Patent Application
20240133167
The following disclosures are submitted under 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(1)(A):
The present invention relates to the field of protection devices, specifically to an approach to prevent splashing of liquid from a liquid source, usually water from a sink.
According to one embodiment of the invention, there is provided a method for preventing splashing of a liquid under a splashing area from a liquid source utilizing a barrier. The barrier is positioned between the splashing area and the liquid source where the barrier includes a base, a top side of the base, a bottom side of the base, a first side of the base, a second side of the base, one or more suction cups integrated into the bottom side of the base, a first angled foot is attached to the first side of the base, and a second angled foot is attached to the second side of the base. The first angled foot and the second angled foot are designed angled to allow a limited compression of the one or more suction cups. The one or more suction cups are compressed to adhere to the area to form a seepage guard by the first angled foot. The seepage guard prevents the liquid from seeping under the first angled foot.
According to one embodiment of the invention, there is provided an apparatus for preventing splashing of a liquid under a splashing area from a liquid source. The apparatus includes a base, a top side of the base, a bottom side of the base, a first side of the base, a second side of the base, one or more suction cups integrated into the bottom side of the base, a first angled foot is attached to the first side of the base, and a second angled foot is attached to the second side of the base. The first angled foot and the second angled foot are designed angled to allow a limited compression of the one or more suction cups. The one or more suction cups are compressed to adhere to the area to form a seepage guard by the first angled foot when the apparatus is placed on the splashing area. The seepage guard prevents the liquid from seeping under the first angled foot.
According to one embodiment of the invention, there is provided a product for preventing splashing of a liquid under a splashing area from a liquid source. The product includes a base, a top side of the base, a bottom side of the base, a first side of the base, a second side of the base, one or more suction cups integrated into the bottom side of the base, a first angled foot is attached to the first side of the base, and a second angled foot is attached to the second side of the base. The first angled foot and the second angled foot are designed angled to allow a limited compression of the one or more suction cups. The one or more suction cups are compressed to adhere to the splashing area to form a seepage guard by the first angled foot when the product is placed on the splashing area. The seepage guard prevents the liquid from seeping under the first angled foot.
The foregoing is a summary and thus contains, by necessity, simplifications, generalizations, and omissions of detail; consequently, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be in any way limiting. Other aspects, inventive features, and advantages of the present invention will be apparent in the non-limiting detailed description set forth below.
The present invention may be better understood, and its numerous objects, features, and advantages made apparent to those skilled in the art by referencing the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Currently, there are existing products that are intended to provide protection from splashing in environments such as, kitchen sinks, kitchen island, bathroom sinks, utility room and other environments used to work with liquids, for example, cleaning artifacts, such as, dishes. There is literature on a variety of a splash guards for sinks (and for related fixed basins with a water supply and a drain). Many of these guards are removably secured to a region near the sink, by suction cups or by other means.
However, none of the existing products appear to prevent the liquid, e.g., water from reaching the user behind the product. Some of the products have suction cups supporting affixing the product to a surface, but the existing products allow the liquid to seep under the bottom of the product.
Given the deficiency of the prior art, a method, apparatus, and product are disclosed that prevents the liquid, e.g., water from reaching the user behind the product. In an embodiment, the disclosed barrier, referred herein as “splash guard” may be secured and positioned between a user and a flowing liquid source. The disclosed splash guard may be repositioning or removed as needed. The liquid source may be, for example, but not limited to kitchen sinks, kitchen island, bathroom sinks, utility room, a hose, and the like. The liquid may be used, for example, but not limited to, cleaning, such as dishes, diluting, mixing, and the like.
The usage of a “concave up” geometry helps to redirect water away from the barrier, and the shape encourages flow down the vertical wall and finally away from the barrier.
In an embodiment, the angled feet are flexible and there is a hinging action (around a virtual pivot region of the material) in which the angled foot springs slightly upward (e.g. for example, by a fraction of a millimeter) to help create a better seal.
The gap, prior to compression, is from the fully extended suction cup to the fully extended angular feet. When a user presses on the splash guard, the angular feet bend at the virtual pivot region causing a compression of the suction cups, which eliminates the gap, facilitates the sticking of the suction cups to the surface, and the angular feet to be better positioned to prevent liquid from seeping under the angled feet.
In an embodiment, the angled feet may be made of a different material than the side wall. It may have different characteristics, for example, but not limited to texture, modulus of elasticity, rigidity, stiffness, stickiness, springiness, tensile strength, hydrophobicity, frictional interactions, durability, resilience, and the like. It may be replaceable, allowing a user to purchase separately the angled foot and replace one of them if warn out or damaged.
An embodiment of the splash guard is depicted in
While particular embodiments have been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that, based upon the teachings herein, that changes, and modifications may be made without departing from this invention and its broader aspects. Therefore, the appended claims are to encompass within their scope all such changes and modifications as are within the true spirit and scope of this invention. Furthermore, it is to be understood that the invention is solely defined by the appended claims. It will be understood by those with skill in the art that if a specific number of an introduced claim element is intended, such intent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence of such recitation no such limitation is present. For non-limiting example, as an aid to understanding, the following appended claims contain usage of the introductory phrases “at least one” and “one or more” to introduce claim elements. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed to imply that the introduction of a claim element by the indefinite articles “a” or “an” limits any particular claim containing such introduced claim element to inventions containing only one such element, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases “one or more” or “at least one” and indefinite articles such as “a” or “an”; the same holds true for the use in the claims of definite articles.
