AU712803B2 - A waste water fitting support - Google Patents

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

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e *c 9 99 *r Name of the applicant: Actual Inventor(s): Address for service: Invention title: Robert James WOODS Robert James WOODS CARTER SMITH BEADLE PO Box 296 Five Dock, N.S.W. 2046 A WASTE WATER FITTING SUPPORT Details of Associated Provisional Application: No. PN7385 filed 02.01.96 The following statement is a full description of this invention, ioncluding the bets method of performing it known to me:- 1 A WASTE WATER FITTING SUPPORT FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to the drainage of waste water from the floor of a wet area, such as a shower recess, and provides an improved support for the floor waste fitting.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION Current building practice in the construction of bathroom and shower floors is to provide a flat wood, concrete, compressed asbestos sheet or fibre board floor and cover this flooring with ceramic tiles. Drainage of water from the surface is provided by having a floor waste fitting in the floor and angling the upper surface of the ceramic tiles towards the waste fitting so that water flows to the waste fitting.

Ceramic tiles are laid on a relatively dry mortar mix which is inherently porous.

This feature when associated with unavoidable cracking due to shrinkage when 15 the mortar dries, means that joints between the tiles and mortar do not present o an impervious surface to any water which spills on the floor.

If water falling on the tiled surface passes through the mortar and is trapped between the tiles and the underlying floor it cannot pass into the waste fitting, o• which has its entry point on the tile upper surface. In such cases the water will leach alkalis from the mortar to form a concentrated alkali solution which will attack the flooring underneath the tile mortar. Even if a water resistant fibre board is used, laid on wood rafters, any water which leaks around the floor waste fitting hole in the fibre board will bypass the fibre board and attack the underlying rafters, causing wet-ro t. In the case of concrete floors, corrosion of the reinforcement is likely to occur.

PRIOR ART The present applicant has devised other waste fitting supports as covered in his Australian patents numbered 640210 661220. Those supports are designed to accept only one sized waste fitting.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION The principal objective of this invention is to provide a water fitting support arrangement in which seepage water trapped between the floor tiles and the underlying structure can be directed to the drain associatedwith the floor waste fitting thereby substantially eliminating the incidence of water induced structural damage. The associated objective is to provide a waste water fitting support having means to accommodate more than one size waste water fitting. This 15 has obvious economic and practical advantages for manufacturers and dealers in waste fitting supports and trades persons using the supports.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION *Broadly stated, the invention provides a waste water fitting support to allow seepage water entering the fitting support externally of a waste water fitting 20 mounted in the support to merge with waste water passing through the waste water fitting, said support including an imperforate body with a through bore :"'•"having an inlet end and an outlet end, a first bore portion adjacent said bore inlet end dimensioned to accept with clearance a tubular body part of a waste 3 water fitting of a first size, a second bore portion adjacent said bore outlet end, a shoulder in the first bore portion downstream from said bore inlet end and facing the bore inlet end, first positioning means adjacent said shoulder to radially and axially position a tubular body part of a first sized waste fitting in said first bore portion with a discharge end of said tubular body part spaced from said shoulder, a further bore portion smaller in diameter than the first and second bore portions and located downstream of said shoulder, said further bore portion is sized to accept a tubular body part of a second and smaller sized waste fitting, second positioning means to radially and axially position said second waste fitting body part with a discharge end of the second waste fitting body part entered into said second bore portion and seepage water paths along said further bore portion connecting said first bore portion to said second bore portion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the illustrated presently preferred embodiment of the invention: Fig.1 is a plan view of the waste water fitting support, *o.

Fig 2 is sectional elevation of the support of Fig.1 on the section line A-A o f Fig.l, and Fig.3 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the portion in the circle marked B in 20 Fig.2 a -DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT.

As illustrated the floor waste fitting support 1 has an imperforate body 2 which is circular in cross-section, but can be of other external shapes. There is a bore 3 through the body 2 with a bore inlet end 4 and a bore outlet end There is an outwardly directed continuous flange 6 around the inlet bore inlet end 4. It is to be understood that the invention is not dependent upon the flange and it would be possible under certain conditions to have a support without a flange or with a minimal sized flange.

The bore of the body includes a diameter reducing shoulder 7 facing the inlet end 4 of the bore 3. On the surface of the shoulder 7 there is a number of stepped lugs 8 adapted to both axially and centrally position the tubular body part of a first size waste water fitting 9, shown in part in broken lines in Fig.2.

It is to be understood that the lugs 8 may be made to grip the fitting internally as an alternative to the external gripping form as shown in the drawings.

The large annular clearance 18 between the surface 10 of the bore portion and the outside of the fitting 9 provides a catchment zone or sump for seepage water entering the fitting support body. The clearance 18 can be less than that illustrated.

.o 15 The lugs 8 each include a portion 11 raised above the surface of the shoulder 7 ensuring the discharge end of the tubular body of the fitting 9 is spaced sufficiently above the surface of the shoulder 7 to allow seepage water to pass below the end of the fitting 9.

.i Downstream from the shoulder 7 there is a further bore portion 12 and downstream from the bore portion 12 there is a larger bore portion 13. A shoulder 14 separates the bore portions 12 and 13. The bore 13 is dimensioned receive into it a waste pipe 19 (shown in broken lines) to which dimensioned receive into it a waste pipe 19 (shown in broken lines) to which the waste water fitting support 1 would be coupled, as by gluing, and into which waste and seepage water will discharge.

Resilient support arms 15, for a smaller sized waste water fitting, extend downstream from the shoulder 14 and are angled slightly inwardly at their downstream ends and each terminates in a lug 16. The arms 15 and the lugs 16 define a socket to receive the discharge end of the smaller sized waste fitting. The lugs 16 limit the axial penetration of the engaged smaller sized waste water fitting into the socket and locate the discharge end of the fitting in the bore portion 13. The surfaces of the lugs 16 engaged by the end of the waste fitting are of a width substantially the same as or less than that of the thickness of the waste water fitting. This ensures that there is no projection of the lugs 16 into the flow path of water through the waste fitting.

In a first arrangement the support arms 15 each have a front face which stands slightly proud of the surface of the bore 12 so that there is a clearance between the bore 12 and the outer surface of a waste fitting mounted in the socket defining arms 15. This is illustrated in the drawings and the clearance provides paths whereby seepage water from the bore portion 20 can pass through the bore portion 12 into a waste pipe mounted in the bore portion 13.

a second arrangement, also illustrated, there could be ribs upstanding from the inner faces of the arms 15. In this arrangement the ribs 17 rather than the inner faces of the arms 15 would be engaged by the outside of a mounted waste fitting. The ribs 17 provide an enlarged clearance between the mounted °•°waste fitting and the bore 12 for the passage of seepage water.

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In yet another arrangement the inner faces of the arms 15 could be flush with the surface of the bore portion 12 and the ribs 17 on the arms 15 alone could provide the clearance required for the passage of seepage water.

The convergence of the arms 15 and the resilience of the arms allow the arms to deflect as a waste water fitting is thrust between the arms 15 and result in the arms 15 resiliently gripping the waste water fitting.

It is to be noted that the spacing between the rear faces of the arms adjacent the shoulder 14, and the surface of the bore portion 13 generally equates to the thickness of the wall of the waste pipe 19 into which the waste water fitting will discharge. The thickness of the arms 15 can, if required, have a thickness such that if the waste water fitting support 1 is mounted on a waste pipe 19 and the waste water fitting is then mounted in the support 1 the arms when deflected by the waste water fitting 9 will firmly grip the interior of the waste pipe 19.

The foregoing is a description of a preferred embodiment of the invention. It is to be understood that changes can be made to the physical configuration of the several parts described and illustrated without departing from the inventive concepts herein disclosed.

By way of example only, four arms 15 are shown, the number of arms can be three or greater than four. It would also be possible to provide arms 15 with "'°lugs 16 where there are longitudinal slits to transform each arm 15 to a plurality of fingers. Whilst it is desirable that the arms 15 are convergent, one reason being to facilitate the passage of the end of the waste pipe 19 behind the arms that convergence is not an essential. The front view shape of the arms as shown is one with tapered sides, the arms can have parallel sides.

The flange 6 as shown in the drawings is in a plane at right angles to the axis of the bore 3. The flange surface can be angled to the axis to facilitate the gravitational flow of seepage water into the sump 4. The surface of the shoulder 7 can be likewise angled.

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Claims (9)

1. A waste water fitting support to allow seepage water entering the fitting support externally of a waste water fitting mounted in the support to merge with waste water passing through the waste water fitting, said support including an imperforate body with a through bore having an inlet end and an outlet end, a first bore portion adjacent said bore inlet end dimensioned to accept with clearance a tubular body part of a waste water fitting of a first size, a second bore portion adjacent said bore outlet end, a shoulder in the first bore portion downstream from said bore inlet end and facing the bore inlet end, first positioning means adjacent said shoulder to radially and axially position a tubular body part of a first sized waste fitting in said first bore portion with a discharge end of said tubular body part spaced from said shoulder, a further bore portion smaller in diameter than the first and second bore portions and located downstream of said shoulder, said further bore portion is sized to accept a tubular body part of a second and smaller sized waste fitting, second positioning means to radially and axially position said second waste fitting body part with a discharge end of the second waste fitting body part entered into said second bore portion and seepage water paths along said further bore portion connecting said first bore portion to said second bore portion.

2. A waste water fitting support as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first positioning means includes fingers upstanding from said shoulder and adapted to engage the exterior of the tubular body of the first sized waste fitting and raised bosses on said shoulder to hold the discharge end of the first sized 25 waste fitting clear of said shoulder. M I 0 9

3. A waste water fitting support as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first positioning means includes fingers upstanding from said shoulder and adapted to engage the interior of the tubular body of the first sized waste fitting and raised bosses on said shoulder to hold the discharge end of the first sized waste fitting clear of said shoulder.

4. A waste water fitting support as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein said second positioning means comprises arms which extend from said further bore portion into said second bore portion and are provided with positioning lugs located downstream from said further bore portion for engagement by the discharge end of the tubular body of a waste fitting able to entered into the socket defined by said arms and said positioning lugs.

A waste water fitting support as claimed in 4 wherein said arms at least adjacent said positioning lugs are deflectable and are spaced radially relative to the axis of the support through bore such that said arms are deflected when the discharge end of a waste water fitting is forced into said socket sufficiently to provide engagement with said positioning lugs.

6. A waste water fitting support as claimed in claim 4 or claim 5 wherein said second bore portion is adapted to receive the outside of a waste water be pipe, and said arms have a length such that they will extend into the bore of a 20 water pipe so received, and said arms have a thickness such that when a S" waste water fitting is mounted in said socket outer faces of said arms will bear on the bore of the waste water pipe received into said second bore portion. a a0

7. A waste water fitting support as claimed in any one of the claims 1 to 6 wherein said seepage water paths along said further bore portion are provided between said arms by having inner faces of the arms which lie above the surface of said further bore portion.

8. A waste water fitting support as claimed in claim 7 further including ribs on the inner faces of said arms.

9. A waste water fitting support as claimed in any one of the claims 1 to 6 wherein said arms have inner faces which lie substantially co-planar with the surface of said further bore portion and said seepage paths are provided between ribs on the inner faces of said arms and/or said further bore A waste water fitting support substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Dated this 6th day of December, 1996 i ***oo 555* ROBERT JAMES WOODS By his Patent Attorneys CARTER SMITH BEADLE S