AU691771B2

AU691771B2 - A conduit

Info

Publication number: AU691771B2
Application number: AU16677/97A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Sydney Hawthorne
Original assignee: STARLIGHT SECURITY SYSTEMS Pty
Current assignee: STARLIGHT SECURITY SYSTEMS Pty Ltd
Priority date: 1996-04-01
Filing date: 1997-04-01
Publication date: 1998-05-21
Anticipated expiration: 2017-04-01
Also published as: AU1667797A

Description

-1- P/00/011 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990

ORIGINAL

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT

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U. Invention Title: A CONDUIT The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us: GH REF: P50544C/CLC 2 A CONDUIT The present invention relates to plumbing fittings associated with residential buildings and is primarily concerned with plumbing required to connect the outlet of a bath to a discharge pipe. Typically there is a limited space available underneath a bath so that great difficulty is encountered in connecting the bath outlet to the discharge pipe. The plumbing fittings which interconnect the bath outlet and the discharge pipe must be accurately positioned so that they can be properly connected together. In many circumstances fittings must be disconnected and reconnected until the bath outlet and discharge pipe can be properly connected together. This problem is compounded because the pipe fitting which connects directly to the bottom of the bath outlet is cylindrical and generally extends vertically below the bath outlet. An elbow shaped pipe ficting must therefore be connected to the end of this fiuting, but invariably there is insufficient vertical space to allow th's fitting to be connected to the end of the cylindrical fitting.

In addition when the cylindrical fitting is connected to the bath outlet it is normally fixed in a..

position through its coupling with a grate insert which a..

25 is attached by being screwed into the inlet. Once these two fittings are cuanected it is difficult to reorientate the cylindrical fitting with the elbow shaped fitting attached to its other end. Consequently the assembly of the grate insert, the cylindrical fitting and the elbow a.

30 fitting must all be arranged so that the outlet of the elbow fitting is directed towards the discharge outlet otherwise the two outlets will not be able to be properly a connected together through interconnecting pipework.

The present invention is aimed at reducing problems 35 inherent in the aforementioned plumbing system.

According to the present invention a conduit is provided having an inlet and an outlet oriented at an angle with respect to the inlet, the inlet comprising a S:50544C/703 3 connection portion which is arranged to be located' below a receptacle outlet and which permits an inlet fitting to be connected thereto whereby the orientation of the conduit can be changed when the inlet fitting is connected to the connetion portion.

It is preferred that the inlet is oriented substantially at right angles to the outlet. In this context it should be noted that if the inlet is oriented substantially vertically the outlet should be oriented substantially horizontally.

According to one embodiment the outlet is angled at 880 with respect to the inlet.

It is preferred that the conduit can be oriented in a plane parallel to the plane of the inlet with the inlet fitting connected to the connection portion.

Preferably the inlet fitting is adapted to be fixed in position with respect to the connection portion once the orientation of the conduit has been fixed.

The outlet is preferably oriented through 360° by swivelling the conduit with respect to the inlet fitting.

The inlet may include a filtering means for preventing material of a predetermined size from passing through the conduit.

The filtering means may comprise a grate.

25 The grate may be located in a throat of the inlet.

Preferably the grate comprises a central portion and 6.6 a plurality of webs interconnecting the central portion and the inner surface of the inlet.

The central portion may include the connection 30 portion.

Preferably the inlet includes a guide means for aligning the inlet fitting with the eOiection portion.

It is preferred that the guide means is adapted to align the inlet fitting once the orientation of the conduit has been fixed.

Preferably the guides are located above the level of a"S the connection portion.

K The central portion may comprise a central passage.

S:50544C/703 4 Preferably the guide means comprises a pair of parallel locating lugs.

The guide means may comprise pairs of parallel locating lugs arranged around the inner periphery of the inlet.

Preferably the guide means is hidden by the inlet fitting when the inlet fitting is connected to the connection portion.

Preferably the central passage includes an internal peripheral thread adapted to receive a screw.

According to another embodiment a cylindrical screw element with a central bore therethrough is arranged to be received in the central passage whereby another screw is adapted to be received in the central passage of the screw element.

According to another embodiment the inlet fitting is provided with a guide means.

The top of the grate may comprise webs and a central portion having a substantially flat upper surface.

The central portion may be of constant diameter.

The bottom face of the web may bt configured to the shape of the upper wall of the inside of the outlet.

The bottom face of the web may be concave.

The connection portion may comprise a hole in the 25 central portion and a thread may be provided inside the hole.

S.i. The inlet fitting preferably comprises 'a filtering means with a central hole therethrough.

The central hole in the inlet fitting is preferably 30 arranged to be aligned with that of the conduit inlet ".central portion.

The inlet fitting preferably has a lower face with a guide means adapted to be coupled with the guide means of the conduit inlet.

35 The inlet fitting guide means preferably comprises a male or female portion adapted to be coupled with a matching portion of the conduit inlet guide means.

The guide means of the inlet fitting may include 'S:505470 S:50544C/703 elongate elements which have outer ends whicfh are arranged to be received in respective pairs of guides of the conduit.

According to another aspect of the present invention an inlet fitting for a conduit is provided comprising a central passage with a filtering means, the filtering means comprising a coupling means and a guide means on its lower surface which guide means is adapted to engage a guide means of a conduit previously described when the coupling means engages a connection portion of the conduit.

It is preferred that the grate of the inlet fitting matches the configuration of the grate of the conduit.

Preferably the inlet fitting has a central cylindrical portion with a hole through its centre which hole is arranged to be aligned with the hole in the central portion of the conduit.

It is preferred that the filtering means of the inlet fitting comprises a grate having webs which radiate from the central cylindrical portion.

Preferably the radiating webs comprise elongate elements with upper faces which are flush with the central cylindrical portion top face.

It is preferred that each web of the inlet fitting comprises an upper face oriented in a horizontal plane and a lower portion which is planar in a vertical plane.

It is preferred that the inlet fitting and conduit are adapted to be screwed together by a screw which is inserted through the holes in the central portion and 30 central cylindrical portion respectively.

:It is preferred that the grating has a cross-shaped configuration.

The grating may comprise two or more radiating webs.

It is preferred that the conduit outlet has a 35 sealing means located around its inner periphery.

According to one embodiment the conduit outlet ~comprises an inner chamber which curves upwardly co the SE inlet.

S:50544C/703 6 The inner chamber preferably has a roof formed by the bottom face of the grate.

It is preferred that the inner diameter of the inner chamber is less than that of the outlet inner diameter.

According to one embodiment the conduit is formed using first and second moulding tools, the first moulding tool is configured to form the inlet excluding the filtering means and the second moulding tool is configured to form the outlet and inner chamber.

It is preferred that the first moulding tool comprises a lower portion which forms the filter means.

It is preferred that the lowermost end of the first tool forms the lowermost surface of the filtering means.

According to one embodiment the lowermost portion of the first tool is concave.

It is rreferred that the second tool comprises an inner end adapted to form the inner chamber.

Preferably, the inner end comprises a curved upper surface which is designed to match the concave surface of the first tool.

According to a preferred embodiment, the first and second moulding tools are arranged so that they abut prior to the conduit being formed around their external surfaces as a single unit.

25 A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows an angled view of a conduit and associated fittings all in accordance with the present 30 invention; Figure 2 shows a cross-sectional side view of the conduit shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 shows a top view of the conduit shown in Figure 1; 35 Figure 4 shows an angled bottom view of a grate insert shown in Figure 1; and .V i y S:50544c1703 7 Figure 5 shows a side cross-sectional view of tooling devices used in the moulding process of the conduit shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1 shows a conduit 11, a bath outlet and surrounds 12, a plug grate insert 13 and a plug 14.

The conduit 11 has an inlet 15 which is oriented so that it is facing vertically upwardly with its outer rim 16 lying in a horizontal plane.

The conduit 11 has a curved elbow shape 1I with an inlet 17 oriented at 88° with respect to the inlet 15 and therefore substantially perpendicular to the inlet.

The outlet 17 comprises a cylindrical outer passage 18 and an inner passage 19 which curves upwardly to the inlet The inlet 15 consists of an enlarged portion which flares to outer rim 13. A grating 21 is provided inside the inlet and extends vertically from a lower part of the enlarged portion to the bottom of the throat 22 of the inlet The grating 21 consists of a centrally located cylindrical portion 23 which has a blind passage 24 located in its top base. The cylindrical portion 23 is oriented vertically upwardly away from the interior of the inlet 15. Four webs 25 (fins) radiate from the 25 central portion 23 to the adjacent inner peripheral wall 26 in a cross configuration with the top surface of each web 25 and the cylindrical portion 23 piresenting a substantially flat upper surface with the cylindrical portion being slightly above the upper surfaces of the 30 webs At the outer end of each of the webs 25 locating lugs 27 are provided on either side thereof, Although not shown clearly in the drawings the bottom face of the grating 31 has a concave curved 35 configuration with the shape of the curve being coterminus with the "roof" of the outlet inner chamber 19.

The inlet 15 of the conduit 11 is adapted to be j placed underneath the outlet of the bath which is S:50544C/703 8 represented by item 12. To fix the conduit in position the plug grate 31 insert 13 needs to be connected to the grating 21.

The insert 13 is a cylindrical element with an upper rim 30 (which may receive a resilient sealing ring). A grate 31 is located in its base and consists of a central cylindrical portion 32 and four outwardly radiating webs 33 in a matching cross configuration to that of the grate 21.

In contrast to the grate 31 the top surface of each web is wider and is absolutely flush with the top surface of the cylindrical central portion 32. The cylindrical central portion 32 also has a hole 34 which extends all the way through it.

On their underside the webs 33 of the insert 13 are slightly narrower than the webs 21a of the grate 21. The central cylindrical portion 32 also extends outwardly slightly further than the webs 33.

In use the conduit 11 is located in a small space directly below the bath outlet 12. The outlet 17 of the conduit needs to be connected to a discharge pipe which is generally a downpipe located some distance away. To provide for a simple connection between the outlet 17 and the discharge pipe it is important that the outlet 17 is 25 directed towards the discharge pipe otherwise the job of connecting the outlet and discharge pipe together becomes more di ficulL because interconnecting pipework is out of alignment.

With the conduit 11 and insert 13 described above it 30 is possible to connect these two components together and later adjust the orientation of the conduit 11 so that it has its outlet directed towards the discharge pipe. This is achieved by connecting the insert 13 to the inlet by inserting a screw through the hole 34 and screwing it 35 into a central hole a threaded metal insert (not shown) which is located inside the hole 24. By screwing the components together to a point whereby it is still possible to rotate the conduit relative to the bath 12

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S:50544C/703 9 the orientation of the conduit can be set and once set the screw can be further tightened to ensure that no further movement of the conduit is possible.

The locating lugs 26 serve to assist in this process by ensuring that the insert 13 is properly aligned with the webs of the grating 21 and grate 31 respectively effectively co-terminus. Thus a person looking down through the top of the inlet 13 can only see the top grating 31.

A plug 14 can be used in a conventional fashion to plug the insert 13.

Because of Australian plumbing regulations the outlet must be oriented slightly downwardly from a horizontal axis. Accordingly the outlet 17 is oriented at 880 with respect to the inlet It is intended that the conduit 11 be connected to a discharge pipe by connecting a horizontal pipe to the outlet 17 and then using an elbow shaped coupling with an outlet end which allows an adjustable connection with the inlet of the discharge pipe. This is achieved by the outer rim of the outlet having a sealing means which provides an adecruate seal between the outlet and the inlet of the discharge pipe when it is inserted in the outlet of the discharge pipe. This flexible connection 25 allows a connection between the pipe fittings without the inlet and outlet being co-axial. Depending upon the size of the sealing means the angle at which the outlet of this coupling enters the inlet of the discharge pipe can be varied.

,e 30 Figure 5 shows an inlet tool 40 and outlet tool 41 which together are used to form a coinduit shown in Figure 2. In contrast to conventional moulding techniques, the conduit 42 is not formed by making two sections which are angled at 450 with respect to each other. As a typical elbow joint for a pipe is formed by using tools which have ends which abut at 450 with respect to each other s the two 450 sections which are thus formed are moulded S I together to form an elbow joint having a 900 angle.

S:50544C/703 10 Because the conduit of the present invention requires a grate 21 as shown in Figure 2 a new method of moulding had to be employed to form this grate 21. This new moulding method incorporated the use of special moulding tools 40, 41.

The inlet moulding tool 40 is designed to form the inlet 15 and ite lower end 43 is configured to form the grate 21. The lower end of moulding tool 40 has a concave shape which is designed to match the desired configuration of the roof of the inner pascage 19.

The outlet tool 41 has an inner end 44 with a lower wall 45 which curves through 900. Upper wall 46 of the inner section 44 has a convex shape which matches the concave wall of the inlet tool Thus, in contrast to conventional moulding tools the inlet and outlet moulding tools 40, 41 do not end in 450 walls. Instead, the outlet tool 41 forms the whole of the inner passage and the inlet tool 40 only forms the inlet 15 and grate 21.

Using the moulding tools described above or modifications of them, it is possible to form conduits with bends in them without the need of forming two mould sections. A conduit can thus be formed with an internal obstruction (in this case having a grate) by ensuring 25 that one of the moulding tools exclusively forms the internal passage which encompasses the curved section of the conduit.

a a a a S:60544C/703

Claims

1. A conduit ha-ing an inlet and an outlet oriented at an angle with respect to the inlet, the inlet comprising a connection portion which is arranged to be located below a receptacle outlet and which permits an inlet fitting to be connected thereto whereby the orientation of the conduit can be changed when the inlet fitting is connected to the connection portion.

2. A conduit as claimed in claim 1 wherein the conduit can be oriented through 3600 with respect to a central axis through the inlet.

3. The conduit as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the inlet includes a filtering means for preventing material of a predetermined size from passing through the conduit.

4. A conduit as claimed in claim 3, wherein the filtering means comprises a grate located in a throat of the inlet.

A conduit as claimed in claim 4, wherein the grate comprises a central portion and a plurality of radiating webs interconnecting the central portion and an inner surface of the jnlet.

6. A conduit a claimed in claim 5, wherein the central portion includes the connection portion. 25

7. A conduit as claimed in c.aim 6, wherein the connection portion comprises a central passage through the central portion.

8. A conduit as claimed in any one of claims 4, 6 or 7, wherein the inlet includes a guide means for 30 aligning a grate of the inlet fitting with the grate of the conduit.

9. A conduit as claimed in claim 8, wherein the guide means comprises at least one r. ir of parallel locating lugs.

10. A conduit as claimed in claim 7, wherein the central passage includes a thread to enable a screw to be threaded therein.

11. A conduit as claimed in any one of claims 3 to it C. sB S.. S. a. t td 9 'S, I 55 a. *4 a 4 4~ S:50544C/703 12 wherein the filtering means has a bottom face whf'ch is configured to the shape of the upper wall of the inside of the outlet.

12. A conduit as claimed in claim 9, wherein the or each pair of parallel locating lugs are arranged on either side of each of the webs.

13. An inlet fitting for a conduit is provided comprising a central passage with a filtering means, the filtering means comprising a coupling means and a guide means on its lower surface which guide means is adapted to engage a guide means of a conduit as claimed in claim 1 wrien the coupling means enqgages a connection portion of the conduit.

14. An inlet fitting as claimed in claim 13, wherein the grate has a similar configuration to that of a conduit inlet grate with which it is to be connected.

An inlet tL:Ltting as claimed in claim 14, wherein the grate of the inl~et fitting comprises a lower portion having a configuration of webs which ar- -adapted to be aliJgned with webs in the inlet of a uit wiia portion of at least one web being located in a predetermined position by a guide means in the inlet of the conduit,

16. An inlet f itting as claimed in any one of claims at 25 13 to 15 wherein the Jinlet fitting is adapted to be screwed to a connecting portion in the inlet of a conduit,

17. A method for forming a conduit as claimed in 4#0:04claim, 1 arid having a curved section, the method including the steps of providing a first tool for forming an inlet ol af the conduit and a. second tool for forming an outleL of the conduit and forming a mould around the first and .9:second tools, wherein one of the tools forms substantially all of the bend of~ the conduit.

18. A method as claimed in claim 17 wherein the second tool forms an inner passage of the conduit, the inner passage having a curved outer wall, and the first tool f orms an internal grate of the conduit. S:60544C/703 13

19. A conduit substantially as hereirb~ef are described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

An inlet fitting substantially as h<ereinbef ore deEscribed with reference to the accompanying drawings.

21. A method forming a conduit as claimed in claim 1 and substantially as hereinbefore described with reference, to the accompanying drawings. DATED this 13th day of March 1998 STARLIGHT SECURITY SYSTEMS PTY LTD By its Patent Attorneys GRIFFITH HACK S:50544C/703 ABSTRACT A conduit having an inlet and an outlet oriented at an angle with respect to the inlet, the inlet comprising a connection portion which permits an inlet fitting to be connected thereto whereby the orientation of the conduit can be changed. *e *i S:50544C/703