U.S. patent number 3,911,508 [Application Number 05/467,634] was granted by the patent office on 1975-10-14 for kitchen sink drain cap.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Lawrence Peska Associates, Inc.. Invention is credited to Myron A. Goldberg.
United States Patent |
3,911,508 |
Goldberg |
October 14, 1975 |
Kitchen sink drain cap
Abstract
A drain device for sinks, tubs and tanks which has a valve
plunger normally seated on a valve seat in the hollow main body of
the drain device to block drainage therefrom. The valve plunger of
the invention is made in two parts, an upper valve plunger portion
which seats on the stationary valve seat of the main body and has
perforations formed through it for drainage. It has a lower valve
plunger which is below the upper valve plunger and spring pressed
upwards to cover the drain perforations. When the water level in
the tub becomes excessive the water pressure depresses the lower
valve plunger, allowing the drain perforations to function and
drain the excess fluid. The drain device has the usual cylindrical
body, and strainer basket inside and movable on the valve lifter
shaft.
Inventors: |
Goldberg; Myron A. (Tuckahoe,
NY) |
Assignee: |
Lawrence Peska Associates, Inc.
(New York, NY)
|
Family
ID: |
23856484 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/467,634 |
Filed: |
May 7, 1974 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
4/287; 4/295 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E03C
1/264 (20130101); A47K 1/14 (20130101); E03C
1/242 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A47K
1/14 (20060101); A47K 1/00 (20060101); E03C
1/26 (20060101); E03C 1/12 (20060101); E03C
1/264 (20060101); E03C 1/242 (20060101); A47k
001/14 () |
Field of
Search: |
;4/286,287,290,291,292,295 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Smith; Robert I.
Claims
Having herein described the invention, what is claimed as new
is:
1. A drain device for sinks, tubs and tanks comprising main drain
device body means engageable with said sinks, tubs and tanks for
draining fluid therefrom, valve means carried by said main drain
device body means for opening said drain device body means for
outflow discharge of fluid from said sink, tub and tank, and for
closing said drain device body means to block said fluid discharge,
and valve control means for regulating the degree of and extent of
positioning of said valve means for controlling said fluid
discharge.
2. The construction of claim 1, and wherein said drain device body
means comprises a hollow upwardly open drain device body having a
central opening for receiving fluid to be discharged, and valve
seat means carried by said drain device body for seating engagement
with said valve means for blocking fluid discharge therepast.
3. The construction of claim 2, and wherein said valve means
comprises an upper valve plunger constructed and arranged for
seating on said valve seat means for blocking fluid discharge
therepast, and a lower valve plunger for normally aiding in
blocking said fluid discharge past said upper valve plunger, and
constructed and arranged for unblocking said valve means to allow
fluid drainage when needed.
4. The construction of claim 3, and wherein said upper valve
plunger has a plurality of fluid passage openings formed
therethrough, and wherein said lower valve plunger is disposed
below said upper valve plunger for normally blocking fluid passage
through said openings, and spring means biasing said lower valve
plunger upwards against said upper valve plunger for normally
blocking drainage therethrough.
5. The construction of claim 4, and comprising valve lifter shaft
means having a shank extending through said upper and lower valve
plungers, and spring means engaging said shaft means for biasing
said lower valve plunger upwards for blocking said drainage
therethrough, and wherein said spring means is so dimensioned and
constructed as to exert only a predetermined degree of upward valve
closing bias on said lower valve plunger, and so that when the
water level in said sink, tub and tank is greater than a
predetermined level, the excess of water pressure acts on said
lower valve plunger to degress the same away from said upper valve
plunger, unblocking drainage therethrough.
6. The construction of claim 5, and comprising strainer basket
means engaging said valve lifter shaft means and movable up and
down thereon, and comprising lower hub perforated disc means
carried by said main drain device body means and having a bore for
receiving the lower shank end of said shaft means,
and wherein said shank end comprises radial ribs for blocking entry
of said shank end into said bore when lifted and turned out of
alignment with said bore, to hold said drain device in drain open
position.
Description
This invention relates to improvements in sink and bath tub
draining and stopping devices.
An object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved sink
stopper and draining device which is usable on kitchen sinks, bath
tubs, laundry machines and the like, for regulating the filling and
draining thereof.
Another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved
sink and tub stopper and draining device which can be installed in
the drain outlet of a sink or tub, for stopping the outflow of
water therefrom while filling it up for washing dishes, or for
taking a bath in a bath tub, and which is equipped for preventing
accidental overflow due to failure to shut off the water inflow in
time.
A further object of the invention is to provide a novel and
improved sink and tub stopper device in which there is a main fluid
discharge housing, with a movable stopper which may be moved from
open to closed positions, for controlling the water level in the
sink or tub, and in which there is a novel valve construction
whereby, although the stopper device is set in closed position, the
valve will open when the water level and resultant pressure
indicates an overflow may take place, at which point, the valve
opens and allows the overflow to be discharged from the sink or
tub.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a novel and
improved sink and tub stopper device which is made of very few
parts, and which is adaptable without radical reconstruction of use
with existing sink and tub drain devices, and can be made at low
cost, by hand or mass production methods.
The above and other objects and advantages of the invention will
become apparent from the following description of a preferred
embodiment thereof, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings,
forming a part hereof.
FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the sink and tub drain stopper device
of FIGS. 2 and 3.
FIG. 2 is a sectional elevational view taken substantially on Plane
II--II of FIG. 1, and showing the device in drain open
position.
FIG. 3 is a sectional elevational view taken substantially on the
same Plane as FIG. 2, but showing the device in drain closed
position.
In connection with the construction of kitchen sinks, laundry tubs,
and bath tubs, as well as washing machines, there is usually a
drain housing with a drain plug for retaining the wash water in the
tub or sink while the cleaning or washing operation takes place,
and then the drain plug is pulled out or retracted to discharge the
water from the sink or tub. However, it may frequently happen that
when the tub or sink is being filled with water, the user might
have to leave to answer the doorbell, telephone, or for some other
purpose, and the sink or tub might be filled to overflowing during
his or her absence.
As this can cause considerable damage, not only the necessity for
cleaning it up from the floors, but also the danger of overflowing
into apartments on lower floors with damage to furniture and
apartment walls and floors. The present invention provides means
for automatically responding to an excessive depth of water in the
sink or tub, which opens the drain and discharges sufficient of the
water to prevent overflow.
This device is also of use where a person is in pain due to
arthritis, or back or leg pains, and must soak in a warm tub. To
keep the temperature up, he or she may turn on the hot water
mixture, but it may tend to overflow, and the present invention
provides automatic means for blocking the overflow by draining off
any excess water.
In order to understand clearly the nature of the invention, and the
best means for carrying it out, reference may be had to the
drawings, in which like numerals denote similar parts throughout
the several views.
As shown, there is a main drain body 10, which may be hollow
cylindrical in its central portion 12, and with an annular top
flange 14 which is seated in an opening in the floor of the bath
tub or sink so as to below the water flowing into the tub. The main
drain body 10 has a floor wall 16 which may be thickened at
somewhat at 18 to form inwardly convergent shoulders 20.
The floor wall 16 has a central opening or drain bore 22 which may
hollow cylindrical in shape, and has a frusto-conical valve seat 24
formed on its upper end. There is a lower drain disc or hub 26
seated in or integral with the drain neck 28 which is coupled at
its lower end to the sewer drain pipes of the building. The drain
disc 26 has drain openings 30 formed therethrough for water
passage.
The drain disc 26 has a thickened central hub portion 32 with an
axial bore 34 formed therethrough, and with longitudinal grooves 35
formed on its inner wall to receive the radial ribs 36 on the
locator lower end portion 38 of the valve shaft 40. When the shaft
40 is in lower valve closed position as in FIG. 3, its ribs and
lower end extend fully downwards to valve closed position, and when
shaft 40 is elevated by its knob 42, and rotated slightly, its ribs
prevent it from going down, and seat on top of the hub 32 as in
FIG. 2.
A strainer basket member or cup 44 is upwardly open and has a floor
wall 46 formed with drainage openings 48, and also has drainage and
straining openings 50 all around its side wall 52. The strainer cup
44 has a central hub 53 with a bore through which the shank of the
valve member 40 slidably extends. A valve plunger 54 is secured on
the shank 40 for movement therewith, and has an outer
frusto-conical edge 56 for seating on the valve seat 24 in the hub
18 of the main drain body.
The valve plunger 54 has drain openings 58 formed therethrough, for
allowing water to flow therethrough even when in valve closed
seated position of FIG. 3. But there is also valve disc stopper 60
mounted on the shank 40 and underlying the drain openings 58, being
spring pressed upwardly by a spring 62 supported on a washer 64. It
is thus seen that the spring 62 is effective to block water flow
through the drain openings 58 normally. However, when the valve
parts are moved to the valve closed position of FIG. 3, and the
sink or tub starts to fill up, there comes a point at which there
is excessive water in the tub, and the excess water pressure acting
on the auxiliary washer 60 overcomes the spring bias of spring 62,
and opens the drains to allow water to flow through and drain off,
and once the safe water level is reached, the washer 60 is pressed
up by the spring and the draining stops.
The spring 62 has to be suitably made to provide the desired degree
of upward bias on the auxiliary washer 60, and an adjusting nut may
be threaded on the shank 40 just above the washer 64 to adjust the
bias of the spring.
It is apparent that the invention provides a safety means for
avoiding unwanted overflow or overfilling of the sink or tub.
Although the invention has been described in specific terms, it is
understood that various changes may be made in size, shape,
materials and arrangement without departing from the spirit and
scope of the invention as claimed.
* * * * *