JP7750465B2 - Drain cover - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a drain cover that improves design by covering the drain outlet of a tank body.

A widely known structure for treating wastewater generated inside a tank body such as a bathtub or washbasin is to provide a drain outlet on the bottom or side of the tank body, and then discharge the wastewater downstream from the drain outlet through piping. However, the inside of the piping is prone to becoming contaminated with scale, dust, and other contaminants, which, if visible to users, can detract from the design. Furthermore, a drain outlet may be formed in the tank body by attaching a component such as a drain outlet fitting to an opening in the tank body in a watertight manner, but if scale, dust, and other contaminants adhere to the joint between the tank body and the component that forms the drain outlet, this also detracts from the design. For this reason, a known method is to cover the drain outlet with a cover to prevent the design from deteriorating.

The drain outlet cover member described in Patent Document 1 comprises a disk-shaped cover portion, a shaft portion extending below the cover portion, and a dirt collection portion formed on the shaft portion, with the diameter of the cover portion being larger than the circle formed by the seam between the member forming the drain outlet and the tank body. The dirt collection portion is attached to the shaft portion by a screw thread. When the cover member is placed on the drain outlet, the cover portion conceals the drain outlet of the tank body and its surroundings, thereby concealing the inside of the drain outlet of the tank body and the seam between the member forming the tank body and the drain outlet, preventing users from seeing scale, dust, and other debris adhering to the drain outlet and the seam, thereby improving the design.
When the cover member is inserted into the drain outlet on the bottom of the tank body, the lower end of the dirt collection unit on the back of the cover member abuts against a step inside the drain outlet, and the cover member, which is formed with a shaft attached to the dirt collection unit, further forms a gap between the tank body, the drain outlet, and the cover member. When wastewater is generated inside the tank body, it flows from the gap into the drain outlet and is discharged downstream via the piping member. In this way, the cover member described in Patent Document 1 improves design by covering the drain outlet, while forming a gap to allow water to be discharged from the drain outlet.

Furthermore, the drain outlet lid member described in Patent Document 2 comprises a lid portion that covers the drain outlet, a dirt collection portion placed on top of the drain outlet, and a support portion configured below the lid portion that allows the lid portion and dirt collection portion to be attached, and the lid portion is detachably attached to the dirt collection portion. Furthermore, by placing the dirt collection portion on the upper edge of the drain outlet, the lid member is placed above the drain outlet, and when the lid portion is placed on the drain outlet, the lid portion conceals the inside of the drain outlet of the tank body (the dirt collected in the dirt collection portion and the inside of the drain outlet contaminated by wastewater), preventing the user from seeing the scale and dust adhering to the dirt collection portion and inside the drain outlet, thereby improving design.

Jitsuto No. 3104134 Patent Publication No. 2019-19509

In the drain cover described in Patent Document 1, if dirt is trapped in the dirt collection section or if slime or other contaminants adhere to the dirt collection section itself, the user needs to clean the dirt collection section, but the dirt collection section is small and requires time to clean with a brush or the like, and if dirt, slime, or black spots accumulate in the gaps in the mesh of the dirt collection section during drainage, cleaning with a brush may not be able to remove the dirt.Even if dirt that cannot be removed by washing has accumulated and accumulated, and the user wants to replace only the dirt collection section, they are required to replace the entire drain cover.
Furthermore, even if a user wanted to replace only the lid to match the tank body or the interior decor of the room, the user had to replace the entire drain cover.
Furthermore, because the dust collection unit is attached to the inside of the drain outlet, it is designed to match the shape of the drain outlet of the tank body. However, the inner shape of the drain outlet varies depending on the specifications and shapes of the drain outlet and tank body manufacturers, making replacing the dust collection unit itself difficult. In contrast, the diameter of the drain outlet of the lid is determined by a standard, so the diameter rarely varies between drain outlet and tank body manufacturers. For this reason, when replacing the entire drain outlet lid, if the shape of the dust collection unit does not match the drain outlet, the drain outlet lid cannot be installed on the drain outlet. Furthermore, in the technology of Patent Document 1, the lid and the dust collection unit are connected by a threaded engagement. Therefore, even if the shape of the dust collection unit does not match the drain outlet, even if an attempt was made to separate the lid and the dust collection unit and attach only the lid to the drain outlet, it was impossible to attach only the lid to the drain outlet because the lid is attached and fixed to the dust collection unit by a shaft.

Furthermore, in the drain lid described in Patent Document 2, the dirt collection unit is placed on top of the drain and attached to the drain. Therefore, it can be attached to the drain even if the shape of the dirt collection unit does not match the inner shape of the drain, and is not affected by the shape of the drain or tank body. However, because the lid is attached to the dirt collection unit, the lid cannot be installed on the drain unless the dirt collection unit is installed. Therefore, if there is no need to install a dirt collection unit on the drain, such as when the drain already has a dirt collection unit attached, even if you try to separate the dirt collection unit from the lid and attach only the lid to the drain, the lid is attached to the dirt collection unit, and it is impossible to attach the lid to a drain that does not have a dirt collection unit attached.

The present invention was invented in light of the above-mentioned problems, and provides a drain cover that allows the user to replace either the lid or the dust collection unit, and allows the use of only the lid, regardless of the shape of the drain, using the existing dust collection unit.

The invention described in claim 1 is a drain outlet lid comprising a lid portion 5 that is placed on top of the drain outlet 2, an attachment portion 52 that is configured below the lid portion 5 and can be attached to the lid portion 5 in a state where a gap space S is formed through which drainage passes into the drain outlet 2, a dirt collection portion 6 that can be placed on the drain outlet 2, and a connection portion 7 that is integrally formed with the lid portion 5 and can be used to attach the dirt collection portion 6, wherein one of the connection portion 7 or the dirt collection portion 6 has an axis portion 51, and the other of the connection portion 7 or the dirt collection portion 6 has a cylindrical bearing portion 61 into which the axis portion 51 is inserted and which engages with the axis portion 51 .

The invention described in claim 2 is a drain cover comprising a lid portion 5 that is placed on top of the drain outlet 2 , an attachment portion 52 that is configured below the lid portion 5 and can be attached to the drain outlet 2 in a state where a gap space S is formed through which drainage passes, a garbage collection portion 6 that can be placed on the drain outlet 2, and a connection portion 7 that is integrally formed with the lid portion 5 and to which the garbage collection portion 6 can be attached, wherein the connection portion 7 has a first connection portion 71 which is a recessed groove, and the garbage collection portion 6 has a second connection portion 72 that has a convex portion formed on it that engages with the first connection portion 71 .

The invention described in claim 3 is the drain cover described in paragraph 0009 or 0010, characterized in that the connection portion 7 is separable or cuttable.

The invention described in claim 4 is the drain cover described in paragraph 0011, characterized in that it is provided with a mark or cut groove 74 for separating or cutting the connection portion 7.

According to claim 1 of the present invention, the dust collection unit can be placed on the drain outlet, and the attachment part is formed under the lid, allowing the user to choose whether or not to have the dust collection unit. The dust collection unit is detachably engaged with the connecting part or the shaft and bearing part formed on the dust collection unit. This allows for replacement of only the lid or only the dust collection unit, and further allows the user to select and attach it to an existing drain outlet, regardless of the shape of the drain outlet.
According to claim 2, the dust collection unit can be placed on the drain outlet, and the attachment unit is configured under the lid, allowing the user to choose whether or not to include the dust collection unit. The connectors have a first connector, which is a recessed groove, and a second connector, which is a protrusion, on the dust collection unit, and these are detachably connected. This allows for the replacement of only the lid or only the dust collection unit, and further allows the user to select and attach the unit to an existing drain outlet, regardless of the shape of the drain outlet.
Furthermore, according to claim 3, the connection part can be separated or cut, so that the user or installer can tear off the connection part with a saw, scissors, or by hand to match the shape of the drain outlet or the shape of the existing garbage collection part.
Furthermore, according to claim 4, by providing markers or cutting grooves for separating or cutting the connection part, it becomes easy for users or installers to tear off the connection part with a saw, scissors, or by hand to match the shape of the drain outlet or the shape of the existing garbage collection part, thereby improving workability and ease of installation.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the installation state of the drain outlet cover according to the present invention. FIG. 1A and 1B are a side view and a bottom view, respectively, showing a drain cover of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an exploded cross-sectional view of the drain outlet cover according to the embodiment. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the drain outlet cover according to the embodiment, showing the state of use when the connecting part is removed. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the cover member in FIG. 5 is attached to a drain outlet using an existing dirt collecting portion. FIG. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing the installation state of a drain outlet cover of another embodiment. FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of a drain outlet cover according to another embodiment. 9 is a perspective view showing a state in which the dust collecting unit is attached to the lid unit, following the state shown in FIG. 8 .

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the following description is intended to facilitate understanding of the embodiments, and is not intended to limit or limit the scope of the present invention.
As shown in Figure 1, the tub body 1 is a concave washbasin with an open top, with a drain outlet 2 formed in the bottom surface 11 and an overflow drain outlet 22 formed in the side surface 12. The tub body 1 is placed on a cabinet C, inside which piping components such as a drain trap are installed.

The drain fitting 3 is hollow and cylindrical, forming a drainage flow path inside, and has a cylindrical tube portion 31 and a brim-like flange portion 32. By attaching it to an opening drilled in the bottom surface 11 of the tank body 1, it forms the drain outlet 2 for discharging hot and cold water from the tank body 1. In this embodiment, the corner formed by the inner surface of the tube portion 31 of the drain outlet 2 and the upper surface of the flange portion 32 is the edge portion 21 of the opening of the drain outlet 2.
The tubular portion 31 is cylindrical with a male thread formed on the outer surface, and is screwed onto a nut 4 on the back surface of the tank body 1. In addition, an opening is formed on the side surface of the tubular portion 31 so that the drainage water from the overflow drain outlet 22 can be collected therein.
The flange portion 32 is brim-shaped and extends outward from the upper end of the tubular portion 31, and when the drain outlet fitting 3 is attached to the tank body 1, it abuts against the periphery of the opening drilled in the bottom surface 11 via a gasket.
A piping member such as a drain trap is connected to the drain fitting 3 on the downstream side, and drainage water flowing in from the drain outlet 2 and the overflow drain outlet 22 is discharged downstream.
As shown in Figures 2 to 6, the drain outlet cover 9 consists of a cover portion 5, an attachment portion 52 provided below the cover portion 5, a garbage collection portion 6, and a covering member 8, and is a member that is placed on the drain outlet 2 to cover and conceal the inside of the drain outlet 2 and the drain outlet fittings 3 so that they cannot be seen.
The cover 5 is a circular plate with a diameter equal to or larger than that of the flange 32 of the drain fitting 3. On the drain 2 side, i.e., the lower side in Figure 4, it comprises a shaft 51 as the connection part 7, a first connection part 71, an attachment part 52, and a female thread part 54 that threadably engages with the connection part 7. In this embodiment, the shaft 51 is detachably attached to the cover 5. A covering member 8 made of a metal material is attached to the top surface of the cover 5. Note that in Figure 1, parts of the shaft 51 and covering member 8 that are not visible due to the attachment part 52 are shown with dashed lines. A male thread part 73 formed at the upper end of the connection part 7 threads into the female thread part 54.
The shaft 51 serving as the connecting part 7 is a cylindrical member extending from the center of the lid 5 toward the drain outlet 2, and in this embodiment is configured as a separate member from the lid 5. As shown in Figure 4, the upper end of the connecting part 7 (shaft 51) is provided with a male thread 73 that screws into the female thread of the lid, allowing the connecting part 7 to be detachably attached to the lid. A first connecting part 71 is formed at the lower end of the connecting part 7.
The first connecting portion 71 is a groove recessed around the entire circumference of the shaft portion 51 near the lower end of the shaft portion 51, and when the drain outlet cover 9 is assembled, it engages freely with the second connecting portion 72 of the garbage collection portion 6.
As shown in Fig. 3, the attachment portions 52 are ribs formed radially at four locations every 90 degrees from the center of the lid portion 5 when viewed from the bottom, and when the drain outlet lid 9 is placed on the drain outlet 2, as shown in Fig. 3, they engage with the edge portion 21 of the opening of the drain outlet 2, thereby forming a gap space S through which drainage passes between the lid portion 5 and the drain outlet 2. In addition, the attachment portions 52 have inclined surfaces 53 that slope toward the center of the lid portion 5 as they move toward the end.
The inclined surface 53 has a bent portion 53a in the middle, and the portion closer to the lid 5 than the bent portion 53a is generally arc-shaped, but a straight portion 53b is formed below the bent portion 53a. When the drain outlet cover 9 is placed on the drain outlet 2, the straight portion 53b contacts the inner surface of the drain outlet 2 below the edge portion 21, thereby positioning the drain outlet cover 9. As shown in Figure 3, the outer surface of the inclined surface 53 located radially outward of the lid 5 has a flat portion 53c that contacts the edge portion 21 of the opening of the drain outlet 2 in a cross-sectional view.
The dirt collection part 6 is a member disposed inside the drain outlet 2 to collect hair, dust, and the like while draining, and is selectively detachably attached to the lid part 5. The dirt collection part 6 also includes a bearing part 61, a second connecting part 72, an annular part 62, and a collection part 63.
The bearing portion 61 is a cylindrical hollow body formed in the center of the dust collection portion 6, and a second connection portion 72 is formed on the inner surface.
The second connecting portion 72 is a protrusion formed inward from the inner surface of the bearing portion 61 and engages with the first connecting portion 71 of the cover portion 5 .
The annular portion 62 is annular in shape and has an outer diameter that is approximately the same as the inner surface of the drain outlet fitting 3.
The collecting portion 63 is a mesh that collects hair, dust, and the like in the drainage water, and is formed so as to connect the outer surface of the bearing portion 61 and the inner surface of the annular portion 62 .
In this embodiment, after removing the connecting part 7, the screw hole (actually a hole) of the female screw part 54 formed on the back surface of the lid part 5 is exposed, and to close this hole, a cap K is inserted into the screw hole to seal it. This prevents wastewater from flowing into the screw hole during use, which can cause dirt and scale to accumulate.

When the drain outlet cover 9 of the present invention is placed on the drain outlet 2, the cover portion 5 covers and conceals the joint between the drain outlet 2 and the flange portion 32 and the tank body 1, thereby improving the design of the washbasin. In addition, the attachment portion 52 of the drain outlet cover 9 is engaged with the edge portion 21 of the opening of the drain outlet 2, thereby forming a gap space S between the drain outlet 2 and the cover portion 5, and wastewater can pass through the gap space S and be discharged from the drain outlet 2.
Furthermore, the drain outlet cover 9 is configured so that the attachment portion 52 engages with the edge portion 21 of the opening of the drain outlet 2, rather than with the bottom surface 11 of the tank body 1 or the upper surface of the flange portion 32. This makes it possible to reduce the contact area with the tank body 1, making it less likely that the inner surface of the tank body 1 or the drain outlet fitting 3 will be seriously damaged when the drain outlet cover 9 is subjected to an impact.
Furthermore, since the straight portion 53b abuts against the inner surface of the drain outlet 2 and the flat portion 53c of the mounting portion 52 abuts against the edge portion 21 of the opening of the drain outlet 2, the drain outlet cover 9 can be positioned stably without tilting relative to the drain outlet 2.

Furthermore, in the drain cover 9 of the present invention, the mounting portion 52 has a sloped surface 53 that slopes toward the center of the cover 5 the further it is from the cover 5, and is configured so that the mounting portion 52 engages with the edge 21 when the sloped surface 53 abuts against the edge 21. This makes it possible to place the drain cover 9 even if the diameter of the drain 2 is different, as described below. Furthermore, when the drain cover 9 is placed on a drain 2 of a different diameter, a dirt collection portion 6 that fits the inner diameter of the drain 2 is appropriately attached to the cover 5.

The drain outlet cover configured in this manner is attached as follows by a builder at the construction site of the tank body 1 or by a user at the time of actual use.
The dirt collection unit 6 is placed inside the drain outlet 2 to be installed, and it is confirmed that the dirt collection unit 6 can be placed so as to fit the internal shape of the drain outlet fitting 3. If the dirt collection unit 6 fits the internal shape of the drain outlet fitting 3, the drain outlet lid is simply attached to the drain outlet 2 as shown in FIG. 2 , and installation is complete. If the dirt collection unit 6 becomes heavily soiled after long-term use, the dirt collection unit 6 can be removed by pulling the dirt collection unit 6 downward from the lid 5, which releases the connection between the first connecting portion 71 and the second connecting portion 72. The shaft 51 of the lid 5 is then pulled out from the bearing 61 of the dirt collection unit 6, and the dirt collection unit 6 can be removed from the lid 5 and the dirt collection unit 6. Then, the bearing 61 of a new dirt collection unit 6 is inserted into the shaft 51 of the lid 5, and the first connecting portion 71 and the second connecting portion 72 are engaged and connected, allowing the dirt collection unit 6 to be attached to the lid 5. Furthermore, if the user wishes to change the surface color or surface finish of the lid portion 5 to match the interior design or the design of the tank body 1, multiple color and surface finish patterns for the lid portion 5 can be prepared, allowing the user to change only the lid portion 5 as needed to match the interior design or the design of the tank body 1.
Furthermore, if the dust collection unit 6 does not fit the internal shape of the drain fitting 3 during the above-described confirmation process and the lid 5 cannot be placed on the drain 2, the existing dust collection unit 6' already installed on the drain 2 can be used as is, as shown in FIG. 6 , and the dust collection unit 6 can be removed from the lid 5 of the drain lid 9 and only the lid 5 can be placed on the drain 2. When the user rotates the shaft 51 serving as the connection unit 7 on the back of the lid 5, the male thread 73 of the connection unit 7 and the female thread 54 of the lid 5 are disengaged, as shown in FIG. 4 , and the connection unit 7 is removed from the lid. Then, the threaded hole of the female thread 54 of the lid 5 is sealed with a cap K to prevent wastewater from flowing into the threaded hole. Since the lid 5 is equipped with the attachment portion 52, the lid 5 can be attached to the drain 2 regardless of whether or not the dust collection unit 6 is installed and regardless of the internal shape of the drain 2.
For these reasons, whether or not to employ the dust collection unit 6 can be selected by the user or installer as appropriate.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the shapes of the respective embodiments, and appropriate modifications may be made within the scope of the gist of the invention. For example, although the tank body 1 in the above-described embodiments is a washbasin, it may be a bathtub, a sink, or other tank body.
In the above embodiment, the drain outlet cover 9 is disposed at the drain outlet 2 formed on the bottom surface 11 of the tank body 1, but it may be disposed at the overflow drain outlet 22 formed on the side surface 12 of the tank body 1. Also, the valve body of the tank body 1 may be used as a pop-up valve that moves the valve body up and down by a remotely configured operating unit.

In the above-described embodiment, the connection portion 7 is configured as a separate unit from the lid portion 5 or the dust collection portion 6 and is separably attached to either the lid portion 5 or the dust collection portion 6. However, as shown in FIG. 7 , the connection portion 7 may be configured as an integral part of either the lid portion 5 or the dust collection portion 6, and a kerf 74 for separation or cutting may be provided to separate the connection portion 7 from the lid portion 5 or the dust collection portion 6. By providing the kerf 74 to enable cutting, the user can easily separate the connection portion on-site, improving workability. The kerf 74 can also be used as a guide when cutting with a saw, scissors, cutter, or the like. In addition to the kerf, a marker for separation or cutting may be provided to separate the connection portion 7 from the lid portion 5 or the dust collection portion 6. The marker may be provided by printing or a sticker, or may be a convex rib or a concave groove.
In addition, in the above embodiment, the shaft portion 51 serving as the connecting portion 7 is configured in the lid portion 5, and the bearing portion 61 is configured in the dust collection portion 6, but as shown in Figure 8 or Figure 9, the shaft portion 64 serving as the connecting portion 7 may be configured in the dust collection portion 6, and the bearing portion 55 may be configured in the lid portion 5.
Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the mounting portion 52 is configured to have a cross shape when viewed from the bottom, but although not shown, it may also have a cylindrical guide shape that matches the inner peripheral shape of the drain outlet 2.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Tank body 11 Bottom surface 12 Side surface 2 Drain outlet 21 Edge portion 22 Overflow drain outlet 3 Drain outlet fitting 31 Cylindrical portion 32 Flange portion 4 Nut 5 Lid portion 51 Shaft portion 52 Mounting portion 53 Inclined surface 53a Bent portion 53b Straight portion 53c Flat portion 54 Female thread portion 55 Bearing portion 6 Debris collection portion 6' Existing debris collection portion 61 Bearing portion 62 Annular portion 63 Collection portion 64 Shaft portion 7 Connection portion 71 First connection portion 72 Second connection portion 73 Male thread portion 74 Cut groove 8 Covering member 9 Drain outlet cover C Cabinet S Gap space K Cap

Claims (4)

A lid portion 5 disposed on the top of the drain outlet 2 ;
An attachment portion 52 configured below the lid portion 5 and capable of attaching the lid portion 5 to the drain outlet 2 in a state in which a gap space S through which drainage passes is formed ;
a dust collecting unit (6) that can be disposed in the drain outlet (2);
a connecting portion 7 that is integrally provided on the cover portion 5 and to which the dust collecting portion 6 can be attached;
It consists of
One of the connecting portion 7 and the dust collecting portion 6 has a shaft portion 51,
The other of the connecting portion (7) and the dust collecting portion (6) has a cylindrical bearing portion (61) into which the shaft portion (51) is inserted and which engages with the shaft portion (51) . A lid portion 5 disposed on the top of the drain outlet 2 ;
An attachment portion 52 configured below the lid portion 5 and capable of attaching the lid portion 5 to the drain outlet 2 in a state in which a gap space S through which drainage passes is formed ;
a dust collecting unit (6) that can be disposed in the drain outlet (2);
a connecting portion 7 that is integrally provided on the cover portion 5 and to which the dust collecting portion 6 can be attached;
It consists of
The connecting portion 7 has a first connecting portion 71 which is a recessed groove,
The drain cover is characterized in that the dust collecting portion (6) has a second connecting portion (72) formed with a protrusion that engages with the first connecting portion (71) . A drain cover as described in claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the connection portion 7 is detachable or cuttable. A drain cover as described in claim 3, characterized in that it is provided with a mark or cut groove 74 for separating or cutting the connection portion 7.