GB2144986A - Bathplug assembly - Google Patents

Abstract

The bathplug assembly consists of a floating object in a vessel or receptacle, but specifically in a bath-tub, which object is buoyant enough to lift a metal or other suitable plug out of the plughole or to removed a flat plug which lies over the plughole from that position or to open a vent-hole built into the plug itself in an emergency situation to allow the water to escape down the plughole, thus preventing water from overflowing from the receptacle or bath-tube. In particular a child's bathtime boat or duck is connected to the plug and the floating object has sufficient buoyancy to remove the plug or open a vent-hole in the plug.

Description

SPECIFICATION The floating ballcock bath plug (an antioverflow device) This invention relates to an overflow device which allows the water in a receptacle or bath to by-pass the plug by means of a floatation device.

The need for this invention became obvious to the inventor when he witnessed a certain amount of damage caused on several occasions by overflowing baths which, together with tests on recently manufactured baths and the experiences of other persons known to him, convinced him that the conventional bath-overflow was wholly inadequate to prevent flooding and that such a device or invention might be especially useful where certain classes of vulnerable individuals were concerned such as sick, elderly and mentally handicapped persons, for example: also children, busy and absent minded persons.

The floating ballcock bathplug consists of a floating object of appropriate size which may be in the shape of a ball, cylinder, duck, boat or in any other shape or form whatsoever and may be made of plastic, perspex, rubber, cork or glass, or of any other material or complimation of materials whatsoever: and it must possess sufficient buoyancy to lift a metal plug or other suitable plug out of the bath plughole (or a plughole in another vessel or receptacle containing water) when attached to the same chain as the plug at a suitable distance from the plug and the chain is taut due to the rising water-level or alternatively a flat type of plug which lies over the plughole (as opposed to fitting inside it) could be used, or alternatively some form of lid, with or without a catch-mechanism, over a vent-hole or some kind of valve or similar device could be built into the design of the plug itself which would open up automatically when the floatation device pulled the chain taut and consequently tugged at the release mechanism or lid or valve built into the plug itself and the hole in the plug could be closed automatically by some simple spring-mechanism valve action or similar device when the water level receded causing the chain to slacken.

The length of the chain between the plug and the said floating object will therefore determine the water-level of the bath (or other receptacle) at which the plug will be removed from inside or over the plughole or the lid or catch-mechanism built into the design of the plug itself will be operated.

In brief, and by way of example, it is quite usual to see a duck or fish in a transparent ball or various types of boats in a child's bath and this invention simply anchors such a floatation device, being suitably buoyant, to an appropriate plug as described above.

1. The general concept of using a floating object or floatation device attached to the same chain as a plug, and at a suitable distance from the plug depending on the maximum depth of water required, in order to lift a suitable (metal, for example,) plug out of the inside of the plughole or alternatively to remove a plug of the flat variety from the position where the plug lies over the plughole (as opposed to fitting inside it) or alternatively to release open or raise by a tug from the floatation device some form of lid with or without a catch mechanism to open a venthole (or operate some form of valve) built or incorporated into the design of the plug itself in an emergency situation to allow the water to escape down the plughole, thus preventing water from overflowing from a water-containing vessel or receptacle and flooding is thought to be a novel concept.

2. The use of the said floatation device (which term also includes the chain and plug attached thereto) as claimed in claim 1, specifically in a bath-tub is considered a novel concept.

3. The shaping of the said floatation device (referring here to the floating object only) as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 in the shape or form of a ball (or transparent ball with a duck, fish or flower etc inside it), cylinder, duck, boat or in any other shape or form whatsoever so as to make it acceptable to members of the general public when displayed openly in a bath-tub or in another water-containing vessel or receptacle is considered a novel concept. In effect this means that the floating object will have the dual purpose of being purely functional in respect of its duties as an overflow device and also at the same time an attractive toy or object to children and/or adults as opposed to the traditional ballcock which is hidden away from view as in the case of a lavatory cistern ballcock.

4. The plug attached to the said floatation device as claimed in any preceding claim can be a metal or other suitable plug which fits inside the plughole, but will slip out very easily every time with a slight tug from the said floatation device when the chain is taut as aforesaid; or alternatively the plug can be of the flat variety which lie over the hole (as opposed to fitting inside it) and will be removeable therefore by a slight tug from the floatation device when the chain is taut as aforesaid: or alternatively the plug can be a newly-devised plug which incorporates into its design some kind of lid with or without a catch-mechanism over a vent-hole (or some sort of valve) which would automatically open when the floatation device pulled the chain taut and automatically shut or close by means of some spring-mechanism or trigger-type de

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (5)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION The floating ballcock bath plug (an antioverflow device) This invention relates to an overflow device which allows the water in a receptacle or bath to by-pass the plug by means of a floatation device. The need for this invention became obvious to the inventor when he witnessed a certain amount of damage caused on several occasions by overflowing baths which, together with tests on recently manufactured baths and the experiences of other persons known to him, convinced him that the conventional bath-overflow was wholly inadequate to prevent flooding and that such a device or invention might be especially useful where certain classes of vulnerable individuals were concerned such as sick, elderly and mentally handicapped persons, for example: also children, busy and absent minded persons. The floating ballcock bathplug consists of a floating object of appropriate size which may be in the shape of a ball, cylinder, duck, boat or in any other shape or form whatsoever and may be made of plastic, perspex, rubber, cork or glass, or of any other material or complimation of materials whatsoever: and it must possess sufficient buoyancy to lift a metal plug or other suitable plug out of the bath plughole (or a plughole in another vessel or receptacle containing water) when attached to the same chain as the plug at a suitable distance from the plug and the chain is taut due to the rising water-level or alternatively a flat type of plug which lies over the plughole (as opposed to fitting inside it) could be used, or alternatively some form of lid, with or without a catch-mechanism, over a vent-hole or some kind of valve or similar device could be built into the design of the plug itself which would open up automatically when the floatation device pulled the chain taut and consequently tugged at the release mechanism or lid or valve built into the plug itself and the hole in the plug could be closed automatically by some simple spring-mechanism valve action or similar device when the water level receded causing the chain to slacken. The length of the chain between the plug and the said floating object will therefore determine the water-level of the bath (or other receptacle) at which the plug will be removed from inside or over the plughole or the lid or catch-mechanism built into the design of the plug itself will be operated. In brief, and by way of example, it is quite usual to see a duck or fish in a transparent ball or various types of boats in a child's bath and this invention simply anchors such a floatation device, being suitably buoyant, to an appropriate plug as described above. CLAIMS

1. The general concept of using a floating object or floatation device attached to the same chain as a plug, and at a suitable distance from the plug depending on the maximum depth of water required, in order to lift a suitable (metal, for example,) plug out of the inside of the plughole or alternatively to remove a plug of the flat variety from the position where the plug lies over the plughole (as opposed to fitting inside it) or alternatively to release open or raise by a tug from the floatation device some form of lid with or without a catch mechanism to open a venthole (or operate some form of valve) built or incorporated into the design of the plug itself in an emergency situation to allow the water to escape down the plughole, thus preventing water from overflowing from a water-containing vessel or receptacle and flooding is thought to be a novel concept.

2. The use of the said floatation device (which term also includes the chain and plug attached thereto) as claimed in claim 1, specifically in a bath-tub is considered a novel concept.

3. The shaping of the said floatation device (referring here to the floating object only) as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 in the shape or form of a ball (or transparent ball with a duck, fish or flower etc inside it), cylinder, duck, boat or in any other shape or form whatsoever so as to make it acceptable to members of the general public when displayed openly in a bath-tub or in another water-containing vessel or receptacle is considered a novel concept. In effect this means that the floating object will have the dual purpose of being purely functional in respect of its duties as an overflow device and also at the same time an attractive toy or object to children and/or adults as opposed to the traditional ballcock which is hidden away from view as in the case of a lavatory cistern ballcock.

4. The plug attached to the said floatation device as claimed in any preceding claim can be a metal or other suitable plug which fits inside the plughole, but will slip out very easily every time with a slight tug from the said floatation device when the chain is taut as aforesaid; or alternatively the plug can be of the flat variety which lie over the hole (as opposed to fitting inside it) and will be removeable therefore by a slight tug from the floatation device when the chain is taut as aforesaid: or alternatively the plug can be a newly-devised plug which incorporates into its design some kind of lid with or without a catch-mechanism over a vent-hole (or some sort of valve) which would automatically open when the floatation device pulled the chain taut and automatically shut or close by means of some spring-mechanism or trigger-type de vice (or some sort of valve action) when the chain slackens due to the receding waterlevel. This "Newly-devised plug" is also considered a novel feature of this invention.

5. The nearest floatation device to the one considered in the foregoing claims in thought to be the ballcock in a lavatory cistern being an anti-overflow device which rises with the rising water-level and automatically shuts off the water-supply when the ballcock rises to a predetermined angle as opposed to allowing the water to escape down a plughole in an emergency situation as in the preceding claims.