Split Sink Strainer Lock Nut for Easy Bonded Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sink strainer lock nuts often bond to the sink underside over time, making them difficult to remove without causing damage or requiring time-consuming and costly methods like using a hammer or spanner-type wrench.
Innovation Solution
A split lock nut design with integral gripping nodules, a rotational split, and a locking system involving opposed tabs and a threaded fastener that securely holds the nut in place during use but allows easy release with external prying force.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional lock nut is used to secure the sink strainer, then the strainer is held firmly in a watertight position, but the lock nut becomes bonded to the sink underside over time and becomes difficult to remove
Solution Approach 1:
The lock nut is divided into two functional parts: a stationary bonded portion that remains attached to the sink underside, and a removable segmented portion with multiple lugs that can be independently manipulated. This segmentation allows the nut to maintain its secure watertight function while enabling easy removal of the segmented portion without damaging the sink or requiring destructive methods.
Solution Approach 2:
The removable portion of the lock nut is extracted as a separate functional element that can be independently removed from the bonded portion. This extracted segment contains the lugs for tool engagement and can be detached and replaced without affecting the permanent installation of the main lock nut body, thereby solving the removal difficulty problem.
2Ease of operation
If a hammer and cold chisel are used to remove the bonded lock nut, then the lock nut can be broken loose, but the method is time consuming and can damage the sink and plumbing
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the lock nut into a permanent bonded portion and a removable segmented portion, the design eliminates the need for destructive removal methods. The segmented portion can be removed intact using simple tools, preventing damage to the sink surface and underlying plumbing while still providing effective removal capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The segmented portion of the lock nut functions as a disposable or replaceable component that can be easily removed and potentially replaced if needed. This disposable element absorbs the wear and removal processes, protecting the expensive and permanent sink and plumbing infrastructure from damage.
3Ease of operation
If a spanner-type wrench is used to engage the lugs on the lock nut, then the lock nut can be turned, but the tight space and poor contact make the method difficult and time consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The lock nut features multiple lugs distributed around its circumference rather than a single engagement point. This segmentation provides multiple contact points for tool engagement, allowing the user to apply force at various locations and achieve effective turning with less effort and in tighter spaces, significantly reducing removal time.
Solution Approach 2:
The multiple lugs on the lock nut provide universal engagement capability for various tool types (wrenches, pliers, screwdrivers), making the removal process adaptable to different tool availability and space constraints. This multi-functional design ensures effective operation regardless of the specific tool used or the available working space.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for releasably securing a sink strainer in a drain hole of a sink by providing a lock nut having a split defined by a pair of opposed surfaces and a locking system comprising a pair of opposed tabs attached to the outer surface of the lock nut with one tab on one side of the split having a threaded hole spaced perpendicularly with respect to the opposed surfaces for receiving a threaded fastener and a second tab attached to the outer surface of the lock nut on the opposite side of the split in opposed spaced relationship to the first tab. The second tab having a hole in axisymmetric spaced relationship to the threaded hole with a diameter of sufficient size to allow a threaded fastener to pass therethrough, and a threaded fastener positioned within the axisymmetric spaced hole and arranged to pass through the hole in the second tab and securely engage the threaded hole in the first tab. When engaged, the threaded fastener holds the opposed surfaces in mating relationship during normal use, and when removed, provide for the lock nut to release from its position in response to application of an external force.