US20080290012A1

US20080290012A1 - Water Discharge Pipe and Drain Head Assembly Structure

Info

Publication number: US20080290012A1
Application number: US11/753,054
Authority: US
Inventors: Ti-Nien Shih
Original assignee: P-SUN INTERNATIONAL Co Ltd
Current assignee: P-SUN INTERNATIONAL Co Ltd
Priority date: 2007-05-24
Filing date: 2007-05-24
Publication date: 2008-11-27

Abstract

A water discharge pipe and drain head assembly structure that, by means of a matched drain head inner diameter bore, seal ring shape, and clamp ring, enables the utilization of a simple stomp operated, additionally fabricated, foot-driven component which is sleeved into the inner diameter bore of the drain head to shove down the clamp ring a predetermined distance and thereby compress and deform the seal ring such that a tightly sealed contact is established against a water discharge pipe inserted through them. The arrangement effectively affords optimal watertight anti-seepage efficacy between the water discharge pipe and the drain head, fully solving the numerous problems and shortcomings of the conventional threaded-type mounting ring.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1) Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a water discharge pipe and drain head assembly structure that addresses water discharge pipe and drain head conjoinment and fitting design, the structural design of its drain head enabling, by means of a simple and easy foot-driven operation, the rapid attainment of a watertight anti-seepage state between the drain head and the water discharge pipe that thoroughly solves the numerous problems and shortcomings of the conventional threaded-type mounting ring.
2) Description of the Prior Art
Conventional bathroom accessory-type, drain head and water discharge pipe assemblies, referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, typically consist of a drain head 10 having died onto its exterior aspect external threads 101, accompanied as well by a gasket 11, a washer 12, and a mounting ring 13, enabling the installation of the drain head 10 into a drainage hole at a predetermined position in the floor; along the lower edge of the drain head 10 inner diameter bore is disposed a reduced diameter seat 102, enabling the insertion into the drain head 10 of a rubber water stopping ring 14 that serves as a suitable locating means, said water stopping ring 14 also having disposed along its interior aspect a plurality of grooves 141 capable of making relatively firm conjoinment contact between itself and an inserted water discharge pipe 16; along the upper section of the drain head 10 inner diameter bore are tapped internal threads 103 that match the external threads 151 of a mounting ring 15 that fastens, applying pressure towards the lower section of the water stopping ring 14, causing the water stopping ring 14 to deform and provide tightly sealed constriction against the water discharge pipe 16, thereby achieving, between the water discharge pipe 16 and the drain head 10, watertight anti-seepage efficacy, and to facilitate the fastening of said mounting ring 15, along said mounting ring 15 top edge are fabricated a plurality of notches 152, thereby providing for the insertional placement of a tool bar 17, the tool bar 17 having additionally disposed at its midsection a slot 171 that allows the entrance of a screwdriver or other equivalent tool to facilitate turning the mounting ring 15; after the mounting ring 15 compresses the water stopping ring 14 to achieve, between the water discharge pipe 16 and the drain head 10, a watertight anti-seepage relationship, said tool bar 17 is removed and discarded; finally, at the drain head 10 top section is inserted a cover plate 18 having straining holes 181, which completes the assembly of the prior art.
However, since said structural design, in terms of its drain head and water discharge pipe conjoinment and fitting arrangement, involves the utilization of a mounting ring fastened against the water stopping ring to compress it, causing the water stopping ring to deform and converge against the water discharge pipe outer wall, and thereby achieve, between the water discharge pipe and the drain head, watertight anti-seepage efficacy, this leads to the following existent problems and shortcomings:
(1) Due to the physical peculiarity of the mounting ring, a specially fabricated tool bar must be included to facilitate its fastening and, furthermore, since the mounting ring requires turning down to a specific depth before the water stopping ring reaches ideal compressive effectiveness, resulting imperceptibly in a very troublesome and inconvenient procedure, and furthermore, fastening consumes much time, the design of the mounting ring is difficult to describe as ideal.
(2) Due to the fastened installation of the mounting ring, internal threads must be tapped along the drain head inner diameter bore and, at the same time, external threads died along its outer diameter, resulting in overall assembly and machining operations that are quite complicated, affecting imperceptibly its total production cost, which does not conform with manufacturing economic benefits.
In other words, the prior art drain head and water discharge pipe assembly structure, since its structural design is not fully perfected, results in higher machining costs, troublesome assembly that is time consuming, such that its design can hardly be described as ideal and which certainly awaits the development of methods providing solution and improvement.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the existent derivative problems and shortcoming of the prior art structure, the inventor of the invention herein conducted research to effect improvement based on years of engagement in the relevant industries that culminated in the development of the improved structure of the present invention, the primary objective of which is to provide a convenient assembly structure wherein an easy foot-driven operation rapidly completes the coupling of the drain head to the water discharge pipe to effectively achieve watertight anti-seepage efficacy between them.
Another objective of the invention herein consists of, via the structure of its assembly design, enabling not only easier assembly, but also the effective simplification of the overall structure as well as the significant reduction of its assembly cost.
Yet another objective of the invention herein consists of, via the structure of its assembly design, enabling the seal ring to receive an equalized application of force such that a tightly sealed contact is established against the water discharge pipe, and on the basis of this, an optimal watertight anti-seepage state.
To achieve said objectives, the structural design of the invention herein, utilizes a seal ring having an inward fold along the center section of its outer diameter along with a drain head-inner diameter bore plan, and an additionally fabricated foot-driven component, the latter enabling by means of a simple stomping action, the trampling down of the additionally fabricated foot-driven component sleeved into the drain head inner diameter bore to shove in a clamp ring a predetermined distance and thereby compress and deform the seal ring such that a tightly sealed contact is established against a water discharge pipe inserted through them, effectively affording a watertight anti-seepage relationship between the water discharge pipe and the drain head, the arrangement constituting a convenient, practical, and unique design.
To further elaborate the structural components, the technological means, and the functions of the invention herein, the brief description of the drawings below are followed by the detailed description of the preferred embodiments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded drawing of the conventional water discharge pipe and drain head.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional drawing of the conventional water discharge pipe and drain head.

FIG. 3 is an exploded drawing of the most preferred embodiment of the invention herein.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional exploded drawing of the most preferred embodiment of the invention herein.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional drawing of the most preferred embodiment of the invention herein at a certain stage during the assembly process.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional drawing of the most preferred embodiment of the invention herein at the completion of assembly.

FIG. 7 is an isometric drawing of the most preferred embodiment of the invention herein that illustrates the overall structural assembly.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional drawing of the invention herein that illustrates the overall structural assembly relationships.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to the exploded drawing of FIG. 3, the cross-sectional exploded drawing of FIG. 4, the assembly stages depicted in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, the structural assembly illustrated in FIG. 7, and the structural assembly relationships illustrated in FIG. 8, each showing aspects of the most preferred embodiment of the invention herein and, as indicated in the drawings, the structural design of the present invention is comprised of a drain head 20, the drain head 20 having external threads 21 died around its exterior extent; a paper washer 31, a rubber washer 32, and a lock ring 30, enabling the installation of the drain head 20 into a drainage hole at a predetermined position in the floor; and a reduced diameter seat 23 disposed along the lower edge of the drain head 20 inner diameter bore 22, enabling the insertion into the drain head 20 of a rubber material fabricated seal ring 40 that serves as a suitable locating means; said seal ring 40 has fabricated along its center section a pleat 41 such that said seal ring 40 appears cross-sectionally as a center section inward fold and, furthermore, the pleat 41 is partially biased at its superior extent such that the seal ring 40 lower extent is slightly longer at the upper portion, its upper portion and the pleat 41 having an inclination angle of approximately 45 degrees and its lower portion and the pleat 41 having an inclination angle of approximately 50 degrees and, at the same time, the pleat 41 thickness is thinner and has an excellent deformability rate, said seal ring 40 maximum outer diameter conforms with the drain head 20 inner diameter bore 22, and the seal ring 40, at the pleat 41 minimum diameter interior side, conforms with the water discharge pipe 80 outer diameter; as such, when the water discharge pipe 80 is inserted into the drain head 20 from its lower extent, contact is established between the seal ring 40 pleat 41 interior aspect and the water discharge pipe 80 exterior aspect, and after said seal ring 40 has been placed into the drain head 20 inner diameter bore 22, a predetermined thickness clamp ring 50 is then put in; said clamp ring 50 is fabricated such that its outer diameter fits tightly within the drain head 20 inner diameter bore 22 and the clamp ring 50 inner diameter matches the seal ring 40 minimum inner diameter, and its inner diameter hole 51 lower edge is an approximately 45-degree inverted angle, slanted annular surface 52 by design, utilizing an additionally fabricated foot-driven component 60 sleeved in from the drain head 20 inner diameter bore 22 upper extent onto which is applied an appropriate stomped force to move down said clamp ring 50, said foot-driven component 60 has at its top edge a collar flange 61 which is of a diameter larger than that of the drain head 20 inner diameter bore 22, thereby preventing the foot-driven component 60 from becoming completely ensleeved in the drain head 20 inner diameter bore 22, and its drive pipe section 62 length D is greater than the drain head 20 inner diameter bore 22 depth A to reduce both the seal ring 40 thickness B and clamp ring 50 thickness C values, i.e. D>A−(B+C), and as such after the foot-driven component 60 drive pipe section 62 is fully stomped in, said clamp ring 50 is shoved down a predetermined distance, which then compresses the seal ring 40, resulting in said seal ring 40 upper section subjected to the pressure to deform, causing the seal ring 40 upper edge and its pleat 41 inner edge to respectively establish firm contact against the drain head 20 inner wall and the water discharge pipe 80 outer wall, thereby achieving, between the water discharge pipe 80 and the drain head 20, optimal watertight anti-seepage efficacy, and following the removal of the foot-driven component 60, a cover plate 70 having straining holes 71 is fitted lastly onto the top section of the drain head 20, thereby completing the entire assembly.
In the disclosed structure above, since said seal ring 40, via the clamp ring 50, downward compression and deformation effectively achieves watertight anti-seepage between the water discharge pipe 80 and the drain head 20 and the pressing down of said clamp ring 50 utilizes the foot-driven component 60 which is pushed down directly by trampling under foot, therefore, said drain head 20 inner diameter bore 22 does not require the additional tapping of threads, thereby achieving structural simplification, reducing production cost and this affording a certain degree of economic benefit; moreover, since assembly only requires a simple tramping down action to complete, this not only increases simplicity and convenience, but enables female consumers to easily complete its assembly and, furthermore, does not require additional tools for the operation, therefore, the overall assembly procedure may be described as simple and fast.
Additionally, through the structural arrangement of the seal ring 40 of the invention herein, as well as the clamp ring 50 and the drain head 20 inner diameter bore 22 tight fitting design, which enables after its clamp ring 50 is subjected to downward pressure and accordingly descend into a non-loosening separation state and, furthermore, said clamp ring 50 balanced downward pressure equalizes the force exerted against seal ring 40, therefore, its seal ring 40 deformation further enhances the watertight efficacy between the water discharge pipe 80 and the drain head 20, effectively improving the conventional structure water stopping ring, unbalanced force-induced gap leakage problems, which generally, enhances the practical value of the invention herein.
As such, given said description, it is known that in the invention herein the assembled conjoinment and fitting of the drain head 20 with the water discharge pipe 80 eliminates the conventional utilization of the mounting ring and water stopping ring torque-and-constrain structural arrangement, improving by means of the tight-fit design between its clamp component and the drain head 20 inner diameter bore 22, as well as the unique structural arrangement of the seal ring 40 which enables the stomping of its foot-driven component 60 such that the clamp component is displaced downward against the seal ring 40 and results in its deformation, thereby achieving, between the water discharge pipe 80 and the drain head 20, a watertight anti-seepage relationship, which not only effectively prevents leakage, but also simplifies the overall structure such that its machining and production cost are reduced and, most importantly, its assembly tasks are significantly simplified and accelerated, enabling any consumer to easily complete its full installation and, compared to the conventional structure mounting ring torque-and-constrain arrangement, definitely meets manufacturing practical value and utility criteria, and thus can be considered an outstanding, breakthrough design.
In summation of the foregoing section, since the unique design of the invention herein addresses water discharge pipe and drain head assembly structures, enabling by means of a simple stepping action the rapid completion of conjoining the drain head 20 to the water discharge pipe 80 as well as also achieving watertight anti-seepage capability and, furthermore, structural simplification that effectively reduces production costs and, in general terms, genuinely possesses exceptional manufacturing practical value and utility, the present invention is lawfully submitted in application for the commensurate patent rights.

Claims

1. A water discharge pipe and drain head assembly structure comprised of a drain head, said drain head having external threads died around its exterior extent; a paper washer, a rubber washer, and a lock ring, enabling the installation of said drain head into a drain hole at a predetermined position in the floor; a reduced diameter seat disposed along the lower edge of the inner diameter bore of said drain head, enabling the insertion into said drain head of a rubber material fabricated seal ring that serves as a suitable locating means; a clamp component that presses said seal ring, causing its deformation and firm contact against the outer diameter of a water discharge pipe and said inner diameter bore of said drain head, thereby achieving, between said water discharge pipe and said drain head, a watertight anti-seepage state, and finally a cover plate having straining holes that is fitted onto the top section of said drain head, thereby completing the entire assembly, the unique features of which includes:

said inner diameter bore of said drain head is of a non-threaded design; said seal ring has fabricated along its center section an inward oriented pleat; said seal ring maximum outer diameter matches the inner diameter bore of said drain head and said the seal ring, at the interior side of said pleat minimum diameter matches the outer diameter of said water discharge pipe; said clamp component in the form of a clamp ring is fabricated such that its outer diameter fits tightly within said drain head inner diameter bore; and utilizing an additionally fabricated foot-driven component, sleeved in from the upper extent of said drain head inner diameter bore and onto which is applied an appropriate stomped force to move down said clamp ring, compresses said seal ring, the resulting deformation of said seal ring achieves, between said water discharge pipe and said drain head, optimal watertight anti-seepage efficacy.

2. A water discharge pipe and drain head assembly structure as claimed in claim 1 in which said pleat along the center section of said seal ring is partially biased at its superior extent such that said seal ring lower extent is slightly longer at its upper portion, its upper portion and said pleat having an inclination angle of approximately 45 degrees and its lower portion and said pleat having an inclination angle of approximately 50 degrees and, at the same time, said pleat thickness is thinner and has an excellent deformability rate.

3. A water discharge pipe and drain head assembly structure as claimed in claim 1 in which said clamp ring inner diameter matches said seal ring minimum inner diameter, and its inner diameter hole lower edge is an approximately 45-degree inverted angle, slanted annular surface by design to thereby exert force against the seal ring to achieve watertight anti-seepage efficacy.

4. A water discharge pipe and drain head assembly structure as claimed in claim 1 in which said foot-driven component has at its top edge a collar flange which is of a diameter larger than that of said drain head inner diameter bore, and at the lower extent of said foot-driven component, a drive pipe section has a length D that is greater than said drain head inner diameter bore depth A to reduce both said seal ring thickness B and said clamp ring thickness C values (D>A−(B+C)) and, as such, after said foot-driven component pressure pipe section is fully stomped in, said clamp ring is shoved down a predetermined distance, which then compresses said seal ring to thereby achieve watertight anti-seepage efficacy.