Air Gap Catch Device for Undermount Sink Drainage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Air gap devices in kitchen sinks, especially undermount sinks, fail to direct waste water effectively, leading to backups that spill onto the countertop and floor, creating a mess and slip hazard due to inadequate drainage.
Innovation Solution
A device that fits around the air gap device, featuring a center opening and contiguous channel to collect and direct overflow waste water from the air gap window into the sink basin, with an extending outlet to ensure safe disposal, compatible with various air gap RO faucets and dishwasher air gaps, and optionally made from flexible materials for easy retrofitting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional air gap device is installed on an undermount sink, then waste water can be discharged into the drain system, but waste water backs up and spills onto the countertop and floor when drainage is inadequate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary component (overflow dispensation director) between the air gap device and the countertop surface. This director captures waste water that would otherwise spill onto the countertop and redirects it into the sink basin, mediating the harmful effect of inadequate drainage while maintaining the air gap's backflow prevention function.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention segments the waste water discharge path into two distinct routes: the primary route through the air gap window into the drain system, and a secondary catch route through the overflow dispensation director into the sink basin. This segmentation allows the system to handle both normal operation and backup conditions independently.
2Reliability
If an air gap device is used with an undermount sink, then backflow prevention is achieved, but waste water has no designated path and creates a mess on the countertop
Solution Approach 1:
The overflow dispensation director serves as an intermediary that provides a designated path for waste water. It captures overflow from the air gap window and channels it into the sink basin, ensuring waste water always has a controlled discharge path whether the primary drain is functioning or backed up.
3Reliability
If a conventional air gap RO faucet is replaced with a Lipshultz invention to direct waste water into the sink basin, then waste water disposal is improved, but the existing air gap system must be removed
Solution Approach 1:
The overflow dispensation director is designed to fit around the base of an existing air gap device, nesting the new component around the existing one. This allows the waste water disposal improvement to be added without removing the existing air gap RO faucet, maintaining backward compatibility while enhancing functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The overflow dispensation director is designed with universal compatibility to work with various commercially available air gap RO faucets. It provides multiple functions: catching overflow, directing it into the sink basin, and maintaining compatibility with different air gap designs, making it a versatile addition rather than a specialized replacement.
Data Source
AI summary
Apparatus and method for directing waste water discharged from the air gap port of an air gap device such as an air gap reverse osmosis (RO) faucet or a dishwasher air gap, whereby the discharged water is caught and collected in a cup or container surrounding the air gap and channeled by a conduit of sufficient distance so that the water may then discharge into the sink basin.