GB2281695A

GB2281695A - Remote control bath or washbasin waste with automatic overflow prevention

Info

Publication number: GB2281695A
Application number: GB9318870A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Lewis
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1993-09-11
Filing date: 1993-09-11
Publication date: 1995-03-15
Also published as: GB9318870D0

Abstract

This invention represents an improvement on the apparatus described in GB 2261600A, wherein movement of the pressure actuation member 108 is effected by remote mechanical means 105 or by pressure caused by a head of water in an overflow conduit 114 provided for the bath or basin, the actuation member moving to unplug the drain aperture. The apparatus also incorporates means to prevent excessive suction in the drainage system, to which the apparatus is connected, from evacuating the water from the water trap incorporated within it. <IMAGE>

Description

Improved Overflow Prevention Apparatus.

Patent Application No 9207076.2 describes a self opening safety drain, intended mainly for baths and wash basins, that is so designed that should a bath or basin be overfilled, so that water runs into the overflow aperture, a spring loaded plunger is released to lift the drain plug to allow the bath or basin to drain before overflowing.

I have now devised an improved version of the above apparatus.

The purpose and nature of the improvementsbeing described as follows 1. "Pop-up" waste.

The traditional waste plug and chain is going out of fashion, the trend is to "pop-up" wastes, ie. waste plugs that are controlled by a push or pull or twist control adjacent to the water taps or overflow grill. With this in mind the improved design provides means for lifting the drain plug by use of a remote control such as, for example, a bezel that rotates around the overflow grill.

2. One-way relief valve.

The apparatus incorporates a "water trap" to prevent fumes passing from the drainage system into the building. This water trap is created by the immersion of the bottom of main body 3 of Fig 1 into the reservoir of water held in item 9.

The depth of this water trap is typically 38mm. However in some large buildings, with many baths and toilets emptying into one stack pipe, sufficient suction may occasionaly be created in an individual bath or basin drain to evacuate the water from a 38mm water trap.

In these applications it is usual to fit a 76mm deep water trap.

To make one version of this overflow prevention apparatus universal ie. to avoid the need for a version incorporating a 76mm water trap, the improved design incorporates a one-way relief valve so that in the event of excessive suction in the drain-pipe, air is drawn through this valve, via the waste and overflow apertures, to avoid evacuating the water trap.

This one-way valve also provides means for water that trickles into the overflow aperture to drain away, ie. water that is splashed into the overflow aperture in the course of someone bathing or washing will not trigger off the automatic feature of the apparatus.

A specific embodiment of the improved invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Figures 1, 2 and 3 are taken from Patent Application No 9207076.2 Figure 4 shows a cross-section through this specific embodiment Figure 5 shows an enlarged view through the one-way relief valve It should be noted that the apparatus is substantially as described as the first embodiment of the apparatus in pages 1 to 5 of Patent Application No 9207076.2 and that therefore, only the novel features that constitute this improved design, and are the subject of this patent application, will be described in detail.

Fig 1 is taken from Patent Application No 9207076.2 and shows the actuation member 22 designed to lift a plug from plug aperture 1 when it moves from it's first position, as drawn, to it's second position in the direction of arrow B.

In the embodiment shown in Fig 4 it can be seen that the actuation member 108 has been designed to include the drain plug at it's upper end. In the position as drawn, ie. with the actuation member 108 in it's first position, it can be seen that the drain aperture, which is straight sided, is sealed. The seal being typically effected by "0" ring type seal 109. As before, movement of actuation member 108 to it's second position will unseal the drain aperture allowing water to drain through openings 110 in the wall of the hollow actuation member 108.

Fig 4 also shows a finger like cam 107 attached to one end of hollow spindle 106 that is freely located in the hollow spigot that is part of top housing 112 and locates overflow conduit 114. The hollow centre of spindle 106 is suitably shaped, for example square or triangular, so that when a matching cable 105 is located within it, rotation of the cable 105 will result in an equal rotation of spindle 106. Rotation of spindle 106 will result in cam 107 rotating to a position where it will apply a downward pressure on annular piston disc 102.This downward pressure will have the same effect as the downward pressure caused by a head of water in overflow conduit 114 ie. piston disc 102 will move downwards against spring 115 releasing the constraint to movement of actuation member 108 allowing it to move upwards, in the direction of arrow C, into it's second position, thereby unsealing the drain.

The rotation of cable 105, described above, is typically achieved by manually rotating an overflow grill bezel (not shown) to which cable 105 is attached.

In this way the apparatus becomes a manually operated "pop-up" waste in addition to it being an automatic overflow prevention device.

Fig 5 shows an enlarged section through an improved version of the annular piston incorporating a one-way relief valve. It can be seen that the annular piston is of a composite construction and comprises main disc 102, top disc 101 and seal membrane 103.

Top disc 101 has a thick concentric centre with one or more holes 116 through this thick portion. Flexible membrane 103 which is also annular in shape is glued concentrically to top disc 101 over width "a". This sub-assembly is mounted on the concentric centre spigot of main disc 102.

Main disc 102 contains a concentric annular groove 117 which is arranged to span the above width "a" and line up with hole 116.

Thus a one-way valve is formed in which water and air is able to pass from above the annular piston to below it by passing through hole or holes 116 into groove 117 and then passing between membrane 103 and the top surface of the outer portion of main disc 102.

Claims

Claims:

1. Apparatus for preventing fluid overflow from a receptacle, which apparatus comprises: a) an actuation member movable from a first position to a second position under the influence of first biasing means; b) detent means, arranged in a detent position, to retain said actuation member in said first position; and c) pressure actuation means in communication with a receptacle overflow conduit and arranged to be movable relative to said detent means against the biasing force of a second biasing means, movement of said pressure actuation means against said second biasing means when said actuation member is in said first position causing said detent means to move from said detent position to a released position such that said actuation member is caused to move to said second position under the influence of said first biasing means.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1,wherein the first biasing means is arranged to exert a biasing force substantially greater than the biasing force exerted by the second biasing means.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the ratio of the force exerted by the first biasing means relative to the second biasing means is of the order of 10:1.

4. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the first and second biasing means are typically, but not exclusively, springs, or the weight of the relevant components.

5. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein a housing for the apparatus is provided, the housing being locatable adjacent to a wall of the fluid receptacle and connectable to a fluid overflow conduit provided for the receptacle.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the housing is provided with a fluid output port connectable to a fluid outflow conduit arranged to collect fluid being drained from the receptacle.

7. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the pressure actuation member is a piston arranged to be movable under the influence of a "head" of fluid pressure.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the piston is substantially annular, with the actuation member arranged to pass through the annular aperture.

9. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the detent means comprises at least one detent ball or the like arranged, when in the detent position with the actuation member in the first position, to be located and engage in a detent formation provided on the actuation member.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9, wherein movement of the pressure actuation member causes the detent ball to be released from engagement with the detent formation provided on the actuation member.

11. Apparatus according to claim 9 or claim 10, wherein a plurality of detent balls are provided arranged around the periphery of the actuation member, such that with the actuation member in the first position, each detent ball engages with a respective portion of a detent formation provided on the actuation member.

12. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the apparatus may be reset to its initial position by moving the actuation member back to its original position.

13. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the housing is provided with means for accepting linkages or cables to enable the pressure actuation member to be moved by remote mechanical means.

14. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the housing is provided with means for providing a water reservoir to facilitate the creation of a "water trap".

15. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the actuation member is arranged, in the first position, to have its upper end located in a drain aperture in such a way that the drain aperture is sealed, whilst in the second position the actuation member is arranged to project into the receptacle to unseal the drain aperture

16. Apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein the apparatus is provided with a one-way valve to allow water to trickle or air to pass from above the pressure actuation member to below it.

17. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the actuation member can be rotated to a position wherein the detent balls engage with longtidudinal grooves in the acuation member, allowing the actuation member to be removed for cleaning purposes or for the recovery of objects lost down the drain.