GB2351440A

GB2351440A - Bath with overflow prevention device

Info

Publication number: GB2351440A
Application number: GB9727547A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Dennis Fredrick Haggerty
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1997-04-08
Filing date: 1997-12-19
Publication date: 2001-01-03
Anticipated expiration: 2017-12-19
Also published as: GB9727547D0; GB2324033A; GB9707146D0; GB2351440B

Abstract

A bath has an overflow protection device which is designed to allow water to escape from a filling bath thus preventing water overflow, the device comprising a float (A) which is releasably or permanently attached via means (B) to a specially designed bath-plug (C). Legs (D) are provided on the bath-plug that will allow location into the waste trap and through the drainage holes. A flexible bar (E) is attached to each of the legs in order to 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.

Description

2351440 BATH, BASIN OR SINK WITH OVERFLOW PREVENTION ARRANGEIffiNT This

invention relates to a bath, basin or sink having an arrangement for preventing overflow of water. The invention also relates to a method of preventing overflow from a bath, basin or sink.

Baths, basins and sinks are generally provided with an overflow outlet. Whilst such overflow outlets are effective to drain off excess water if the water level in the bath, basin and sink rises as a result of emersion of an object into a near-full bath, basin or sink of water, the flow capacity of such overflow outlets is generally substantially less than the combined flow-rate of the taps supplying the bath, basin or sink. Accordingly, if one or more taps is left running whilst the outlet plug of the bath, basin or sink is in place the water level will rise above the level of the overflow outlet, and will eventually spill over the edge of the bath, basin or sink.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a bath, basin or sink having a waste outlet closeable by a plug which is moveable vertically between a closed position in which the body of the plug obstructs the waste outlet and an open position in which the body of the plug is spaced from the waste outlet fitting to permit flow of water from the bath, basin or sink outwardly through the waste outlet, the bath, basin or sink including: a float; means attaching the float to the plug; and means permitting limited movement of the body of the plug away from the waste outlet but restraining further movement of the body of the plug away from the waste outlet, the float being of such a size and the connecting means being of such a length that if the plug is seated in the waste outlet and the water level in the bath, basin or sink rises above a predetermined level, the float will pull the plug upwardly to the limit permitted by the restraining means.

2 The length of the connecting means can be chosen such that the plug will automatically be lifted from the waste outlet fitting when the water level within the bath, basin or sink reaches a maximum acceptable limit. The restraining means will prevent complete separation of the plug from the waste outlet fitting so that, if the water level subsequently drops below a second, lower predetermined level the plug will re-seat in the waste outlet fitting to prevent further outflow of water. If the tap or taps feeding the bath, basin or sink continue to run the cycle will be repeated. The difference between the upper and lower predetermined levels will be substantially equal to the travel permitted by the restraining means.

Also according to the present invention there is provided a method of preventing overflowing of a bath, basin or sink having a waste outlet closeable by a plug, the method comprising providing a plug for the waste outlet; providing a float; providing means connecting the float to the plug; and providing means for restraining movement of the plug relative to the waste outlet to permit limited vertical movement of the plug relative to the waste outlet, the float being of such a size and the connecting means being of such a length that when the level of liquid in the bath, basin or sink reaches a predetermine level the float will pull the plug upwardly. to the limit of the movement permitted by the restraining means.

The restraining means preferably comprises one or more legs attached to the body of the plug, the or each leg having at the end thereof remote from the body of the plug means for engaging the waste outlet fitting to limit movement of the plug relative to the waste outlet fitting. The means engaging the waste outlet fitting can comprise one or more bars extending generally transversely to the legs, the bars being adapted to engage the underside of an abutment member provided in the waste outlet fitting to restrain movement of the plug away from the waste outlet fitting. The abutment member can conveniently comprise the grille conventionally provided immediately below the plug seat of 3 the waste outlet fitting. Such an arrangement particularly lends itself to retrofitting to an existing bath, basin or sink installation.

Preferably, the or each bar extends obliquely to the leg to provide an angled lead-in facilitating easy insertion of the bars through apertures provided in the abutment member.

Preferably, each leg and its associated bars are of inverted T shape or of downwardly pointing arrow shape in the normal use orientation of the plug.

A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in tirhich:- Figure 1shows the bath overflow protection device and its component parts:

Figure 2 shows the specially designed bath-plug in its 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 its 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; and Figure 7 shows the bath overflow protection device re-located back into the bathplug hole, 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 float A which 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 float is largely immaterial, and is only for aesthetic appeal.

The float A is releasably or permanently attached either by exterior attachment or embedded attachment (not shown) to the linked beaded chain or 4 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 attached legs D these legs are 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 barr E which can be of any suitable shape or design. 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 bars E should be flexible enough to bend and spring back into shape repeatedly. Such materials are readily available.

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

Fig 2B shows the flexible bar E bending under downward pressure as the plug C is manually inserted into the drainage holes G in the waste trap F.

Fig 2C shows bath-plug C and the flexible bar E which have bent to allow easy insertion into and through the drainage holes G within the waste trap F.

Fig 2D shows the bath-plug C located within the waste trap F with the legs D and the flexible bars E having passed completely through the drainage holes G. The flexible bars 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 float 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 the plug C which itself is prevented from rising too far by the flexible bars E which cannot pass unaided back through the waste-trap drainage holes. As the plug rises to its limit (approximately 12.5mm to 25mrn 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.

6.

1 4 1 6

Claims

1. A bath, basin or sink having a waste outlet closeable by a plug which is moveable vertically between a closed position in which the body of the plug obstructs the waste outlet and an open position in which the body of the plug is spaced from the waste outlet fitting to permit flow of water from the bath, basin or sink outwardly through the waste outlet, the bath, basin or sink including: a float; means attaching the float to the plug; and means permitting limited movement of the body of the plug away from the waste outlet but restraining further movement of the body of the plug away from the waste outlet, the float being of such a size and the connecting means being of such a length that if the plug is seated in the waste outlet and the water level in the bath, basin or sink rises above a predetermined level, the float will pull the plug upwardly to the limit permitted by the restraining means.

2. A method of preventing overflowing of a bath, basin or sink having a waste outlet closeable by a plug, the method comprising providing a plug for the waste outlet; providing a float; providing means connecting the float to the plug; and providing means for restraining movement of the plug relative to the waste outlet to permit limited vertical movement of the plug relative to the waste outlet, the float being of such a size and the connecting means being of such a length that when the level of liquid in the bath, basin or sink reaches a predetermine level the float will pull the plug upwardly to the limit of the movement permitted by the restraining means.

3. The invention according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the restraining means comprises one or more legs attached to the body of the plug, the or each leg having at the end thereof remote from the body of the plug means for 7 engaging the waste outlet fitting to limit movement of the plug relative to the waste outlet fitting.

4 The invention according to claim 3 wherein the means engaging the waste outlet fitting comprises one or more bars extending generally transversely to the legs, the bars being adapted to engage the underside of an abutment member provided in the waste outlet fitting to restrain movement of the plug away from the waste outlet fitting.

The invention according to claim 4 wherein the abutment member comprises the grille provided immediately below the plug seat of the waste outlet fitting.

6. The invention according to claim 3 or claim 4 wherein the or each bar extends obliquely to the leg to provide an angled lead-in facilitating easy insertion of the bars through apertures provided in the abutment member.

7. The invention according to any of claims 3 to 6 wherein each leg and its associated bars are of inverted T shape or of downwardly pointing arrow shape in the normal use orientation of the plug.

8. A bath, basin or sink substantially described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.