Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6319397
-
Patent Number
6,319,397
-
Date Filed
Thursday, July 20, 200024 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, November 20, 200123 years ago
-
Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
Agents
- Pitney, Hardin, Kipp & Szuch LLP
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 210 163
- 210 164
- 210 299
- 210 307
- 210 5321
- 004 679
- 004 681
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International Classifications
-
Abstract
A draining device is disposed within a drain port, which is defined by an upper end of a drain pipe embedded in the ground at an elevation below the ground surface. The draining device includes a tubular base member which has an open upper end, a closed lower end, a bottom wall, and a peripheral wall that extends between the upper and lower ends and that is formed with a plurality of drain openings. A water guiding tube is attached within the base member, and extends into the peripheral wall of the base member. The drain openings of the base member are located around the water guiding tube at an elevation above a lower end of the water guiding tube. The water guiding tube has open upper and lower ends, and is capable of guiding water from the upper end of the base member to the bottom wall of the base member. When water accumulates in a lower end portion of the base member, the water surface thereof is above the lower end of the water guiding tube so as to isolate air in the water guiding tube from air in the drain pipe, thereby preventing insects in the drain pipe from accessing the water guiding tube.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a draining device, more particularly to a draining device that is adapted to be disposed within a drain port.
2. Description of the Related Art
Referring to
FIGS. 1 and 2
, a conventional draining device
1
is shown to include a tubular base member
11
, a porous top cover
15
, and a bottom lid
14
.
As illustrated, the draining device
1
is adapted to be disposed within a drain port, which is defined by an upper end of a drain pipe
13
that is embedded in the ground at an elevation below the ground surface G. The base member
11
is disposed on the upper end of the drain pipe
13
, and has an open upper end
111
, an open lower end
112
, and a peripheral wall
110
that extends between the upper and lower ends
111
,
112
. The top cover
15
is disposed on the upper end
111
of the base member
11
, and has a plurality of drain holes
151
in fluid communication with the upper end of the drain pipe
13
. The bottom lid
14
is attached to the lower end
112
of the base member
11
by a pivot
16
. A counter weight
17
is connected fixedly to the bottom lid
14
in such a manner that the bottom lid
14
normally closes the lower end
112
of the base member
11
. The bottom lid
14
is opened by virtue of downward flow of water through the draining device
1
.
Some of the disadvantages of the aforesaid conventional draining device
1
are as follows:
(1) The structure of the draining device
1
is somewhat complicated, because it comprises a relatively large number of components, such as the base member
11
, the counter weight
17
, the bottom lid
14
and the pivot
16
.
(2) In case foul odor is present in the drain pipe
13
and because the bottom lid
14
is unable to hermetically cover the lower end of the peripheral wall
110
, the foul odor may permeate through the drain port. In addition, the bottom lid
14
may fall into the drain pipe
13
due to long term exposure of the pivot
16
to water, thereby rendering the upper and lower ends
111
,
112
of the base member
11
in a constantly open state. Under this condition, insects in the drain pipe
13
may move from below the ground surface (G) via the draining device.
(3) The aforesaid draining device is only suitable for use in a drain port that is formed in the ground surface (G), thereby limiting the utility thereof.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, the object of this invention is to provide a draining device adapted to be disposed within a drain port which is defined by a drain pipe embedded in the ground. The draining device is clear of the disadvantages mentioned beforehand.
Accordingly, the draining device of the present invention is adapted to be disposed within a drain port, which is defined by an upper end of a drain pipe embedded in the ground at an elevation below the ground surface. The draining device includes a tubular base member adapted to be disposed on the upper end of the drain pipe, and having an open upper end, a closed lower end, a bottom wall, and a peripheral wall that extends between the upper and lower ends and that is formed with a plurality of drain openings. A water guiding tube is attached within the base member, and extends into the peripheral wall of the base member. The drain openings of the base member are located around the water guiding tube at an elevation above a lower end of the water guiding tube. The water guiding tube has open upper and lower ends, and is adapted to guide water from the upper end of the base member to the bottom wall of the base member. Under such a condition, water that accumulates in the closed lower end of the base member has a water surface level above the lower end of the water guiding tube so as to isolate air in the water guiding tube from air in the drain pipe, thereby preventing odor and insects in the drain pipe from accessing the water guiding tube.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Other features and advantages of this invention will become more apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of this invention, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1
is a perspective and partly cutaway view of a conventional draining device;
FIG. 2
illustrates how the conventional draining device is mounted within a drain port of a drain pipe that is embedded in the ground;
FIG. 3
is an exploded view of a first preferred embodiment of a draining device according to the present invention;
FIG. 4
illustrates how the first preferred embodiment is mounted within a drain port of a drain pipe that is embedded in the ground;
FIG. 5
illustrates how a second preferred embodiment is mounted within a drain port of a drain pipe that is embedded in the ground;
FIG. 6
is an exploded view of a third preferred embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 7
illustrates how the third preferred embodiment interconnects two drain pipes that are disposed respectively in the ground surface and a sink; and
FIG. 7A
is an enlarged view of the third preferred embodiment, illustrating how the third preferred embodiment interconnects the drain pipes in the ground and the sink.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring to
FIGS. 3 and 4
, the first preferred embodiment of a draining device
3
of this invention is shown to include a tubular base member
31
, a water guiding tube
32
, and a porous top cover
33
.
As illustrated, the base member
31
is disposed within a drain port, which is defined by an upper end of a first drain pipe
4
that is embedded in the ground at an elevation below the ground surface
100
. The base member
31
has an open upper end
313
, a closed lower end
315
with a bottom wall
316
, and a peripheral wall
311
that extends between the upper and lower ends
313
,
315
and that is formed with a plurality of rectangular drain openings
312
.
The water guiding tube
32
is disposed within the base member
31
, and extends into the peripheral wall
311
of the base member
31
such that the drain openings
312
of the base member
31
are located around the water guiding tube
32
at an elevation above a lower end of the water guiding tube
32
. The water guiding tube
32
has open upper and lower ends, and is adapted to guide water from the upper end
313
of the base member
31
to the bottom wall
316
of the base member
31
. Under such a condition, water that accumulates in the closed lower end
315
of the base member
31
has a water surface level which is above the lower end of the water guiding tube
32
so as to isolate air in the water guiding tube
32
from air in the drain pipe
4
. In addition, insects in the drain pipe
4
are unable to gain access to the water guiding tube
32
due to the presence of water in the closed lower end
315
of the base member
31
.
The base member
31
has an outer wall surface
314
, which is formed with an outer shoulder (
314
S) that abuts against the upper end of the drain pipe
4
, and an inner wall surface
317
which is formed with an inner shoulder (
317
S). The water guiding tube
32
has an upper end portion, which is formed with a shoulder
321
that abuts against the inner shoulder (
317
S) of the base member
31
, thereby positioning the water guiding tube
32
within the base member
31
.
The top cover
33
is disposed removably on the upper end
313
of the base member
31
, and has a plurality of draining openings
331
in fluid communication with the water guiding tube
32
.
Referring to
FIG. 5
, a second preferred embodiment
8
of the present invention is shown to have a structure similar to that of the first preferred embodiment, except for the base member
81
. As shown, the base member
81
includes an upper tube element
811
that is formed with an inwardly extending flange (
811
F) at a lower end thereof, and a lower tube element
812
that is formed with an outwardly extending flange (
812
F) at an upper end thereof. The outwardly extending flange (
812
F) of the lower tube element
812
abuts against the inwardly extending flange (
811
F) of the upper tube element
811
, thereby positioning the lower tube element
812
on the upper tube element
811
.
Referring to
FIGS. 6
,
7
and
7
A, a third preferred embodiment 5 of the present invention is shown to have a structure similar to that of the first preferred embodiment, except for the water guiding tube
50
. As shown, the water guiding tube
50
includes a uniform-diameter lower tube element
54
, and an upper tube element
52
. The upper tube element
52
has an open upper end
520
press fitted within a lower end of a second drain pipe
62
of a sink
61
(see FIG.
7
), a small-diameter upper section
521
, and a large-diameter lower section
522
, which has a diameter larger than that of the small-diameter upper section
521
. The lower tube element
54
has an upper end portion
541
that is press fitted within a lower end portion of the small-diameter upper section
521
of the upper tube element
52
. Under this condition, a lower end portion
542
of the lower tube element
54
extends into the peripheral wall
511
of the base member
51
in such a manner that the drain openings
512
of the base member
51
are located around the lower tube element
54
at an elevation above the lower end of the lower tube element
54
. The features and objects of the second and third embodiments are the same as those of the first preferred embodiment.
The advantages provided by the draining device of the present invention are as follows:
(1) Since water can accumulate in the closed lower end of the base member, insects in the embedded drain pipe are unable to gain access to the water guiding tube, and foul odor in the drain pipe can be prevented from permeating into the ambient atmosphere.
(2) The draining device of the present invention provides a wider range of use, because the drain pipe of a sink can be connected to the drain port in the ground by the use of the draining device of the present invention.
(3) In case solid waste is trapped in the closed lower end of the base member, the solid waste can be easily and manually removed after removal of the top cover and the water guiding member from the base member, thereby ensuring smooth flow of water through the draining device of the present invention.
With this invention thus explained, it is apparent that numerous modifications and variations can be made without departing from the scope and spirit of this invention. It is therefore intended that this invention be limited only as indicated in the appended claims.
Claims
- 1. A draining device adapted to be disposed within a drain port, the drain port being defined by an upper end of a first drain pipe that is embedded in the ground at an elevation below the ground surface, said draining device comprising:a tubular base member adapted to be disposed on the upper end of the first drain pipe and having an open upper end, a closed lower end, a bottom wall, and a peripheral wall that extends between the upper and lower ends and that is formed with a plurality of drain openings; a water guiding tube attached within said base member, and extending into said peripheral wall of said base member, said drain openings of said base member being located around said water guiding tube and being at an elevation above a lower end of said water guiding tube, said water guiding tube having open upper and lower ends and being adapted to guide water from said upper end of said base member to said bottom wall of said base member; and said water guiding tube further having an upper tube element having an open upper end that is adapted to be press fitted within a lower end of a second drain pipe, a small-diameter upper section and a large-diameter lower section, which has a diameter larger than that of said small-diameter upper section and a uniform-diameter lower tube element having an open end that is press fitted within a lower end portion of said small-diameter upper section of said upper tube element of said water guiding tube; whereby, water that accumulates in said closed lower end of said base member has a water surface level that is above said lower end of said water guiding tube so as to isolate air in said water guiding tube from air in the first drain pipe and so as to prevent insects in the first drain pipe from accessing said water guiding tube.
- 2. The draining device as defined in claim 1, wherein said base member has an outer wall surface, which is formed with an outer shoulder that is adapted to abut against the upper end of the first drain pipe, and an inner wall surface which is formed with an inner shoulder, said water guiding tube having an upper end portion, which is formed with a shoulder that abuts against said inner shoulder of said base member, thereby positioning said water guiding tube within said base member.
- 3. The draining device as defined in claim 1, wherein said base member includes an upper tube element that is formed with an inwardly extending flange at a lower end thereof, and a lower tube element that is formed with an outwardly extending flange at an upper end thereof, said outwardly extending flange of said lower tube element abutting against said inwardly extending flange of said upper tube element, thereby positioning said lower tube element on said upper tube element.
- 4. The draining device as defined in claim 1, further comprising a porous top cover disposed removably on said upper end of said base member.
US Referenced Citations (11)