaching flooring material along the four sides of the support. 
         [0022]    It is yet another object of this invention to provide a method to install a toilet bowl without a need of cutting circular patterns of tiles, hardwood or other flooring material around a closet flange. 
         [0023]    It is a further object of this invention to provide a square support that can be installed easily on new construction projects as well as on remodeling projects where a closet flange is already installed. 
         [0024]    It is another object of this invention to provide a kit comprising one or more square supports, a closet flange and screws or nails for attachment. 
         [0025]    It is a further object of this invention to provide a method to attach a closet flange on a subfloor in a renovation project, said method comprising the steps of: breaking the seam of a square support to receive two identical support halves; sliding one support half between the closet flange and the subfloor or backer board; sliding the second support half between the closet flange and the subfloor or backer board and moving the halves so that the halves form a full square and that the toilet bowl attachment bolts align with support tabs; attaching the square support on subfloor; attaching the closet flange to the subfloor through the support; and finalizing flooring by attaching flooring material along the four sides of the support. 
         [0026]    It is an even further object of this invention to provide a square support that can easily be snapped to two half squares to be used with remodeling projects. 
         [0027]    It is an object of this invention to provide a stackable closet flange support to adjust the height of the closet flange. 
         [0028]    It is yet another object of this invention to provide a method to install a closet flange at a desired height with use of square flange supports. 
         [0029]    It is a further object of this invention to reduce efforts of multiple trades affecting each other&#39;s work. 
         [0030]    A further object of this invention is to provide a flange support and a method to use the support to reduce waste, increase productivity, and increase profitability. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0031]      FIG. 1  is an exploded view showing installation of a toilet and toilet flange with a square flange support. 
           [0032]      FIG. 2  A is an exploded view showing a renovation project where toilet flange is already installed and the square flange supports are used to support the flange at desired height. 
           [0033]      FIG. 2B  shows installed toilet flange with two square flange supports supporting the flange. 
           [0034]      FIG. 3  shows installed toilet flange and final tiling installed along the square flange support&#39;s sides. 
           [0035]      FIGS. 4  A and B show another embodiment of the square flange support. In Figure A the support is in one piece, in  FIG. 4B  the seam is snapped and the square is in two pieces. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0036]    The preferred embodiments of the instant invention are now described referring to  FIGS. 1-4 . 
         [0037]    Now referring to  FIG. 1 .  FIG. 1  shows exploded view showing installation of a toilet bowl and toilet flange with a square flange support. The figure shows, a toilet bowl  10 ; a toilet closet flange  20 ; two square flange supports  30 , a subfloor  60  and a wastepipe  50 . 
         [0038]    The figure also shows mounting screws  22  to attach the flange  20  to the subfloor  60 . The square flange support  30  is shown to have four sides  40  with identical length; a centered hole  34 ; four attachment holes  38  and a multitude of holes  39  and support tabs  37  around the centered hole  34 . Seams  36  for snapping the square into two identical parts is also shown. One support  30  is shown to have been slipped over the wastepipe  50  through a centered hole  34  of the support  30 . 
         [0039]    Now referring to  FIG. 2  A.  FIG. 2  A is an exploded view showing a renovation project where toilet flange is already installed and the square flange supports are used to support the flange at desired height.  FIG. 2A  shows a toilet bowl  10 , a subfloor  60 , a toilet closet flange  20  and mounting screws  22 . A square flange support  30  installed under the flange  20 . Another square flange support  30  is snapped into to two identical halves  30   a  and  30   b  and the halves are slipped under the flange  20 . The arrows show the direction of slipping the support halves  30   a  and  30   b.  The flange support  30  and the flange support halves  30   a  and  30   b  are shown to have counter sunk corner holes  38  for attachment, holes  39  and support tabs  37  around the centered circle  34 . 
         [0040]    Now referring to  FIG. 2B .  FIG. 2B  shows installed toilet flange with two square flange supports supporting the flange.  FIG. 2B  shows a toilet bowl  10 , and a toilet closet flange  20  attached to the waste pipe  50  (pipe is shown in  FIG. 1 ). The figure shows two square flange supports  30  installed under the flange  20 . The square supports  30  are attached to the subfloor  60  with mounting screws  22  through the counter sunk corner holes  38  (shown in  FIG. 1 ). The flange  20  is attached to the subfloor  60  with screws  25 . The four identically long sides  40  of the support are shown as well as the seams  36 . Bolts  23  to attach the toilet bowl  10  to the flange  20  are also shown. 
         [0041]    Now referring to  FIG. 3 .  FIG. 3  shows installed toilet flange and final floor covering installed along the square flange support&#39;s sides. The figure shows the toilet bowl  10 , the toilet closet flange  20  and the square flange support  30 . The flange  20  is attached to the subfloor  60  (shown in  FIG. 1 ) with screws  25  and the support  30  is attached with the mounting screws  22  through the counter sunk corner holes  38  (shown in  FIG. 1 .). Final floor covering  70  is installed at the level of the support  30 . The bolts  23  to attach the toilet bowl  10  to the flange  20  are also shown. 
         [0042]    Now referring to  FIGS. 4A and 4B .  FIG. 4  A and B show another embodiment of the square flange support.  FIG. 4A  shows four identically long sides  40  of the support  30 . The central hole  34  is shown in the figure. The hole has loops  35  along its circle protruding toward the sides  40 . The figure shows the counter sunk corner holes  38  and the seams  36  at two sides of the support. The figure also shows the support tabs  37  that are formed in between the loops  35 . The support tabs  37  are essential in supporting the bolts  23  (shown in FIGS.  2 B, 3 ) from falling down and causing destabilization of the installed toilet bowl. 
         [0043]      FIG. 4B  shows the support  30  in two identical halves  30   a  and  30   b  when the seam  36  has been snapped. The figure shows the center hole halves  34   a  and  34   b,  the loops  35  and the counter sunk corner holes  38 . The figure also shows the support tabs  37  that are formed in between the loops  35 . The support tabs  37  are essential in supporting the bolts  23  (shown in  FIGS. 2B ,  3 ) from falling down and causing destabilization of the installed toilet bowl. 
         [0044]    The square support according to this invention is preferably 7-8″ times 7-8″, most preferably 7″ times 7″, but other measures may also be used. The square support has a centered hole  34  preferably 5-6″ in diameter, most preferably the diameter is 5¼″. 
         [0045]    The support  30  has counter sunk corner holes  38  for nails or screws in each of its four corners for attachment of the support on the subfloor  60 . Alternatively the support may be attached to a tile backer that is on top of the subfloor. Alternatively construction glue or adhesive can be used to attach the square support. Additionally the support has nail or screw holes  39  around the centered hole  34 . These nail or screw holes coincide with the holes in the flange and when the flange is attached to the subfloor the nails or screws easily bypass the holes as well. According to one preferred embodiment (shown in  FIGS. 4A  and B) instead of nail or screw holes around the centered hole  34 , the centered hole has multiple loops  35  extending from its circle toward the sides  40  of the square. The loops  35  coincide with the holes in the flange. The loops have such measures that the stem of the screws attaching the flange to the floor bypass the support kit  30 . In this embodiment the support tabs  37  are formed in between the loops  35  for supporting the toilet bowl attachments bolts  23  from below. 
         [0046]    The square support  30  is preferably ¼″ inches thick but may have other thicknesses also. One support or a stack of multiple supports may be used for installing a closet flange.  FIG. 2B  for example shows use of two supports to provide support for a flange that is installed at about ½″ height from the subfloor; i.e. at a height that corresponds with thickness of two ¼″-½″ thick supports. When a tile backer is used, it is customary that the backer is about ¼″ thick. If the tile is ¼″ and the flange is to be installed ¼″ above the tile, there is a need for using a stack of three square supports each being ¼″ thick. Only one support may as well be used, or any desired number of supports depending on the height at which the flange is to be installed. When more than one support is used in the installation the multitude of the supports is called a stack. A stack of supports may contain any number of supports above one; however a stack two or three supports is most common. 
         [0047]    According to one preferred embodiment, the closet flange support  30  is made of plastic, PVC or polypropylene. Other feasible materials may also be used. 
         [0048]    According to a preferred embodiment the closet flange support  30  may be made by sawing or cutting the square from plastic into described dimensions. According to another preferred embodiment the support  30  may be molded and injection molding technology may be used. According to yet another embodiment the support may be made by using thermoforming technology. 
         [0049]    According to one preferred embodiment the support  30  has at least two breakable seems  36  on two opposite sides of the centered hole  34 . Most preferably the support  30  has two breakable seams  36 . The two seams  36  extend perpendicularly from two opposite sides  40  toward a central point of the centered hole  34  and the two seams  36  locate in middle of the two opposite sides. When the support  30  is used in a renovation project where the closet flange  20  is already installed in its place (shown in  FIG. 2B ), the support  30  can be easily snapped into two identical pieces  30   a  and  30   b  along the seams  36 . Now the support halves  30   a  and  30   b  can be slid separately between the subfloor  60  (or tile backer) and the closet flange  20  without a need to remove the flange  20 . After lining the halves in a way that the support tabs  37  line with the toilet bowl attachment bolts  23  the halves  30   a  and  30   b  are attached to the floor with screws  22  or nails through the counter sunk corner holes  38  in a way that the two halves again form a complete square on top of which the flange  20  rests. The screws or nails  22  must be set to sit flush or below the surface of the support  30 . Again multiple supports can be used in stack or only one support may be used as well. The closet flange  20  is then attached to the subfloor  60  with screws or nails  25  through the holes in the closet flange which coincide with the holes  39  or the loops  35 , respectively, in the support halves  30   a,    30   b.    
         [0050]    In new construction projects the support  30  is used without snapping it into halves. Such situation is shown in  FIG. 1 . The square support  30  or a stack of multiple supports is placed on the subfloor  60  or tile backer prior to installation of the closet flange  20 . Alternatively the support  30  or the stack of multiple supports is slid over the waste pipe  50  through the center hole  34 . The closet flange  20  is then glued in its place to the waste pipe  50 . The square support  30  or the stack of supports is then lined up in such a way that the support tabs  37  of the support coincide with the bolts  23  of the flange that are used to attach the toilet bowl  10  on the flange  20 . This way the support tabs  37  supports the bolts  23  from below and prevents them to fall down. The support  30  is then fastened to the subfloor  60  with nails or screws  22  through the four counter support corner holes  38  in the corners. The closet flange  20  is then attached to the subfloor  60  with screws or nails  25  through the holes in the closet flange which coincide with the holes  39  or the loops  35 , respectively, in the support  30 , or support halves  30   a,    30   b.    
         [0051]    According to one preferred embodiment the square support  30  or the stack of supports is attached on the subfloor  60  with glue or construction adhesive instead of nails or screws. 
         [0052]    In case of a renovation project where a closet flange  20  is already installed, the support  30  can be snapped into two equal halves  30   a  and  30   b  along the seams  36 . Now the support halves  30   a  and  30   b  can be easily slid into place from two sides (shown in  FIG. 2A ), squared and fastened to the floor similarly as described above. 
         [0053]    According to one preferred embodiment a self adhesive water proofing membrane is added to the subfloor prior to the installation of the square support, to better protect the subfloor from potential water damage from an improperly maintained toilet. 
         [0054]    Other advantage of this invention is that the square shape and counter sunk holes allow for a greater area of support for a positive reinforcement of the closet flange  20  to the subfloor  60 . Whereas in a new construction project, if the hole cut through the subfloor is too large so that all the flange mounting screws  25  cannot connect to the subfloor, the square support  30  provides a greater surface area to screw to the subfloor through holes  38  creating a positive connection to the subfloor. 
         [0055]    Whereas in a renovation project if due to rot of the subfloor creating too large of a hole or due to too large of a hole originally cut for the waste pipe so that the flange mounting screws  25  cannot all connect to the subfloor  60  the square support  30  provides a greater surface area to screw the subfloor in through holes  38  creating a positive connection to the subfloor. 
         [0056]    Whereas a hard floor installation is used the square shape allow a greater distance from the closet flange creating greater protection of the hard floor if a leak were to occur from the closet flange. The greater distance will provide more time to detect the leak and will minimize moisture transference into hardwood. 
         [0057]    Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made only by way of illustration and that numerous changes in the details of construction and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention.