Patent Publication Number: US-2019194919-A1

Title: Drain sealing apparatus

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/475,061, filed on Dec. 22, 2017 and entitled “Drain Sealing Apparatus,” the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated herein. 
    
    
     FIELD OF INVENTION 
     This invention relates to plumbing devices and is particularly directed to improved means for blocking floor sink drain openings to prevent passage of odor vermin from the drain, through a grate and into an area above the grate while allowing the free flow of fluid from the area above the grate into the drain. 
     As is more fully described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 9,139,996, 8,496,811 or 8,307,469, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, food preparation kitchens are usually provided with a floor sink having a drain opening which connects to a grease trap or sewer drain to allow disposal of indirect waste water and the like. Unfortunately, rags, napkins, silverware and other large objects are often washed into the floor sink along with the floor washing water and these objects often get carried into the drain and cause blockage, flooding and other problems. These problems are resolved by the drain lock mechanisms described in the above identified patents. However, another problem arises with such drain locks, namely unpleasant odors and undesired and unsanitary vermin still have access to the kitchen or other area above the drain grate creating unpleasant and potentially unsanitary conditions. The present invention provides a mechanism to allow waste water to enter the drain but closing the path through the drain into the kitchen and when waste water is not flowing to thereby prevent odors and vermin from entering the kitchen or area above the drain grate when waste water is not flowing into the drain. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An improved floor sink drain mechanism is provided which positively precludes passage of odors and vermin from passing from the drain pipe into a kitchen or other area above a drain pipe, while permitting free passage of fluid such as waste water to pass from the kitchen or other area above the drain into the drain whereby the downward weight and momentum of the fluid itself causes a one way valve mechanism to open allowing the fluid to pass into the drain and thereafter the one way valve mechanism closes preventing odors and vermin from entering the kitchen area. 
     These and other features and object of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, taken with reference to the figures of the accompanying drawing. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an isometric view of an embodiment of the drain sealing mechanism incorporated with a floor drain in accordance with the invention. 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded side view of the embodiment of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is an isometric view of another embodiment of the drain sealing mechanism incorporated with a floor drain in accordance with the invention. 
         FIG. 4  is an exploded side view of the embodiment of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 3 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , an in-drain sanitary sealing apparatus  10  for keeping odors, insects and vermin from coming up a drain pipe  12  through a grate  14  and into an area such as a kitchen  16 , is positioned in the drain pipe  12  below a drain grate  14  which may be simply a grate apparatus or a part of a drain locking device such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 9,139,996, 8,496,811 or 8,307,469 the disclosure of each being incorporated herein by reference. With reference particularly to a drain locking device  19 , the in-drain sanitary sealing apparatus  10  includes a connector ring  18  with a first edge  20 , the connector ring  18  affixed by any suitable means to a frusto-conical tapered member  24  which is inserted in the drain opening  26  and connected to the upper grate  14  by a bolt, threaded member or other connecting member  21  along its center axis  23  as more fully described in the above identified patents. 
     Alternatively, the connector ring  18  and the tapered member  24  can be integrally manufactured as a single unit or may be affixed together with adhesive or other suitable mating mechanism preferably maintaining connecting member  21  at its central axis  23 . The connector ring  18  has second edge  26  (opposite the first edge  20 ) from which one or more but preferably a plurality of rivets or threaded post members  28  extend in a direction pointing into the drain pipe  12 . A one embodiment, a flexible cone shaped rubber drain member  30  has a larger opening at a first end  32  tapering to a smaller normally closed end  44 . The first end  32  preferable has rivet receiving holes  34  around its peripheral edge  35  for positioning the first end  32  of the cone shaped rubber drain member  30  into engagement with the rivets/posts  28  preferably with one rivet/post member  28  extending through one rivet receiving hole  34 . A clamping ring  36 , with rivet receiving holes  38  arranged around its periphery to align with the rivets/posts  28 , is then placed over the peripheral edge  35  of the cone shaped rubber drain member  30  to clamp the cone shaped rubber drain member between the second edge  26  and the clamping ring  36 . The rivets may then be deformed against the ring  36  to clamp the peripheral edge  35  of the cone shape rubber drain member  30  around its periphery between the ring  36  and the second edge  26  of the connector ring  18 . 
     A sealing ring  40  is positioned in the space  17  between the peripheral surface  42  of the connector ring  18  and the interior surface  13  of the drain pipe  12  to seal the space  17  between the inner surface of the drain pipe  12  and the peripheral surface  42  of the connector ring  18 . 
     In operation, the in-drain sanitary sealing apparatus is inserted into the drain  12  with the rubber ring sealing member  40  pressed between the drain pipe inner surface  13  and the peripheral surface  42  of the connector ring  18  so that the ring sealing member  40  prevents bugs and odors from entering the room through the space  17  between the drain pipe  12  and the connector ring  18  with the cone shaped rubber drain member  30  preventing odors and bugs from entering the room through the center region of the drain pipe  12  through which drain water passes. 
     In operation, water passing through the grate  14  puts pressure on the rubber cone  30  and with a relatively small amount of such pressure the rubber cone  30 , which has a normally closed opening at its narrow end  44 , opens at its narrow end  44  releasing the water through the rubber cone into the drain  12 . When the water stops flowing, the narrow end  44  of the rubber cone member  30  curls up or otherwise closes to return to its normally closed position to seal odors within the drain pipe and keep bugs and other vermin from coming though the drain into the area  16  above the drain pipe  12 . 
     In another embodiment of the drain sealing apparatus, illustrated in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , instead of the discharge from the grate  14  being through an opening in the center of the cone shaped rubber drain member  30  which opens in response to the weight of the liquid flowing therethrough into the drain as is the previously described embodiment, a rubber disc  50  having a circular edge  52  and a center connecting region  62  where the circular edge  52  is positioned in normally closed relationship against the edge  54  of a connector ring  56 . The normally closed relationship is maintained by connecting a center support member  58  between the center connecting member  21  and the center connecting region  62  so as to pull the center  62  of the rubber disc  50  toward the grate  14  thereby holding the edge of the rubber disc  52  in normally closed relationship against the edge  54  of the connector ring  56 . 
     In operation, water passing through the grate  14  puts pressure on the rubber disc  50  at the circular edge  52  causing the normally closed rubber disc  50  to open to allow water to flow into the drain after which the disc returns to its normally closed relationship to keep odors and vermin from coming though the drain into the room  16  above the drain  12 . 
     Numerous variations and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Therefore, it should be clearly understood that the forms of the present invention described above and shown in the accompanying drawing are illustrative only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.