AU2003100598A4 - A plumbing fitting - Google Patents

Description

A PLUMBING FITTING This invention relates to a plumbing fitting.

This invention has particular but not exclusive application to a plumbing fitting for use in the construction of cement and/or concrete structures, such as a floor or ceiling made of concrete.

A floor and/or ceiling of a concrete structure may be constructed by pouring concrete over one or more form members.

The form members are typically constructed from plywood.

It is common to cast various plumbing fittings, including conduits, in the concrete and wherein the hardened concrete not only encapsulates said fittings, but also provides bracing for said fittings. In many cases the fitting may include an end portion that abuts against a form member and wherein the end portion is to be later connected to another plumbing fitting. In order to enable the connection of the two plumbing fittings often a cavity is formed in the hardened concrete surrounding the end portion.

The cavity may be formed using a separate fitting having a roof, a continuos skirt dependant from said roof, a mounting flange that extends outwardly from a peripheral edge of said skirt, and an aperture formed in said roof through which the aforementioned end portion can extend. Often the aperture and the end portion form a loose connection and wherein as a consequence concrete can and does pass there between. As a consequence hardened concrete may adhere to an outer surface of the end portion making it difficult later to connect said end portion to another fitting without said connection leaking.

It will also be appreciated that the removal of unwanted concrete that has adhered to the end portion is time consuming and could damage the outer surface of said end portion making it difficult to form a leak proof connection with another fitting.

It is therefor an object of the present invention to provide a plumbing fitting which will alleviate at least some of the disadvantages associated with the prior art.

With the foregoing in view, this invention in one aspect relates to a plumbing fitting that may be cast in concrete and/or cement that is to poured upon one or more form members, said plumbing fitting including: a conduit having a first end portion and a second end portion; a canopy formed integrally with an located part way along said conduit, said canopy being adapted to provide cover for said second end portion, said canopy having a continuous peripheral edge portion, and sealing means associated with said edge portion, said sealing means being adapted to sealably engage one or more of the form members in a manner whereby there shall be little or no ingress there between of concrete and/or cement.

The plumbing fitting may be made from any suitable material.

For example the plumbing fitting may be constructed from various metal or plastics materials.

The conduit may be any suitable shape. For example, the conduit may be short or elongate, straight or curved, and may include one or more branches in fluid communication therewith located intermediate the two end portions.

The canopy may be any suitable shape. For example, the canopy may be hemispherical in shape. Alternatively, the canopy may include a roof comprising one or more walls and a continuous skirt depending from said roof, said skirt comprising one or more walls.

The sealing means may comprise a continuous flange that extends outwardly from a lower portion, or peripheral portion, of the aforementioned canopy, and wherein the skirt may be adapted to abut against one or more form members. The flange may include a roughened lower surface, such as a surface that includes a plurality of rib like projections or which is otherwise scarred. The flange may also include one or more mounting apertures formed therein through which a fastener may extend which is used to secure the flange to an abutting form member.

In order that this invention may be more easily understood and put into practical effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawing which illustrates a preferred embodiment of the invention.

Figure 1 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a plumbing fitting constructed in accordance with the present invention. The plumbing fitting 10 includes a conduit 11 having a first end portion 12 and a second end portion 13.

The plumbing fitting 10 also includes a canopy 14 formed integrally with the aforementioned conduit 11 and which is located part way along the length of same. The canopy 14 includes a continuous, circular, roof 15 and a thin walled, continuous, skirt 16 that depends from an outer peripheral edge of said roof.

The plumbing fitting 10 also includes a continuous flange 17 that extends outwardly from a lower peripheral portion 18 of the skirt 16.

In use the flange 17 would be sealably secured to one or more form members, not shown, over which concrete is to be poured, and wherein the concrete shall surround at least a lower portion of the plumbing fitting 10. Once the concrete has set, the form members are removed leaving a cavity surrounding the second end portion 12 large enough to enable another fitting, not shown, to be connected to said end portion 12, said cavity being bounded by the roof 15 and skirt 16.

It will of course be realised that the above has been given only by way of illustrative example of the present invention and that all such modifications and variations thereto as would be apparent to persons skilled in the art are deemed to fall within the broad scope and ambit of this invention as herein before defined in the appended claims.

Claims (3)

1. A plumbing fitting that may be cast in concrete and/or cement that is to poured upon one or more form members, said plumbing fitting including: a conduit having a first end portion and a second end portion; a canopy formed integrally with an located part way along said conduit, said canopy being adapted to provide cover for said second end portion, said canopy having a continuous peripheral edge portion, and sealing means associated with said edge portion, said sealing means being adapted to sealably engage one or more of the form members in a manner whereby there shall be little or no ingress there between of concrete and/or cement.

2. A plumbing fitting as claimed in claim 1, wherein said sealing means is a continuous peripheral flange.

3. A plumbing fitting substantially as herein before described with reference to the accompanying drawing. Dated 2 3 rd Day of May, 2003 SEALA WASTE SYSTEMS PTY LTD For their Patent Attorneys AHEARN FOX