Water Closet Flange Insert for Bolt Attachment Strength
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing bolt attachment mechanism for water closet flanges lacks rigidity and strength, leading to potential dislodgment of toilets or flange breakage due to material weaknesses, such as in plastic flanges and corrosion in stainless steel flanges.
Innovation Solution
An insert is attached to the bottom side of the water closet flange, featuring a recessed area and an arcuate keyhole aperture that aligns with the flange aperture, providing additional strength and rigidity by securing the bolt shaft and preventing it from passing through, thus enhancing the attachment between the toilet and the flange.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a simple bolt attachment mechanism is used, then ease of installation is improved, but strength and rigidity of the connection deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The insert combines a rigid central portion (made of rigid material such as stainless steel or plastic) with flexible clips (made of flexible material). This composite structure provides both the strength needed to prevent bolt pass-through and the flexibility needed for easy installation and accommodation of dimensional variations.
Solution Approach 2:
The insert acts as an intermediary component between the bolt and the water closet flange. It provides a reinforced interface that enhances the bolt attachment strength without requiring changes to the existing bolt installation process, thus maintaining ease of installation while improving connection strength.
2Strength
If material strength is increased to prevent breakage, then strength is improved, but susceptibility to corrosion deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The solution segments the reinforcement function from the flange material itself into a separate insert component. This allows the insert to provide the necessary structural strength while the flange material can be chosen for other properties such as corrosion resistance, ease of installation, or cost. The insert takes on the specific task of preventing bolt pass-through without requiring the entire flange to be made of high-strength, corrosion-resistant material.
3Device complexity
If the bolt attachment mechanism is simplified, then device complexity is reduced, but reliability of the connection deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The insert features self-aligning and self-adjusting characteristics through its flexible clips that automatically accommodate dimensional variations and misalignments. The clips can deform to fit within the recessed area, and the central portion automatically positions itself to prevent bolt pass-through, providing reliable reinforcement without requiring complex adjustment mechanisms or precise alignment procedures.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are various embodiments for an insert apparatus for a water closet flange. The insert apparatus has an elevated arcuate portion that extends from a first end to a second end, the elevated portion comprising an arcuate keyhole aperture through the insert apparatus, the arcuate keyhole aperture having an eyelet end and a narrowed length; a raised edge positioned along at least a portion of a perimeter of the narrowed length of the arcuate keyhole aperture; a first recessed portion that extends away from the first end of the elevated arcuate portion and a second recessed step that extends away from the second end of the elevated portion; a first clip integral with the insert apparatus extends substantially perpendicular to a plane associated with the arcuate keyhole aperture; and a second clip integral with the insert apparatus extends substantially perpendicular to the plane associated with the arcuate keyhole aperture.