Closet Flange Plug With Drill Guide for Safe Hole-Saw Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing plugs for capping waste ports, such as toilet closet flanges, are prone to inadvertent displacement during testing, difficult to remove without risk of damage, and may fall into the wastewater pipe upon detachment, complicating the plumbing testing process.
Innovation Solution
A plug with an annular body and a concentric drill guide post made from a material that becomes gummy and sticky during drilling, allowing it to bind in the drill bit and be efficiently removed using a hole saw without impacting the closet flange or risking the plug's fall into the pipe.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a plug is designed to resist inadvertent displacement during testing, then sealing reliability is improved, but removal difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The plug is segmented into two distinct parts: a removable cap portion and a retained base portion. The cap portion can be easily removed after testing by pulling it upward, while the base portion remains embedded in the flange to maintain the sealing function. This segmentation allows the plug to provide reliable sealing during testing while enabling easy removal of the cap without damaging the flange or risking loss of components.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing function is extracted from a single monolithic plug and distributed between two components: the cap portion provides the removable sealing interface, while the base portion provides the retained anchoring function. This extraction allows the sealing element to be easily removed while the anchoring element remains in place, resolving the contradiction between reliable sealing and easy removal.
2Productivity
If a plug is knocked out by impact for removal, then removal speed is improved, but risk of damage to closet flange increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cap portion is designed as a disposable or single-use component that is easily removed by simple pulling action. Instead of requiring impact forces to remove a durable plug, the cap portion is intentionally designed to be easily detachable, eliminating the need for damaging impact removal methods while maintaining fast removal speed.
3Ease of operation
If a plug is designed to be easily removed from the opening, then removal efficiency is improved, but risk of falling into the pipe increases
Solution Approach 1:
The plug is divided into a removable cap portion and a retained base portion. When the cap portion is removed by pulling upward, the base portion remains embedded in the flange, providing an anchor point that prevents any remaining components from falling into the pipe. This segmentation enables easy removal while eliminating the risk of components falling into the wastewater pipe.
Solution Approach 2:
The cap portion fits over the base portion in a nested configuration. The base portion serves as a retained core that remains in the flange after cap removal, acting as a physical barrier and anchor that prevents anything from falling into the pipe opening, thus eliminating the risk of components falling into the pipe while allowing efficient removal of the cap.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The plug provides a reliable fluidic and mechanical seal, resists inadvertent displacement, and can be efficiently removed without risk of falling into the wastewater pipe, enhancing the efficiency and safety of plumbing pressure testing.
Implementation Method 1
The drill guide post is formed from a material that becomes gummy and sticky during drilling, allowing it to bind in the drill bit
Data Source
AI summary
A closet flange plug for sealing an opening of a closet flange and for being cut away by operation of a hole saw. The closet flange plug has an annular body portion for sealing the closet flange opening and a drill guide post concentrically disposed within the body portion. The drill guide post has a solid base portion of a material, such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) thermoplastic, operative to bind in the hole saw drill bit. The annular body portion is adapted to be cut through by the hole saw. The drill guide post has an upper portion projecting above the annular body portion while the base portion projects below the annular body portion. A borehole concentrically disposed within the upper portion of the guide post has a portion sized to interfere with and be drilled into by the hole saw drill bit.