Drain and drain leveling mechanism

• US 10,370,840 B2
• Filed: 07/09/2015
• Issued: 08/06/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: New Drain Company LLC
• Original Assignee: The Drain Company, LLC
• Inventors: Huber, Donald G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Safavi, Michael
• Application Number:
  US14/795,407
• Publication Number:
  US 20160010320A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,489 Days
• Field of Search: 210164, 210166, 523021
• CPC Class Codes: E03F 2005/0413 for height adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: E03F 2005/0414 for inclination adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: E03F 5/0407 Floor drains for indoor use

Abstract

An adjustable floor drain apparatus includes a housing configured for positioning adjacent a drain pipe, a leveling frame configured to be positioned at least partially above the housing, a grate configured to be positioned at least partially above the leveling frame and secured to the leveling frame, and a leveling member. The leveling member can be configured such that actuating the leveling member adjusts the position of the grate relative to the housing while the leveling member remains fixed relative to the housing. The leveling member can be configured such that actuating the leveling member moves the leveling member relative to the grate and adjusts the position of the grate relative to the housing.

Claims

1. An adjustable floor drain apparatus, the adjustable floor drain apparatus comprising:

a cylindrical collar comprising a threaded surface and configured to be positioned at least partially around a drain pipe;

a cylindrical housing comprising a threaded surface configured to engage the threaded surface of the collar, the housing further comprising a plurality of receiving shafts, each receiving shaft having a bottom and an open top;

a plurality of plates, each plate positioned within one of the plurality of receiving shafts and offset from the bottom of the shaft, each plate comprising a channel;

a leveling frame comprising a ring and a plurality of locking blocks extending below the ring, each of the plurality of locking blocks configured to be positioned within a corresponding receiving shaft of the housing and comprising a threaded vertical bore;

a plurality of leveling members, each of the leveling members comprising a head at a first end and a threaded shaft with a tool receiving portion at a second end, each of the plurality of leveling members configured to be positioned in a respective receiving shaft of the plurality of receiving shafts with the head at least partially between a respective plate of the plurality of plates and the bottom of the respective receiving shaft, and with the shaft threadably engaged within the threaded vertical bore of the locking block positioned within the respective receiving shaft; and

a grate securable to the frame, the grate comprising a plurality of openings, each of the plurality of openings configured to be aligned with the threaded bore of a respective one of the plurality of locking blocks.

2. The adjustable floor drain apparatus of claim 1, wherein the leveling frame further comprises a plurality of threaded attachment holes and the grate further comprises a plurality of attachment openings, each of the attachment openings configured to be aligned with one of the threaded attachment holes to thereby receive a screw and secure the grate to the leveling frame.

3. The adjustable floor drain apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of receiving shafts is three receiving shafts.

4. The adjustable floor drain apparatus of claim 1, wherein the leveling frame comprises a plurality of inward extending flanges, each flange configured to be aligned with a respective receiving shaft of the plurality of receiving shafts.

5. An adjustable floor drain apparatus, the adjustable floor drain apparatus comprising:

a housing configured for positioning adjacent a drain pipe;

a leveling frame configured to be positioned at least partially above the housing;

a grate configured to be positioned at least partially above the leveling frame and secured to the leveling frame; and

a leveling member, wherein the leveling member is configurable such that actuating the leveling member adjusts the position of the grate relative to the housing while the leveling member remains axially fixed relative to the housing.

6. The adjustable floor drain apparatus of claim 5, wherein the leveling member is accessible to be actuated while the grate is secured to the leveling frame.

7. The adjustable floor drain apparatus of claim 5, further comprising a collar between the housing and the drain pipe.

8. The adjustable floor drain apparatus of claim 5, wherein the housing comprises a channel and the leveling frame comprises a projection configured to be positioned within the channel.

9. The adjustable floor drain apparatus of claim 5, wherein the grate is configured to be secured directly to the leveling frame.

10. The adjustable floor drain apparatus of claim 5, wherein the leveling member is configured to connect the leveling frame to the housing.

11. The adjustable floor drain apparatus of claim 5, wherein the leveling member is a first leveling member, and further comprising a second leveling member and a third leveling member, wherein the first leveling member, second leveling member, and third leveling members are the only leveling members.

12. An adjustable floor drain apparatus adapted for positioning relative to a drain pipe, the adjustable floor drain apparatus comprising:

a housing configured for positioning adjacent a drain pipe;

a frame configured to be positioned adjacent the housing;

a grate configured to be positioned at least partially above the frame; and

a leveling member configured for attachment to the frame, wherein actuating the leveling member moves the leveling member relative to the grate and adjusts the position of the grate relative to the housing,

wherein the frame comprises a locking block with a central bore configured to receive the leveling member

wherein the housing comprises a channel configured to receive the locking block, and

further comprising a plate positioned within the channel and offset from a floor of the channel, the plate comprising a cutout sized to receive a shaft of the leveling member but block passage of a head of the leveling member through the cutout.

13. The adjustable floor drain apparatus of claim 12, wherein the leveling member is a screw.

14. The adjustable floor drain apparatus of claim 12, wherein the leveling member is accessible to be actuated while the grate is secured to the frame.

15. The adjustable floor drain apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a plurality of leveling members configured for attachment to the frame, wherein actuating the plurality of leveling members in the same direction adjusts a height of the grate relative to the housing.

16. The adjustable floor drain apparatus of claim 12, wherein actuating the leveling member comprises rotating a driver connected to the leveling member.

17. The adjustable floor drain apparatus of claim 16, wherein the driver is an allen wrench.

18. The adjustable floor drain apparatus of claim 12, wherein the channel extends around a circumference of the housing.

19. A method of operating an adjustable floor drain apparatus to adjust a height of a grate of the floor drain apparatus relative to a housing of the floor drain apparatus, the method comprising:

providing a floor drain apparatus comprising;

a housing positioned adjacent a drain pipe;

a leveling frame positioned at least partially above the housing and attached to the housing;

a grate positioned at least partially above the leveling frame and secured to the leveling frame; and

a first leveling member, a second leveling member, and a third leveling member;

actuating the first leveling member;

actuating the second leveling member; and

actuating the third leveling member, wherein the first leveling member, second leveling member, and third leveling member are actuated while the housing is axially fixed relative to each leveling member.

20. An adjustable floor drain apparatus, the adjustable floor drain apparatus comprising:

a cylindrical collar comprising a threaded surface and configured to be positioned at least partially around a drain pipe;

a cylindrical housing comprising a threaded surface configured to engage the threaded surface of the collar;

a plurality of receiving shafts coupled with the cylindrical housing, each receiving shaft having a bottom and an open top;

a leveling frame comprising a ring and a plurality of locking blocks extending below the ring, each of the plurality of locking blocks configured to be positioned within a corresponding receiving shaft and comprising a threaded vertical bore;

a plurality of leveling members, each of the plurality of leveling members comprising a head at a first end and a threaded shaft with a tool receiving portion at a second end, each of the plurality of leveling members configured to be positioned in a respective receiving shaft of the plurality of receiving shafts with the head located between a lower end of the respective locking block and the bottom of the respective receiving shaft, and with the shaft threadably engaged within the threaded vertical bore of the locking block positioned within the respective receiving shaft; and

a grate securable to the frame, the grate comprising a plurality of openings, each of the plurality of openings to be aligned with the threaded bore of a respective one of the plurality of locking blocks.

21. The adjustable floor drain apparatus of claim 20, wherein rotation of each of the plurality of leveling members causes the respective locking block to translate up or down relative to the respective leveling member.