Concealed Toilet Trapway with Flexible Sleeve Seal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current toilet assembly technologies require a trapway molded into the toilet chinaware, which is time-consuming and expensive, and there is a need for a separate trapway that can be reliably coupled to the toilet, concealed within the sidewalls, and connected in a fluid-tight manner without additional mechanical components.
Innovation Solution
A toilet assembly with a concealed trapway where the trapway is coupled to a sump outlet via a sump connection, which includes a flexible sleeve and seals to ensure a fluid-tight connection, allowing the trapway to be disposed within the toilet assembly's sidewalls.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the trapway is molded into the toilet chinaware, then the connection and sealing issues are avoided, but the manufacturing time and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The trapway is separated from the toilet bowl into distinct components. The trapway can be a separate molded piece or formed from flexible material, allowing independent manufacturing and assembly. This segmentation enables the trapway to be produced separately and then connected to the toilet bowl using flexible connections that provide sealing without requiring time-consuming integration into the chinaware molding process.
Solution Approach 2:
A flexible connection or adapter serves as an intermediary element between the toilet bowl and the trapway. This intermediary component provides the necessary sealing function while allowing the trapway to be installed separately, avoiding the need to mold the trapway directly into the toilet bowl. The flexible material accommodates minor misalignments and creates fluid-tight seals without requiring precise integration during manufacturing.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the trapway is molded into the chinaware, then the trapway structure is integrated, but the manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The trapway is manufactured as a separate component from the toilet bowl, allowing each part to be optimized for its specific function and manufactured using the most cost-effective process. The trapway can be molded separately or formed from flexible material, reducing the complexity and cost of manufacturing compared to integrating it directly into the chinaware molding process.
Solution Approach 2:
The trapway connection utilizes flexible material such as rubber or plastic that can be formed into sealing configurations. This flexible approach allows for cost-effective manufacturing compared to precise chinaware integration, as the flexible material can be molded or formed separately and then installed to create fluid-tight connections without requiring complex integration into the toilet bowl manufacturing process.
3Device complexity
If the trapway is visible from the outside of the toilet, then the trapway structure is simple, but the aesthetic appearance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The trapway is concealed within the toilet structure by nesting it inside the toilet bowl or positioning it within the wall cavity. The flexible trapway can be routed through the wall or hidden behind the toilet bowl, making it invisible from the outside while maintaining its functional simplicity. This nesting approach allows the simple trapway structure to remain hidden, improving aesthetic appearance without adding complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible nature of the trapway material allows it to be concealed within the toilet assembly. The flexible tube can be routed through walls, hidden behind the bowl, or positioned within cavities, making the simple trapway structure invisible from the outside. This flexibility enables the trapway to adapt to concealed routing paths while maintaining its structurally simple design.
4Reliability
If additional mechanical components are used to couple the trapway, then the connection reliability improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible connection itself serves as the primary coupling mechanism between the toilet bowl and trapway. The flexible material, such as rubber or plastic, provides both structural connection and sealing functions in a single integrated component. This eliminates the need for additional mechanical fasteners, clamps, or seals, as the flexible material inherently provides both attachment and fluid-tight sealing through its elasticity and conformability to the connection surfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible connection utilizes changes in physical parameters such as elasticity, compression, and deformation to create reliable connections without mechanical components. The flexible material can be compressed or deformed during installation to create friction-based attachment and sealing, replacing the need for screws, clamps, or gaskets. This parameter-based approach provides reliable coupling while maintaining simplicity.
Data Source
AI summary
A skirted toilet assembly, comprising a toilet bowl having a sump outlet; and a wall extending around the bowl from a first rear edge to a second rear edge; wherein the wall, the first rear edge, and the second rear edge define a space within the wall, the sump outlet is configured to couple to a trapway, the trapway is configured to fluidly couple the sump outlet with a sewer outlet, and the trapway is configured to be disposed within the space. A trapway may be a thermoplastic and the sump outlet a ceramic.