Flush Mount Toilet to Floor Bolts

Abstract

A hardware set for mounting a plumbing fixture to a surface includes male and female threaded components. The male and female components engage within an opening of the plumbing fixture and have respective lengths selected to allow the components to overlap and tighten in an area hidden from view. The visible portions of the hardware are close to the plumbing fixture and present a substantially finished appearance, in contrast to standard hardware.

Description

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The disclosure relates to flush toilet plumbing fixtures and, more specifically, to hardware used for securing flush toilet plumbing fixtures to the floor.

BACKGROUND

Toilets are conventionally secured to the floor using a bolt which extends upwardly from the floor through openings in a flange at the base of the toilet. Conventionally, there are at least two openings in the flange at the base of the toilet, one on either side. The conventional hardware includes a washer configured to span the opening in the flange of the toilet and a nut arranged to compress the washer against the flange and draw the toilet downward against the floor. Toilet fixtures are typically cast from ceramic or porcelain material and the flange through which the attachment bolts must extend can vary in thickness. Therefore, conventional bolts are provided with excess length to accommodate variations in the thickness of the flange and/or flooring through which they must extend. It is conventional to cut off the excess length of the attachment bolt once the toilet has been secured to the floor. It is also conventional to provide a trim cap which covers the nut and washer as well as the end of the bolt and flange opening to provide a more finished appearance to the mounted toilet fixture. FIGS. 1-4 illustrate the appearance of a toilet base with conventional mounting hardware and trim cap.

While a conventional hardware has served its purpose, there is clearly room for improvement in terms of the appearance and effectiveness of hardware used to secure toilets to the floor. A common complaint is that the trim caps do not stay attached and are lost, exposing the unsightly hardware to view as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Further, the trim caps must be provided with a vertical height sufficient to cover the end of the bolt, nut and washer as shown in FIG. 3. The height of the conventional trim cap creates a space between a trim cap and a toilet base which typically collects dirt, contributing to an unsightly and unsanitary condition as shown in FIG. 4.

There is a need for improved toilet mounting hardware, which addresses the above complaints.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1-4 illustrate a conventional toilet fixture secured to the floor using conventional prior art hardware;

FIG. 5 shows a first embodiment of flush mount toilet to floor hardware according to aspects of the disclosure;

FIG. 6 is a partial sectional view of flush mount toilet to floor hardware installed to secure a toilet to the floor; and

FIG. 7 shows a second embodiment of flush mount toiled to floor hardware according to aspects of the disclosure.

DETAILED DISCLOSURE

FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate a first embodiment of improved toilet mounting hardware 10. The disclosed flush mount toilet-to-floor bolts include a bolt 20 and threaded sleeve 30. The bolt 20 has an externally threaded shank 26 and a head 24 configured to resist rotation and/or be gripped by a tool during tightening. The disclosed bolt 20 has a length selected so that the free end of the threaded shank 26 does not extend above the height of the flange of the toilet as shown in FIG. 6. A hardware kit may include bolts of different lengths to accommodate different floor and toilet configurations. The threaded sleeve 30 includes a large diameter flanged head 32 and an internally threaded shank 34. The length of the bore in the internally threaded shank 34 accommodates variation in the height of the toilet flange and/or thickness of the flooring. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the positions of the externally threaded bolt 20 and the internally threaded sleeve 30 may be reversed, with the sleeve 30 embedded in the floor and the bolt extending downward into the sleeve 30. In such an arrangement, the head and washer used on the toilet flange need to be sized and shaped to secure the toilet to the floor. This will typically require an enlarged flanged head and a washer having a diameter large enough to cover the opening in the toilet flange. In the embodiment of FIGS. 5 and 6, the flanged head 32 is provided with a plastic washer 36 to permit relative movement between the flanged head 32 and the toilet flange during tightening. Once tightened over the flange of a toilet, the improved hardware 10 sits quite low and flat to the toilet flange (see FIG. 6) when compared with the prior art hardware (see FIG. 2). The improved hardware 10 provides a substantially improved finished appearance, even in the absence of a trim cap.

The flanged head 32 of the threaded sleeve 30 may be provided with any conventional tool fixture or drive socket, including a polygonal peripheral surface, a hex socket and any relevant socket for driving the threaded sleeve 30 to tighten the hardware. The head 24 of the bolt 20 may be similarly configured if the sleeve 30 is in the floor and the bolt is installed from above. A trim cap may be configured to securely grasp the flanged head 32 and completely cover the opening in the toilet flange. The trim cap 50, 52 may be provided with peripheral edges that are bevelled or otherwise configured to blend with the appearance of the toilet flange. See FIG. 6, trim cap 50 and trim cap 52. The low height of the disclosed mounting hardware and trim cap substantially reduce issues with prior art hardware and trim caps regarding accumulation of dirt on the flange at the base of the toilet.

FIG. 7 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the disclosed hardware that includes a bolt 20 and sleeve 40. The exterior of the flanged head 42 and shank 44 of the sleeve 40 are powder coated to conform the appearance of the flanged head 42 with the color of the toilet being installed. A washer 46 of the correct size and color is also included. This arrangement allows the disclosed hardware to be used without a cover or trim cap as discussed above. The low profile flanged head 42 and washer 46 cover the opening in the toilet flange and match the toilet color, presenting a finished appearance.

Claims

1. A hardware assembly for securing a plumbing fixture to a support structure, said hardware assembly comprising

a male component including a first flanged head and a threaded shank extending therefrom; and

a female component comprising a second flanged head and a threaded sleeve extending therefrom, said threaded sleeve having an axial length at least ⅓ of an axial length of said threaded shank.

2. The hardware assembly of claim 1, wherein said threaded sleeve comprises a non-metallic washer surrounding the sleeve and adjacent a bottom surface of the second flanged head.

3. The hardware assembly of claim 1, wherein one of said first or second flanged heads has a colored coating.

4. The hardware assembly of claim 3, wherein said washer is of the same color as the coated flanged head.