EP2673423B1

EP2673423B1 - A stopper

Info

Publication number: EP2673423B1
Application number: EP12705706.5A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Cyril Staley
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2011-02-09
Filing date: 2012-02-09
Publication date: 2017-05-10
Anticipated expiration: 2032-02-09
Also published as: GB2502470B; WO2012107768A1; GB201102244D0; GB2502470A; PL2673423T3; GB201314630D0; EP2673423A1; ES2638516T3

Description

The present invention relates to a stopper and particularly, but not exclusively, to a stopper which is arranged to minimise a backflow of fluid into a toilet bowl through an outlet of the toilet bowl. Prolonged periods of heavy rainfall often result in the flooding of areas surrounding rivers and waterways. Properties situated in so-called flood plains typically become damaged both internally and externally, owing to water and material held suspended therein which penetrates the property. In addition, it is found that as the water level outside the property rises, sewage within sewage systems can flow back into the properties through the sewage outlets of the property, such as an outlet of a toilet. In particular, as the water level outside the property rises above the level of a toilet bowl rim, then the sewage can pass into the property and contaminate living areas. This clearly presents a significant health risk.
Similarly, sewage backflow through toilets can occur when excessive rainfall overloads the sewer system causing backpressure in the underground pipelines. Backpressure and flooding may also be caused by clogging of sewer pipes with debris which has been poured down kitchen sinks and the like. Sewage backpressure overspills can therefore occur without external floodwaters rising above ground level.
In light of the above, it is known to insert stoppers within an outlet of a toilet bowl to minimise the backflow. Thus US-A-4 112 527 discloses a stopper for a toilet, which stopper comprises the features of the preamble of claim 1, and in particular has at a distal end a tapered disc of relatively hard material such as rubber. The disc is mounted on a fixed length rod under pressure of an encircling spring, the rod and spring extending between the disc and a handle which extends laterally of the rod to engage a toilet bowl rim. The stopper cannot therefore be adjusted in length and so is not universally applicable to conform to different sizes and shapes of toilet bowl.
It is an object of the invention to seek to mitigate these disadvantages.
According to the invention there is provided a stopper which is arranged to minimise a backflow of fluid into a toilet bowl through an outlet of the toilet bowl, the stopper comprising the features of claim 1.
The arm secures the bung within the outlet and thus prevents the bung from becoming released under the external water pressure. The arm further enables a user to position the bung within the toilet outlet, without the user contacting the toilet water with their hands.
The means disposed at a proximal end of the arm preferably comprises a collar comprising a notch disposed therein which is arranged to receive a portion of a rim of the toilet, to minimise any slipping of the arm within the toilet bowl. Preferably, the collar is detachably coupled to the arm.
Preferably, the stopper further comprises a handle disposed at a proximal end of the arm. The arm is retractably extendable such that the arm can be suitably sized to conform to the size of the toilet bowl.
According to the invention the arm comprises a plurality of arm sections which are coupled via a turnbuckle.
The bung is preferably deformable so that it can seal against the contours of the outlet, and comprises a cushion or similar, preferably comprising a water resistant cover.
Preferably, the bung is detachably coupled to a plate disposed at the distal end of the arm.
The stopper preferably further comprises a detachable sock which is arranged to extend over the bung and at least a portion of the arm to seal the bung and arm portion from the contents of the toilet bowl. It is envisaged that the sock may be disposable, and is preferably secured to the arm by a fastener, such as a clip or tie.
An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side view of a toilet bowl with a stopper according to an embodiment of the present invention disposed therein for closing the outlet of the toilet;
Figure 2 is a view within the toilet bowl of figure 1; and,
Figure 3 is a side view of the toilet bowl of figure 1, illustrating the sealing of the bung within the outlet and the coupling of the collar to the toilet bowl rim.

Referring to figures 1 to 3 of the drawings, there is illustrated a toilet 10 comprising a toilet bowl 11 and a stopper 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention disposed within the toilet bowl 11, which is arranged to seal within an outlet 12 of the toilet bowl 11 to substantially close the outlet 12.
The stopper 20 comprises a deformable bung 21, such as a cushion or similar, formed of a water resistant material disposed at a distal end of an arm 22. The arm 22 is arranged to secure the bung 21 within the outlet 12 of the toilet bowl 11 and in this respect, comprises a collar 23 disposed at a proximal end of the arm 22 which may be detachably coupled thereto, and which is arranged to engage under a rim 13 of the toilet bowl 11, within the toilet bowl 11. The collar 23 comprises a notch 24 formed therein which extends substantially transverse to a longitudinal axis of the arm 22 and is arranged to locate along a portion of the toilet bowl rim 13 to minimise any slipping of the arm 22 within the toilet bowl 11. To facilitate the positioning of the bung 21, the stopper 20 further comprises a handle 25 disposed at the proximal end thereof, as illustrated in figure 3 of the drawings.
The arm 22 comprises a plurality of arm sections 22a, 22b, 22c which enable the arm 22 to retractably extend to substantially wedge the collar 23 against the rim 13 of the toilet bowl 11 and the bung 21 within the outlet 12 of the toilet bowl 11. The arm 22 is brought into an extended configuration, such that during use, the arm 22 is arranged to continuously bias the bung 21 within the outlet 12 to maintain a seal therein and thus minimise any back flow of sewage for example, into the toilet bowl 11. It is envisaged that the arm 22 comprises a plurality of arm sections 22a, 22b, 22c which are coupled via a screw thread (not shown). The arm 22 is then secured in place within the toilet bowl 11 by positioning the bung 21 within the outlet 12 of the toilet bowl 11 and screwing the arm sections 22a, 22b, 22c relative to each other to extend the arm 22 until the collar 23 locates under the toilet rim 13. The arm sections 22a, 22b, 22c are coupled via a turnbuckle (not shown), which comprises a cylindrical housing having internally threaded portion (not shown) at each end thereof. The internally threaded portions extend along the cylindrical housing (not shown) in opposite directions and are arranged to receive an externally threaded portion (not shown) at the distal end of the arm sections 22a, 22b, 22c, such that upon rotating the turnbuckle (not shown), the arms sections 22a, 22b, 22c are arranged to move into or out from the housing of the turnbuckle to retract and extend the arm 22. The arm may comprise two arm sections to lock the arm 22 and thus the stopper 10 in place within a toilet bowl 11.
The arm 22 is coupled to the bung 21 using an intermediate plate (not shown). The arm 22 is detachably secured to a substantially central portion of the plate (not shown) and the bung 21 is coupled to the plate (not shown) at the side disposed opposite the side to which the arm 22 is coupled. The plate (not shown) is arranged to extend in a plane substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the arm 22, and is arranged to spread the bung 21 within the outlet 12 to close the outlet 12 as the arm 22 biases the bung 21 therein.
Referring to figure 3 of the drawings, the stopper 20 further comprises a waterproof sock 26 which is arranged to extend over the bung 21 and at least the distal portion of the arm 22 to seal the bung 21 and at least the distal arm portion from the contents of the toilet bowl 11. It is envisaged that the sock 26 may be formed of a disposable material so that the sock 26 may be conveniently disposed of following use.
The open end 26a of the sock 26 is secured to the arm 22 by passing a fastener 27, such as a clip or tie around the sock 26 and securing the fastener 27 to the arm 22. However, in order to minimise any slipping of the fastener 27 and thus the open end 26a of the sock 26 along the arm 22 toward the contents of the toilet bowl 11, the arm 22 further comprises a circumferentially extending protuberance 28 disposed intermediate opposite ends of the arm 22. The sock 26 is arranged to extend over the protuberance 28 and the fastener 27 is secured to the arm 22 at the side of the protuberance 28 which is proximate the proximal end of the arm 22. The protuberance 28 prevents the fastener 27 from passing along the arm 22 and thus the sock 26 from slipping toward the bung 21.
During periods of potential flooding, a user (not shown) first positions the bung 21 within the sock 26 and closes the open end 26a of the sock 26 by clamping the open end 26a of the sock 26 to the arm 22 using the fastener 27. The user subsequently positions the bung 21 at the outlet 12 of the toilet 10 within the toilet bowl 11 and either subsequently moves the arm 22 to enable the user (not shown) to position the collar 23 under the toilet rim 13 or rotates one arm section 22a, 22b, 22c with respect to another to suitably size the length of the arm 22 so that the collar 23 locates under the rim 13 of the toilet bowl 11, and the bung 21 becomes securely positioned within the outlet 12 of the toilet bowl 11. In either case, the stopper 20 enables a user (not shown) to suitably position the bung 21 at the outlet 12 without contacting the water (not shown) within the toilet bowl 11.
The bias of the arm 22 holding the bung 21 within the outlet 12 is sufficient to overcome the water pressure downstream of the outlet 12 from releasing the bung 21 therefrom, and thus maintains a suitable seal between the bung 21 and the outlet 12. The stopper 20 of the present invention thus provides a simple yet effective means for preventing the backflow of sewage into a toilet bowl 11.

Claims

A stopper which is arranged to minimise a backflow of fluid into a toilet bowl through an outlet of the toilet bowl, the stopper (20) comprising a retractably extendible arm (22) such that the arm can be suitably sized to conform to the size of the toilet bowl, a bung (21), such as a cushion or similar, disposed at a distal end of the arm (22), the bung (21) being arranged to substantially seal the outlet (12) to close the outlet (12), and the stopper (20) further comprising means (23),(24) disposed at a proximal end of the arm (22) arranged to engage a rim (13) of the toilet (10) within the toilet bowl (11) to secure the stopper(20) within the toilet bowl (11), characterised in that the arm (22) comprises a plurality of arm sections (22a), (22b),(22c) which are screw-threaded and coupled via a turnbuckle.
A stopper according to Claim 1, characterised in that the means (23), (24) disposed at a proximal end of the arm (22) comprises a collar (23) comprising a notch (24) disposed therein which is arranged to receive a portion of the rim (13) of the toilet (10).
A stopper according to Claim 2, characterised in that the collar (23) is detachably coupled to the arm (22).
A stopper according to any preceding Claim, further characterised by a handle (25) disposed at a proximal end of the arm (22).
A stopper according to any preceding Claim, characterised in that the bung (21) comprises a water - resistant cover.
A stopper according to any preceding Claim, characterised in that the bung (21) is detachably secured to a plate at the distal end of the arm (22).
A stopper according to any preceding Claim, characterised by a sock (26) which is arranged to extend over the bung (21) and at least a portion of the arm (20) to seal the bung (21) and arm portion from the contents of the toilet bowl (11).
A stopper according to Claim 7, characterised in that the sock (26) is detachably coupled to the arm (22).
A stopper according to Claim 7 or Claim 8, characterised in that the sock (26) is detachably coupled to the arm (22) by a fastener (27).