Toilet coupling

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9487937-B2
Application number	US-201213478736-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 23, 2012
Priority date	May 23, 2012
Publication date	Nov 8, 2016
Grant date	Nov 8, 2016

Abstract

A toilet comprising a tank having a bottom, a bowl, and an attachment assembly configured to secure the bottom of the tank to the bowl. The attachment assembly includes a mounting bracket having at least three mounting locations spaced apart around an opening, a valve configured to fluidly connect the tank and the bowl, the valve being configured to engage the bottom of the tank and the opening in the mounting bracket, a valve nut configured to couple to the valve to secure the mounting bracket between the valve nut and the tank, and at least three fasteners configured to secure the mounting bracket to the bowl. The at least three fasteners are disposed external to the tank and couple the tank to the bowl without directly engaging the tank.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A toilet comprising:
a tank having a bottom;
a bowl; and
an attachment assembly configured to secure the bottom of the tank to the bowl, the attachment assembly comprising:
a mounting bracket having at least three mounting locations spaced apart around an opening;
a valve configured to fluidly connect the tank and the bowl, the valve being configured to engage the bottom of the tank and the opening in the mounting bracket;
a valve nut configured to couple to the valve to secure the mounting bracket between the valve nut and the tank;
a gasket disposed between the valve nut and an inlet opening of the bowl to prohibit leaking, wherein the gasket is directly coupled to the valve, the valve nut, and the mounting bracket; and
at least three fasteners configured to secure the mounting bracket to the bowl;

wherein the at least three fasteners are disposed external to the tank and couple the tank to the bowl without directly engaging the tank;
wherein the pitch of the tank is adjustable relative to the bowl about a lateral axis through adjustment of at least one of the at least three fasteners; and
wherein the roll of the tank is adjustable relative to the bowl about a fore-aft axis through adjustment of at least one of the at least three fasteners.

2. The toilet of claim 1 , wherein an inner surface of the gasket is directly coupled to the valve nut.

3. The toilet of claim 2 , wherein the gasket further includes an outer surface having a convex shape that directly contacts a mating concave surface of a ledge of the bowl to seal the connection between the attachment assembly and the bowl.

4. The toilet of claim 1 , wherein one of the three mounting locations is provided rearward of a lateral axis and substantially on a fore-aft axis, and the other two mounting locations are provided on opposing sides of the fore-aft axis forward of the lateral axis.

5. The toilet of claim 1 , wherein the mounting bracket includes a tab that extends from a base of the mounting bracket, wherein the tab is configured to engage the bottom of the tank to prevent relative rotation between the mounting bracket and the tank, and wherein the mounting bracket is in direct contact with the bottom of the tank.

6. The toilet of claim 1 , wherein at least one mounting location includes a closed aperture configured to receive and retain a fastener therein, wherein each aperture includes a slotted portion and a semi-circular portion.

7. The toilet of claim 6 , wherein a member extends into the semi-circular portion.

8. The toilet of claim 7 , wherein at least one other mounting location includes a closed T-shaped aperture configured to receive and retain a second fastener therein, wherein the T-shaped aperture includes a base portion that is wider than a head of the second fastener and leg portion that is narrower than a head of the second fastener.

9. The toilet of claim 1 , wherein at least one mounting location includes a closed aperture configured to receive and retain a fastener therein, wherein the aperture includes a base portion and leg portion forming a T-shape.

10. The toilet of claim 1 , wherein the mounting bracket includes a base, which includes the opening, and a flange that extends from an outer periphery of the base toward the bowl, and wherein at least a portion of the flange contacts the bowl.

11. An attachment assembly for securing a toilet tank to a toilet bowl, the attachment assembly comprising:
a mounting bracket having at least three mounting locations spaced apart around an opening;
a valve configured to engage the opening in the mounting bracket to fluidly connect the tank and the bowl;
a valve nut configured to couple to the valve to secure the mounting bracket between the tank and the valve nut;
a gasket disposed between the valve nut and an inlet opening of the bowl to prohibit leaking, wherein the gasket is directly coupled to the valve, the valve nut, and the mounting bracket; and
at least three fasteners configured to secure the mounting bracket to the bowl;
wherein the at least three fasteners are disposed external to the tank and couple the tank to the bowl without directly engaging the tank; and
wherein each mounting location further includes a closed aperture having either a Y-shape or a T-shape.

12. The attachment assembly of claim 11 , wherein an inner surface of the gasket is directly coupled to the valve nut.

13. The attachment assembly of claim 11 , wherein the mounting bracket includes a base having the opening therein, wherein each of the three mounting locations includes a mounting surface that is offset from the base and configured to contact the toilet bowl.

14. The attachment assembly of claim 11 , wherein at least one mounting location includes the closed Y-shaped aperture and at least one mounting location includes the closed T-shaped aperture.

15. The attachment assembly of claim 11 , wherein one of the three mounting locations is provided rearward of a lateral axis and substantially on a fore-aft axis, and the other two mounting locations are provided on opposing sides of the fore-aft axis forward of the lateral axis, wherein the pitch of the tank is adjustable relative to the bowl about the lateral axis through adjustment of the attachment assembly.

16. The attachment assembly of claim 15 , wherein the roll of the tank is adjustable relative to the bowl about the fore-aft axis through adjustment of the attachment assembly.

17. The attachment assembly of claim 11 , wherein the valve nut directly contacts the mounting bracket to clamp the mounting bracket directly to the toilet tank.

18. The attachment assembly of claim 11 , wherein each mounting portion also includes a clamping portion provided on each side of and defining the aperture, and wherein each clamping portion is configured to be clamped directly to the bowl by one of the fasteners.

19. The attachment assembly of claim 11 , wherein the mounting bracket includes a base, which includes the opening, and a flange that extends around a periphery of the base.

20. The attachment assembly of claim 19 , wherein the flange extends continuously around the periphery.

Assignees

• Swart Peter William
• Emmerling John F
• Stonecipher Scott W
• Ahola Billy Jack
• Kohler Co

Inventors

• Swart Peter William
• Emmerling John F
• Stonecipher Scott W
• Ahola Billy Jack

Classifications

• E03D11/17 Primary

  Means for connecting the bowl to the flushing pipe · CPC title

• E03D1/26 Primary

  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

• E03D1/34

  Flushing valves for outlets; Arrangement of outlet valves · CPC title

• Y10T137/0491

  Valve or valve element assembling, disassembling, or replacing · CPC title