Abstract:
A drain trap having a U-shaped portion with a removable filter arranged for visual inspection and disposal. The filter extends from the cylindrical insert through an access extension from said base portion positioned within a cylindrical base portion via an access extension therefrom.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Technical Field 
     This invention relates to drain traps in plumbing systems that provide water seal between the drain and the sanitary sewer system. 
     2. Description of Prior Art 
     In prior art drain traps, a variety of different designs can be seen having capture and removal features within to prevent lost objects from passing through the trap into the draining system and beyond. These devices also provide a filter mechanism to remove clogs from the trap. See for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,817,376, 4,164,048, 4,179,762, 4,301,554, 4,949,406, 5,421,979 and 5,525,215. 
     In U.S. Pat. No. 1,817,376 a drain strainer is disclosed having a sliding tray removably positioned within the upper portion of the drain trap. 
     In U.S. Pat. No. 4,164,048, a combination sink trap access port filter device is disclosed having a U-shaped drain configuration with an extension element having a filter positioned within with an access opening. 
     In U.S. Pat. No. 4,179,762 a trap is illustrated having a cylindrical base portion with a filter disk positioned within. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,301,554 is directed to a drain trap having a removable tray inserted through one opening with a plurality of upstanding fingers to trap and drain material in the water flow. 
     In U.S. Pat. No. 4,949,406 a sink trap filter assembly is disclosed in which a filter insert is positioned in the vertical portion of a J-shape drain having an access opening and a filter basket within. 
     In U.S. Pat. No. 5,241,979 a structure of an elbow pipe device is disclosed in which an elbow pipe has a access port on its lower portion on which a threaded extension is positioned in which a filter screen is positioned. 
     Finally, in applicant&#39;s own U.S. Pat. No. 5,525,215 discloses an improved structure for a drain trap having a filter arranged within for visual inspection and cleaning with a flow through inspection reservoir insert and filter cap extending downstream therefrom. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A drain trap assembly having a U-shaped body with a disposable filter positioned within, an optical access extension having a removable viewing cap and orientation cylindrical prefiltration reservoir with the disposable filter element extending downstream therefrom. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the filter trap of the invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the assembled filter trap of the invention; 
     FIG. 3 is an enlarged end view on lines  3 — 3  of FIG. 4; 
     FIG. 4 is an enlarged side elevational view of the filter reservoir insert; 
     FIG. 5 is an end view on lines  5 — 5  of FIG. 6; 
     FIG. 6 is an enlarged side elevational view of a disposable filter insert portion; 
     FIG. 7 is an enlarged side elevational view of an alternate form of the filter reservoir and insert; 
     FIG. 8 is an enlarged partial side elevational view of an alternate filter insert configuration; and 
     FIG. 9 is an end view on lines  9 — 9  of FIG.  8 . 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings, a drain trap assembly  10  can be seen having a U-shaped portion  11  comprising an upstanding leg portion  12  with a compression ring and gasket assembly  13  and a cylindrical base portion  14  having an extension  15  and a secondary upstanding return leg portion  16 . The leg portion  12  is of a sufficient open dimension at  17  to accept the insertion of a drain line  18  from a plumbing fixture or the like (not shown), as will be well understood by those skilled in the art. The secondary upstanding return leg  16  is in spaced parallel relation to said leg portion  12  and has a ring and compression fitting assembly  19  to secure and seal a drain line  20  within. 
     The extension  15  provides an access portal at  21  for a filter and access viewing assembly  22  for removably positioning within a cylindrical base portion  14  of the U-shaped portion  11 . The access and viewing assembly  22  is comprised of a filter and mounting cylindrical insert  23  having a main tubular body member  24  with an inturned apertured end  25 . The body member  24  has an arcuate longitudinally extending notch within at  26  inwardly of its apertured end at  25 . An annular mounting groove  27  is formed within the cylindrical body member  24  in oppositely disposed relation to said apertured end  25  defining a filter mounting access opening. A disposable filter basket  28 , best seen in FIGS. 3-6 of the drawings has a plurality of longitudinally extending annularly spaced elements  29 . A plurality of annular rings  30  in spaced longitudinal relation to one another intersects said respective elements  29  defining a cylindrical web wall. A plurality of contoured right angularly intersecting spaced rod elements  31  extend across one end of the cylindrical web  28  forming the basket configuration. 
     It will be evident from the above description that the tubular body member  24  can be formed from a porous material so as to promote the flow of fluid therethrough. 
     The filter basket  28  is removably secured within the annular mounting groove  27  and extends downstream into a portion of the secondary upstanding leg  16 , best seen in FIG. 2 of the drawings. The tubular body member  24  has an upstanding alignment lug  32  extending therefrom adjacent its extended apertured end  25 . A corresponding lug registration notch at  33  is formed within the wall of the access extension  15  which will be best seen in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings. It will be evident from the above description that the alignment lug  32  will orient the tubular body member  24  so that the notch at  26  will always be aligned under the leg  12 . A sealing end cap and view port assembly  33 , best seen in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings comprises a threaded annular compression ring  35  with a clear disk  36  within and an apertured resilient compression gasket  37  thereabout. The gasket  37  is engageable over the inturned end  25  which provides for the ring  35  a compression seal between the end cap and view port assembly  33  and the filter mounting cylindrical insert  24  within the base portion  15  when threadably engaged thereon at  38 . 
     In use, liquids flow downwardly as indicated by directional arrow A through the drain line  18  into the drain trap  10  of the invention via the upstanding leg portion  12  and through the filter mounting cylindrical insert  23  and disposable filter basket  28 . After passing through the above referred to filter configuration the liquid would typically flow upwardly and through the upstanding leg  16  and out via the outlet drain line  20  indicated by the directional flow arrow B. 
     It will be apparent that should a valuable item be inadvertently dropped into the drain trap  10  it will be retained within the trap  10  and be visible through the end cap view port assembly  33 . Retrieval of the object can be achieved by removal of same and the cylindrical insert  23  with the attached disposable filter  28 . 
     It will also be noted that once a clog develops within the drain trap  10  that the disposable filter basket  28  can be removed and discarded and replaced, restoring flow to the drain trap assembly. 
     Referring now to FIGS. 7 and 8 of the drawings, two alternate forms of the drain basket  28  can be seen. In FIG. 7 of the drawings, a modified basket  39  is illustrated having the same basic structure as the preferred basket  28  with the addition of a plurality of fingers  40  formed along longitudinal basket elements  41 . The multiple fingers  40  enhance the filtering ability of the basket  39  which will catch and retain entrained debris of various sizes and configuration. 
     In FIG. 8 of the drawings, a third alternate form of the filter basket is shown at  42  which has a plurality of apertures at  43  formed therein. This arrangement provides an enhanced filtering surface able to retain greater amounts of entrained material before the need to remove and clean or alternately discard as a disposable filter element. The hereinbefore described multiple filter basket configurations  28 ,  39  and  42  are preferably made of synthetic resin material with deformable properties that will allow for ease of removal and insertion into the cylindrical body member carrier  23  as hereinbefore described. 
     It will be noted that the filter baskets  28 ,  39  and  42  can be integral with the respective cylindrical insert  23  wherein the filter and cylindrical body member  24  can be of a disposable configuration being molded of synthetic resin material in a two-part molded elements as indicated by the broken mold line ML in FIG. 3 of the drawings. 
     It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention.