GB2324033A

GB2324033A - Bath overflow prevention device

Info

Publication number: GB2324033A
Application number: GB9707146A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Dennis Fredrick Haggerty
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1997-04-08
Filing date: 1997-04-08
Publication date: 1998-10-14
Also published as: GB9727547D0; GB2351440A; GB9707146D0; GB2351440B

Abstract

A bath overflow protection device is designed to allow water to escape from a filling bath thus preventing water overflow and comprises a buoyant object (A) releasably or permanently attached to a bath-plug (C). Legs may be provided on the bath plug D that will allow location into the waste trap and through the drainage holes. A flexible stopper (E) may be provided being part of or attached to the legs of the bath-plug that will prevent the bath plug from pulling clear of the waste trap drainage holes and allow it to relocate once the water level in the bath has decreased to a point where relocation of the bath-plug becomes automatic.

Description

A BATH OVERFLOW PREVENTION DEVICE Technical Field This invention relates to a bath overflow prevention device.

Background The overflow outlet on a domestic bathtub, is of little practical use in preventing the bath overflowing should the tap(s) be left running whilst the bath-plug is in place. (Indeed the overflow was only designed to drain off excess water once the bath was occupied). The inflow of water as a bath is being run, is greater than the outflow through the overflow plug, thus guaranteeing that an unattended bath will eventually overflow.

Essential Technical Features According to the present invention there is provided a bath overflow protection device comprising a sufficiently buoyant object means for releasably or permanently attaching the object to a linked or beaded chain or rigid connection which is itself securely or releasably attached to a specially designed bath-plug at the other end.

Example A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows the bath overflow protection device and it's component parts.

Figure 2 shows the specially designed bath-plug in it's various stages as it locates into the waste trap and through the drainage holes.

Figure 3 shows the bath overflow protection device in horizontal position prior to bath being filled.

Figure 4 shows the bath overflow protection device in filling bath.

Figure 5 shows the bath overflow protection device in it's vertical position.

Figure 6 shows the bath overflow protection device lifting the bath-plug from the plug-hole due to the increased depth of water.

Figure 7 shows the bath overflow protection device re-located back into bath plughole due to the vortex created by water escaping through the waste trap holes and the legs and flexible stopper which prevent the whole device from floating free Referring to the drawing:- Fig 1 shows the buoyant object A (This object can be manufactured from polystyrene/air filled plastic/air filled metal, or any other substance that is of a sufficient buoyancy and size.

The shape of the buoyant object is largely immaterial, and is only for aesthetic appeal).

The buoyant object A is releasably or permanently attached either by exterior attachment or embedded attachment (not shown) to the linked beaded chain or rigid connection B which in turn is securely or releasably attached (not shown) to the specially designed bath-plug C. The bath-plug itself has one or more legs D these legs can be part of or attached to the bath-plug and positioned in a way that will enable them to locate into and through the waste trap drainage holes G and in a configuration that does not impede the free flow of water. At the bottom of each leg D is a flexible stopper E. which can be of any suitable shape or design that will allow easy entry into the waste trap F and through the drainage holes, yet does not impede the free flow of water through the drainage holes once the plug has been raised. Our drawing shows a flexible bar which can be part of or attached to the legs which is one way of fulfilling the above criteria. The complete plug can be made in either one moulded piece or in separate parts from any suitable material the only criteria being that the flexible stopper E should be flexible enough to bend and spring back into shape repeatedly. Such materials are readily available.

FIG 2 A shows the bath-plug C above the waste trap F with the flexible stopper E lying flat across the drainage holes G in the waste trap F.

Fig2B shows the flexible stopper E bending under downward pressure as the plug C is manually inserted into the drainage holes G in the waste trap F. Fig 2 C shows bath-plug C and the flexible stopper E which have bent to allow easy insertion into and through the drainage holes G within the waste trap F.

Fig 2 D shows the bath-plug C located within the waste trap F with the legs D and the flexible stoppers E having passed completely through the drainage holes G. The flexible stoppers E have now sprung back to their original horizontal position. They will remain in this position until the bath has filled to the limit pre-determined by the length of the chain B At which point the buoyant object A will pull the attached bath-plug C. free from the waste trap F. The height that the plug C rises above the waste trap F is governed by the length of the legs D attached to or being part of the plug C which itself is prevented from rising too far by the flexible stoppers E which because they are wider than the drainage holes cannot pass unaided back through the waste-trap drainage holes. As the plug rises to it's limit (approximately 12.5mm to 25mm above the top of the waste trap) water is allowed to escape beneath the plug and through the waste trap drainage holes.

As the level of water decreases significantly a vortex is created and the plug is pulled back into the waste trap preventing any further loss of water. The taps which are still running at this stage will continue to fill the bath until the whole process is either repeated again or the taps are turned off.

Claims

1 A bath overflow protection device comprising a buoyant object means for releasably or permanently securing the object to a linked or beaded chain or rigid connection. Which in turn is releasably or permanently attached to a specially designed bath-plug.

2 A bath overflow protection device as claimed in claim 1 wherein a bath plug is designed with legs that will pass through the waste trap drainage holes.

3 A bath overflow protection device as claimed in 1 or claim 2 wherein means is provided on the legs of the bath plug to prevent the plug from pulling completely clear of the waste trap drainage holes without human intervention.

4 A bath overflow protection device as claimed in claim 2 or claim 3 wherein the bath-plug will relocate into the waste trap due to both the vortex created by water escaping through the waste trap drainage holes and the legs and flexible stopper which prevent the plug from floating free.

5 A bath overflow prevention device substantially described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.