Connector-reducer unit for open rim water closet pans

Abstract

 A connector-reducer unit for open rim water closet pans, which comprises an outer hollow cylindrical member or connector (1), and an inner hollow cylindrical member or reducer (2) which can either be inserted in a sealed manner or not inserted into the connector (1) as required, said members being provided with inner and outer flexible seal ribs (6, 8), (17, 15); the connector (4) comprises a front profiled head (9, 10) with discharge apertures (11, 12) arranged to divide the wash water stream into partial streams directed towards respective zones of the open rim of a water closet pan.

Description

[0001] This invention relates to a connector-reducer unit, of which the reducer portion is separable from the connector portion, and which is suitable for correctly connecting an open rim water closet pan to wash water supply pipes of different diameters.

[0002] In this respect, it is well known that the wash water supply pipes are of non-standardised diameter, and consequently the personnel responsible for connecting water closet pans to the corresponding water systems are compelled to use connectors of different types according to the particular case.

[0003] This also results in the need for the specific firms of this sector to produce different types of connectors, thus consequently influencing not only the production, but also the publicity, commercial and/or distribution aspects.

[0004] The main object of the present invention is to propose a connector-reducer unit which by virtue of a simple and rational constructional design is able to obviate the aforesaid drawbacks, in that it can be correctly used for different diameter supply pipes which feed the wash water into the open rim of a water closet pan.

[0005] A further object of the invention is to provide a connector-reducer unit which is able to optimise the washing of the inner surface of the bowl of an open rim water closet pan, in that said unit, and more specifically the part functioning as the connector, is able to divide the water stream from the supply pipe into a series of partial streams directed towards suitable zones of the open rim, so that the wash water makes contact with the entire inner surface of the bowl.

[0006] According to the invention, the proposed unit comprises an outer hollow cylindrical connector member and an inner hollow cylindrical reducer member which are intended for sealed insertion into the rear connection bore of an open rim water closet pan and the interior of the connector member respectively, and which possess, both on their interior and exterior, elastically deformable means for their sealed connection together, and for their sealed insertion into the bore of the water closet pan and mounting on to supply pipes of different diameter.

[0007] The two hollow cylindrical members are formed from a soft synthetic material, and said elastically deformable means are in the form of flexible circumferential ribs.

[0008] In addition, the front or outlet end of the outer hollow cylindrical member which acts both as a connector and as a seat for the reducer is provided with a profiled wall possessing apertures which are suitably orientated in such a manner as to divide the stream of wash water into a like number of partial streams which are directed towards different zones of the open rim in order to make contact with the entire inner surface of the bowl of the corresponding pan when fitted with such a unit.

[0009] For a better understanding of the characteristics and constructional merits of the invention, reference is made hereinafter by way of example to the accompanying figures in which:

Figure 1 is an axial section through the complete unit;

Figures 2 and 3 are a side view and front view of the connector member respectively;

Figure 4 is a section on the line IV-IV of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a section on the line V-V of Figure 4;

Figures 6 and 7 are a side view and axial sectional view of the reducer member forming part of the invention;

Figure 8 is an axial section through the complete unit on inserting a supply pipe for wash water directed towards the open rim of a water closet pan.

[0010] From the accompanying figures, and Figure 1 in particular, it can be seen that the unit concerned comprises an outer hollow cylindrical member acting as a connector 1 and an inner hollow cylindrical member acting as a reducer 2.

[0011] Said connector 1 and reducer 2 are formed of a suitable elastically deformable soft synthetic material such as soft polyvinyl chloride.

[0012] A suitable hardness, expressed on the SHORE scale, is between 50 and 60.

[0013] As best shown in Figures 2 to 5, the connector 1 comprises a coaxial cylindrical cavity 3 terminating at the rear end of said connector.

[0014] Said coaxial cavity 3 comprises a rear widened portion 4, of which the mouth is provided with a convenient connection portion 5.

[0015] The central zone of the rear widened portion 4 is provided with three mutually equidistant circumferential ribs 6, having a frontwardly inclined sawtooth cross-section.

[0016] The distance between two consecutive ribs 6 is slightly greater than the corresponding dimension of said ribs 6.

[0017] On the outside of the connector 1 there are provided a circumferential abutment flange 7 on its rear end, and three mutually equidistant circumferential ribs 8 in a position corresponding with the front zone of said widened portion 4.

[0018] These latter have a sawtooth cross-section inclined towards the rear end of the connector, and the area of said cross-section is greater than that of the inner circumferential ribs 6.

[0019] In addition, the distance between two adjacent ribs 8 is practically equal to the corresponding dimension of said ribs 8.

[0020] The orientation of the outer ribs 8 of the connector 1 is such as to facilitate its forced sealed insertion into a suitable receiving seat in such a manner as to oppose its extraction from said seat.

[0021] This latter is constituted by a practically horizontal bore which is provided centrally in the top of the rear wall of a water closet pan and connects the outside of the pan to the central rear zone of an open rim.

[0022] In known manner, said open rim is located in a position corresponding with the mouth of the bowl of said water closet pan, its purpose being to distribute, over the inner surface of said bowl, the wash water provided by a normal supply pipe.

[0023] The connector 1 is inserted into the aforesaid seat as shown in Figures 2 and 5.

[0024] With reference to this arrangement, it can be seen that the front end of the connector member 1 is of "bear's snout" configuration, and comprises an upper angular wall 9 connected lowerly to a profiled protuberance 10 which tapers towards its end.

[0025] As clearly shown in Figures 3 and 4, the dihedron represented by the angular wall 9 faces the rear zone of the connector, and the crest of said wall is inclined backwards and lies in that longitudinal diametrical plane which is disposed vertically when the connector is mounted.

[0026] Each portion of the angular wall 9 is provided with a circular passage 11, of which the longitudinal axis lies in a horizontal plane when the connector is in its mounted position (Figures 4 and 5), and forms an acute angle with the corresponding axis of the connector.

[0027] The profiled protuberance 10 comprises a longitudinal bore 12, of which the axis lies in the vertical longitudinal plane of symmetry of this latter when the connector is in its mounted position, and forms an acute angle with the longitudinal axis of said connector.

[0028] On using the invention, i.e. on connecting an open rim water closet pan to the supply pipe of the corresponding water main, the connector member 1 can be used either alone or in combination with the reducer member 2, this different use depending on the outer diameter of said supply pipe.

[0029] In the first case, i.e. in the case of supply pipes having a rather large outer diameter, the free end of the respective pipe 101 (Figure 5) is forcibly inserted into the rear end of the connector 1, thus deforming the inner ribs 6 which act as a like number of seal rings.

[0030] It should be noted that the particular material of construction of the connector 1, together with the presence of the inner ribs 6, enable the connector 1 to receive pipes of different outer diameters.

[0031] It should also be noted that the inclination of the inner ribs 6 is such as to facilitate insertion of the pipes 101, and to oppose their extraction.

[0032] In contrast, in the case of supply pipes having smaller outer diameters, i.e. such that they lie more inwards than the ribs 6, the reducer 2 is inserted into the rear end of the connector 1 as shown in Figures 1 and 8.

[0033] As best shown in Figures 6 and 7, the reducer 2 has an outer diameter which is slightly less than the inner diameter of the widened portion 4 of the connector 1.

[0034] The front end of said reducer 2 is provided with an outer circumferential bevel 13 arranged to facilitate the insertion of the reducer 2 into the connector 1.

[0035] In the outer surface of said reducer 2 there is a circumferential groove 14, from the base of which there branch two circumferential ribs 15 of sawtooth cross-section inclined towards the rear end of the reducer.

[0036] From the figures it can be seen that the ribs 15 are arranged to engage with the inner ribs 6 of the connector 1.

[0037] In addition, the reducer 2 is provided with a coaxial through cavity 16, which is flared outwards at its two ends.

[0038] Between these two flared portions there are provided two circumferential sawtooth ribs 17 inclined towards the front end of the reducer, beyond which, and on the same side, there is a further circumferential rib l8 having the same inner diameter as the preceding but having a slightly different cross-section.

[0039] As shown in Figure 8, the reducer 2 is arranged to forcibly receive, in a sealed manner, a supply pipe 102 of convenient diameter.

[0040] As in the preceding case, i.e. in the case of the connector 1, because of the particular type of material with which the reducer 2 is formed, and because of the presence of the ribs 17, 18, said reducer can receive pipes 102 of different diameters.

[0041] The use and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the aforegoing description, and by a simple examination of the figures.

[0042] It need only be stated that the advantageous presence of the profiled front end of the connector 1 enables the inner surface of the bowl of an open rim water closet pan provided with a unit of the aforesaid type to be completely washed.

[0043] In this respect, the stream of water originating from the supply tube 101 or 102 pours into the inner front part of the connector 1, and is divided into three partial streams, of which the side streams are fed into the corresponding side zones of the rim, to provide a fall of water which makes contact with the side and front zones of said inner surface of the bowl, whereas the central lower stream is projected against the central rear portion of the inner vertical wall of the open rim, to then fall downwards into contact with the rear zone of said inner surface of the bowl of the water closet pan.

[0044] Modifications can be made to the unit illustrated and described heretofore, without leaving the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. A connector-reducer unit for open rim water closet pans, as heretofore described, characterised by comprising an outer hollow cylindrical member (1), namely the connector, intended for insertion into the rear bore of an open rim water closet pan for its connection to the corresponding wash water supply pipe (101), and an inner hollow cylindrical member (2), namely the reducer, intended either for insertion or non-insertion into said connector (1), said members being provided with inner and outer flexible ribs (6, 8), (14, 15), for the sealed insertion of the connector (1) into said rear bore, for the sealed connecting-together of said connector (1) and reducer (2), and for the sealed insertion into each of these latter of supply pipes (101), (102), of different diameters, said connector (1) being further provided at its front with a profiled head (9, 10) having three discharge apertures (11, 12) arranged to divide the wash water stream into two symmetrical, horizontal partial streams directed outwards, and into one central partial stream directed downwards.

2. A unit as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that said connector (1) and reducer (2) are formed of an elastically deformable soft material, such as soft polyvinyl chloride.

3. A unit as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the respective flexible ribs of the connector (1) and reducer (2) are provided in an intermediate zone thereof, and comprise a series of outer circumferential ribs (8), (15) and a series of inner circumferential ribs (6), (17), both of sawtooth configuration and inclined respectively towards the rear end and towards the opposite end of the corresponding member (1), (2) to which they pertain.

4. A unit as claimed in claims 1 and 3, characterised in that the outer circumferential ribs (15) of the reducer (2) are disposed below the outer cylindrical surface of said reducer (2).

5. A unit as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that said front profiled head (9), (10) of the connector (1) is configured as a beak, intended to be disposed symmetrically about the vertical plane of symmetry of the water closet pan when the connector is in its correct mounted position, and comprising an upper angular wall (9), or cusp, which is inclined towards the rear zone of the connector (l) and is connected to a lower tapered protuberance (10).

6. A unit as claimed in claims 1 and 5, characterised in that said discharge apertures comprise two circular passages (11) provided in the opposing portions of said angular wall (9), and a through bore (12) which traverses said lower tapered protuberance (10) of the connector (1); said circular passages (11) and through bore (12) being arranged to direct two partial diverging streams towards the opposing side zones of an open rim, and one partial central stream against the rear part of the inner vertical wall of said open rim respectively.

7. A unit as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that an outer circumferential abutment flange (7) is provided at the rear end of the connector (1).

Drawing