Toilet Boot

This application claims priority benefit of Provisional Application No. 63/641,459 filed May 2, 2024, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

The present disclosure relates generally to toilets. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a toilet boot for installing a toilet to the floor of a washroom.

Generally, in conventional toilets, a common mounting method entails aligning and securing a wax ring with the flange of a soil pipe inlet, positioning the discharge outlet of the toilet to align with both the wax ring and soil pipe inlet, and then securing the base of the toilet to the flange of the soil pipe inlet while ensuring the wax ring remains in place. However, numerous challenges arise from the conventional method of toilet installation.

One challenge associated with mounting a toilet to the flange positioned in the floor of the washroom is maintaining the positioning of the wax ring between the discharge outlet of the toilet and the soil pipe inlet. If the wax ring misaligns during installation, it can lead to several potential issues. First, misalignment may result in an incomplete or uneven seal between the toilet base and the floor flange, leading to leaks. These leaks can cause water damage to the flooring and subflooring, as well as promote the growth of mold and mildew. Second, a misaligned wax ring can cause the toilet to wobble or become unstable, compromising its structural integrity and potentially posing safety hazards. Furthermore, a poor seal can allow foul odors from the sewer system to escape into the bathroom, creating an unpleasant environment. It would be advantageous to provide an apparatus for securing the position of a wax ring between the discharge outlet of the toilet and the soil pipe inlet.

Another challenge associated with mounting a toilet is the necessity of replacing a wax ring whenever the toilet needs to be unmounted from the flange positioned in the floor of the washroom. Conventional toilets require a fresh wax ring each time they are unmounted from the flange. This necessity stems from the design of the wax ring, which becomes compressed and deformed upon initial installation, forming a tight seal between the toilet base and the flange. Once the toilet is removed, this seal is broken, and the wax ring loses its effectiveness. Therefore, to ensure proper sealing and prevent potential leaks or odors, it is essential to replace the wax ring with a new one whenever the toilet is taken off the floor flange. This adds an extra step and cost to the process of uninstalling and reinstalling toilets, contributing to the overall complexity of toilet maintenance and replacement. It would be advantageous to provide an apparatus for effectively securing the wax ring without the need to replace it when mounting and unmounting a toilet.

Additionally, there is a need to provide a more secure coupling between the toilet and the flange and/or the soil pipe, in order to improve the stability of the toilet, such as during use of the toilet, as well as, to reduce the likelihood of leaking, such as between the toilet and the drain pipe (or soil pipe or sanitary sewer system). It would be advantageous to be able to couple an apparatus to both the toilet and the soil pipe in a manner that secures the toilet to the floor of the washroom.

The figures illustrate certain exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure in detail. It should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the details and methodology set forth in the detailed description or illustrated in the figures. It should be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purposes of description only and should not be regarded as limiting.

Described herein are apparatuses, systems, and methods for mounting a toilet to a washroom floor. Specifically, described herein is a boot configured to be coupled at a first side to a base of a toilet and at a second side to a flange of a soil pipe inlet. The boot described herein may advantageously secure and position a gasket (e.g., a wax ring) between a discharge outlet of the toilet disposed at the base of the toilet and a soil pipe inlet. Additionally, the boot in accordance with the present disclosure may advantageously secure the gasket without the need to replace it when mounting and unmounting a toilet.

For example, the utilization of the boot significantly streamlines the toilet installation process. By securely holding the gasket in place between the toilet base and the soil pipe inlet flange, the boot ensures a tight seal. The boot may advantageously be coupled to the flange of the soil pipe inlet and fasten such as to secure and compress the gasket in place. Furthermore, the boot may be configured such that the base of the toilet may be coupled or decoupled from the boot, thus advantageously allowing the toilet to be replaced without having to fully remove or replace the original gasket.

illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a toilet that may include a boot according to the present disclosure.

Referring toa toiletincluding a base(e.g., a pedestal, bowl, etc.) and a tankis shown. The baseis configured to be attached to another object such as a boot(described below), a flange of a soil pipe inlet of a soil pipe, floor, or another suitable object. The baseincludes a bowl, a sump (e.g., a receptacle) disposed below the bowl, and a passageway(depicted in) fluidly connecting the bowlto a drainpipe or sewage line. The basealso includes a pair of toilet mounting holesthrough which corresponding bolts are inserted into and fastened with corresponding nuts such as to secure the toiletto the washroom floor. The tankmay be supported by the base, such as an upper surface of a rim. The tankmay be integrally formed with the baseas a single unitary body. In other embodiments, the tankmay be formed separately from the baseand coupled (e.g., attached, secured, fastened, connected, etc.) to the base. The toiletmay further include a tank lidcovering an opening and inner cavity in the tank. The toiletmay include a seat assemblyincluding a seatand a seat coverrotatably coupled to the base. The toiletmay further include a hinge assembly.

illustrate an exemplary embodiment of a boot configured to secure the base of the toilet to a flange of a soil pipe inlet disposed in the floor of a washroom. Specifically,illustrates an exploded perspective view of the boot.illustrates a cross-sectional view of the boot oftaken along line-, coupled to the base of the toilet.illustrates a cross-sectional view of the boot oftaken along line-, coupled to the base of the toilet and the flange of the soil pipe inlet while fastened by a plurality of fastening members.

Referring to, the bootincludes a first side(i.e., an upper side) and a second side(i.e., a lower side). The first sideof the bootis configured to be coupled to the baseof the toilet. The second sideof the bootis configured to be coupled to the flangeof the soil pipe inlet.

As can be seen in, the first sideof the bootis fluidly connected to a discharge outletof the toiletdisposed at the base. The second sideof the bootis configured to be fluidly connected to the soil pipe inlet. The bootalso includes a channelextending through the bootfrom the first sideof the bootto the second sideof the boot. In other words, the length of the channelcorresponds to the height of the bootwhen the boot is installed or may correspond to the distance from the first sideof the bootto the second sideof the boot.

The channelis also configured to fluidly communicate the discharge outletof the toiletwith the soil pipe inlet. In other words, the channelis concentric with the discharge outletof the toiletand concentric with the soil pipe inlet, so as to facilitate efficient and unobstructed flow from the toiletto the soil pipe inlet.

As a result, water and waste may pass from the bowlthrough the passagewayof the toiletand the channelof bootto the soil pipe inletwhen the toiletis activated. It should be noted that the toilet as described and shown herein may include a single passagewayor may include more than one passagewayscoupled together (e.g., a passageway coupled to an internal pedestal passageway) to transfer the water and waste from the bowlof the pedestal to the soil pipe inlet.

In certain examples, the channelmay include a conical portionand a tubular wall portionextending from the first sideto the second sideof the boot. An upper portion of the channelat the first sideof the bootmay include the conical portionprotruding from the tubular walltoward the center of the channel. The conical portionis tapered, with a larger diameter at the surface of the first side(i.e., a first conical diameter) and a smaller diameter at a certain depth within the channel(i.e., a second conical diameter). In other words, the first conical diameter of the conical portionmay be greater than the second conical diameter of the conical portion. Furthermore, the first conical diameter of the conical portionmay be the same in diameter as the tubular wall portion.

For example, at the first sideof the boot, near the opening of the channel, the conical portionprotrudes inward from the surrounding tubular wall portion, resembling a funnel shape. The conical partgradually tapers down in diameter (i.e., the second conical diameter) as it extends deeper into the channel. As a result, the conical portionmay advantageously create a tight seal between the discharge outletof the toilet.

In certain examples, the conical portionmay extend to at least 1/10 of the length of the channel, to at least 2/10 of the length of the channel, to at least 3/10 of the length of the channel, to at least 4/10 of the length of the channel, to at least ½ of the length of the channel, to at least 7/10 of the length of the channel, to at least 9/10 of the length of the channel, or any combination thereof.

As a result of the conical portion, the bootmay advantageously receive the discharge outletdisposed in the baseof the toiletand align it with the channel. This alignment ensures that waste expelled from the toiletflows directly into the channelwithout any misalignment or obstruction, thereby promoting efficient and uninterrupted passage. Additionally, due to the tapered configuration of the conical portion, the bootmay advantageously accommodate a range of sizes of discharge outlets.

Referring to, the second side (i.e., the lower side)of the bootincludes a groovedefined along a path on a surface of the second sidesurrounding the channel. The grooveis configured to receive a gasket(i.e., a wax ring). The grooveis configured to retain and secure the gasketsuch that the gasketdoes not separate from the bootwhen installing the bootin between the baseof the toiletand the flangeof the soil pipe inlet.

Furthermore, the bootis configured to compress the gasketagainst the flangeof the soil pipe inletwhen the bootis fastened to the flangeby a plurality of fastening members (described further below) so as to provide a seal to prohibit leaking.

Referring back to, the bootmay further include a plurality of boot mounting holesextending through the bootfrom the first sideto the second side. The bootincludes two mounting holes, however the bootis not limited to two mounting holes and any number of mounting holes may be included.

As depicted in, the boot mounting holesmay be positioned around the edge of the bootto surround the channeland positioned across from one another. Furthermore, the boot mounting holesare positioned to align with respective toilet mounting holesof the baseof the toiletand with respective flange mounting holesof the flangeof the soil pipe inlet.

The bootalso includes a plurality of fastening membersconfigured to fasten the bootto the flangeand to the baseof the toilet. The fastening membersare inserted through the flange mounting holes, the plurality of boot mounting holes, and the toilet mounting holes.

For example, as depicted in, each fastening memberof the pair of fastening membersis inserted through a respective flange mounting hole, boot mounting hole, and toilet mounting hole.

Each fastening memberincludes a T-bolt, a T-bolt washer, a boot washer, a boot barrel nut, a toilet flange bolt, and a toilet clean cap. The boot barrel nutis configured to be fastened to the T-boltsuch as to fasten the bootto the flange. The toilet flange boltis configured to be fastened to the boot barrel nutsuch as to fasten the baseof the toiletto the boot.

illustrate an exemplary method for mounting a toilet to a washroom floor using a boot configured to secure the toilet to the soil pipe disposed in the floor. The toiletmay be mounted to a washroom floor using 5 method steps.

The first step includes inserting and positioning the T-boltof each fastening memberinto the respective flange mounting holes. Each T-boltreceives a T-bolt washer.

The second step includes positioning the gasketinto the grooveof the bootsuch that the grooveretains and secures the gasket. Specifically, the grooveis designed to securely hold and support the gasket, such as a wax ring, preventing the gasketfrom dislodging or falling out of position.

The third step includes aligning the bootrelative to the soil pipe inlet. The bootis coupled to the flangeof the soil pipe inletwith the gasket(or wax ring) provided therebetween to form a seal to prohibit leaking. During this coupling process, each T-boltis inserted through its corresponding boot mounting hole. For instance, each T-boltis aligned and inserted into its designated position to ensure proper attachment and to secure a tight seal.

The fourth step includes fastening the bootto the flange. Each T-boltis provided with a boot washerand a boot barrel nut. Subsequently, each boot barrel nutis tightened using a hex key (e.g., Allen wrench), firmly fastening the bootto the flange. This effectively compresses the gasketbetween the bootand the flange, ensuring a tight and leak-proof seal.

The fifth step includes aligning the baseof the toiletover the bootthat is coupled to the flange. Each T-boltis aligned and inserted into each respective toilet mounting hole. After inserting each T-bolt, a toilet flange boltis threaded and securely fastened onto each respective T-bolt. Thus, using a hex key, each toilet flange boltis tightened to secure the baseof the toiletto the bootand the flange. A toilet clean capis then inserted into each toilet mounting holeto neatly cover the toilet flange bolt, providing a clean and finished appearance to the installation.

illustrates another exemplary embodiment of a bootconfigured to secure the baseof the toiletto a flangeof a soil pipe inlet. The boot ofmay include any or all of the components of the embodiments described above, except that the toilet flange boltis omitted. The bootis fluidly connected to a discharge outlet of the toiletdisposed at the base. The bootis configured to be fluidly connected to the soil pipe inlet. The basemay include an outer wallA having an outer circumference outside of the bootand an inner wallB having an inner circumference inside of the boot. The width or span of the bootfalls between the inner wallB and the outer wallA. Additional, different or fewer components may be included.

The bootmay further include a plurality of boot mounting holesextending through the boot. The bootincludes two mounting holes, however the bootis not limited to two mounting holes and any number of mounting holes may be included. The boot mounting holesmay be positioned around the edge of the bootto surround the channel and positioned across from one another. Furthermore, the boot mounting holesare positioned to align with respective toilet mounting holesof the baseof the toiletand with respective flange mounting holesof the flangeof the soil pipe inlet.

The bootalso includes a plurality of fastening membersconfigured to fasten the bootto the flangeand to the baseof the toilet. The fastening membersare inserted through the flange mounting holes, the plurality of boot mounting holes, and the toilet mounting holes.

For example, as depicted in, each fastening memberof the pair of fastening membersis inserted through a respective flange mounting hole, boot mounting hole, and toilet mounting hole.

One or more fastening members are configured to fasten the bootto the flangeand to the baseof the toiletby being respectively inserted through the flange mounting holes, the boot mounting holesand the toilet mounting holes.

In one example, each fastening memberincludes a T-bolt, a T-bolt washer, a boot washer, a boot nut, a toilet flange bolt, and a toilet clean cap. The boot nutis configured to be fastened to the T-boltsuch as to fasten the bootto the flange.

In this example, the T-boltextends from the toilet mounting holesin the baseof the toiletto the flange mounting holesof the flangeof the soil pipe inlet. In other words, the T-boltof the fastening memberhas a length that is equal to or greater than a distance from the flangeto the baseof the toilet. In this way, the T-boltis tightened against the bootvia the boot washerand boot nut, to secure the bootto the floor via the flange. Further, the T-boltof the fastening memberis tightened against the toiletvia the toilet flange boltto secure the toiletagainst the boot.

As shown in, the bootmay further include an inner circumference structure configured to mate to the toiletand provide a seal between the floor and the toiletvia the boot. The bootmay include a horizontal wallthat extents circumferentially away from the soil pipe inlet. The bootincludes outer vertical walland inner vertical wallthat support the horizontal wall. The outer vertical wallmay be a greater distance from the soil pipe inletthan the inner vertical wallbut less than that of the outer wallA. The inner vertical wallmay be spaced closer to the soil pipe inletthan the outer vertical wallbut more than that of the inner wallB.

The bootmay include a gasket from a conical portionand a tubular wall portion. The conical portionis slanted or tapered to meet with the inner wallB and create a seal or substantial seal between the toiletand the floor. A substantial seal may not be hermetic but be sufficient to prevent water from escaping from the connection between the toiletand the soil pipe inlet.

The bootmay included a supporting ribhaving a circular or semicircular shape. The supporting ribis configured to support the gasket having the conical portionand the tubular wall portion. In one example, the conical portionextends inward on a first side of the supporting riband the tubular wall portionextends vertical on a second side of the supporting rib.

includes an example flow chart for the installation of the toiletincluding the bootas shown by. Additional, different or fewer acts may be included.

At act S, the T-boltof each fastening memberis positioned into the respective flange mounting holes. Each T-boltreceives a T-bolt washer.

At act S, the wax ring (or other gasket) is mated or otherwise coupled with the boot. In some examples, act Smay be omitted as the wax ring and bootmay be previously combined.

At act S, the bootis aligned with the soil pipe inletor other flange. During this aligning process, each T-boltis inserted through its corresponding boot mounting hole. For instance, each T-boltis aligned and inserted into its designated position to ensure proper attachment and to secure a tight seal.

At act S, the bootis fastened to the flange. Each T-boltis provided with a boot washerand a boot nut. Subsequently, each nutis tightened either by hand or using a tool to firmly fasten the bootto the flange. This effectively compresses the wax ring between the bootand the flange, ensuring a tight and leak-proof seal.

At act S, the baseof the toiletis aligned over the bootthat is coupled to the flange. Each T-boltis aligned and inserted into each respective toilet mounting hole. After inserting each T-bolt, a toilet flange boltis threaded and securely fastened onto each respective T-bolt. Thus, either by hand or using a tool, each toilet flange boltis tightened to secure the baseof the toiletto the bootand the flange. A toilet clean capis then inserted into each toilet mounting holeto neatly cover the toilet flange bolt.

illustrates an example implementation of the boot.illustrates a top view of the bootincluding the boot mounting holes. An example collaris illustrates and may be adapted according to any of the examples described herein. The underside of the boot, illustrated by, includes a cavityhaving a substantially circular shape (e.g., ring shape) and is configured to hold a wax ring. In other words, during installation, the wax ring is placed in the cavityof the boot. In some examples the wax ring and the tool may be combined in a single unit (e.g., such that the wax ring and the bootare shipped, sold, and/or provided to the user as a single unit).