GB2398849A

GB2398849A - Drain cleaner

Info

Publication number: GB2398849A
Application number: GB0401616A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Alan William Young; Mark Allan Young
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2003-01-29
Filing date: 2004-01-26
Publication date: 2004-09-01
Anticipated expiration: 2024-01-26
Also published as: GB0401616D0; GB0302067D0; GB2398849B

Abstract

A hand held drain cleaner (20) has an flexible inlet tube (6) to source water from a domestic tap to an rigid outlet tube (4) that is situated within a shroud (1), the shroud serving to stop splash back from an outlet nozzle of the outlet tube and also optionally to seal the shroud (1) around a drain to be cleaned. A flexible coupling (3) between the shroud (1) and the outlet tube (4) enables the nozzle to be directed within the confines of the shroud. Optionally the shroud (1) is demountable so that shrouds of other shapes, as may best suit a different circumstances can be attached in its place. Three modes of operation of the drain cleaner are envisaged, namely blockage breaching under pressure (shroud sealed), jet cleaning with free flowing water from the nozzle and advancing that nozzle during cleaning from the shroud into the entrance of the drain.

Description

Drain cleaner The present invention relates to a drain cleaner, in

particular a drain cleaner utilizing pressurized water to clean a drain.

The blockage of drains is a known problem as is the need to clean drains. Drains in the context of the present invention relate primarily to plug holes, downspout grids and other light duty sanitary and water run-off fixtures. A drain has an inlet area around an entrance down which waste water can flow.

The use of water from a mains supply, such as a tap, that is directed by means of a tube to aid clearance of a blockage is known, as are various directing and sealing arrangements for use in drain cleaning operations.

FR 2702786 discloses a shroud with a water inlet from a tap for cleaning a drain.

WO 99/58776 discloses a similar arrangement but with a valve incorporated in the shroud. US 2086149 discloses a plunger with a water inlet from a tap into the bell of the plunger. DT 2444571 discloses a similar arrangement but with two plungers.

The known drain cleaners each provide useful features, but not combined in such a way as to provide a device without significant drawbacks or limitations. The aim of the present invention is to provide an improved drain cleaning device.

The present invention provides a hand held drain cleaning device for utilizing water under pressure comprising a flexible inlet tube attachable at an inlet end to a water source and in communication at an outlet end with a first end of a rigid outlet tube which has, at a second end remote from the first, an outlet nozzle, part of the outlet tube being surrounded by a rigid shroud, which has an open end around the nozzle, in which respect the shroud is attached to the outlet tube by a flexible water tight coupling such that manipulation of the. outlet tube portion outside the shroud enables direction of the nozzle within the shroud to effect directional cleaning by a water jet from the nozzle.

The water source may be a domestic tap. The inlet tube may be provided with any of the known fixings for pipes to a tap, such as a push-fit flexible plastics connector, a screw threaded connector and the like. To protect mains water from contamination by back-flow a non-return valve may be incorporated in the device.

A nozzle is any constriction in the outlet tube at its outlet end such as to constrain water flow and increase the velocity of flow at a given inlet pressure. The nozzle is preferably removable to allow replacement with various alternative nozzle shapes, such as high velocity, low velocity, angled, multi-port and the like, such that the best nozzle for a given drain cleaning operation or shroud shape may be chosen. Nozzles may extend the water outlet beyond the open end of the shroud so as to be capable of entering into an entrance of a drain. In this way water velocity does not decrease before impinging on the drain as the jet starts in the drain, where dirt may be present, not within the device itself.

The shroud acts to provide a skirt in the region of the nozzle such that water exiting the nozzle in use does not splash back on the user. The open end of the shroud may have a sealing rim, such as one made from a soft plastics material, capable of providing a water tight seal between the shroud and the inlet area of a drain when pressed on to that area.

The shroud is preferably transparent such that a user can see where the water jet is being directed and also to enable some indication as to whether dirt is being washed away as the drain is cleaned. The shroud is preferably elongate to give better visibility. The shroud may be made of glass but for safety reasons is preferably made of a clear plastics material such as a poly acrylate, e.g. Perspex@.

The shroud of the invention must be rigid as it has been found that distortion of the shroud can easily occur from water back pressure, from pressing the device onto a drain inlet or from flexing the outlet tube to direct the nozzle, such that any seal between the shroud and the drain is easily lost, with consequent splash back of dirty water on to the user. Making a flexible shroud thick enough to avoid such distortion makes directing the outlet tube difficult and also increases the amount of material required and therefore production cost. Making a transparent shroud thick enough to stop distortion under water pressure etc. makes transparency of the shroud so low, or distorted, that visual direction of the nozzle is significantly degraded.

The use of a flexible coupling between shroud and outlet tube enables a light rigid, preferably transparent, shroud to be used so that the nozzle is readily visually directed and manually moved within the shroud for effective, targeted cleaning.

The shroud is preferably detachable such that a variety of different shapes of shroud may be selectively used as part of the device, such that the device can stop splash back or create a water tight seal when used with a variety of different drain configurations (i.e. plug hole, sink overflow entrance etc.).

The device preferably has a handle or grip portion, this is preferably around the outlet tube and in addition to ergonomic benefits may serve to insulate the hand of a user from very hot or cold water passing through the tubes. For example, very hot water may be required when clearing fatty deposits from a drain.

As devices of the invention are best used by holding against a drain and viewing cleaning, and furthermore the water source used may be distant from the drain, a valve, preferably a trigger valve for one-finger operation, may be mounted in the handle to regulate water flow through the tubes.

The invention will be described further, by way of example, with reference to the following drawings in which: Figure 1 is side elevation of a first embodiment of a drain cleaner according to the invention; Figure 2 shows two nozzles for use with the device of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a side elevation of a second embodiment of a drain cleaner according to the invention; and Figure 4 is an exploded view of a detachable flexible coupling used in the device of Figure 3.

In the drawings like features are illustrated by like numerals. All drawings are schematic.

Figure 1 shows a first embodiment 20 of a drain cleaner of the invention. The cleaner 20 comprises a push-fit connector 7 for a tap (not shown) attached to a flexible poly vinyl chloride inlet tube 6 that is in turn connected to an rigid polyethylene outlet tube 4. The outlet tube 4 is in two portions, a first portion 4A within a shroud 1 and another portion 4B outside the shroud 1. The outlet tube portion 4B outside the shroud is encased in a molded plastics handle 5 in the form of a pistol type grip. The shroud 1 is of a frusto conical shape extending from a narrow end 1 B to a larger end extended as a cylinder to an open end 1A.

The narrow end 1 B is attached to the outlet pipe 4 by means of a flexible coupling 3 made of soft poly vinyl chloride or of rubber. The flexible coupling is constructed such that the outlet tube portion 4A within the shroud 1 can be moved freely around within the confines of the shroud 1.

The shroud 1 is made of a clear plastics material and the open end is covered with a soft plastics sealing rim 2. The first portion 4A of the outlet tube has an outlet end 10 substantially coincident with the centre of the rim of the shroud 1.

The outlet end 10 has an external screw thread to which a nozzle is attachable.

Two nozzles 8,9 for attachment to the outlet end 10 of the outlet tube 4 are shown in figure 2. Each nozzle has an internal bore 18, 19 with a thread for attachment to the outlet end 10, along with either a small bore jet 20 or a large bore jet 21 for providing, in use, respectively a high or low pressure water jet.

In use of the aforesaid drain cleaner 20, the push-fit connector 7 is secured to a domestic tap (not shown) and the soft plastics sealing rim 2 is placed around an inlet to a drain (not shown). By holding the handle 5 in one hand of a user and pressing the device towards the drain the space inside the shroud is sealed to the drain. The user then turns the tap on with their other hand and water enters the tubes 4,6 and the area enclosed within the shroud 1. If the drain is blocked a back pressure builds up within the shroud 1. The back pressure will normally exceed the force needed to breach any blockage in the drain. Should this not occur a safety pressure release valve may be provided in the shroud to stop pressure build up beyond a safe level, for example a level at which the user can reasonably hold the drain cleaner in place. Furthermore a non return valve may be present in one or other of the tubes 4,6 so that any back pressure does not force dirty water into the tap should mains water pressure drop.

After any blockage has been breached a cleaning operation can be commenced wherein the water now exiting freely from the jet into the drain is directed by means of flexing the handle 5 relative to the shroud 1, as is permitted by the flexible coupling 3, so as to direct the outlet tube portion 4a as required for cleaning.

Figures 3 and 4 show a second embodiment 22 of a drain cleaner according to the invention and detail thereof respectively. The features are as described for Figure 1 with the modifications now described. The shroud 1 C has bell shape with a narrow end 1 D terminated in a screw threaded portion 14 between an internal shoulder 11 and a mouth 1 E of the shroud 1C. Into the mouth 1 E is insertable a flexible plastics grommet 12 in the form of a torroid which seats in the mouth 1 E by means of internal shoulder 11 (an internal taper may also be present). The grommet 12 is securable in the mouth 1 E of the shroud 1 C by means of a cap 13. Through the centre of the cap 13, grommet 12 and mouth 1 E passes the outlet tube 4. The shroud securing assembly 24 just described is arranged such that tightening of cap 13 on thread 14 compresses grommet 12 so as to secure the assembly 24 and hence the shroud 1C at any desired position on the outlet tube 4. The shroud 1 C may, by means of the securing assembly 24 be slideable along the outlet tube 4. The nozzle prevents the shroud from being accidentally pulled off the end of the outlet tube 4.

Optionally, outlet tube 4 may be ribbed or scalloped to enable the grommet 12 to be readily sited at various positions on the outlet tube 4 without the shroud 1 C sliding along the tube 4 when, in use, pressed against a drain inlet.

The drain cleaner device 22 is used substantially in the same manner as the first embodiment, with the following modifications. Before use a shroud 1 C is chosen to suit the particular drain entrance to be cleaned. The shroud is then secured to the rest of the device by the securing assembly 24. A nozzle 8,9 of choice is then attached. The shroud is first secured in a position towards the nozzle 8,9 end of the outlet tube 4 and cleaning started. As cleaning by jetting progresses the outlet tube is pushed further into the shroud such as to advance the nozzle toward and into the drain entrance as cleaning progresses. Thus around a drain inlet and inside a drain entrance can all be cleaned in one continuous operation.

The foregoing is illustrative and not limiting of the scope of the invention and many variations in detail are possible within the scope of the claims. For example, a trigger valve for regulating water flow may be incorporated in the trigger grip 5.

Claims

Claims 1. A hand held drain cleaning device for utilizing water under

pressure comprising a flexible inlet tube attachable at an inlet end to a water source and in communication at an outlet end with a first end of a rigid outlet tube which has, at a second end remote from the first, an outlet nozzle, part of the outlet tube being surrounded by a rigid shroud, which has an open end around the nozzle, in which respect the shroud is attached to the outlet tube by a flexible water tight coupling such that manipulation of the outlet tube portion outside the shroud enables direction of the nozzle within the shroud to effect directional cleaning by a water jet from the nozzle.
2. A cleaning device according to claim 1 wherein the flexible coupling comprises an elastomeric grommet surrounding the outlet tube.
3. A cleaning device according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the shroud is releasably attached to the outlet tube.
4. A cleaning device according to claim 2 and claim 3 wherein the shroud is attached to the outlet tube by way of a cap, with which it is threadedly engaged, such that tightening the cap on the shroud end with the grommet therebetween serves sealingly to attach the shroud to the rest of the device.
5. A cleaning device according any of claims 1 to 4 wherein the open end of the shroud has a sealing rim adapted to locate, in use, around a drain inlet and create a water tight seal between the shroud and the drain inlet.
6. A cleaning device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein the nozzle is releasably attached to the outlet tube.
7. A cleaning device according to any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein the shroud is transparent.
8. A cleaning device according to claim 7 wherein the shroud comprises a plastics material.
9. A cleaning device according to any previous claim wherein one or other of the inlet or outlet tubes incorporates a trigger actuated valve for, in use, regulating the supply of water from the water source to the nozzle.
10.A cleaning device according to any previous claim wherein a handle is located on the outlet tube portion outside the shroud.
11. A cleaning device according to claims 9 and 10 wherein the trigger actuated valve is incorporated in the handle.
12. A cleaning device according to any previous claim wherein the outlet tube portion within the shroud is substantially straight.
13. A cleaning device according to claim 10 or claim 1 1, and claim 12 wherein the handle extends substantially perpendicular to the outlet tube within the shroud.
14.A cleaning device according to any previous claim wherein one or other of the inlet or outlet tubes incorporates a non-return valve.
15.A cleaning device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated by Figure 1 or Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings.