Coupler for improved flow to an external drain

Abstract

A bushing ( 58 ) has an entry portion ( 68 ) which is secured to a urinal housing ( 50 ) and an exit portion ( 70 ) which faces a drain pipe ( 54, 54 a, 54 b ). The entry portion interior surface ( 74 ) is fittable about and sealingly grips the urinal exit tube ( 52 ). The interiors of the entry and exit portions lie on a common axis ( 58 x ) and with the axis ( 52 x ) of the urinal exit tube. These axes define a sloped incline and, thus, a built-in, gravitationally-directed downwardly-disposed inclination. Because the axes usually do not fall on the axis ( 56 x ) of the conduit, they are angled and offset from the conduit axis. The offset of the bushing raises it above the axis of the conduit. Tubing ( 60, 60 a ) is secured at its end ( 62, 62 a ) to the bushing exit portion so that the tubing axis at its end ( 62, 62 a ) similarly is raised above the conduit axis. The tubing extends from the bushing at an incline that is determined by the built-in incline of the bushing. This tubing is smaller in its outer diameter than the inner diameter of the conduit so that the tubing can pass through the conduit and into the drain pipe. The interior surface ( 74 ) of the bushing is offset from its outer surface which is secured to the conduit. Thus, the tubing is allowed to ensure that the conduit will not so contact the tubing as to deleteriously affect the downward inclination of the tubing. An orientation indicator tab ( 92 ) on the bushing ensures that its inclined orientation is properly positioned vis-a-vis the conduit. The exterior surfaces of the bushing are designed to enable it to fit within a variety of conduits, to accommodate new and existing connections such as flanges and hardware associated with the drain pipe, to ensure its durability, and to otherwise enable retrofitting to new and existing installations.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . In a collector of liquid terminating in an exit tube directed towards a drain pipe and a conduit having two ends, a first end coupled to the exit tube and a second end coupled to the drain pipe and normally providing a flow path for the liquid to the drain pipe, wherein both the liquid collector and the drain pipe are fixed in place relative to themselves and to one another, a method for improving liquid flow through the conduit to the drain pipe, especially when the axes of the conduit and the drain pipe are not mutually aligned, comprising the steps of separately directing a gravitationally-directed downwardly-inclined fluid flow within the conduit, but separately from that in contact with the conduit, coupling a fitting to the conduit, extending the fitting towards the drain pipe, and providing the fitting with a director for furnishing a gravitationally-directed downwardly-inclined fluid flow. 
     
     
         2 . A method according to  claim 1  further comprising the step of terminating the flow in the drain pipe. 
     
     
         3 . A method according to  claim 1  in which tubing is utilized for said step of separately directing a gravitationally-directed downwardly-inclined fluid flow within the conduit, further comprising the step of dimensioning the length of the tubing so as to be capable of being dimensioned vis-a-vis the length of the conduit for enabling the tubing to extend beyond the end of the conduit and thus terminate in the drain pipe. 
     
     
         4 . A method according to  claim 3  further comprising the step of utilizing a fitting with an off-axis interior surface whose center line is gravitationally higher than that of the conduit so that the tubing extending therefrom is enabled to pass into and through the conduit without substantial contact therewith. 
     
     
         5 . A method according to  claim 4  further including the steps of utilizing a bushing as the fitting and orienting the bushing to ensure that its inclined orientation is seen by a user that it is properly positioned vis-a-vis the conduit. 
     
     
         6 . A fitting for coupling a downwardly sloping exit tube ( 52 ) which exit tube has an exterior surface and which exit tube extends along a first axis ( 52   x ) from a sanitary appliance to a conventional drain conduit ( 56 ) which drain conduit has an interior surface and which drain conduit extends generally horizontally along a second axis ( 56   x ) into an existing drain pipe ( 54 ), the first axis being tilted downwardly relative to the second axis, said fitting comprising:
 a bushing ( 58 ) adapted to couple the exit tube to the drain conduit and having a generally tubular entry portion ( 68 ) defining an external surface of said bushing which is adapted to be maintained in fluid tight engagement with the interior surface of the drain conduit in alignment with said second axis, said entry portion both having an interior surface ( 74 ) for maintaining said bushing in a fluid tight engagement with an exterior surface of the exit tube and defining an exterior bushing axis, and a generally tubular exit portion ( 70 ) extending rearwardly from said interior surface; and   a tubing assembly ( 60 ) having a first end ( 62 ) in fluid tight engagement with said tubular exit portion of said bushing and a terminal end ( 64 ), said tubing assembly being adapted to extend downwardly from said bushing into the drain pipe,   wherein said interior surface of said tubular entry portion defines an interior bushing axis that is offset above and downwardly sloped towards the exterior bushing axis defined by said tubular entry portion,   whereby when said bushing is operatively positioned between the exit tube from the sanitary appliance to the conduit leading to the drain pipe, said interior surface is oriented about the first axis defined by the exit tube, and said external surface of said bushing is oriented about the second axis defined by the conduit.   
     
     
         7 . The fitting of  claim 6 , further comprising a flange assembly ( 98 ,  106 ) for mechanically securing the sanitary appliance to the conduit. 
     
     
         8 . The fitting of  claim 7 , wherein said flange assembly further comprises a compression gasket ( 100 ) adapted to be placed over said external surface of said bushing. 
     
     
         9 . The fitting of  claim 8 , wherein said compression gasket is sandwiched between a urinal support flange ( 106 ) mechanically coupled to the urinal and an exit flange  98  screwed onto a threaded end of the conduit. 
     
     
         10 . The fitting of  claim 6 , in which said interior surface of said bushing is ribbed.