Drain Stopper Assembly With Lateral Access for Debris Cleaning

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing drain stopper assemblies for water basins do not provide adequate clearance for easy access to clean debris from the drain passage, requiring complete disassembly to remove obstructions.

Innovation Solution

A drain stopper assembly with a lateral displacement mechanism that allows the stopper to move laterally when in the raised position, providing additional clearance for a finger or cleaning tool to access the drain passage without disassembly.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the stopper is designed to seal the drain passage, then water flow control is improved, but access to clean debris becomes difficult

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewater flow controlVSAvoidaccess to clean debris

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The stopper is designed with dynamic movement capabilities, allowing it to transition between a lowered sealed position and a raised position. The lateral displacement means enables the stopper to move laterally when raised, dynamically changing the system configuration to provide access to the drain passage for cleaning operations while maintaining effective sealing when closed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The stopper assembly is segmented into movable components including the stopper body, support post, and lateral displacement mechanism. This segmentation allows the stopper to be raised laterally away from the drain passage opening, separating the sealing function from the cleaning access requirement, enabling debris removal without compromising water flow control capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If the stopper completely blocks the drain passage, then water containment is improved, but debris removal requires disassembly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewater containmentVSAvoiddisassembly requirement

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The lateral displacement means is integrated into the stopper assembly itself, allowing the stopper to laterally displace its own body or associated components to create access openings. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for external disassembly tools or complex removal procedures, maintaining simple operation while enabling cleaning access.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Volume of moving object

If the stopper structure is compact, then space efficiency is improved, but cleaning access clearance is insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestopper sizeVSAvoidcleaning access clearance

Core Design Contradiction:

Volume of moving objectVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The stopper utilizes lateral displacement in the horizontal dimension rather than only vertical movement. By moving laterally away from the drain passage opening, the stopper creates sufficient clearance for cleaning tools and fingers to access debris without requiring excessive vertical space or increasing the overall volume of the stopper component itself.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentUS9060656B2Drain stopper assembly

Publication Date: 2015.06.23 TONG HENRY

AI summary

A drain stopper assembly for selectively closing an outlet from a water basin includes a stopper that axially slidably interacts with a support post to move between raised and lowered positions. In a raised position, the stopper can be laterally displaced to facilitate periodic cleaning of debris trapped in the drain passage. Lateral displacement can be accomplished in a variety of ways including by way of groove and follower pin relationships, pivoting sections of the support post and/or post interface of the stopper, and by a flexible support post.