NZ518228A - Floor waste assembly with drain channel formed between tile and supporting recessed structure - Google Patents

Abstract

A support member 2 is located in a floor structure upon which tile 3 is located. In use, waste water passes between the tile 3 and member 2 to outlet pipe 8.

Description

Patents Form # 5 1 8 2 2 8 'nfe^ectual Property Office of NZ 0 5 APR 2002 RECEIVED NEW ZEALAND Patents Act 1953 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION Title Floor Waste Assembly I, Reed, Selwyn, of P O Box 489 Mona Vale, New South Wales 1660, Australia, Nationality: An Australian citizen, do hereby declare the invention for which I pray that a patent may be granted to me and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: PF05.JWP FEE CODE 1050 FLOOR WASTE ASSEMBLY BACKGROUND The present invention relates to drainage apparatuses and more particularly to a floor waste assembly for incorporation into a floor and which includes a removable cover. The waste assembly may be used with waste generating appliances and as a surface drain including a reservoir which accommodates a waste assembly at a location within the periphery of the reservoir. More particularly the present invention relates to an improved floor waste which employs a floor tile as a lid for a waste outlet PRIOR ART There are in existence a wide variety of surface drains and floor wastes and waste outlets associated with appliances which link directly or indirectly with plumbing infrastructure. These are found in public and private installations alike and are usually positioned at a low point in the drainage network . Generally, floor drains and wastes include a grate which finishes the assembly and allows ingress of surface waste water. Traditionally the passage of water to be drained is over the surface of a floor and through openings fabricated in the grate.

Floor wastes are traditionally fitted to a floor structure following which floor cladding such as tiles are fitted about the waste. In the case of tiles, the upper surface of the tiles and upper surface of the waste at interface between tiles and the waste must be flush to ensure smooth passage into the waste of the surface water flow. Floor grates are generally unsightly and present an undesirable discontinuity in the floor surface. To date there has been no product available which is unobtrusive and combines efficient drainage without compromise to the aesthetic appearance of the floor. There are in existence a wide variety of floor wastes.

One such floor waste is disclosed in German specification DE 4115638 . This document discloses a metal drain gutter inserted in a concrete or plaster floor and includes a NTELLECTUif OFFICE -2D grill which covers the opening but allows the waste water to enter the gutter . This floor waste includes a well or receptacle defined by a profiled structure including shoulder regions which receive the grate . Usually, floor wastes are positioned to align with under floor plumbing so there is a significant predetermined restriction on the scope of available movement of above floor fittings to accommodate the position of plumbing and floor cladding such as floor tiling . Floor wastes must traditionally be fitted in with floor cladding and this usually requires fitting of the floor waste and tile setting about the waste. To achieve a high quality finish in wet area tiling the objective is to ensure that tile patterns are not compromised by plumbing and drainage apparatuses. Existing floor waste appliance designs have traditionally been dictated by function rather than aesthetics which results in an inferior finish. Mismatching of floor wastes with plumbing fittings lead to the applicant's invention described in PCT/AU99/00058 which is incorporated by reference herein. That patent application describes an apparatus which allows an optimum tile floor finish by providing a fine adjustment of fittings for matching with plumbing infrastructure.

According to prior art methods, an installer has two main options for symmetric installation of floor tiles particularly with the inherent restriction of non adjustability of floor grates. The first alternative involves setting the tiles to room dimensions in which case desired alignment with the grate may be a matter of luck or may not occur. The second involves setting the tiles to suit the position of the grate in which case the fit to the room layout is sacrificed. According to the prior art the final position of a floor waste is dictated by the under floor plumbing infrastructure , but the floor cladding must then be adjusted to suit the waste position which can often result in less than aesthetically pleasing results . In conventional drains the inlet orifice (or grate) is substantially in alignment with an under floor drainage pipe and it is this requirement which dictates the final position of the grate.

Another prior art surface drain is disclosed in U S patent 2182 795 . This patent teaches a waste having a wide mouthed waste water receiving receptacle described as a drain body which accommodates a removable grate on a continuous recessed retaining step intellectual property office of n.z. - 2 DEC 2003 in the drain body. The drain body is sized to also receive a removable strainer bucket which catches debris and enables periodic cleaning of the drain as well as preventing debris entering the drain system . As with most known floor waste arrangements , the positioning of this waste and more particularly the grate is dictated by the set position of the plumbing infrastructure underneath.

U. K. patent specification 1208 833 discloses a fluid waste gully including a hopper which collects drainage water via top members which might be a grate or plate with an inlet orifice which seat on a ledge on the hopper . The grate or inlet plate disclosed in that patent have their floor positions dictated by the configuration and position of the hopper.

The applicant solved the problem of misalignment between the under floor plumbing and floor wastes. That system allowed flexibility in the positioning of the floor wastes to ensure optimum floor finish and ease of engagement in the event of misalignment of wastes with preset plumbing infrastructure.

Absence of this flexibility will mean that a waste or appliance can only be located where it will align with an inlet to the main drainage plumbing and that subsequent work such as floor tiling must accommodate the waste or appliance outlet in that the tiling patterning is in most cases interrupted such that the result was aesthetically unacceptable. Although the problem of misalignment was solved, there remained the problem of unsightly floor grates. The use of the traditional floor grates which usually comprise an insert having a pattern of apertures to receive waste water leaves an unsightly finish in wet area floors. Waste water travels from the floor surface over the top of a junction between the floor waste and floor edge. Water can seep between the floor edge and the outer edge of the grate body causing waste water in this case to by pass the opening into which the waste water should go. In extreme cases this can rot the floor and loosen the grate body. Grate assemblies of the type employing a screw in lid with perforations can be difficult to clean and for that purpose removal of the perforated lid can be difficult as it must in some cases be unscrewed from the grate body. In other cases the lid may be removed by a small INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OFFICE OF N.Z. - 2 DEC 2003 rotation followed by pulling out. In each case the activity of removal and cleaning is time consuming and inefficient.

INVENTION The present invention is directed to the provision of an improved floor waste assembly which is unobtrusive, provides an optimum floor finish and without compromise to the functionality of the floor waste. The present invention further provides a floor waste assembly which is convenient to clean requiring simple removal of a lid which is at least partially formed from a floor material such as but not limited to a floor tile. According to one embodiment, the floor waste assembly includes a fitting having a recess in which there is placed at least one floor tile of smaller dimension than the recess so a gap is formed between an outer border of said at least one tile and a peripheral wall of said recess.

In one broad form the present invention comprises: A floor waste assembly insertable in a floor and capable of receiving wet area floor surface waste water, the assembly including; a first member for setting in a floor structure wherein, said first member comprises a support member including walls which define a recess; a second member comprising a tile which engages said recess in said first member such that an opening is formed between opposing faces of said first member and said tile wherein when said tile engages said first member, waste water from said floor passes via the opening formed between said first member and said tile and into an inlet of the first member thereby allowing said surface water to escape via an outlet of said first member.

According to a preferred embodiment the tile locates in a recess formed in or on said first member, whereupon said opening is formed between said opposing edge of said tile and an opposing edge of said first member. Preferably, the inlet of said first member comprises a flange including walls which define said recess in which said second member INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OFFiCE OF N.Z. - 2 DEC 2003 tile locates; said outlet comprising a pipe section joined to said flange. The flange includes at least one support member which receives and supports the tile in said recess.

According to a preferred embodiment, the second member comprises one or more floor tiles. The walls of said first member define a shape which conforms to the shape of said tile/s, wherein when said tile/s locate/s in said recess an upper surface of said tile is substantially flush with an upper edge of said walls defining said recess. Preferably, each said at least one support member includes a shoulder and a guide post wherein said tile seats on said shoulder and is retained in position by said guide post. According to one embodiment, said tile/s are retained by a peripheral frame of metal or plastics. Flange of said first member further comprises at least one post located in said opening between said tile and said walls of said flange, partially blocking said openings to provide an obstruction for objects entering said space. Preferably there are a plurality of said guide posts.

According to a preferred embodiment, said opening formed between said tile and said flange extends about the periphery of said tile, wherein said opening extends from a location which approximates the height of an upper surface of said tile to an inner face of said flange, thereby forming a substantially L shaped opening. The width of said opening is the same or substantially the same about the full peripheral border of said tile, with part of the opening providing a clearance between an underside of said tile and said flange. The posts enable location of said tile within said walls of said first member so that a constant spatial separation is maintained between said walls of said first member and the border of said tile. The tile will preferably be round or square but may be an irregular shape. An upper surface of said tile is flush with an upper surface of an adjacent floor tile. According to an alternative embodiment, the insert comprises four floor tiles forming the second insert member. Preferably posts obstruct said opening formed between said first and second members to prevent passage of objects greater than a predetermined size passing through said opening.

In another broad form the present invention comprises; INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OFFICE OF N.Z. - 2 DEC 2003 A floor waste for removal of floor surface water in a wet area, the waste including; a first member for setting in a floor structure and including, a support member defining a recess and having a pipe connected to a base of the support member; wherein the pipe includes an inlet and an outlet; a tile which locates in said recess in or on said first member, wherein when said tile engages said first member, an opening is provided between a boundary of said first member and a boundary of said tile; wherein, water from said floor passes via said opening formed between said first member and said tile and into said inlet of said pipe, thereby allowing said water to escape from the floor surface via said outlet of said first member.

Preferably an upper surface of said tile when in position is flush with said floor surface. According to one embodiment there includes a frame which receives at least one tile and which seats on upstanding locating posts. Preferably, locating posts retain said second member tile in a constant spatial relationship from said first member. The assembly further comprising barrier posts which provide a barrier across said opening to restrict the passage of objects of a predetermined minimum size passing across said opening.

In another broad form the present invention comprises; a floor waste assembly for removal of floor surface water in a wet area, the assembly including; a first member for setting in a floor and including an inlet and an outlet and a platform which has an outer boundary; a second member comprising a tile having a shape which conforms to the shape of said boundary of said first member but which has a smaller area than the area defined by said boundary and which locates in a recess in or on said first member; wherein when said tile is located in or on said first member an opening is formed between said first member and said tile, whereupon water draining from said floor passes via the opening formed between said first member and said tile and into said inlet thereby allowing said water to escape via said outlet of said first member. According to one embodiment, said first member Intellectual pt\o^tyl office of n.z. i - 2 DEC 2003 I d c P. EIV E D I comprises a pipe section with an inlet end and an outlet end, wherein the inlet end abuts said platform and includes at least one support member which receives and retains the tile. Each support member preferably includes a shoulder and a guide post which retains said tile in spatial relationship to said first member. The platform preferably includes an array of posts disposed about said inlet to provide an obstruction to objects which exceed a predetermined minimum size. According to one embodiment, said tile engages each said post of said array of posts wherein the tile includes recesses on an underside of said tile which each receive therein an opposing post of said array of posts.

The tile is housed in a frame which defines a wall of said opening.

In another broad form the present invention comprises; a floor waste for draining floor surface water in a wet area, the assembly including; a first member for setting a floor structure and including, a support member defining a recess; and a pipe having an inlet and an outlet; a tile which locates in said recess in or on said first member, wherein when said tile is located in or on said first member, an opening is provided between a boundary of said first member and a boundary of said tile; wherein, water from said floor passes via an opening formed between said first member and said tile and into said inlet thereby allowing said water to escape via said outlet of said first member. Preferably said tile is supported by support posts which have inherent flexibility to enable positive location of said tile in said recess in said first member.

In another broad form the present invention comprises: a floor waste assembly insertable in a floor and capable of receiving wet area floor surface waste water in a, the assembly including; intellectual - PROPERTY OFFICE OF n.z. - 2 DEC 2003 . ^ A r I \l c n a first member for setting floor structure wherein, said first member comprises a support member including walls which defines a recess; a tile which engages said recess in said first member such that an opening is formed between opposing faces of said first member and said tile wherein when said tile engages said first member, waste water from said floor passes via the opening formed between said first member and said tile and into an inlet of the first member thereby allowing said surface water to escape via an outlet of said first member.

Preferably the tile has a smaller area than said recess in said first member thereby leaving said opening between said first member and said tile.

^ According to a preferred embodiment, the support member includes a frame disposed at a periphery of a base having downwardly depending therefrom, a pipe which forms the inlet and said outlet. The support member includes at least one bearing surface which receives and supports the tile in said recess; wherein walls of said first member define a 15 shape which conforms to a peripheral shape of the tile.

When the tile is located in the recess an upper surface of said tile is substantially flush with an upper edge of the walls walls defining said recess.

The base includes a plurality of support posts providing said at least one bearing surface 20 wherein the support posts each include a shoulder and a guide post wherein the tile seats on said shoulder and is retained in position by said guide posts.

According to a preferred embodiment, the base of the support member comprises at least one barrier post located in said opening between said first member and said tile such that 25 the barrier posts at least partially obstruct said opening between said first member and said tile from passage by objects of a predetermined minimum size.

Preferably, the tile has a border which defines a first side of said opening and which extends about the periphery of said tile, wherein the opening extends from a location which 30 approximates the height of an upper surface of the tile to an upper surface of said base. 8 .'McLLECTUAL PROPERTY OFFiCE OF N.Z. - 2 DEC 2003 The width of said opening is substantially the same around a full peripheral border of said tile and is substantially L shaped when viewed in cross section. Part of the opening provides a clearance between an underside of the tile and the upper surface of the base.

The guide posts enable location of the tile within the walls of the first member so that a constant spatial separation is maintained between said walls of said first member and the border of said tile. In the preferred embodiment, an upper surface of said tile is flush with an upper surface of an adjacent floor tile. The posts which obstruct said opening formed between said first members and said tiles prevent passage of objects greater than a predetermined size through said opening. The border of the tile forming the second member is formed by a peripheral frame of metal or plastics, wherein when the tile is inserted in the first member the peripheral frame opposes said walls of said first member.

The tile may be a variety of shapes such as but not limited to round, square irregular rectangular, triangular, polygonal, In another broad form the present invention comprises: A floor waste for removal of floor surface water in a wet area, the waste including; a first member for setting in a floor structure and including, a support member defining a recess and having a pipe connected to a base of the support member; wherein the pipe includes an inlet and an outlet; a tile which locates in said recess in or on said first member, wherein when said tile engages said first member, an opening is provided between a boundary of said first member and a boundary of said tile; wherein, water from said floor passes via said opening formed between said first member and said tile and into said inlet of said pipe, thereby allowing said water to escape from the floor surface via said outlet of said first member.

Preferably the tile is supported by support posts which have inherent flexibility to enable positive location of said tile in said recess in said first member. .'intellectual property office of n.z. - 2 DEC 2003 ocrtiucn In another broad form of a method aspect the present invention comprises: a method of draining a wet floor through a floor waste assembly, the method comprising the steps of: a) providing a first member for setting in a floor and including a base and a pipe connected to the base having an inlet and an outlet; b) inserting the tile in a recess provided by the first member, wherein the tile is shaped so that it generally conforms to the shape of a boundary of said first member but which is smaller in area than the area defined by said boundary of said first member; c) allowing an opening to be formed between said first member and said tile, whereupon water draining from said floor passes via the opening formed between said first member and said tile and into said inlet thereby allowing said water to escape via said outlet of said first member.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION.

The present invention will now be described in more detail according to preferred but non limiting embodiments and with reference to the accompanying illustrations wherein; Figure 1 shows a perspective exploded view of a preferred embodiment of a waste assembly; Figure 2 shows a perspective view of a support member according to a preferred embodiment of the invention; Figure 3 shows a plan view of the support member of figure 2; and Figure 4 shows a cross sectional elevation view of the waste assembly according to a preferred embodiment of the invention.

Referring to figure 1 there is shown an exploded view of a waste assembly 1 according to a preferred embodiment of the invention. Waste assembly 1 comprises a ■xtcll:ctl.'AL property office of n.z. - 2 DEC 2003 support member 2 which receives and retains insert 3. Support member 2 is adapted for insertion into a floor structure 4 and includes a platform 5 mounted on top of pipe 6 and which includes a base or platform 9 and upstanding peripheral walls 10, 11, 12 and 13. Pipe 6 includes an inlet end 7 and an outlet end 8.

Figure 2 shows an enlarged perspective view of support platform 5 according to a preferred embodiment. Platform 5 includes a peripheral upstanding walls 10, 11,12 and 13 supported by base 9. Base 9 includes locating posts 14, 15, 16 and 17 which each include a respective shoulder 18,19, 20 and 21 set at a predetermined elevation above the surface of base 9. For example, locating post 14 includes shoulder 18 which receives and supports an underside surface 3a of insert 3 ( see figure 1). Locating guide posts 14,15,16 and 17 may be adjusted according to the number of support points required and the elevation of shoulders 18,19, 20 and 21 may be adjusted according to the thickness of insert 3 to ensure that an upper surface 3b of insert 3 (see figure 1) is flush with an upper surface of a floor 4 in which waste assembly 1 is placed. Base 9 further includes upstanding barrier posts 22 which provide a barrier to objects of a predetermined maximum size which will be determined according to the spacing of the posts. Posts 22 may reach the underside 3a of insert 3 or a gap may be left to ensure a region of unobstructed passage of water through to inlet 7.

Figure 3 shows a plan view of the support platform 5 of figure 2 with corresponding numbering.

Referring to figure 4 there is shown a cross sectional elevation view of the waste assembly of figure 1 with insert 3 located in support member 2.

Waste assembly 1 comprises support member 2 which receives and retains insert 3. Support member 2 is adapted for insertion into floor structure 4 and includes a platform 9 mounted on top of a pipe 6. Pipe 6 includes an inlet end 7 and an outlet end 8. Platform 9 includes peripheral walls 10 and 12 supported by base 9. Base 9 includes locating posts 14 and 15 which each include respective shoulders 18 and 19 set at a predetermined elevation 11 INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OFFICE OF N.Z. - 2 DEC 2003 RECEIVED above the surface of base 9. For example, locating post 14 which includes shoulder 18 receives and supports an underside surface 3a of insert 3. Locating members 14 and 15 may be adjusted according to the number of support points required to support insert 3 and the elevation above base 9 of shoulders 18 and 19 may be adjusted according to the thickness of insert 3 to ensure that an upper surface 3 b of insert 3 ( which will typically be an upper surface of a floor tile ) is flush with an upper surface of a floor tile mounted on surface 4a of floor 4. . Base 9 further includes upstanding barrier posts 22 which provide a barrier to objects of a predetermined size which will be determined according to the spacing of the posts. Barrier posts 22 will ideally be around 3mm in diameter and around 9 mm high. In use, water enters waste assembly 1 via opening 23 whereupon it then travels in the direction of arrow 21 and exits via outlet 8. According to a preferred embodiment, inlet opening 7 may be bridged by mosquito barrier 24 to prevent entry of insects in the case for instance where outlet 8 is not connected to plumbing infrastructure or where a water barrier is lost. The insect barrier 24 may be an optional extra in all installations.

According to one embodiment, wall 8 forming an outer frame of support platform 5 ( escutcheon) may be made from any suitable material which is preferably rigid, strong and durable such as stainless steel or brass. Wall 8 which may include an adjacent extension for increasing the height according to the thickness of the floor 4 and tiles protects the edge of the tiles which are butted up against the wall.

It will be recognized by persons skilled in the art that although the waste assembly has been described with reference to a square insert and tile, the assembly may be adapted for a variety of tile shapes such as but not limited to polygonal, ovoid, rectangular, circular, or irregular. This will require a corresponding change to the peripheral shape of walls 10, 11,12 and 13. Insert 3 comprises a frame which must be of a shape corresponding to the shape of walls 10, 11, 12 and 13, but of less area than that defined by said walls to ensure insert 3 fits within the periphery defined by walls 10, 11, 12 and 13 and leaves a suitable gap 23 for ingress of drainage water. Preferably, insert 3 is made from similar material to 12 INTELLECTUAL PkCPcSTY OFFICE O? N.Z. - 2 DEC 2003 walls 10, 11, 12 and 13 and receives, retains and protects floor tile 3 or other finishing material. Insert 3 when in situ protects and hides inlet 7 from view. Locating posts 14 and 15 may be cast or attached to base 9 and provide location and support for insert 3. Thus locating members 10 and 11 support insert 3 via shoulders 14 and 24 respectively. Locating members 10 and 11 are preferably made from a strong but slightly flexible elastic material as this provides a form of snap fit engagement. This ensures that insert 3 cannot move once in position avoiding unwanted rattling. One advantage of the waste assembly described herein is that the insert can never bind, become jammed or locked in position. This overcomes the prior art problem of binding of the grate to the support member due to fine debris caught in a fine gap between the grate and support. A further advantage of the waste assembly is that the outer shape of the insert and wall may be converted to another shape to fit existing standard drainage pipes set in a floor. Preferably, the base 9 is sloped from the outside towards inlet opening 7 to ensure all water is removed. Outlet 8 may be shaped to fit inside a pipe and may be glued if necessary provided appropriate adhesive materials are used in the outlet and under floor drain pipes. In practice, the drain pipe may be cut off to the appropriate height to allow for full vertical adjustment and support for the insert and tile and to enable fitment to drainpipes and other floor waste devices such as the applicant's invention as described in patent application PCT/AU99/00058.

Further refinements may be made such as the addition of a strainer ring formed from a circular array of small posts 22 ( see figure 4 ) around the perimeter of inlet opening 7. Posts 22 may be set at predetermined spacings according to a predetermined minimum size of any object which must be prevented from entering inlet 7. Objects such a human hairs may be prevented from entering outlet 7 by spacing the posts 22 at a suitable distance to ensure no entry into inlet 7. Insert 3 may be removed to enable cleaning of any debris and waste which might collect about barrier posts 22. barrier posts 22 may be moulded into the base 9 or they may be separately attached. In view of this there is no need to provide additional strainers or grates. The clearance between the underside of insert tray 3 and posts 13 INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OFFICE OF N.Z. - 2 DEC 2003 t» i- a »• i u r n 22 is such that water should never be prevented from entering inlet opening 7. According to another embodiment a supporting ledge 25 may be cast or moulded into the inside wall of the outlet 8 to provide a support for a removable mosquito trap 24. Removable trap 24 prevents insects from entering or leaving the drain. Evaporation of the water seal, frothing from below and odours and noise may also be controlled using this method. In the embodiment shown in figure 4 insert 3 comprises a floor tile which is retained in a recessed housing 26 which may be formed from a metal or plastics material. This will provide the insert with increased bending strength and will also enhance the aesthetic appearance of a tile due to the border 27 which will be seen from above the floor.

The waste assembly described herein has numerous advantages over the prior art assemblies. The ability to incorporate a tile as a lid for the assembly increases the aesthetic appearance of the assembly and renders it unobtrusive as the lid may be formed from a tile or a number of tiles which are the same as the surrounding floor allowing the assembly to blend into the floor. No longer will the floor have a pronounced and unsightly drain hole showing. All the viewer will see in the assembly according to the invention is a gap between the tile or tiles which comprise the insert lid and adjacent tiles. This is visually superior to a grate having numerous holes as the gap will appear as a border to the insert. The opening or gap between insert3 and surrounding floor 4 can be adjusted in width length or orientation to suit the particular job requirements. For instance it would be possible to provide an insert 3 having a variety of shapes to accommodate the shape of floor tiles. Accordingly, in various embodiments insert 3 may be circular, rectangular, ovoid, elongate polygonal or triangular. These nominated shapes are not to be construed as limiting of the possible shapes of insert 3. Insert 3 need not necessarily comprise a floor tile. Rather it may comprise a substrate of floor material over which is laid a floor covering material such as linoleum, timber, cork for instance which matches the selected floor covering. Clearance between base 9 of insert 2 and an underside surface 3a of insert 3 may be adjusted where a 14 INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OFFICE OF N.Z. - 2 DEC 2003 n i> a e i ii c n larger or smaller gap is required to accommodate drainage requirements.

It will be recognized by persons skilled in the art that numerous variations and modifications may be made to the invention as broadly described herein without departing from the overall spirit and scope of the invention.

.INTELLECTUAL. PRC?®* OFFICE Or N.Z. ;- 2 DEC 2003 *

Claims (8)

1. WHAT I CLAIM IS 1 A floor waste assembly insertable in a floor and capable of receiving wet area floor surface waste water, the assembly including; a first member for setting in a floor structure wherein, said first member comprises a support member including walls which define a recess; a second member comprising a tile which engages said recess in said first member such that an opening is formed between opposing faces of said first member and said tile wherein when said tile engages said first member, waste water from said floor passes via the opening formed between said first member and said tile and into an inlet of the first member thereby allowing said surface water to escape via an outlet of said first member.
2. 2 A floor waste according to claim 1 wherein said tile has a smaller area than said recess in said first member thereby leaving said opening between said first member and the tile.
3. 3 A floor waste according to claim 2 wherein said support member includes a frame disposed at a periphery of a base having downwardly depending therefrom, a pipe which forms said inlet and said outlet.
4. 4 A floor waste according to claim 3 wherein the support member includes at least one bearing surface which receives and supports the tile in said recess.
5. 5 A floor waste according to claim 4 wherein walls of said first member define a shape which conforms to a peripheral shape of the tile.
6. 6 A floor waste according to claim 5 wherein, when said tile is located in said recess an upper surface of said tile is substantially flush with an upper edge of said walls defining said recess.
7. 7 A floor waste according to claim 6 wherein said base includes a plurality of support posts providing said at least one bearing surface.
8. 8 A floor waste according to claim 7 wherein said support posts each include a shoulder and a guide post wherein said tile seats on said shoulder and is retained in position by said guide posts. 1 6 iNTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OFFICE OF N.Z. - 2 DEC 2003 9 A floor waste according to claim 8 wherein the base of the support member comprises at least one barrier post located in said opening between said first member and said tile such that the barrier posts at least partially obstruct said opening between said first member and said tile from passage by objects of a predetermined minimum size. 10 A floor waste according to claim 9 wherein the tile has a border which defines a first side of said opening and which extends about the periphery of the tile . 11 A floor waste according to claim 10 wherein said opening extends from a location which approximates the height of an upper surface of said tile to an upper surface of said base. 12 A floor waste according to claim 11 wherein the width of said opening is substantially the same around a full peripheral border of said tile. 13 A floor waste according to claim 12 wherein said opening is substantially L shaped when viewed in cross section. 14 A floor waste according to claim 13 wherein part of the opening provides a clearance between an underside of the tile and the upper surface of the base. 15 A floor waste according to claim 14 wherein said guide posts enable location of said tile within said walls of said first member so that a constant spatial separation is maintained between said walls of said first member and the border of said tile. 16 A floor waste according to claims 15 wherein an upper surface of said tile is flush with an upper surface of an adjacent floor tile. 17 A floor waste assembly according to claim 16 wherein posts which obstruct said opening formed between said first and second members prevent passage of objects greater than a predetermined size through said opening. intellectual property office of n.z. - 2 DEC 2003 RECEIVED 18 A floor waste according to claim 17 wherein the border of the tile forming said second member is formed by a peripheral frame of metal or plastics, wherein when the tile is inserted in the first member the peripheral frame opposes said walls of said first member. 19 A floor waste according to claim 18 wherein the tile is round. 20 A floor waste according to claim 18 wherein the tile is square. 21 A floor waste according to claim 18 wherein the tile is an irregular shape. 22 A floor waste according to claim 18 wherein the tile is rectangular. 23 A floor waste according to claim 18 wherein the tile is triangular. 24 A floor waste according to claim 18 wherein the tile is polygonal. 25 A floor waste for removal of floor surface water in a wet area, the waste including; a first member for setting in a floor structure and including, a support member defining a recess and having a pipe connected to a base of the support member; wherein the pipe includes an inlet and an outlet; a tile which locates in said recess in or on said first member, wherein when said tile engages said first member, an opening is provided between a boundary of said first member and a boundary of said tile; wherein, water from said floor passes via said opening formed between said first member and said tile and into said inlet of said pipe, thereby allowing said water to escape from the floor surface via said outlet of said first member. 26 A floor waste according to claim 25 wherein an upper surface of said tile when in position, is flush with said floor surface. 27 A floor waste according to claim 26 which includes a frame which receives at least one tile and which seats on a bearing surface. ■'intellectual property office of n.z. - 2 DEC 2003 RECEIVED 28 A floor waste according to claim 27 wherein locating posts retain said tile in a constant spatial relationship from said first member. 29 A floor waste according to claim 28 further comprising barrier posts which provide a barrier across said opening to restrict the passage of objects of a predetermined minimum size passing across said opening. 30 A floor waste according to claim 29 wherein the floor tile is supported by support posts which have inherent flexibility to enable positive location of said tile in said recess in said first member. 31 A floor waste hereinbefore described and with reference to the accompanying illustrations. 32 A method of draining a wet floor through a floor waste assembly, the method comprising the steps of: a) providing a first member for setting in a floor and including a base and a pipe connected to the base having an inlet and an outlet; b) inserting a tile in a recess provided by the first member, wherein the tile member is shaped so that it generally conforms to the shape of a boundary of said first member but which is smaller in area than the area defined by said boundary of said first member; c) allowing an opening to be formed between said first members and the tile, whereupon water draining from said floor passes via the opening formed between said first member and said tile and into said inlet thereby allowing said water to escape via said outlet of said first member. PIPERS Attorneys for Selwyn Reed intellectual property office of n.z. - 2 DEC 2003 RECEIVES