Patent Publication Number: US-2020288925-A1

Title: Toilet flange assembly and method for installing a toilet

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application claims the benefits of priority of U.S. Patent Application No. 62/817,262 entitled “TOILET FLANGE ASSEMBLY AND METHOD FOR INSTALLING A TOILET”, and filed at the United States Patent Office on Mar. 12, 2019, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention generally relates to the field of toilet flanges. More particularly, the present invention relates to the field of toilet flanges having a support base for toilet stabilization. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Nowadays, conventional toilet flanges have mainly been designed to connect the toilet to the wastewater drain without much consideration on the impact on the support and stabilization of the toilet and on the installation of floor tiles. 
     Some toilet flanges also comprise anchoring mechanisms to provide some level of support and stabilization, while others also aim at facilitating the installation of floor tiles. 
     In one example, the U.S. Pat. No. 9,297,157 discloses a toilet flange support kit having a removable support base using bolts to attach simultaneously the toilet flange to a support having a square shape and to the toilet vase. This square surface is equally divided into two removable parts with seams to allow these two parts to attach to each other. 
     There is still a need for a toilet flange and support base aiming at simplifying the installation of a toilet and aiming at providing an improved stabilization. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The shortcomings of the prior art are generally mitigated by a new toilet flange with support mechanism for anchoring the toilet flange onto the floor. 
     In one aspect of the present invention, a new toilet flange with support is provided. The new toilet flange with support comprises a toilet flange and a support. 
     Both the toilet flange and the support are adapted to allow them to be attached to each other. The toilet flange and the support may further comprise a snap-in feature to allow them to be permanently attached to each other. 
     The support further comprises a support base having an inner circle area where the toilet flange may be snapped in place from the top of the support as the toilet flange is pressed downwards. The support base is further adapted to comprise at least two studs or bolts to allow the installation of the toilet flange with support to the toilet. 
     The toilet flange may further comprise a covered area at the top surface to prevent the falling of debris into the wastewater pipe. This covered area may be broken up and removed before installing the toilet. 
     The support may be square or rectangular and may be made of plastic or resin, or any other material that is waterproof, antibacterial and corrosion resistant. The support may further comprise multiple screw locations for mounting the support base onto the floor. The advantage of a rectangular shape is to facilitate the installation of floor tiles without the need for cutting the tiles in a circular or round shape. 
     In another aspect of the present invention, the toilet flange is configured for a wastewater drain and comprises a drain portion configured to be attached to the wastewater drain and a supporting portion. The wastewater drain further comprises a first connecting member and an aperture adapted to allow the flow of wastewater while the supporting portion comprises a second connecting member and an aperture adapted to receive the periphery of the drain portion. The drain portion and the supporting portion are adapted to be attached to one another by means of the first and second connecting members. 
     The drain portion and the supporting portion may be adapted to be removably attached to one another and the second connecting member is adapted to become rigidly fixed to the first connecting member in the vertical direction. The second connecting member may remain rotatably movable with respect to the first connecting member when rigidly fixed to the first connecting member and the second connecting member is able to self-lock to the first connecting member. 
     The first connecting member may comprise a groove and the second connecting member comprises a protruding edge, the groove and protruding edge being configured to be mated to one another. The first connecting member may comprise a protruding edge and the second connecting member may comprise a groove, the groove and protruding edge being configured to be mated to one another. The supporting portion may comprise a fastener configured to anchor a toilet bowl and the fastener comprises a bolt. 
     The fastener may be integral with the supporting portion, the drain portion comprises a removable cover configured to limit access through the aperture and the drain portion comprises a breakable cover configured to limit access through the aperture. The supporting portion may comprise a cavity adapted to receive a fastener and the supporting member is rectangular or square shaped. 
     In a further aspect of the present invention, a method for installing a toilet is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of inserting and connecting a drain portion of a toilet flange to a drain pipe, adjusting a supporting portion of the toilet flange to obtain a desired orientation of the toilet, connecting the supporting portion to the drain portion, and mounting the toilet to the toilet flange. 
     The method may further comprises any one the steps of affixing the supporting portion to a surface around the drain pipe, affixing the toilet to fasteners of the toilet flange, removing a cap covering an aperture of the drain portion, breaking a cap covering an aperture of the drain portion and installing flooring having a geometrical shape compatible with the support portion. 
     Other and further aspects and advantages of the present invention will be obvious upon an understanding of the illustrative embodiments about to be described or will be indicated in the appended claims, and various advantages not referred to herein will occur to one skilled in the art upon employment of the invention in practice. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The above and other aspects, features and advantages of the invention will become more readily apparent from the following description, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective top view of an embodiment of a toilet flange in accordance with the principles of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective bottom view of the toilet flange of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a side view of the toilet flange of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of an embodiment of a toilet flange drain portion in accordance with the principles of the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective top side view of an embodiment of a lower supporting portion of a toilet flange in accordance with the principles of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     A novel toilet flange with support will be described hereinafter. Although the invention is described in terms of specific illustrative embodiments, it is to be understood that the embodiments described herein are by way of example only and that the scope of the invention is not intended to be limited thereby. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 1 to 3 , an embodiment of a toilet flange  100  is shown. The toilet flange assembly  100  typically comprises a toilet drain portion  200  and a toilet supporting portion  300 . Both the toilet drain portion  200  and the supporting portion  300  are adapted to be attached to one another. 
     In some embodiments, the drain portion  200  and the supporting portion  300  may be adapted to connect to one another. In some embodiments, the drain portion  200  comprises a connecting member, also referred as top portion or top rim section,  215  compatible with a connecting member or portion  315  of the supporting portion  300 . In a preferred embodiment, the drain portion  200  comprises a groove portion  230  adapted to tightly and permanently receive a lip member or edge  330  of the supporting portion  300 . The connection between the two portions  200  and  300  is typically embodied as a snap-in system. 
     Now referring to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , in some embodiments, the drain portion  200  comprises an inner hollow portion adapt to let a flow of wastewater. The hollow portion is formed by an external wall  210  and the connecting member  215  adapted to the shape of the toilet drain. The external wall typically has a cylindrical shape. More particularly, the diameter of the external wall is typically 3 or 4 inches. As in other toilet flanges, the external wall  210  shall snuggly fit in the inner portion of a wastewater drain. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 5 , the supporting portion  300  typically comprises a support base  310  having an aperture  305  and at least two bolts or studs  350  protruding from the support base  310 . 
     In some embodiments, the connecting member  215  of the drain portion  200  may further comprise an upper lip  240  and a lower lip  220  to provide, in conjunction with a groove  230 , a self-locking mechanism with the connecting member  315  of the supporting portion  300 . In such embodiments, the connecting member  315  of the supporting portion  300  may further comprise an edge  330  adapted to protrude radially inwards towards the center of the aperture  305  between the top portion of the rim  340  and the lower portion of the rim  320 . The protruding edge  330  shall be adapted to lock in the groove  230  at the periphery of the connecting member  215  of the drain portion  200 . Understandably, any other self-locking mechanism may be used as the drain portion  200  may comprise a protruding edge and the supporting portion  300  may comprise a groove or cavity section adapted to receive the said protruding edge. 
     The drain portion  200  may further comprise raised ribs  250  adapted to receive a wax member typically used to seal the drain of the toilet assembly with the toilet flange assembly  100 . 
     In a preferred embodiment, the studs or bolts  350  are incorporated or integral with the support base  310 . 
     In some embodiments, the supporting portion  300  may further comprise a plurality of cavities  370  adapted to receive fasteners to anchor or fix the support base  310  to a surface, such as the floor. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the support base  310  is rectangularly or square shaped. The rectangular shape aims at facilitating the installation of the supporting portion  300 . Indeed, as floor tiles generally have a square or rectangular shape. The bolts or studs  350  are used to anchor the toilet flange with support to a toilet bowl. 
     Typically, the support base  310  is made of plastic, resin or any other material that is waterproof, antibacterial and/or corrosion resistant. Understandably, the support base  310  may be made of any other rigid or semi-rigid material. 
     Referring back to  FIGS. 1 to 3 , an embodiment of an assembled toilet flange  100  is shown. The drain portion  200  is locked to the supporting portion  300 . In such an embodiment. The groove  230  in between the top lip  240  and lower lip  220  receives the inner lip portion  330  of the supporting portion  300 . 
     In another embodiment, the snap-in upper outer rim  240  of the toilet flange  200  may slide in place to completely contact the upper inner rim  340  of the support base  310 . The snap-in center inner rim  330  of the support base  310  may snap in place to contact the snap-in center outer rim  230  of the toilet flange  200 . The snap-in lower inner rim  320  of the support base  310  may contact the two half lower outer rim sections  220  of the toilet flange  200 . 
     In some embodiments, the drain portion  200  may further comprise a temporary cover area or cap (not shown) covering the aperture  280  of the drain portion  200 . In such embodiments, the temporary cover typically prevents debris or elements to fall in the drain. The temporary cover is typically attached to the inner periphery of aperture  280  formed by the external wall  210 . The connection may be made with any method allowing easy break-off the cover from the periphery of the aperture  280 . In use, the covered area or cap shall be broken up and removed before permanently installing the toilet on the flange system  100   
     In yet other embodiments, once the drain portion  200  is locked into the supporting portion  300 , the supporting portion  300  may be aligned by pivoting the supporting portion  300  around the drain portion  200 . In a preferred embodiment, the pivoting results from the edge of the supporting member  300  moving within the groove  230  of the drain portion. 
     A method to install a toilet is provided. The method comprises inserting and permanently connecting a drain portion  200  of a toilet flange  100  to a drain pipe, such as gluing the drain portion to the drain pipe. The method further comprises pivoting a supporting portion  300  to align the protruding studs or bolts to obtain the desired orientation to the toilet. Once aligned, the method further comprises fastening or attaching the supporting portion  300  to the surface around the drain pipe. The method may further comprise installing the toilet over the flange assembly  100  to allow the protruding bolts to fit into apertures of the toilet. The method may also further comprise attaching the toilet to the studs using any type of fastener, such as a nut. 
     The method may further comprise breaking or cutting a temporary cap covering the aperture  280  of the drain portion  200  of the flange assembly  100 . The method may also comprise using a self-locking mechanism integrated in the supporting portion  300  and in the drain portion  200  to lock the drain portion  200  to the supporting portion  300 . 
     The method may further comprise installing one or more tiles around the square or rectangular shape of the supporting portion  300 . 
     While illustrative and presently preferred embodiments of the invention have been described in detail hereinabove, it is to be understood that the inventive concepts may be otherwise variously embodied and employed and that the appended claims are intended to be construed to include such variations except insofar as limited by the prior art.