US2709046A - Sink stopper - Google Patents

Description

May 24, 1955 R. w. HYDE 2,709,046

SINK STOPPER Filed Sept. 6, 1952 2 Sheets-Sham l INVENTOR.

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May 24, 1955 n. w. HYDE 3309,@4@

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Filed. sept. e, 19:52` a sama-Smm 2 INVTOR.

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United States Patent O srNK sroPPER Robert W. Hyde, Cincinnati, Ohio, assignor to The Schaible Company, Cincinnati, Ohio, a vcorporation of Ohio Application September 6, 1952, Sel'ialNo.` 308,263

6 Claims. (Cl. 241-32.5)

This invention relates to Stoppers of the type utilized in kitchen sinks which` have garbage disposal units associted with them. More specifically, the invention is directed to a sink stopper of simplified design which is formed in one piece of resilient plastic material and which is adapted to be used in place of the more complex and expensive metal or hard plastic sink stopper devices provided heretofore for use in connection with garbage disposal units.

In a typical installation, ar garbage disposal unit is mounted under a sink with the sink drain opening directly into the comminuting chamber of the unit. The strainer basket usually employed in a sink drain is not used. In its place a stopper is used which is specially designed to seat within the drain sleeve. This special stopper must be arranged so that it can be adjusted to completely close the drain in order that a stand of water may be held in the sink, removed entirely when garbage is being fed into the disposal unit, or adjusted While in place in the drain sleeve into .a semi-open position in which the drain opening is partially blocked but not closed. In the latter position, a flow of water can pass the stopper. 'This ow is required to assist the comminuting action of the disposal unit. At the same time, however, the stopper in this position blocks the drain opening to the exent that bits of garbage being ground in the disposal unit cannot y back up through the drain opening. The drain opening should be thus blocked whenever the garbage disposal unit is being operated because of the danger of such things as bone splinters or other hard particles being forcibly ejected.

Past stopper constructions have been made in two parts, comprising an annular ring which is adapted to seat within the drain sleeve and a circular valve disc which is slidably engaged within the annular ring and adapted to be adjusted from one position in which it seats snugly in the ring, for completely closing the sink functions of the past stopper constructions described above are accomplished by a one-piece construction, including the sealing function of a washer, the closing function, and the blocking function.

In a preferred embodiment the stopper is formed from a resilient plastic material such as neoprene -or polyethylene. lt has been determined that the polyvinyl chloride plastics are best suited where a highly colored stopper is desired. The use of resilient plastic material has the Stoppers of the past. These plastics also have the advantage that they are detergent resistant and comparatively tough so that they are not likely to be damaged through long use or even misuse.

In its simplest form, the stopper comprises a plate-like portion. or disc having a knob-like handle at the top thereof and a plurality of ribs on the bottom thereof. The marginal edge of the disc is feathered and adapted to engage the top of the annular flange of the drain sleeve in sealing relationship. One of the distinguishing characteristics of the present construction resides in the ribs which are on the underside of the disc. These ribs extend radially of the disc and meet directly below the knob. The ribs stop short of the outer edge of the disc and are of such a length that they t into the drain opening when the plate-like portion or disc is in sealing relationship with the drain sleeve. Near the middle of the outer edge of each of the ribs, a small, rounded projection` or protuberanee or bump is formed. These projections are designed to engage the rim of the drain opening and hold the disc portion of the stopper above the drain sleeve when it is desired to block the drain opening but still permit a ow of water to pass into the garbage disposal unit. ln order to seal the drain opening the stopper is merely forced down into the drain sleeve, compressing the ribs longitudinally to bring the disc into contact with the annular ange surrounding the drain,

This construction has the advantage that an upward pull on die knob causes the resilient disc and ribs to bow upwardly, convexly. The net effect of such bowing is to decrease the overall length of each of the ribs and consequently decrease the friction grip between the projections on the ends of the ribs and the inner wall of the drain sleeve, thus making removal of the stopper comparatively easy. This bowing action is especially noticeable when there is a stand of water in the sink.

Other advantages and features of the stopper will be readily apparent from the following detailed description ot' the drawings in which:

Figure l is aside elevational view of a stopper embodying the principles of the present invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view showing one of the rounded protuberances at an end of a rib.

Figure 3 is an elevational View of the bottom of the stopper shown in Figure 1. j v

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view of the lbottom-of the portion of the stopper shown in Figure 2. y

Figure 5 shows the stopper in place in. a drain opening of a sink and disposed so as to permit water to pass.`

Figure 6 shows the stopper while being moved from the position. shwn in Figure 5 into one in which the drain opening is sealed.

Figure 7 shows the stopper in. sealing position.

Figure 8 shows the stopper when it is being removed from sealing position.

Figure 9 is a top plan view of a modified form of. the sink stopper.

Figure 10 is a side elevational view of the stopper shown in Figure 9. l

Figure 11 `is a side elevational view showing a stopper in which the ribs are slightly modified.

In the drawings, a stopper embodying the principles of the invention is indicated generally at 10. Generally, the stopper is of one-piece molded construction, being formed of polyethylene or other resilient plastic material, and includes a plate-like or disc portion 11, a knob 12, and a plurality of radially disposed ribs 13. The disc advantage that it cannot chip or damage a porcelain sink 70 portion 11 tapers gradually from the center outwardly when accidentally dropped, as was so often the case in the all-metal or combination metal and hard plastic to the marginal edge which is feathered as at 14. The knob 12 is located in the center of the upper face of the dise and may be made in any suitable conguration n to-facilitate grasping it with the fingers. The ribs 13 depend from the lower `face of the disc and are tapered slightly toward their lower edges. At the center of the stopperlleting is provided between adjoining ribs so that the core portion of the stopper is substantially solid from top to bottom. The outer edges of the ribs may be also tapered slightly as shown in Figure 2 so that when the stopper is inserted in a cylindrical drain opening a slight wedging action is provided. Substantially midway between the under surface of the disc and the lower edges of the ribs, each rib at the outer edge thereof has a small, rounded projection or protuberance formed upon it.

The present stopper is designed to be utilized in a sink drain sleeve of the type indicated at 16. This sleeve seats within the drain opening of the sink and includes an annular flange portion 17 which rests on the top of the sink around the drain opening, and a threaded sleeve portion 18 which depends beneath the sink. A portion only of a garbage disposal unit is shown at 20. This unit is suspended from drain sleeve 16- by means of a collar 21 which threads onto the sleeve. In the instance shown, the drain opens directly into a comminuting chamber 22 of 'the unit. A baille (not shown) may be installed between the sleeve and the chamber. The upper rim of the drain sleeve preferably is congurated to provide a two step bevel indicated at 23.. Bevelling is preferred to proy.shouldersl project fromV the ribs like the protuberances discussed, above and are disposed substantially midway vide guide or centering means to assist in the insertion A to -the point where the projections 15 rest upon the rim I at the upper end of the sleeve. This is the position of the stopper when the garbage disposal unit is in operation. In this position the drain openingis partially blocked to stop particles from flying out of the unit, but is open to a ow 'of water which may pass under'the outer edge of disc 11.

' To close the drain completely and thereby hold a stand of water in the sink, the stopper is simply forced down into the drain sleeve. Doing this causes the ribs to compress and thus permits the projections 15 to pass the rim of the drain opening. This is shown in Figure 6. The bowing action which results in pressing the stopper straight down into the drain sleeve brings the feathered edge 14 of the stopper into snug seating engagement with the flange portion 17 of the drain sleeve. After the stopper is released it assumes the position shown in Figure 7.

To remove the stopper the knob is grasped and pulled directly upwardly. This causes the stopper to bow upwardly, convexly, in the Ymanner shown by the dot-dash lines of Figure 8. The bowing causes the projections 15 to release their frictional grip upon the inner wall of the drain sleeve thereby making removal comparatively easy. The bowing action is aided considerably by .the factthat the core area of the stopper is solid material'. y

In Figures 9 and l0 of the drawings, a modified form of the stopper is illustrated. The modification differs from the one shown in Figures l-8 in that the plate-like portion 11 is squared off to provide four .straight edges.

These edges may be used as plate Scrapers or to scrape garbage from the sink into the drain openng, the opening being indicated by the broken lines 24 in Figure `l0. Preferably, the corners are rounded off so that they do not extend beyond the flange of the drain sleeve; however, it is found that the sealing action is not adversely between the lower faces of the disc and the bottoms of the ribs in each instance, so that they lie in the same plane. Thus, a stopper having either form of projection upon the ribs operates in the same manner. The projections 15 or the shoulders 25 hold the stopper in the semiopen position and are released upon the withdrawal of thestopper by the bowing action described above.

The number of ribs utilized upon sink Stoppers embodying. the principles of the invention is not critical, more or less than the six shown may be provided.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A sink stopper formed of resilient plastic material and comprising a disc portion, handle means projecting from the upper face of said disc portion, a plurality of radially disposed ribs projecting from the lower face of said disc portion, said ribs being of equal length and terminating short of the outer edge of said disc, and each rib having a small rounded projection formed upon the outer edge thereof and substantially centered upon said edge.`

2. A sink stopper formed of resilient plastic material and comprising a circular disc portion having handle means projecting from the center of the upper face thereof and a plurality of radially disposed ribs depending from the lower yface thereof, said disc portion having a feathered marginal edge, said ribs being of equal length and terminating short of said marginal edge, and the outer edge ofv each rib tapering inwardly and downwardly and having a rounded projection thereon which is substantially centered with respect to the lower edge of said rib and the lower face of said disc.

3. A sink stopper formedof resilient plastic material and'comprising a disc, handle means projecting upwardly from the center of the upper face of said disc, said disc tapering gradually radially outwardly from said handle means and terminating in a feathered marginal edge, a plurality of radially extending ribs depending from the lower face of said disc, the inner ends of said ribs joined centrally of the disc, said ribs being of equal length and terminating short of the edge of said disc, and each rib having a small rounded protuberance on the outer edge thereof which is substantially centered upon said edge. 2 4. A sink stopper formed-of resilient plastic material and comprising a plate-like portion, handle means projecting from the center of the upper face of said platelike portion, a plurality of radially extending ribs projecting from the lower face of said plate-like portion, said ribs being of equal length and terminating short of the edge of said plate-like portion, and each rib having a small rounded protuberance on the outer edge thereof which is substantially centered upon said edge, and said plate-like portion being substantially rectangular in outline to provide four straight edges thereon.

5. A stopper adapted to be used for the drain sleeve of a sink having a waste disposer associated therewith, said drain sleeve being-cylindrical and opening into the comminuting chamber of said Waste disposer, said stopper formed of one piece of resilient plastic material and comprising a disc portion which is substantially greater in diameter than said drain sleeve, a handle projecting upwardly from the center of the upper face of said disc portion, a plurality of radially disposed ribs depending from the lower face of said disc portion, said ribs being substantially greater in height than in width and having their inner ends joined beneath said handle, said ribs being of equal length and terminating short of the outer periphery of said disc portion soy as to fit down into said drain sleeve, each rib congurated at the outer end thereof to provide a shoulder which is substantially centered onv said outer end andl which projects outwardly beyond that portion of said outer end which is beneath said shoulder, whereby the stopper may be seated in the upper end of the drain sleeve to rest upon the respective shoulders to permit a flow of water to pass under the disc portion from the sink into said disposer while at the same time said disc portion prevcnts water and waste from being ejected from the disposer through the drain sleeve, and the resiliency of said stopper permitting the stopper to be forced into said drain sleeve past the shoulders, to bring the disc portion thereof into seating relationship on the upper end 0f said drain sleeve thereby sealing the drain sleeve so as to permit a stand of water to be held in the sink.

6. A stopper adapted to be used for the drain sleeve of a sink having a waste disposer associated therewith, said drain sleeve being cylindrical and opening into the comminuting chamber of said waste disposer, said stopper formed of one piece of resilient plastic material and comprising a plate-like portion which is substantially wider than the diameter of said drain sleeve, a handle projecting upwardly from the center of the upper face of said plate-like portion, a plurality of radially disposed ribs depending from the lower face of said plate-like portion, said ribs being substantially greater in height than in width and having their 4inner ends joined beneath the center of said plate-like portion, said ribs being of equal length and terminating short of the outer periphery of said plate-like portion so as to fit down into said drain sleeve, each rib conigurated at the outer end thereof to provide a shoulder which is substantially centered on said outer end and which projects outwardly beyond that portion of said outer end which is beneath said shoulder, whereby the stopper may be seated in the upper end of the drain sleeve to rest upon the respective shoulders thereby permitting a flow of water to pass under the plate-like portion from the sink into said waste disposer, and the resiliency of the stopper permittingfthe stopper to be forcibly seated in the drain sleeve beyond said shoulders to bring the plate-like portion thereof into seating relationship on the upper end of said drain sleeve, thereby sealing the drain sleeve so as to permita stand of water to be held in the sink, said resiliency further causing said plate-like portion to bow upwardly when said handle is pulled upwardly to cause said ribs to release their frictional grip on the drain sleeve to facilitate removal of said stopper.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 931,406 Friedman Aug. 17, 1909 1,595,516 Happ Aug. 10, 1926 1,947,915 Marschall Feb. 20, 1934 FOREIGN PATENTS 86,078 Germany Aug. 20, 1895

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