Drain strainer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional bathroom sink drain stopper assemblies often misalign, leading to improper sealing, clogging issues due to hair and foreign objects, and difficulties in accessing and replacing the strainer for cleaning.
Innovation Solution
A removable strainer cartridge with a replaceable strainer element that can be easily detached and replaced without contacting debris, featuring a simple drop-in or clip-in installation and a release mechanism to facilitate quick strainer replacement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional strainer is installed beneath a stopper in a bathroom sink, then straining functionality is provided, but the strainer becomes difficult to access for cleaning and replacement
Solution Approach 1:
The drain assembly is segmented into separate functional components: a stopper assembly and a strainer assembly. The strainer is positioned in the drain body rather than beneath the stopper, allowing it to be accessed and removed independently from the stopper mechanism. This segmentation enables the strainer to be easily cleaned and replaced without disassembling the stopper assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The drain body serves as an intermediary structure that houses the strainer in a readily accessible position. By placing the strainer within the drain body opening rather than concealing it beneath the stopper, the drain body acts as a mediator that provides both structural support and easy access to the strainer for maintenance purposes.
2Reliability
If hair and foreign objects pass through the drain, then clogging occurs requiring disassembly of pipes or plumber intervention, but preventing this requires a more complex drain system
Solution Approach 1:
The drain system is divided into modular components including a removable strainer assembly, stopper assembly, and drain body. This segmentation allows the strainer to be easily removed and cleaned by the user without requiring disassembly of the entire drain system or pipe work, thereby preventing clogs while maintaining system simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The strainer assembly is designed to be user-serviceable, allowing homeowners to easily remove, clean, and replace the strainer themselves without needing to call a plumber or disassemble complex pipe structures. The strainer can be lifted out through the drain body opening for routine maintenance.
3Ease of operation
If the horizontal rod extends through a pivot seat in the drain pipe to transmit motion, then stopper movement is achieved, but the rod becomes misaligned causing the stopper to sag or fail to close properly
Solution Approach 1:
The problematic horizontal rod and pivot seat mechanism are extracted from the drain body in this invention. Instead, a telescoping shaft assembly is used that extends vertically through the drain body, eliminating the misalignment issues associated with horizontal rod rotation through a pivot seat while maintaining stopper movement functionality.
Data Source
AI summary
A stopper cartridge for a drain system of a fluid basin, components thereof and related methods are provided. The stopper cartridge includes a stopper head and a strainer to strain fluid passing through the drain system when the stopper head is in a drain position. The stopper head and the strainer may be selectively removable from the drain system by manipulating the stopper head relative to the drain system or a component installed in the drain system.