Adjustable toilet flange assembly

Abstract

An adjustable toilet flange assembly is disclosed for connecting a toilet with a waste pipe and to facilitate location of the flange on the upper surface of the floor even though the height of the floor surface above the waste pipe varies with different installations. The toilet flange assembly has an adapter pipe which is connected by a cemented joint with the waste pipe and has a hub with a female thread at its upper end. A flange member has a straight pipe section with an O-ring seal for making a telescopic connection inside the adapter member and having an annular flange on its upper end. A male thread on the pipe section adjacent the flange mates with the female thread of the adapter member and provides both height and angular adjustment of the flange.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A toilet flange assembly for connecting a toilet to a floor of a building and to a plastic waste pipe disposed under said floor, said flange assembly comprising: 
 a plastic flange member including a first cylindrical pipe section having upper and lower end portions, said upper end portion terminating in an annular flange for connection with said toilet and said floor, said lower end portion having a first sealing zone,    a plastic adapter member for connecting said flange member to said waste pipe, said adapter member including a second cylindrical pipe section having upper and lower end portions, said lower end portion of said second pipe section having a second sealing zone connected via an elbow to a pipe socket connector member that can be attached by a cemented joint to said plastic waste pipe,    a telescopic connection between said lower end portion of said first pipe section and said lower end portion of said second pipe section whereby the axial and angular positions of said flange member can be adjusted relative to said adapter member, and    fluid sealing means mounted on one of said pipe sections in the sealing zone thereof for movement therewith and disposed in sliding engagement with said sealing zone of the other of said pipe sections for maintaining a fluid seal therebetween,    whereby said toilet flange assembly is installed by first connecting said pipe socket connector member to said waste pipe by a cemented joint and then adjusting the flange member to desired angular and axial positions for fastening the flange member to the floor and whereby the angular and axial positions of said flange member may be changed after installation to accommodate a different floor level or toilet orientation without need for changing said cemented joint.    
     
     
         2 . A toilet flange assembly as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said assembly comprises external screw threads on the upper end of said first pipe section and internal screw threads on the upper end of said second pipe section for mating engagement with said external screw threads.  
     
     
         3 . A toilet flange assembly as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said fluid sealing means comprises: 
 an annular groove in said lower end of said one of said pipe sections, and    an annular seal ring disposed in said groove in sealing engagement with both of said pipe sections.    
     
     
         4 . A toilet flange assembly as defined in  claim 3 , wherein said one of said pipe sections is said first pipe section.  
     
     
         5 . A toilet flange assembly as defined in  claim 4 , wherein said annular seal ring is an O-ring.  
     
     
         6 . A toilet flange assembly for connecting a toilet to the floor of a building and to a plastic waste pipe disposed under the floor, said flange assembly comprising: 
 a plastic flange member including a first cylindrical pipe section having upper and lower ends, said upper end terminating in an annular flange for connection with said toilet and said floor,    a plastic adapter member including a second cylindrical pipe section having upper and lower ends, said lower end of said second pipe section having an internal sealing zone of uniform inside diameter, said lower end of said second pipe section having an external connector surface of uniform diameter for mating connection by a cemented joint with a connector socket of an elbow, said external connector surface surrounding at least part of said sealing zone,    a telescopic connection between said lower end of said first pipe section and said sealing zone of said second pipe section whereby the axial and angular positions of said flange member can be adjusted relative to said adapter member,    fluid sealing means operatively connected between said sealing zone and said first pipe section,    whereby said toilet flange assembly may be installed by first connecting said adapter member to said waste pipe by a cemented joint and then adjusting the flange member to desired angular and axial positions for fastening it to the floor and whereby the angular and axial positions of said flange member may be changed after installation to accommodate a different floor level or toilet orientation without need for changing said cemented joint.    
     
     
         7 . A toilet flange assembly as defined in  claim 6 , wherein said assembly comprises: 
 external screw threads on the upper end of said first pipe section and internal screw threads on the upper end of said second pipe section for mating engagement with said external screw threads.    
     
     
         8 . A toilet flange assembly as defined in  claim 6 , wherein said fluid sealing means comprises: 
 an annular groove in said lower end of said one of said pipe sections, and    an annular seal ring disposed in said groove in sealing engagement with both of said pipe sections.    
     
     
         9 . A toilet flange assembly as defined in  claim 8  wherein said one of said pipe sections is said first pipe section.  
     
     
         10 . A toilet flange assembly as defined in  claim 9  wherein said annular seal ring is an O-ring.  
     
     
         11 . A toilet flange assembly for connecting a toilet to a waste pipe disposed under a floor, said flange assembly comprising: 
 a flange member including a first pipe section having upper and lower end portions, said upper end portion having an annular flange and said lower end portion having a first sealing zone,    an adapter member that connects to said flange member, said adapter member including a second pipe section having upper and lower end portions, said lower end portion of said second pipe section having a second sealing zone and a connector member,    a telescopic connection between said flange member and said adapter member whereby the axial and angular positions of said flange member can be adjusted relative to said adapter member, and    a fluid seal between said first and second sealing zones.    
     
     
         12 . A toilet flange assembly as defined in  claim 11 , wherein said flange member is threaded into said adapter member.  
     
     
         13 . A toilet flange assembly as defined in  claim 11 , wherein said first pipe section has a wall thickness that is greater at said upper end portion proximate said annular flange than at said lower end portion.  
     
     
         14 . A toilet flange assembly as defined in  claim 13 , wherein said upper end portion of said first pipe section has a set of external threads.  
     
     
         15 . A toilet flange assembly as defined in  claim 11 , wherein said first and second pipe sections each have a greater outside diameter at said upper end portion than at said lower end portion.  
     
     
         16 . A toilet flange assembly as defined in  claim 11 , wherein said connector member of said second pipe section comprising a pipe socket connector member that can be cemented onto an end of the waste pipe.  
     
     
         17 . A toilet flange assembly as defined in  claim 16 , wherein said second pipe section includes an interior annular shoulder.  
     
     
         18 . A toilet flange assembly as defined in  claim 11 , wherein said second pipe section includes an elbow connecting said second sealing zone with said connector member.  
     
     
         19 . A toilet flange assembly as defined in  claim 11 , wherein said second pipe section comprises a straight section of pipe having no bends.  
     
     
         20 . A toilet flange assembly as defined in  claim 11 , wherein said fluid seal comprises an O-ring in contact with both said first and second pipe sections.