GB2282530A

GB2282530A - Drain plug fitting for bath or shower tray

Info

Publication number: GB2282530A
Application number: GB9418227A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Brian Hughes
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1993-09-15
Filing date: 1994-09-09
Publication date: 1995-04-12
Also published as: GB9319088D0; GB9418227D0

Abstract

A drain plug fitting for use in a bath or a shower tray consists of a flexible tube 1 upstanding from a base 2 having a suction ring 3 that fits over the bath or shower drain outlet 4. The action of the suction ring 3 forming a watertight seal and retaining the filling in place on the outlet is a key element in the operation of the filling. The height of the tube 1 may be preset or adjustable to control the depth of water retained in the reservoir. The filling is preferably made as a single unit moulded in rubber, Neoprene or a flexible plastics material. The filling may be injection moulded in flexible plastics material. <IMAGE>

Description

TITLE Improvements in or relating to Bathroom Accessories THE INVENTION The invention relates to bathroom accessories. In particular the invention relates to a drain plug fitting for a bath or shower tray which allows water to flow from the bath or shower tray when it has reached a predetermined height. This enables a person to stand in a reservoir of water in the bath or shower tray to wash his or her feet either whilst the shower is still flowing, or, after it has been turned off.

PRIOR ART Although the principle of providing a pipe upstanding from a drain outlet to limit the height of water in animal drinking troughs, laboratory sinks and hospital wash hand basins, and the like, such pipes are rigid and a semi-permanent fixture as there are fitted into the drain outlet.

Baths fitted with shower attachments, and purpose built shower cubicles generally have an in-built overflow outlet to prevent the water from flooding the adjacent area. Such outlets are positioned high in the wall of the bath or shower tray. If the drain outlet is plugged or deliberately blocked an unnecessarily large volume of water accumulates before the overflow outlet comes into action. In addition, the accumulated water will contain all the soap and shampoo residue rinsed from the person showering. Whereas with the present invention there is a flow of water from the top of the reservoir where most of the soap residue accumulates.

OBJECTIVE OF THE INVENTION The present invention seeks to provide a demountable overflow accessory in which the disadvantages of existing alternatives are overcome using a suction ring to position the accessory enabling substantially clean or flowing water to be held in a limited volume reservoir sufficient for feet washing NOVEL ASPECTS OF THE INVENTION The bathroom accessory is a simple fitting that may be easily fitted and if necessary removed from the drain outlet of a bath or shower tray. By providing a suction ring fitting, integral with the tube, the accessory is both held in place, maintaining a watertight seal which is simple to make and release. The accessory is formed from a resilient flexible waterproof material. The accessory is preferably a one-piece fitting which is held in place by a suction ring co-operating with the surround of the drain outlet.This fixing arrangement allows a single accessory to fit a wide range of types and sizes of drain outlet as the diameter of the drain outlet is not the determining feature in creating a watertight seal. The flexible but resilient nature of the accessory facilitates the person showering the easily locate and fit the accessory to the drain outlet, if necessary, even by foot.

STATEMENT OF INVENTION According to the present invention there is provided a bathroom accessory for a bath or shower tray, said accessory comprising a flexible tube, having an overflow rim, upstanding from a base which has a suction ring adapted to fit over a drain outlet and to seal thereon.

Preferably the accessory is moulded in one-piece from a plastics or rubber material, such as neoprene rubber. Such materials are hygienic and readily distort if the person showering should happen to fall on the accessory. The tube may taper inwards from the base towards the rim of the tube. The taper may be in the external profile of the tube, the inner wall of which is substantially straight and roughly the same size as the plug hole in the drain outlet. This provides a tube that is resilient at the base and gradually more flexible towards the rim. The height of the tube may be adjustable by folding down the rim of the tube either within or outside the tube.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawing in which: Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a bathroom accessory; and; Figure 2 shows it in cross section when fitted to a drain outlet.

SPECIFIC DESCRIPTION Referring now to the drawing, the accessory comprises a one-piece moulding having a tube 1 upstanding from a base 2, the lower face of which has a suction ring 3 adapted to fit over a drain outlet 4 in a bath or shower tray. The tube 1 has a rim 5 which, in use, acts as a raised outlet for a drain fixture 6.

In use, as shown in Figure 2, the accessory is located over the drain fixture 6, set in a shower tray 7, so that the tube 1 is substantially aligned with the drain outlet 4. Downward pressure is applied to the accessory to compress the suction ring 3 against the fixture 6 so that when the pressure is removed the suction ring 3 holds the accessory in place. The accessory is removed by pulling or distorting the ring 3 to release the vacuum seal of the ring 3.

As the shower water now falls into the bath or shower tray it is retained therein in a reservoir the depth of which is limited by the height of the rim 3 of the tube 1 above the fixture 6. This reservoir of water forms a convenient pool in which to wash and bathe the feet.

The fitting of the accessory may be done before, or during, the time when the shower is operating. The advantage of doing it whilst the shower is operating is that the rinse water from the person showering is allowed to go straight down the drain before beginning to collect the pool of water in the reservoir.

The height of the water retained in the reservoir may be adjusted by varying the height of the rim 3 of the tube 1 above the fixture 6. This may be achieved by a separate tube (not shown) which slides within, or, if the outside of the tube 1 is of regular cross section, over the outside of the tube 1. Alternatively, and preferably, if the tube 1 and its thickness tapers from the base 2 towards the rim 3, the top of the tube 1 is sufficiently flexible to be folded inwards into the tube 1, or, stretched and folded outwards over the tube 1 to reduce its effective height.

The suction ring 3, which is an essential element, may be partially or wholly contained within the area of the base 2. Preferably, the base 2 is coupled to the ring 3 substantially equidistant from the edges of the suction ring 3. The ring 3 create a watertight seal which also locates and holds the accessory in place over the outlet 4. The ease with which the suction ring 3 operates enables it to be installed and removed by foot, to save bending down in the shower cubicle, if this is difficult.

The accessory should be safe to fall on, hygienic and easily cleaned by rinsing. The accessory may be injection moulded in one-piece or fabricated from component parts, possibly from different materials. As the fitting of the accessory is not dependent upon the size or type of drain outlet a single size of accessory will fit over a wide range of outlets. Providing the suction ring mates with a relatively smooth surface surrounding the outlet it will effectively seal onto it.

It will be appreciated that the suction ring 3 need not be a continuous concave suction ring as illustrated in the drawing, but may be divided into close fitting suction segments. Such an arrangement is useful if the surround to the drain is uneven or sufficiently damaged in part to weaken the integrity of the vacuum seal. In such cases, with a segmented ring, sufficient segments will seal onto the substantially flat surface of the surround to retain the accessory in place. If the suction ring consists of a series of spaced apart circular suction pads it is then necessary to provide a separate sealing ring to mate with the drain outlet or its surround to provide the watertight seal. All such arrangements are within the term suction ring as used in this specification.

Claims

1. A bathroom accessory for a bath or shower tray, said accessory comprising a flexible tube, having an overflow rim, upstanding from a base which has a suction ring adapted to fit over a drain outlet and to seal thereon.

2. A bathroom accessory as claimed in claim 1 in which the accessory is moulded in one-piece from a resilient material.

3. A bathroom accessory as claimed in claim 2 in which the material is rubber.

4. A bathroom accessory as claimed in claim 3 in which the rubber material is Neoprene rubber.

5. A bathroom accessory as claimed in claim 2 in which the material is a plastics material.

6. A bathroom accessory as claimed in any preceding claim in which the tube tapers inwards from the base towards the rim of the tube.

7. A bathroom accessory as claimed in any preceding claim in which the taper is in the external profile of the tube, the inner wall of the tube being substantially straight and same size as the plug hole in the drain outlet.

8. A bathroom accessory as claimed in any preceding claim in which the height of the tube is preset.

9. A bathroom accessory as claimed in any of the preceding claims 1 to 7 in which the effective height of the tube is variable by folding down the rim of the tube either within or outside the tube.

10. A bathroom accessory as claimed in any preceding claim in which the suction ring is directly under the base of the accessory.

11. A bathroom accessory as claimed in any preceding claim in which the suction ring provides the seal for the water.

12. A bathroom accessory as claimed in any of claims 1 to 10 in which the suction ring is formed by a number of discrete suction pads.

13. A bathroom accessory as claimed in claim 11 in which a separate sealing ring provides the seal for the water.

14. A bathroom accessory substantially as herein before described with reference to the accompanying drawing.