Drain control assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9816258-B2
Application number	US-201615009348-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 28, 2016
Priority date	Aug 18, 2011
Publication date	Nov 14, 2017
Grant date	Nov 14, 2017

Abstract

A drain control assembly for moving a drain valve assembly between an open position and a closed position through movement of a cable. The drain control assembly includes a driven member having a pivot end and a distal end that is configured to receive an end of the cable; a driving member defining a longitudinal axis; and a housing having a first cavity for receiving the driving member and a second cavity for receiving the driven member; wherein the driving member is configured to move in one of a linear manner or a rotational manner; and wherein the driven member is configured to rotate about the pivot end if the driving member moves in a linear manner and the driven member is configured to rotate about the pivot end if the driving member moves in a rotational manner.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A drain control assembly comprising:
a driven member having a pivot end and a distal end that is configured to receive an end of a cable configured to move a drain valve assembly between an open position and a closed position; and
a housing having a first cavity for receiving the driven member and having a second cavity for selectively receiving a first driving member and a second driving member;
wherein the driven member is configured to rotate within the first cavity and about the pivot end in response to the first driving member moving in a linear manner, and the driven member is configured to rotate within the first cavity and about the pivot end in response to the second driving member moving in a rotational manner.

2. The drain control assembly of claim 1 , wherein a contact surface of each driving member contacts a contact surface of the driven member to induce the driven member to pivot upon movement of the first driving member in the linear manner or the second driving member in the rotational manner.

3. The drain control assembly of claim 2 , wherein the contact surface of the driven member is provided between the pivot and distal ends.

4. The drain control assembly of claim 2 , wherein the contact surface of each driving member is configured at an oblique angle relative to a longitudinal axis of the driving member.

5. The drain control assembly of claim 4 , wherein the contact surface of the driven member is configured at an oblique angle that is similar to the oblique angle of each driving member.

6. The drain control assembly of claim 1 , wherein each driving member includes an end that pivotally engages the first cavity of the housing.

7. The drain control assembly of claim 6 , wherein each driving member further includes a second end that is configured to be rotated by an engaged handle.

8. The drain control assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first cavity includes a stop surface for limiting the rotational travel of the driven member.

9. The drain control assembly of claim 1 , further comprising the first driving member in a first mode, the second driving member in a second mode, and a selectively changeable escutcheon for covering the housing to provide tailored aesthetics, where the escutcheon includes an opening for receiving the first driving member in the first mode and the second driving member in the second mode.

10. The drain control assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a biasing member for biasing the first driving member in the linear manner along the longitudinal axis and for biasing the second driving member in the linear manner along the longitudinal axis.

11. A drain control assembly comprising:
a housing; and
a driven member in the housing and configured to pivot relative to the housing about a pivot axis, the driven member comprising:
a contact surface: and
a portion that is configured to receive a cable of a drain valve assembly to thereby move the cable and the drain valve assembly between an open position and a closed position upon pivoting of the driven member;

wherein in a first mode, the driven member is configured to pivot about the pivot axis in response to a first driving member moving linearly along a longitudinal axis after the first driving member contacts the contact surface; and
wherein in a second mode, the driven member is configured to pivot about the pivot axis in response to a second driving member rotating about the longitudinal axis after the second driving member contacts the contact surface.

12. The drain control assembly of claim 11 , wherein the housing includes a base having a support surface that is configured to support the driven member, the contact surface of the driven member is configured to be contacted by a contact surface of the first driving member in the first mode to pivot the driven member, and the contact surface of the driven member is configured to be contacted by a contact surface of the second driving member in the second mode to pivot the driven member.

13. The drain control assembly of claim 12 , wherein a first cavity in the base of the housing defines the support surface and a second cavity in the base receives at least a portion of the first driving member in the first mode and at least a portion of the second driving member in the second mode.

14. The drain control assembly of claim 12 , wherein the contact surface of the driven member is configured at an oblique angle relative to the support surface of the base.

15. The drain control assembly of claim 14 , wherein the oblique contact surface of the driven member is located between the pivot axis and the portion of the driven member that is configured to receive the cable.

16. The drain control assembly of claim 14 , wherein the contact surface of each driving member is at an oblique angle relative to the support surface of the base, and the oblique angle of each driving member is substantially the same as the oblique angle of the driven member.

17. A drain control assembly comprising:
a first driving member operable in a first mode, in which the first driving member is configured to move linearly along a longitudinal axis;
a second driving member operable in a second mode, in which the second driving member is configured to move rotationally about the longitudinal axis; and
a driven member that is configured to pivot about a pivot axis to move a cable to open and close a remote drain valve assembly when the driven member is moved by the movement of the first driving member in the first mode and when the driven member is moved by the movement of the second driving member in the second mode.

18. The drain control assembly of claim 17 , wherein the pivot axis is parallel to and offset from the longitudinal axis.

19. The drain control assembly of claim 17 , further comprising a housing supporting the driven member and having a post, wherein the post defines the pivot axis and engages a hole in the driven member, such that the driven member is configured to pivot relative to the post about the pivot axis.

20. The drain control assembly of claim 19 , wherein the driven member includes a receiving portion, which is configured to receive the cable, and a contact surface located between the receiving portion and the hole, wherein the first driving member pivots the driven member through contact with the contact surface in the first mode, and wherein the second driving member pivots the driven member through contact with the contact surface in the second mode.

Assignees

• Kohler Co

Inventors

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

Classifications

• F16C1/223

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

• F16C1/16

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

• E03C1/24

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

• Y10T137/6977

  Escutcheon type support · CPC title

• E03C1/2304 Primary

  the actuation force being transmitted to the plug via flexible elements, e.g. chain, Bowden cable · CPC title