Patent Application
20240344309
The present application relates to assemblies for a drain such as a floor drain, a shower drain, a tub drain, or the like, and, more particularly, to a trap seal protection device for a drain.
Trap seal protection devices reduce trap evaporation and reduce odors emitting from drain assemblies.
In one independent aspect, a trap seal protection device is provided for a drain assembly having a drain body. The trap seal protection device includes a housing including a flange configured to engage a surface of the drain assembly to support the housing relative to the drain assembly, a gasket supported by the housing, the gasket having an outer diameter and configured to engage an inner surface of the drain body, and a seal member supported by the housing and selectively sealing a fluid passageway, the seal member being selectively movable to permit fluid to flow past the seal member, an axial distance between the flange and the seal member being greater than the outer diameter of the gasket.
In some aspects, the gasket includes a protrusion that extends radially inwardly from an upper surface of the gasket, and the protrusion engages the housing and prevents movement of the gasket relative to the housing.
In some aspects, an outer surface of the housing includes a protrusion engaging a portion of the gasket, engagement of the gasket by the protrusion preventing movement of the gasket relative to the housing.
In some aspects, the gasket includes a gasket protrusion that extends radially inwardly from an upper surface of the gasket, and the housing includes a first housing protrusion and a second housing protrusion, each of the first housing protrusion extending radially outwardly from an outer surface of the housing, the gasket protrusion positioned between the first housing protrusion and the second housing protrusion.
In some aspects, the gasket protrusion abuts the first housing protrusion and the second housing protrusion to prevent movement of the gasket relative to the housing.
In some aspects, an upper portion of the housing is positioned upstream of the seal member in a direction of fluid flow through the drain assembly.
In some aspects, the housing includes a first outer wing and a second outer wing, the first outer wing and the second outer wing spaced apart from one another by an open space.
In some aspects, a lower portion of the housing has a tapered outer surface, and an upper portion of the housing has a substantially consistent outer width along a longitudinal axis of the housing.
In some aspects, the trap seal protection device includes a post that extends in an axial direction from an upper end of the housing to a lower end of the housing, the post including a hollow tube portion extending an entire length of the post to provide a vent path from the lower end of the housing to the upper end of the housing, and a cap coupled to an upper end of the post to prevent fluids from entering the hollow tube portion while allowing air to escape the hollow tube portion at the upper end of the post.
In another independent aspect, a trap seal protection device for a drain assembly includes a housing including a downstream portion and an upstream portion, the upstream portion including a plurality of wings, each one of the wings including a distal end and a bearing surface positioned adjacent the distal end, the bearing surface protruding radially outward from the housing and configured to engage a surface of the drain assembly, and a gasket supported by the housing, the gasket configured to engage an inner surface of the drain assembly
In some aspects, the trap seal protection device includes a post that extends in an axial direction from an upper end of the housing to a lower end of the housing. A rib extends radially between the central post and at least one of the wings.
In some aspects, the trap seal protection device includes a seal member engaging and providing a water-tight seal between an outer surface of the post and an inner surface of the housing.
In some aspects, the post includes a hollow tube portion extending an entire length of the post to provide a vent path from the lower end of the housing to the upper end of the housing.
In some aspects, the hollow tube portion has a diameter that increases as the hollow tube portion extends from a lower end of the post to an upper end of the post.
In some aspects, the trap seal protection device includes a seal member supported by the housing and selectively sealing a fluid passageway, the seal member being selectively movable to permit fluid to flow past the seal member, an axial distance between the upper end of the housing and the seal member being greater than an outer diameter of the gasket.
In some aspects, the trap seal protection device includes a cap coupled to an upper end of the post to prevent fluids from entering the hollow tube portion while allowing air to escape the hollow tube portion at the upper end of the post.
In some aspects, the gasket includes a protrusion that extends radially inwardly from an upper surface of the gasket, the protrusion engaging the housing and preventing movement of the gasket relative to the housing.
In yet another independent aspect, a drain assembly includes, a main body, a grate supported relative to the main body and covering an inlet, a radial surface extending from an upper end of the main body, the radial surface positioned less than two inches below the grate, and a trap seal protection device. The trap seal protection device includes a housing including a flange engaging the radial surface to support the housing relative to the main body, a gasket coupled to the housing, the gasket having an outer diameter engaging an inner surface of the main body, and a seal member supported by the housing and selectively sealing a fluid passageway, the seal member being selectively movable to permit fluid to flow past the seal member.
In some aspects, an axial distance between the flange and the seal member is greater than the outer diameter of the gasket.
In some aspects, an upper end of the seal member is positioned at least 4 inches below the grate.
In some aspects, the main body has a substantially cylindrical shape, the main body having a diameter that is substantially equal to a pipe diameter of a wastewater pipe coupled to a downstream end of the drain assembly.
In some aspects, the drain assembly includes a post that extends in an axial direction from an upper end of the housing to a lower end of the housing, the post including a hollow tube portion extending an entire length of the post to provide a vent path from the lower end of the housing to the upper end of the housing, and a cap coupled to an upper end of the post to prevent fluids from entering the hollow tube portion while allowing air to escape the hollow tube portion at the upper end of the post.
Before any embodiments are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the disclosure is not limited in its application to the details of the configuration and arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The disclosure is capable of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of “including,” “comprising,” or “having” and variations thereof are meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof, as well as possible additional items. Unless specified or limited otherwise, the terms “mounted,” “connected,” “supported,” and “coupled” and variations thereof are used broadly and encompass both direct and indirect mountings, connections, supports, and couplings.
Relative terminology, such as, for example, “about,” “approximately,” “substantially,” etc., used in connection with a quantity or condition would be understood by those of ordinary skill to be inclusive of the stated value and has the meaning dictated by the context (e.g., the term includes at least the degree of error associated with the measurement accuracy, tolerances [e.g., manufacturing, assembly, use, etc.] associated with the particular value, etc.). Such terminology should also be considered as disclosing the range defined by the absolute values of the two endpoints. For example, the expression “from about 2 to about 4” also discloses the range “from 2 to 4.” The relative terminology may refer to plus or minus a percentage (e.g., 1%, 5%, 10%, or more) of an indicated value.
A waterless trap is typically used in conjunction with a P-trap to form a seal above the liquid in the P-trap to inhibit evaporation of the liquid, maintain the liquid barrier in the P-trap for a longer period of time, and inhibit gas from an attached drain or sewer line from passing upwardly through the drain opening. The waterless trap may still permit a flow of water downwardly into the P-trap.
A body cavity 134 is positioned within the cylindrical portion 124. The body cavity 134 has a width substantially equal to the diameters of the pipe receiving end 138, the drain pipe affixed thereto, and the trap seal protection device 110 positioned therein. As such, the drain body 132 lacks any planar surface perpendicular to the axis of the cylindrical portion 124 at a height below the flange 122. The effective depth D at which the flange 122 is positioned relative to the finished floor 152 or an upper surface of the grate 150 (i.e., sump depth) is only roughly ½ inch (e.g., between ⅛ inch and one inch). The drain assembly 120 therefore lacks a mounting location for, and cannot otherwise accommodate, existing trap seal protection devices that have a larger sump depth and/or a body with a width (or diameter) substantially larger than the diameter of the pipe receiving end 138.
The trap seal protection device 110 is illustrated in
The upper portion 162 of the housing 112 is coupled to (e.g., integrally formed with) the lower portion 160 of the housing 112 and extends axially upward away from the lower portion 160. In the illustrated embodiment, the upper portion 162 includes wings 180 extending axially away from the lower portion 160. The wings 180 may be diametrically opposed to one another, coupled to opposing sides of the lower portion 160. Each wing 180 is continuous with the lower portion 160 such that the gasket receiving surface 174 transitions into the wings 180 where the lower portion 160 meets the upper portion 162. Each wing 180 terminates at a flange 182 that extends radially outward from an upper end of the respective wing 180. The flanges 182 may include a bearing surface (e.g., a lower surface) that can rest upon the flange 122 of the drain assembly 120, as illustrated in
The wings 180 are discrete and separate from one another. In the embodiment shown, the upper portion 162 includes two wings 180, though in other embodiments additional (e.g., three, four, five, six) wings may be provided. As shown in
The central portion 164 is located radially inward of the lower portion 160 and the upper portion 162. The central portion 164 includes a hollow central post 190 and first and second ribs 192 connecting the central post 190 to the lower and upper portions 160, 162. The hollow central post 190 is a hollow tube extending axially along a majority of the axial length (i.e., height) of the trap seal protection device 110. The hollow central post 190 provides venting of air/gasses within the drain pipe when fluids pass through the trap seal protection device 110.
As shown, the central post 190 extends along the central axis 200 of the trap seal protection device 110, through in other embodiments, the central post 190 may be a post that is not centered with respect to the device 110. An upper end 194 of the central post 190 is located between the two wings 180 of the upper portion 162 of the housing 112 and a lower end 196 of the central post 190 is located within the fluid flow passage 166 of the lower portion 160 of the housing 112. As shown, the diameter of the passage through the central post 190 increases from the lower end 196 to the upper end 194, though in other embodiments, the diameter of the passage may be constant. The first and second ribs 192 function to locate and support the central post 190 within the remainder of the housing 112 and extend radially outward from the central post 190 to the lower and upper portions 160, 162. In some embodiments, the ribs 192 only extend between the central post 190 and only one of the lower portion 160 or the upper portion 162. As shown in
A cap 202 is coupled to (e.g., rests on, extends over) the upper end 194 of the hollow central post 190 to prevent fluids flowing through the trap seal protection device 110 from flowing through the hollow central post 190. In some embodiments, the cap 202 is openable to allow for air to pass upwards from the drain assembly 120 through the central post 190. In other embodiments, the cap 202 includes openings that are air-permeable and always open. The openings may be covered by a fluid-resistant screen or may be oriented such that fluids within the trap seal protection device 110 are precluded from passing therethrough.
The gasket 114 is annular, is formed of a flexible material (e.g., a rubberized material), and extends around the lower portion 160 of the housing 112. More particularly the gasket 114 extends around and engages the gasket receiving surface 174 of the housing 112. The gasket 114 has an inner surface 210 (e.g., see
The gasket 114 further includes an attachment structure 216 for coupling the gasket to the housing 112 and preventing relative rotation between the gasket 114 and the housing 112. As shown, the attachment structure 216 includes one or more (as shown, two) radial protrusions 220 extending radially inwards towards one another from an upper surface 218 of the gasket 114. As shown in detail in
In some embodiments, such as shown in
As shown in greater detail in
The seal member 116 extends radially outward from the central opening 230, forming a generally conical surface 240 that also extends downwards towards the lowermost axial extent of the trap seal protection device 110. The seal member 116 also thins out from a maximum thickness adjacent the central opening 230 to a minimum thickness at the outer radial extents 242 of the seal member 116 to more easily deform at the outer radial extents 242. The maximum diameter of the seal member 116 is greater than the inner diameter of the housing 112 where the seal member 116 contacts the lower portion 160 of the housing 112 such that the seal member 116 deforms against the inner wall of the lower portion 160 to form a seal therebetween.
In operation, assembly of the trap seal protection device 110 within the drain assembly 120 includes removing the grate 150 and inserting the trap seal protection device 110 into the cylindrical portion 124 until the flanges 182 of the device 110 rest upon the flange 122 of the drain assembly 120. The grate 150 is then reinstalled. In use, with the trap seal protection device 110 installed within the drain assembly 120, water or other fluids drain through the grate 150 and into the body cavity 134 of the drain body 132. The gasket 114 prevents the fluid from bypassing the trap seal protection device 110 such that the fluid engages the upper surface of the seal member 116. When the pressure of the water built up on top of the seal member 116 reaches a predetermined threshold dependent upon the thickness and rigidity of the seal member 116, the seal member 116 elastically deforms downward at the outer radial extents of the seal member 116, introducing a fluid flow path through the trap seal protection device 110. Air within the drain assembly 120 below the trap seal protection device vents through the hollow central post 190.
The trap seal protection device 110 can have a significantly increased height compared to prior art trap seal protection devices. The trap seal protection device 110 extends adjacent to the grate 150 and finished floor 152 to rest on the flange 122 of the shallow drain assembly 120 while still locating the deformable seal member 116 at a substantial distance (e.g., at least 4 inches, at least 5 inches) below the grate 150 and finished floor 152 such that a sufficient amount of water is able to build up upon the seal member 116 to deform the seal member 116. If the a typical prior art trap seal protection device were instead installed at the flange 122 of the shallow drain assembly 120, the pressure of the water upon the seal member would not be sufficient to deform the seal member. The trap seal protection device 110 is mounted at a sump depth of less than two inches (e.g., less than two inches, less than one inch, between ⅛ inch and 1 inch) below the finished floor 152 and yet due to the location of the seal member 116, is capable of a fluid throughput of at least 12 gallons/minute for at least ten minutes through the trap seal protection device 110 on a two-inch drainage pipe and at least 32 gallons per minute for at least ten minutes on a three-inch drainage pipe. The trap seal protection device 110 can be used with drain assemblies 120 and wastewater pipes having varying dimensions and thicknesses (e.g., schedule 10 pipe, schedule 40 pipe, etc.) while still allowing the seal member 116 to be located deep enough within the drain assembly 120 to allow for sufficient flow through the trap seal protection device 110 and such that the trap seal protection device 110 can properly mount to the drain assembly 120 without falling through or detaching from the drain assembly 120.
As shown, in order to provide a radial support surface for the trap seal protection device 110 within the drain assembly 120, an axial distance between the flange 182 and the seal member 116 is greater than the outer diameter of the gasket 114. In some embodiments, the overall height (i.e., axial length) of the trap seal protection device 110 is at least four inches (e.g., at least four inches, at least five inches, four to seven inches) such that the distance between the flanges 182 and the outer radial edge of the seal member 116 is likewise roughly at least four inches (e.g., at least four inches, at least five inches, four to seven inches).
By resting upon the flange 122 of the drain assembly 120, the flanges 182 of the trap seal protection device 110 form a circumferential lip. If the distinct and separate flanges 182 of the trap seal protection device 110 were instead formed as a fully annular flange, the circumferential lip would form a recess below the grate 150 and between the flange 182 of the device 110, the flange 122 of the drain assembly 120, and the frame assembly 140. Fluid falling through the grate 150 into such a recess would be effectively trapped within the recess, resulting in standing water. In contrast, the distinct and separate flanges 182 permit fluid atop the flange 122 of the drain assembly 120 to drain into the trap seal protection device 110 via the gaps between the flanges 182. Additionally, the distinct and separate flanges 182 and wings 180 of the device 110 take up less space within the drain assembly 120 than a fully cylindrical sidewall. As such, the height of water necessary to unseal the seal member 116 is reduced such that the overall height of the trap seal protection device 110 is reduced.
The trap seal protection device 110 prevents evaporation of the water/fluid within the drain below the trap seal protection device 110, which reduces odors emitting from the drain, while still permitting the flow of water downwardly through the drain. Additionally, it may prevent gas from an attached drain or sewer line from passing upwardly through the drain opening and into the room. Further, in some embodiments, the trap seal protection device may be utilized as a backflow prevention device. The trap seal protection device 110 has a low profile and therefore prevents splash back of water within the drain assembly 120, which is desirable in hospitals and other sanitary environments.
It will be understood that certain features and sub combinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and sub combinations. Features described and illustrated with respect to certain embodiments may also be implemented in other embodiments. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of the claims. Since other possible embodiments of the disclosure may be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is understood that examples herein described or shown in the accompanying drawings are to be interpreted as illustrative and are not intended to limit the concepts and principles of the present disclosure. Many changes, modifications, variations and other uses and applications of the illustrated examples will become apparent to those skilled in the art after considering the specification and the accompanying drawings. Such changes, modifications, variations and other uses and applications are deemed to be covered by the disclosure.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/495,988 filed Apr. 13, 2023, the entire contents of which is incorporated by reference herein.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63495988 | Apr 2023 | US |
