AU752356B2 - Accessory for waste fittings - Google Patents

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT *9

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Name of Applicant: Actual Inventor: Address for Service: Invention Title: BRAD RONALD CHADWICK BRAD RONALD CHADWICK CULLEN CO., Patent Trade Mark Attorneys, 240 Queen Street, Brisbane, QId. 4000, Australia.

ACCESSORY FOR WASTE FITTINGS Details of Associated Provisional Application: No. PP7250 filed 23 November 1998 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to floor waste plumbing fittings of the type described and claimed in Australian Patent No. 657871. The invention is particularly concerned with accessories for use with such types of fittings which assist in the prevention of water seepage.

The type of waste fitting which the above patent is concerned with is a multi-piece waste outlet fitting for use on the inlet end of a waste pipe which extends through a concrete sub-base such as a shower floor, a laundry floor, and like places from which water has to be drained. The fitting typically comprises three or four components, namely an inlet unit having a bitruncated spherical section, a grate supportable by the inlet unit, a basal unit having a sleeve for connecting to a waste pipe and including a flange and a connecting portion, and optionally an intermediate unit located between the inlet and 15 basal units, wherein the inlet unit is pivotal on its bitruncated spherical section with respect to the basal unit, or when present, the intermediate unit. Such fittings enable the grate to be projected level with the floor irrespective of the .i fact that the waste outlet may not be properly vertically aligned.

In order to ensure the integrity of such a device against water seepage when installed, it is desirable that a waterproofing membrane is formed between the basal unit and bitruncated spherical section, or the S:intermediate unit when present. However, it has been found that such a membrane can delaminate because of relative movement between the adjacent units, thereby still allowing water to seep by.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an accessory for use in such floor wastes which addresses this problem of seepage.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention there is provided a membrane clamp for use in association with a waste outlet fitting of the type 3 hereinbefore described, which clamp is in the form of a plug having a waste passageway extending from one side of the plug to the other, the said plug being designed to engage with a basal unit of the waste outlet fitting of the type hereinbefore described in such a manner as to sealingly retain an adjacent membrane between the plug and the basal unit.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The plug can engage with the basal unit of the waste outlet fitting in a number of ways, such as by direct frictional engagement between the membrane clamp and the basal unit, or, preferably, by a spring-clip action whereby, for instance, a circumferential lip formed on an end section of the plug is adapted to be sprung over a ridge or other protuberance formed on the basal unit.

Suitably, the membrane clamp will be configured with an external surface which conforms in shape with the inner sloping wall of the basal unit, with the external surface being of a fractionally smaller cross- .i sectional dimension to that of the basal unit so that the membrane is properly accommodated and sealingly retained between the clamp and the basal unit.

Typically the membrane clamp will preferably have an overall frusto-conical or stepped cylindrical configuration, and be designed to support S:an intermediate unit of the waste outlet fitting, when present. That is, instead of the intermediate unit being directly supported by the basal unit in the waste fitting, it extends through and is supported directly by the membrane clamp.

For this reason, the membrane clamp must form a tight fit with the basal unit and not be movable relative thereto.

The membrane clamp can be fabricated from a wide range of conventional materials used for plumbing and sanitary fittings. Typically it will be fabricated from polyvinylchloride by injection moulding.

In use, the basal unit is secured to the upper end of a waste pipe with contact adhesive. A waterproofing membrane solution is next applied to at least the inner sloping surface of the flange and the inner sloping surface of the basal unit. The membrane clamp is then installed before the waterproofing membrane has dried so that the membrane adheres to both the membrane clamp and the basal unit. The intermediate unit, when present, and the bitruncated spherical section are installed subsequently.

Due to the firm retention of the'waterproofing membrane on the basal unit by the membrane clamp, seepage of water between the basal unit and the bitruncated spherical section and/or the intermediate unit, is prevented, thereby ensuring the total integrity and utility of the fitting.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of a membrane clamp 15 according to one aspect of the present invention, ogle Figure 2 is a plan view of the membrane clamp depicted in .o Figure 1, Figure 3 is a side cross-sectional view of a floor waste of the type hereinbefore described including the membrane clamp of Figures 1 and 2 combined to show the in-use configuration, Figure 4 is an exploded cross-sectional view of the arrangement depicted in Figure 3, and Figure 5 is an exploded cross-sectional view of a modified floor waste including a membrane clamp according to another aspect of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings, in all of which like reference numerals refer to like parts.

Referring firstly to Figures 1 to 4, the membrane clamp 10 has a circular substantially dome-shaped plug configuration, with a circular axial passageway 11. The bottom region of the clamp is splayed outwardly to form a circumferential lip configuration 12 to enable it to be snapped over a protuberance 13 of the basal unit (see Figures 3 and The wall 14 of the clamp has an inclination which is similar to the inclination of the inner wall of the basal unit (see Figures 3 and 4) and is dimensioned so as to have a circumference which is fractionally smaller than the circumferential dimension of the inner wall Figures 3 and 4 illustrate the positioning of the membrane clamp in a typical floor waste. The floor waste comprises a grate 20, a bitruncated spherical section 21, an intermediate unit 22 and a basal unit 23.

The membrane, which is typically a polymeric coating of silicone, rubber, mastic, bituminous material or the like, is located in the 0space 26 (see Figure 3) and will typically extend up over the entire upper S6:. 20 surface of the flange plate 24.

oo The membrane clamp 10 functions to sealingly retain the membrane in the space 26 against the wall of the basal unit 23, thereby preventing the possibility of water seeping past the basal unit at this interface.

Further, because the membrane clamp 10 is in tight contact with the circumferential wall of the intermediate unit 22, seepage can not occur at this point also. A complete waterproof fitting is therefore ensured.

Figure 5 illustrates an alternative design for the membrane clamp. In this design, which omits the bitruncated spherical section, grate and intermediate unit for purposes of brevity, the membrane clamp 40 has a stepped cylindrical configuration to match a stepped configuration in the basal unit 41. The membrane clamp is designed to frictionally engage the basal 6 unit by virtue of the bottom circumferential section 42 tightly fitting into the lower circumferential region 43 of the basal unit. A smaller gap is formed between the other external walls of the membrane clamp and the adjacent walls of the basal unit where the membrane is located.

Whilst the above has been given by way of illustrative example of the invention, many modifications and variation may be made thereto by persons skilled in the art without departing from the broad scope and ambit of the invention as herein set forth.

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Claims (9)

1. A membrane clamp for use in association with a waste outlet fitting of the type hereinbefore described, which clamp is in the form of a plug having a waste passageway extending from one side of the plug to the other, the said plug being designed to engage with a basal unit of the waste outlet fitting of the type hereinbefore described in such a manner as to sealingly retain an adjacent membrane between the plug and the basal unit.

2. A membrane clamp as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plug has a substantially frusto-conical configuration.

3. A membrane clamp as claimed in claim 2, wherein the plug has an outwardly projecting lip formed about a circumferential end section thereof which is adapted to be sprung over a ridge or other protuberance formed on S 15 an inner wall of the basal unit for tight retention by the basal unit.

4. A membrane clamp as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the plug has an external surface which substantially conforms in shape with an inner sloping wall of the basal unit, with the external surface of 20 the plug being of a fractionally smaller cross-sectional dimension to that of the basal unit so that a membrane can be accommodated and sealingly retained between the plug and the basal unit.

A membrane clamp as claimed in any one of the preceding claims which is produced by injection moulding polyvinylchloride.

6. A membrane clamp as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plug has a substantially stepped cylindrical configuration.

7. A membrane clamp as claimed in claim 6, wherein the plug frictionally engages with the basal unit.

A membrane clamp as defined in any one of the preceding 8 claims in combination with floor waste plumbing fitting of the type hereinbefore described.

9. A membrane clamp substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 1 to 3 or Figure 4 of the accompanying drawings. DATED this 28th day of September 1999 BRAD RONALD CHADWICK By his Patent Attorneys CULLEN CO. e o