GB2283674A - Tubular waste outlet fitting for a bath or basin - Google Patents

Abstract

In a bath or basin (1), a tubular waste outlet fitting, which also acts as an overflow, comprises a shaped hollow body (6) open at its upper end (11) and with a lower portion (3) which fits into the drainage hole (4). <IMAGE>

Description

TITLE:- A MEANS OF CONTROLLING UNWANTED OVERFLOW OF LIQUIDS.

This invention relates to method and apparatus for effectively redirecting overflowing liquids, principally water, either hot or cold, or such mixtures as may be found in domestic situations, hotels, or public places where baths or washbasins may overflow.

Manufacturers of sanitary-ware may be very familiar with their products and attempt, by careful design and workmanship, to prevent accidental overflows other than by the inbuilt routes their wares provide. And yet unwanted overflows continue to cause serious damage in homes and hotels, that is, if the reports of Insurance companies, Solicitors, and Hotel-keepers are to be accepted as factual.Water overflows top edges of baths & basins.

Examination of the possible causes of such damaging overflows reveals some interesting facts: (a) on the inadequacy of existing overflow systems when compared to the input of water from only one tap. When two taps are operational - as in hot and cold requirements the combined volumes are found to be vastly in excess of the many available overflow orifice dimensions. Even when care has been exercised in the filling of some baths to what may be considered safe and reasonable levels it has been found that the bather frequently underestimates the displacement of water a body, or bodies, will create;(b) inadequacy of an existing overflow system is quickly and often expensively realized as floor coverings and often ceiling plasterwork or decor, and sometimes electrical installations may be rendered unsafe or unusable for some considerable time.In multi-storey buildings,such as hotels, it is reported that water damage has frequently rendered several rooms below the overflow location unsuitable for occupation. Guests have been displaced and hotel revenues lost in consequence. Inconvenience and substantial insurance claims appear to be the norms accepted, and expensive oft-prolonged litigation is not unknown in cases of bathroom overflow situations. Insurance premiums will reflect the severity of the damage sustained-as measured by actuarial calculations, thus increasing the costs of living in passed-on charges. Now major British insuring institutions (Lloyds & Royal) report losses, tinny overflow incidents are not the fault of sanitary-zare manufacturers.They sell their products to others, not all of whom are competent to calculate sufficiently-well the flow restrictions occasioned by pipe walls, bends, or junctions with other piping to give common outlets to drains: a sometimes very complex matter to resolve efficiently when installations are new.

The blocked drain soon becomes the attention of those concerned, but the blocked or restricted overflow situation is found to be either ignored completely until something drastic happens or is accepted as a fact of life. Fouling of overflows by human detrius such as hair, scum, or mixtures of soap residues or cleaning agents is found to be a common occurrence. To resolve such situations requires the services of skilled people with the necessary tools and chemicals; such people are not always readily available.

It is found that many overflow situations in hotels are occasioned by guests who, while in the process of running water in one room are distracted by either telephone calls, hotel service staff, other guests-and children in particular,in another room. The overflowing continues unnoticed,in many cases, as a result of some distraction. Cases have been mentioned of accidental falls and even death being the cause of overflowing water in bathrooms, either in showers, at washbasins, or in baths. High-rise flats are vulnerable.

The invention seeks to remedy this situation by ensuring that the water container, either bath, sink, or wash-basin will simply not overflow. The benefits of thisresolutionwould appear to be self-evident in the light of the evidence examined. But with the current boom in'Do It Yourself' practices, coupled to the wide variety of bathroom fittings now available for selection by lay-men or lay-women more interested in aesthetics rather than in physics or mathematics of water or liquids-flows, the invention would appear to meet a growing need. Nothing like it is known to exist.

While the invention is aimed to meet needs of a generally domestic nature its use in a variety of industrial applications is forseen e.g. in the chemical and energy industries where liquid levels must not exceed specified levels.

The invention in its simplest form is preferably a hollow semi-.

ellipsoidal flat-back section integrating a hollow-plug discharge, & BR< and open-ended at its top. It is captive or free.In-situ, as a water level rises above the allowable overflow-point such excess water exits via the hollow invention irrespective Cf any available overflow fitting supplied as original equipment by the bnt,. or washbasin/sin manufacturers. Newspapers report new EEC 'regulations' seek proscription of new washbasin- overflows Some washbasins and sinks are already supplied in this condition, minus any overflow relief fitting. In others,a circular-blank covers what was intended as a possible overflow connection originally.

The invention seeks to remedy this situation.by utilising the lowest normal outlet orifice,usually blocked by a rubber plug in baths, washbasins and sinks in domestic situations. Washbasins and baths are primary targets. Plug-holes usually incorpoate a ring trap.

To optimise the washbasin/bath/sink/container volumes for the purposes intended,the invention seeks to minimise its intrusion spatially. To that end its shape may be contoured to whatever best achieves this result,preferab3ypre-formed during manufacture to a known range of baths, washbasins, sinks, or container-wall configurations. Alternatively, by using telescoping tubing,here appropriate, a standard extendable, compressible, or easily formed shape may be developed to meet minor variations of vessel walls, distances from plug-hole to overflow points preferred or decreed as as optimum. Rigid,semi-rigid,or work-formable -sections may be used.

It is found that drain-traps, into which normal plugs are inserted, vary in size between baths and washbasins and sinks in many cases.

The depth of the 'ring trap' below the upper level of its inner face is also found to be a variable. To meet this variation the plugs may be of the standard external dimensions as found within plumbing industries, or may be standardised to a suitable sharply angled taper. Alternatively the plugs may be sectionally frustum conical or frustum-spherical to impinge best on seats. Another feature of the invention to overcome disparity of plug-hole size -problems is to s'ct-clize on tlle larger(bath)44.5m =l%" plug.peeling off an annular flexible ring automatically produces 38.lm= li" size.

The upper end of the invention may be secured in position mechanically by a metallic, plastics, rubber or other materials spring-clip which locates upon or within an existing omerflos-v hole, slot, or orifice. Where such location points do not exist(in a minority of cases found) rubber sucker or specially attached compression points may be used. However, the principle of Stable Equilibrium is more favoured, i.e. the Underflow is held more firmly in position by its own weight (mass) to overcome flotational and turbulence problems occasioned by running taps or surges from bathers, or by people when washing. Matters of safety in use are not insignificant.Preferably 'bathroom friendly' materials will be used in domestic applications, hygenic and aesthetically pleasing, resistant to hot water and chemicals normally forseen usable in domestic applications are assumed as fundamentals. To that end a wide range of non-fracturing plastics or rubber-based compounds seem ideally suited presenting clean lines effectively.

For mdustrial applications,where aggressive chemicals or foodstuffs processing may apply, the appropriate materials selection assumes great significance.

The invention seeks to provide:(l) an improved safety precaution against'bathroom' overflows: (2) use of the principle of underflow: (3) eliminate the need for removal of baths, sinks or washbasins for corrective modifications: (4) alternative type plugs.

Major features of the invention will appear from the drawings of an exemplary embodiment.

Figure l. Illustrates section bath with invention minus water.

" 2. " " " " " " PLUS WATER.

" 3. Single or multiple tube configurations & some types.

" 4 Illustration section wash-hand basin with invention.

Claims (13)

1. A MEANS OF CONTROLLING THE UNWANTED OVERFLOW; OF LIQUIDS.

   WHAT I CLAIM IS:1. A hollow section liquids relief plug which holds the required depth of water when inserted into the normal plug-hole, found in either baths or wash-basins or sinks and which ensures excess water escapes when the prescribed or acceptable level is exceeded, as determined by its height.
2. 2. A hollow section liquids relief plug as claimed in Claim 1 which remains in-situ in its plug-hole and is not disturbled from its position by either the turbulence of running taps, the effects of bouyancy-inducing effects of any surrounding waters occasioned by taps 'water pressures, or the normal turbulences in waters created by bathers or persons washing items or themselves in such waters.
3. 3. A hollow section liquids relief plug as claimed in Claims 1 and 2 which may be removed to allow complete drainage of any vessel or container, bath or washbasin/sink by ordinary people without recourse to special skills or equipment.
4. 4. A hollow section liquids relief plug as claimed in Claims 1 to 3 which gives an optimal use of spatial facilities within baths, wash-basins or sinks for the purposes intended.
5. 5. A hollow section liquids relief plug as claimed in Claims 1 to 4 which will meet the differing plug-hole sizes of all known baths,sinks and washbasins,either as specially ordered permitting mass-production, or which,by standardization of parts,may be capable of adaptation on-site by users without specialist tools or skills.
6. b. A hollow section liquids relief plug as claimed in Claims 1 to 5 which may be manufactured in a wide range of self coloured bathroom friendly materials, or which may be finished in a wide range of customer-preference colours and textures ,including those chromium or gold finishes created by the electrolizing processes.
7. 7. A hollow section relief plug as claimed in Clains 1 to 6 which may be rendered captive ( to limit theft) by appropriate non-rusting fasteners, cable or chain.
8. 8. A hollow section relief plug as claimed in Claims 1 to 7 which, when releasing liquids through its top orifice does increase its own stability in-situ.
9. 9. A hollow section relief plug as claimed in Claims 1 to 8 will, at the time of manufacture, cater for a very wide divergence of bath or washbasin shapes without loss of function. Aesthetically and for psychological reasons of taste, shape-variations would be preferable for each type.
10. 10. A hollow section relief plug as claimed in Claims 1 to 9 which, because of its mass,or weight,will act as its own deterrent to theft from hotels, where fitted.
11. 11. A hollow section relief plug as claimed in Claims 1 to 10 which, under the most severe water pressures found in normal domestic and hotel trials,has never allowed water to escape over the bath's or basin's upper rim.
12. 12. A hollow section relief plug as claimed in Claims 1 to 11 which if trodden upon, sat upon, or otherwise stumbled uptn by otherwise naked persons would present no sharp projections to cause serious injury.
13. 13. A hollow section relief plug as claimed in Claims 1 to 12 defies the statement of a senior executive of the largest plumbers merchants in U.K. "There isn't a bath made in Britain where, with the plug in and the tap or taps running, will not overflow its rim." The units are generally in accordance with the accompanying drawings.