Toilet tank gasket
AssigneeKohler Co.
InventorRonald N. Grimstad
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A one piece gasket for a toilet which eliminates the use of separate sealing washers and spacing devices is disclosed. The one piece gasket is formed with flange portions extending from a central sealing portion and has upstanding connectors (with fastener through bores) extending from the flange portions. The connectors can have an enlarged washer head and a bumper element. The washer heads provide an expansion fit into tank fastener holes for preliminary positioning of the gasket. In a preferred manner, the washer heads are of a frusto-conical configuration.
Claims6
A one-piece gasket for sealing engagement between a bottom surface of a toilet tank that has a tank outlet opening therethrough, and an upper surface of a toilet bowl extension that has an inlet opening therethrough, said gasket being suitable for use when the tank and bowl extension are secured together by a fastener extending through fastener holes in the tank bottom and extension top, comprising:
- a resilient gasket wall having an opening therethrough that is alignable with the tank outlet and extension inlet, said gasket wall having a sealing portion around said gasket opening that is suitable to be sandwiched by the tank bottom and bowl extension top;
- a connector integrally attached to said gasket wall and extending upward therefrom, said gasket wall defining between said connector and said sealing portion a flexible narrowed hinging flange portion, said gasket wall extending directly from said sealing portion to said connector to provide a triangular connecting web, said connecting web surrounding said connector along those portions of the connector facing said sealing portion, a triangular portion of the web being opposite the portion of said connector which is disposed away from said sealing portion, said connector having an axial fastener through bore and also having an enlarged integral washer head adjacent to its upper end, said washer head having a sloped top portion and being spaced from said gasket wall, said washer head constructed and arranged to be able to be compression fitted through a tank bottom fastener hole;
- whereby said axial through bore may be aligned with a tank fastener hole when the gasket wall opening has been aligned as aforesaid, and the washer head may be positioned at the side of the fastener hole opposite said gasket wall to form a washer in the tank when the gasket wall is still outside the tank;
- and
- wherein a thickened resilient bumper section is formed integrally with the gasket wall so as to be suitable to surround a portion of the fastener hole under the tank, so as to provide a cushion between the tank and the extension.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.