Patent Publication Number: US-2022219210-A1

Title: Drain cleaner

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/935,417, filed Jul. 22, 2020, now U.S. Pat. No. 11,285,521, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/824,800, filed Nov. 28, 2017, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,722,928, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/426,898, filed Nov. 28, 2016, and to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/509,805, filed May 23, 2017, the entire contents of both of which are incorporated by reference herein. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     The present invention relates to drain cleaners. 
     Drain cleaners are used to clear clogs and other debris out of drains and other types of conduits. A drain cleaner typically includes an elongated cable that can be inserted into a drain. The cable may be rotated, or spun, to help break up clogs within the drain. More recent drain cleaners include motors to help spin the cables. These drain cleaners, however, may be relatively heavy and/or bulky, making them difficult to transport. 
     SUMMARY 
     In one embodiment the present disclosure provides drain cleaner assembly including a base unit including a housing, a drive arrangement positioned within the housing, and a motor coupled to the drive arrangement and supported by the housing, the motor operable to selectively drive the drive arrangement, and a drum unit removably coupled to the base unit. The drum unit includes a drum that engages the drive arrangement when the drum unit is coupled to the base unit to rotate the drum, a cable stored within the drum and selectively extendable out of the drum and into a drain, and an outer casing at least partially surrounding the drum, wherein the drum is rotatable within the outer casing, wherein the drive arrangement includes a coupling arrangement between the motor and the drum, the drive arrangement extending through the outer casing. 
     In another embodiment the present disclosure provides a drain cleaner assembly including a base unit including a housing, a drive arrangement positioned within the housing, the drive arrangement including an output member, and a motor coupled to the drive arrangement and supported by the housing, the motor operable to selectively drive the drive arrangement, and a drum unit removably coupled to the base unit. The drum unit includes an inner drum rotatably driven by the drive arrangement, a cable stored within the inner drum and selectively extendable out of the drum and into a drain, an outer drum including a housing at least partially surrounding the inner drum, and a driven member rotatably fixed to the inner drum and extending through the housing of the outer drum, the driven member selectively driven by the output member when the drum unit is coupled to the base unit, wherein the drum unit is removable from the base unit as a single unified unit. 
     In yet another embodiment the present disclosure provides a drain cleaner assembly including a cable selectively extendable into and out of a drain and a base unit including a housing, a drive arrangement positioned within the housing, the drive arrangement including a motor supported by the housing and operable to drive the cable into the drain, a power supply electrically coupled to the motor to provide power to the motor, and a controller operatively coupled to the motor to control operation of the motor. A remote control unit is disposed external to the base unit, the remote control unit being in communication with the controller and configured to send a signal to the controller, the signal initiating operation of the motor. 
     Other aspects of the invention will become apparent by consideration of the detailed description and accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a drain cleaner including a base unit and a drum unit. 
         FIG. 2  is another perspective view of the drain cleaner shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a top view of the drain cleaner shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of the drain cleaner taken along section line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of the drain cleaner taken along section line  5 - 5  of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 6  is a front perspective view of the drain cleaner including a strap arrangement. 
         FIG. 7  is a rear perspective view of the drain cleaner shown in  FIG. 6 . 
         FIG. 8  is a front view of the drain cleaner shown in  FIG. 6 . 
         FIG. 9  is a rear view of the drain cleaner shown in  FIG. 6 . 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective view of the drain cleaner shown in  FIG. 6  including a stabilizer in an extended position. 
         FIG. 10A  is a cross-sectional view of a base portion of the drain cleaner shown in  FIG. 6 , illustrating the stabilizer in a retracted position. 
         FIG. 10B  is a cross-sectional view of a base portion of the drain cleaner shown in  FIG. 6 , illustrating the stabilizer in the extended position. 
         FIG. 11  is a front perspective view of a base unit of the drain cleaner shown in  FIG. 6 . 
         FIG. 11A  is a rear view of the base unit shown in  FIG. 11  with a strap arrangement in a lowered position. 
         FIG. 11B  is a rear view of the base unit shown in  FIG. 11  with the strap arrangement in a raised position. 
         FIG. 11C  is a perspective view of a foot pedal for use with the drain cleaner shown in  FIG. 6 . 
         FIG. 11D  is an enlarged view of a portion of the base unit shown in  FIG. 11 , including coupling means for connecting the foot pedal to the base unit. 
         FIG. 12  is a rear view of the base unit of  FIG. 11  with a portion of a housing removed to show a belt drive arrangement inside the base unit. 
         FIG. 12A  is an enlarged view of a portion of the belt drive arrangement shown in  FIG. 12 . 
         FIG. 13  is a perspective view of an outer drum of the drain cleaner shown in  FIG. 6 . 
         FIG. 14  is another perspective view of the outer drum of  FIG. 13 . 
         FIG. 15  is a side view of the outer drum of  FIG. 13 . 
         FIG. 16  is a rear view of the outer drum of  FIG. 13 . 
         FIG. 17  is a front perspective view of an inner drum of the drain cleaner shown in  FIG. 6 . 
         FIG. 18  is a rear perspective view of the inner drum of  FIG. 17 . 
         FIG. 19  is a cross-sectional view of the inner drum of  FIG. 17  taken along section line  19 - 19  of  FIG. 17 . 
         FIG. 20  is a cross-sectional view of the drain cleaner taken along section line  20 - 20  of  FIG. 7 . 
         FIG. 21  illustrates a variety of cable attachments for use with the drain cleaner shown in  FIG. 6 . 
         FIG. 22  is a cross-sectional view of the foot pedal taken along section line  22 - 22  of  FIG. 11C . 
         FIG. 23  is a perspective view of the inner drum inside of the outer drum. 
         FIG. 23A  is an enlarged view of the inner drum from of  FIG. 23  illustrating a securement member. 
         FIG. 23B  us an enlarged view of the inner drum from  FIG. 23  illustrating the securement member. 
         FIG. 24  is a cross-sectional view of the drain cleaner taken along section line  24 - 24  of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 25  is a cross-sectional view of the drain cleaner taken along section line  25 - 25  of  FIG. 3 . 
     
    
    
     Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIGS. 1-5  illustrate a drain cleaner  100  including a first unit  104  and a second unit  108 . The first unit  104  is a base unit or drive unit. The second unit  108  is a drum unit. The drain cleaner  100  is modular such that the second unit  108  is removable from the first unit  104 . The first unit  104  includes a motor, a battery pack  164 , and a stand portion or stabilizer. Although not shown in these figures, the first unit  104  can also include backpack-style straps. The second unit  108  is removable from the first unit  104  and includes a contained cable drum. In one embodiment, the drum can be dropped into place to interface with the motor and be rotated by the motor, e.g., moved solely in the vertical direction relative to the first unit  104  to interface the second unit  108  with the first unit  104  such that the drum can be rotated by the first unit  104 . The drum can also be carried separately from the motor, the battery  164 , and the stand portion to provide easier, more manageable carrying of the heavy drain cleaner  100  by a user. For example, the user can distribute the weight of the drain cleaner  100  between the drum carried in the user&#39;s hands and the first unit  104  carried on the user&#39;s back using the backpack straps. Additionally, various different drums, e.g., containing different sizes, lengths, types, etc. of cables can be attached to the same first unit. Thus, the first unit  104  can be used to drive various different drums containing various different cables. 
     The drum of  FIGS. 1 and 2  contains a cable. When a user reaches an end of the cable (e.g., all of the cable has been fed out of the drum), often times the user will swap in a new drum with more cable, attach an end of the new cable to the end of the old cable, and continue feeding cable down a drain. However, during this transition, the user does not want the free end of the old cable to escape down the drain. In some embodiments, drain cleaner includes a retention mechanism (e.g., a hook, a magnet, etc.) either on an exterior of the drum or on the driving unit. The retention mechanism is configured to retain (e.g., temporarily hold) the end of the old cable while the user changes the drum and the user is ready to connect the end of the old cable to the end of the new cable. 
       FIG. 11  illustrates the drive unit  104  of a drain cleaner  100 . The drive unit  104  includes a vertical slot  136  configured to receive a portion of a drum that is driven by the drive unit  104  to spin a cable. In the illustrated embodiment, the drive unit  104  includes a belt and pulley system. A driven shaft of the drum is driven by an exterior surface of the belt. This arrangement allows for easy attachment and removal of the drum from the drive unit  104  (e.g., through a simple vertical sliding motion), without disassembling the drive unit  104 , removing the belt, etc. Additionally, the relatively low locations of the drive wheel and the motor allows for the weight of the motor to be distributed below an axis of rotation of the drum, providing a stable base for the drive unit  104  and the drum. 
     In some embodiments, the drive unit  104  of the drain cleaner  100  may be controlled by a foot pedal  165 . The illustrated drive unit  104  may be activated by an electronic foot pedal  165  that is electrically coupled to a controller of the motor  170 . The electronic foot pedal  165  allows for superior control and guaranteed actuation compared to conventional foot pedals with air switches. In addition, the electronic foot pedal  165  allows for variable speeds, is fully sealed for water resistance, and includes a quick-connect cord for serviceability and storage advantages. For example, the foot pedal  165  may allow the drain cleaner  100  to operate at multiple speeds between zero speed (i.e., off or stopped) and full speed. In other embodiments, the foot pedal  165  may not be variable speed, but may simply turn the drain cleaner  100  on and off. 
     The motor of the drain cleaner  100  may also include an electronic brake to slow rotation of the drum when a user releases (e.g., takes his/her foot off of) the foot pedal  165 . Electronic components (not shown) associated with the motor may also provide a breaking force to slow the rotation of the drum. The electronic brake is a soft-style brake that gradually stops rotation of the drum, rather than suddenly stopping rotation of the drum when the foot pedal  165  is released. 
       FIGS. 6-9  illustrate the drain cleaner  100  in more detail. The drain cleaner  100  is configured to rest on the ground and remain upright during operation. The illustrated drain cleaner  100  includes a base unit  104 , an outer casing or an outer drum  108 , and an inner drum  112  ( FIGS. 17-18 ). The base unit  104  supports the outer drum  108  and the inner drum  112  on the ground. The inner drum  112  is supported within the outer drum  108 , and the outer drum  108  is removable with the inner drum  112  from the base unit  104 . The inner drum  112  houses a flexible cable, or spring, which can be fed out of the drain cleaner  100  through an opening  116  in the outer drum  108  and into a drain. The base unit  104  is coupled to the inner drum  112  to rotate the inner drum  112  and, thereby, the flexible cable. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 10-12 , the illustrated base unit  104  includes a housing  120 , a drive arrangement  124  positioned within the housing  120 , and a battery receptacle  128  supported by the housing  120 . The housing  120  includes a lower surface  132  that defines a base of the drain cleaner  100 . As shown in  FIG. 11 , the illustrated housing  120  further includes a relatively large vertical slot  136  and two smaller guide slots  140 . The large vertical slot  136  receives a portion of the inner drum  112  to operatively couple the inner drum  112  to the base unit  104 , as described below. The guide slots  140  receive portions of the outer drum  108  to help align the outer and inner drums  108 ,  112  on the base unit  104 . 
     In the illustrated embodiment, the base unit  104  also includes a strap arrangement  144  coupled to the housing  120  so that the drain cleaner  100  can be carried like a backpack. As shown in  FIGS. 11A-11B , in some embodiments, the strap arrangement  144  may include snaps  146 , or other coupling mechanisms, coupled near a top and a bottom of each strap. In such embodiments, the snaps  146  may couple together to lift lower portions of each strap away from the ground (as shown in  FIG. 11B ) and, thereby, out of any mess that may be on the floor of a jobsite. In other embodiments, the strap arrangement  144  may be omitted. 
     As shown in  FIG. 12 , the illustrated drive arrangement  124  is a belt drive arrangement including a drive pulley  148 , two idler pulleys  152 , and a belt  156 . The drive pulley  148  is coupled to an output shaft  160  of a motor  170  ( FIG. 24 ). The idler pulleys  152  are supported by a mounting plate or backbone  169  of the housing  120  and are spaced apart from the drive pulley  156 . In the illustrated embodiment, each idler pulley  152  is positioned on one side of the vertical slot  136  ( FIG. 11 ). The belt  156  wraps around the pulleys  148 ,  152  and is driven by the drive pulley  148 . As shown in  FIG. 11 , a section of the belt  156  is exposed at and extends across the vertical slot  136 . This section of the belt  156  is engaged by a portion of the inner drum  112  to rotate the inner drum  112 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 12A , the drive arrangement  124  also includes a tensioner  161  mounted to one of the idler pulleys  152 . The illustrated tensioner  161  includes an elongated opening  162  that receives and rides along a boss  163  in the base unit  104 . The boss  163  extends from the backbone  169  of the housing  120 . The tensioner  161  is configured to allow the idler pulley  152  to move vertically relative to the housing  120 . In the illustrated embodiment, the tensioner  161  is biased in the direction of arrow A (upward in  FIG. 12A ) by two springs  165  (e.g., coil springs). In other embodiments, the tensioner  161  may be biased by fewer or more springs. When the outer and inner drums  108 ,  112  are mounted to the base unit  104  at the vertical slot  136 , the tensioner  161  allows the idler pulley  152  to move in the direction of arrow B (downward in  FIG. 12A ) to help properly tension the belt  156 . 
     Referring back to  FIG. 12 , the battery receptacle  128  is formed in the housing  120 . The battery receptacle  128  is configured to receive a battery pack  164 , such as an 18V Li-ion power tool battery pack. The battery receptacle  128  electrically couples the battery pack  164  to the motor  170  ( FIG. 24 ) to selectively power the motor  170 . When the motor is energized by the battery pack  164 , the motor  170  rotates the output shaft  160  to rotate the drive pulley  148  and, thereby, move the belt  156  about the drive arrangement  124 . The motor  170  also includes a speed reducing gearbox with a plurality of gears  171 . 
     The illustrated drain cleaner  100  is controlled by a foot pedal  165  ( FIGS. 10 and 11 ). The foot pedal  165  is coupled to the battery pack  164  and the motor  170  ( FIG. 24 ) to control the motor  170  (e.g., start and stop the motor  170 ). The foot pedal  165  allows a user to remotely control the motor  170  by actuating (e.g., depressing) the foot pedal  165 . When not in use, the foot pedal  165  can be stored at least partially within the vertical slot  136  of the base unit  104 . In particular, as shown in  FIGS. 11C and 11D , the illustrated foot pedal  165  includes two inverted bosses  166 , or cavities, that match two bosses  167  on the top of the base unit  104  adjacent the vertical slot  136 . The inverted bosses  166  on the foot pedal  165  receive the bosses  167  of the base unit  104  to help properly align and store the foot pedal  165  in the vertical slot  136 . In other embodiments, the positions of the inverted bosses  166  and the bosses  167  may be reversed, and/or the foot pedal  165  may include other coupling means for removably connecting the foot pedal  165  to the base unit  104 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 10 , the illustrated base unit  104  also includes a stabilizer  168 . The stabilizer  168  includes a rod member  172  and two feet  176  that are coupled to the rod member  172 . In the illustrated embodiment, the rod member  172  is bent into a general U-shape. The feet  176  are coupled to corners of the U-shape. In addition, a handle  180  is coupled to the rod member  172  between the feet  176 . The handle  180  helps a user grasp the stabilizer  168  to move the stabilizer  168  relative to the base unit  104 . In the illustrated embodiment, the stabilizer  168  is linearly slidable into and out of the base unit  104  between a retracted position ( FIG. 7 ) and an extended position ( FIG. 10 ). While in the retracted position, the base unit  104  is relatively compact. While in the extended position, the base unit  104  has a larger base for stability. In particular, the stabilizer  168  creates a tripod-like support between the feet  176  and the outer drum  108 . The illustrated stabilizer  168  is movable to a range of positions between the retracted position and a fully extended position to fit within different sized work areas. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 10A and 10B , the base unit  104  includes a detent mechanism to retain the stabilizer  168  in the retracted position ( FIG. 10A ) and the fully extended position ( FIG. 10B ). In the illustrated embodiment, the detent mechanism includes two sets of spring members  182 A,  182 B supported by the base unit  104  and projections  183  coupled to the rod member  172 . The illustrated projections  183  are integrally formed with the rod member  172  adjacent ends of the rod member  172 . When in the retracted position, as shown in  FIG. 10A , the projections  183  engage the first set of spring members  182 A to inhibit the rod member  172  from freely sliding out of the base unit  104 . When in the extended position, as shown in  FIG. 10B , the projections  183  engage the second set of spring members  182 B to inhibit the rod member  172  from freely sliding into the base unit  104 . In further embodiments, the detent mechanism may include additional sets of spring members to retain the stabilizer  168  in other positions. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 13-16 , the outer drum  108  includes a clamshell housing  184  that receives the inner drum  112 . The illustrated clamshell housing  184  includes a lower housing portion  188 , an upper housing portion  192 , a hinge  196 , and a latch  200 . The upper housing portion  192  is pivotally coupled to the lower housing portion  188  by the hinge  196 . As such, the upper housing portion  192  is movable (e.g., pivotable) about the hinge  196  relative to the lower housing portion  188  between a closed position and an open position. When in the closed position, as illustrated, the clamshell housing  184  substantially encloses and protects the inner drum  112 . When in the open position, the inner drum  112  is exposed and may be removable from the outer drum  108 . The latch  200  extends between the lower and upper housing portions  188 ,  192  and selectively secures the upper housing portion  192  in the closed position. 
     The outer drum  108  is selectively coupled to the base unit  104  by inserting (e.g., dropping) the outer drum  108  onto the base unit  104  from vertically above the base unit  104 . Referring to  FIGS. 15 and 16 , the outer drum  108  includes two guide rails  204  extending from a rear of the clamshell housing  184 . The guide rails  204  are configured to fit within the guide slots  140  ( FIG. 11 ) of the base unit  104  to help align the outer drum  108  on the base unit  104 . A driven pulley  208  of the inner drum  112  also extends outwardly from the rear of the clamshell housing  184 . The driven pulley  208  is configured to fit within the vertical slot  136  ( FIG. 11 ) of the base unit  104  and engage the belt  156 . A shield  212  of the outer drum  108  extends over the driven pulley  208  to help cover and protect the driven pulley  208  when the driven pulley  208  is received in the vertical slot  136 . 
     When the outer drum  108  is properly aligned and inserted onto the base unit  104 , two latches  216  ( FIGS. 6-8 ) selectively secure the outer drum  108  to the base unit  104 . The latches  216  are positioned on opposing sides of the outer drum  108  and engage corresponding features on the base unit  104 . In the illustrated embodiment, the latches  216  are over-center latches. In other embodiments, other coupling mechanisms may be used to secure the outer drum  108  to the base unit  104 . The weight of the outer drum  108  and the securement of the latches  216  create sufficient force between the driven pulley  208  and the belt  156  ( FIG. 11 ) to tension the belt  156  when the outer drum  108  is connected to the base unit  104 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 13 and 14 , the outer drum  108  also includes a handle  220 . The illustrated handle  220  is pivotally coupled to the upper housing portion  192 . The handle  220  facilitates lifting the outer drum  108  apart from the base unit  104 . The handle  220  also facilitates carrying the outer drum  108  (with the inner drum  112 ) apart from the base unit  104 . The handle  220  further facilitates inserting the outer drum  108  onto the base unit  104 . When the outer drum  108  is secured to the base unit  104  (e.g., via the latches  216 ), the handle  220  can also be used to lift and carry the entire drain cleaner  100 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 17 and 18 , the inner drum  112  includes a generally cylindrical housing  224 , a guide conduit  228 , a driven shaft  232 , and the driven pulley  208 . The housing  224  is configured to receive and store the flexible cable of the drain cleaner  100 . In the illustrated embodiment, the housing  224  includes weep holes  236  formed in the perimeter of the housing  224 . The weeps holes  236  provide drains into the outer drum  108 , keeping the flexible cable from sitting in water if the inner drum  112  is not emptied. The guide conduit  228  guides the flexible cable from the housing  224  to the opening  116  ( FIG. 6 ) in the outer drum  108 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 25 , the driven shaft  232  is coupled to the guide conduit  228 . In the illustrated embodiment, the driven shaft  232  extends through a first bearing  238  and a second bearing  239 , and into the guide conduit  228 . The first bearing  238  and the second bearing  239  allow the driven shaft  232  and the guide conduit  228  to support each other. The first bearing  238  and the second bearing  239  also allow the guide conduit  228  to spin independently of the housing  224  and the driven shaft  232  in order to allow the flexible cable to properly feed into or out of the housing  224 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 18 , the driven shaft  232  is coupled to and extends rearwardly from the housing  224 . The driven pulley  208  is coupled to a distal end of the driven shaft  232 . More particularly, the driven pulley  208  is fixed to the driven shaft  232 . When the driven pulley  208  is rotated by the belt  156  ( FIG. 11 ), the driven pulley  208  rotates the driven shaft  232 , which rotates the housing  224  and spins the flexible cable. 
     In the illustrated embodiment, the inner drum  112  also includes two bearings  240 ,  244  that support the inner drum  112  within the outer drum  108  for rotation relative to the outer drum  108 . The first bearing  240  is located on the guide conduit  228 . The second bearing  244  is located on the driven shaft  232 . As shown in  FIG. 20 , the bearings  240 ,  244  are located between sections of the lower housing portion  188  and the upper housing portion  192  of the clamshell housing  184  when the outer drum  108  is closed. In the illustrated embodiment, each bearing  240 ,  244  is secured to the lower housing portion  188  by a bearing clamp that keeps the inner drum  112  connected to the lower housing portion  188  when the outer drum  108  is opened. When the outer drum  108  is opened, the inner drum  112  can be removed from the outer drum  108  (by also removing the bearing clamps), facilitating cleaning of the inner drum  112  and the outer drum  108 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 19 , the inner drum  112  also includes a securement member  246  coupled to an inner surface of the drum  112 . In the illustrated embodiment, the securement member  246  is a metal stamping formed as a U-shaped bracket. The illustrated securement member  246  is secured to the drum  112  by threaded fasteners. The securement member  246  provides a connection point for securing the flexible cable to the inner drum  112 . More particularly, the securement member  246  engages a leader cable having a connector at its distal end. The connector is configured to attach to a proximal end of another flexible cable that is inserted into the drain, allowing a user to detach an “effective” cable from the drum  112  without opening the drum  112  or sticking one&#39;s hands inside the drum  112 . For example, in some embodiments, the leader cable may be about three feet in length. In other embodiments, the leader cable may be longer or shorter. 
     Referring back to  FIG. 20 , the outer drum  108  and the inner drum  112  (collectively, “the drum assembly” or “the drum unit”) are connected to the base unit  104 . In this condition, the driven pulley  208  of the inner drum  112  is received in the vertical slot  136  of the base unit  104  so the inner drum  112  engages the belt  156  of the drive arrangement  124 . The weight of the drum unit on the belt  156  tensions the belt  156  so movement (e.g., rotation) of the belt  156  also drives the driven pulley  208  and, thereby, the inner drum  112 . In the illustrated embodiment, the belt  156  is rotated by selectively energizing the motor  170  ( FIG. 24 ) with the battery pack  164  to drive the drive arrangement  124 . As the inner drum  112  rotates, the flexible cable stored within the inner drum  112  is also rotated or spun. A user can feed the flexible cable into or out of the drum unit by manually pushing/pulling the flexible cable or by using a suitable feed mechanism coupled to the cable. 
       FIG. 21  illustrates a variety of attachments that can be coupled to an end of the flexible cable. The attachments are tools that can be inserted into a drain with the flexible cable to help clean the drain. The illustrated attachments include a large drop head  248 , a smaller drop head  252 , a bulb head  256 , a C-shaped cutter  260 , and a spade-shaped cutter  264 . Other types of attachments may also or alternatively be connected to the flexible cable. 
     As shown in  FIG. 22 , the foot pedal  165  includes a first cavity  268  and a second or sealed cavity  272 . In the illustrated embodiment, a separator or sealing member  276  is positioned between the first cavity  268  and the sealed cavity  272 . The sealing member  276  is made from a flexible material (e.g., rubber) and limits liquids from entering the sealed compartment  272  from the first compartment  268  or an external environment. An actuation lever  280  is positioned within the first cavity  268  and is aligned with a switch  284  positioned within the sealed cavity  272 . In the illustrated embodiment, the switch  284  is positioned adjacent to the sealing sheet  276 , while the actuation lever  280  is spaced apart from the sealing sheet  276 . User input to the foot pedal  165  compresses a spring  278  and pivots the actuation lever  280  toward the sealed cavity  272 . The sealing sheet  276  flexes and allows the actuation lever  280  to engage the switch  284  through the sealing sheet  276  to selectively power the drain cleaner  100 . The spring  278  returns the actuation lever  280  to an initial position ( FIG. 22 ) when the user ceases to provide an input. 
     Before actuating the foot pedal  165 , the user may actuate a button on a feed switch  316  positioned on the base unit  104  proximate the vertical slot  136  ( FIG. 11D ). In the illustrated embodiment, the feed switch  316  includes three distinct buttons. A first or feed button  320  ( FIG. 11D ) may be selected to operate the motor  170  ( FIG. 24 ) in a clockwise direction and feed the cable out of the outer drum  108 . A second or retract button  324  ( FIG. 11D ) may be selected to operate the motor  170  in a counter clockwise direction and retract the extended cable back within the outer drum  108 . A third or neutral button  328  ( FIG. 11D ) may be selected so that the motor  170  is not operated. Each of the buttons  320 ,  324 ,  328  of the feed switch  316  is monitored with a microcontroller (not shown) and electrically connected in series with an electrical signal from the foot pedal  165 . Signal level current, not motor current, passes through the contacts of the feed switch  316 . 
     When the neutral button  328  is actuated, the signal from the foot pedal  165  is decoupled from a microcontroller input. In other words, actuating the foot pedal  165  while the neutral button  328  is pressed will not operate the motor  170 . Furthermore, if either the feed button  320  or the retract button  324  are toggled to from the neutral button  328  while the foot pedal  165  is actuated, the motor  170  will not operate. The user must release the foot pedal  165  before selecting a different button  320 ,  324  in order for the actuation of the foot pedal  165  to result the microcontroller receiving a new input signal. 
     Additionally, if a user toggles between the feed button  320  and the retract button  324  while the foot pedal  165  is actuated, the microcontroller will stop operating the motor  170 . Similar to toggling off of the neutral button  328 , the user must release the foot pedal  165  and reselect the desired button (i.e., the feed button  320  or the retract button  324 ) before reactuating the foot pedal  165 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 23 and 24 , the inner drum  112  includes an outer reinforcement plate  292  and inner reinforcement plates  296 , although in other embodiments, the inner drum  112  may include only one reinforcement plate  292 ,  296  or no reinforcement plates. In the illustrated embodiment, the reinforcement plates  292 ,  296  are made from metal, while the inner drum  112  is made from a less hard material, such as plastic. The outer reinforcement plate  292  is coupled to an outer surface of the inner drum  112  proximate the driven pulley  208  via fastening members  300  (e.g., self-tapping screws). The inner reinforcement plates  296  are coupled to either side of an inner surface of the inner drum  112  proximate the driven shaft  232  ( FIG. 25 ) via a plurality of fastening members  304  (e.g., screws, nuts, and star washers). The reinforcement plates  292 ,  296  provide additional strength to the inner drum  112  in order to limit deflection to the inner drum  112  caused by cables during operation. In the illustrated embodiment, the inner drum  112  is made from plastic and over time, the friction between the cables and a surface of the inner drum  112  may wear through the inner drum  112 . The reinforcement plates  292 ,  296  guard against wear caused by the cables in order to protect the surface of the inner drum  112 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 23A and 23B , the inner drum  112  includes an alternate embodiment of a securement clamp  308 . In the illustrated embodiment, the securement clamp  308  is a U-bolt. The cable clamp  308  extends through the inner surface of the inner drum  112  so that a curved portion of the U-bolt  308  is proximate the first bearing  240 . Cap nuts  312  couple to the U-bolt  308  proximate the outer reinforcement plate  292 . Similar to the securement member  246 , the U-bolt  308  engages a leader cable having a connector at its distal end. The connector is configured to attach to a proximal end of another flexible cable that is inserted into the drain, allowing a user to detach an “effective” cable from the drum  112  without opening the drum  112  or sticking one&#39;s hands inside the drum  112 . 
     Although aspects have been described in detail with reference to certain preferred embodiments, variations and modifications exist within the scope of one or more independent aspects as described. Various features and advantages of the invention are set forth in the following claims.