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.

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.

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.