AU595954B2 - Improvements to waste assemblies - Google Patents

Description

U 595954 amendments made under Section 49 and is correct for printing.

*44e o 0 OG#0 o 4O t 1( Name of Applicant Address of Applica Address for Servic Application Number COSMAC INDUSTRIES PTY. LTD.

nt P.O. Box 487 DARRA Q 4076 e JOHN R.G. GARDNER, P.O. BOX 255, BROADBEACH Q 4218 PH 8919 filed 12 November 1986 FORM Regulation 13(2) t Z C 't t f t t I I 24 COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1952 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR THE INVENTION ENTITLED: IMPROVEMENTS TO WASTE ASSEMBLIES The following statement is a full description of invention including the best method of performing it known to me: 1

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t0 THIS INVENTION relates to improvements to liquid waste assemblies and in particular to waste assemblies for containers having a liner applied thereto such as relined bathtubs.

Bathtubs, particularly metal bathtubs, have a tendancy to deteriorate over a period of time due to wear.

To overcome this problem, it has been proposed to reline such worn bathtubs in situ by forming an insert of plastics material suitably acrylic having generally the same exter- *9 nal configuration as the internal configuration of the bathtub and locating the insert in the bathtub with the volume between the insert and bathtub being at least 9 Spartly filled with an adhesive material so that the insert is bonded to the bathtub. Generally, the adhesive material ~is a plastics foam which is placed into the bathtub prior to placement of the insert therein.

In the above described assembly, it is necessary to provide an arrangement which permits communication S between the normal bathtub waste outlet and connected trap O: and an outlet aperture in the insert so as to enable water to be drained therefrom.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a liquid waste assembly for the above purpose which is particularly but not exclusively, suited to use with bathtubs having an insert formed of plastics material such as acrylic. The waste assembly of the present invention however may be applied to other insert lined containers or other containers to facilitate connection to a waste system. The present invention also ainris to provide a 9.

9* 99 2 _i_ method for connecting a liquid container with a waste by employing a waste assembly of the above type. Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description.

With the above and other objects in view, the present invention resides broadly in a liquid waste assembly adapted to be associated with a liquid container having a waste fitted thereto and a liner therein, said liner having a drainage aperture, said waste assembly including a first hollow part, said first part including a tubular portion adapted to extend into and be located within said waste, said tubular portion being externally t unthreaded and sealing means for sealing said tubular portion to said waste of said container, and a second Si 15 apertured drain part adapted to be located on the side of said liner opposite said first part, and there being provided means for operatively interconnecting said first and second parts and urging said parts together whereby 'in use to sealingly sandwich said liner therebetween at 20 least in the region about said drainage aperture.

i. Preferably, O-ring seals are provided about the tubular member to sealingly engage with the bathtub waste. Preferably also the operative upper end of the

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hollow portion is flared outwardly from the tubular member and defines at its upper end, a generally radially extending flange which provides an upwardly facing annular recess for receipt of an O-ring seal which engages the underside of the bathtub liner about the i aperture therein. The second drain portion of the waste assembly suitably comprises a plug grate and the interconnecting means comprises a screw which engages with a threaded aperture provided in a boss in the first hollow portion to interconnect the first and second portions of the waste assembly and sealingly sandwich the margin of the liner aperture therebetween.

The present invention also provides the combination of a liquid container, a liner and waste assembly of the above type.

In order that the invention may be more readily c understood and put into practical effect reference will b1(1 C now be made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention and wherein:- Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the liquid waste assembly according to the present invention; Fig. 2 is an exploded sectional view of the r0 waste assembly according to the present invention and portion of a bathtub insert or liner, bathtub and associated conventional waste and trap; and Fig. 3 illustrates the waste assembly of the ,invention in an assembled attitude with the lined Sbathtub and conventional waste.

Referring to the drawings and firstly to Fig.

1, there is illustrated waste assembly 10 according to the present invention adapted for association with a bathtub liner 11 suitably formed of a stiff plastics

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i I; 3* 111~-- 11~11~111~~ material such as acrylic and a bathtub 12 provided with a conventional waste 13 communicating with a trap 14. The waste assembly 10 includes a first portion 15 adapted to be inserted through the bathtub waste 13 and a second portion 16 which

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tt|t i 1 is adapted to be connected to the first portion 15 and which suitably is in the form of an apertured plug grate.

The first portion 15 of the waste assembly includes a hollow tubular part 17 of slightly smaller external diameter than the internal diameter of the bathtub waste outlet 13 and trap 14 and the part 17 is suitably provided with O-ring seals 18 thereabout which sealingly engage the waste outlet 13 and trap 14 so that the tubular part 17 may be sealed thereto. The operative upper part of the first portion 15 is flared outwardly as at 19 and .defines in an upwardly facing surface an annular recess or j groove 20 for partial receipt of a further 0-ring 21 ft adapted for sealing engagement with the liner 11. An internally threaded boss 22 is supported centrally in the 0i 4 portion 15 and at the junction between the tubular part 17 S" and flared part 19 suitably by a plurality of radially extending arms 23.

The drain portion 16 of the waste assembly includes a generally frusto-conical part 24 for receipt of a conventional plug and which is generally complementary to the flared part 19 and an apertured base wall 25 defining a grate, the wall 25 being further centrally !i apertured at 26 to receive a screw fastener 27 therethrough, the latter being adapted for engagement with the threaded boss 22. The drain portion 16 also includes a peripheral flange 28 for engagement with the insert 11 about the peripheral portion or margin of a drain aperture 29 therein.

In use the normal grate of the bathtub waste 13 is removed and the waste assembly portion 15 inserted into 6 999, 9 0e 9 *i 4 8 the waste 13 to project into the trap 14 with the respecive O-rings 18 sealing against the waste 13 and trap 14 as illustrated. An insert or liner 11 which has been preshaped to the general form of the bathtub 12 is provided and the aperture 29 formed therein. The position of the aperture 29 for alignment with the waste outlet 13 is determined by taking measurements of the latters position from the sides of the bathtub 12 and transposing those measurements onto the liner 11. An adhesive such as a foam plastics material 30 is placed into the bathtub 12 and the insert 11 is then placed into the bathtub 12 so that the aperture 29 is substantially aligned with the waste outlet 13.

Fdr, j "1-~"~s~n~8lgl r ic*rI ~-p ~i 9 .4 9 4 9 .9 The drain portion 16 of the waste assembly 1'5 may then be inserted into the aperture 29 either before or after the foam 30 has cured. The screw fastener 27 is then inserted into the aperture 26 for engagement with the too: threaded boss 22 and tightened to draw the two parts and 16 together to sandwich the insert 11 therebetween about the margin of the aperture 29. This will also ensure that the seal 21 is compressed against the underside of the insert 11 to ensure that the portion 15 is sealed to the insert 11. Leakage is further prevented by the grate wall 25 of the drain part 16 being located within the flared portion 19 of the waste assembly portion 15. If desired also a sealing compound such as a silicon sealant may be placed between the flange 28 and marginal portions of the aperture 29.

Preferably, the waste assembly portion 15 is 7 ~h;

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formed of copper and the upper grate portion 16 is suitably formed of stainless steel as may the screw 27. Alternatively the parts of the waste assembly may be formed of plastics material.

The O-rings 18 which are located between the tubular part 17 and waste outlet 13 and trap 14 whilst being of such a size to provide a seal between the parts also permits some movement of the tubular part 17 long- .0 itudinally relative to the trap 14. Thus in use where S~o weight is applied to the liner about the drain part 16 say ~by a person standing at that point, the tubular part 17 Swill move further into the trap 14 whilst maintaining the seal therewith to thereby reduce the risk of damage to the lining say from cracking about the drain part 16.

lt5, In an alternative configuration, the flared t r portion 19 of the waste assembly 10 may comprise an enlarged hollow chamber provided with a top generally t horizontal wall which may have an aperture formed therein to align with the aperture 29 in the liner. The aperture 9 49 in this wall therefor may be offset from the waste outlet 9 13 and the aperture in the top wall may be formed after placement of the liner so as to be aligned with the liner aperture 29. A drain grate then may be fitted into the formed aperture by placing a threaded boss supporting member on the underside of the top wall, the boss being supported by arms which span the formed aperture. The drain grate may then be connected to the boss by a screw in a similar manner to that described above.

Whilst the above has been given by way of 8 illustrative embodiment of the above invention, all such variations and modifications as would be apparent to persons skilled in the art are deemed to fall within the broad scope and armiit of the invention as defined in the appended claims. For example, the liner may be applied to the container in any suitable fashion and if desired the adhesive material or foam may be injected prior to placement of the liner in the container.

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Claims (8)

1. A liquid waste assembly adapted to be associated with a liquid container having a waste fitted thereto and a liner therein, said liner having a drainage aperture, said waste assembly including a first hollow part, said first part including a tubular portion adapted to extend into and be located within said waste, said tubular portion being externally unthreaded and sealing means for sealing said tubular portion to said waste of said container, and a second apertured drain part adapted to be located on the side of said liner opposite said first part, and there being provided means for operatively interconnecting said t 01 first and second parts and urging said parts together I whereby in use to sealingly sandwich said liner therebetween at least in the region about said drainage aperture.

2. A liquid waste assembly according to claim 1 wherein said sealing means comprise at least one O-ring trt" seal disposed about said tubular portion.

S3. A liquid waste assembly according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein said hollow part includes further sealing means for sealing engagement with said liner about said drainage aperture.

4. A liquid waste assembly according to claim 3 wherein said hollow part includes an annular recess facing away from said tubular portion and wherein said further sealing means comprises an O-ring seal supported in said recess.

ST R0 r4' o A liquid waste assembly according to claim 4 wherein said hollow part includes an outwardly flared wall extending from said tubular portion and terminating in a generally radially extending flange, said flange defining said annular recess.

6. A liquid waste assembly according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said drain part includes an apertured wall portion surrounded by a peripheral flange adapted for engagement with said liner about said drainage aperture, and wherein said interconnecting means comprises a screw fastener passable through said drain part and engageable with a threaded bore in said first part. r:

7. A liquid waste assembly according to claim 6 when appended to claim 5 wherein said threaded bore is provided in a boss supported centrally within said first hollow part between said tubular portion and said flared wall.

8. A liquid waste assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying t tt drawings. St1 DATED this sixteenth day of January 1990 COSMAC INDUSTRIES PTY. LTD. By Our Patent Attorney c, C JOHN R.G. GARDNER 11