Drain and drain leveling mechanism

• US 10,378,196 B2
• Filed: 05/12/2017
• Issued: 08/13/2019
• 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:
  US15/593,858
• Publication Number:
  US 20170247872A1
• Time in Patent Office: 823 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
• CPC Class Codes: E03F 5/06 Gully gratings

Abstract

An adjustable floor drain apparatus includes a housing configured for positioning adjacent a drain pipe, manhole riser, or other feature, 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 housing extending circumferentially about an axis and comprising therein a plurality of receiving areas, each receiving area having a bottom

a plurality of plates, each plate configured to be secured within one of the plurality of receiving areas with at least a portion thereof axially offset from the bottom, each plate comprising a channel therethrough having a first width;

a leveling frame comprising a ring extending circumferentially about the axis and a plurality of locking blocks extending downward from the ring, each of the plurality of locking blocks comprising a vertical bore configured to align with a corresponding bottom of the housing, the vertical bore at least partially threaded;

a plurality of leveling members, each of the plurality of leveling members comprising a shaft having a head at a first end and a tool receiving portion at a second end, the shaft at least partially threaded, the head including an end portion having a second width greater than the first width, each shaft of the leveling members configured to threadingly engage the threads of the vertical bore of the respective locking block with the end portion positioned between the bottom and the plate to axially secure the leveling member within the receiving area; and

a grate securable to the leveling 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 rotation of the leveling members will adjust the leveling frame and thereby the grate relative to the housing and the leveling members will remain axially stationary relative to the housing.

3. The adjustable floor drain apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

an outer and an inner wall of the housing extending circumferentially about the axis and defining a circumferential housing channel therein; and

a fin extending circumferentially and downward from the frame,

wherein the housing channel is configured to receive the fin therein.

4. The adjustable floor drain apparatus of claim 3, wherein the housing channel is wider than the fin such that the fin can be angled within the channel.

5. The adjustable floor drain apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of receiving areas is at least three receiving areas, the plurality of plates is at least three plates, the plurality of locking blocks is at least three locking blocks, the plurality of leveling members is at least three leveling members, and the plurality of openings in the grate is at least three openings.

6. The adjustable floor drain apparatus of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises an upper wall having a first diameter, a lower wall having a second diameter smaller than the first diameter, and an angled segment extending upward and outward from the lower wall to the upper wall, wherein the lower wall is configured to couple with a collar for connection with a pipe.

7. The adjustable floor drain apparatus of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises external threads and is configured to couple with a collar by engaging the external threads of the housing with internal threads of the collar.

8. The adjustable floor drain apparatus of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises internal threads and is configured to couple with a collar by engaging the internal threads of the housing with external threads of the collar.

9. The adjustable floor drain apparatus of claim 1, each of the plurality of receiving areas having at least one rib coupling the bottom with the circumferential housing.

10. The adjustable floor drain apparatus of claim 1, each of the plurality of receiving areas having a wall extending upward from the bottom.

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

a housing defining an axis and configured for positioning adjacent a drain pipe;

a leveling frame configured to be positioned at least partially above the housing, the leveling frame moveable relative to 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 configured to couple with the frame and to be axially restrained by the housing, an end of the leveling member accessible through the grate to be actuated, wherein actuating the leveling member axially adjusts the position of at least a portion of the grate relative to the housing while the leveling member remains axially fixed relative to the housing.

12. The adjustable floor drain apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a collar configured to couple with the housing and the drain pipe.

13. The adjustable floor drain apparatus of claim 11, 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, the second leveling member, and the third leveling members are the only leveling members.

14. The adjustable floor drain apparatus of claim 11, wherein the leveling member is a screw.

15. The adjustable floor drain apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a plurality of the leveling members configured for attachment to the frame, wherein actuating the plurality of leveling members adjusts a height of the grate relative to the housing.

16. The adjustable floor drain apparatus of claim 11, wherein the frame comprises a locking block with a central bore configured to receive the leveling member.

17. The adjustable floor drain apparatus of claim 16, wherein the housing comprises a receiving area configured to align with the locking block.

18. A method of adjusting a floor drain apparatus, the method comprising:

providing the floor drain apparatus comprising;

a housing defining an axis and positioned adjacent a drain pipe,

a leveling frame positioned at least partially above the housing, the leveling frame moveable relative to the housing,

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

a first, second and third leveling member coupled with the frame and axially restrained by the housing, an end of each leveling member accessible through the grate to be actuated, wherein actuating each leveling member adjusts the axial position of at least a portion of the grate relative to the housing while each leveling member remains axially fixed relative to the housing;

actuating one or more of the first, second and third leveling members.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising coupling the housing with the drain pipe via a collar.

20. The method of claim 18, comprising actuating the first, second and third leveling members different amounts to angle the grate relative to the axis.