Floor drain assembly and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9422708-B2
Application number	US-201313748180-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 23, 2013
Priority date	Jan 23, 2012
Publication date	Aug 23, 2016
Grant date	Aug 23, 2016

Abstract

A drain assembly for providing a drain in a floor. The drain assembly includes a drain conduit, a strainer and an adaptor. The drain conduit has an inner surface that defines a fluid flow path and an outer surface. The strainer is disposed above the drain conduit and has openings in fluid communication with the fluid flow path of the drain conduit. The adaptor may be securable in the drain conduit and may be connected to the strainer. Prior to securing the adaptor in the drain conduit, a position of the adaptor in the drain conduit may be moveable to allow a top surface of the strainer to be substantially aligned with the floor. A method of assembly is also disclosed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A drain assembly for providing drainage to a drain pipe in a floor, the assembly comprising:
a drain conduit, elongate along a central axis, the drain conduit having an inner surface that defines a fluid flow path and an outer surface opposite the inner surface;
a strainer disposed above the drain conduit, the strainer having openings in fluid communication with the fluid flow path of the drain conduit; and
an adaptor securable in the drain conduit and connectable to the strainer exclusively at an outer portion of the strainer that is offset from the central axis, wherein prior to securing the adaptor in the drain conduit, the adaptor is movable with respect to the drain conduit so as to facilitate alignment of the strainer with a top surface of the floor,
wherein the outer surface of the drain conduit is configured to receive a hardenable substratum so as to secure the drain assembly to the drain pipe once the substratum hardens into a hardened substratum, the hardened substratum partially defining the floor, and wherein once the substratum hardens, the adaptor is configured to be movable with respect to the drain conduit so as to level the strainer with a top surface of the floor when the strainer is secured to the adaptor.

2. The drain assembly of claim 1 wherein the position of the adaptor along an axis of the drain conduit inner surface is adjustable and an angle of the adaptor with respect to the axis of the drain conduit is adjustable.

3. The drain assembly of claim 1 wherein the position of the adaptor along an axis of the drain conduit inner surface is adjustable and an angle of the strainer with respect to the adaptor is adjustable.

4. The drain assembly of claim 3 , wherein the position and the angle of the adaptor are configured to be adjustable after the substratum hardens.

5. The drain assembly of claim 1 wherein the adaptor is secured to the drain conduit with an adhesive.

6. The drain assembly of claim 5 wherein the drain conduit and the adaptor are made from a polyvinylchloride material and the adhesive is a polyvinylchloride compatible adhesive.

7. A method of installing the drain assembly of claim 1 in a floor, the method comprising the steps of:
pouring concrete around the drain conduit;
installing a floor substrate above the concrete such that an opening in the floor substrate provides access to the inner surface of the drain conduit;
inserting the adaptor into the drain conduit;
after the inserting step, adjusting a position of the adaptor in the drain conduit to substantially align the strainer with a top surface of the floor substrate; and
securing the position of the adaptor inside the drain conduit to set the position of the strainer in substantial alignment with the top surface of the floor substrate.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the adjusting step further comprises positioning the adaptor along an axis of the drain conduit inner surface and adjusting an angle of the adaptor with respect to the axis of the drain conduit.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the adjusting step further comprises positioning the adaptor along an axis of the drain conduit inner surface and wherein the method further comprises the step of adjusting an angle of the strainer with respect to the adaptor.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the adjusting step further comprises slidably adjusting the adaptor within the drain conduit prior to the securing step.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the adaptor is tiltable in the drain conduit prior to the securing step.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein the securing step further comprises applying an adhesive to one of the adaptor and the drain conduit so as to secure the adaptor to the drain conduit.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the drain conduit and the adaptor are made from a polyvinylchloride material and the adhesive is a polyvinylchloride compatible adhesive.

14. The drain assembly of claim 1 further comprising a removable body configured to removably attach to the strainer.

15. The drain assembly of claim 14 , wherein the removable body contains an end portion that extends outwardly beyond an edge of the strainer when the removable body is attached to the strainer, such that the end portion is configured to abut the top surface of the floor and thereby levels the strainer with the top surface.

16. The drain assembly of claim 14 , wherein when the removable body is attached to the strainer, the removable body prevents matter from passing through the strainer and into the drain conduit.

17. The drain assembly of claim 1 , wherein the drain conduit further comprises a threaded barrel that is elongate along a barrel axis, the threaded barrel member defining a threaded outer portion and an opposed inner portion that defines the flow path, and wherein the barrel axis is substantially parallel to the flow path.

18. The drain assembly of claim 17 , wherein the adaptor is securable in a top portion of the threaded barrel, and the threaded barrel further comprises a top surface that limits the insertion depth of the adaptor into the top portion of the threaded barrel.

19. The drain assembly of claim 18 , wherein the threaded barrel is translatable relative to the drain pipe along the barrel axis and wherein the adaptor is pivotable relative to the barrel axis when the adaptor is disposed in the top portion of the threaded barrel.

20. The drain assembly of claim 19 , wherein the threaded barrel is translatable and the adaptor is pivotable after the substratum hardens.

21. A drain installation comprising:
a drain conduit elongate along a central axis, the drain conduit configured to be connected to a drain pipe, the drain conduit having an inner surface that defines a fluid flow path and an outer surface opposite the inner surface;
a substratum disposed around the outer surface of the drain conduit, the substratum defining 1) a hardened configuration wherein the drain conduit is positionally fixed relative to the drain pipe, and 2) an unhardened configuration wherein the drain conduit is movable relative to the drain pipe;
a floor substrate disposed adjacent to the substratum when the substratum is in the hardened configuration, the floor substrate having a top surface and an opening that provides access to the inner surface of the drain conduit;
a strainer disposed above the drain conduit, the strainer having at least a portion disposed in the opening of the floor substrate, wherein openings of the strainer are in fluid communication with the fluid flow path of the drain conduit; and
an adaptor securable in the drain conduit and connectable to the strainer exclusively at an outer portion of the strainer that is offset from the central axis the adaptor including a curved outer surface, the curved outer surface configured to abut, a portion of the inner surface of the drain conduit when the adaptor is disposed in the drain conduit,
wherein prior to securing the adaptor in the drain conduit and when the substratum is in the hardened configuration, the adaptor is configured to be both translatable and pivotally adjustable relative to the drain conduit about the curved outer surface to allow a top surface of the strainer to be substantially leveled with the top surface of the floor substrate.

22. The drain installation of claim 21 wherein the position of the adaptor along an axis of the drain conduit inner surface is adjustable and an angle of the adaptor with respect to the axis of the d

Assignees

• Oatey Co

Inventors

• Hull Eric

Classifications

• E03F2005/0414

  for inclination adjustment · CPC title

• B23P15/00

  Making specific metal objects by operations not covered by a single other subclass or a group in this subclass · CPC title

• E03F5/041

  Accessories therefor · CPC title

• E03F5/0409 Primary

  Devices for preventing seepage around the floor drain · CPC title

• Y10T29/49826

  Assembling or joining · CPC title