Toilet closet flange support kit

• US 9,297,157 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2013
• Issued: 03/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Matthew Brian Wendorff
• Original Assignee: Matthew Brian Wendorff
• Inventors: Wendorff, Matthew Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Christiansen, Janie
• Application Number:
  US13/778,878
• Publication Number:
  US 20130219603A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,126 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: E03D 11/16 Means for connecting the bowl to the floor, e.g. to a floor outlet
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

This disclosure provides a square closet flange support for overall support of closet flange and toilet bolts and to be used with new construction projects as well as in renovation projects to level, support and determine the final height of the closet flange and to prevent a need of cutting circular forms from floor tiles, hardwood or other floor covering. The square support has a seam that allows it to be snapped into two identical halves for use in renovation projects to enable sliding the support halves under the flange without a need to remove and reinstall an already installed flange.

Claims

1. A template for surrounding a toilet closet flange, the template comprising:

a template having four sides,

wherein each of the four sides has an outer perimeter and an inner perimeter,

wherein the outer perimeter defines a square and the inner perimeter defines a central hole configured to surround the toilet closet flange;

at least one breakable seam that traverses at least a portion of the template;

a plurality of loops disposed along and opening toward the inner perimeter,

wherein each of the plurality of loops has a neck area and a receiving area,

wherein the neck area has a smaller diameter than the receiving area, and

wherein the plurality of loops open towards the central hole of the template via the neck area;

support tabs to support toilet bowl attachment bolts,

wherein one support tab is disposed between each of the plurality of loops; and

at least one hole in each corner of the template.

2. The template of claim 1, wherein the template has two breakable seams on two opposite sides of the template, said seams extending perpendicularly from the sides toward a central point of the central hole and wherein the two seams are located in a middle of the two opposite sides, whereby breaking the seam results in two identical halves of the template.

3. The template of claim 1, wherein the sides are approximately 7 inches, and the central hole has a diameter of approximately 5¼

″

inches.

4. The template of claim 1, wherein the support has a thickness of approximately ¼

inches.

5. The template of claim 1, wherein the central hole is a circle.

6. The template of claim 5, wherein the support has multiple holes around the centered hole at locations coinciding with attachment holes in the flange and the support tabs are formed in between the holes.

7. The template of claim 1, wherein the template is made of plastic, polypropylene or PVC.

8. The template of claim 1, wherein the template is made by sawing or cutting it from plastic board, by molding or injection molding or by thermoforming technology.

9. The template of claim 1, wherein the template is compatible with any closet flange.

10. A method to install a closet flange, said method comprising the steps of:

a. sliding a template of claim 1 over a waste pipe through the central hole;

b. attaching the closet flange to the waste pipe;

c. aligning the template to with the closet flange by aligning toilet bowl attachment bolts with the support tabs of the template;

d. attaching the template on a subfloor;

e. attaching the closet flange to the subfloor through the template; and

f. finalizing flooring by attaching flooring material along the four sides of the template.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein in step a) more than one template is used.

12. A method to attach a closet flange on a subfloor in a renovation project, said method comprising the steps of:

a. breaking the seam of a template of claim 1 to receive two identical template halves;

b. sliding a first template half between the closet flange and a subfloor or a tile backer board;

c. sliding a second template half between the closet flange and the subfloor or the tile backer board and moving the template halves so that the template halves form a full square,

wherein toilet bowl attachment bolts line up with the support tabs of the template;

d. supporting each of the toilet bowl attachment bolts with a loop at least two support tabs of the template,

wherein the loop and the at least two support tabs prevent the toilet bowl attachment bolts from passing downwards through the template;

e. attaching the template directly to the subfloor or through the tile backer board to the subfloor;

f. attaching the closet flange to the subfloor through the template; and

g. finalizing flooring by attaching flooring material along the four sides of the template.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein in step a) more than one template is used.