AU760860B2 - Services fixture - Google Patents

Description

-1- SERVICES FIXTURE Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a waste water discharge services fixture.

Background of the Invention Waste water discharge services are frequently used to remove excess water from floor areas of buildings and the like. Water can accumulate for example, from basin spillage or from water used to clean the floor etc. Shower recesses also use waste water discharge services to remove excess water.

A fixture normally associated with waste water discharge services is a flush mounted open grille or grating installed in the floor to collect the excess water. The open grille or grating is usually connected to a pipe which then transports the water away from the building.

Many of these open grille or grating fixtures detract from the neatness of the floor in which they are installed, and are somewhat unserviceable.

It is an object of the present invention to substantially overcome or ameliorate one or more of the above disadvantages or at least provide an alternative waste water services fixture.

Summary of the Invention According to the present invention there is disclosed a waste water discharge services fixture including: :a main component having a frustro-conical portion, to which a plurality of 25 support members are arranged internally to upwardly support each of one or more track members; and a disc component being contactable with an upper surface of at least one of said one or more track members, and having one or more underside receiving means to which an end portion of a respective one of said track members can selectively releasably engage, to thereby allow selective holding or release of said disc component from within said main member.

eeo Brief Description of the Drawings A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the drawings, in which: [R:\LIBOO]04402.doc:GJH:caa -2- Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a first embodiment of a waste water discharge services fixture according to the present invention; Fig. 2 is an assembled top plan view of the fixture shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an assembled cross-sectional view of the fixture shown in Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 is an assembled top perspective view of the fixture shown in Fig. 1, installed in a floor.

Detailed Description of the Drawings Fig. 1 shows a main component 1 of a waste water discharge services fixture.

lo The main component 1 is formed from a lower cylindrical portion 2 which is connected to a frustro-conical portion 3, which is in turn connected to an upper cylindrical portion 4.

An inner surface of the frustro-conical portion 3 is provided with a plurality of regularly spaced, raised pegs 5, each having an inner surface 5a being substantially aligned with an imaginary cylindrical plane upwardly extending from an inner surface of the lower cylindrical portion 2. With the exception of free-standing pegs 6, for which two are selected in this embodiment, each of the pegs 5 support, and are integrally connected with, a length of arcuate track member 7. In this embodiment, two lengths of track member 7 are provided, each being separated by the free-standing pegs 6. Various combinations of pegs 5, 6, together with other curvatures, lengths and quantities of track members 7 are also possible.

Each track member 7 is connected to each respective peg 5 so as to protrude slightly inward from the imaginary cylindrical plane mentioned previously. Preferably, the extent of this inward protrusion of each track member 7 is uniform. It is also preferable that neither of an upper surface 7a of each track member 7, or an upper surface 25 5b of each peg 5 or 6b of each peg 6, extends above an imaginary plane defined by the connection between the upper cylindrical portion 3 and the frustro-conical portion 4.

Fig. 1 also shows a disc component 8 with a rim portion 9 peripherally connected to a recessed base portion 10. The base portion 10 includes an opening 10a to facilitate removal of a floor covering material which can be used to fill the base portion 10 for S 30 aesthetic purposes, as will be later described. The base portion 10 also includes a pair of downwardly extending arcuate protrusions 11 radially located from the centre of the disc component 8, to correspond approximately to the radius of the lower cylindrical portion 2.

Each of the protrusions 11 continues for an arc length no greater than a nominal distance separating each length of track member 6.

separating each length of track member 6.

[R:\LIBOO]04402.doc:GJH:caa -3- Referring to Fig. 3, which is a cross-section through the assembled main component 1 and disc component 8, each of the protrusions 11 formed in the base portion incorporate a downwardly extending part I la and an outwardly extending lip 1 lb.

The disc component 8 can be neatly fitted within the main component 1 so that there is a flush relationship between an upper surface 4a of the upper cylindrical portion 4 and an upper surface 9a of the rim portion 9.

To assemble the fixture, the disc component 8 is placed into the main component 1 with each protrusion 11 aligned with a respective one of the free standing raised pegs 6.

This allows the underside of the disc component 8 to rest upon the upper surface 7a of each track member 7 and for each protrusion 11 to extend downwardly, below the upper surface 7a of each track member 7 by virtue of the free space created around each of the free-standing raised pegs 6.

When the disc component 8 is fitted within the main component 1 as described above, the relative positioning/arrangement between each protrusion 11, track member 7 and pegs 6 allows the disc component 8 to rotate for about 1/16th of a turn, to be secured within the main component 1.

After alignment, the disc component 8 can be rotated either in a clockwise or anti-clockwise direction within the main component 1, so that the track members 7 are received within an area generally confined between the downwardly extending part 11 a and the outwardly extending lip 1 lb of each protrusion 11. This engagement can be seen in cross-section in Fig. 3.

To disassemble the fixture and remove the disc component 8 from the main component 1, the above procedure is reversed.

As can be seen in Figs. 2 and 3 when the disc component 8 has been installed within the main component 1, an annular gap 12 is formed between exterior of the rim portion 9 of the disc component and the interview of the upper cylindrical portion 4 of the main component 1. The gap 12 allows the entry of waste water into the fixture. A flow path, indicated by arrows 13, is also provided through the waste water services fixture as the openings which separate each of the pegs 5, 6 provide a path through the frusto- 30 conical portion 3 for waste water that has been collected through the gap 12, which can then be carried away via a pipe connected to the lower cylindrical portion 2.

oo The main advantage of the foregoing arrangement is that the disc component 8 can be readily removed from the main component 1, to allow access to a drain pipe connected to the lower cylindrical portion 2. If a pipe is blocked for example, and R:\LIBOO]04402.doc: GJH:ca requires clearing by an "electric eel" (as known in the trade), this access will be most convenient. In most cases, the installation and removal of the disc component 8 can be performed without the aid of any special tools and without damaging the fixture.

An alternative arrangement is where each of the underside protrusions 11 can be tapered along its arc length by gradually reducing the extent of the downwardly extending part 1 la. This provides a more positively securable engagement of the respective track member 7, by gradually reducing the cross sectional area to which it is received. In this case, the direction of rotation for installation and removal of the disc member 8 will remain fixed.

to Fig. 4 shows the waste water discharge services fixture after it has been embedded into a finished floor. The reassessed base portion 10 of the disc component 8 has been filled with a portion of floor covering 13 selected to match the surrounding floor 14. The result is a pleasing, relatively unobtrusive appearance where only the small gap 12 (for fluid entry), interrupts the floor surface.

The foregoing describes only one embodiment of the present invention, and modifications, obvious to those skilled in the art can be made thereto without departing from the scope of the present invention. For instance, three, rather than two free-standing pegs 6 could be selected, to engage with three rather than two corresponding protrusions.

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Claims (6)

1. A waste water discharge services fixture including: a main component having a frustro-conical portion, to which a plurality of s support members are arranged internally to upwardly support each of one or more track members; and a disc component being contactable with an upper surface of at least one of said one or more track members, and having one or more underside receiving means to which an end portion of a respective one of said track members can selectively releasably engage, to thereby allow selective holding or release of said disc component from within said main member.

2. A services fixture as recited in claim 1, wherein said plurality of support members are arranged with regular spacing to provide a liquid flow path through said frustro-conical portion.

3. A services fixture as recited in claim 1 or 2, wherein said main component includes a first cylindrical portion having a first opening peripherally connected with a first, radially larger opening of said frustro-conical portion, said first cylindrical portion having a second opening being substantially flush with an upper surface of said disc component when held within said main member. oO*.

4. A services fixture as recited in any one of the preceding claims wherein disc component can rotate with respect to said main component to cause said 25 engagement. A services fixture as recited in claim 3 or 4, wherein a radius of curvature of said one or more track members is less than a radius of said disc component, which is in turn less than a minimum radius of said first cylindrical portion. S° A services fixture as recited in any one of the preceding claims, wherein each of said underside receiving means comprises an outwardly open channel, with an open end to which said end portion of said track member can initiate engagement. o.:oo [R:\LIBOO]04402.doc:GJH:caa -6-

7. A services fixture as recited in any one of the preceding claims wherein said main component includes a second cylindrical portion peripherally connected with a second, radially smaller opening of said frustro-conical portion, said second cylindrical portion being adapted for connection with a waste water services pipe.

8. A waste water discharge services fixture substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Dated 13 March, 2003 Caroma Industries Limited Patent Attorneys for the Applicant/Nominated Person SPRUSON FERGUSON [R:\LLBOO]04402.doc:GJH:caa