Drain assemblies, and related kits and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12371892-B2
Application number	US-202318105592-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 3, 2023
Priority date	Mar 31, 2022
Publication date	Jul 29, 2025
Grant date	Jul 29, 2025

Abstract

A drain assembly includes a drain body, barrel, plug, and sleeve. The drain body has an interior surface defining a channel along an axis and having interior threads thereon. The barrel has a central body having an upper end, with a flange extending radially outward therefrom and defining a landing surface. The central body has opposed exterior and interior barrel surfaces having exterior and interior threads, respectively. The interior barrel surface defines a channel alignable with the axis. The exterior threads are engageable with the drain body interior threads for axially adjusting the barrel relative to the drain body. The plug has a top surface and an outer body extending axially downward to a stop surface. An inner portion of the outer body extends axially below the stop surface and has external threads engageable with the barrel interior threads. The sleeve is sealingly receivable between the stop and landing surfaces.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A drain assembly, comprising:
a drain body defining an interior drain surface that defines a drain channel extending along a central axis, wherein an upper receptacle portion of the interior drain surface defines interior threads;
an upper barrel having a central body and a flange extending radially outward from an upper end of the central body, the flange defining a landing surface, the central body having an exterior barrel surface opposite an interior barrel surface, the interior barrel surface defining a barrel channel alignable with the central axis of the drain body, the central body having interior threads formed on the interior barrel surface and exterior threads formed on the exterior barrel surface adjacent to a lower end thereof, the exterior threads being engageable with the interior threads of the drain body, wherein the upper barrel is axially adjustable relative to the drain body along the central axis;
a plug having a top surface, an outer body extending axially downward from the top surface, the outer body defining a stop surface opposite the top surface, the outer body including an inner portion extending axially below the stop surface, the inner portion having external threads engageable with the interior threads of the upper barrel; and
a sleeve comprising a sidewall portion comprising an upper end, a lower end, a sidewall inner face, and a flange portion that projects radially inward from the lower end of the sidewall portion, the flange portion of the sleeve being axially receivable between the stop surface of the plug and the landing surface of the upper barrel.

2. The drain assembly of claim 1 , wherein the outer body of the plug defines an exterior plug surface that extends from the top surface to the stop surface, and the exterior plug surface is engageable with cement during the cement pouring phase.

3. The drain assembly of claim 2 , wherein the exterior surface plug surface tapers inwardly toward the central axis from the top surface to the stop surface.

4. The drain assembly of claim 2 , wherein the sleeve comprises:
an exterior sleeve surface opposite an interior sleeve surface;
a top sleeve surface opposite a bottom sleeve surface; and
an inner flange portion extending inwardly from the interior sleeve surface,
wherein the bottom sleeve surface extends along a bottom of the inner flange portion, and the bottom sleeve surface is abuttable with the landing surface of the upper barrel.

5. The drain assembly of claim 2 , wherein the sleeve comprises:
an exterior sleeve surface opposite an interior sleeve surface, and
a top sleeve surface opposite a bottom sleeve surface,
wherein the exterior sleeve surface tapers outwardly away from the central axis from the top sleeve surface to the bottom sleeve surface.

6. The drain assembly of claim 2 , wherein the plug is constructed of a material for providing a non-binding contact interface between the exterior plug surface and the cement.

7. The drain assembly of claim 6 , wherein the material comprises acetal plastic.

8. The drain assembly of claim 2 , wherein the exterior plug surface is coated with a layer of coating material configured to provide a non-binding contact interface with the cement.

9. The drain assembly of claim 8 , wherein the coating material is selected from the group comprising polyvinyl alcohol, mineral oil, silicone, polysiloxane, wax, and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE).

10. The drain assembly of claim 2 , wherein the plug is interchangeable with a strainer barrel, the strainer barrel having a central body insertable within the barrel channel, the central body of the strainer barrel having an exterior surface opposite an interior surface, the interior surface of the strainer barrel defining a strainer barrel channel alignable with the central axis of the drain body, wherein the exterior surface of the central body of the strainer barrel has exterior threads engageable with the interior threads on the interior barrel surface, and wherein the strainer barrel is axially adjustable relative to the upper barrel.

11. The drain assembly of claim 1 , wherein the external threads of the plug are removably engageable with the interior threads of the upper barrel, such that the plug is removably attachable to the upper barrel during a pre-pour phase of drain assembly.

12. The drain assembly of claim 11 , wherein, in a first operative configuration of the drain assembly, the plug is fully seated within the barrel channel, the top surface of the plug is spaced upwardly from the barrel landing surface at a first distance along the axial direction.

13. The drain assembly of claim 12 , further comprising a drain grate attachable to a top end of the strainer barrel, wherein, when the drain grate is attached to the strainer barrel and the strainer barrel is attached to the upper barrel, a top surface of the drain grate is spaced upwardly from the barrel landing surface at a second distance along the axial direction, wherein the second distance is less than the first distance.

14. The drain assembly of claim 13 , wherein, in a second operative configuration of the drain assembly, the relative position between the drain body and the upper barrel is rigidly fixed, such that the strainer barrel being axially adjustable relative to the upper barrel causes the second distance to be adjustable while the barrel landing surface has a fixed position relative to the drain body.

Assignees

• Oatey Co

Inventors

• Zhang Kai
• Dodd Christopher

Classifications

• E03F5/041

  Accessories therefor · CPC title

• E03F5/0407 Primary

  Floor drains for indoor use · CPC title