CA1312177C - Bathtub drain control valve and overflow plate - Google Patents
Bathtub drain control valve and overflow plateInfo
- Publication number
- CA1312177C CA1312177C CA000542101A CA542101A CA1312177C CA 1312177 C CA1312177 C CA 1312177C CA 000542101 A CA000542101 A CA 000542101A CA 542101 A CA542101 A CA 542101A CA 1312177 C CA1312177 C CA 1312177C
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- overflow
- drain valve
- bathtub
- linkage
- cover
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired - Fee Related
Links
Classifications
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E03—WATER SUPPLY; SEWERAGE
- E03C—DOMESTIC PLUMBING INSTALLATIONS FOR FRESH WATER OR WASTE WATER; SINKS
- E03C1/00—Domestic plumbing installations for fresh water or waste water; Sinks
- E03C1/02—Plumbing installations for fresh water
- E03C1/04—Water-basin installations specially adapted to wash-basins or baths
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E03—WATER SUPPLY; SEWERAGE
- E03C—DOMESTIC PLUMBING INSTALLATIONS FOR FRESH WATER OR WASTE WATER; SINKS
- E03C1/00—Domestic plumbing installations for fresh water or waste water; Sinks
- E03C1/12—Plumbing installations for waste water; Basins or fountains connected thereto; Sinks
- E03C1/22—Outlet devices mounted in basins, baths, or sinks
- E03C1/23—Outlet devices mounted in basins, baths, or sinks with mechanical closure mechanisms
- E03C1/232—Outlet devices mounted in basins, baths, or sinks with mechanical closure mechanisms combined with overflow devices
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E03—WATER SUPPLY; SEWERAGE
- E03C—DOMESTIC PLUMBING INSTALLATIONS FOR FRESH WATER OR WASTE WATER; SINKS
- E03C1/00—Domestic plumbing installations for fresh water or waste water; Sinks
- E03C1/12—Plumbing installations for waste water; Basins or fountains connected thereto; Sinks
- E03C1/24—Overflow devices for basins or baths
Abstract
ABSTRACT
A bathtub drain valve control arrangement includes an overflow cover movably mounted in a re-cessed pocket of a substantially vertical bathtub wall so as to cover the overflow opening in that wall.
The overflow plate is adapted to move between open and closed positions and has a smooth outer surface so that, in the closed position, it is flush with the vertical bathtub wail to provide a smooth, substan-tially continuous surface against which a bather could comfortably lean. A linkage connects the overflow cover and a drain valve, so that moving the overflow plate to the open position opens the drain valve and moving the overflow plate to the closed position closes the drain valve.
A bathtub drain valve control arrangement includes an overflow cover movably mounted in a re-cessed pocket of a substantially vertical bathtub wall so as to cover the overflow opening in that wall.
The overflow plate is adapted to move between open and closed positions and has a smooth outer surface so that, in the closed position, it is flush with the vertical bathtub wail to provide a smooth, substan-tially continuous surface against which a bather could comfortably lean. A linkage connects the overflow cover and a drain valve, so that moving the overflow plate to the open position opens the drain valve and moving the overflow plate to the closed position closes the drain valve.
Description
This invention relates to bathtub drain valve controls. More particularly it relates to a drain control that is operated by an overflow cover that forms a smooth extension of the tub wall.
Almost all bathtubs have a drain opening at the bo~tom for draining out the water and a valve located in that drain opening for closing the drain.
~uch bathtubs usually have an overflow opening which ~`
is in fluid communication with the drain. The over-10 flow opening is located on a vertical wall of the tub and permits water to 10w out to the drain in order to prevent the tub from overflowing in case someone ; forgets to turn off the water or in case a person enters the tub and raises the water level to too 15 high a level.
Usually, a stationary overflow plate is mounted on the tub to conceal the overflow hole from vie~ while leaving a bottom hole open. The overflow plate is usually fixed on the bathtub wall and juts 20 out from the normal surface of the wall. It is also common for a drain control lever to be movably mounted on the fixed overflow plate and to extend into the tub.
The drain control lever is then connected through linkages to the drain valve at the bottom of the tub.
One problem with such drain valve controls and overflow plates of the prior art is that they . 3~
.
, 1 31 2 ~ 77 project out into the tub so that they would stick into the back of a person who tries to lean against the wall in which they are mounted. This limits the use of many tubs to one person at a time.
To solve this problem, there have been attempts to separate the overflow cover and drain lever tby recess-ing the trip lever in a pocket and then using a separate cover to form a smooth rest surface~. Such systems require the user to both lift the cover and also trip a separate lever to control the drain.
~ he object of the present invention is to provide a bathtub drain valve control device which is shaped and installed so as to complement the contours of the vertical bathtub wall to provide a smooth, substantially continuous-surface against which a bather can comfortably lean and in which the overflow plate serves the additional function of a drain control lever~
The present invention provides a bathtub drain valve control arrangement, comprising a substantially vertical bathtub wall defining an overflow opening which is adapted to communicate with a downwardly directed drain-pipe, a bathtub flG~r deining a drain opening which is adapted to communicate with said drainpipe; a drain valve for opening and closing fluid communication through said drain opening; an overflow cover mounted on said substan-tially vertical bathtub wall so as to substantially conceal said overflow opening, characterized by said overflow cover being adapted to move between open and closed positions and having a generally smooth outer surface, such that, in said closed position, said overflow cover is substantially flush with said vertical bathtub wall to follow the contours of the wall to provide a surface against which a bather could comfortably lean; and a linkage connectin:g said overflow cover and said drain valve, said linkage including a first linkage member :
pivotally connected to said overflow cover at a pivot point spaced from said mounting of said overflow cover and a second linkaye member pivotally connected intermediate its ends to said bathtub wall, said second linkage member also being pivotably connected adjacent one end to said first linkage member, and linkage means connected between the other end of said second linkage member and said drain valve such that by moving said overflow cover to the open position causes one end of said second linkage member to rise and the other end to be lowered and said linkage means-opens said drain valve, and moving said overflow cover to the closed position causes one end of said second linkage member to be lowered and the other end to be raised and said linkage means closes said drain valve.
The bathtub drain valve control arrangement of the present invention is simpler than the overflow cover and drain valve control than previously available. The overflow cover and drain valve con~rol combination is easy to operate and is relatively inexpensive. Further the arrangement provides a smooth surface against which a person can lean his back and thus two people may comfort-ably sit face to face, leaning against opposite walls of the tub.
In the drawings:
Figure 1 is a top, broken away view of a bathtub including the drain valve control arrangement of the present invention;
Figure 2 is a frontal view taken along the line~
Almost all bathtubs have a drain opening at the bo~tom for draining out the water and a valve located in that drain opening for closing the drain.
~uch bathtubs usually have an overflow opening which ~`
is in fluid communication with the drain. The over-10 flow opening is located on a vertical wall of the tub and permits water to 10w out to the drain in order to prevent the tub from overflowing in case someone ; forgets to turn off the water or in case a person enters the tub and raises the water level to too 15 high a level.
Usually, a stationary overflow plate is mounted on the tub to conceal the overflow hole from vie~ while leaving a bottom hole open. The overflow plate is usually fixed on the bathtub wall and juts 20 out from the normal surface of the wall. It is also common for a drain control lever to be movably mounted on the fixed overflow plate and to extend into the tub.
The drain control lever is then connected through linkages to the drain valve at the bottom of the tub.
One problem with such drain valve controls and overflow plates of the prior art is that they . 3~
.
, 1 31 2 ~ 77 project out into the tub so that they would stick into the back of a person who tries to lean against the wall in which they are mounted. This limits the use of many tubs to one person at a time.
To solve this problem, there have been attempts to separate the overflow cover and drain lever tby recess-ing the trip lever in a pocket and then using a separate cover to form a smooth rest surface~. Such systems require the user to both lift the cover and also trip a separate lever to control the drain.
~ he object of the present invention is to provide a bathtub drain valve control device which is shaped and installed so as to complement the contours of the vertical bathtub wall to provide a smooth, substantially continuous-surface against which a bather can comfortably lean and in which the overflow plate serves the additional function of a drain control lever~
The present invention provides a bathtub drain valve control arrangement, comprising a substantially vertical bathtub wall defining an overflow opening which is adapted to communicate with a downwardly directed drain-pipe, a bathtub flG~r deining a drain opening which is adapted to communicate with said drainpipe; a drain valve for opening and closing fluid communication through said drain opening; an overflow cover mounted on said substan-tially vertical bathtub wall so as to substantially conceal said overflow opening, characterized by said overflow cover being adapted to move between open and closed positions and having a generally smooth outer surface, such that, in said closed position, said overflow cover is substantially flush with said vertical bathtub wall to follow the contours of the wall to provide a surface against which a bather could comfortably lean; and a linkage connectin:g said overflow cover and said drain valve, said linkage including a first linkage member :
pivotally connected to said overflow cover at a pivot point spaced from said mounting of said overflow cover and a second linkaye member pivotally connected intermediate its ends to said bathtub wall, said second linkage member also being pivotably connected adjacent one end to said first linkage member, and linkage means connected between the other end of said second linkage member and said drain valve such that by moving said overflow cover to the open position causes one end of said second linkage member to rise and the other end to be lowered and said linkage means-opens said drain valve, and moving said overflow cover to the closed position causes one end of said second linkage member to be lowered and the other end to be raised and said linkage means closes said drain valve.
The bathtub drain valve control arrangement of the present invention is simpler than the overflow cover and drain valve control than previously available. The overflow cover and drain valve con~rol combination is easy to operate and is relatively inexpensive. Further the arrangement provides a smooth surface against which a person can lean his back and thus two people may comfort-ably sit face to face, leaning against opposite walls of the tub.
In the drawings:
Figure 1 is a top, broken away view of a bathtub including the drain valve control arrangement of the present invention;
Figure 2 is a frontal view taken along the line~
2-2 of Figure l;
Figure 3 is a view taken along the section 3-3 of Figure l;
Figure 4 is the same view as Figure 3, but with the drain lever and drain valve in the open po-sition;
- Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view of 5 the parts which are connected to the bathtub to form the drain valve control arrangement of Figure l; and Figure 6 is an enlarged, side sectional view of the valve control lever region of Figure 3.
With reference to the drawings: the bathtub 10 10 has a bottom wall 12, a substantially vertical side wall 14, and two substantially vertical side walls 16.
There is the usual hole 18 in the bottom wall (or floor) 12 of the tub 10 which serves as a drain hole.
There is also an opening 20 in the vertical end wall 15 14 ~hich serves as an overflow opening. Both the drain opening 18 and the overflow opening 20 are in fluid communication with the drainpipe 22. The end wall 14 has a recessed portion (or pocket) 24 surrounding the overflow opening 20.
The recessed portion 24 is tapered as shown in the Figure 3 cross section, being narrow at the top and wider at the bottom. An overflow plate 26 is mounted in the recessed portion 24 to conceal the overflow opening 20 from view. The overflow plate or 25 cover 26 is slightly recessed in the end wall 14 when in the Figure 3 position. The recessed portion or pocket 24 extends slightly below the overflow plate 26 so that a person can reach his fingers underneath the free end of the overflow plate 26 to pull it outward 30 and so that water can readily overflow through the overflow opening 20 (as indicated by the arrows in Figure 3).
The overflow plate 26 is preferably made in two pieces. The outer piece 23 is preferably metallic 35 and may have a finish which corresponds to the finish on the faucet and other fixtures used in conjunction - 1312~77 with the bathtub 10. It has a generally smooth outer surface which, when the plate 26 is closed, is flush with the rest of the tub wall 14 and complements the contours of the vertical bathtub wall 14 to provide 5 a smooth, substantially continuous surface against which a bather could comfortably lean.
; The inner piece 30 is preferably a molded ~ polymeric material (e.g. a plastic). The inner piece 30 has an indentation 32 in its top edge ~see Figure 6), 10 and the outer piece 28 has a mating projection 34. In order to assemble the outer piece 28 on the inner piece 30, the bottom portion 36 of the outer piece is first wrapped around the lower edge of the inner ~ piece 30, and then the projection 34 at the top of the ; 15 outer piece 28 is snap-fit into place in the indenta-: tion 32 of the inner piece 30.
The inner piece 30 includes an integrally - molded arm 38 defining an aperture 39 which permits the overflow plate 26 to be connected to the linkages 20 used to control the drain valve 40. The inner piece 30 also includes a number of hinge eyes 42 near its top edge.
stationary member 44 has mating hinge eyes 46 on.its top edge. A hinge pin 48 connects the over-25 flow plate 26 to the stationary piece 44 through the I hinge eyes 42, 46, so that the overflow plate 26 can pivot relative to the tub 10 on this first, sub -stantially horizontal axis. Thus, the overflow plate 26 is movably mounted on the tub 10 at its top end.
30 and has a free lower end. It should be noted that the outer piece 28 projects slightly beyond the hinge eyes 42, 46 to conceal them.
The stationary piece 44 is fixed to the end ~ wall 14 of the tub 10 by means of two screws 50 : 35 (only one shown in Figure 5) which clamp the stationary piece 44 and the drain extension 52 to the end wall ;
' .
'~`^` 1312177 14 of the tub. The screws 50 extend through apertures 54 in the stationary piece 44 and through the overflow opening 20 in the tub wall 14 and are received in the threaded apertures 56 of the drain extension 52.
5 A gasket 58 is pressed between the drain extension 52 and the outer surface of the end wall 14 to pro-vide a seal between the drain extension 52 and the end wall 14.
The linkages which permit the overflow plate 10 26 to serve as a drain valve control lever are as follows (see Figures 5 and 6); ~ Y-shaped linkage 60 ! is pivotably connected at the point 39 to the arm 38 which is integral with the inner piece 30 of the over-flow plate 26. At its other end, the linkage 60 is 15 pivotably connected to a rocker arm 62 at the point 61.
The rocker arm 62 is pivotably mounted on the sta-tionary piece 44 at the point 64, so that the rocker arm 62 pivots about the fixed point ~or second, substantially horizontal axis) 64. A spring 66 is 20 mounted over the inner portion of the rocker arm 62 between two washers 68, 70 which serve as stops.
The washer 70 bears against an integral extension 72 from the stationary piece 44 which ex-tends through the end wall 14 of the tub. The exten-25 sion 72 has upper and lower camming surfaces 74,76 which serve to define the two positions of the overflow plate (or valve control lever) ~6.
When the overflow plate 26 is in the closed position, as shown in Figures 3 and 6, the washer 70 30 bears against the upper camming surface 74. When the overflow plate 26 is pivoted counterclockwise ~opened), the washer 70 begins to move toward the lower camming surface 76. As the rocker arm is rotated counter-clockwise, the washer 70 moves until it is balancing 35 on the point between the first and second camming , . ,. :
.
: surfaces 74, 76 When the rocker arm 62 moves slight-ly beyond the balanced position, the spring 66 causes the washer 70 to flip into contact with the lower cam-ming surface 76, snapping the overflow-plate (the valve control lever) 26 into the open position, shown in Figure 4. When closing the valve control lever 28, the spring 66 acts in a similar manner, causing the washer 70 to flip into contact with the upper camming surface 74 as it moves past the balanced position.
1~ At its innermost end, the rocker arm 62 is pivotably connected to the vertical linkage (or drive member ) 78, the length of which is adjustable by means of an adjustment arm 8G. The lower end o the adjustment arm 80 is connected to a spring 82. The l; drain valve 40 is pivotably connected at the point 84 to a see-saw assembly 86 which rocks back and forth about the fulcrum point 88. The assembly 86 can flex inward about the points 85, permitting it to be in-stalled through the drain hole 18, but it cannot fle~
2~ outward, thereby permitting it to operate stiffly, in a see-saw motion when acted on by a downward force at either end.
When the overElow plate 26 is in the closed position as in Figure 3, the spring 66 causes the 25 washer 70 to.press against the upper camming surface 74, lifting the lower spring 82 off of the free end 90 of the seesaw linkage 86. The weight acting on the right hand portion of the linkage 86 causes the right side of the linkage to fall downward, closing the drain valve 40. When the overflow plate 26 is lifted up to the open position, the spring 68 causes the washer 70 to press against the second camming surface 76, lowering the sprlng 82 into contact with the free end 90 of the seesaw linkage 86, and the added 35 force from the spring 82 causes the linkage 86 to rotate counterclockwise about the fulcrum 88, thereby opening the drain valve 40.
It will be noted, particularly in Figures 1 and 2, that, when the overflow plate 26 is in the closed position, it is flush with the inner surface o~ the vertical bathtub wall 14 to provide a smooth, sub-5 stantially continuous surface against which a bathercan comfortably lean. The recessed portion 24 of the end wall 14 permits the overflow plate 26 to be re-cessed in the tub wall to provide this smooth, flush ` surface.
In order to install the drain valve arrange-ment on the tub 10, the inner piece 30 is connected to : the fixed member 44 by means of the hinge pin 48.
The drain pipe extensions 102 and 52 are connected to their respective openings 18, 20. The extension 102 15 is threaded onto the flanged piece 104 which forms the drain hole 18. The drain extension 52 is bolted to the fixed member 44 as was described earlier, with the installer extending his screw driver through the holes 51 in the inner piece 30 to reach the bolts 50.
20 Then, the vertical linkage 78 is assembled with the ad-justment arm and the spring 82. The leg 105 of the linkage 78 is inserted through the slot 106 of the adjustment arm 80 and into the upper hole 108 of the nut 110, and the bolt 112 then secures the nut 110 25 at the desired position on the adjustment arm 80 by being threaded into the lower hole 114.
The spring 66 and washers 68, 70 are placed on the rocker arm 62 and held in place by a cotter pin 69. The vertical linkage 78 is hooked onto the 30 end of the rocker arm 62, and the linkage 78, together with the adjustment arm 80 and spring 82 are moved under the indentation 71 in the fixed member 44, through the overflow opening 20, and are lowered down - through the drain pipe extension 52. Before the 35 rocker arm 62 passes the fixed member 44, a pin 65 is extended through the hole 64 in the rocker arm 62.
' ' g The pin 65 enters the horizontal recess 67 in the fixed member 44, and, when the washer 70 is brought into contact with one of the camming surfaces 74, 76, the pin 65 is pressed against the recess 67 in the 5 fi~ed member 44, thereby mounting the rocker arm 62 on the fixed member 44. The outer piece 28 is then installed over the inner piece 30 of the lever arm 26 as described earlier. Then, the see-saw assembly is connected to the drain valve 40 and is threaded 10 into position with the free end 90 entering first through the drain hole 18. The individual pieces of the see-saw assembly flex inward relative to each other in order to get around the bend 100 in the pipe 102.
When the overflow and drain control assembly is installed as described above, the bather need only pivot the overflow plate up and down in order to con-trol the drain valve. When the drain valve is closed, the bather has a smooth, substantially con-20 tinuous surface against which to recline.
It will be apparent that modifications may be made to the preferred embodiment described above without departing from the scope of the present in-vention. For example, the plate may pivot on its 25 side edge or about another axis (rather than at the top). Also, the particular nature of the lever or other operator used could be changed.
Figure 3 is a view taken along the section 3-3 of Figure l;
Figure 4 is the same view as Figure 3, but with the drain lever and drain valve in the open po-sition;
- Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view of 5 the parts which are connected to the bathtub to form the drain valve control arrangement of Figure l; and Figure 6 is an enlarged, side sectional view of the valve control lever region of Figure 3.
With reference to the drawings: the bathtub 10 10 has a bottom wall 12, a substantially vertical side wall 14, and two substantially vertical side walls 16.
There is the usual hole 18 in the bottom wall (or floor) 12 of the tub 10 which serves as a drain hole.
There is also an opening 20 in the vertical end wall 15 14 ~hich serves as an overflow opening. Both the drain opening 18 and the overflow opening 20 are in fluid communication with the drainpipe 22. The end wall 14 has a recessed portion (or pocket) 24 surrounding the overflow opening 20.
The recessed portion 24 is tapered as shown in the Figure 3 cross section, being narrow at the top and wider at the bottom. An overflow plate 26 is mounted in the recessed portion 24 to conceal the overflow opening 20 from view. The overflow plate or 25 cover 26 is slightly recessed in the end wall 14 when in the Figure 3 position. The recessed portion or pocket 24 extends slightly below the overflow plate 26 so that a person can reach his fingers underneath the free end of the overflow plate 26 to pull it outward 30 and so that water can readily overflow through the overflow opening 20 (as indicated by the arrows in Figure 3).
The overflow plate 26 is preferably made in two pieces. The outer piece 23 is preferably metallic 35 and may have a finish which corresponds to the finish on the faucet and other fixtures used in conjunction - 1312~77 with the bathtub 10. It has a generally smooth outer surface which, when the plate 26 is closed, is flush with the rest of the tub wall 14 and complements the contours of the vertical bathtub wall 14 to provide 5 a smooth, substantially continuous surface against which a bather could comfortably lean.
; The inner piece 30 is preferably a molded ~ polymeric material (e.g. a plastic). The inner piece 30 has an indentation 32 in its top edge ~see Figure 6), 10 and the outer piece 28 has a mating projection 34. In order to assemble the outer piece 28 on the inner piece 30, the bottom portion 36 of the outer piece is first wrapped around the lower edge of the inner ~ piece 30, and then the projection 34 at the top of the ; 15 outer piece 28 is snap-fit into place in the indenta-: tion 32 of the inner piece 30.
The inner piece 30 includes an integrally - molded arm 38 defining an aperture 39 which permits the overflow plate 26 to be connected to the linkages 20 used to control the drain valve 40. The inner piece 30 also includes a number of hinge eyes 42 near its top edge.
stationary member 44 has mating hinge eyes 46 on.its top edge. A hinge pin 48 connects the over-25 flow plate 26 to the stationary piece 44 through the I hinge eyes 42, 46, so that the overflow plate 26 can pivot relative to the tub 10 on this first, sub -stantially horizontal axis. Thus, the overflow plate 26 is movably mounted on the tub 10 at its top end.
30 and has a free lower end. It should be noted that the outer piece 28 projects slightly beyond the hinge eyes 42, 46 to conceal them.
The stationary piece 44 is fixed to the end ~ wall 14 of the tub 10 by means of two screws 50 : 35 (only one shown in Figure 5) which clamp the stationary piece 44 and the drain extension 52 to the end wall ;
' .
'~`^` 1312177 14 of the tub. The screws 50 extend through apertures 54 in the stationary piece 44 and through the overflow opening 20 in the tub wall 14 and are received in the threaded apertures 56 of the drain extension 52.
5 A gasket 58 is pressed between the drain extension 52 and the outer surface of the end wall 14 to pro-vide a seal between the drain extension 52 and the end wall 14.
The linkages which permit the overflow plate 10 26 to serve as a drain valve control lever are as follows (see Figures 5 and 6); ~ Y-shaped linkage 60 ! is pivotably connected at the point 39 to the arm 38 which is integral with the inner piece 30 of the over-flow plate 26. At its other end, the linkage 60 is 15 pivotably connected to a rocker arm 62 at the point 61.
The rocker arm 62 is pivotably mounted on the sta-tionary piece 44 at the point 64, so that the rocker arm 62 pivots about the fixed point ~or second, substantially horizontal axis) 64. A spring 66 is 20 mounted over the inner portion of the rocker arm 62 between two washers 68, 70 which serve as stops.
The washer 70 bears against an integral extension 72 from the stationary piece 44 which ex-tends through the end wall 14 of the tub. The exten-25 sion 72 has upper and lower camming surfaces 74,76 which serve to define the two positions of the overflow plate (or valve control lever) ~6.
When the overflow plate 26 is in the closed position, as shown in Figures 3 and 6, the washer 70 30 bears against the upper camming surface 74. When the overflow plate 26 is pivoted counterclockwise ~opened), the washer 70 begins to move toward the lower camming surface 76. As the rocker arm is rotated counter-clockwise, the washer 70 moves until it is balancing 35 on the point between the first and second camming , . ,. :
.
: surfaces 74, 76 When the rocker arm 62 moves slight-ly beyond the balanced position, the spring 66 causes the washer 70 to flip into contact with the lower cam-ming surface 76, snapping the overflow-plate (the valve control lever) 26 into the open position, shown in Figure 4. When closing the valve control lever 28, the spring 66 acts in a similar manner, causing the washer 70 to flip into contact with the upper camming surface 74 as it moves past the balanced position.
1~ At its innermost end, the rocker arm 62 is pivotably connected to the vertical linkage (or drive member ) 78, the length of which is adjustable by means of an adjustment arm 8G. The lower end o the adjustment arm 80 is connected to a spring 82. The l; drain valve 40 is pivotably connected at the point 84 to a see-saw assembly 86 which rocks back and forth about the fulcrum point 88. The assembly 86 can flex inward about the points 85, permitting it to be in-stalled through the drain hole 18, but it cannot fle~
2~ outward, thereby permitting it to operate stiffly, in a see-saw motion when acted on by a downward force at either end.
When the overElow plate 26 is in the closed position as in Figure 3, the spring 66 causes the 25 washer 70 to.press against the upper camming surface 74, lifting the lower spring 82 off of the free end 90 of the seesaw linkage 86. The weight acting on the right hand portion of the linkage 86 causes the right side of the linkage to fall downward, closing the drain valve 40. When the overflow plate 26 is lifted up to the open position, the spring 68 causes the washer 70 to press against the second camming surface 76, lowering the sprlng 82 into contact with the free end 90 of the seesaw linkage 86, and the added 35 force from the spring 82 causes the linkage 86 to rotate counterclockwise about the fulcrum 88, thereby opening the drain valve 40.
It will be noted, particularly in Figures 1 and 2, that, when the overflow plate 26 is in the closed position, it is flush with the inner surface o~ the vertical bathtub wall 14 to provide a smooth, sub-5 stantially continuous surface against which a bathercan comfortably lean. The recessed portion 24 of the end wall 14 permits the overflow plate 26 to be re-cessed in the tub wall to provide this smooth, flush ` surface.
In order to install the drain valve arrange-ment on the tub 10, the inner piece 30 is connected to : the fixed member 44 by means of the hinge pin 48.
The drain pipe extensions 102 and 52 are connected to their respective openings 18, 20. The extension 102 15 is threaded onto the flanged piece 104 which forms the drain hole 18. The drain extension 52 is bolted to the fixed member 44 as was described earlier, with the installer extending his screw driver through the holes 51 in the inner piece 30 to reach the bolts 50.
20 Then, the vertical linkage 78 is assembled with the ad-justment arm and the spring 82. The leg 105 of the linkage 78 is inserted through the slot 106 of the adjustment arm 80 and into the upper hole 108 of the nut 110, and the bolt 112 then secures the nut 110 25 at the desired position on the adjustment arm 80 by being threaded into the lower hole 114.
The spring 66 and washers 68, 70 are placed on the rocker arm 62 and held in place by a cotter pin 69. The vertical linkage 78 is hooked onto the 30 end of the rocker arm 62, and the linkage 78, together with the adjustment arm 80 and spring 82 are moved under the indentation 71 in the fixed member 44, through the overflow opening 20, and are lowered down - through the drain pipe extension 52. Before the 35 rocker arm 62 passes the fixed member 44, a pin 65 is extended through the hole 64 in the rocker arm 62.
' ' g The pin 65 enters the horizontal recess 67 in the fixed member 44, and, when the washer 70 is brought into contact with one of the camming surfaces 74, 76, the pin 65 is pressed against the recess 67 in the 5 fi~ed member 44, thereby mounting the rocker arm 62 on the fixed member 44. The outer piece 28 is then installed over the inner piece 30 of the lever arm 26 as described earlier. Then, the see-saw assembly is connected to the drain valve 40 and is threaded 10 into position with the free end 90 entering first through the drain hole 18. The individual pieces of the see-saw assembly flex inward relative to each other in order to get around the bend 100 in the pipe 102.
When the overflow and drain control assembly is installed as described above, the bather need only pivot the overflow plate up and down in order to con-trol the drain valve. When the drain valve is closed, the bather has a smooth, substantially con-20 tinuous surface against which to recline.
It will be apparent that modifications may be made to the preferred embodiment described above without departing from the scope of the present in-vention. For example, the plate may pivot on its 25 side edge or about another axis (rather than at the top). Also, the particular nature of the lever or other operator used could be changed.
Claims (4)
1. A bathtub drain valve control arrangement, comprising a substantially vertical bathtub wall defining an overflow opening which is adapted to communicate with a downwardly directed drainpipe; a bathtub floor defining a drain opening which is adapted to communicate with said drainpipe; a drain valve for opening and closing fluid communication through said drain opening; an overflow cover movably mounted on said substantially vertical bathtub wall so as to substantially conceal said overflow opening, said overflow cover adapted to move between open and closed positions and having a generally smooth outer surface, such that, in said closed position, said overflow cover is substantially flush with said vertical bathtub wall to follow the contours of the wall to provide a surface against which a bather could comfortably lean;
and a linkage connecting said overflow cover and said drain valve, said linkage including a first linkage member pivotally connected to said overflow cover at a pivot point spaced from said mounting of said overflow cover and a second linkage member pivotally connected inter-mediate its ends to said bathtub wall, said second linkage member also being pivotably connected adjacent one end to said first linkage member, and linkage means connected between the other end of said second linkage member and said drain valve such that by moving said overflow cover to the open position causes one end of said second linkage member to rise and the other end to be lowered and said linkage means opens said drain valve, and moving said overflow cover to the closed position causes one end of said second linkage member to be lowered and the other end to be raised and said linkage means closes said drain valve.
and a linkage connecting said overflow cover and said drain valve, said linkage including a first linkage member pivotally connected to said overflow cover at a pivot point spaced from said mounting of said overflow cover and a second linkage member pivotally connected inter-mediate its ends to said bathtub wall, said second linkage member also being pivotably connected adjacent one end to said first linkage member, and linkage means connected between the other end of said second linkage member and said drain valve such that by moving said overflow cover to the open position causes one end of said second linkage member to rise and the other end to be lowered and said linkage means opens said drain valve, and moving said overflow cover to the closed position causes one end of said second linkage member to be lowered and the other end to be raised and said linkage means closes said drain valve.
2. A bathtub drain valve control arrangement as recited in Claim 1, wherein said substantially vertical bathtub wall defines a recessed pocket surround-ing said overflow opening such that, in its closed position, said overflow cover is recessed in said wall.
3. A bathtub drain valve control arrangement as recited in Claim 2, wherein said overflow plate is pivotably mounted at its upper end and has a free lower end.
4. A bathtub drain valve control arrangement as recited in Claim 3, wherein said recessed pocket extends slightly beyond said free lower end of said overflow cover when said overflow cover is in the closed position in order to permit water to readily reach said overflow opening by passing along said recessed pocket and in order to permit a person's fingers to reach under said free lower end of said overflow cover to move said cover to its open position.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| US88505586A | 1986-07-14 | 1986-07-14 | |
| US885,055 | 1986-07-14 |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1312177C true CA1312177C (en) | 1993-01-05 |
Family
ID=25386027
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000542101A Expired - Fee Related CA1312177C (en) | 1986-07-14 | 1987-07-13 | Bathtub drain control valve and overflow plate |
Country Status (10)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| EP (2) | EP0395121A3 (en) |
| JP (2) | JPS6360333A (en) |
| KR (1) | KR930003898B1 (en) |
| CN (1) | CN87104805A (en) |
| BR (1) | BR8703589A (en) |
| CA (1) | CA1312177C (en) |
| DE (1) | DE3772893D1 (en) |
| ES (1) | ES2025598T3 (en) |
| MX (1) | MX169234B (en) |
| PH (1) | PH24582A (en) |
Families Citing this family (13)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JPH02255928A (en) * | 1989-01-25 | 1990-10-16 | Yokogawa Medical Syst Ltd | Addressing device |
| JPH0714455Y2 (en) * | 1989-02-08 | 1995-04-10 | 株式会社イナックス | Bathtub with pop-up drain plug |
| AU696600B2 (en) * | 1995-04-11 | 1998-09-17 | Wes Wastes Limited | Remotely operated plug |
| KR100789716B1 (en) * | 2006-05-18 | 2008-01-02 | 삼성물산 주식회사 | Apparatus for opening and shutting drainage pipe of a bathtub |
| JP4565453B2 (en) * | 2006-08-07 | 2010-10-20 | 株式会社日本アルファ | Remote control drain plug device |
| EP2071086A1 (en) * | 2007-06-23 | 2009-06-17 | Norbert Scherer | Drainage and overflow device |
| JP5493068B2 (en) * | 2008-09-26 | 2014-05-14 | 丸一株式会社 | Drain tap remote control structure |
| JP5074347B2 (en) * | 2008-10-28 | 2012-11-14 | 株式会社東京メニックス | Water supply / drainage device for pet tank |
| CN102535597B (en) * | 2010-12-10 | 2014-01-08 | 苏州科逸住宅设备股份有限公司 | Bath overflow drainage device |
| WO2016006303A1 (en) * | 2014-07-11 | 2016-01-14 | 株式会社日本アルファ | Drain plug device |
| JP6550237B2 (en) * | 2015-02-10 | 2019-07-24 | Toto株式会社 | Operating device and mounting method thereof |
| CN110616779B (en) * | 2019-09-02 | 2021-04-27 | 合肥高丽今生实业有限公司 | Bathtub overflow drainage connecting device of integral bathroom |
| CN110685333A (en) * | 2019-11-01 | 2020-01-14 | 台州新三和卫浴股份有限公司 | Bathtub drainer |
Family Cites Families (8)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US2191453A (en) * | 1940-02-27 | Washbasin- | ||
| BE565304A (en) * | ||||
| FR991239A (en) * | 1949-05-12 | 1951-10-03 | Porcher Ets | Combined device for overflow grid and sanitary appliance emptying control |
| US2580575A (en) * | 1949-05-26 | 1952-01-01 | Southern Equipment Company | Drain valve for sinks and the like |
| US2832081A (en) * | 1954-05-11 | 1958-04-29 | Stephen A Young | Waste control face plate assembly |
| US3656188A (en) * | 1970-06-19 | 1972-04-18 | Globe Valve Corp | Externally adjustable bathtub wire system and means for and method of externally adjusting same |
| US4089230A (en) * | 1976-07-22 | 1978-05-16 | Zin-Plas Corporation | Waste and overflow plate assembly |
| DE3501080A1 (en) * | 1984-01-20 | 1985-08-14 | Harvey E. Studio City Calif. Diamond | BATHTUB OR THE LIKE |
-
1987
- 1987-07-07 PH PH35507A patent/PH24582A/en unknown
- 1987-07-10 EP EP19900111344 patent/EP0395121A3/en not_active Withdrawn
- 1987-07-10 DE DE8787110024T patent/DE3772893D1/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
- 1987-07-10 EP EP87110024A patent/EP0254938B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1987-07-10 ES ES198787110024T patent/ES2025598T3/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1987-07-13 CA CA000542101A patent/CA1312177C/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
- 1987-07-13 BR BR8703589A patent/BR8703589A/en unknown
- 1987-07-13 JP JP62173124A patent/JPS6360333A/en active Granted
- 1987-07-14 KR KR1019870007552A patent/KR930003898B1/en not_active IP Right Cessation
- 1987-07-14 MX MX007353A patent/MX169234B/en unknown
- 1987-07-14 CN CN198787104805A patent/CN87104805A/en active Pending
-
1991
- 1991-07-04 JP JP3190681A patent/JPH0625426B2/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| JPS6360333A (en) | 1988-03-16 |
| EP0254938B1 (en) | 1991-09-11 |
| KR880001893A (en) | 1988-04-27 |
| PH24582A (en) | 1990-08-17 |
| EP0254938A3 (en) | 1988-06-15 |
| MX169234B (en) | 1993-06-25 |
| CN87104805A (en) | 1988-07-20 |
| JPH0562174B2 (en) | 1993-09-07 |
| ES2025598T3 (en) | 1992-04-01 |
| EP0395121A2 (en) | 1990-10-31 |
| EP0395121A3 (en) | 1992-09-02 |
| DE3772893D1 (en) | 1991-10-17 |
| JPH04357222A (en) | 1992-12-10 |
| EP0254938A2 (en) | 1988-02-03 |
| JPH0625426B2 (en) | 1994-04-06 |
| KR930003898B1 (en) | 1993-05-15 |
| BR8703589A (en) | 1988-03-22 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| MKLA | Lapsed |