Drain control assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9260846-B2
Application number	US-201213588503-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 17, 2012
Priority date	Aug 18, 2011
Publication date	Feb 16, 2016
Grant date	Feb 16, 2016

Abstract

A drain control assembly including a receiving member having a bore and a receiving portion for selectively receiving a first actuator or a second actuator. The drain control assembly also includes a moveable member configured to move between a first position and a second position within the bore of the receiving member to cause a cable to open or close a drain valve assembly. The first actuator comprises a first body portion and is configured to move the moveable member in response to linear movement of the first body portion, and the second actuator includes a second body portion and is configured to move the moveable member in response to rotational movement of the second body portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A drain control assembly comprising:
a receiving member comprising a bore and a receiving portion for selectively receiving a first actuator in a first configuration and a second actuator in a second configuration; and
a moveable member configured to move between a first position and a second position within the bore of the receiving member to cause a cable to open or close a drain valve assembly;
wherein the first actuator comprises a first body portion and is configured to move the moveable member between the first and second positions in response to linear movement of the first body portion; and
wherein the second actuator includes a second body portion and is configured to move the moveable member between the first and second positions in response to rotational movement of the second body portion.

2. The drain control assembly of claim 1 , wherein an end of the cable is retained by the moveable member.

3. The drain control assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a biasing member to provide a force that biases the moveable member relative to the receiving member.

4. The drain control assembly of claim 3 , wherein the biasing member biases the moveable member into the first position that corresponds to an open position for the drain valve assembly.

5. The drain control assembly of claim 3 , wherein the biasing member is made from a material that is substantially impervious to water to seal the cable end to prevent exposure of the cable end to water.

6. The drain control assembly of claim 1 , wherein the receiving member is configured such that a first force is required to couple the actuators to or decouple the actuators from the receiving member and a second force is required to control movement of the moveable member, wherein the first force is greater than the second force.

7. The drain control assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first actuator includes a locking feature to selectively lock the first actuator in open and closed positions.

8. The drain control assembly of claim 1 , wherein the receiving portion includes an opening and a retaining feature that is rotationally offset from the opening, such that the retaining feature is configured to retain portions of the actuators.

9. The drain control assembly of claim 8 , wherein the portions of the actuators retained by the retaining feature include projections that define a key-way configured to pass through the opening to be retained by the retaining feature.

10. The drain control assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a selectively removable escutcheon for covering a side of the receiving member to provide tailored aesthetics, wherein the escutcheon includes an opening configured to receive the first and second actuators.

11. The drain control assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a housing that includes a base configured to fix the housing in place, wherein the receiving member is provided within a housing, and wherein the receiving member can receive the first and second actuators without having to modify the housing.

12. The drain control assembly of claim 11 , wherein the cable is configured to exit a rear portion of the housing, and wherein the receiving member can receive the first and second actuators without having to modify the relationship between the base and the rear portion of the housing.

13. The drain control assembly of claim 1 , wherein the moveable member slides linearly between the first and second positions in response to the linear movement of the first body portion and in response to the rotational movement of the second body portion.

14. A drain control assembly configured to move a cable of a drain, the drain control assembly comprising:
a housing having a receiving member configured to receive a removable actuator in an opening; and
a sliding member moveable between a first position and a second position, the sliding member being coupled to an end of a cable;
wherein in a first configuration, the actuator is a first actuator that includes a contact surface that is configured to move the sliding member between the first and second positions in response to a linear movement of the first actuator;
wherein in a second configuration, the actuator is a second actuator that includes a contact surface that is configured to move the sliding member between the first and second positions in response to a rotational movement of the second actuator.

15. The drain control assembly of claim 14 , wherein the first position of the sliding member corresponds to an open position of a drain stopper, and the second position of the sliding member corresponds to a closed position of the drain stopper.

16. The drain control assembly of claim 14 , wherein the housing includes a base, a wall extending from the base, and a rear portion extending from the wall, wherein the base is configured to fix the housing in place, wherein the receiving member is located within wall between the rear portion and the base, and wherein the receiving member can receive the first and second actuators without having to modify the housing.

17. The drain control assembly of claim 16 , wherein the receiving member can receive the first and second actuators without having to modify the cable.

18. The drain control assembly of claim 14 , wherein the receiving member can receive the first and second actuators without having to modify the housing.

19. The drain control assembly of claim 18 , wherein the receiving member can receive the first and second actuators without having to modify the cable.

20. The drain control assembly of claim 19 , wherein the receiving member can receive the first and second actuators without having to modify the sliding member.

21. The drain control assembly of claim 18 , wherein the receiving member can receive the first and second actuators without having to modify the receiving member.

22. The drain control assembly of claim 14 , wherein the sliding member slides linearly between the first and second positions in response to the linear movement of the first actuator and in response to the rotational movement of the second actuator.

Assignees

• Marotz Benjamin
• Natarajan Murali
• Stokes Andrew
• Burns Lisa
• Kohler Co

Inventors

• Marotz Benjamin
• Natarajan Murali
• Stokes Andrew
• Burns Lisa

Classifications

• F16C1/16

  in which the end-piece is guided rectilinearly · CPC title

• E03C1/232

  combined with overflow devices (overflow devices for basins or baths per se E03C1/24) · CPC title

• F16C1/223

  by adjusting the effective length of the flexible member · CPC title

• E03C1/24

  Overflow devices for basins or baths (E03C1/232 takes precedence) · CPC title

• E03C2201/50

  Constructional features of escutcheons for domestic plumbing installations · CPC title