Sanitary fixtures

• US 5,231,706 A
• Filed: 12/10/1991
• Issued: 08/03/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kohler Company
• Original Assignee: Desmond M. Kendall
• Inventors: Kendall, Desmond M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Recla, Henry J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fetsuga, Robert M.
• Application Number:
  US07/778,127
• Time in Patent Office: 602 Days
• Field of Search: 4/300, 4/329, 4/353, 4/417, 4/418, 4/419, 4/420, 4/421, 4/425, 4/430, 4/431, 4/432, 4/434, 4/441, 4/442
• US Class Current: 4/329
• CPC Class Codes: E03D 1/26 Bowl with flushing cistern mounted on the rearwardly extending end of the bowl shape or material of the cistern E03D1/01; constructional features of the bowl E03D11/02 - E03D11/12
• CPC Class Codes: E03D 11/02 Water-closet bowls auxiliary chambers with connections to flushing water for bowl-cleaning utensils E03D9/06; modified for using upwardly-directed sprays E03D9/08; seats or covers A47K13/00 ; Bowls with a double odour seal optionally with provisions for a good siphonic action; siphons as part of the bowl parts or details of bowls E03D11/13

Abstract

A sanitary fixture constructed from at least inner (1) and outer (45, 50, 61) shell sections formed from any suitable material such as a plastics material. The inner shell (1) has an upwardly facing concave basin portion (1A) and is supported on a cradle like member (30). The supported inner shell (1) provides structural integrity for the fixture and the remaining components of the fixture are carried essentially by the supported inner shell. The cradle like support (30) has a bottom section (31) for attachment to a supporting base, a top section (33) that engages the undersurface of the basin, and an intermediate section (32) interconnecting the top and bottom sections together. The supported inner shell provides structural integrity for the fixture whereby the outer shell section of the fixture which extends downwardly form an upper rim (10) of the basin, is essentially non-load bearing and thereby capable of being removed from fixture servicing or for substitution with a replacement shell of a different color, texture, design or material. The bottom section of the cradle like support can be made detachable (60, 78, 70) from the remainder of the support for ease of removal and installation of the fixture over a down pipe located in a floor.

Claims

1. In a sanitary fixture of the type which is adapted to be secured to a floor and which is constructed from a plurality of interconnected plastic members that include an inner shell-like member forming a waste and water receiving basin which has a discharge opening proximate a bottom thereof, a water trap conduit having an inlet end connected to said discharge opening and an outlet end for connection to a waste down pipe located in said floor, an upper member at least forming a rim about a top of said basin, and an outer shell-like member spaced apart from and forming an exterior wall about an underside of said basin and which is sized to extend from said upper member to said floor, the improvement comprising:

(a) said outer member being essentially a non-load bearing member and being removably connected to said upper member; and

(b) support means for securing said fixture to the floor and for positively and firmly supporting substantially all of the weight of the fixture and any weight applied to the fixture during use thereof, said support means being separately located interiorly of said outer member and further including;

(i) an elongate bottom section for fixedly securing said support means to the floor;

(ii) a first aperture in said bottom section permitting the passage of the outlet end of said water trap conduit therethrough;

(iii) two spaced apart support walls which respectively extend upwardly from an elongate side of said bottom section and which relative to said water trap conduit, are located on either side thereof;

(iv) means for securing each of said support walls to said underside of said basin.

2. The sanitary fixture as claimed in claim 1, wherein said water trap conduit at its said inlet end is connected to said discharge opening at said second aperture.

3. The sanitary fixture as claimed in claim 2, wherein said transverse wall includes means for joining said discharge opening and said inlet end of said water trap conduit together in a water tight relationship.

4. The sanitary fixture as claimed in claim 1, wherein said means for securing includes co-operating inter-engagement means on the underside of said basin and on an upper part of each of said support walls for removably securing each of said support walls to said underside of said basin.

5. The sanitary fixture as claimed in claim 4, wherein said inter-engagement means includes flanges on said underside of said basin.