WO2001068996A1

WO2001068996A1 - Liquid trap

Info

Publication number: WO2001068996A1
Application number: PCT/FI2001/000236
Authority: WO
Inventors: Veikko Rajamäki
Original assignee: Serres Oy
Current assignee: Serres Oy
Priority date: 2000-03-15
Filing date: 2001-03-09
Publication date: 2001-09-20
Anticipated expiration: 2002-09-15
Also published as: FI20000607A0; AU4657201A

Abstract

The invention relates to a water trap construction suited for connecting wash basins, bath-tubs and other similar sinks equipped with a discharge opening to a drain pipe, the water trap comprising a body part (2) suited for mounting into the outlet opening of a basin (1), fitting elements (11) for connecting the body part (2) to the outlet opening, a cup (4) adapted to cooperate with the body part (2) and having at least one overflow opening (18), and an inner part (5) which is inserted into the body part (2) and withdrawable from the body part (2) for cleaning and adapted to pass liquid discharged from the basin (1) via the cup (4) so as to form a water trap.

Description

LIQUI D TRAP

The invention relates to a water trap according to the preamble of claim 1 for connecting wash basins, bathtubs and other similar sinks equipped with a discharge opening to a drain pipe.

When wash basins, bathtubs and the like water basins having a discharge opening are connected to a sewer pipe, the backflow of gases from the sewer via the discharge opening of the water basin is prevented by means of a water trap mountable to the lower portion of a basin, the function of the water trap being to maintain a water plug, e.g., in a bend formed in the sewer connection pipe, so as to allow liquid to pass therethrough into the sewer but not gas backward from the sewer pipe . With normal use, the water trap gradually becomes clogged with rubbish that need be removed every now and then to ensure free flow of liquid. For such cleaning, a conventional water trap must be detached from the sewer connection pipe and the basin, whereby liquid spills to the surrounding space may occur. During the time the water trap is separated from the basin, water cannot flow from the basin to the sewer, which means that the dismantled components must be taken to another water tap for cleaning. Additionally, tools are generally needed for dismantling a conventional water trap.

Patent application publication WO 96/12071 discloses a water trap comprising a body part with a construction mountable in the discharge opening of a basin and having an insertable inner part that can be pulled up in its entirety out from the body part for cleaning. The water trap is formed into a cup-shaped part attached to the lower portion of the inner part. A disadvantage of this construction is that the edges of the overflow openings of the cup part tend to aggregate rubbish, chiefly hair, flushed from the basin that in the removal of the inner part jam against the body part thus complicating or entirely preventing the removal of the inner part and the water trap cup from the body part. A similar water trap construction is also disclosed in US Pat. No. 3,725,964.

It is an object of the invention to provide an entirely novel type of water trap capable of overcoming the above- described problems.

The water trap construction according to the invention comprises a body part which is arranged to fit into the bottom outlet opening of a basin and has a flange or the like fitting to match the top edge of the outlet opening. To the lower portion of the body part is formed a cup into which liquid running out from the basin is discharged. The body part is attached to the basin by fixing means such as a bushing mating with the bottom edge of the outlet opening. To the interior of the body part is adapted an inner part open by its lower end, via which liquid to be discharged from the basin can flow into the cup thus forming a water trap when the liquid level rises above the bottom end of the inner part . To the top end of the inner part is permanently mounted a rotatable cap, by means of which the discharge opening of basin can be set into an open/closed position. To clean the water trap, for instance, the inner part is adapted to be removable from the body part by lifting from the cap. The cup is equipped with overflow openings serving to pass liquid into the sewer from the space between the cup and the inner part .

More specifically, the water trap according to the invention is characterized by what is stated in the characterizing part of claim 1.

The invention offers significant benefits

The inner part of the water trap can be removed from inside the body part without interrupting the liquid flow connection between the basin and the sewer, thus allowing the inner part to be flushed with flowing water at the site of use. The inner part can be simply removed without tools by lifting the inner part from its cap. The cap permanently connected to the inner part cannot be lost and is always there at the site of use. As the cap is adapted to cooperate with the body part, instead of being connected to the removable inner part, rubbish accumulating on the edges of the overflow openings of the body part does not interfere with the removal of the inner part. Furthermore, the cap covering the outlet opening also improves the visual look of the basin. The action to close/open the outlet opening can also be performed simply by rotating the cap. The water trap having the construction according to the invention can be readily mounted in basins of different bottom part thicknesses by means of a bushing threadable about the body part . In the following, the invention is examined in detail by making reference to the attached drawing wherein a water trap construction according to the invention is shown in a longitudinally sectioned view illustrating the mounting of the trap to a basin.

The construction of the water trap comprises a body part 2 which is mountable into the outlet opening of a basin 1 and has a flange 3 suited for mating with the top edge of the outlet opening. The diameter of the flange is larger than the inner diameter of the outlet opening, thus preventing the top end of the body part 2 from passing downward through the outlet opening. The bottom end of the body part 2 is formed by a cup 4 through which liquid being discharged from the basin 1 flows.

Into the interior space of the body part 1 is mounted an inner part 5 having an open bottom end and the top end equipped with a permanently fixed cap 6 with a seal 7. Liquid discharged from the basin 1 flows into the cup 4 via flow openings 10 made to the upper portion of the inner part 5. The bottom-end portion of the inner part 5 is adapted to reach into the cup 4. In the horizontal plane, the bottom-end portion of the inner part 5 is ad- vantageously aligned at least substantially centered with the center of the cup 4, whereby the flow resistance through the structure is minimized. The inner part 5 is provided with two projections 8 that are respectively located on opposite sides of the outer surface of the inner part and are arranged to cooperate with the slanted underside surfaces of two projecting parts 9 of the inner surface of the body part 2. Resultingly, a clockwise rotation of the cap 6 causes the projections 8 to slide along the underside surfaces of the projecting parts 9 toward a closed position of the water trap, wherein the seal 7 of the cap 6 becomes compressed against the flange 3 thereby preventing liquid flow from the basin 1 via the flow openings 10 toward the cup 4. Respectively, the counterclockwise rotation of the cup 6 causes the projections 8 to slide along the underside surfaces of the projecting parts 9 toward an open position of the water trap illustrated in the drawing, wherein the seal 7 of the cap becomes separated from the flange 3 thereby allowing liquid flow from the basin 1 toward the cup 4. On opposite sides of the body part 2, between the projecting parts 9, the body part is provided with two upright grooves along which the radially outward projections 8 of the inner part can slide upward to a level above the projecting parts 9 by pulling upward from the cap 6, thus facilitating the removal of the inner part 5 from the interior of the body part 2. Advanta- geously, the grooves are adapted between the projecting parts 9 so that the removal of the inner part 5 from the interior of the body part 2 is possible when the cap 6 is rotated into the open position.

The body part 2 is mounted into the outlet opening of a basin by means of a bushing 11 suited to fit against the underside of the basin. Herein, the body part 2 is threaded by its external threads to mating internal threads made to the entrance opening of the bushing 11. This allows the bushing 11 to be tightened from outside against the underside edge of the basin's outlet opening. A gasket 12 is mounted between the bushing 11 and the basin 1. The threaded joint between the body part 2 and the bushing 11 makes it possible to assemble the water trap construction according to the invention on basins having different wall thicknesses of the outlet opening.

Onto the external surface of the bushing 11 is slidably adapted a fitting 13 whose other end is connected to the sewer pipe. The slidable joint allows the ends of the fitting 13 and the sewer pipe to be aligned at the same level.

When the cap 6 is rotated into the open position of the trap, the liquid contained in the basin 1 flows between seal 7 and the flange 3 further via flow openings 10 to the cup 4 of the body part 2. Additionally, liquid passed via an overflow channel 14 of the basin can flow via the overflow openings 15 of the body part and therefrom further via the overflow openings 16 of the inner part to the cup 4. When the liquid level in the cup 4 reaches a level higher than the lower end of the inner part 5, the cup 4 forms a water trap that prevents gas leaks from the sewer into the inner part 5. Excess liquid from the space between the cup 4 and the inner part 5 flows via overflow openings 18 of the cup to a fitting 13 and therefrom into the sewer. The number of overflow openings 18 in the cup is one or more. Additionally, there is provided between the body part 2 and the inner part 5, above the overflow openings 18 of the cup, a seal 17 that prevents sewer gas from rising upward in the space between the body part 2 and the inner part 5.

In addition to those described above, the invention may have different embodiments. Instead of the rotary open/close movement used in the exemplifying embodiment, the outlet of the basin 1 can be arranged to be opened and closed by, e.g., lifting and lowering the cap 6. Herein, the projecting parts 9 of the body part 2 and the projections 8 of the inner part 5 can be replaced by other suitable structures capable of implementing the open/close movement. In an embodiment where the discharge opening adapted to be closable by a rotary movement, the number of the projecting parts 9 and the projections 8 is at least one, typically 1 to 4.

Claims

Claims :

1. Water trap construction suited for connecting wash basins, bathtubs and other similar sinks equipped with a discharge opening to a drain pipe, the water trap comprising

- a body part (2) suited for mounting into the outlet opening of a basin (1), - fitting elements (11) for connecting the body part (2) to the outlet opening,

- a cup (4) having at least one overflow opening (18), and

- an inner part (5) which is adapted into the body part (2) and withdrawable from the body part (2) for cleaning, which inner part is adapted to pass liquid discharged from the basin (1) via the cup (4) so as to form a water trap,

c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that said cup (4) is integral with said body part (2) .

2. Water trap construction according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the body part (2) includes a flange (3) or the like collar having a rim diameter larger than the inner diameter of the basin's outlet opening.

3. Water trap construction according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that said fitting elements for mounting the body part (2) into the basin's outlet opening comprise a bushing (11) adapted to rest against the basin (1) on its outside surface about the lower edge of the outlet opening.

4. Water trap construction according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d by a cap (6) on the upper end of the inner part (5) allowing the outlet opening of the basin (1) to be opened and closed by rotation of the cap and facilitating by pulling from the cap the elevation of the inner part (5) out from the body part (2) for cleaning.

5. Water trap construction according to claim 1 or 4 , c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the outer surface of the inner part (5) is provided with at least one projection (8) arranged to cooperate with the slanted underside surface of at least one projecting part (9) on the inner surface of the body part (2) .

6. Water trap construction according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the inner part (5) has an open bottom end, whereby the cup (4) forms a water trap when the liquid level in the cup rises above the bottom end of the inner part (5) .

Water trap construction according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d by a slidably onto the bushing (11) mounted fitting (13) for connecting the water trap construction to a sewer pipe.

Water trap construction according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d by a seal (7) adapted to the lower portion of the cap (6) .

9. Water trap construction according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d by at least one flow opening (10) of the inner part (5) via which the liquid discharged from the basin (1) is arranged to flow into the cup (4) .

10. Water trap construction according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d by overflow openings (15, 16) of the body part and the inner part through which openings the liquid flowing through the overflow opening (14) of the basin (1) can flow into the cup (4) .

11. Water trap construction according to claim 3, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the bushing (11) is threadable onto exterior threads made on the outer surface of the body part (2) .

12. Water trap construction according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d by a seal (17) adapted between the body part (2) and the inner part (5) , above the overflow openings (18) of the cup.

13. Water trap construction according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the bottom-end portion of the inner part (5) is aligned in the horizontal plane advantageously at least substan- tially centered with the center of the cup (4) .