Outlet assembly

An outlet assembly is provided for securement into a receiving profile defined upon the bottom surface of a sink for laboratory or like usage. A sleeve is contoured such that an upper lip provides a sloping surface toward the interior of the sleeve with the lip being contoured slopingly toward the interior of the sleeve for further gravitational urging of liquid into the interior of the sleeve. The lower surface of the lip is contoured to receive a lock-nut which includes a grooveway configuration to enhance the securement of a locking-nut relative to the sink or a gasket disposed between the lock-nut and the lower face of the sink. The sleeve may include a contoured receiving profile for a filtering disk which is selectively placeable within the sleeve and which includes a series of fluid flow passageways.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
(1) Field of the Invention 
The invention is directed to an outlet assembly for securement into a 
receiving profile defined upon the bottom surface of a sink for laboratory 
or like usage. 
(2) Brief Description of the Prior Art 
Modern sink assemblies, which may be made of aluminum, plastic, hardened 
epoxy resin, or like known material, are frequently utilized in laboratory 
and hospital environments where abrasive, corrosive, acidic or other 
fluids requiring disposal are encountered. Such sink assemblies normally 
will have a circular or other profiled receiving groove in the approximate 
middle area of the upper face of the sink defining, or for receipt of, an 
elongated cylindrical sleeve outlet member which may be provided as an 
integral part of the sink or, alternatively, may be provided as a separate 
component which may be secured through the profile in the sink during 
assembly on location. The lower end of the sleeve is designed to receive 
the upper end of a plastic or similar drain line which is threadedly or 
otherwise permanently secured to such end of the sleeve to provide a 
continued passageway from the sleeve for disposal of the liquid within the 
sink. 
It is important, because of the environment within which such sinks are 
utilized, for the particular sink assembly to provide fast and complete 
disposal of all liquid on the upper surface of the sink assembly into and 
through the outlet assembly to avoid or abate the adverse effects of 
exposure of said fluids not only to the sink surface, but also to human 
skin, as well. 
The present invention addresses the problems associated with prior art 
outlet assemblies in enabling more efficient and satisfactory 
gravitational drainage of fluids within the sink.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention provides an outlet assembly for securement into a 
receiving profile which is defined upon the bottom surface of a sink used 
in laboratory or the like environments. The outlet assembly includes an 
elongated cylindrical sleeve. The cylindrical sleeve has upper and lower 
ends and defines a continuous inner wall extending therethrough from 
approximate the upper end to the lower end. A lip with top and bottom 
sides is provided around the upper end of the sleeve. The lip projects 
outwardly from and radially around the upper end of the sleeve. The top 
side of the lip defines a smooth surface which has an outer edge which is 
in substantial horizontal alignment with the bottom surface of the sink 
when the outlet assembly is secured within the sink. The top side of the 
smooth upper surface of the lip also includes an inwardly curved portion 
extending through the upper end of the sleeve and providing a part of the 
continuous inner wall within the cylindrical sleeve. The smooth upper 
surface of the top side of the lip slopes concavely from the outer edge 
through the inwardly curved portion to permit liquid within the sink and 
through the sleeve to be gravitationally urged into the upper end of the 
sleeve. 
The bottom side of the lip of the outlet assembly includes a tapered 
portion extending exteriorally around the upper end of the sleeve for 
center alignment of the assembly into the receiving profile. 
The exterior of the sleeve is provided with threads for inter-engagement 
with companion threads on a lock-nut. The lock-nut is positionable by hand 
around the sleeve for securing the assembly to the sink, and the top 
surface of the lock-nut includes a series of circular grooveways extending 
between companion upwardly projecting walls having an apex tip formed on 
the outermost surface. The walls slope outwardly and downwardly therefrom 
to the respective grooveway. A sealing elastomeric gasket may be disposed 
around the exterior of the sleeve and above the lock-nut, such that the 
grooveways and the projecting walls are immeshable into the gasket upon 
securement of the assembly into the sink. Alternatively, a sealant, such 
as an epoxy or silicone material may be applied to the top of the lock-nut 
which will fill the grooveways may be used in place of or in combination 
with the gasket. 
A lock-nut which is contemplated for use with the sink assembly of the 
present invention includes an outwardly extending interiorally defined 
circumferentially extending shoulder on one side of one of the projecting 
walls around the interior of the lock-nut for engagement with the taper to 
thereby lock the lock-nut onto the sleeve in resistance to movements 
therebetween in one direction. 
The outlet assembly may also include a circular filter disk which is 
placeable on a shouldered profile within the interior of the sleeve. The 
disk defines a series of fluid flow passageways therethrough and includes 
an inwardly and downwardly sloping or tapered exterior surface therearound 
for conforming alignment within the shouldered profile when the disk is 
placed within the sleeve. This profile conforms to a companion profile 
defined as part of the inner wall of the elongated cylindrical sleeve at a 
desired pre-selected vertical point interiorally around the sleeve. 
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Now with first reference to FIG. 1 a sink S with a smooth bottom surface B 
is shown in cross-sectional configuration, to which is affixed the outlet 
assembly 100, which, in turn, is threadedly secured at its lower-most end 
to a drain line DL (shown in dotted-line configuration). The outlet 
assembly 100 is shown in more detail in FIGS. 3 and 4. 
Referring now to FIG. 3, the outlet assembly 100 includes an elongated 
cylindrical sleeve 101 having threads 101a at its lower-most end 
circumferentially scribed around the exterior thereof for receipt of the 
drain line DL. The sleeve 101 includes an upper end 102 and a lower end 
103, as well as a continuous inner smooth wall 104. The upper end 102 is 
defined by an outwardly protruding lip member 105 having a top side or 
surface 106 which has a curved portion 107 extending inwardly and forming 
the upper portion, or beginning, of the continuous inner wall 104 of the 
elongated cylindrical sleeve 101. 
Now referring to FIG. 4, the top side of the lip 106 has a smooth surface 
108 which, when the apparatus 100 is in place within the sink S has its 
outer edge 109 in substantial horizontal alignment with the bottom surface 
B of the sink S. The smooth surface 108 extends from the outer edge 109 
lowerly or downwardly, into a concave-shaped slope configuration 110 
within a curve 107. The smooth surface 108 thus slopes inwardly toward the 
curved portion 107 and the continuous wall 104 from the outer edge 109 and 
out of substantially complete horizontal alignment relative to the bottom 
surface B of the sink S. 
The lip 105 also includes a bottom side 111 which extends to a circularly 
extending taper profile 112 for locking engagement with a lock-nut 113, as 
described below. Securing threads 114 are provided for mating 
inter-engagement with sleeve threads 115 defined around the upper exterior 
of the sleeve 101. The lock-nut 113 includes a series of radially defined 
grooveways 116 on the upper face thereof, each grooveway 116 being defined 
between a series of upwardly extending grooveway wall members 117 which, 
in turn, terminate in an apex tip 118. When a sealing gasket, such as 
gasket G-1, which may be of a thin elastomer, plastic, or the like, is 
placed around the exterior of the sleeve 101 and the sink S, the combined 
grooveway wall 117 and grooveway 116 combination are bitingly urged into 
the gasket G-1 to provide enhanced sealing between the lock-nut 113 and 
the lower face of the bottom surface B of the sink S. An epoxy or silicone 
sealant may be used in place of or in combination with the gasket. 
However, it is not necessary in all instances that a gasket G-1 be 
provided, and in such cases, the grooveway wall 117 and grooveway 116 
configuration still provides additional securement of the lock-nut 113 
relative to the lower face of the bottom surface B of the sink S. 
Another gasket G, similar in construction as the gasket G-1, may be 
provided as a seal between the bottom side 111 of the lip 105 and a 
receiving profile RP defined within the bottom surface B of the sink S for 
additional sealing engagement. 
While the taper 112 is not required for more effective drainage, its 
incorporation enables better alignment of the apparatus 100 when it is 
installed in the sink S, since the taper configuration 112 has a tendency 
to center the apparatus within the receiving profile RP of the sink S. 
FIG. 5 illustrates the apparatus 100 with a removable basket B installed 
therein for separation of solids and semi-solids from the fluid disposed 
through the apparatus 100. The basket B may be of the unique type as 
disclosed in co-pending application Ser. No. 09/036,193 filed Mar. 7, 
1998, and entitled "Liquid Drain Apparatus Incorporable Within a Counter 
Top." However, other basket assemblies of differing construction can 
conceivably be incorporated within the apparatus 100. 
On the inner wall 120 of the apparatus 100 is defined an outwardly and 
upwardly shouldered sloping profile 122 for selective receipt of a filter 
disk 121 which is circular in configuration and includes a series of fluid 
passageways 123 disposed therethrough. Around the exterior of the filter 
disk 121 is provided an inwardly and downwardly sloping exterior surface 
124, the slope of such surface 124 being companionly defined relative to 
the shouldered sloping profile 122 of the inner wall 120. The 
configuration of the slopes or tapers 122/124 relative to one another 
enable the filter disk 121 to be placed into the interior of the apparatus 
100 such that fluid passing through the fluid passageways 123 and upon the 
filter disk 121 urges the filter disk 121 toward the profile 122, such 
that "chatter," i.e., combined rotational or partial rotational and 
vertical movements, of the disk 121 are abated. 
While the disk 121 is not locked into place relative to the inner wall 120 
along the profile 122, and may be withdrawn from within the apparatus 100 
by hand or by insertion of, for example, a thin wire, rod or the like 
inserted through the passageway 123, the disk 121 is firmly placed within 
the inner wall 120 due to the combination of the alignment of the surfaces 
122 and 124 and downward force applied to the upper surface of the filter 
disk 121 when fluid is disposed thereon and through the passageways 123. 
When the sink S is properly and completely drained, the filter disk 121 is 
easily removable because of the termination of downwardly urged force or 
pressure upon the upper face of the disk 121. The basket B may then either 
be withdrawn from or introduced into the interior of the apparatus 100, as 
required. 
Now referring to FIG. 6, a contoured shoulder 119 is defined interiorally 
on lock-nut 113 and may be a continuing profile of the inner-most 
grooveway 116 extending from the inner-most grooveway wall 117. When the 
lock-nut 113 is desired to be secured relative to the lower face or bottom 
side 111 of the lip 105, the shoulder 119 will come into contact with a 
lower portion of the taper 112 such that resistance to movements in one 
direction of the lock-nut 113 is provided, further securing the lock-nut 
113 in place. 
OPERATION 
When it is desired to incorporate the outlet assembly 100 into the sink S, 
the elongated cylindrical sleeve 101 is placed into the receiving profile 
103 subsequent to placement within the profile RP of a gasket G. The lower 
end 103 of the sleeve 101 passes through the opening in the receiving 
profile RP. The taper 112 assists in centering the apparatus 100 within 
the receiving profile RP. Thereafter, a gasket G-1 may be placed around 
the upper end of the lock-nut 113 for contacting engagement with the apex 
tip 118 of the respective grooveway walls 117, or a silicone or epoxy 
sealant may be applied by hand to the top surface of the lock-nut 113 to 
fill the grooveways. The lock-nut 113 then is placed around the exterior 
of the elongated cylindrical sleeve 101 by inter-engagement of threads 114 
on the lock-nut 113 and threads 115 on the sleeve 101. Continued rotation 
of the lock-nut 113 relative to the sleeve 101 will cause the upper 
surface of the gasket G-1 to come into contact with the lower face of the 
receiving profile RP such that the gasket G-1 is driven into and between 
the grooveway walls 117 and the apex tips 118 penetrate, slightly, the 
surface of the gasket G-1. Continued rotation in the locking direction of 
the lock-nut 113 is resisted by the inter-engagement of the taper 112 and 
shoulder 119 to effectively lock the lock-nut 113 in place. 
As stated previously, it is not particularly necessary to incorporate use 
of a gasket G-1, but it is preferred. 
When securement of the apparatus 100 in the sink S is completed, the drain 
line DL of known construction, is secured at threads 101A thereto. 
When the apparatus 100 is in place in the sink S subsequent to affixation 
of the lock-nut 113 around the sleeve 101, the outer edge 106A of the top 
side 106 of the lip 105 is in substantial horizontal alignment with the 
bottom surface B of the sink. However, the top side 106 of the lip 105 is 
of inwardly sloping, or concave, configuration relative to the inner wall 
104 of the sleeve 101 and the opening through the sleeve 101 such that 
fluid to be drained through the apparatus 100 in the sink B may be 
gravitationally urged toward and past the concave slope 110 of the curve 
107 of the wall 104. 
During draining, either the basket B or the filter disk 121 may be placed 
interiorally of the apparatus 100 to prevent inadvertent disposal of 
contaminating solids, or of material which has been inadvertently 
deposited in the sink S. Of course, the configuration of the profile 122 
will permit the combined incorporation of the basket B and the filter disk 
121. 
When the filter disk 121 is in place, draining fluid passing through the 
passageways 123 will assist in abating chattering movements of the disk 
121 along the profile 122 to stabilize the positioning of the disk 121 
within the apparatus 100. The filter disk 121 may be removed at any time 
by placing a human finger, rod, pencil end or the like into one of the 
passageways 123, and "popping" the filter disk 121 out of position within 
the profile 122. 
Although the invention has been described in terms of specified embodiments 
which are set forth in detail, it should be understood that this is by 
illustration only and that the invention is not necessarily limited 
thereto, since alternative embodiments and operating techniques will 
become apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the disclosure. 
Accordingly, modifications are contemplated which can be made without 
departing from the spirit of the described invention.