Abstract:
Disclosed is a bathtub drain arrangement for implementation in a soaker bathtub of the type having a main basin coupled to a surrounding overflow trough. There is a drain channel extending from under the trough. There is also a drain pipe for draining water from the main basin. A drain control is positioned in the trough to extend into the drain channel and then outward there from.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Not applicable. 
     STATEMENT OF FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not applicable. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a combined overflow and drain control for a bathing tub. The control is positionable in an overflow well surrounding the tub along a bottom surface of the well. 
     In many bathtubs an overflow opening is located through an upper portion of a vertical wall of the tub. The opening permits water to flow out to a sewer should the normal drain at the bottom of the tub be closed off or become clogged while water continues to flow into the tub in an unabated manner. 
     It is conventional to provide a decorative hood over such overflow openings to conceal them from view, while leaving a hole or gap to allow water to nevertheless reach the overflow opening. It is also known for a drain control knob or lever to be movably mounted relative to such hoods to link up to drain control devices by extending through the overflow opening. Further linkages connect such knobs or levers to drain valves at the bottom of the tubs. Thus, such assemblies provide overflow protection and also provide a means of controlling the tub drainage. 
     A variety of such assemblies exist. These range from assemblies which use electricity to control the valves (e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 4,945,579—see also U.S. Pat. No. 5,363,519), to assemblies relying on rigid rods and levers (e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 4,796,310), to assemblies that rely on sheathed cables (see e.g. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,594,738 and 5,305,478). 
     In addition to conventional bathtubs that have a main basin with a top rim, in recent years there have been efforts to provide a more varied set of bathing experiences. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,360,380 there was disclosed a deep basin of water that allowed an adult bather&#39;s entire torso and legs to be submerged underwater. Because this device needed to have such a high level of water the conventional overflow along the side of the tub was not used. 
     Rather, the basin was filled to the absolute top of it, and the tub was designed so that as a bather entered the excess water would spill into an overflow channel or well surrounding the tub. The overflow and drain control were placed along a side wall of the well. 
     However, this system was designed to recirculate water from the well to the main tub. Thus, an additional outlet was provided on the floor of the well (much as if it were a bathtub by itself). 
     While this system provided desirable additional bathing experiences, as an alternative it was desired to provide a somewhat similar basin with a surrounding spill well, but which did not provide for recirculation of spilled over water back to the main tub basin. The spilled over water would instead be simply drained to the sewer. Use of an overflow and drain control along the side wall of such a well could leave a stagnant standing pool of water in the well once water had reached the well, at least up to the level of the overflow hole. 
     Complicating the design of a drain control for such a tub is the fact that it is desirable to generally hide the drain control and overflow feature from view. Thus it is not desirable to mount the drain control along the top of the basin rim. Compare the placement of the control in U.S. Pat. No. 3,314,082. 
     Therefore, a need still existed for improved overflow and drain control structures for such tubs. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In one aspect the present invention provides an overflow and drain control assembly suitable for use with a bathing basin having a drain outlet and an overflow trough around the basin. The assembly has a drain channel with an essentially horizontal leg, an opening in an upper wall of the essentially horizontal leg, and a downwardly extending leg linked to the essentially horizontal leg. 
     There is also a drainpipe suitable for connection to the drain outlet of the basin and suitable to communicate with a disposal system. Also provided is a drain control assembly positioned at least partially in the drain channel to extend through the opening in the upper wall of the essentially horizontal leg, and also which extends outward from the drain channel. 
     A drain valve is mounted to the drainpipe. There is also a means for linking the drain control assembly to the drain valve such that movement of the drain control assembly causes movement of the drain valve. 
     In preferred forms the drain control assembly has a knob that is supported by a shaft, and the shaft in turn links to a conversion device for converting rotational motion of the knob into linear motion. An axis of rotation of the knob can be essentially vertical, and the means for linking can be a cable that moves in a sheath. If desired, the drain path can include an elbow portion linking the essentially horizontal leg to the downwardly extending leg. 
     In another aspect the invention provides a bathing tub. The tub can be a simple soaking tub, or can be provided with agitation systems such as hydrotherapy jets (e.g. spas or whirlpool tubs). In any event, there is a main basin including a basin floor having a drain opening in a bottom wall, and an overflow trough coupled to the main basin and essentially surrounding an upper portion of the basin, the trough having a bottom wall with an overflow opening there through. 
     The above assembly is then used with such tub structures. Because of the location of the assembly at the bottom wall of the trough, essentially all water that enters the overflow trough immediately drains from the overflow trough. Additionally, the device is substantially hidden from view (as being at the bottom of the narrow well). Further, the bent nature of the drain channel facilitates a compact assembly and minimizes leakage potential. 
    
    
     These and other advantages of the invention will be apparent from the detailed description and drawings which follow. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an upper, right, frontal perspective view of a bathtub in which an overflow and drain control device of the present invention could be applied; 
     FIG. 2 is a highly enlarged partial cross-sectional view taken along line  2 — 2  of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a portion of FIG. 2; and 
     FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line  4 — 4  of FIG.  3 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring first to FIG. 1, a bathtub  10  includes a generally rectangular basin  12  surrounded about its perimeter at its upper end by an overflow trough  14  for receiving water flowing over the basin  12 . In this embodiment the bathtub  10  is positioned within a skirted mounting island (shown in dotted lines). The usual faucet (not shown) is positioned such that when the tub is initially being filled the water will drop into the basin. 
     The basin  12  and overflow trough  14  can each be molded separately from a suitable material (such as fiberglass with a gel-coating applied to the top surfaces) to provide a smooth, high gloss finish on the inside of the basin  12  and overflow trough  14 . The basin  12  and the overflow trough  14  can be joined together along the underside of the basin  12  by a high strength adhesive. Alternatively, the basin  12  and overflow trough  14  can be formed as a single piece. 
     The basin  12  has a bottom  16 , generally upright side walls  18  and  19 , a foot wall  20  and a backrest  22 . The bottom  16  can have a raised seat  24  which transitions into the backrest  22  to form a reclined seat. A bather can be seated with his or her head at a head end  26  and feet at a foot end  28 , or with his or her head at the foot end  28  which allows for a second seating position at an increased depth. 
     The side walls  18  and  19 , foot wall  20  and backrest  22  extend up from the bottom  16  sufficiently high so that an average adult bather seated therein can be submerged up to his or her neck. Thus, the soaker bathtub  10  is considerably deeper than other types of bathtubs. Preferably, the basin is 25″ deep at the foot end  28  and 20″ deep at the head end  26 . 
     Of course, these details of the basin are merely of a preferred embodiment. Numerous other configurations for the basin (e.g. oval) are possible, and there is no criticality to the floor or back rest areas of the basin. 
     The overflow trough  14  encircling the basin  12  forms a generally rectangular well/trough/channel having a bottom  48  and opposite inner  50  and outer  52  side walls. Unlike a conventional bathtub where the water cannot rise above a point a few inches below the rim (because of the presence of an overflow opening), the entire depth of the basin  12  can be filled with water. 
     When the water level reaches the rim  32 , it spills into the overflow trough  14 . The bottom  48  of the overflow trough  14  is pitched so that water therein runs from the head end  26  to an overflow orifice  110  at the foot end  28  (see especially FIG.  2 ). The conventional whirlpool suction orifices  50  link the tub water to a heater (not shown), and that water can be pumped by way of a recirculation pump (not shown) back into the tub through one or more injection orifices  52 . 
     Referring again to FIG. 2, at the bottom  16  of the basin  12  is the usual drain orifice  60 , which includes a drain control valve  260  that allows the drain orifice to be opened and closed to allow water to drain, or prevent water from draining, out of the bathtub  10  into a drainpipe  130 . The operation of the drain control valve  260  is controlled by way of a drain control  100 . As best seen from FIGS. 2-4, the drain control  100  has an upper hood  190  in which extends a control knob  140  which is mounted along a generally horizontal section of the drainpipe  130 . 
     Note that the control  100  is mounted along the bottom  48  of the overflow trough  14 . Consequently, all water that enters the overflow trough  14  immediately drains out of the overflow trough, instead of accumulating within the overflow trough up to a side wall overflow. Additionally, the drain control  100  is still largely hidden from view, and consequently does not negatively impact the overall aesthetic appearance of the bathtub. The control knob  140  is positioned over the overflow orifice  110  to largely shield the orifice from view. 
     Turning now to the details of the assembly, there is a knob  140  that is supported by a shaft  150  that extends substantially vertically into a first portion  160  of the drainpipe  130 . The shaft  150  extends downward into a first conversion device  180  preferably directly below the horizontal portion of the drainpipe  130 . O-rings  145  are positioned at one or more points along the length of the shaft  150  to prevent leakage of water into the first conversion device  180 . The first conversion device  180 , which can be formed integrally with the drainpipe  130  or is otherwise supported by the drainpipe, is a structure for converting rotational motion of the knob  140 /shaft  150  into linear motion of a cable  170 . The cable  170  can be coaxially embedded within a sheath  175  made from rubber, plastic, etc. 
     As shown particularly in FIG. 4, in one embodiment, the first conversion device  180  includes an arm  155  that is attached to the bottom of the shaft  150 , where a far end  165  of the arm is attached to the cable  170  by way of a pin  185 . Consequently, as the shaft  150  is rotated, the cable  170  is moved relative to the sheath  175 . This embodiment of the first conversion device  180  can be compared with the conversion device shown in FIG. 3 of U.S. Pat. No. 4,594,738. 
     Also as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the overflow opening  110  extends coaxially around the shaft  150 . Flange  190  has a downwardly-directed inner surface  195  (which in alternate embodiments can be convex). Water drains from the overflow trough  14 , through the overflow opening  110  down along the inner surface  195  and into the drainpipe  130  which ultimately connects to a sewer. 
     The first portion  160  of the drainpipe  130  extends in a generally horizontal direction until it reaches an elbow  200 . From the elbow  200  a second portion  210  of the drainpipe  130  extends in a generally vertical direction. Conversion device  180  therefore has a position for location that is adjacent the.tub, yet in proper alignment relative to the shaft  150  and knob  140 . The elbow  200  can be connected to the first and second portions  160 , 210  by way of standard threaded coupling portions  220 . 
     Second portion  210  of the drainpipe  130  in turn is coupled to portion  230  of the drainpipe  130 , which is T-shaped. The T-shaped portion  230  is linked in the usual manner to a vertical pipe  250  extending to the sewer and a generally horizontal pipe  240 . The latter is coupled to the drain opening  60 . 
     Located within the drain opening  60  is the drain control valve  260 , the positioning of which is determined by movement of the cable  170  through facilitation by way of a second conversion device  280 . The latter device converts linear motion of the cable into vertical linear motion of the drain control valve  260 . 
     In one embodiment, the second conversion device  280  is similar to the first conversion device  180  in that the cable  170  is coupled to a first arm that is attached to a rotatable shaft (not shown). As movement of the cable and consequently the first arm occurs, the shaft is rotated, and an additional arm (not shown) attached to the shaft is thus also rotated. The drain control valve  260 , which rests upon the additional arm, moves upward when so forced by the additional arm, and moves downward due to gravity when the additional arm is retracted. This embodiment can be compared with that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,594,738. Thus, rotation of the knob  140  along a vertical axis causes corresponding upward or downward movement of the drain control valve  260 . 
     Importantly, the design is suitable for use with tubs having a variety of sloped walls  20  as the length of the elbow will ensure enough of a gap between the pipe  210  and the wall  20  to permit sloping of the wall  20  such as at a back rest. The design of the drain control  100  is suitable for implementation at different locations along the overflow trough  14 , alongside different walls than the foot wall  20 . 
     A variety of alternate embodiments of the present invention are possible in addition to those shown. Most particularly, it is envisioned that another preferred bathtub will have a generally oval basin surrounded by a generally oval overflow trough. Also, while the preferred tubs have no recirculation to the main basin from the overflow trough, such tubs could be provided with recirculation systems instead of dumping the overflow water to the sewer. 
     Further, while a cable linkage is the most preferred linkage, it will be appreciated that other types of linkages (e.g. mechanical; electrical) are also possible. Moreover, a rotational knob can be replaced with other activation mechanisms (e.g. compare U.S. Pat. No. 4,796,310 which uses a lever). 
     Thus, while the foregoing illustrates and describes the preferred embodiments of the present invention, reference should be made to the following claims, rather than to just the foregoing specification, as indicating the scope of the invention. 
     INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY 
     The invention provides overflow and drain control assemblies, particularly those useful in connection with overflow troughs around bathing basins.