Flexible seal with modular spacers

Abstract

An adjustable seal for coupling a plumbing fixture to a waste outlet includes a member, a flexible sleeve, and a modular spacer. The flexible sleeve is operable to be connected to an upper surface of the member. The modular spacer is operable to couple the modular spacer to the member.

1 . An adjustable seal for coupling a plumbing fixture to a waste outlet, comprising:
 a member;   a flexible sleeve operable to be connected to an upper surface of the member; and   a modular spacer operable to couple the modular spacer to the member.   
     
     
         2 . The seal according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the member includes a recessed area defined in a lower surface of the member, and   the modular spacer includes a connecting portion operable to be received in the recessed area of the member.   
     
     
         3 . The seal according to  claim 1 , wherein the member includes a plurality of recessed areas defined in the lower surface of the member, the plurality of recessed areas being circumferentially spaced from each other. 
     
     
         4 . The seal according to  claim 3 , further comprising a plurality of modular spacers, each modular spacer including a connecting portion operable to be received in one of recessed areas of the member, thereby coupling the modular spacer to the member. 
     
     
         5 . The seal according to  claim 4 , wherein
 a pair of the recessed areas of the member are diametrically opposing each other, and   a pair of the plurality of modular spacers are operable to be received in the pair of diametrically opposing recessed areas of the member respectively.   
     
     
         6 . The seal of  claim 4 , wherein
 a trio of the recessed areas of the member are evenly spaced from each other about a circumference of the member, and   a trio of the plurality of modular spacers are operable to be received in the trio of recessed areas of the member respectively.   
     
     
         7 . The seal according to  claim 2 , wherein the connecting portion of the modular spacer includes a projection extending from an upper surface of the modular spacer. 
     
     
         8 . The seal according to  claim 7 , wherein the connecting portion of the modular spacer includes a plurality of projections extending from the upper surface of the modular spacer, the plurality of projections being operable to be received in the recessed area of the member. 
     
     
         9 . The seal according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the flexible sleeve is coupled to a waste flange or a waste drain pipe, the waste flange or waste drain pipe is coupled to a ground surface that is below a surface of a finished flooring, the surface of the finished flooring being disposed a distance from the ground surface greater than a distance from an upper surface of the waste flange or waste drain pipe to the ground surface, and   the modular spacer has a height and is operable to position the member such that the upper surface of the member is disposed above the surface of the finished flooring.   
     
     
         10 . The seal according to  claim 1 , wherein the modular spacer includes a cylindrical body and is operable to be disposed around the sleeve. 
     
     
         11 . The seal according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the seal includes a plurality of modular spacers, each modular spacer including:
 an upper surface and a lower surface; 
 a projection in the connecting portion, the projection extending from the upper surface of the respective modular spacer; and 
 a recessed area defined in the lower surface of the respective modular spacer, 
   the projection of a first of the modular spacers is operable to be received in the recessed area of the member, thereby coupling the first modular spacer to the member, and   the projection of a second of the modular spacers is operable to be received in the recessed area of the first modular spacer, thereby coupling the second modular spacer to the first modular spacer.   
     
     
         12 . The seal according to  claim 11 , wherein
 the plurality of modular spacers each include a plurality of projections extending from the upper surface of the respective modular spacer and a plurality of recessed areas defined in the lower surface of the respective modular spacer, and   the plurality of modular spacers each include the same number of recessed areas and projections.   
     
     
         13 . The seal according to  claim 11 , wherein
 the plurality of modular spacers each include a plurality of projections extending from the upper surface of the respective modular spacer and a plurality of recessed areas defined in the lower surface of the respective modular spacer, and   the plurality of modular spacers each include different numbers of recessed areas and projections.   
     
     
         14 . The seal according to  claim 1 , wherein the sleeve is unitarily formed of a flexible material and has one or more protrusions along a lower portion of the sleeve. 
     
     
         15 . The seal according to  claim 14 , wherein the protrusions are formed to couple to a waste flange or waste drain pipe when the lower portion of the sleeve is inserted into the waste flange or waste drain pipe. 
     
     
         16 . The seal according to  claim 15 , wherein the protrusions provide a substantially water tight seal to the waste flange or waste drain pipe. 
     
     
         17 . The seal according to  claim 14 , wherein the protrusions are sealing elements disposed about a lower portion of the sleeve, the sealing element having a maximum outside diameter of the lower portion and being sized to directly engage an inside diameter of a waste flange or waste drain pipe. 
     
     
         18 . The seal according to  claim 1 , wherein the sleeve includes an inward lip extending from an outer, top surface of an upper portion of the sleeve, the lip being sufficiently flexible to deflect downward when engaged by the plumbing fixture discharge. 
     
     
         19 . The seal according to  claim 1 , wherein the sleeve includes an inward lip extending from a point below an outer top surface of an upper portion of the sleeve, the lip being sufficiently flexible to deflect downward when engaged by the plumbing fixture discharge. 
     
     
         20 . The seal according to  claim 19 , wherein the lip forms a non-zero angle with a plane that is perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the sleeve. 
     
     
         21 . The seal according to  claim 1 , wherein the sleeve is integrally formed with the member. 
     
     
         22 . The seal according to  claim 1 , wherein the sleeve is removably connected to the member. 
     
     
         23 . The seal according to  claim 1 , wherein a hardness of the member is greater than a hardness of the sleeve. 
     
     
         24 . A method of manufacturing a seal, comprising:
 forming a member;   forming a flexible sleeve operable to be connected to an upper surface of the member; and   forming at least one modular spacer operable to couple the modular spacer to the member.   
     
     
         25 . The method according to  claim 24 , wherein
 the member includes a recessed area defined in a lower surface of the member, and   the modular space includes a connecting portion operable to be received in the recessed area of the member.   
     
     
         26 . The method according to  claim 24 , further comprising seating the flexible sleeve on the upper surface of the member. 
     
     
         27 . The method according to  claim 24 , further comprising coupling the at least one modular spacer to the member. 
     
     
         28 . The method according to  claim 24 , wherein
 the forming the member includes forming the member having a plurality of recessed areas defined in the lower surface of the member, and   the forming the at least one modular spacer includes forming a plurality of modular spacers in one batch, each modular spacer having an upper surface and a projection extending therefrom, the projection being operable to be received in one of the recessed areas of the member, thereby coupling the modular spacer to the member.   
     
     
         29 . The method according to  claim 24 , wherein the forming the at least one modular spacer includes forming a plurality of projections extending from the upper surface of the modular spacer, the plurality of projections being operable to be received in the recessed area of the member.