U.S. patent application number 12/405956 was filed with the patent office on 2009-07-09 for means for covering the flange of a waste water strainer.
This patent application is currently assigned to WCM Industries, Inc.. Invention is credited to William T. Ball.
Application Number | 20090172877 12/405956 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37770792 |
Filed Date | 2009-07-09 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090172877 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Ball; William T. |
July 9, 2009 |
Means for Covering the Flange of a Waste Water Strainer
Abstract
A waste water insert has a cylindrical wall surrounding a
vertical cylindrical bore. A horizontal flange extends outwardly
from the upper end of the wall and has a lip formed on its outer
periphery. The horizontal flange of the waste water insert is
super-imposed over the horizontal flange of a waste water strainer
located in a bathtub, sink or the like. The cylindrical wall of the
insert extends downwardly through the cylindrical wall of the waste
water strainer with the two walls being spaced from each other by
virtue of the cylindrical wall of the insert having a smaller
diameter than that of the strainer. One or more grooves are within
the cylindrical wall of the insert and receive resilient rings that
engage the cylindrical wall of the strainer.
Inventors: |
Ball; William T.; (Colorado
Springs, CO) |
Correspondence
Address: |
SHERIDAN ROSS PC
1560 BROADWAY, SUITE 1200
DENVER
CO
80202
US
|
Assignee: |
WCM Industries, Inc.
Colorado Springs
CO
|
Family ID: |
37770792 |
Appl. No.: |
12/405956 |
Filed: |
March 17, 2009 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
11161933 |
Aug 23, 2005 |
7503083 |
|
|
12405956 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
4/652 ; 4/292;
4/654 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E03C 1/22 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
4/652 ; 4/292;
4/654 |
International
Class: |
A47K 1/00 20060101
A47K001/00 |
Claims
1. A waste water insert adapted to be associated with a strainer
that includes a cylindrical wall having an inner surface of a first
diameter, comprising: a flange; a wall extending from said flange,
said wall having a second diameter such that said wall is spaced
from the inner surface of the strainer wherein no portion of said
insert contacts the inner surface of the strainer; and a resilient
member associated with an outer surface of said wall and the inner
surface of the strainer.
2. The device of claim 1 wherein said resilient member is an
O-ring.
3. The device of claim 1 wherein said flange of said insert rests
on a flange of the strainer wherein said wall extends downwardly
into an opening defined by the cylindrical wall of the
strainer.
4. The device of claim 4 wherein said wall includes a groove that
receives the resilient member.
5. The device of claim 4 wherein said wall includes a second groove
for receiving a second resilient member that engages the
strainer.
6. In combination with a fluid compartment having a bottom with a
waste water strainer mounted in said bottom, said strainer having a
first cylindrical wall with a bottom edge surrounding a cylindrical
opening extending through the bottom of said compartment, and a
first flange extending outwardly from a level above and adjacent to
said cylindrical opening and positioned on the bottom of said
compartment: a waste water insert comprising a second cylindrical
wall, said second cylindrical wall defining a cylindrical bore and
having an upper end with a second flange extending therefrom; said
second cylindrical wall being spaced from said first cylindrical
wall wherein no portion of said second cylindrical wall contacts
said first cylindrical wall; and a resilient ring engaged on an
outer surface of said second cylindrical wall and the strainer.
7. The combination of claim 6 wherein said insert has a groove that
receives said resilient ring.
8. The combination of claim 7 wherein said insert includes a second
groove for receiving a second resilient ring that engages the
strainer.
9. The combination of claim 1 wherein said second flange rests on
the first flange wherein said second cylindrical wall extends
downwardly into the cylindrical opening defined by said first
cylindrical wall.
10. The combination of claim 6, wherein said second flange includes
a lip that covers a portion of an outer edge of the first
flange.
11. A waste water insert adapted to be associated with a strainer
mounted in a fluid compartment, comprising: a downwardly extending
cylindrical wall that surrounds a center opening, said downwardly
extending cylindrical wall having a diameter less than a diameter
of a cylindrical wall of a waste water strainer adapted to receive
said insert, said downwardly extending cylindrical wall extending
into a cylindrical opening of said waste water strainer, a circular
flange extending outwardly from said central opening superimposable
over a flange of the waste water strainer, said flange adapted to
rest on the flange of said waste water strainer, a resilient O-ring
member fitted about the downwardly extending cylindrical wall and
that contacts the cylindrical wall of the waste water strainer to
hold the insert in place so that a space exists between the
downwardly extending cylindrical wall and the cylindrical wall of
the waste water strainer.
12. The waste water insert of claim 11 wherein said insert has a
groove that receives the resilient O-ring member.
13. The waste water insert of claim 12 wherein said insert includes
a second groove for receiving a second resilient O-ring member.
14. The waste water insert of claim 11 wherein said fluid
compartment comprises a tub or a sink.
15. The waste water insert of claim 11 wherein said flange has a
periphery terminating in a downwardly extending lip.
16. The waste water insert of claim 11 wherein said downwardly
extending cylindrical wall is centered within the cylindrical wall
of the waste water strainer.
Description
[0001] This application is a Continuation of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 11/161,933, filed Aug. 23, 2005, now Issued
U.S. Pat. No. 7,503,083, the entire disclosure of which is
incorporated by reference herein.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] A strainer in the plumbing field is the mechanism in the
bottom of a sink, bathtub, or the like through which waste water
flows from the receptacle. Strainers usually have valves or the
like which control the flow of water therethrough. Most of these
valve assemblies are threadably mounted within a threaded aperture
located in the strainer.
[0003] Existing strainers have a vertically disposed externally
threaded sleeve which engage corresponding threads on a fitting
adjacent a vertically disposed aperture in the bottom of the water
receptacle. The upper end of the sleeve terminates in a circular
horizontal flange which engages and is sealed to the bottom of the
receptacle around the aperture in the bottom of the receptacle. A
hub with a threaded bore and with radially extending spokes is
often located in a horizontal plane in the bottom of the strainer
to support various closure valves.
[0004] Occasionally it is necessary to change the strainer of a
given receptacle because the flange thereof has become tarnished,
disfigured, or because the flange is incompatible esthetically with
the owner's sense of ornamentation. Removal of the strainer is
often a difficult task, particularly when the strainer has been in
place for a long time. Conventional tools are typically
insufficient for use in removal of the strainer. Further, there is
a possibility that the threads of the replacement strainer will not
be compatible with the threads of the fitting or bushing associated
with the aperture of the receptacle. In addition, when the strainer
is removed there is nothing to retain the back drain system and it
falls away.
[0005] Some attempts have been made to place a substitute flange
over the existing flange by providing structure whereby the
substitute flange can be threadably secured to threaded bores of
the strainer which originally threadably received the valve
assembly of the strainer. This approach to the installation of a
substitute flange is not satisfactory because variations of thread
sizes in the original strainers are often incompatible with the
thread sizes of the substituted flange adapter.
[0006] It is therefore a principal object of this invention to
provide a means for covering the flange of an existing strainer
without removing the existing strainer.
[0007] A further object of this invention is to provide a means for
covering the flange of an existing strainer which will permit easy
installation, and which will be well within the ability of those
not being skilled in the plumbing art.
[0008] These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in
the art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] A waste water insert has a cylindrical wall surrounding a
cylindrical bore. A flange extends outwardly from the upper end of
the wall and has a lip formed on its outer periphery.
[0010] The flange of the waste water insert is superimposed over
the flange of a waste water strainer located in a bathtub, sink or
the like. The lip at the outer perimeter of the flange of the
insert fits over the outer periphery of the horizontal flange of
the waste water strainer to center the insert on the strainer. The
cylindrical wall of the insert extends downwardly through the
cylindrical wall of the waste water strainer with the two walls
being spaced from each other by virtue of the cylindrical wall of
the insert having a smaller diameter than that of the strainer. The
cylindrical wall of the strainer extends below the cylindrical wall
of the insert, and has a lower circular edge. One or more grooves
are positioned within the cylindrical wall of the insert that
receive one or more resilient ring members that engage the
cylindrical wall of the strainer.
[0011] The Summary of the Invention is neither intended nor should
it be construed as being representative of the full extent and
scope of the present invention. Moreover, references made herein to
"the present invention" or aspects thereof should be understood to
mean certain embodiments of the present invention and should not
necessarily be construed as limiting all embodiments to a
particular description. The present invention is set forth in
various levels of detail in the Summary of the Invention as well as
in the attached drawings and the Detailed Description of the
Invention and no limitation as to the scope of the present
invention is intended by either the inclusion or non-inclusion of
elements, components, etc. in this Summary of the Invention.
Additional aspects of the present invention will become more
readily apparent from the Detail Description, particularly when
taken together with the drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and
constitute a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments of
the invention and together with the general description of the
invention given above and the detailed description of the drawings
given below, serve to explain the principles of these
inventions.
[0013] FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view of a bathtub with a
waste water strainer located in the bottom thereof;
[0014] FIG. 2 is an exploded view showing a preliminary step in
mounting the waste water insert onto the existing waste water
strainer;
[0015] FIG. 3 is an unexploded cross sectional view of the assembly
shown in FIG. 2; and
[0016] FIG. 4 is an enlarged scale sectional view similar to that
of FIG. 3 showing a modified form of insert.
[0017] It should be understood that the drawings are not
necessarily to scale. In certain instances, details that are not
necessary for an understanding of the invention or that render
other details difficult to perceive may have been omitted. It
should be understood, of course, that the invention is not
necessarily limited to the particular embodiments illustrated
herein.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0018] The numeral 10 designates a fluid compartment or receptacle
such as a tub or a sink. Compartment 10 has a bottom 12 with an
interior bottom surface 14. A waste water aperture 16 is located in
bottom 12.
[0019] A waste water strainer 20 is shown in FIG. 2. Strainer 20
has an upper end 22 from which a circular flange 24 extends. The
outer perimeter 26 of flange 24 engages the interior bottom surface
14 (FIG. 1) surrounding aperture 16. The strainer 20 has a
downwardly extending cylindrical wall 28 and external threads 30.
The typical closure valves which may be associated with strainer 20
have not been shown.
[0020] The numeral 34 designates a waste water insert. Insert 34
has a flange 36 with the periphery thereof terminating in a
downwardly extending lip 38. As best shown in FIG. 3, the lip 38
extends downwardly and over the outer perimeter 26 of flange 24 of
strainer 20. The lip 38 engages the bottom 12 of compartment 10
when installed.
[0021] Insert 34 has a downwardly extending wall 40 which surrounds
a center opening 42. The diameter of wall 40 is less than the
diameter of the cylindrical wall 28 of strainer 20 so that a space
43 (FIGS. 3 and 4) exists between the two walls. The lip 38 on the
outer perimeter of the flange 36 of insert 34 centers the
cylindrical wall 40 within the cylindrical wall 28 of strainer 20
(FIG. 3). In one embodiment, the waste water insert 34 includes a
wall 40 with a cylindrical first portion 54 and a cylindrical
second portion 58 with a conical portion 60 therebetween. The
diameter of the cylindrical first portion 54 is greater than the
diameter of the cylindrical second portion 58 such that the space
43 is reduced adjacent to the cylindrical first portion 54.
[0022] The cylindrical wall 40 extends downwardly and has a first
groove 44 in the lower end. The groove 44 receives a resilient ring
member 46 that engages the cylindrical wall 28 of the strainer 20
to hold the insert 34 in place. In one embodiment, the resilient
ring member 46 is an O-ring.
[0023] Alternatively, the waste water insert 34, as shown in FIG.
4, has a second groove 48 in spaced relation to the first groove 44
with a raised surface 50 therebetween. The second groove 48
receives a second resilient ring member 52 that also engages the
cylindrical wall 28 of strainer 20. Additional grooves and rings
may be added as desired.
[0024] The insert is installed by inserting the cylindrical wall 40
of the insert 34 into the opening 16 (FIG. 2) of the strainer 20
until the insert is in place. At this point the resilient ring or
rings of the insert will engage the cylindrical wall 28 of the
strainer 20 to hold the insert 34 in place. No tools are required
and the inserts are quickly, easily, and securely installed to
achieve their required purpose.
[0025] It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that
other various modifications could be made to the device without the
parting from the spirit in scope of this invention. All such
modifications and changes fall within the scope of the claims and
are intended to be covered thereby.
[0026] While various embodiments of the present invention have been
described in detail, it is apparent that modifications and
alterations of those embodiments will occur to those skilled in the
art. Moreover, references made herein to "the present invention" or
aspects thereof should be understood to mean certain embodiments of
the present invention and should not necessarily be construed as
limiting all embodiments to a particular description. However, it
is to be expressly understood that such modifications and
alterations are within the scope and spirit of the present
invention, as set forth in the following claims.
* * * * *