US3419224A

US3419224A - Food waste disposer

Info

Publication number: US3419224A
Application number: US602215A
Authority: US
Inventors: Russell J Mlinar
Original assignee: Whirlpool Corp
Current assignee: Whirlpool Corp
Priority date: 1966-12-16
Filing date: 1966-12-16
Publication date: 1968-12-31
Anticipated expiration: 1985-12-31

Description

Dec 3l, l R. J. MLINAR 3,419,224

FOOD WASTE DISPOSER Filed Deo. 16, 1966 INVENTOR United States Patent O 3,419,224 FOOD WASTE DISPOSER Russell J. Mlinar, St. Paul, Minn., assignor to Whirlpool Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Filed Dec. 16, 1966, Ser. No. 602,215 8 Claims. (Cl. 241-285) This invention relates to a food waste disposer and particularly to a resilient combined tubular conduit and disposer hopper mount connecting the hopper with a sink opening.

One of the features of this invention is to provide an improved food waste disposer of the type receiving food waste from a sink and grinding waste into particles small enough to be ushed into a sewer in which the disposer comprises a hopper having an entrance opening, a resilient combined tubular conduit and mount for the disposer connecting the rim means of a sink opening to the rim means of a disposer hopper in which certain conduit portions are made of different resiliencies and the conduit functions as a combined sink seal, disposer hopper seal, disposer hopper support and uid conduit from the sink to the interior of the disposer hopper.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of certain embodiments thereof taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Of the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view partially in section of a food waste disposer, a resilient tubular conduit and disposer mount and the adjacent portions of a sink bottom with portions of the apparatus being shown in section.

FIGURE 2 is a view similar to the top portion of FIG- URE 1 but illustrating a second embodiment of the invention.

FIGURE 3 is a horizontal section taken substantially along line 3 3 of FIGURE 2.

In the embodiment of FIGURE l there is illustrated a food waste disposer comprising a hopper 11 having an entrance opening 12 around which extends an outwardly and downwardly directed rim means 13. As can be seen from FIG. 1, a section through the flange describes an inverted U-shape having a planar base 14 and a downwardly extending outer rim flange 15 spaced from the outer surface of the hopper 11.

Connected to the rim means 13 is a resilient combined tubular conduit and mount 16. This conduit 16 is provided with a bottom part 17 shaped complementary to the rim means 13 in that it surrounds and receives the rim means 13 including the base 14 and flange 15.

At the end of the conduit 16 opposite the bottom part 17 is a top part 18 adapted to sealingly engage a flange 19 that surrounds the drain opening from the sink bottom 20.

In the embodiment of FIGURE 2 the conduit 21 is similar in every respect to the conduit 16 of` the first embodiment except that here the conduit 21 is provided with displaceable resilient fingers 22 normally cooperating, as shown in FIGURE 2, to extend across the hopper entrance opening 12 but displaceable to permit passage of food waste into the hopper 11.

In both of the embodiments of FIGURES 1 and 2 the

conduits

16 and 21 are constructed of integral portions of resilient material such as rubber having different hardness and elasticities. Thus, in order to provide a secure seal at the sink flange 19 the top part 18 of each conduit is in the form of a first stiff annular section. The resilient material is suthciently stiff so that it can take a high degree of load and vibration without breaking the seal of the sink flange 19. In other words, this resilient material is known as high durometer. An example of a durometer hardness range that can be employed is that of 75 to ricc durometer with 90 durometer being a practical example. In each of

conduits

16 and 21 the bottom part 17 of the conduit is constructed in the form of a second stiff annular section to sealingly engage and support the disposer 10. This bottom part is stiff in order to maintain the sealing engagement with the rim means 13 but is not as stiff as the top part 18.

One way of constructing the bottom part or second stiff annnular section 17 is to make it of alternate stiff and less

stiff sections

23 and 24 in which the sections 23 are more resilient than the sections 24. A typical range of durometers for section 23 is 40 to 80 durometer with 6() being a practical example. A usable range of hardness or stiffness for the section 24 is 75 to 95 durometer with 90 being a practical durometer hardness.

Interconnecting the

annular sections

17 and 18 is an intermediate tubular section 25 in the shape of a truncated cone with the small end at the sink flange 19. This section 25 functions as a flexible shock absorbing section intermediate the

ends

17 and 18 in order to absorb the shock and vibration of the operating disposer 10, to reduce the noise of operation in this manner and yet provide a fluid tight conduit for fluids leaving the sink and passing into the disposer. rl'his section 25 is soft and resilient and is preferably of a hardness intermediate that of the first stiff annular section 18 and the second stiff annular section 17. In a specific embodiment a usable flexible material and one that simplifies construction is a rubber having the same durometer hardness as that of the section 24y that forms an alternate part of the second stiff annular section 17 on the bottom of the conduit 16.

Having described my invention as related to the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings, it is my intention that the invention be not limited by any of the details of description, unless otherwise specified, but rather be construed broadly within its spirit and scope as set out in the accompanying claims.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A food waste disposer communicating with a sink opening having rim means to receive food waste through said opening, comprising: a disposer hopper having an entrance opening defined by rim means; and a resilient tubular conduit and mount connecting said rim means of the sink and said rim means of the hopper to support the hopper and provide enclosed fluid flow means from said sink to said hopper, said conduit having a first stiff annular section at one end sealingly engaging and supported by said sink opening rim means, a second stiff annular section at the opposite end sealingly engaging said entrance opening rim means and supporting said hopper, and a flexible shock absorbing section intermediate said ends.

2. The disposer of claim 1 wherein said second stiff annular section has a resilience greater than that of said first section and less than that of said flexible shock absorbing section.

3. The disposer of claim 2 wherein said second stiff annular section comprises alternate, integral, side-by-side portions of stiff and exible resilient material.

4. The disposer of claim 1 wherein said conduit is provided with inwardlly extending flexible fingers integral with said shock absorbing section partially blocking said conduit but displaceable to permit passage of food waste into said hopper.

5. The disposer of claim 1 wherein said sink opening rim means has a recessed upper surface part and said first annular section has a surface part complementa-ry to and received on said recessed part.

6. The disposer of claim 1 wherein said disposer rim means has a downwardly extending annular flange spaced 3 outwardly from said hopper and said second annular section is provided with a groove retaining said flange.

7. The disposer of claim 1 wherein said sink opening rim means has a recessed upper surface part and said rst annular section has a surface part complementary to and received on said recessed part, and said disposer rim means has a downwardly extending annular ange spaced outwardly from said hopper and said second annular section is provided with a groove retaining said ange.

8. The disposer of claim 7 wherein said second stiff annular section has a resiliency greater than that of said rst section and less than that of said flexible shock absorbing section, and said second stiff annular section comprises alternate, integral, side-by-side portions of stift and exible resilient material.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 9/1958 Jordan 24H- 100,5 11/1958 Jordan 241-100.5 7/1959 Brucken 241-285 6/1960 Coss 241-32.5 12/1960 Jacobs 241--100-5 12/1960 Jordan 241-285 4/1961 Brucken et al 241-1005 7/1962 Woodson et al 241--100.5

U.S. Cl. X.R.

Claims

1. A FOOD WASTE DISPOSER COMMUNICATING WITH A SINK OPENING HAVING RIM MEANS TO RECEIVE FOOD WASTE THROUGH SAID OPENING, COMPRISING: A DISPOSER HOPPER HAVING AN ENTRANCE OPENING DEFINED BY RIM MEANS; AND A RESILENT TUBULAR CONDUIT AND MOUNT CONNECTING SAID RIM MEANS OF THE SINK AND SAID RIM MEANS OF THE HOPPER TO SUPPORT THE HOPPER AND PROVIDE ENCLOSED FLUID FLOW MEANS FROM SAID SINK TO SAID HOPPER, SAID CONDUIT HAVING A FIRST STIFF ANNULAR SECTION AT ONE END SEALINGLY ENGAGING AND SUPPORTED BY