Patents Examined by Christine J Skubinna
  • Patent number: 11624178
    Abstract: A flush toilet in which a comparatively large storage region that stores a functional unit can be formed in a region in more rear side than a bowl of a toilet main body, while improving designability of the whole flush toilet is provided. A toilet main body of a flush toilet includes a skirt and a rear function storage portion, the skirt includes an opening, the opening being formed in a portion of an upper part of an outer wall of the skirt, the opening allowing the rear function storage portion inside the skirt to open toward outside the skirt, and a part of the functional unit stored in the rear function storage portion forms an outer surface to close the opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: TOTO LTD.
    Inventors: Yusuke Eto, Takahiro Maruyama
  • Patent number: 11624198
    Abstract: A pump unit for a prefabricated swimming pool, the unit having a pump wall panel and a mount connected to or integral with the pump wall panel. There is also a pump located or locatable at the mount. The arrangement is such that when the pump unit is in use the pump is able to drive a current of water through the pump wall panel into a pool sufficient to enable on the spot swimming inside the pool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Inventor: Scott Clarey
  • Patent number: 11619057
    Abstract: A modular swimming pool with one or more swimming pool modules that each include a floor element, and a wall element connected to the floor element. The swimming pool modules by assembly define an internal pool space. The floor element and the wall element of a swimming pool module have reinforcement ribs and the reinforcement ribs of the wall element extend towards the floor element. The reinforcement ribs are spaced apart from each other and on the external surface form open chambers configured, when resting on a mounting surface, to be completely filled with a binder. The internal pool space in the area of the floor element has a wedge-like recess, forming a continuous duct area of the internal pool space, and the reinforcement ribs of the floor element are connected to an external surface of the recess, which faces away from the duct area, thereby restricting the open chambers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: WSN HOLDING GMBH
    Inventor: Michael Wallner
  • Patent number: 11617480
    Abstract: An ergonomic toilet seat assembly is disclosed. The assembly includes a toilet seat that has a front portion with a front end portion and a rear portion with a rear end portion. The toilet seat defines a relief area, in an intermediate portion thereof, that is lower in height than a height of the front end portion and a height of the rear end portion. In use, the relief area receives a lower portion of a user's pelvis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Inventor: Harrell Edward Wimberly
  • Patent number: 11618569
    Abstract: In a lavatory arrangement comprising a vacuum flushing system, the lavatory arrangement comprises a folding toilet bowl.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: PILATUS FLUGZEUGWERKE AG
    Inventors: Marcel Gnos, Simon Koch
  • Patent number: 11613880
    Abstract: An adjustable height square outer cover with a built-in cylinder includes a water tank shell and a square outer cover, the water tank shell is provided with an installation accommodation cavity for containing the square outer cover, the water tank shell is also provided with support rack teeth, a locking release device is arranged in the square outer cover, and the locking release device is provided with locking release rack teeth matched with the support rack teeth. A first mounting cavity is arranged in the square outer cover, a support which can be adjusted horizontally is movably arranged in the first mounting cavity, a cylinder which can be adjusted longitudinally is movably arranged on the support, a pressing button is arranged on the cylinder, and the square outer cover is also clamped with a decorative cover for covering the first mounting cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: ZHONGSHAN MEITU PLASTIC IND. CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Wenhui Zhou, Hai Zhang, Haojia Huang, Qian Shen, Ke Xiao
  • Patent number: 11608622
    Abstract: A trap is formed from two instances of a standard part, the ninety degree elbow, and a two-part ninety degree elbow that has a cross-section that runs from circular at the upstream spigot to ovoid at the juncture of the two parts back to circular at the downstream hub. All of the rules that bind trap design in building codes can still be accommodated in this trap architecture. Moreover, the ability of the critical flattened elbow part to be formed from two plastic parts with standard line-of-draw cores reduces entry cost of fabrication. Access to the interior of the parts also allows for novel internal coating strategies. Most importantly for installation, the height of whole trap is reduced by squishing the trap diameter to a degree that a significant drop in trap height is achieved. This decrease in trap height can be sufficient to allow the trap to be accommodated in the reduced height of a vertical space between an underlying ceiling and the underside of the lowered subfloor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: Oakville Stamping & Bending Limited
    Inventor: Christopher Adam McLeod
  • Patent number: 11603650
    Abstract: A plumbing fixture includes an electrical component insert-molded within a portion of the plumbing fixture, the portion formed from an epoxy. The electrical component is offset from and disposed below an outer surface of the plumbing fixture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: Kohler Co.
    Inventors: Mark Schibur, Jeremiah Rauwerdink
  • Patent number: 11596280
    Abstract: A toilet shield comprises a tube, a first arm, and a second arm. The first arm is coupled with a first side of an opening of the tube and comprises a first plurality of adjustment holes configured into the first arm. The second arm is coupled to a second side of the opening of the tube and comprises a second plurality of adjustment holes configured into the second arm. The tube is configured such that a lumen of the tube opens in response to the arms being extended in generally opposite in directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: BETTER TRICK, INC.
    Inventor: James William Kramer
  • Patent number: 11598077
    Abstract: A sink includes a basin configured to hold water, an apron extending from a front of the basin and having a plurality of walls and a rear surface defining an opening in a front of the apron, and a panel assembly removably received in the opening, where an outer perimeter of the panel assembly is spaced apart from an inner perimeter of the plurality of walls of the apron.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: Kohler Co.
    Inventors: Jason R. Miller, Ryan R. Detlaff
  • Patent number: 11596279
    Abstract: A swivel commode chair, including a base, where the base includes an opening, a stationary frame, where the base is rotatably connected to the stationary frame, a number of elongated members extending downward from the stationary frame, and a bucket removably connected to the stationary frame. A method of a person using a swivel commode chair, including sitting on a base of the swivel commode chair, and depositing human waste through an opening in the base into a bucket removably connected to the swivel commode chair.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Inventor: Moshe Bodman
  • Patent number: 11598078
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a water supply assembly of a toilet comprising a water input pipe, a water tank, a water suction pump and a water output pipe; wherein the water input pipe is connected to the water tank; clean water enters the water tank through the water input pipe; the water tank is connected to the water suction pump connected to the water output pipe; the water suction pump pumps the clean water inside the water tank into the water output pipe; the water tank comprises a main water tank portion, an auxiliary water tank portion, and a water equalizing pipe connecting between and through the main water tank and the auxiliary water tank. The present disclosure provides a flushing assembly, a water suction assembly, and a check valve for use in the toilet. The present disclosure provides a method, device, and storage for controlling toilet water consumption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: Shanghai Kohler Electronics, Ltd.
    Inventors: Junfeng Sun, Yunqing Zang, Minggao Xu
  • Patent number: 11598079
    Abstract: A flush toilet includes a toilet main body and a control unit. The toilet main body includes a skirt, a rear storage configured to store at least a part of the control unit, and an opening to which a drain pipe is connected is formed penetrating, in a front-rear direction, a portion below a center in a left-right direction of a rear wall of the skirt. The rear storage forms a discharge socket storage on a front side of the opening in a region below a center of the rear storage in the left-right direction. And a side wall surface in the discharge socket storage protrudes more in a center direction of the opening than a side wall surface in the opening, to reduce an opening cross-sectional area of the discharge socket storage to be smaller than an opening cross-sectional area of the opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: TOTO LTD.
    Inventors: Takahiro Maruyama, Wataru Ishimi
  • Patent number: 11589718
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for mounting a toilet seat hinge to a toilet pan uses an adhesive. The adhesivised surface of the hinge is held clear of the pan until correct positioning is established. Thereafter the adhesivised surface is displaced directly into contact with the pan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Inventors: Peter James Harold Pegden, Jonathan Harry Tooley, Luke Michael Ritchie Semple
  • Patent number: 11591782
    Abstract: A toilet configuration that is connectable to a sewer drainage pipe is provided. The toilet configuration includes a water storage tank, a ceramic toilet body including a toilet bowl, and a water supply plenum operable to receive water from the water storage tank and channel the water to the toilet bowl. The toilet configuration further includes a primary drain operable to fluidly connect the waste receiving basin and the sewer drainage pipe and at least one footrest formed unitarily with an outer surface of the ceramic toilet body. The footrest is operable to aid a user in elevating at least one knee while the user is seated upon the toilet configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: Penguin Products, LLC
    Inventors: Patrick Gerard Stack, Lawrence A Trowbridge, Joan Marie Stoneburner, Mauricio Hector Zambrano
  • Patent number: 11583883
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a device that saves water, energy, and money and may record the savings with a software analytics dashboard. The device allows cold water to flow out when the shower is first turned on and slows or shuts water flow once the water is heated and the shower is unoccupied. After the presence of the user is detected, the shower flow may resume.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: ABSTRACT ENGINEERING, INC.
    Inventors: Greg Floyd, Ian Howard, Rahul Verma, Cameron Meziere, Emily Hood, Michael Mayes
  • Patent number: 11585110
    Abstract: Modular pool comprising a support structure placed around a containment basin for the water and comprises a plurality of metal plates, joined together, which comprise a base for resting on the ground, an upright at least partially above ground, and lateral edges provided with a reinforcement flange. The pool also comprises fixing elements fixed to the base of the metal plates and anchored to the ground, a waterproofing layer placed to coat a bottom and a lateral surface of the containment basin, and a surface finish layer placed to cover the waterproofing layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: A.P.I. ITALIA S.R.L.
    Inventor: Alessandro Milani
  • Patent number: 11583148
    Abstract: A toilet device is configured to provide a self-rising toilet seat on a toilet. The toilet device includes a base, at least one raising arm, and a force mechanism. The base is configured to attach to the toilet. The at least one raising arm is in communication with the self-rising toilet seat. Each of the at least one raising arms is rotatably connected to the base, where the at least one raising arm is configured to rotate about the base for raising the self-rising toilet seat. The force mechanism is operatively connected to the at least one raising arm. The force mechanism is configured to control the at least one raising arm to move to a raised position of the self-rising toilet seat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Inventor: Richard Alan Berry
  • Patent number: 11583149
    Abstract: A fastening assembly is configured to couple a toilet seat hinge to a toilet bowl by a threaded shaft. The fastening assembly includes a fastening nut including a clamping portion having a resilient protrusion configured to allow axial movement of the fastening nut relative to the threaded shaft without rotation therebetween. The resilient protrusion has threads configured to engage the threaded shaft. The fastening nut includes a drive portion in which the clamping portion extends therefrom. The drive portion has a first segment coupled to a second segment by a shear segment. At least the first segment is configured to be engaged by a tool for the tool to rotate the fastening nut relative to the threaded shaft such that the shear segment fractures at a predetermined torque applied to the first segment relative to the second segment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: Bemis Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Brian A. Henne, GĂ©rard Etaix, Jonathan Arndt, Joseph M. Hand
  • Patent number: 11566406
    Abstract: A shower system comprises a support, a handheld sprayer, a flexible conduit, and a weight. The support is configured to be coupled in a shower environment. The handheld sprayer is disposed below the support. The flexible conduit is coupled to the handheld sprayer, and extends through the support. The weight is coupled to the flexible conduit opposite the handheld sprayer. The weight is configured to bias the handheld sprayer to a first position in the shower environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: KOHLER CO.
    Inventor: Chanseol Chung