Cable Actuated Drain With Rotatable Overflow Cap
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current drain actuation systems in bathtubs face issues such as corrosion, tangling, rigidity, and inaccessibility for maintenance, requiring costly and complicated access panels for repairs, and fail to accommodate varying bathtub dimensions due to fixed cable lengths and inefficient force transfer.
Innovation Solution
A sheathed cable system that uses a rotatable overflow cap to actuate a drain stopper, eliminating the need for access panels by allowing internal repair and adjustment, featuring a constrained cable between an overflow elbow and drain elbow for efficient force transfer and a diaphragm for pressure testing, and utilizing a plastic cable for flexibility and corrosion resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a cable is positioned within an overflow drain pipe as in prior art, then the cable can actuate the stopper, but the cable cannot be easily adjusted to accommodate overflow assemblies of various lengths and requires costly access panels for repair
Solution Approach 1:
The cable length is made adjustable rather than fixed. The system allows the cable to be dynamically repositioned along the overflow assembly to accommodate various lengths (6-8 inches or more) while maintaining proper tension and functionality, eliminating the need for fixed-length cables and access panels
Solution Approach 2:
A cable guide or constraint mechanism is introduced as an intermediary component between the cable and the overflow assembly. This guide facilitates proper cable routing and positioning, enabling easy adjustment and repair without requiring access panels while ensuring the cable maintains correct tension and alignment
2Ease of operation
If a cable is used for drain actuation, then the stopper can be opened and closed, but the cable suffers from corrosion, tangling, and rigidity issues
Solution Approach 1:
The cable material properties are changed by selecting corrosion-resistant materials and optimizing the cable's flexibility parameters. The cable is designed with appropriate flexibility to prevent tangling while maintaining sufficient rigidity for actuation, and corrosion-resistant materials are used to improve durability in the wet environment
Solution Approach 2:
A cable guide or constraint mechanism serves as an intermediary that prevents the cable from tangling during operation. The guide ensures the cable follows a proper path, reducing bending stresses and preventing knots while still allowing the cable to move freely enough for reliable stopper actuation
3Ease of manufacture
If a fixed length cable is used as in prior art, then the installation is simplified, but the system cannot accommodate overflow assemblies of various dimensions
Solution Approach 1:
The cable length is made dynamically adjustable rather than fixed during manufacturing. The system allows installers to easily modify the effective cable length to match different bathtub and overflow assembly dimensions, maintaining installation simplicity while achieving versatility across various product sizes
Solution Approach 2:
The cable system is designed with universal adaptability features, such as adjustable length mechanisms or multiple cable options, that allow the same basic system to accommodate a wide range of bathtub dimensions and overflow assembly configurations without requiring custom-manufactured components
Data Source
AI summary
An improved drain actuates system that includes a cable to actuate a head or stopper of a drain. More specifically, one end of the cable is associated with the drain without additional moving parts and another end of the cable associated with an overflow cap of an overflow system wherein rotation of the overflow cap selectively moves the cable to move the head of the drain. The internal components associated with the overflow end of the cable that allow it to actuate the drain are fully accessible through the overflow port of the plumbing system.