What is claimed is:
1. A hose access port for a mobile unit configured to provide access for a hose through an exterior wall to extend to a toilet for flushing a holding tank, the hose access port comprising:
a hose-holding duct portion having a bore extending between opposite first and second end portions of the duct portion, said duct portion being operable to extend through a hole formed in the exterior wall between an outside surface and an inside surface of the exterior wall proximate the toilet in the mobile unit, said duct portion being operable to receive the hose through the bore into the toilet to run water therethrough and flush the holding tank;
an outside-mountable flange extending orthogonally from the first end portion of the duct portion and operable to be secured against the outside surface of the exterior wall; and
a sleeve member with securing structure coupled around the second end portion of the duct portion, said sleeve member having an inside-mountable flange extending orthogonally from the duct portion and operable to be secured against the inside surface of the exterior wall.
2. The hose access port of claim 1, wherein said securing structure comprises the inside-mountable flange and is operable to substantially stabilize the duct portion in the exterior wall.
3. The hose access port of claim 1, further comprising a cap operatively coupled to the second end portion of the duct portion and operable to cover the bore at the second end portion of the duct portion.
4. The hose access port of claim 1, wherein said sleeve member is sized and configured to be positioned around the second end portion with an interference fit.
5. The hose access port of claim 1, wherein said sleeve member is operable to be coupled to a cap to cover the bore at the second end portion of the duct portion.
6. The hose access port of claim 5, wherein said sleeve member includes a threaded portion configured to correspond with a threaded configuration formed on the cap to couple the cap to the sleeve member.
7. The hose access port of claim 1, further comprising an outside closure operatively coupled to the first end portion of the duct portion and operable to cover the bore at the first end portion of the duct portion.
8. The hose access port of claim 1, wherein said duct portion comprises a tubular configuration with the bore sized and configured to hold a portion of the hose therein.
9. A flushing system comprising:
a mobile unit having an exterior wall defining a periphery of the mobile unit, said mobile unit including a toilet disposed within the mobile unit and a holding tank operatively coupled to the toilet; and
a hose access port configured to provide access for a hose through the exterior wall to extend to the toilet for flushing-out the holding tank, the hose access port including:
a hose-holding duct portion having a bore extending between opposite first and second end portions of the duct portion, said duct portion being operable to extend through a hole formed in the exterior wall between an outside surface and an inside surface of the exterior wall proximate the toilet in the mobile unit, said duct portion being operable to receive the hose through the bore into the toilet to run water therethrough and flush the holding tank;
an outside-mountable flange extending orthogonally from the first end portion of the duct portion and operable to be secured against the outside surface of the trailer wall; and
a sleeve member with securing structure coupled around the second end portion of the duct portion, said sleeve member having an inside-mountable flange extending orthogonally from the duct portion and operable to be secured against the inside surface of the trailer wall.
10. The system of claim 9, wherein said securing structure comprises the inside-mountable flange and is operable to substantially stabilize the duct portion in the exterior wall.
11. The system of claim 9, wherein said sleeve member is sized and configured to be positioned around the second end portion with an interference fit.
12. The system of claim 9, wherein said sleeve member is operable to be coupled to a cap to cover the bore at the second end portion of the duct portion.
13. The system of claim 12, wherein said sleeve member includes a threaded portion configured to correspond with a threaded configuration formed on the cap to couple the cap to the sleeve member.
14. The system of claim 9, further comprising an outside closure operatively coupled to the first end portion of the duct portion and operable to cover the bore at the first end portion of the duct portion.
15. The system of claim 9, wherein said duct portion comprises a tubular configuration with the bore sized and configured to hold a portion of the hose therein.
16. A method of installing a hose access port in an exterior wall of a mobile unit, the method comprising:
forming a hole in the exterior wall of the mobile unit;
extending a duct portion through the hole so that an outside-mountable flange is positioned against an outside surface of the exterior wall;
positioning a sleeve member over an exposed portion of the duct portion on an inside surface of the exterior wall so that an inside-mountable flange extending from the sleeve member is positioned against the inside surface of the exterior wall;
marking the exposed portion of the duct portion with a mark;
cutting the duct portion at the mark to remove an excess length of the duct portion; and
securing the outside-mountable flange and the inside-mountable flange to the respective outside surface and the inside surface of the exterior wall to secure the duct portion in the exterior wall operable to hold a hose extending through the duct portion to run water into a toilet for flushing-out a holding tank in the mobile unit.
17. The method of claim 16, wherein said securing comprises securing the outside-mountable flange and the inside mountable flange with fasteners extending into the respective outside surface and the inside surface of the exterior wall.
18. The method of claim 16, wherein said securing comprises securing the inside-mountable flange to the duct portion with adhesive with the inside-mountable flange positioned against the inside surface of the exterior wall.
19. The method of claim 16, wherein subsequent to said marking comprises removing the duct portion from the exterior wall to perform said cutting.
20. The method of claim 16, wherein said positioning comprises sliding the sleeve member over the exposed portion of the duct portion so that the sleeve member moves toward the inside surface of the exterior wall along a longitudinal length of the exposed portion.
21. A method of making a hose access port for a mobile unit configured to provide access for a hose through an exterior wall to extend to a toilet for flushing a holding tank, the method comprising:
forming a hose-holding duct portion having a bore extending between opposite first and second end portions of the duct portion and operable to extend through a hole formed in the exterior wall between an outside surface and an inside surface of the exterior wall proximate the toilet in the mobile unit, said duct portion being operable to receive the hose through the bore into the toilet to run water therethrough and flush the holding tank;
forming an outside-mountable flange extending orthogonally from the first end portion of the duct portion and operable to be secured against the outside surface of the exterior wall; and
forming a sleeve member with securing structure configured to be coupled around the second end portion of the duct portion;
forming an inside-mountable flange extending orthogonally from the duct portion and operable to be secured against the inside surface of the exterior wall; and
configuring said hose-holding duct portion to include excess length to extend longer than a thickness of the exterior wall and beyond the sleeve member coupled around the second end portion of the duct portion, said excess length of said duct portion operable to be removed from the duct portion.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A connector to connect a vertebral member to a longitudinal member, the connector comprising:
an anchor comprising a shaft and an enlarged head;
a body attached to the anchor and comprising a receiver and a cavity that are aligned along a common axis, the receiver comprising a channel sized to receive the longitudinal member; and
a fastener configured to mate with the receiver to maintain the longitudinal member in the channel, a force applied by the fastener to maintain the longitudinal rod within the channel being isolated from the anchor; and
the cavity positioned on an opposite side of the body from the receiver and the cavity comprising a narrow opening that extends into an enlarged receiving area, the receiving area being isolated from the channel and sized to pivotally accommodate the head of the anchor with the narrow opening sized to retain the head within the receiving area.
2. The connector of claim 1, wherein the anchor is movably positioned within the body to pivot about the common axis.
3. The connector of claim 1, wherein the body further comprises an intermediate section positioned between the channel and the receiving area, the intermediate section and the body being constructed from a single member.
4. The connector of claim 3, wherein the intermediate section has a thickness to space apart the channel and the receiving area.
5. The connector of claim 1, wherein the receiving area further comprises a wear member that contacts the head of the anchor, the wear member being constructed of a different material from the body.
6. The connector of claim 5, wherein the wear member has an outer surface that contacts the body and an inner surface that contacts the head of the anchor.
7. The connector of claim 5, wherein the wear member has an outer surface that is constructed of a wear resistant coating.
8. The connector of claim 1, wherein a top section of the receiving area has a rounded configuration to conform with the head of the anchor.
9. The connector of claim 1, wherein the head of the anchor is constructed with a wear resistant coating.
10. A connector to connect a vertebral member to a longitudinal member, the connector comprising:
an anchor comprising a shaft and an enlarged head;
a body attached to the anchor and comprising a channel and a cavity aligned along a common axis, the channel sized to receive the longitudinal member;
a fastener configured to maintain the longitudinal member in the channel, a force applied by the fastener to maintain the longitudinal member within the channel being isolated from the anchor; and
a wear member positioned within the cavity and constructed from a material different from the body, the wear member forming a receiving area sized to pivotally accommodate the head of the anchor;
the cavity comprising a narrow opening to retain the head within the receiving area and the receiving area positioned for the anchor to pivot when the fastener maintains the longitudinal member in the channel.
11. The connector of claim 10, wherein the head contacts the wear member when the anchor pivots within the body.
12. The connector of claim 10, wherein the wear member is a coating applied to an inner surface of the cavity.
13. The connector of claim 10, wherein the wear member comprises a first surface that contacts an inner surface of the cavity, and a second surface that contacts the head of the anchor.
14. The connector of claim 10, wherein an adhesive attaches the wear member to an inner surface of the cavity.
15. The connector of claim 10, wherein the wear member has a width that is greater than the narrow opening to maintain the wear member within the cavity.
16. The connector of claim 10, wherein the anchor is movably positioned within the wear member to pivot about the common axis.
17. The connector of claim 10, wherein the body further comprises an intermediate section positioned between the channel and the cavity, the intermediate section and the body being constructed from a single member.
18. The connector of claim 10, wherein a top section of the cavity comprises a stop to prevent the wear member from pivoting within the cavity during movement of the anchor.
19. The connector of claim 10, wherein the head of the anchor is constructed with a wear resistant coating.
20. The connector of claim 10, wherein the wear member is constructed with a wear resistant coating.
21. A connector to connect a vertebral member to a longitudinal member, the connector comprising:
an anchor comprising a shaft and an enlarged head;
a body attached to the anchor and being constructed from a single member having a receiver, a cavity, and an intermediate section, the receiver comprising a channel sized to receive the longitudinal member; and
a fastener configured to mate with the receiver to maintain the longitudinal member in the channel;
the cavity and channel being aligned on a common axis and positioned on opposite sides of the intermediate section, the cavity comprising a narrow opening that extends into an enlarged receiving area, the receiving area being isolated from the channel and sized to accommodate the head of the anchor, and the narrow opening being sized to retain the head within the receiving area;
the receiving area being isolated from the channel and sized to allow the anchor to freely pivot when the fastener mates with the receiver.
22. The connector of claim 21, wherein the intermediate section is substantially perpendicular to the common axis.
23. The connector of claim 21, further comprising a wear member positioned within the receiving area to contact the head of the anchor, the wear member constructed of a different material than the body.
24. The connector of claim 23, wherein the different material comprises a wear resistant coating.
25. The connector of claim 21, wherein the anchor is movably positioned within the body to pivot about the common axis.
26. The connector of claim 21, wherein a top section of the receiving area has a rounded configuration to conform with the head of the anchor.
27. The connector of claim 21, wherein the head of the anchor is constructed with a wear resistant coating.