Combination plug device and cover plate

• US 20030150500A1
• Filed: 02/11/2002
• Published: 08/14/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smith Molina, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Smith Molina, Inc.
• Inventors: Molina, Devin C.
• Granted Patent: US 6,725,468 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 138/89
• CPC Class Codes: E03D 11/16 Means for connecting the bowl to the floor, e.g. to a floor outlet

Abstract

A cover plate has an inner surface shaped to contact a closet flange and an opposing outer surface. The cover plate is adapted for covering a drain pipe end having a closet flange that extends perpendicular to the drain pipe end. The inner and outer surfaces terminate in an outer cover perimeter having approximately the same diameter as an outer flange perimeter of the closet flange. The outer cover perimeter has a protective sidewall that extends upwardly, normal to the outer surface, for protecting the closet flange and facilitating the installation of floor tile adjacent the closet flange. The cover plate includes cover apertures positioned to coincide with flange apertures of the closet flange. The cover plate further includes cover locking bolts and cover locking nuts adapted to be positioned through the flange apertures and the cover apertures for removably fastening the cover plate to the closet flange.

Claims

1. A cover plate for covering a drain pipe end, the drain pipe end having a closet flange that extends perpendicular to the drain pipe end and terminates in an outer flange perimeter, the closet flange having flange apertures, the combination comprising:

an inner surface shaped to contact the closet flange;

an opposing outer surface;

cover apertures through both the inner and outer surfaces positioned to coincide with the flange apertures of the closet flange;

the inner and outer surfaces terminating in an outer cover perimeter having approximately the same diameter as the outer flange perimeter and being shaped to conform to the outer flange perimeter,

the outer cover perimeter having a protective sidewall that extends upwardly, normal to the outer surface; and

a means for removably fastening the cover plate to the closet flange.

2. The cover plate of claim 1 wherein the means for removably fastening includes cover locking bolts and cover locking nuts, each of the cover locking bolts being shaped to fit through one of the flange apertures and through one of the cover apertures and lockingly engage the closet flange so that the cover locking bolt does not rotate, each of the cover locking nuts being shaped to threadedly engage one of the cover locking bolts to lock the cover plate against the closet flange.

3. The cover plate of claim 2 wherein the cover locking nuts are wing nuts.

4. The cover plate of claim 1 wherein the protective sidewall extends upwardly at least 0.5 inches.

5. The cover plate of claim 1 wherein the protective sidewall extends upwardly between 0.5-2.0 inches.

6. The cover plate of claim 1 wherein the protective sidewall extends upwardly between 1.1-1.75 inches.

7. The cover plate of claim 1 further comprising radial sidewalls that extend upwardly from and normal to the outer surface, and project radially outwardly to form an integral connection with the protective sidewall.

8. The cover plate of claim 1 further comprising an inner cover aperture having a diameter of less than the diameter of the drain pipe end.

9. A combination plug device and cover plate for removably sealing a drain pipe end, the drain pipe end having a closet flange that extends perpendicular to the drain pipe end and terminates in an outer flange perimeter, the combination comprising:

a hand operable plug device having an elastomeric radially expandable O-ring, spacially parallel rigid plate members having interiorly facing tapered shoulders shaped to engage the O-ring, and a hand adjustable lateral force means operable on the parallel plate members, whereby, subsequent to the placement of the plug device into the drain pipe end, the positive adjustment of the lateral force means causes the sloped opposing shoulders to impart lateral forces to the O-ring to, thereby, cause it to expand outwardly to seal the drain pipe end;

a cover plate having an inner surface, an opposing outer surface, an inner cover aperture and an outer cover perimeter, the inner cover aperture having a diameter of less than the diameter of the parallel rigid plate members yet being shaped to allow access to the hand adjustable lateral force means, and the outer cover perimeter having the same diameter as the outer flange perimeter, the outer cover perimeter having a protective sidewall that extends upwardly, normal to the outer surface; and

a means for removably fastening the cover plate to the closet flange.

10. The combination of claim 9 wherein the means for removably fastening includes cover locking bolts and cover locking nuts, each of the cover locking bolts being shaped to fit through one of the flange apertures and through one of the cover apertures and lockingly engage the closet flange so that the cover locking bolt does not rotate, each of the cover locking nuts being shaped to threadedly engage one of the cover locking bolts to lock the cover plate against the closet flange.

11. The combination of claim 10 wherein the cover locking nuts are wing nuts.

12. The combination of claim 9 wherein the protective sidewall extends upwardly at least 0.5 inches.

13. The combination of claim 9 wherein the protective sidewall extends upwardly between 0.5-2.0 inches.

14. The combination of claim 9 wherein the protective sidewall extends upwardly between 1.1-1.75 inches.

15. The combination of claim 9 wherein the cover plate further includes radial sidewalls that extend upwardly from and normal to the outer surface, and project radially outwardly to form an integral connection with the protective sidewall.

16. The combination of claim 9 wherein the cover plate further includes an inner cover aperture having a diameter of less than the diameter of the drain pipe end.

17. A cover plate for covering a drain pipe end, the drain pipe end having a closet flange that extends perpendicular to the drain pipe end and terminates in an outer flange perimeter, the closet flange having flange apertures, the combination comprising:

an inner surface shaped to contact the closet flange;

an opposing outer surface;

the inner and outer surfaces terminating in an outer cover perimeter being shaped to generally conform to the outer flange perimeter, the outer cover perimeter having a protective sidewall that extends upwardly, normal to the outer surface; and

a means for removably fastening the cover plate to the closet flange.

18. The cover plate of claim 17 wherein the protective sidewall extends upwardly at least 0.5 inches.

19. The cover plate of claim 17 wherein the protective sidewall extends upwardly between 1.1-1.75 inches.

20. The cover plate of claim 17 further comprising radial sidewalls that extend upwardly from and normal to the outer surface, and project radially outwardly to form an integral connection with the protective sidewall.