FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to plumbing outlet boxes, such as outlet boxes for connecting washers, ice makers, and other equipment to plumbing systems.

BACKGROUND

Conventional plumbing outlet boxes are typically used as housings for

connections to plumbing systems. A plumbing outlet box may be provided, for example, for connecting a washing machine to pipes running within the walls of a building that are designed to carry water (e.g., hot and cold water supply and drain connections). As another example, a plumbing outlet box may be provided to connect an ice maker of a refrigerator to a water supply. Plumbing outlet boxes are generally installed in the walls of a house or other climate-controlled building.

Accordingly, there is a need in the art for plumbing outlet boxes that provide overall improved energy efficiency and yet are simple and cost-effective to produce, install, and maintain.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

Embodiments of a plumbing outlet box are described that provide a continuous seal about a periphery of the plumbing outlet box so as to maximize an energy efficiency of the box by reducing the amount of air that escapes around the box. The plumbing outlet box may be configured for mounting within a cutout in a drywall panel and may have an interior surface and an exterior surface. The plumbing outlet box may comprise a housing including a top wall and a bottom wall and an opening providing access into an interior of the housing. The plumbing outlet box may further include a substantially planar and continuous flange extending proximate to and surrounding the opening, as well as a compressible seal having a front surface and a rear surface, where the rear surface of the seal is contacting the flange, and a faceplate configured to mount to the housing. In a mounted position, the faceplate may contact a portion of the front surface of the drywall panel and compress the seal such that the front surface of the seal contacts the rear surface of the drywall panel to create a seal around the drywall panel cutout.

In some cases, the flange may be integral with the housing, whereas in other cases, the flange may be separate from the housing and may be configured to be attached to the housing. For example, the flange may be configured to be attached to the housing via at least one of a snap-fit attachment, an adhesive attachment, or a sonic weld attachment. In some embodiments, the faceplate may be configured to mount to the housing via at least one of a snap-fit mounting and a screw mounting.

The seal may comprise a single piece in some cases. Alternatively, the seal may comprise two or more pieces. The rear surface of the seal may be affixed to the flange. The outlet box may be configured for use as a washing machine outlet box, or the outlet box may be configured for use as an ice maker outlet box.

In other embodiments, a method of installing a plumbing outlet box within a cutout in a drywall panel having an interior surface and an exterior surface is provided.

According to the method, a plumbing outlet box housing may be provided that includes a top wall, a bottom wall, and an opening providing access into an interior of the housing. A substantially planar and continuous flange may also be provided that extends proximate and surrounds the opening. A compressible seal having a front surface and a rear surface may be applied to the flange such that the rear surface of the seal contacts the flange. The plumbing outlet box may be positioned proximate the cutout of the drywall panel, and a faceplate may be mounted to the housing so that the faceplate contacts a portion of the front surface of the drywall panel and compresses the seal such that the front surface of the seal contacts the rear surface of the drywall panel to create a seal around the drywall panel cutout.

In some cases, providing a substantially planar and continuous flange may comprise attaching a flange to the plumbing outlet box housing. Furthermore, providing a compressible seal may comprise attaching the compressible seal to the flange. The plumbing outlet box may be configured for use as a washing machine outlet box, or the plumbing outlet box may be configured for use as an ice maker outlet box.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Having thus described the invention in general terms, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a housing of a plumbing outlet box with a continuous flange in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 shows a seal configured to be applied to the continuous flange in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 3 shows a front perspective view of a faceplate configured to engage the housing of Fig. 1 in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 shows a rear perspective view of the faceplate of Fig. 3 in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5A shows a side (exploded) view of the plumbing outlet box in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5B shows a side (assembled) view of the plumbing outlet box of Fig. 5A in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 6 shows a perspective view housing of a plumbing outlet box in accordance with another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Some embodiments of the present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some, but not all, embodiments of the invention are shown. Indeed, various embodiments of the invention may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legal requirements. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout. Some components of the plumbing outlet box and associated systems are not shown in one or more of the figures for clarity and to facilitate

explanation of embodiments of the present invention.

As used herein, the terms "bottom," "top," "upper," "lower," "interior," "exterior," and similar terms are used for ease of explanation and refer generally to the position of certain components of embodiments of the described invention in the installed

configuration (e.g., in an operational configuration). It is understood that such terms are not used in any absolute sense, and, as such, a component described as a "bottom wall" may be on the same level (e.g., at the same distance from the ground) as another component described as a "side wall" in certain configurations of embodiments of the described invention, such as when the plumbing outlet boxes are laying on a flat surface prior to installation as opposed to held within a wall, as described below. Moreover, in the description and examples provided herein, the term "seal" is used with respect to minimizing the ingress or egress of any particulates or contaminants (e.g., in the air within a wall or outside the wall) and/or with respect to minimizing the transfer of energy from the external environment into the plumbing outlet box or from within the plumbing outlet box or a component of the plumbing outlet box out into the external environment. Moreover, although the examples used below refer primarily to plumbing outlet boxes for providing washing machines with access to a hot and cold water supply and/or to a drain, embodiments of the present invention may further be applicable to plumbing outlet boxes for other applications and in other contexts (e.g., for an ice maker, dishwasher, sink and toilet angle stop, etc.), as noted above.

Plumbing outlet boxes are typically installed within a wall of the building, such as a house, apartment building, office building, or other residence or dwelling, in a manner that the box accessible to a resident or caretaker (e.g., a plumber) when necessary (e.g. , for installation, maintenance, or trouble shooting) and at the same time is not obtrusive to the resident's every day activities. In this regard, a hole is typically cut into the sheet rock of the building wall that is sized to provide access to the plumbing outlet box, and the box is installed within the appropriately sized hole, such that it is flush or almost flush with the inner surface of the wall.

The housing of a conventional plumbing outlet box is generally configured to hold certain supply connections (plumbing shut-offs, valves, pipes, and/or fittings). A faceplate may be applied to the front face of the plumbing outlet box to only improve the aesthetics of the plumbing outlet box (e.g., by providing a finished look and hide the internal components of the box).

However, such conventional plumbing outlet boxes are not designed to seal the box from surrounding environments, in particular from an energy perspective. Thus, in many cases, conditioned air (such as, for example, air that has been heated or cooled in the living space of a home) may escape around conventional plumbing outlet boxes to another environment, such as the space within a wall or the outside environment.

The International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), for example, is published by the International Code Council to provide guidance regarding the design of energy- efficient building thermal envelopes. A building's thermal envelope generally refers to the enclosure that holds warm or cool air inside a structure. This may include the exterior walls, windows, doors, floors, and ceilings of a structure.

Many states have adopted some version of the IECC as part of their commercial and residential state energy codes. As a result, builders and construction professionals operating under the code provisions strive to design, build, procure, and/or install building components such that the energy efficiency values for the building thermal envelope are met (e.g., values related to insulation, fenestration, and/or air leakage requirements). In some cases, for example, a building test may be conducted by pulling a vacuum about the structure and recording the air leakage that occurs at a certain pressure differential. For instance, according to the 2012 IECC, the air leakage rate of a completed building may not exceed 0.40 cfm/ft ² when a pressure differential of 75 Pascals applied to the envelope area.

Common sources of air leakage and energy waste include plumbing outlet boxes that are installed within the wall of a house to provide a plumbed accessory with a supply of water. As noted above, for example, a plumbing outlet box is typically installed via a hole that is cut in the drywall forming an interior wall of the structure. Although a faceplate may be applied to the front face of the plumbing outlet box, e.g., between an outer edge of the plumbing outlet box and the edge of the drywall, imperfections in the fit of the plumbing outlet box and/or faceplate with the hole may allow air to pass from an interior side of the wall (e.g., a climate-controlled side of the wall) to an exterior side of the wall (e.g. a non-climate controlled side of the wall), reducing the energy efficiency rating of the structure.

Accordingly, embodiments of the invention provide a plumbing outlet box that is configured for mounting within a cutout in a drywall panel such that a seal is created between the plumbing outlet box and the wall, thereby maximizing the energy efficiency of the installation by reducing the air leakage between the interior side of the wall and the exterior side of the wall resulting from the installation (e.g., around a periphery of the plumbing outlet box).

Turning to Figs. 1 and 5, a plumbing outlet box 5 is shown that is configured to be mounted within a cutout 8 in a drywall panel 10 (shown in Fig. 5) having an interior surface 12 and an exterior surface 14. As noted above, the interior surface 12 may be the surface of the drywall panel 10 that is closest to a climate-controlled side of the wall, and the exterior surface 14 may be the opposite surface of the drywall panel that is farthest from the climate-controlled side of the wall.

The plumbing outlet box 5 may comprise a housing 15 that includes a top wall 20 and a bottom wall 25, as well as an opening 30 that is configured to provide access to an interior 35 of the housing. The housing 15 may be made of a variety of materials suitable for holding plumbing components and connections, such as, but not limited to, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), or metal. A substantially planar and continuous flange 40 may be provided that extends proximate to and surrounding the opening 30. For example, the flange 40 may lie substantially within a plane defined by front-most portion of the housing 15 defining the opening 30. In this regard, the term "substantially planar" is understood to mean lying approximately within the plane, considering a certain degree of tolerance in how the plane is measured as would be defined by one skilled in the art of residential and/or commercial construction.

The flange 40 may be integral with the housing 15 (e.g., formed with the housing by the same piece of material), or the flange may be separate from the housing and configured to be attached to the housing. For example, in some cases the flange 40 may be configured to be attached to the housing 15 via a snap-fit attachment, an adhesive attachment, a sonic weld attachment, or a combination of such attachments.

Turning now to Fig. 2, the plumbing supply box 5 may further include a

compressible seal 45 that is configured to lie against the continuous flange 40 shown in Fig. 1. In this regard, the seal 45 may have a front surface 50 and a rear surface 55, and the rear surface of the seal may contact the flange 40 in the installed configuration.

Furthermore, a faceplate 60 may be provided, shown in Fig. 3, that is configured to mount to the housing 5, as described in greater detail below. In the mounted position (e.g., when the plumbing outlet box is installed within the cutout 8 of the drywall panel 10), the faceplate 60 may contact a portion of the interior surface 12 of the drywall panel and may compress the seal such that the front surface 50 of the seal 45 contacts the exterior surface 14 of the drywall panel 10 so as to create a seal around the drywall panel cutout.

Accordingly, the seal 45 may be made of a material that is compressible, such that application of a force on the seal material compresses the material in the direction in which the force is applied and, in some embodiments, results in expansion of the material outwardly (e.g., in directions perpendicular to the direction in which the force was applied). In this way, the material may fill in any gaps or imperfections in the engagement of the flange 40 with the exterior surface 14 of the drywall panel 10 when the faceplate 60 is applied, thereby reducing the amount of air that is able to pass between the flange and the drywall panel when the two are engaged. The seal 45 may, for example be made of an open-cell foam (e.g., quantum foam, polyurethane foam (foam rubber), extruded polystyrene (XPS) foam, polystyrene foam, etc.), silicone sponge rubber, as well as other materials exhibiting similar properties.

In such a manner, the seal 45 may, in a sense, be sandwiched between the drywall panel 10 and the flange 40 when the faceplate 60 is received by and engaged with the housing 15. Turning to Figs. 3 and 5, for example, the faceplate 60 may include a frame portion 65 and a transverse extension 70 extending substantially perpendicularly (e.g., at an angle of approximately 85° to approximately 95°) from an innermost edge of the frame portion. The frame portion 65 may be configured to lie against an edge of the drywall panel 10 defining the cutout 8, such that an observer on the interior side of the wall would not see the cutout, but rather would see a clean, finished, and framed plumbing outlet box 5.

The transverse extension 70 of the faceplate 60 may, in turn, be configured to fit within and engage the housing 15 so as to hold the housing, seal 45, and faceplate 60 in the installed position with respect to the drywall panel 10. In this regard, an outer surface of the transverse extension 70 may define serrated ramps 80 (shown in Figs. 4 and 5) that are configured to engage a corresponding feature of the housing 15. The housing 15 may, for example, define inwardly turned upper and lower edges 85 that are configured to progressively engage the serrations of the serrated ramps 80 on the faceplate 60. In this way, the faceplate 60 may be configured to mount to the housing 15 via a snap-fit mounting in some embodiments, such as in embodiments in which serrated ramps 80 and corresponding upper and lower edges 85 of the housing are provided. In other embodiments, the faceplate 60 may be configured to mount to the housing 15 via a screw mounting. In this regard, the peripheral edge 65 of the faceplate 60 may define one or more holes 67 configured to receive fasteners (such as screws) for holding the faceplate 60 to the housing 5. In still other embodiments, both engaging features (e.g., serrated ramps 80) and mechanical fasteners (e.g., screws) may be used to assemble and install the faceplate 60, seal 45, and housing 15 within the cutout 8 in the drywall panel 10.

Turning again to Fig. 5, in some embodiments as the faceplate 60 is received by the housing 15, the serrated edges of the serrated ramps 80 may progressively engage the corresponding inwardly turned upper and lower edges 80 of the housing. The serrated edge may be configured such that the faceplate 60 may be moved in a direction towards the housing (for further engagement of the serrated ramps 80 with the corresponding edges 80), but the engagement of the ramps with the edges may prevent the faceplate from being disengaged from the housing when an equal force is applied in the opposite direction, providing a ratchet-type effect.

Moreover, as the faceplate 60 achieves greater engagement with the housing 15 (e.g., is moved farther in the direction of the housing 15), greater force is applied to the seal 45 by the flange 40 of the housing and the exterior surface 14 of the drywall panel 10. Thus, the degree of engagement between the faceplate 60 and the housing 15 may be adjusted based on the amount of force to be applied to the seal 45 and the desired degree of sealing to be provided by the compression of the seal 45 between the drywall panel 10 and the flange 40.

Although in Fig. 2 the seal 45 is depicted as a single piece (e.g., configured to extend continuously and uninterrupted about the flange 40 against which it is applied), in other embodiments the seal may comprise two or more pieces. For example, four pieces (e.g., strips) of material may be provided that are configured to fit together to form the seal 45. In some cases, the pieces may be cut so as to form a mitre-type joint at the corners of the seal 45. In addition, the rear surface 55 of the seal 45 may be configured to be affixed to the flange 40 in some embodiments, such as via the application of an adhesive to the rear surface 55 of the seal 45 and/or to the corresponding surface of the flange. In this way, the housing 15, together with the affixed flange 40, may be appropriately positioned with respect to the cutout 8 in the drywall 10 such that the faceplate 60 may be more easily applied and engaged with the housing to hold the assembly in place in the installed position and create the desired seal.

In some embodiments, a method of installing a plumbing outlet box within a cutout in a drywall panel having an interior surface and an exterior surface is provided. The method includes providing a plumbing outlet box housing that includes a top wall, a bottom wall, and an opening providing access into an interior of the housing. A substantially planar and continuous flange may also be provided that extends proximate and surrounding the opening, and a compressible seal having a front surface and a rear surface may be applied to the flange such that the rear surface of the seal contacts the flange. The plumbing outlet box may be positioned proximate the cutout of the drywall panel, and a faceplate may be mounted to the housing so that the faceplate contacts a portion of the front surface of the drywall panel and compresses the seal such that the front surface of the seal contacts the rear surface of the drywall panel to create a seal around the drywall panel cutout.

In some cases, providing a substantially planar and continuous flange may comprise attaching a flange to the plumbing outlet box housing, as described above. Moreover, in some embodiments, the compressible seal may be applied to the flange by attaching the compressible seal to the flange. As noted above, the plumbing outlet box may be configured for use as a washing machine outlet box, or the plumbing outlet box may be configured for use as an ice maker outlet box, among other plumbing

applications.

As noted above the structures and components depicted in the figures have been simplified for clarity and ease of explanation. As such, the shape of the housing, components of the housing or held within the housing interior (e.g., doors, fittings, connections, etc.) and/or external ductwork, connections, appliances, etc., although described above, may not be shown in the figures. Moreover, although a particular configuration of a plumbing outlet box 5 is shown in Figs. 1-5, other types, sizes, and shapes of plumbing outlet boxes may benefit from embodiments of the present invention. For example, in Fig. 6, a plumbing outlet box 100 is depicted that has a single outlet to a plumbed appliance (e.g., an icebox), as opposed to two outlets as shown in the preceding figures and described above.

In addition, many modifications and other embodiments of the invention will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which this invention pertains having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings.

Therefore, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.