Patent Application
20230088923
This invention relates to a drain plug assembly in two parts having an outer ring that fits into the drain hole of a sink, and a removable inner strainer disc that fills the central portion of the drain plug assembly, wherein the outer ring and the inner disc fit securely together using a threaded assembly or other means of secure attachment. removable inner strainer disc may be easily removed to provide access by a cleaning auger (a snake).
Cleaning waste pipes connected to sinks is a frequent necessity. In a commercial setting, clearing drain blockages produces a huge amount of work and expense. A huge problem with cleaning drains in sinks is that the drain plug (the strainer), which is inserted into the drain hole of the sink, provides holes that are usually far too small to accept a cleaning auger (a snake). The drain plug functions as a sieve to prevent larger objects entering the drain. The drain plug cannot usually be removed from the sink. Therefore the plumber needs to insert the snake into the waste pipe through the U-bend (P-trap). Obviously this is messy and time consuming. Some sinks simply dispense with a drain plug/strainer and leave the waste hole open. This of course has the disadvantage of allowing large solid objects to enter the hole.
There is a long-felt and unmet need for a drain plug assembly that functions to as an effective sieve to prevent larger objects entering the drain, but also allows rapid and easy access for a drain snake. Such drain snakes generally have a diameter of about 0.5 inch (1.27 cm).
The present invention provides a drain plug assembly with a removable round center piece which when removed provides an open access hole with a patent diameter of at least 1.3 cm. The drain plug assembly is comprised of two parts: (i) an outer ring that fits into the drain hole of a sink, and (ii) a removable inner strainer disc that fills the central portion of the drain plug assembly; wherein the outer ring and the inner disc fit securely together using a threaded assembly or other means of secure attachment such as a screw or bolt. The removable inner strainer disc has a diameter of 1.3 cm may be easily removed to provide access by a cleaning auger (a snake).
In one aspect the invention provides drain plug assembly with a removable round center piece which when removed provides an open access hole with a patent diameter of at least 1.3 cm. The drain plug assembly is comprised of two parts: (i) an outer ring defining an elongated tube that fits into the drain hole of a sink, (ii) a removable inner strainer disc that fills the central portion of the drain plug assembly; wherein the outer ring and the inner disc fit securely together using a threaded assembly or other means of secure attachment such as a screw or bolt. The removable inner strainer disc has a diameter of 1.3 cm may be easily removed to provide access by a cleaning auger (a snake).
The problem that the invention addresses is to provide a drain plug assembly that functions to as an effective sieve to prevent larger objects entering the drain, but also allows rapid and easy access for a drain snake. Such drain snakes generally have a diameter of about 0.5 inch (1.27 cm).
The currently used solution(s) to this problem requires a lot of time and work by a plumber. A maintenance plumber has to disassemble the grid drain from a lavatory basin completely, or take out the P-trap below the basin and try to unclog it from that end. This is very time consuming and very messy. In some cases the inventor has seen a maintenance plumber simply drilling out the center hole from the top leaving a very ugly hole with peeling chrome around the hole.
The new solution solves the above problems. The invention allows a user to remove the center plug while the drain is still installed. By removing the 13 mm diameter center plug you can now run a 1.27 cm diameter snake in from the top to clean out the clogged pipe.
The drain plug assembly is about 20 mm long in total, for example 10-30 mm, 15-25 mm, 18-22 mm. In one embodiment, the center plug is inserted and removed using an Allen key. For example a 6 mm, or 3-10 mm, 4-9 mm, 5-7 mm. The Allen key may be used to secure the center plug into the center hole of the drain plug assembly. Located about 5 mm down within the shaft of the drain hole, there is an Allen key slot for an Allen key to fit in. This is hidden to stop vandals removing the plug.
When the center plug is removed the maintenance person can insert a snake and clear the clogged pipe from the top. Such an operation creates no mess and no water leakage and can be carried out rapidly over the lifetime of the sink.
The inventor is not aware of any other drain that has a removable center plug for cleaning purposes that are securely held in place with, for example a threaded assembly. The inventor is aware of simple removable screens, but these are very easy to remove and are unsuitable for commercial applications.
A general description of the drain plug assembly is provides in the figures. The components of the drain plug assembly are as follows:
1. Main body with or w/o overflow
2. Center plug
3. Tail pipe
5. Seal below basin
6. Flat washer for nut to slide on during installation
7. Nut to install drain
8. Optionally a tube that connects to the main drain for overflow.
The main components are generally made from 304 stainless steel.
Embodiment #400 without over flow. For use mostly for stainless steel hand basins. See
Embodiment #410 with overflow. For use with china basins. See
All publications mentioned are incorporated by reference. The below may be of particular interest. US20100263745, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,683,597.
This specification incorporates by reference all documents referred to herein and all documents filed concurrently with this specification or filed previously in connection with this application, including but not limited to such documents which are open to public inspection with this specification. All numerical quantities mentioned herein include quantities that may be plus or minus 20% of the stated amount in every case, including where percentages are mentioned. As used in this specification, the singular forms “a, an”, and “the” include plural reference unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, a reference to “a part” includes a plurality of such parts, and so forth. The term “comprises” and grammatical equivalents thereof are used in this specification to mean that, in addition to the features specifically identified, other features are optionally present. For example, a composition “comprising” (or “which comprises”) ingredients A, B and C can contain only ingredients A, B and C, or can contain not only ingredients A, B and C but also one or more other ingredients. The term “consisting essentially of” and grammatical equivalents thereof is used herein to mean that, in addition to the features specifically identified, other features may be present which do not materially alter the claimed invention. The term “at least” followed by a number is used herein to denote the start of a range beginning with that number (which may be a range having an upper limit or no upper limit, depending on the variable being defined). For example, “at least 1” means 1 or more than 1, and “at least 80%” means 80% or more than 80%. The term “at most” followed by a number is used herein to denote the end of a range ending with that number (which may be a range having 1 or 0 as its lower limit, or a range having no lower limit, depending upon the variable being defined). For example, “at most 4” means 4 or less than 4, and “at most 40%” means 40% or less than 40%. Where reference is made in this specification to a method comprising two or more defined steps, the defined steps can be carried out in any order or simultaneously (except where the context excludes that possibility), and the method can optionally include one or more other steps which are carried out before any of the defined steps, between two of the defined steps, or after all the defined steps (except where the context excludes that possibility). When, in this specification, a range is given as “(a first number) to (a second number)” or “(a first number)-(a second number)”, this means a range whose lower limit is the first number and whose upper limit is the second number. For example, “from 40 to 70 microns” or “40-70 microns” means a range whose lower limit is 40 microns, and whose upper limit is 70 microns.
In this specification where reference has been made to patent specifications, other external documents, or other sources of information, these are all incorporated by reference herein. Such references are generally for the purpose of providing a context for discussing the features of the invention unless specifically stated otherwise, reference to such external documents or such sources of information is not to be construed as an admission that such documents or such sources of information, in any jurisdiction, are prior art or form part of the common general knowledge in the art. The term “comprising” as used in this specification means “consisting at least in part of”; that is to say when interpreting statements in this specification which include “comprising”, the features prefaced by this term in each statement all need to be present but other features can also be present. Related terms such as “comprise” and “comprised” are to be interpreted in a similar manner. To those skilled in the art to which the invention relates, many changes in construction and widely differing embodiments and applications of the invention will suggest themselves without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. The disclosures and the descriptions herein are purely illustrative and are not intended to be in any sense limiting. Where specific integers are mentioned herein which have known equivalents in the art to which this invention relates, such known equivalents are deemed to be incorporated herein as if individually set forth.
As used herein the term “(s)” following a noun means the plural and/or singular form of that noun. As used herein the term “and/or” means “and” or “or”, or where the context allows both. The invention consists in the foregoing and also envisages constructions of which the following gives examples only. Other systems, methods, features and advantages of the invention will be, or will become, apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following figures and detailed description.
