Bathroom fixtures and components

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11812903-B2
Application number	US-202217692907-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 11, 2022
Priority date	Nov 1, 2016
Publication date	Nov 14, 2023
Grant date	Nov 14, 2023

Abstract

A toilet installed in a bathroom includes a toilet bowl and a tank coupled to the toilet bowl. The tank can contain fluid for the toilet bowl. A rear surface of the tank is flush against a wall of the bathroom such that there is no gap between the tank and the wall and a bottom surface of the tank is flush against a floor of the bathroom such that there is no gap between the tank and the floor. The tank extends longitudinally above and below the toilet bowl and laterally outward past the toilet bowl such that a first side surface and a second side surface of the tank define outermost side peripheries of the toilet.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A toilet installed in a bathroom, comprising:
a toilet bowl; and
a tank coupled to the toilet bowl and configured to contain fluid for the toilet bowl;
wherein a rear surface of the tank is flush against a wall of the bathroom such that there is no gap between the tank and the wall;
wherein a bottom surface of the tank is flush against a floor of the bathroom such that there is no gap between the tank and the floor; and
wherein the tank extends longitudinally above and below the toilet bowl and laterally outward past the toilet bowl such that a first side surface and a second side surface of the tank define outermost side peripheries of the toilet.

2. The toilet of claim 1 , wherein the tank includes a front surface that is slanted relative to the rear surface such that the tank has a wedge shape.

3. The toilet of claim 1 , wherein the tank includes a front surface that is parallel to the rear surface such that the tank has a rectangular shape.

4. The toilet of claim 1 , wherein the tank further comprises a light that is configured to illuminate at least a portion of the floor.

5. The toilet of claim 4 , wherein the light is positioned along at least a portion of a perimeter of the tank.

6. The toilet of claim 1 , wherein:
the rear surface of the tank extends vertically a first distance along the wall;
the bottom surface of the tank extends horizontally a second distance along the floor; and
the first distance is greater than the second distance such that the tank extends farther in a vertical direction along the wall than in a horizontal direction along the floor.

7. The toilet of claim 1 , wherein a front surface of the tank includes a glass material.

8. A method of installing a toilet into a bathroom, comprising:
positioning a tank configured to contain fluid for a toilet bowl of the toilet against a wall of the bathroom such that an entirety of a rear surface of the tank lies against the wall; and
positioning the tank against a floor of the bathroom such that an entirety of a bottom surface of the tank lies against the floor.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the tank includes a front surface that is slanted relative to the rear surface such that the tank has a wedge shape.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the tank extends longitudinally above and below the toilet bowl and laterally outward past the toilet bowl such that a first side surface and a second side surface of the tank define outermost side peripheries of the toilet.

11. The method of claim 8 , further comprising a light coupled to the tank, the light configured to illuminate at least a portion of the bathroom.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the light is positioned along at least a portion of a perimeter of the tank.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein:
the rear surface of the tank extends vertically a first distance along the wall;
the bottom surface of the tank extends horizontally a second distance along the floor; and
the first distance is greater than the second distance such that the tank extends farther in a vertical direction along the wall than in a horizontal direction along the floor.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein a front surface of the tank includes a glass material.

15. A bathroom, comprising:
a floor;
a wall extending upward from the floor; and
a toilet installed in the bathroom, the toilet including:
a toilet bowl; and
a tank coupled to the toilet bowl and configured to contain fluid for the toilet bowl;
wherein the tank includes a rear surface that is positioned against the wall such that the rear surface of the tank abuts the wall; and
wherein the tank includes a bottom surface that is parallel to the floor and is positioned against the floor such that there is no space between the floor and the bottom surface.

16. The bathroom of claim 15 , wherein the tank includes a front surface that is slanted relative to the rear surface such that the tank has a wedge shape.

17. The bathroom of claim 15 , wherein the tank extends longitudinally above and below the toilet bowl and laterally outward past the toilet bowl such that a first side surface and a second side surface of the tank define outermost side peripheries of the toilet.

18. The bathroom of claim 15 , further comprising a light coupled to the tank, the light configured to illuminate at least a portion of the floor.

19. The bathroom of claim 18 , wherein the light is positioned along at least a portion of a perimeter of the tank.

20. The bathroom of claim 15 , wherein a front surface of the tank includes a glass material.

Assignees

• Kohler Co

Inventors

• Szemetylo Stephanie
• Slothower Erich D
• De Swarte Gregory
• Mazz Margaret C
• Mahon Terrence K
• Beining Nona J

Classifications

• A47K4/00 Primary

  Combinations of baths, showers, sinks, wash-basins, closets, or urinals, not covered by a single other group of this subclass · CPC title

• A47K3/281

  Accessories for showers or bathing douches, e.g. cleaning devices for walls or floors of showers (A47K3/30, A47K3/38, A47K3/40 take precedence) · CPC title

• A47K3/282

  Seats specially adapted for showers · CPC title

• A47K17/022

  Wall mounted grab bars or handles, with or without support on the floor · CPC title

• E03B1/04

  for domestic or like local supply · CPC title