Toilet with non-vitreous flush engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11180910-B2
Application number	US-201916533334-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 6, 2019
Priority date	Aug 7, 2018
Publication date	Nov 23, 2021
Grant date	Nov 23, 2021

Abstract

A toilet assembly includes a flush engine having a bowl defining a sump and a trapway extending from the sump. A bowl insert is configured to be located in the bowl and a shroud is configured to be positioned over the flush engine to conceal at least a portion of the flush engine.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A toilet assembly comprising:
a flush engine formed from a material that is not vitreous china, the flush engine comprising:
a bowl defining a sump;
an overflow rim above the bowl and comprising a seat; and
a trapway extending from the sump;

a bowl insert configured to be located in the bowl and received in the seat of the overflow rim, wherein the bowl insert comprises a lip extending laterally outward from an upper periphery of the bowl insert, the lip of the bowl insert configured to engage the overflow rim when the bowl insert is received within the bowl,
wherein the overflow rim comprises a first portion extending laterally outward from an upper periphery of the bowl and a second portion extending vertically upward from the first portion;
wherein the lip of the bowl insert is spaced apart from the second portion of the overflow rim to define a channel that provides an area for excess water to flow between the lip and the second portion of the overflow rim; and
a shroud configured to be positioned over the flush engine to conceal at least a portion of the flush engine.

2. The toilet assembly of claim 1 , wherein the bowl insert and the shroud are both formed from a material that is vitreous china.

3. The toilet assembly of claim 1 , where the flush engine further comprises an overflow nozzle extending from the overflow rim and configured to pass excess water from the overflow rim to the trapway such that the excess water bypasses the bowl.

4. The toilet assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
a rinse rim configured to be coupled to a top portion of the flush engine, the rinse rim defining a plurality of rinse openings configured to supply water from within the rinse rim into the bowl insert.

5. The toilet assembly of claim 1 , wherein the trapway extends from the sump at a trapway inlet of the trapway, wherein the bowl insert defines a trapway opening configured to align with the trapway inlet of the trapway when the bowl insert is received in the bowl.

6. The toilet assembly of claim 1 , wherein the flush engine comprises a sump nozzle extending from the sump of the bowl; and
wherein the bowl insert defines a sump opening configured to align with the sump nozzle of the flush engine when the bowl insert is received in the bowl.

7. The toilet assembly of claim 1 , wherein the bowl insert is located within the bowl of the flush engine such that the bowl does not directly hold any fluid.

8. A flush engine for a toilet, the flush engine for the toilet comprising:
a bowl defining a sump and configured to receive a bowl insert;
a trapway extending from the sump; and
an overflow rim at an upper periphery of the bowl and comprising a seat;
wherein the seat of the overflow rim is configured to engage a lip of the bowl insert received in the bowl,
wherein the overflow rim comprises a first portion extending laterally outward from the upper periphery of the bowl and a second portion extending vertically upward from the first portion,
wherein the lip of the bowl insert is spaced apart from the second portion of the overflow rim to define a channel that provides an area for excess water to flow between the lip and the second portion of the overflow rim.

9. The flush engine of claim 8 , wherein the bowl and the trapway are formed from a material that is not a vitreous china.

10. The flush engine of claim 8 , wherein the flush engine is configured to be at least partially received within various shrouds having different external aesthetics.

11. The flush engine of claim 8 , further comprising an overflow nozzle extending from the overflow rim and configured to pass excess water from the overflow rim to the trapway such that the excess water bypasses the bowl.

12. The flush engine of claim 11 , further comprising an overflow trapway that fluidly connects the overflow nozzle and the trapway.

13. A method of assembling a toilet assembly comprising:
providing a flush engine having a bowl defining a sump, an overflow rim comprising a seat, and a trapway extending from the sump, wherein the flush engine is formed from a material that is not a vitreous china;
inserting a bowl insert into the seat of the overflow rim of the bowl, wherein the overflow rim comprises a first portion extending laterally outward from an upper periphery of the bowl and a second portion extending vertically upward from the first portion,
wherein the bowl insert comprises a lip extending laterally outward from an upper periphery of the bowl insert, the lip of the bowl insert configured to engage the overflow rim when the bowl insert is received within the bowl,
wherein the lip of the bowl insert is spaced apart from the second portion of the overflow rim to define a channel that provides an area for excess water to flow between the lip and the second portion of the overflow rim; and
positioning a shroud over the flush engine to conceal at least a portion of the flush engine.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the bowl insert and the shroud are both formed from a material that is vitreous china.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the shroud is a first pedestal shroud; and further comprising removing the first pedestal shroud from the flush engine and positioning a second pedestal shroud over the flush engine, the second pedestal shroud having a different aesthetic appearance from the first pedestal shroud.

16. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
coupling a rinse rim to the flush engine;
providing a tank having a conduit defining a rinse outlet and a separate sump outlet;
fluidly coupling the rinse outlet to the rinse rim; and
fluidly coupling the sump outlet to the sump.

Assignees

• Kohler Co

Inventors

• Ahola Billy Jack
• Smith Andrew L
• Baumgartner Mark E
• Bogenschuetz Donald G
• Vetting Tobin J
• Duwell Lawrence E
• Swart Peter W

Classifications

• E03D11/13 Primary

  Parts or details of bowls; Special adaptations of pipe joints or couplings for use with bowls {, e.g. provisions in bowl construction preventing backflow of waste-water from the bowl in the flushing pipe or cistern, provisions for a secondary flushing, for noise-reducing} · CPC title

• E03D11/02

  Water-closet bowls (auxiliary chambers with connections to flushing water for bowl-cleaning utensils E03D9/06; modified for using upwardly-directed sprays E03D9/08; seats or covers A47K13/00 ){; Bowls with a double odour seal optionally with provisions for a good siphonic action; siphons as part of the bowl (parts or details of bowls E03D11/13)} · CPC title

• E03D1/26

  Bowl with flushing cistern mounted on the rearwardly extending end of the bowl (shape or material of the cistern E03D1/01; constructional features of the bowl E03D11/02 - E03D11/12) · CPC title