GB2152812A

GB2152812A - Sink plug

Info

Publication number: GB2152812A
Application number: GB08501451A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Norbert Lawrence Marshall
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1984-01-21
Filing date: 1985-01-21
Publication date: 1985-08-14
Also published as: GB8401633D0; GB8501451D0; GB2152812B

Abstract

A sink plug (80) which is captive in a sink (10) comprises a plug body (81) and an elongate body (82) depending from the plug body (81) with a laterally enlarged end (84) at the end of the elongate body (82) remote from the plug body (81). The elongate body (82) is preferably of a resilient material and has another region (86) of enlarged lateral dimensions midway along itself so that the plug (80) may be retained in an elevated position in the sink (10) when required in order to allow water to drain away. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Sink plug This invention relates to sink plugs.

It is customary to attach a sink plug to the sink, wash basin, bath or the like by means of a length of chain, and in domestic installations this arrangement is generaily satisfactory. However, in the case of sinks and the like installed in public conveniences, hotels, public houses, clubs, workplaces and the like, it is not uncommon to find that the plug has been removed by breaking the chain. This renders the sink or the like unusable unless a satisfactory substitute for the missing plug can be found. As an alternative to the attachment of a plug to a sink or the like by means of a chain, it is known to provide a linkage between a plug and a remotely situated operating lever, plunger or the like.However, such mechanisms are relatively costly and are susceptible to misuse rendering them unusable, and for these reasons are usually fitted only to domestic installations or the more expensive hotel establishments where misuse is not likely.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a sink plug which is captive, i.e. cannot ordinarily be removed from the sink, but which is simple and cheap to manufacture.

The invention provides a sink plug comprising a plug body and an elongate body depending therefrom and having at its end remote from said plug body an enlarged end region.

Said elongate body may comprise one or more regions of enlarged lateral dimension relative to adjacent regions of said elongate body. Said elongate body may also have a slot provided therein extending longitudinally thereof over the longitudinal extent of the enlarged region or regions. Preferably the or each enlarged region has an outer surface which is curved in the longitudinal direction of said elongate body.

Said enlarged end may comprise one or a plurality of webs extending laterally of said elongate body and upwardly towards said plug body. Two diametrically opposed webs may be provided and said webs may be resiliently flexible.

Alternatively said elongate body may comprise a sleeve and a shaft may extend through said plug body and said sleeve. Said end region of said sleeve may have at least one slot extending therealong, and may have an enlarged end of said shaft retained therein, which enlarged end may be conical. The other end of said shaft may have a screw thread thereon and a nut may be disposed on said thread at that side of said plug body remote from said sleeve.

Said other end of said shaft may be deformed so as to prevent removal of said nut therefrom.

Alternatively said sleeve may have an inwardly tapering bore at the end region remote from said plug body and may have a screwthreaded bore between said end region and said plug body adapted to cooperate with a screwthreaded end part of said shaft. The other end of said shaft may have an enlarged part which may have ratchet tooth formations thereon adapted to cooperate with grooves in said plug body.

The sleeve may have at least one further slot extending therealong in a mid region thereof.

Preferably four coextensive, circumferentially equi spaced further slots are provided. Said end region of said sleeve may also have four coextensive circumferentially equi-spaced slots therein. Said enlarged endbf said shaft may have at least one rib extending therealong and adapted to be received in the or one of the slots in said end region of said sleeve whereby relative rotation between said shaft and said sleeve is resisted.

Alternatively, catch means may be provided, said catch means being retained within said sleeve when said sink plug is inserted in a waste outlet fitting and to extend outwardly of said sleeve and engage said waste outlet fitting when said sink plug is in a raised position relative to said waste outlet fitting to retain said sink plug in said raised position.

Embodiments of sink plug in accordance with the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of a first embodiment with the plug in a raised position; Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the embodiment of Fig. 1 with the plug in a lowered position; Figs. 3 and 4 are elevations of the sleeve of Fig. 1 in a relaxed and a compressed condition, respectively; Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation of a second embodiment with the plug inserted but the shaft partially withdrawn; Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation of the embodiment of Fig. 5 with the plug in an elevated position; Fig. 7 is a view corresponding with Fig. 6 of a third embodiment; and Figs. 8 and 9 are sectional elevations of other embodiments.

Referring now to the Figs. 1 to 4 there is shown a sink, wash basin, bath orthe like 10 having a waste outlet fitting or "plug-hole" 11 is fitted thereto and retained therein by means of a washer 12 and screwed ring 13. Conventionally the plug-hole 11 comprises central and peripheral rings 14, with radial spokes 16 extending therebetween to provide a central aperture 17 and outer apertures 18 through which water can pass to waste from the sink or the like 10.

The sink plug 19 comprises a cup-shaped plug body 20 and a sleeve 21 depending therefrom.

Passing through the plug body 20 and the sleeve 21 is a shaft 22 having at its lower end a conical head 23. The upper end of shaft 22 has a screw thread 24 thereon and a nut 25 is located on the thread 24. The top 26 of shaft 22 is deformed so that the nut 25 cannot be removed therefrom. The lower end 28 of sleeve 21 has four circumferentially equi-spaced slots 27 extending therealong so that the conical head 23 of shaft 22 causes the end 28 of sleeve 21 to splay outwardly as shown in Figs. 1,2 and 4. One or more ribs 29 are provided on the head 23 which engage a slot 27 to resist relative rotation of the shaft 22 and sleeve 21. Four further slots 30 are provided in sleeve 21,these further slots 30 being circumferentially equi-spaced and extending along a mid-region 31 of the sleeve 21.

The sink plug 19 operates as follows. When it is required to retain water in the sink or the like 10, the plug body 20 is pushed into the plug hole 11 as shown in Fig. 2. The nut 25 is at this time at the top of the threaded part 24 of shaft 22 so that the sleeve 21 extends through the central aperture 17 in the plug hole 11.

When the water is to be allowed to go to waste the nut 25 is lifted so that the plug body 20, sleeve 21 and shaft 22 are all lifted to the position shown in Fig. 1. Nut 25 is then rotated relative to shaft 22 so as to compress the sleeve 21 into the shape shown in Figs. 1 and 4. The slots 30 enable the mid-region 31 of sleeve 21 to bow outwardly and so retain the plug body 20 in the elevated position shown in Fig. 1.

One or more inclined holes 32 are provided in the plug body 20 so as to allow water to drain therefrom.

Since the lower end 28 of sleeve 21 is bowed outwardly by the conical head 23 of shaft 22, the plug body 20 cannot be removed from the sink or the like 10.

Referring now to Figs. 5 and 6 there is shown a sink, wash basin, bath or the like 10 and "plug hole" 11 as in the previous embodiment. In this case however the sink plug 50 comprises a cup-shaped plug body 51 and a cylindrical sleeve 52 depending therefrom. Passing through the plug body 51 and the sleeve 52 is a shaft 53 having a screwthreaded lower part 54 and an enlarged head 55. The lower end 56 of the sleeve 52 has a tapering bore so that by screwing the shaft 53 into the sleeve 52, the bore adjacent the end 56 being threaded for this purpose, the end of the shaft 53 will cause the end 56 of sleeve 52 to splay outwardly. Longitudinally extending slots 57 similarto slots 27 in the previous embodiment, are provided in the end 56 of sleeve 52 to facilitate such outward splaying thereof.Ratchet teeth formations 58 and grooves 59 are provided on the shaft head 55 and the plug body 51 respectively so that the shaft 53 can be readily screwed into the sleeve 52 but not withdrawn therefrom. Since the end 56 of sleeve 52 is enlarged the sink plug 50 cannot readily be removed from the sink or the like 10.

If it is desired to retain the sink plug in an elevated position relative to the plug hole 11 a sink plug 60 as shown in Fig. 7 may be provided. Sink plug 60 is similar two sink plug 50 described above in most respects and like parts are designated with the same numerals. In this case however a bore 61 is provided along the axis of shaft 53 and a plunger 62 is retained therein. Slots 63 are provided in shaft 53 and sleeve 52 communicating with a lower part of bore 61 and leaf springs 64 extend through slots 63 to engage the central ring 14 of plug hole 11 when the sink plug 60 is in the raised position as shown in Fig. 7. A handle 65 is provided at the upper end of plunger 62 and leaf springs 64 are attached to plunger 62 towards the lower end thereof.By raising the plunger 62 relative to the body 51 the leaf springs 64 are withdrawn into sleeve 52 and the sink plug 60 can then be lowered into the plug hole 11.

Lipped ends 66 of leaf springs 64 prevent removal of plunger 62 from the plug body 51 and enable handle 65 to be used to raise the plug body 51 from the plug hole 11 when required.

Referring now to Fig. there is shown a sink, wash basin, bath or the like 10 having a plug hole 11 as in the previous embodiments. In this case the sink plug 80 comprises a plug body 81 of conventional shape and an elongate body 82 depending therefrom. A handle 83 is secured to the plug body 81. The elongate body 82 has an enlarged end 84 remote from the plug body 81, which end 84 is formed by two diametrically opposed, resiliently flexible webs extending laterally of the elongate body 82 and upwardly inclined towards the plug body 81. This enables the plug 80 to be inserted through the central aperture 17 of the plug hole 11 but prevents removal therefrom. The elongate body 82 is also formed having enlarged parts 86 and a longitudinally extending slot 87 giving resilience to the elongate body 82 so that the enlarged parts 86 can be forcibly passed through the aperture 17 when the plug 80 is raised or lowered, but the plug 80 may be retained in a raised position as shown in Fig. 8 by an enlarged part 86 resting on central ring 14 of plug hole 11 when required.

Referring now to Fig. 9 there is shown a sink plug 90 which is generally similar to that of Fig. 8 except that in this case the plug body 91 comprises a large disc which fits over the plug hole 11 and is kept in place by the pressure of water thereon. A half-moon shaped handle 93 is fitted.

Claims

1. A sink plug comprising a plug body and an elongate body depending therefrom and having at end remote from said plug body a laterally enlarged end region.

2. A sink plug according to claim 1 wherein said elongate body comprises at least one other region of enlarged lateral dimensions relative to adjacent regions of said elongate body.

3. A sink plug according to claim 2 wherein at least one slot is provided in said elongate body extending longitudinally thereof over the longitudinal extent of the or each other enlarged region or regions.

4. A sink plug according to claim 2 or claim 3 wherein the or each other enlarged region has an outer surface which is curved in the longitudinal direction of said elongate body.

5. A sink plug according to any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein said enlarged end region comprises at least one web extending laterally of said elongate body.

6. A sink plug according to claim 5 wherein the or each web also extends upwardly towards said plug body.

7. A sink plug according to claim 5 or claim 6 wherein two webs are provided and are disposed diametrically opposed on said elongate body.

8. A sink plug according to any one of claims 5 to 7 wherein the or each web is resiliently flexible.

9. A sink plug according to any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein said elongate body comprises a sleeve.

10. A sink plug according to claim 9 wherein said sleeve and said plug body have a shaft extending therethrough.

11. A sink plug according to claim 10 wherein said sleeve has at least one slot extending therealong from the free end thereof.

12. A sink plug according to claim 11 wherein said shaft has a laterally enlarged end disposed within said end region of said sleeve.

13. A sink plug according to claim 12 wherein said shaft end is conical.

14. A sink plug according to claim 12 wherein said shaft end has a rib extending therealong and adapted to be received in said end slot.

15. A sink plug according to claim 14 wherein the other end of said shaft has a screw thread thereon and a nut disposed on said thread at that side of said plug body remote from said sleeve.

16. A sink plug according to claim 15 wherein said other end of said shaft is deformed so as to prevent removal of said nut therefrom.

17. A sink plug according to claim 10 wherein said sleeve has an inwardly tapering bore at the end region thereof remote from said plug body and a screw threaded bore between said end region and said plug body adapted to cooperate with a screw threaded end part of said shaft.

18. A sink plug according to claim 17 wherein the other end of said shaft has a laterally enlarged part.

19. A sink plug according to claim 18 wherein said enlarged part of said shaft has ratchet tooth formations thereon adapted to cooperate with grooves in said plug body.

20. A sink plug according to claim 3 or claim 11 wherein four co-extensive circumferentially equally spaced slots are provided.

21. A sink plug according to claim 9 or any claim dependent thereon wherein catch means are provided, said catch means being retained in said sleeve when said sink plug is inserted in a waste outlet fitting and to extend outwardly of said sleeve to engage said outlet fitting when said sink plug is in a raised position relative to said outlet fitting to retain said sink plug in said raised position.