NZ241770A - Overflow duct for sink or tub - Google Patents

Description

Patents Form # 5 2417 NEW ZEALAND Patents Act 1953 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION AFTER PROVISIONAL NO : 241770 DATED : 27 February 1992 TITLE: numbing Apparatus I,: Jacqueline Henderson Address: 18 Katrina Place, Massey, Auckland, New Zealand Nationality: New Zealand hereby declare the invention, for which I/we pray that a patent may be granted to me/us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: PF05JWP FEE CODE-1050 2417 71 FIELD OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to the general field of plumbing, and particularly to modification of domestic plumbing.

BACKGROUND Until now, there has been a need for a device for installation into sinks or tubs (particularly in existing homes or other buildings) eg. laundry type tubs, kitchen sinks etc, to prevent water overflowing and causing damage to flooring, gib board wall linings, skirting boards and carpets. Such flooding involves considerable expense and inconvenience to home owners, to repair the damage and lift and dry carpets. House insurance goes part way to help people faced with such problems, although the owner must usually pay some part towards repairs. This invention can solve the problem of flooding laundries, kitchens, etc, or at least greatly reduce the risk, and give the public some peace of mind that they will not be faced with such disasters.

OBJECT It is an object of the present invention to go at least partway towards providing novel or improved plumbing apparatus, or at least to provide the public with a useful choice.

STATEMENT OF INVENTION In one aspect the present invention provides an assembly for the modification of sinks, tubs and other plumbing, comprising an overflow outlet head having a duct between a mouth and an outlet and a flexible pipe connected in use at a first end to said outlet, and at a second end to a waste disposal duct, wherein said duct includes a bend behind said mouth so that when said mouth is directed substantially horizontally, said outlet can be directed substantially downwardly; said mouth is surrounded by an outwardly projecting flange; and said mouth, duct and outlet have major and minor length orthogonal axes, so that the height of said mouth is less than the width of said mouth, 5532CS.

£ I APR !9!35 24 1 771. and the depth of said duct and said outlet is less than the width of said duct and said outlet.

Preferably the assembly further includes one or more ribs or bars across said mouth.

Preferably the depth of said duct and said outlet is less than the height of said mouth.

In another aspect the present invention provides a method for the modification of plumbing vessels comprising the steps of: cutting a hole having major and minor length orthogonal axes in the wall of a vessel at or near an upper rim; inserting an overflow outlet head in said hole, said outlet head having a duct between a mouth and an outlet and having a bend in said duct behind said mouth, and an outwardly projecting flange around said mouth, wherein said mouth, duct and outlet have major and minor length orthogonal axes so that the height of said mouth is less than the width of said mouth, and the depth of said duct and said outlet is less than the width of said duct and said outlet; fixing one end of a flexible pipe in fluid connection with said outlet; and fixing the other end of said pipe in fluid connection with a waste disposal duct.

These and other aspects of the present invention are illustrated by the following description of a preferred embodiment.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The following is a description of a preferred form of the present invention, given by way of example to illustrate the general scope of the invention, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1: shows a front view of overflow inlet pipe; "1 5S32CS.499/JW/iv 2*1770 Figure 2: shows a side view of the overflow inlet pipe, in cross-section; Figure 3: schematically shows a side view of the complete assembly of the present invention, fitted in a tub as in use.

The preferred form of the present invention comprises an improved overflow or ami-flooding device able to be fitted to most types of sinks and tubs, except ceramic or concrete tubs.

The inlet pipe 10 of the preferred apparatus is a curved and flattened pipe, as shown in Figure 1. The oval mouth 11 allows a wide surface area of water to enter, thus giving a fast, efficient outflow. When for example a washing machine is emptying a large quantity of water directly into the sink, if the normal plug outlet is blocked the water can flood over very quickly. This oval shape is more efficient than a circular opening, in that less vertical rise in the water level is required to reach from the bottom rim to the widest part of the mouth. The "response" to a rise in water level is accordingly quicker and more effective.

Within this inlet pipe 10 two vertical ribs or blades 12 are provided, extending back from the oval mouth through to the back wall 13 of the curved upper part of the pipe. As shown in Figure 2, from a side view each has the general shape of a shark's fin. These are placed to not restrict water flow, but to stop any foreign matter passing into the pipe which could cause a blockage.

In use, a hole is cut into the wall 21 of a sink or tub 20, and the device 10 is mounted in the hole, as shown in Figure 3. The front outer lip 14 of this inlet pipe is convex in cross-section, to present a smooth, rounded appearance to the exposed face of the device. This outer lip 14 extends as a flange outwardly over the hole in the wall 21 of the tub, and is sealed onto the wall 21 around the rim of the hole.

As the mouth of the device is the only part seen when looking into the sink/tub, it is the .2»}\lv - 241770 only decorative part of the device, and although I have shown the lip 14 in my example to be a plain oval shape it will be appreciated that it could in fact be made in various other designs and shapes and extending further than 1 have shown, for decorative purposes. Several different choices could be available to the public to suit their taste or decor, without altering the rest of the functional purpose or design of the inlet pipe.

The convex shape of the outer edge also allows for a water tight seal on to the wall 21 of the tub 20, and allows a small amount of waterproof sealant to be placed behind when installed.

Two self tapping screws can then be inserted through holes IS at each end on the facing edge into the sink material behind.

As the outer lip 14 is the only visible part of the device once installed, the overall effect is unobtrusive and visually appealing. Generally the device 10 will be inserted as near to the top edge of the sink as practically possible, on whichever side is desirable. The use of the sink is in no way impaired.

The inlet pipe is preferably made of a polypropylene or similar plastic, although it could be made of brass, or other materials, or could be coloured or dipped e.g. chrome, or gold plated for decorative purposes.

Behind the mouth 11, the device 10 is bent through approximately 90* to extend vertically downward in use. The flattened, oval section is maintained or further flattened through the bend in the device, although it may round out to some extent below the bend. The flattened oval shape not only improves the outflow capability of the device, compared to a circular outlet, but also minimises the outer radius of the bend in the device, and accordingly minimises the horizontal thickness of the device between the mouth 11 and the back wall 13. This can be a valuable feature of the present invention, in that the space available between the wall 21 of the sink or tub, and the adjacent face or .IfJUv mounting wall 22 can be very limited, particularly at the front edge of the sink or tub.

At the lower base of the inlet pipe are three protruding, wedge-section external ribs 16 running completely around the perimeter of the pipe, angled upwards at approximately 45*. These are designed to correspond with ribs on a flexible hose pipe 17 which is attached to the lower edge 18 of the inlet pipe. For assembly, the pipe 17 can be relatively easily pushed onto the end 18 of the device 10, but because of their wedge shape will stay firmly attached despite the pressure of the water passing down the hose pipe 17.

The flexible hose is ribbed, each rib preferably being an individual ring, rather than part of a continuous spiral, allowing flexibility and a strong connection to the device 10. It should be appreciated that if a spiral ribbed hose is to be used, the ribs 16 on the device 10 might also be formed as a matching continuous spiral thread. Generally however, a spiral arrangement is considered less preferable at present. The hose will extend down the side of the sink or tub within the mounting cupboard or unit underneath, and will flexibly pass around other existing obstacles, such as waste disposal units, taps, or other plumbing pipes feeding dishwashers etc. This has a great advantage in the ease of installation over standard straight, inflexible pipes, which must be cut and joined, and/or bends and connectors used. The ribbed flexible hose pipe is preferably made of polypropylene or similar material, and preferably can withstand temperatures to 100*C, and normal household cleaners and detergents.

At the lower end 19 of the pipe 17, a side entry extension waste pipe 23 (available as a standard fitting) is installed to connect the pipe 17 to the existing waste pipe 24, above the existing "S" Bend trap. The lower end 19 of the ribbed flexible hose pipe may be fitted to a short piece of straight, inflexible waste pipe of the correct dimension to fit onto the side entry extension pipe, if necessary. Similarly, a wide variety of other, known connection systems might be used to join the end 19 of the flexible pipe to the existing waste pipe. Because the connection is made above the "S" bend, odours and insects or .2>3U* 24 1 7 7 0 other animals are prevented from coming up through the overflow device into the sink or tub.

The device can be applied to almost any sink/tub situation, due to the flattened pipe design of the top inlet fitting which is inserted into the sink/tub. The preferred form of the device 10 is 30mm in width, and is able to be installed in particularly narrow situations, where for example a sink is confined within a laundry cabinet. It will be understood that the top inlet mouth must be placed near the top of the inside wall of the tub to allow normal filling and use of the tub. Removal of the tub to construct an overflow duct from standard piping would be expensive and of little value, as doing this would not ultimately afford any extra space in the area. Accordingly the shape of the top inlet pipe piece of my invention is valuable to the application of the device.

The apparatus once installed is not intended to be removed, but should a mishap occur with any part (eg. if the flexible hose is accidentally cut) then it would be a simple matter to replace the part.

It will be appreciated that a wide variety of modifications might be made to the above example, to suit different purposes or give a different appearance, without departing from the general scope of my invention. In particular, the mouth of the device might be altered considerably, and might (for example) take the form of a horizontal row of small holes, rather than a single, large oval hole with vertical bars or blades in it. Similarly, a rectangular hole, or a mesh screen might be used without departing from the principals of my invention. The device might be made in part from a flexible and resilient material, like the hose 17, so that it can be squashed into a small or unusually shaped space behind the tub wall if necessary. In such a case, the lip 14, the ribs 12 and/or other parts might comprise a separate, inflexible element.

Various other changes and modifications might also be made within the general scope of the present invention, as characterised by the following claims: f t 5535CS.4*S/JW/iv :

Claims (8)

241770 -8- WHATI CLAIM IS:

1. An assembly for the modification of sinks, tubs and other plumbing, comprising an overflow outlet head having a duct between a mouth and an outlet and a flexible pipe connected in use at a first end to said outlet, and at a second end to a waste disposal duct, wherein said duct includes a bend behind said mouth so that, when said mouth is directed substantially horizontally, said outlet can be directed substantially downwardly; said mouth is surrounded by an outwardly projecting flange; and said mouth, duct and outlet have major and minor length orthogonal axes, so that the height of said mouth is less than the width of said mouth, and the depth of said duct and said outlet is less than the width of said duct and said outlet

2. An assembly as claimed in claim 1, further including one or more ribs or bars across said mouth.

3. An assembly as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the depth of said duct and said outlet is less than the height of said mouth.

4. An assembly as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said outlet head includes external detent means around said outlet, comprising a series of projecting ribs, and said pipe includes complementary ribs by which said first end is engaged with said ribs.

5. An assembly as claimed in claim 4, further including a side entry extension pipe at said second end of said flexible pipe connected into said waste disposal duct.

6. A method for the modification of plumbing vessels comprising the steps of: cutting a hole having major and minor length orthogonal axes in the wall of a vessel at or near an upper rim; 5512CS.4SV.JW/lv 241770 inserting an overflow outlet head in said hole, said outlet head having a duct between a mouth and an outlet and having a bend in said duct behind said mouth, and an outwardly projecting flange around said mouth, wherein said mouth, duct and outlet have major and minor length orthogonal axes so that the height of said mouth is less than the width of said mouth, and the depth of said duct and said outlet is less than the width of said duct and said outlet; fixing one end of a flexible pipe in fluid connection with said outlet; and fixing the other end of said pipe in fluid connection with a waste disposal duct.

7. A method as claimed in claim 7, further including the step of fixing said flange to the interior surface of said wall of the vessel, over said hole.

8. An assembly substantially as herein described with reference to any one of the accompanying drawings. JAMES W PIPER & CO. Attorneys for the Applicant JACQUELINE HENDERSON 553iCS.4M/JW/W RECEIVED