BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to stoppers, such as for tubs and basins, and more particularly, to replacement a replacement stopper assembly adapted to be quickly and conveniently installed into an existing drain fitting of a tub, sink or basin. The subject stopper assembly has a flange that desirably overlies the flange of an existing drain, and comprises a fluid seal and a spring-biased, pop-up stopper.
2. Description of Related Art
Many tub and sink or basin stoppers are disclosed in the prior art, including for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,835,447; 3,665,526; 3,771,177; 4,103,372; 4,188,676; 4,339,832; 4,412,361; 4,597,112; 4,764,993; 4,860,390; 4,926,507; 5,881,397; 5,996,143; and 6,195,819. Applicant is unaware of any prior art replacement stopper having the structural elements disclosed below.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the subject replacement stopper assembly preferably comprises a base, a spring assembly, a traveler, and a plurality of sealing rings. At least one sealing ring is desirably disposed around a lower portion of the base and frictionally engages an inside wall of an existing drain. This sealing ring helps maintain the assembly in the desired position inside an existing drain, and also helps prevent water from seeping out of the tub or basin between the base of the assembly and the existing drain. According to one preferred embodiment of the invention, another sealing ring is desirably disposed around the traveler and frictionally engages an inside wall of the base when the traveler is disposed in the closed position relative to the base. A relatively wide flange disposed at the top of the base desirably extends radially beyond the periphery of the existing drain fixture, providing a clean new look while affording a user with the functionality needed in a pop-up drain for a tub or basin without the necessity of removing the old drain fixture that is typically cemented into place and without the necessity for disconnecting any flow lines from the old drain. By use of this assembly, one can conveniently switch, for example, from a chrome-plated finish to a brass or gold-tone finish, or vice versa. The subject stopper assembly can also be installed and removed without using tools.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The apparatus of the invention is further described and explained in relation to the following drawings wherein:
FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the stopper assembly of the invention;
FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the stopper assembly shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a front elevation view of the stopper assembly shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is an exploded top perspective view of the stopper assembly shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional elevation view of the subject stopper assembly taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 2 with the stopper disposed in the closed position, and also showing a partial view of one side of an existing tub drain inside which the subject stopper assembly has been installed; and
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional elevation view of the subject stopper assembly as shown in FIG. 5, but with the stopper disposed in the open position and not showing the existing tub drain.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring to FIGS. 1-6, stopper assembly 10 is preferably a replacement stopper for an existing drain in a tub or basin, and preferably comprises base 12, traveler 14 and spring assembly 42. Base 12 further comprises a substantially cylindrical sidewall 16 having an inside surface 18, at least one outwardly facing annular recess 20 into which a fluid sealing ring 28 is insertable, and a radially projecting, circumferentially extending collar flange 22 around the top of cylindrical sidewall 16 that preferably extends outwardly from the top of cylindrical sidewall 16 a sufficient distance to overly the collar or flange portion of an existing drain fixture 74 (FIG. 5.) disposed inside a tub or basin. When top flange 22 overlies any flange or collar portion of an existing drain, it can be used to conceal stains, finish defects or imperfections near the drain, and can also be used to change the apparent finish, such as from steel or chrome to brass or a gold-tone finish.
When preassembled in the form as shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, and after sealing rings have been provided for any annular recesses in the sidewalls of the base or traveler, stopper assembly 10 can be installed manually into an existing drain 74, 76 (FIG. 5) of a tub or basin 72 without using tools. Referring to the left side of FIG. 5, the outside diameter of the substantially cylindrical bottom portion of base 12 is desirably such that a sealing ring 28 installed in annular recess 20 will cause stopper assembly 10 to be compressed against and to frictionally engage the inside surface of an existing drain 74 when assembly 10 is manually inserted into existing drain 74, thereby restricting fluid leakage between base 12 and existing drain 74. Even though existing drain 74 is likely cemented into place relative to tub or basin 72, fluid sealing ring 28 (preferably an O-ring) will restrict any significant loss of fluid out of the tub or drain due to possible leakage under peripheral edge 26 of circumferentially extending flange 22 of base 12.
Referring to FIG. 4, traveler 14 preferably comprises substantially cylindrical skirt 30 with circumferentially spaced apart apertures 32 and an externally facing annular recess 38 disposed above apertures 32 and below domed closure 36, which is a continuous surface. As is best seen in FIG. 5, sealing ring 40 provides a fluid seal around skirt 30 of traveler 14 to restrict fluid leakage out of tub or basin 72 when traveler 14 of stopper assembly 10 is disposed in the “closed” position relative to base 12. Conversely, when traveler 14 is disposed in the “open” or “pop-up” position relative to base 12, as is best seen in FIG. 6, fluid sealing ring 40 (again preferably an O-ring) does not engage inside wall 18 of base 12, and fluid flow is permitted through apertures 32 of assembly 12 as shown by streamline 66.
Although FIGS. 4-6 disclose a preferred embodiment of spring assembly 42 that can be used to facilitate the “pop-up” action of traveler 14 relative to base 12, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading this disclosure that other “pop-up” mechanisms may also be useful in the subject device. As depicted, spring assembly 42 preferably comprises substantially cylindrical body 44, slide member 54 that is longitudinally slidable inside cylindrical body 44, spring 58, and retainer member 60 having its lower end tightly held inside recess 45 near the bottom of cylindrical body 44 and its upper end alternately repositionable between upper recess 68 and lower recess 70 of slide member 54, depending upon whether traveler 14 is in the “open” or “closed” position, respectively. Thus, for example, when traveler 14 is in the position shown in FIG. 5, with stopper assembly 10 in its “closed position,” one can open the stopper by quickly depressing the top of dome 36, thereby causing traveler 14 to move slightly downward relative to base 12, whereby retainer member 60 is dislodged from upper recess 68, and spring 58 biases traveler upwardly until retainer member 60 enters lower recess 70, thereby limiting the upward movement of traveler 14 relative to base 12 in a position where fluid can flow inwardly through apertures 32 and downwardly through the interior of base 12 as indicated by streamline 66 in FIG. 6. When desired, the process can then be reversed to return traveler 14 to its closed position relative to base 12.
Referring to FIGS. 4-6, cylindrical body 44 of spring assembly 42 is preferably releasably assembled into fixed positional relation to base 12 by threading male threads 48 of body 44 into engagement with female threads 56 of core member 55 of base 12 until bottom surface 62 of annular boss 61 of cylindrical body 44 abuts top surface 64 of core member 55. Similarly, traveler 14 is preferably releasably assembled into fixed positional relation to slide member 54 by threading the female threads of boss 52 located beneath domed surface 36 of traveler 14 onto male threaded section 46 at the top of slide member 54. Although threaded connections are preferred for use in attaching cylindrical body 44 of spring assembly 42 to core member 55 of base 12, and for attaching traveler 14 to slide member 54, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading this disclosure that other commercially available, known means can also be used to create a selectively positionable, longitudinally sliding relationship between traveler 14 and base 12 of stopper assembly 10.
Other alterations and modifications of the invention will likewise become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading this specification in view of the accompanying drawings, and it is intended that the scope of the invention disclosed herein be limited only by the broadest interpretation of the appended claims to which the inventors are legally entitled.
Patent Application
20100235983
