BATHTUB

Abstract

A bathtub, including: a container, including a bottom outlet; and a plumbing trap, extending downwards from the bottom outlet and being juxtaposed thereto, thereby allowing cleaning the plumbing trap through the bottom outlet of the container.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to the field of bathtubs.

BACKGROUND

FIG. 1 depicts a prior art bathtub, including the outlet piping thereof, prior to assembling it.

A prior art bathtub constitutes a container 12, being placed on the floor 54, and includes a bottom outlet 50 having a relatively small diameter 52A, for connecting thereto a curved pipe 18, having as well diameter 52A, in a sealed manner.

The term “plumbing trap” refers herein to a device forming a bending path, for capturing water to prevent entrance of sewer gas, while allowing waste to pass through.

The other end of curved pipe 18 is connected to an inlet 56A of a plumbing trap 20A, having as well diameter 52A, being relatively small.

FIG. 2 depicts the prior art bathtub of FIG. 1, after assembling it, and at use.

Pipe 18 is sealably connectable to outlet 50 due to its small diameter 52A.

Solid waste 58 sinks to the bottom of plumbing trap 20A, and further exits towards the sewage pipe 24. However, sewer gas of solid waste 58 cannot enter pipe 18 and back to container 12, since solid waste 58 is sunk in water 60, being partitioned by a partition 62.

The user may remove solid waste 58 from a top opening 64, since it has a relatively large diameter 52B.

This bathtub is disadvantaged in water leaks between bottom outlet 50 and pipe 18.

GB2298661, EP0807721, US2003196262, U.S. Pat. No. 6,418,569 and US2011308009 disclose trapping of the solid waste, but not preventing entrance of sewer gas.

There is a long felt need to provide a solution to the above-mentioned and other problems of the prior art.

SUMMARY

A bathtub, including:

• • a container, including a bottom outlet; and
  • a plumbing trap, being juxtaposed thereto.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments, features, and aspects of the invention are described herein in conjunction with the following drawings:

FIG. 1 depicts a prior art bathtub, including the outlet piping thereof, prior to assembling it.

FIG. 2 depicts the prior art bathtub of FIG. 1, after assembling it, and at use.

FIG. 3 depicts a bathtub according to one embodiment of the invention, prior to assembling it.

FIG. 4 depicts the bathtub of FIG. 3 after assembling it.

FIG. 5 depicts the bathtub of FIG. 4 after placing the elements described in FIG. 4.

The drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The invention will be understood from the following detailed description of embodiments of the invention, which are meant to be descriptive and not limiting. For the sake of brevity, some well-known features are not described in detail.

The reference numbers have been used to point out elements in the embodiments described and illustrated herein, in order to facilitate the understanding of the invention. They are meant to be merely illustrative, and not limiting. Also, the foregoing embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated in conjunction with systems and methods thereof, which are meant to be merely illustrative, and not limiting.

FIG. 3 depicts a bathtub according to one embodiment of the invention, prior to assembling it.

A bathtub 10 according to one embodiment of the invention, includes a container 12 having a bottom outlet 50 having a relatively large diameter 52B; and a plumbing trap 20B extending downwards from outlet 50, and having an outlet 56B, having a relatively small diameter 52A.

Thus, the user may clean plumbing trap 20B from bottom outlet 50 of container 12.

In contrast to the prior art sealable connection of the pipe to the bottom of the prior art bathtub, here, preferably, container 12 and plumbing trap 20B are cast together, thus water cannot leak from one to the other, in spite of the large diameter 52B therebetween.

The plumber only connects sewage pipe 24 to the outlet 56B of plumbing trap 20B, from the side, as shown by arrow 70A.

FIG. 4 depicts the bathtub of FIG. 3 after assembling it.

Solid waste 58 sinks to the bottom of plumbing trap 20B, and further exits towards sewage pipe 24. Sewer gas of solid waste 58 cannot enter back to container 12, since it is sunk in water 60, being partitioned by partition 62.

The user may insert a sieve 72A, as well having an inlet 74 having the large diameter 52B.

Then, the user may place a ring 76, for diminishing the effective opening to a diameter 52C. Ring 76 may include a sieve 72B.

Then, the user may place a cap or sieve 14, having the standard diameter of the prior art bathtub of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 depicts the bathtub of FIG. 4 after placing the elements described in FIG. 4.

The user may connect sieve 14 to plumbing trap 20B by a screw 34, for maintaining the small diameter 52C of container 12.

Thus, in one aspect, the invention is directed to a bathtub (10), including:

• • a container (12), including a bottom outlet (50); and
  • a plumbing trap (20B), extending downwards from the bottom outlet (50) and being juxtaposed thereto,
    • thereby allowing cleaning the plumbing trap (20B) through the bottom outlet (50) of the container (12).

The bathtub (10) may be configured to connect (70A) the sewage pipe (24) directly thereto, being to the outlet (56B) of the plumbing trap (20B).

The diameter (52B) of the bottom outlet (50) is preferably larger than the diameter (52A) of the outlet (56B) of the plumbing trap (20B).

The container (12) and the plumbing trap (20B) may be cast together.

The bathtub (10) may further include:

• • a first sieve (72A), for being removably placed in the plumbing trap (20B) below the partition (62) thereof,
    • thereby accompanying cleaning the plumbing trap (20).

The bathtub (10) may further include:

• • a ring (76), for being placed on the bottom outlet (50), for diminishing the diameter thereof.

In the figures and/or description herein, the following reference numerals (Reference Signs List) have been mentioned:

• • numeral 10 denotes the bathtub according to one embodiment of the invention;
  • numeral 12 denotes the container of the bathtub;
  • numeral 14 denotes a cap or sieve;
  • numeral 18 denotes the curved pipe;
  • numeral 20A denotes the plumbing trap of the prior art bathtub;
  • numeral 20B denotes the plumbing trap of bathtub 10;
  • numeral 22 denotes the top cover of the plumbing trap of the prior art bathtub, being used for cleaning the bottom of the plumbing trap;
  • numeral 24 denotes the sewage pipe;
  • numeral 34 denotes a screw, for fixing the top sieve 14;
  • numeral 50 denotes the bottom outlet of the container;
  • numerals 52A, 52B and 52C denote diameters;
  • numeral 54 denotes the floor;
  • numeral 56A denotes the inlet of the plumbing trap;
  • numeral 56B denotes the outlet of the plumbing trap;
  • numeral 58 denotes solid waste;
  • numeral 60 denotes water remaining/trapped in the plumbing trap, for avoiding transfer of smell/gas;
  • numeral 62 denotes the partition of the plumbing trap;
  • numeral 64 denotes the top opening of the plumbing trap;
  • numeral 72A denotes a sieve for collecting the solid waste disposed at the bottom of the plumbing trap;
  • numeral 72B denotes a sieve disposed at the top of the bottom outlet of container 12;
  • numeral 74 denotes the inlet of sieve 72A;
  • numeral 76 denotes the ring for diminishing the opening;

The foregoing description and illustrations of the embodiments of the invention have been presented for the purpose of illustration, and are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the above description in any form.

Any term that has been defined above and used in the claims, should to be interpreted according to this definition.

The reference numbers in the claims are not a part of the claims, but rather used for facilitating the reading thereof. These reference numbers should not be interpreted as limiting the claims in any form.

Claims

1. A bathtub, comprising: a container, comprising a bottom outlet; anda plumbing trap, comprising a vertical partition extending downwards from said bottom outlet and being juxtaposed thereto, thereby said vertical partition allows water to flow thereunder while disallowing sewer gas to enter said bottom outlet,

2. A bathtub according to claim 1, wherein said bathtub is configured to connect a sewage pipe directly thereto, being to an outlet of said plumbing trap.

3. A bathtub according to claim 1, wherein a diameter of said bottom outlet is larger than a diameter of said outlet of said plumbing trap.

4. A bathtub according to claim 1, wherein said container and said plumbing trap are cast together.

5. A bathtub according to claim 1, further comprising: a first sieve, for being removably placed in said plumbing trap below a partition thereof,

6. A bathtub according to claim 1, further comprising: a ring, for being placed on said bottom outlet, for diminishing a diameter thereof.