GB2223042A - Mounting assembly for wall hung sanitary ware - Google Patents

Abstract

A mounting assembly for wall hung sanitary ware comprises two posts (1, 2) adapted to be connected to a floor or other supporting surface, a faceplate (3) connected between the posts (1, 2) and adjustable in height. A pair of screw threaded connectors (14) which are adjustable in length, are connected to the faceplate (3) and, in use, pass through upper mounting holes in the sanitary ware to connect it to the mounting assembly. An adjustable length stop (19) is connected to the baseplate below the pair of screw threaded connectors (14) and, in use, engages the rear of the sanitary ware towards its base. The mounting assembly also includes a waste pipe fitting (4) mounted on the faceplate (3) and, in use, is coupled with a waste outlet of the sanitary ware. <IMAGE>

Description

A Mounting Assembly Wall hung sanitary ware such as WCs and bidets are becoming more popular in Great Britain. It is easier to clean around and below them and they give the appearance of being unsupported which is aesthetically pleasing.

Such sanitary ware is traditionally cantilevered out from the wall by having fixings attached to the wall passing through holes towards the top of the sanitary ware with the base of the back of the sanitary ware resting against the wall. As the construction of internal walls becomes lighter by use of dry wall techniques where the walls are formed by stud work covered with plasterboard or where the walls are made from light weight building blocks the walls do not have sufficient strength to support such cantilevered sanitary ware and a person using it. It is also becoming more common for an entire bathroom to be preformed as a unit known as a pod off site and then installed as a unit within the building shell. The lining of such pods tends to be relatively insubstantial and certainly not strong enough to support the cantilevered load of the sanitary ware and the person using it.

To overcome these difficurties such sanitary ware can nowadays be mounted on two independent posts which are connected to the floor and to which the fixings for the sanitary ware are attached. Such posts are difficult to use as any inaccuracy in their location on the floor results in the fixings not matching the spacing of the fixing holes at the back of the sanitary ware and also the posts tend to provide an obstacle when connecting the waste and water supply to the sanitary ware.

According to this invention a mounting assembly for wall hung sanitary ware comprises two posts adapted to be connected to a floor or other supporting surface, a faceplate connected between the posts and adjustable in height, a pair of screw threaded connectors which are adjustable in length, which are connected to the faceplate and which, in use, pass through upper mounting holes in the sanitary ware to connect it to the mounting assembly, an adjustable length stop which is connected to the baseplate below the pair of screw threaded connectors and which, in use, engages the rear of the sanitary ware towards its base, and a waste pipe fitting mounted on the faceplate which, in use, is coupled with a waste outlet of the sanitary ware.

Preferably the mounting assembly includes two adjustable length stops 'connected to the base plate below the pair of screw threaded connectors. Both the pair of screw threaded connectors and the adjustable length stops may be adjustable in location in a generally horizontal direction. In this case the screw threaded connectors and the adjustable stops may include a screw threaded rod which is clamped to the faceplate by nuts on opposite sides of the faceplate, and the faceplate includes horizontally elongate holes through which the screw threaded rods pass and which provide this horizontal adjustment.

Preferably however, only the pair of screw threaded connectors are formed in this way and the adjustable length stops are formed by bolts or screw threaded rods screwed into tapped holes in the face plate with the heads of the bolts or means to rotate the screw threaded rods located behind the face plate.

Preferably the waste pipe fitting is mounted on the faceplate so that it is vertically adjustable in position to enable it to be aligned, in use, with the waste outlet of the sanitary ware. Preferably the waste pipe fitting includes two separate parts, the front part extending in front of the faceplate and the rear part extending behind the faceplate. In this case, the two parts of the waste pipe fitting are preferably vertically movable with respect to one another to enable the front part of the waste pipe fitting to be aligned with the waste outlet of the sanitary ware and, at the same time, enable the rear part of the waste pipe fitting to be aligned with a slightly inclined float or waste pipe leading away from the mounting assembly.In this way where more than one item of sanitary ware are hung side-by-side it is possible for both to be mounted at the same height and to be connected to the same generally horizontal float which has a fall on it to ensure that the waste matter drains away under gravity. Typically the rear part of the waste pipe fitting has an oval aperture with a surrounding seal whilst the front part of the waste pipe fitting has a generally circular aperture surrounded by a flat flange which abuts and forms a water-tight joint with the seal on the rear part of the waste pipe fitting and yet allows independent vertical movement between the two parts of the fitting.

The rear part of the waste pipe fitting may include a plain pipe connecting portion to BS 416 to enable it to be connected via a standard mechanical joint to a conventional plastics or cast-iron soil pipe fitting.

Alternatively the rear part of the waste pipe fitting may incorporate a conventional waste pipe connector including, for example, means to connect it to a substantially horizontal float and a vent pipe. The front part of the waste pipe fitting may telescope to accommodate differences in separation between the sanitary ware and the mounting assembly but usually this is unnecessary since a standard connector such as that sold under the trade mark MULTIQUICK can be used to connect the spigot at the rear of the sanitary ware to the waste pipe fitting and such a connector often provides a sufficient degree of adjustment to accommodate differences in the distance between the sanitary ware and the mounting assembly.

Preferably the posts are T-shaped in cross-section with the bar of the T towards the front of the mounting assembly and include base plates with apertures to receive fixing bolts connected to the floor or other support surface. It is also preferred that the faceplate includes rearwardly facing flanges on its two upright edges and that these flanged edges of the faceplate nest into angles of the support posts. Typically the faceplate is connected to the supporting posts by screw threaded connectors which pass through elongate slots formed in the support posts to provide the vertical adjustment between the faceplate and the support posts.

Typically the support posts are connected to the floor or other supporting surface before the wall is built. The wall is then built around or in front of the mounting assembly, of course making provision for the screw threaded connectors, the stop or stops and the waste pipe fitting to protrude through the wall. After completion of the wall and any surface treatment such as plastering or tiling the sanitary ware is simply connected to the connectors and waste pipe fitting. The stop or stops support the lower part of the sanitary ware to ensure that no load is transmitted to the wall and thus the fitting of the sanitary ware is completely independent of the wall. When the mounting assembly is used for sanitary ware in a bathroom that is preformed as a pod, and when the pod includes a floor the mounting assembly is connected directly to the floor of the pod; alternatively, the mounting assembly may be attached to the surrounding shell of the building as part of the pod installation process.

Two examples of a mounting assembly in accordance with this invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of a first example; Figure 2 is a side elevation of the first example; Figure 3 is a front elevation of the first example; Figure 4 is a plan view of a second example; Figure 5 is a side elevation of the second example; and, Figure 6 is a front elevation of the second example.

The first example of mounting assembly comprises two posts 1 and 2, a faceplate 3 and a waste pipe fitting 4.

The support posts 1 and 2 are generally T-shaped in cross-section, as shown in Figure 1 with the web 5 forming the bar of the T towards the front of the assembly and the web 6 forming the leg of the T extending rearwards. The posts include lower flanges 7 formed with apertures 8 which in use receive fixing bolts 9 to connect the posts 1 and 2 to the floor.

The faceplate 3 is generally C-shaped in cross-section with rearwardly extending flanges 10 shown most clearly in Figure 1 formed along its vertical edges.

The flanges 10 include two tapped holes into which set screws 11 carrying washers 12 are fixed. The set screws 11 pass through elongate slots 13 shown most clearly in Figure 2 in the web 6 of the posts 1 and 2. The set screws 11 connect the faceplate 3 to the posts 1 and 2 but the slots 13 enable the vertical postion of the faceplate 3 with respect to the posts 1 and 2 to be adjusted. Whilst the set screws 11 provide the connection between the faceplate 3 and the posts 1 and 2 the faceplate 3 nests into the angle formed between the webs 5 and 6 to provide a good connection between them.

Two screw threaded fixing studs 14 are mounted in horizontally elongate apertures (not shown) in the mounting plate 3. The studs 14 are fixed to the mounting plate by nuts 15 and associated washers 16. The elongate holes in the faceplate 3 provide a degree of horizontal adjustment of the location of the fixing studs 14. In use the fixing studs 14 pass through apertures towards the top of a piece of sanitary ware shown in chain-dotted outline which is typically connected to the screw-threaded studs 14 by a pair of nuts and washers 17 and 18. Two bolts 19 which form adjustable stops are screwed into tapped holes in the mounting plate 3. Slots 20 in the ends of the bolts 19 are exposed behind the mounting plate 3 to enable the bolts 19 to be screwed in and out to vary their length. Lock nuts 21 fix the adjustable stops.

The waste pipe fitting 4 in this example comprises a plain tubular portion 22 having lugs 23 extending outwards from it. The lugs 23 include tapped holes into which set screws 24 are connected. The set screws 24 pass through vertically elongate holes 25 formed in the faceplate 3 and the tubular portion 22 is contained within an oval aperture 26 in the faceplate 3 to provide a degree of vertical adjustment between the location of the waste pipe fitting 4 and the fixing 14 and 19 which allows the mounting assembly to be used with a variety of different sanitary ware. In use the spigot 27 on the rear of the sanitary ware is connected to the waste pipe fitting 4 using a conventional multifit connector 28 which fits over and seals against the outside of the spigot and then enters and seals against the inside of the tubular portion 22.The top of the faceplate 3 is relieved at 29 to accommodate the flush-pipe (not shown) connected to the sanitary ware.

The second example of mounting assembly shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6 is generally similar to the first with the exception that the waste pipe fitting 4 is different and formed in two parts and includes a soil pipe connector 30. A front part of the waste pipe connector is formed by a tubular portion 31 surrounding a circular aperture 32 and integral with the faceplate 3. However, the front portion 31 may also include a flange similar to the flange 23 in the first example and be mounted for vertical movement with respect to the faceplate 3.

A rear part 33 of the waste pipe fitting includes an oval flange 34 which is elongate in the vertical direction and carries a gasket seal 35. This forms a seal against the rear face of the faceplate 3 or against the rear face of the flange 23. The flange 34 is connected to the faceplate 3 via set screws 36 which pass through elongate slots 37 formed in the faceplate 3.

This provides a degree of vertical adjustment between the rear part of the waste pipe fitting and the front part of the waste pipe fitting to accommodate differences in height between the outlet spigot 27 of the sanitary ware and a soil pipe leading away from the mounting assembly.

In this example the rear part of the waste pipe connector leads into a branch connector 30 having a vent connection 37 and an outlet connection 38 for connection to a substantially horizontal float. The soil pipe connection 30 also includes an additional lug 39 which can be used as an additional point of support with a support stud 40.

In both examples adjustable stops 41 are provided to adjust the height of the mounting plate 3. These stopes assist in setting the height of the mounting plate 3, particularly during installation.

Claims (10)

1. A mounting assembly for wall hung sanitary ware comprising two posts adapted to be connected to a floor or other supporting surface, a faceplate connected between the posts and adjustable in height, a pair of screw threaded connectors which are adjustable in length, which are connected to the faceplate and which, in use, pass through upper mounting holes in the sanitary ware to connect it to the mounting assembly, an adjustable length stop which is connected to the baseplate below the pair of screw threaded connectors and which, in use, engages the rear of the santiary ware towards its base, and a waste pipe fitting mounted on the faceplate which, in use, is coupled with a waste outlet of the sanitary ware.

2. A mounting assembly according to claim 1, which includes two adjustable length stops connected to the base plate below the pair of screw threaded connectors.

3. A mounting assembly according to claim 1 or 2, in which the screw threaded connectors are adjustable in location in a generally horizontal direction.

4. A mounting assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, in which, the adjustable length stop is formed by a bolt or screw threaded rod screwed into a tapped hole in the face plate with the head of the bolt or means to rotate the screw threaded rod being located behind the face plate.

5. A mounting assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the waste pipe fitting is mounted on the faceplate so that it is vertically adjustable in position to enable it to be aligned, in use, with the waste outlet of the sanitary ware.

6. A mounting assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the waste pipe fitting includes two separate parts, a front part extending in front of the faceplate and a rear part extending behind the faceplate.

7. A mounting assembly according to claim 6, in which the two parts of the waste pipe fitting are vertically movable with respect to one another to enable the front part of the waste pipe fitting to be aligned with the waste outlet of the santiary ware and, enable the rear part of the waste pipe fitting to be aligned with a slightly inclined float or waste pipe leading away from the mounting assembly.

8. A mounting assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the posts are T-shaped in cross-section with the bar of the T towards the front of the mounting assembly and include base plates with apertures to receive fixing bolts connected to the floor or other support surface.

9. A mounting assembly according to claim 8, in which the faceplate includes rearwardly facing flanges on its two upright edges and these flanged edges of the faceplate nest into angles of the support posts.

10. A mounting assembly substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.