This present invention pertains to a drain assembly used to retain fluid in and release fluid from a bathtub and more particularly to a drain stopper for a bathtub.
There are a number of types of drain systems or assemblies for retaining water in and then draining water from a bathtub. A drain pipe is sealed in a drain opening using a drain flange that is sealed to the bathtub around the opening. A drain pipe for a bathtub typically has a 90-degree bend, which gives the drain pipe the appearance of a shoe, so a drain pipe for a bathtub is often referred to as a tub shoe. The drain pipe will often, but not always, have a member inside called a crossbar. A crossbar is generally a set of two bars crossed, which divide the drain opening into four pie-shaped openings. One type of crossbar has a threaded opening in the center and another does not. U.S. Pat. No. 3,428,295, issued to Downey et al., describes a push-actuated drain valve, which is anchored to a crossbar that has a threaded opening. U.S. Pat. No. 4,007,500, issued to Thompson et al., describes a different push-type drain stopper for a bathtub, which is also anchored by a bolt threaded into a central threaded opening in a bathtub drain crossbar.
A drain stopper for a bathtub having a drain opening and a drain pipe having a drain flange attached to the bathtub at the drain opening is described, which includes: an open-close mechanism having upper and lower ends, wherein the open-close mechanism is a lift-and-lock mechanism or a lift-and-turn mechanism, wherein the upper and lower ends have threads, and wherein the upper end has male threads; a cap having a bore with female threads, wherein the upper end of the push mechanism is received in the bore of the cap in a threaded engagement; a seal engaged with the cap for providing a seal with the drain flange or the drain pipe; means for anchoring the open-close mechanism in the drain pipe, wherein the lower end of the push mechanism is in threaded engagement with the means for anchoring, wherein the drain stopper has a length between the cap and the means for anchoring, and wherein the length can be adjusted by the amount that the upper end of the push mechanism is screwed into the bore in the cap; and a lock nut having female threads received on and in threaded engagement with the upper end of the push mechanism, wherein the lock nut is in a tight friction abutment with the cap for holding the length of the drain stopper constant.
The means for anchoring the open-close mechanism in the drain pipe is preferably selected from the group consisting of: male threads on the lower end of the push mechanism for threading into a tub shoe that has cross bars with an opening defined by female threads; an anchor comprising a base and a set of prongs, wherein the base is in threaded engagement with the lower end of the open-close mechanism, and wherein the prongs have a catch mechanism for engaging a tub shoe that has cross bars without a threaded opening; and a wheel-shaped circular body having a groove along its perimeter and an O-ring received in the groove, wherein the body has openings for allowing water to pass through the body, and wherein the body and the O-ring are designed and sized for a friction engagement in a drain pipe that does not have a crossbar. In one embodiment, the cap has a diameter at its widest point, wherein the seal has a diameter at its widest point, and wherein the diameter of the cap is 10 to 50 percent, preferably 20 to 40 percent, greater than the diameter of the seal. In another embodiment, a strainer basket surrounds the push mechanism.
A better understanding of the invention can be obtained when the detailed description of exemplary embodiments set forth below is considered in conjunction with the attached drawings in which:
Drain stopper 10 has a push mechanism 22 such as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,428,295 and 4,007,500. A push downward on the open stopper in
The cap 12 has a diameter that is greater than the diameter of the drain flange 16a. The purpose of this is to hide the drain flange 16a from view, possibly because the finish on the drain flange 16a has become damaged or worn and is unsightly or because one wishes to change the finish color, such as from polished brass to chrome. Cap 12 has a grip portion 12c and a decorative cover 12d that covers all of an upper surface of a body 12e. The body 12e may alternatively have a dome shape without the grip portion 12c. The body 12e has a cylinder 12f located centrally and projecting downwardly. The cylinder 12f has a circumferential groove, and the seal 12a is seated in the groove. The lock nut 24 tightens against the cylinder 12f. Cap 12 has a greatest diameter D at an outermost edge 12g where the decorative cover 12d begins to fold inwardly and wrap under a flanged portion of the body 12e. In order for the cap 12 to serve the purpose of covering the drain flange 16a, the diameter D of the cap 12 should be equal to or greater than the diameter of the drain flange 16a. In one instance the diameter of the drain flange 16a may be 2.75 inches, so the diameter D of the cap 12 should be 2.75 inches or greater, preferably 3.0 to 3.5 inches in diameter. The seal 12a should rest on and seal against the drain flange 16a. The diameter D of the cap 12 should be greater than the diameter of the seal 12a at its widest point in order for the decorative cover 12d to cover and hide the drain flange 16a. The diameter D of the cap 12 may be 10 to 50, preferably 20 to 40, percent greater than the diameter of the seal 12a. If the seal fits inside the drain pipe and seals against an inside wall of the drain pipe, then the diameter D may need to be 50 to 75 percent greater that the diameter of the seal. However, it is generally satisfactory to use a smaller cap of a standard size, which does not cover the drain flange.
The anchor element 38 thus anchors the push mechanism 36e to the crossbar 32b in the drain pipe 32 because the upper end 38a is in threaded engagement with the push mechanism 36e and the lower end 38b is in threaded engagement with the crossbar 32b. The anchor element 38 can be made to have different diameters for its upper and lower ends for attachment to crossbars that have a threaded opening of different sizes and to accommodate a push mechanism that has a threaded bore of a different size. A kit can be assembled and sold that has a drain stopper with a push mechanism and several all-thread anchors, which each have an upper end that threads into a threaded bore in the push mechanism, but each has a different diameter for its lower end to fit into different tub shoes that have crossbars with threaded openings of different sizes. The four-prong anchor 20 of
A strainer basket 40 is received in the drain pipe 32 above the crossbar 32b and surrounds the push mechanism 36e. The strainer basket has a circular, annular, washer-shaped base 40a that has a central opening through which the push mechanism 36e passes. The base 40a rests on the crossbar 32b. Strainer 40 has a side wall 40b and an open upper end 40c. The open upper end 40c has a diameter that is greater than the diameter of the base 40a. Consequently, the side wall 40b of the strainer basket 40 flares outwardly from the base 40a to the upper end 40c, which gives the side wall 40b a conical shape. The upper end has V-shaped notches made in and pointing into the side wall 40b. The side wall 40b and the base 40a of the strainer 40 have a plurality of openings through which water can pass. A strainer basket can also be used with the drain stopper 10 in
Some drain stoppers for bathtubs are referred to as toe touch, lift and lock and lift and turn. The push mechanism described above is referred to as the toe touch since a push on the top of the stopper will change the position of the stopper from open to closed or from closed to open. The larger-than-normal drain cap for covering a drain flange can also be used with a lift and lock stopper and with a lift and turn stopper. The anchoring systems described above, namely the multiple-prong anchor, the all-thread rod having one diameter to fit the open-close mechanism and another diameter to fit an opening in a crossbar, and the wheel-shaped disc with an O-ring to seal against an inside wall of a drain pipe, can also be used with a lift and lock stopper and with a lift and turn stopper. The strainer basket can be used with any of the anchoring systems described above and also with a lift and lock stopper and with a lift and turn stopper, with or without a large drain-covering cap.
Having described the invention above, various modifications of the techniques, procedures, materials, and equipment will be apparent to those skilled in the art. It is intended that all such variations within the scope and spirit of the invention be included within the scope of the appended claims.
This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. Nos. 62/330,783, filed May 2, 2016, and 62/460,071, filed Feb. 16, 2017, each of which is incorporated by reference. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/584,030, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,301,803, is a related application.
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