System for P-trap protection

• US 5,259,410 A
• Filed: 09/14/1992
• Issued: 11/09/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Watertite Products Incorporated (Milliken & Company)
• Original Assignee: Truebro, Inc. (IPS Group Ltd. /Management/)
• Inventors: Trueb, Steven R., Trueb, Thomas W.
• Primary Examiner(s): CHAMBERS, A MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US07/944,836
• Time in Patent Office: 421 Days
• Field of Search: 138/155, 138/158, 138/DIG. 11, 138/157, 137/247.49, 137/247.51, 137/797, 137/375, 285/47
• US Class Current: 137/375
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/041 having provisions against scalding, e.g. temperature limiting devices, external covers
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 59/11 Rigid covers for elbows
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 59/168 Flexible insulating material or covers for flanges, junctions, valves or the like
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 9/22 Pipes composed of a plurality of segments
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/4613 Access opening
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7017 Telescopic well casing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7036 Jacketed
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/8811 Frangible

Abstract

Slit pieces of thermal insulating molded rubber are configured to conform to under-sink piping, so as to provide protection against burn injury from contact with hot surfaces. Three or four pieces are telescopically and rotatably interengaged with one another to cooperatively enclose an installed P-trap assembly, and the piece covering the J-bend is formed with a protrusion to accommodate clean-out structure provided thereon.

Claims

1. A thermal insulation system for the P-trap piping assembly of a sink or the like, comprising a first, substantially J-shaped tubular piece, a second, substantially straight tubular piece, and a third, substantially L-shaped tubular piece, each of said pieces having opposite end portions, each being of unitary construction and fabricated from a resiliently yieldable material having thermal insulating properties, and each being longitudinally slit to permit spreading of the marginal portions extending along said slit for facile installation, said end portions of said first piece being of circular external cross-sectional configuration, and one of said end portions of both said second piece and said third piece constituting a collar portion having an inwardly extending recess of circular cross-sectional configuration, said recesses being dimensioned to telescopically and rotatably seat one of said end portions of said first piece, overlapped by the corresponding one of said collar portions.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein each of said collar portions has a circumferential groove thereabout for the receipt of a clamping band.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the distal end portion of at least one of said second and third pieces, remote from said location of overlap thereof, has a plurality of circumferential grooves extending thereabout at longitudinally spaced locations therealong.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said material is of rubbery character.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein said material has a foamed structure.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said first piece includes a toric section having a protrusion formed in a centralized location on a radially outer wall portion thereof, for enclosing clean-out access port structure provided in the J-shaped piping component of a P-trap sink installation.

7. A thermally insulated P-trap installation for a sink or the like, comprising:

a tubular piping assembly including a substantially straight sink tailpiece member, a substantially J-shaped J-bend, a substantially L-shaped waste arm, and nut structure joining said tailpiece member and waste arm in end-to-end relationship to the opposite ends of said J-bend; and

a thermal insulation system comprising a first, substantially J-shaped tubular piece, a second, substantially straight tubular piece, and a third, substantially L-shaped tubular piece, each of said pieces having opposite end portions, and being of unitary construction and fabricated from a resiliently yieldable material having thermal insulating properties, and each being longitudinally slit to permit spreading of the marginal portions extending along said slit so as to enable facile installation of said first, second and third pieces, respectively, over said J-bend, tailpiece member, and waste arm of said piping assembly, said pieces being so installed with one of said end portions of said second and third pieces disposed in overlapped relationship with each of said end portions of said first piece, said end portions of said first piece being of circular external cross-sectional configuration, and said one end portions of both said second piece and said third piece constituting a collar portion having an inwardly extending recess of circular cross-sectional configuration, said recesses being dimensioned to telescopically and rotatably seat one of said end portions of said first piece, overlapped by the corresponding one of said collar portions.

8. The installation of claim 7 additionally including a banding element surrounding said end portions at each of the locations of overlap to secure said pieces in assembly with the components of said piping assembly, and wherein said material from which said pieces are fabricated is of rubbery character and has a foamed structure.

9. The installation of claim 7 wherein said J-bend of said piping assembly includes a toric section and two substantially straight sections extending in the same direction from said toric section, one of said straight sections being longer than the other and being joined to said substantially straight tubular piece, the other of said straight sections being joined to said substantially L-shaped tubular piece.

10. The installation of claim 9 wherein said toric section of said J-bend has outwardly projecting clean-out structure formed in a centralized location through a radially outer wall portion thereof, and wherein said first piece of said insulation system includes a toric section having a protrusion formed in a centralized location on a radially outer wall portion thereof, enclosing said clean-out structure.

11. A thermal insulation system for the P-trap piping assembly of a sink or the like, comprising a first, substantially J-shaped tubular piece, a second, substantially straight tubular piece, and a third, substantially L-shaped tubular piece, each of said pieces having opposite end portions, each being of unitary construction and fabricated from a resiliently yieldable material having thermal insulating properties, and each being longitudinally slit to permit spreading of the marginal portions extending along said slit for facile installation, said first piece including a toric section having a protrusion formed in a centralized location on a radially outer wall portion thereof, for enclosing clean-out access port structure provided in the J-shaped piping component of a P-trap sink installation.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein said slit and said protrusion are on opposite sides of said first piece.

13. A thermal insulation system for the P-trap piping assembly of a sink or the like, comprising a first, substantially J-shaped tubular piece, a second, substantially straight tubular piece, and third and fourth, substantially L-shaped tubular pieces, each of said pieces having opposite end portions, each being of unitary construction and fabricated from a resiliently yieldable material having thermal insulating properties, and each being longitudinally slit to permit spreading of the marginal portions extending along said slit for facile installation, said end portions of said first piece being of circular external cross-sectional configuration, one of said end portions of each of said second piece, said third piece, and said fourth piece constituting a collar portion having an inwardly extending recess of circular cross-sectional configuration, and the opposite end portion of said second piece being of circular external cross-sectional configuration, said recesses in said collar portions of said second and third pieces being dimensioned to telescopically and rotatably seat one of said end portions of said first piece therewithin, and said recess in said collar portion of said fourth piece being dimensioned to telescopically and rotatably seat said opposite end portion of said second piece therewithin, said collar portions overlapping the end portions of the pieces seated therewithin.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the opposite end of said fourth piece also defines an inwardly extending recess, said recesses in said collar portion and said opposite end of said fourth piece opening in opposite directions.