BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Bathtubs and showers have tub drain inserts that allow water to drain from the tub into the waste water drain. The drain tub insert is generally fitted with a stopper, closure or valve that controls the flow of water from the tub into the tub drain. Although some types of stoppers, closures, or valves can be replaced with another type, generally the tub is fitted with one specific type of stopper, closure or valve that remains with the tub during its life. Oftentimes, the user would like a different type of stopper than the one originally provided. However, the drain tub insert will not accommodate the various types of stoppers on the market.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Recognizing that homeowners and renters would like a different type of stopper, while not requiring a major repair and replacement of the bathtub, shower or drain insert, Applicant invented an insert or adaptor that easily fits within the drain tub insert and can accommodate various stoppers on the market. All of this is accomplished with the adaptor invented by Applicant that easily and quickly fits into the drain tub insert with no tools. Furthermore, the adaptor can then receive several different types of stoppers available in the marketplace.
Applicant's adaptor comprises a circular hub that fits inside of the drain tub insert and a radial flange at the top of the hub that fits over the tub drain flange to provide a clean and new appearance. There are a plurality of clips extending out from the outer wall of the circular hub and engage the inner wall of the drain tub insert. This holds the adaptor in place within the drain tub insert. The adaptor is designed to receive several types of stoppers such as a flip top stopper and various stoppers in which the user raises a central post to raise and lower a resilient seal.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the adaptor inserted into a tub drain.
FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the adaptor above the tub drain insert and a flip top stopper positioned above the adaptor.
FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of the adaptor mounted in the tub drain with a flip top stopper mounted in the top of the adaptor.
FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of an alternate embodiment of the adaptor mounted in the tub drain with a post type stopper in which the post is raised and lowered to open and close the sealing member.
FIG. 5 is a side view partially in cross section of the adaptor with an alternative stopper mounted in the adaptor, the stopper being a push-pull stopper with the stopper in the lowered and closed position.
FIG. 6 is a side view partially in cross section of the adaptor with another alternative stopper mounted in the adaptor, the stopper being a toe touch stopper with the stopper in the raised and opened position.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Turning first to FIG. 1, there is illustrated a fully assembled view of the inventive concept. The individual components are more clearly illustrated in FIG. 2. The inventive device is designed to be used with a tub drain insert 4 that is of conventional size use by most manufacturers. The drain insert 4 has a lower cylindrical body 6 and an upper annular flange 8. The exterior of the cylindrical body may or may not be provided with threads 9. The drain insert 4 is mounted in the bottom of the tub or shower (not illustrated) and is connected to the waste water drain pipe in a conventional manner. At the bottom of the drain insert 4 are generally a pair of perpendicular cross members 10 that provide structural support to the drain insert. Centrally disposed at the intersection of the pair of cross members 10 is a threaded aperture 12 that is used to receive a post of a stopper as will be described more fully herein.
An adaptor 14, has a radial flange 16 extending out from the center of the adaptor 14. The radial flange 16 has smooth top and bottom surfaces 18, 20. A circular hub 22 extends down from the radial flange 16. The circular hub has an outer wall 24 from which extend a plurality of clips 26 that extend out from the outer wall 24. The clips 26 can be attached to the outer wall 24 by means of welding, glue, or other joining techniques. Alternatively, they can be formed from the circular hub 22 by a punch press that forms and pushes the clips 26 out from the circular hub 22. The clips 26 are flexible and act like springs extending out from the circular hub 22 and function as compression members disposed between the hub 22 and the drain insert 4. Although clips 26 are illustrated, other compression members such as rubber inserts, or other flexible inserts that serve to hold the adaptor 14 firmly within the circular hub 22 could be utilized. In order for the user to install the adaptor 14, he or she need only position the adaptor centrally over the tub drain insert 4 and push down on the radial flange 16. The clips 26 compress and firmly engage the cylindrical lower body 6 of the tub drain insert 4 and retain the adaptor 14 within the tub drain insert 4. However, the adaptor 14 can be removed from the tub drain insert 4 by wedging a tool between the bottom surface 16 and the upper annular flange 8 of the tub drain insert 4.
The top portion of the circular hub 22 has a curved inner wall 30 as seen in FIG. 3 that results in a greater diameter across the top of the circular hub 22. The increased diameter allows a flip type stopper 32, that is readily available in the market, to be inserted into the top of the circular hub 22, as seen in FIG. 3. The flip type stopper 32 has a pair of ball pivots 34 at opposite sides of the stopper 32. These engage the curved inner wall 30 so that the flip type stopper 32 can rotate about the ball pivots 34 to rotate the flip top from an opened to a closed position. In this manner, the water in the tub can be selectively drained or retained.
In the alternate embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4, the adaptor 14 is once again inserted into the lower cylindrical body 6 as described above. However, a different stopper is now inserted into the adaptor 14. This stopper is completely described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,758,388 which is incorporated herein in its entirety. Here the stopper has a knob 36 attached to a post 38. The bottom of the post 38 is threaded 39 and is received in threaded engagement with the threaded aperture 12. When the knob 36 is lowered, it lowers a horizontal flange 40 and resilient seal 42 to cover the opening at the top of the radial flange 16. This stops the flow of water through the adaptor 14. When the knob 36 is raised, the resilient seal 42 is raised allowing water to flow through the adaptor 14 and into the tub drain insert 4.
FIG. 5 illustrates another embodiment in which the adaptor 14 receives another type of stopper. This stopper is commonly referred to as a push-pull stopper 47 as it only requires the user to either push a grasping knob 48 that operates a plunger 49 to close the stopper or pull the grasping knob 48 to open the stopper. A resilient ring 50 located on a circular flange 52 operated by the grasping knob 48 provides the seal to keep the water from draining into the tub drain insert 4 when the grasping knob 48 and connected plunger 49 is in the lowered and closed position. The bottom of the plunger 49 has a threaded portion 52 that is received in the threaded aperture 12 of the tub drain 4. The plunger 49 also has a threaded top end 54 that is of different diameter than the threaded portion 52. The reason is that there are generally two different diameters commonly available for the threaded aperture 12. The plunger can be reversed so that either end of the plunger 49 can be oriented in the lower position so that the plunger 49 can be received in the threaded aperture 12. The push-pull stopper 47 is available in the marketplace so that it can readily be acquired and inserted into the adaptor 14 to replace an existing stopper. The adaptor 14 is installed in the tub drain insert 4 as previously described.
FIG. 6 illustrates yet another alternative embodiment in which the adaptor 14 receives a different type of conventional stopper 56, often referred to as a toe touch stopper. The toe touch stopper 56 operates by the user depressing a plunger 58, preferably with his/her toe. The bottom of the plunger is received in the threaded aperture 12. The plunger 58 operates a spring loaded mechanism 60 that causes a resilient seal 62 to seal against the radial flange 16 of the adaptor 14 when the plunger is depressed a first time. When the plunger 58 is again depressed by the user, the mechanism 60 releases the plunger 58 which moves upward and the resilient seal 62 moves upward to the position shown in FIG. 6. This allows water to flow into the tub drain insert 4. The toe touch stopper 56 is also available in the marketplace and thus can be utilized by the inventive adaptor 14.
With the inventive adaptor, many other types of stoppers can also be accommodated without the necessity of any major modification to the adaptor or the tub drain insert. The adaptor is preferably made of corrosion resistant material to reduce the possibility of rust and corrosion and presents an attractive appearance.
Thus, there has been provided a universal adaptor that easily fits into the tub drain insert and provides a device that will accommodate various types of stoppers. While the invention has been described in conjunction with a specific embodiment, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the foregoing description. Accordingly, it is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variations as fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
Patent Application
20190055722
