Patent Publication Number: US-7900286-B2

Title: Support for wall-mounted toilet

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/811,247 filed Jun. 6, 2006, which is incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to toilet supports, and more particularly relates to supports that are mounted below wall-mounted toilets to increase their load bearing capacity. 
     BACKGROUND INFORMATION 
     Wall-mounted toilets have limited load bearing capacities. It would be desirable to provide a support structure which increases the load bearing capacity of wall-mounted toilets. It would also be desirable to provide an adjustable toilet support that can be adapted for use with different types of toilet designs. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides an adjustable toilet support designed to be installed under wall mounted toilets in order to increase their load bearing capacities. The toilet support comprises a base which rests on the floor below the toilet, a sleeve surrounding an upper portion of the base, and a contact member that contacts the underside of the toilet bowl. The sleeve and contact member are height adjustable with respect to the base by means of a support rod connected to the contact member and threaded into a nut contained in the base. The support rod has an upper ball that fits in a socket under the contact member. In one embodiment of the invention, the contact member is in the shape of a swivel ball having a generally spherical side surface that contacts the inner diameter of the sleeve near the top of the sleeve. During installation, the toilet support is positioned under the toilet, and the base is rotated while the sleeve, contact member and support rod are held against rotation, thereby causing the contact member to rise and contact the toilet bowl. 
     An aspect of the present invention is to provide a toilet support comprising: a base structured and arranged to rest on a floor below a toilet, and an extendable contact member extendable from the base, wherein the extendable contact member is structured and arranged to contact an underside of the toilet when the extendable contact member is extended from the base. 
     Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a toilet support comprising: a base structured and arranged to rest on a floor below a toilet, and a rotatable contact member rotatably connected to the base, wherein the rotatable contact member is structured and arranged to contact an underside of the toilet. 
     A further aspect of the present invention is to provide a toilet support comprising: a base, a support rod threadably engaged in the base, and a contact member mounted on the support rod, wherein the contact member is structured and arranged to contact an underside of a toilet. 
     Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a toilet support comprising: a base, a contact member structured and arranged to contact an underside of a toilet, and a resilient coupling between the base and the contact member for absorbing downward forces applied from the toilet through the contact member. 
     A further aspect of the present invention is to provide a method of supporting a toilet. The method comprises the steps of placing a toilet support below the toilet, and extending a contact member from a base of the toilet support to contact an underside of the toilet. 
     These and other aspects of the present invention will be more apparent from the following description. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an isometric view of a toilet support mounted under a wall-mounted toilet in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is an isometric view of a toilet support in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a side sectional view of a toilet support in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a side sectional view of a base member of a toilet support in accordance with an embodiment the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a side sectional view of a contact member of a toilet support in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  is an isometric view of a compression spring of a toilet support in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1  illustrates an adjustable toilet support  10  of the present invention installed under a toilet bowl  12  of a wall-mounted toilet.  FIG. 2  is an isometric view and  FIG. 3  is a side sectional view of the toilet support  10 . The support  10  includes a base  20 , a sleeve  30  and a contact member in the form of a swivel ball  40 . The base  20  and sleeve  30  are generally cylindrical, and the contact member  40  has a generally spherical outer surface in the embodiment shown. As shown most clearly in  FIG. 3 , the toilet support  10  also includes a threaded rod  50 , hexagonal nut  60  and compression spring  70 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the base  20  includes a central bore  22  having a hexagonal cross section terminating in a lower shoulder  24 . The upper opening of the central bore  22  includes a radially inwardly extending lip or detent  26 . 
     The sleeve  30  has a bottom end  32  that may optionally have a slightly reduced inner diameter approximating the outer diameter of the base  20 . The sleeve  30  has a top end  34  which has two small radially inwardly extending rings which contact the spherical outer surface of the swivel ball  40 . This arrangement provides a snap fit in which the swivel ball  40  may rotate within the sleeve against the frictional forces between the radially inwardly extending rings and the outer spherical surface of the swivel ball  40 . 
     The swivel ball  40  has a concave upper surface  42  for contacting the underside of the toilet bowl  12 . The intersection of the concave upper surface  42  and the spherical outer surface of the swivel ball  40  forms a circular edge which, in the embodiment shown in  FIG. 3 , lies in a non-horizontal plane. Although a concave surface  42  is shown in the figures, any other suitable surface for contacting the underside of a toilet may be used in accordance with the present invention. As shown most clearly in  FIGS. 3 and 5 , the swivel ball  40  has an interior spherical socket  44  adapted to receive a spherical pivot head or ball  52  of the rod  50 . The ball  52  is inserted in the socket  44  and is retained by a detent formed by a slight lip provided at the opening of the socket  44 . This arrangement allows the swivel ball  40  to pivot in any desired direction with respect to the rod  50  and ball  52  against the frictional forces between the ball  52  and socket  44 , while retaining the swivel ball  40  on the rod  50 . As shown most clearly in  FIG. 2 , alignment markings  46  may be provided on the contact surface  42  of the swivel ball  40  in order to assist in orientation of the toilet support  10  under the toilet bowl  12 . 
     As shown most clearly in  FIG. 3 , the hexagonal nut  60  is threaded on the rod  50  and is mounted in the hexagonal central bore  22  of the base  20 . The top  64  of the nut  60  contacts the detent  26  to thereby retain the nut  60  in the hexagonal central bore  22 . In this manner, the nut  60  is prevented from rotating with respect to the base  20  and is retained in the central bore  22 , but is permitted to slide downward slightly in the bore  22 . The generally cylindrical compression spring  70  surrounds the rod  50  and is supported in the central bore  22  by the lower shoulder  24 . The bottom end  62  of the nut  60  rests on the top of the compression spring  70 . 
     Details of the compression spring  70  are shown in  FIG. 6 . The spring  70  has a central vertical hole  72 , an upper saddle-shaped cutout  74 , a lower saddle-shaped cutout  76  and a middle horizontal hole  78 . The spring  70  may be compressed in the direction of arrow C in  FIG. 6 . The compression spring  70  may be made of any suitable resilient material such as injection molded or machined polyurethane. 
     As shown by the arrow H in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the overall height of the toilet support  10  is vertically adjustable. Rotation of the base  20  around its vertical axis while securing the sleeve  30  against rotation causes the rod  50  to move upward or downward due to its threaded engagement in the stationary nut  60 . The frictional engagement between the sleeve  30  and spherical surface of the swivel ball  40 , and the frictional engagement between the socket  44  and the ball  52  of the rod  50 , cause the sleeve  30 , swivel ball  40  and rod  50  to rotate as a unit when the sleeve  30  is rotated. Rotation of the threaded rod  50  with respect to the stationary nut  60  in the base  20  causes the rod  50 , swivel ball  40  and sleeve  30  to move vertically with respect to the base  20 . The height adjustment H feature allows the toilet support  10  to be mounted under toilet bowls of different heights, and allows the toilet support  10  to be secured between the floor and toilet bowl with a controlled amount of vertical force. 
     In addition to the height H adjustment, the swivel ball  40  is freely rotatable on the pivot head  52  of the rod  50  such that it can swivel in any direction against any frictional forces between the ball  52  and socket  44 , such as the swivel direction S shown in the figures. The ability of the swivel ball  40  to rotate in any desired direction facilitates installation of the toilet support  10  under toilet bowls of different shapes. 
     The use of the compression spring  70  in accordance with the present invention provides a shock-absorbing affect when downward forces from the toilet bowl  12  force the swivel ball  40  and rod  50  downward. Downward force on the rod  50  forces the nut  60  downward a small distance in the central bore  22  against the force of the compression spring  70 . 
     In one embodiment, the base and sleeve assembly may be approximately two inches in diameter, and may range from 5 to 12 inches tall. However, any other suitable size may be used. 
     The base  20 , sleeve  30  and swivel ball  40  may be made of any suitable material such as plastic. For example, they may be thermoplastic injection molded parts, e.g., a 40 percent talc filled polyethylene or the like. The rod  50  and nut  60  may be made of metal such as carbon steel which may be zinc coated. In one embodiment of the invention, only the plastic parts are exposed to the environment, while the steel components are contained within the assembly. 
     The toilet support  10  may be assembled as follows. The compression spring  70  is inserted in the hexagonal central bore  22  of the base, followed by insertion of the nut  60  into the central bore  22  past the detents  26 . This assembly allows the nut  60  to compress the spring  70  when it is pressed downward, but contains both the spring  70  and nut  60  in the base component  20 . The upper ball  52  of the support rod  50  is snapped into the socket  44  of the swivel ball  40  past the detent formed at the opening of the socket  44 . The sleeve  30  is slid down over the base  20 , then the support rod  50  with the attached swivel ball  40  is threaded through the nut  60 . To complete the assembly, the sleeve  30  is slid upward over the swivel ball  40  and snaps into place on the swivel ball  40  due to contact with the rings at the top  34  of the sleeve  30 . 
     The overall height of the toilet support  10  can be simply adjusted to fit under the toilet  12  by turning the base  20  while the swivel ball  40  and sleeve  30  are maintained in position. The unit should be adjusted to fit between the floor and the toilet bowl  12  keeping the base  20  perpendicular to the floor and centered under the bowl  12  front to back and side to side as well as possible. With the base  20  squarely on the floor the concave surface  42  of the swivel ball  40  should make contact with the bowl surface as closely as possible. Final installation of the support unit under the toilet is accomplished by using an adhesive caulk to secure the base to the floor and the swivel ball to the toilet bowl. 
     In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the following instructions may be followed when installing the toilet support. The toilet bowl and floor should be cleaned prior to installation, such that dirt and wax are removed. Cleaning products which include petroleum-based solvents or which may leave a film should be avoided because they may adversely effect bonding of the silicone adhesive. The toilet support should be centered at the lowest point of the toilet bowl with the “front” impression on the top of the swivel ball aligned with the front of the bowl. The toilet support should be both square to the floor and centered under the bowl. The support may be adjusted by securely holding the sleeve in the desired position and twisting the base of the unit clockwise until it has come firmly into contact with both the floor and bottom of the bowl. Care should be taken not to overtighten the unit. Once the height of the support has been adjusted, it is removed and silicone adhesive is applied in the socket on top of the ball and to the bottom of the base. The support is then reinstalled under the bowl ensuring that it is squarely centered and that the ball is in contact with the bowl. An additional bead of silicone adhesive may be used around the ball and base. In addition, a small bead of the silicone adhesive may be provided around the joint at the perimeter of the ball and sleeve to ensure a leak-free joint. 
     During use, as the toilet is pressed down, the swivel ball  40  and rod  50  assembly will force the nut  60  to compress the spring  70 . This will absorb the initial shock and allow the toilet hanger to accept only a portion of the load. The compression spring  70  only deflects a given amount at which point the unit becomes a rigid support, thus enabling the toilet to support a greater load than it could typically support. 
     Whereas particular embodiments of this invention have been described above for purposes of illustration, it will be evident to those skilled in the art that numerous variations of the details of the present invention may be made without departing from the invention as defined in the appended claims.