Device for closing a drain opening

Abstract

A device (1) for closing a drain opening (2) in a basin comprises a sieve element (4) with at least one sieve opening (5) and a sealing element (6), which, in a closed position, seals the drain opening (2) liquid-tight and, in an open position, allows liquid to drain through the drain opening (2). The sieve element (4) and the sealing element (6) are displaceable relative to each other in a vertical direction transverse to a cross-sectional area of ​​the drain opening (2). An actuating knob (10) is rotatably mounted in the sieve element (4). The actuating knob (10) is operatively connected to the sealing element (6) via a positive guidance device, such that a rotational movement of the actuating knob (10) causes the sealing element (6) to be displaced vertically. The positive guidance device is designed as a cam guide (17).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a device for closing a drain opening in a basin, wherein the device comprises a sieve element with at least one sieve opening and a sealing element which, in a closed position, seals the drain opening liquid-tight and, in an open position, allows a liquid to drain through the drain opening, wherein the sieve element and the sealing element are displaceable relative to each other in a vertical direction transverse to a cross-sectional area of ​​the drain opening, and wherein the device has an actuating device which is in operative connection with the sealing element and with which the sealing element is displaceable in the vertical direction.

[0002] Numerous variations of devices are known in practice for selectively closing or opening a drain opening in a basin, particularly a sink. One particularly simple device features a plug made of a suitable plastic material, which can be manually pushed into or pulled out of the drain opening. Devices are also known in which a plug-like sealing element is actuated by a lever mechanism and can be moved vertically perpendicular to the cross-sectional area of ​​the drain opening as defined by its edge. Actuation can be effected, for example, by a push-pull lever located near a fitting or by a rotary knob located on the sink or to the side of its edge.

[0003] Especially in kitchen sinks, strainers are often installed above the drain opening. These serve to catch food scraps and coarse debris before they enter the drain, thus preventing blockages. A strainer is typically made of stainless steel or plastic. It often consists of a flat or slightly curved disc with a perforated surface through which water can flow and out of the drain opening, while coarse food scraps and dirt particles are retained by the strainer. The strainer can either rest on an edge of the sink above the drain opening or be located within a strainer cup formed in the sink, surrounding the drain opening which is positioned slightly below the bottom of the sink.

[0004] Various sieve elements are known in practice where the sealing element is integrated centrally into or attached to the sieve element. The sealing element is often in the form of a plug or a sealing lip projecting radially along its circumference. In the open position, a sealing edge of the sealing element is positioned at a distance from the drain opening, allowing free water flow through the sieve element. However, when the sealing element is pressed into the drain opening with its sealing edge, it seals the drain opening in the closed position, preventing water from flowing out. The sieve element connected to the sealing element covers the drain opening in both the open and closed positions. This allows water previously poured into the basin to drain freely in the open position, while food scraps and other larger particles are effectively retained.This makes cleaning easier, as the sieve element can simply be removed and emptied.

[0005] The combination of a strainer element and a sealing element saves space and allows for convenient handling, as the sealing element located beneath the strainer can be quickly moved between an open and a closed position. The strainer element prevents coarse particles and food scraps from entering the drain and potentially causing blockages. This significantly reduces the risk of drainage problems. The strainer element can be easily removed and cleaned as needed. The sealing element is also conveniently designed for easy wiping and has no hard-to-reach areas where dirt could accumulate.

[0006] Switching between the two operating modes, or between the open and closed positions of the sealing element, should be as simple and intuitive as possible, often requiring only a single hand movement. This facilitates daily use and makes the device particularly practical for household applications.

[0007] In a device described in US 4,320,540, the sieve element is rigidly connected to the sealing element. The sealing element has an engagement element with inclined guide surfaces on its underside, facing away from the sieve element. When the sealing element is rotated, the inclined guide surfaces slide along drain opening ribs arranged in the drain opening, thereby simultaneously displacing the sealing element vertically with the rotational movement. The sieve element and the sealing element are arranged in a sieve cup surrounding the drain opening. This cup is sufficiently deep so that the sieve element projects laterally against the sieve cup wall along a circumferential edge of the sieve element, both in the closed and open positions of the sealing element.

[0008] In a device described in DE 10 2012 215 763 A1, the sieve element rests along a circumferential edge on the rim of a sieve cup. The sealing element is arranged on the underside of the sieve element and mounted by means of a positive guidance device such that, when the sieve element is rotated on the rim of the sieve cup, the sealing element can be moved vertically between the open and closed positions. The sieve element is permanently connected to the sealing element, so that the sealing element can be removed from the sieve cup and cleaned together with the sieve element if necessary.

[0009] EP 3 173 541 B1 discloses a similarly designed device in which the sieve element can be easily detached from the sealing element and removed from the sieve cup without having to also relocate and remove the sealing element from the drain opening.

[0010] During normal use of the device, the sealing element is concealed by the filter element. To actuate the sealing element, the filter element must be manually grasped and either rotated or moved vertically. The filter element thus forms the actuating mechanism for the sealing element.

[0011] It is considered an object of the present invention to enable simple and reliable actuation of the sealing element in a device with the features mentioned above, without the need to reposition the sieve element as in the devices already known.

[0012] This problem is solved according to the invention by the fact that the actuating device has an actuating knob which is rotatably mounted in the sieve element, and that the actuating knob is operatively connected to the sealing element via a positive guidance device, so that a rotational movement of the actuating knob causes a displacement of the sealing element in the vertical direction. By using an actuating knob rotatably mounted in the sieve element, rather than the sieve element itself, as the actuating device for the sealing element, actuation of the sealing element does not require any displacement of the sieve element.The sieve element therefore does not need to be moved vertically, which regularly requires a correspondingly shaped sieve cup surrounding the sieve element, nor does it need to be rotated, which is often considered a disadvantage when the sieve element rests on the adjacent areas of the sink along a circumferential edge, and friction makes rotation difficult and creates abrasion marks on the sink. Since the sieve element does not need to be moved when the sealing element is actuated, there is no risk of unintentional or undesirable displacement of the sieve element during the movement of the sealing element, which is effected solely via the operating knob, and which could impair the sieving effect.

[0013] In practice, numerous operating principles and design variants for a suitable forced guidance device are known, with which a rotary movement of the actuating knob can be converted into a vertical displacement of the sealing element.

[0014] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the positive guidance device comprises a cam guide. A cam guide, which features a positive engagement of a cam element in a cam guide groove, allows for reliable positive guidance and enables a structurally simple adjustment of the operative connection between the actuating knob and the sealing element. For example, the required rotation angle for actuating the actuating knob to fully move the sealing element between the open and closed positions can be easily determined by the shape of the cam guide groove.By appropriately arranging the guide mechanism and by suitable shaping of the guide block element and the guide groove, it can be ensured that neither liquids nor impurities, which either drain from the sink through the drain opening or are retained by the strainer element, can noticeably impair the positive guidance mechanism. The guide mechanism can be designed to be low-friction, either through an advantageous choice of material for the guide block element and the guide groove or through a suitable coating of the respective contact surfaces, thus enabling smooth operation of the operating knob without requiring significant force or torque to be exerted on it.

[0015] To protect the positive guidance device as much as possible from adverse environmental influences, it is particularly advantageous that the actuating knob has a hollow cylindrical section surrounding a vertically projecting portion of the sealing element, and that the positive guidance device is formed within this hollow cylindrical section of the actuating knob. The hollow cylindrical section of the actuating knob serves as a guide for the vertical movement of the sealing element, which projects into the hollow cylindrical section of the actuating knob with its vertically projecting portion and is mounted in a vertically movable manner within the cavity that is surrounded and bounded by the hollow cylindrical section of the actuating knob.A forced guidance device formed between an inner side of the hollow cylindrical section and an outer side of the vertically projecting form is shielded from the environment and in particular from water and impurities carried therein by the hollow cylindrical section of the actuating knob surrounding the forced guidance device, when the sealing element in the open position releases the drain opening and water and impurities carried therein flow through the sieve element around the sealing element and then flow out through the drain opening.

[0016] According to one embodiment of the invention, the vertically projecting portion is rotatably mounted and guided within the hollow cylindrical section of the actuating knob relative to the surrounding hollow cylindrical section. Advantageously, the vertically projecting portion has a cylindrical surface whose diameter is adapted to a similarly cylindrical surface on the inside of the hollow cylindrical section of the actuating knob, so that the vertically projecting portion of the sealing element is guided in an axial direction along the vertical axis within the hollow cylindrical section of the actuating knob, but is rotationally symmetrical and rotatably mounted within the actuating knob relative to the hollow cylindrical section.

[0017] The cam follower element and the cam follower guide groove are advantageously formed in the outer surface of the projecting portion of the sealing element and in the inner surface of the hollow cylindrical section of the operating knob, such that the hollow cylindrical section and the vertically projecting portion of the sealing element form the cam follower guide. The cam follower guide thus designed and arranged is surrounded and protected by the hollow cylindrical section. Essentially the entire outer surface of the projecting portion can be used for the arrangement and course of the cam follower guide groove.The inner surface of the hollow cylindrical section of the actuating knob, adjacent to the actuating knob, is utilized so that the sealing element can be actuated with minimal effort thanks to a sufficiently large cam guide. This significantly reduces the risk of unintentional tilting or damage during actuation of the cam guide. The cam guide can also feature two or three cam guide grooves spaced circumferentially and with corresponding cam block elements. This ensures that forces and moments are transferred symmetrically and largely uniformly from the actuating knob to the sealing element in the circumferential direction via the positive guidance mechanism.

[0018] According to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, the actuating knob is captive and mounted in the sieve element. For example, the actuating knob can have a circumferential knob groove on an outer surface. An inner rim, also circumferential, of a knob opening in the sieve element, adapted to the actuating knob, engages in this groove in a form-fitting manner, thereby fixing the actuating knob to the sieve element vertically and allowing it to rotate freely in a circumferential direction. Alternatively, instead of a circumferential inner rim, the sieve element may have several inwardly projecting, tongue-shaped projections that engage in the circumferential knob groove of the actuating knob at circumferential intervals.The circumferential groove of the actuating knob can be produced, for example, by manufacturing the actuating knob in two parts. An inner part of the actuating knob has a circumferentially extending and radially projecting groove wall, while a second groove wall is formed by an outer part of the actuating knob. This outer part is slid vertically over the inner part and fixed to it during the manufacturing process. Advantageously, before the two parts of the actuating knob are slid together and joined, the inner edge or individual tongue-shaped projections of the sieve element can be positioned between the two groove walls and positively locked and rotatably mounted in the resulting knob groove, which is bounded by the two groove walls.

[0019] With regard to an advantageous two-part design of the operating knob, it can optionally be provided that the operating knob has a hollow cylindrical guide element and a cover element that surrounds the hollow cylindrical guide element at least partially in the vertical direction and covers it on one end face facing away from the drain opening, and that these elements are connected to each other. The hollow cylindrical guide element can, for example, be made of a suitable plastic and may optionally be completely or partially coated on an inner surface facing the sealing element. The cover element can be made of metal or of the same material as the filter element.Alternatively, a different material may be provided for the cover element, or the cover element may be coated with a decorative layer to allow for a decorative design of the operating knob and thus of the entire device with an aesthetically pleasing overall impression.

[0020] In addition to the support provided by the filter element, the actuating knob can also be supported by a rod-shaped bearing element projecting towards the drain opening. This bearing element allows the actuating knob to be rotatably mounted on or in the drain opening relative to it. The bearing element, which projects vertically towards the drain opening and can be designed, for example, as a pin or bolt, allows the actuating knob to be supported on or in the drain opening in addition to the filter element. This bearing element can be guided on or in the sealing element, thus preventing unwanted tilting of the actuating element.It can also be provided that the bearing element is supported on an end face facing away from the operating knob on a drain opening rib or on a threaded element in the center of the drain opening, thus preventing unintentional displacement of the operating knob in the vertical direction during an actuation process.

[0021] Advantageously, the sealing element is provided to be mounted in the drain opening in a rotationally fixed manner. For this purpose, the sealing element can have at least one, and advantageously several, engagement tongues spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction and extending away from the sieve element in the vertical direction. These tongues engage in a form-fitting manner with a non-rotationally symmetrical opening in the drain opening, thereby ensuring the sealing element is mounted in the drain opening in a rotationally fixed manner. The drain opening can have several openings spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction and thus be designed like a sieve. It is also conceivable that at least one drain opening rib extending transversely to the vertical direction is arranged in the drain opening. This rib can also serve as a bearing surface and stop for the rotationally fixed engagement of the at least one engagement tongue with the sealing element.

[0022] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the sealing element optionally has a recess accessible from the drain opening, in which an engagement element is mounted in a rotationally fixed manner and is movable relative to the sealing element in the vertical direction. The engagement element is mounted in a rotationally fixed manner at the drain opening. In this way, the engagement element can be permanently and essentially immovably fixed to or in the drain opening in the predetermined engagement position. When the sealing element is moved vertically via the actuating knob, only the sealing element is moved vertically relative to the engagement element. The recess accessible from the drain opening can interact with the engagement element and provide a positive guide for the sealing element relative to the engagement element, which is fixed immovably at the drain opening.

[0023] According to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, the engagement element may have at least one engagement tongue projecting towards the drain opening and capable of engaging with a drain opening web arranged transversely to the drain opening. The engagement element may also be fixed to a threaded section of a threaded bolt projecting into the drain opening.

[0024] An exemplary embodiment of a device designed according to the invention, which is illustrated in the drawings, is explained in more detail below. It shows: Figs. 1 to 3Each figure shows a perspective view of a device with a sieve element and a sealing element, wherein the device is arranged above a drain opening in a sieve cup of a sink, and wherein the three figures illustrate a sequence of positions of an actuating knob in the sieve element and the sealing element operatively connected thereto between a closed position in which the sealing element closes the drain opening and an open position in which the sealing element releases the drain opening. Figs. 4 to 6 Each of the three in Figs. 1 to 3 The positions shown, wherein the strainer cup of the sink, the strainer element and the operating knob of the device are shown in section in a half-plane for illustration, and Figs. 7 to 9 Each of the three in Figs. 1 to 3 as well as Figs. 4 to 6The positions shown, wherein the sieve cup of the sink, as well as the sieve element and the operating knob of the device, are shown cut in two perpendicular half-planes for illustration.

[0025] A device 1, shown in all figures, for closing a drain opening 2 in a basin, of which only a sieve cup 3 surrounding the drain opening 2 is shown, has a sieve element 4 with several slot-like sieve openings 5 ​​directed radially outwards. The device 1 further comprises a sealing element 6, which is located in a Fig. 1 , 4 and 7 In the closed position shown, the drain opening 2 is sealed liquid-tight and in a position within the Fig. 3 , 6 and 9The opening shown allows liquid to drain from the basin through the drain opening 2. The sealing element 6 has a radially projecting and circumferentially extending sealing lip 7 for liquid-tight sealing of the drain opening 2. This sealing lip is made of an elastic material and, when the sealing element 6 is pressed into the drain opening 2, it laterally rests against an opening edge 8 of the drain opening 2 and is pressed against it.

[0026] The sieve element 4 and the sealing element 6 are movable relative to each other in a vertical direction, indicated by a double arrow 9, transverse to a cross-sectional area of ​​the drain opening 2. In order to actuate and move the sealing element 6, which is concealed by the sieve element 4 during normal use, the device 1 has an actuating device accessible from the basin or from above. This device is operatively connected to the sealing element 6 and allows the sealing element 6 to be moved vertically.

[0027] The actuating device has an actuating knob 10, which is rotatably mounted in the sieve element 4. For this purpose, the sieve element 4 has a centrally arranged circular knob opening 11. The actuating knob 10 has a circumferential knob groove 12 at its end facing the sealing element 6. An inner rim 13 of the sieve element 4, surrounding and limiting the knob opening 11, projects into the knob groove 12 and causes a positive engagement of the sieve element 4 in the knob groove 12, so that the actuating knob 10 is fixed vertically but rotatably mounted in the sieve element 4. The actuating knob 10 is thus captive mounted in the sieve element 4.

[0028] The actuating knob 10 is operatively connected to the sealing element 6 via a positive guidance device, which will be explained in more detail below, such that a rotational movement of the actuating knob 10 causes the sealing element 6 to be displaced vertically. The actuating knob 10 has a hollow cylindrical section 14 that surrounds a vertically projecting projection 15 of the sealing element 6. The projecting projection 15 of the sealing element 6 has a cylindrical outer surface 16, which is guided vertically and rotatably within the hollow cylindrical section 14 of the actuating knob 10. The positive guidance device is formed within the hollow cylindrical section 14 of the actuating knob 10 and has a cam guide 17 extending over the outer surface 16.In this process, a cam follower element 19 projects inwards from an inner surface 18 of the hollow cylindrical section 14 of the actuating knob 10 into a cam follower guide groove 20 which runs at an angle to the vertical direction and extends over a region of the lateral surface 16 of the projecting projection 15 of the sealing element 6 and forms a positive engagement between the cam follower element 19 and the cam follower guide groove 20.When the actuating knob 10 is rotated via the actuating knob 10, the cam block element 19 is displaced in a circumferential direction on the inner surface 18 of the hollow cylindrical section 14 of the actuating knob and, through the positive engagement with the cam guide groove 20, forces the sealing element 6 to displace in the vertical direction, whereby the sealing element 6 is pressed either away from the drain opening 2 or towards the drain opening 2 and against the drain opening 2.

[0029] The operating knob 10 is manufactured in two parts and comprises a hollow cylindrical guide element 21 and a cover element 23 that surrounds the hollow cylindrical guide element 21 in the vertical direction and covers one end face 22 facing away from the drain opening 2. The cover element 23 is slid onto the hollow cylindrical guide element 21 and subsequently permanently connected to the hollow cylindrical guide element 21.

[0030] The actuating knob 10 has a rod-shaped bearing element 24 projecting towards the drain opening 2, with which the actuating knob 10 can be rotatably mounted on or in the drain opening 2 relative to the drain opening 2.

[0031] The sealing element 6 is expediently mounted in the drain opening in a rotationally fixed manner. For this purpose, the sealing element 6 has a recess 25 accessible from the drain opening 2, in which an engagement element 26 is mounted in a rotationally fixed and vertically displaceable manner. The engagement element 26 is itself mounted in a rotationally fixed manner at the drain opening 2 by having several engagement tongues 28 projecting towards the drain opening 2 and engaging with several drain opening webs 27 arranged transversely to the drain opening 2. The recess 25 and an outer surface 29 of the engagement element 26 are not rotationally symmetrical, so that the engagement element 26 is mounted and guided in the recess 25 in the sealing element 6 in a vertically displaceable manner, but is mounted in the recess 25 in a rotationally fixed manner relative to the sealing element 6.When the sealing element 6 is moved vertically between a closed and an open position relative to the drain opening 2, the engagement element 25 remains permanently and unchanged against the drain opening webs 27 in the drain opening 2. The sealing element 6 is moved vertically by rotating the actuating knob 10, thereby changing its position relative to the actuating knob 10 and the engagement element 25.

Claims

1. Device (1) for closing a drain opening (2) in a basin, wherein the device (1) comprises a sieve element (4) with at least one sieve opening (5) and a sealing element (6) which, in a closed position, seals the drain opening (2) in a liquid-tight manner and, in an open position, allows a liquid to drain through the drain opening (2), wherein the sieve element (4) and the sealing element (6) are displaceable relative to each other in a vertical direction transverse to a cross-sectional area of ​​the drain opening (2), and wherein the device (1) has an actuating device which is in operative connection with the sealing element (6) and with which the sealing element (6) is displaceable in the vertical direction. characterized by the fact thatthe actuating device has an actuating knob (10) which is rotatably mounted in the sieve element (4), and the actuating knob (10) is in operative connection with the sealing element (6) via a positive guidance device, so that a displacement of the sealing element (6) in the vertical direction can be effected when the actuating knob (10) is rotated.

2. Device (1) according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the forced guidance device has a stage guide (17).

3. Device (1) according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized by the fact that the actuating knob (10) has a hollow cylindrical section (14) that surrounds a vertically projecting form (15) of the sealing element (6), and that the positive guidance device is formed in the hollow cylindrical section (14) of the actuating knob (10).

4. Device (1) according to claim 3, characterized by the fact thatThe vertically projecting form (15) is rotatably mounted and guided in the hollow cylindrical section (14) of the actuating knob (10) relative to the surrounding hollow cylindrical section (14) of the actuating knob (10).

5. Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that the actuating knob (10) is captive and mounted in the sieve element (4).

6. Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that the actuating knob (10) has a hollow cylindrical guide element (21) and a cover element (23) which surrounds the hollow cylindrical guide element (21) at least partially in the vertical direction and covers one end face (22) facing away from the drain opening (2) and which are connected to each other.

7. Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact thatthe actuating knob (10) has a rod-shaped bearing element projecting towards the drain opening (2), with which the actuating knob (10) can be rotatably mounted on or in the drain opening (2) relative to the drain opening (2).

8. Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that the sealing element (6) is mounted in the drain opening (2) in a rotationally fixed manner.

9. Device (1) according to claim 8, characterized by the fact that the sealing element (6) has a recess (25) accessible from the drain opening (2), in which an engagement element (26) is mounted in a rotationally fixed and vertically displaceable manner, wherein the engagement element (26) can be mounted in a rotationally fixed manner at the drain opening (2).

10. Device (1) according to claim 9, characterized by the fact thatthe engagement element (26) has at least one engagement tongue (28) projecting in the direction of the drain opening (2) and capable of engaging with a drain opening web (27) arranged transversely to the drain opening (2).

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