US 2026/0275693 A1Published application

Stopper for a sink drain

OwnerMark Shoffnerinventor

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Abstract

A drain stopper apparatus for facilitating plunging of a first drainpipe which is in fluid communication with a second drainpipe includes a gasket assembly and a clamping assembly. The gasket assembly includes a main gasket which is resiliently deformable. The clamping assembly includes a top jaw and a bottom jaw that are positioned opposite each other across the gasket assembly. A linkage of the clamping assembly extends through a hole in the main gasket and couples the top jaw to the bottom jaw. The linkage is operable from a top side of the top jaw to draw the bottom jaw toward the top jaw, thereby compressing the main gasket which expands outwardly to seal with the inner surface of the drainpipe. So sealed, the first drainpipe may be plunged to remove a blockage without blowing air or debris out of the second drainpipe.

Claims12

Dependent claims

A drain stopper apparatus comprising:

a gasket assembly comprising:
a main gasket comprising a resiliently deformable material, the main gasket having a hole extending through a top side and a bottom side of the main gasket, a perimeter surface of the main gasket being configured to expand outwardly when the top side and the bottom side of the main gasket are urged toward each other;
wherein a periphery of the gasket assembly is shaped and configured to form a seal with an inner surface of a drainpipe when the perimeter surface of the main gasket expands outwardly;
and
a clamping assembly mounted to the gasket assembly, the clamping assembly comprising:
a top jaw positioned on the top side of the main gasket;
a bottom jaw positioned on the bottom side of the main gasket;
and
a linkage coupled to the top jaw and the bottom jaw, the linkage being configured to draw the top jaw and the bottom jaw toward each other to urge the gasket assembly to expand outwardly, the linkage comprising a lower member coupled to the bottom jaw and an upper member coupled to the top jaw, the lower member extending through the hole of the main gasket, the upper member of the linkage being positioned on the upper side of the top jaw and being engageable with the top jaw and the lower member to urge the bottom jaw, via the upper member, toward the top jaw.

6 more elements

A drain stopper apparatus comprising:

a gasket assembly comprising:
a main gasket comprising a resiliently deformable material, the main gasket having a hole extending through a top side and a bottom side of the main gasket, the main gasket having an upper inner surface which surrounds the hole and is angled to extend inwardly into the hole from the top side of the main gasket toward the bottom side of the main gasket, the upper inner surface having a truncated cone shape, the main gasket having a lower inner surface which surrounds the hole and is angled to extend inwardly into the hole from the bottom side of the gasket toward the top side of the main gasket, the lower inner surface having a truncated cone shape, a perimeter surface of the main gasket having a cylindrical shape;
and
an outer gasket mounted around the main gasket, the outer gasket comprising a resiliently deformable material, an interior surface of the outer gasket having a cylindrical shape, an exterior surface of the outer gasket having a cylindrical shape, the outer gasket having a uniform thickness as measured between the interior surface and the exterior surface;
and
a clamping assembly mounted to the gasket assembly, the clamping assembly comprising:
a top jaw positioned on the top side of the main gasket, the top jaw comprising a main top body, the main top body having a lower engagement surface which seats against the upper inner surface of the main gasket, the lower engagement surface of the top jaw being complementary in shape to the upper inner surface of the main gasket, the top jaw further comprising a flange coupled to the main top body opposite the gasket assembly, the flange extending outwardly from the main top body;
a bottom jaw positioned on the bottom side of the main gasket, the bottom jaw having an upper engagement surface which seats against the lower inner surface of the main gasket, the upper engagement surface of the bottom jaw being complementary in shape to the lower inner surface of the main gasket;
and
a linkage coupled to the top jaw and the bottom jaw, the linkage being configured to draw the top jaw and the bottom jaw toward each other to urge the gasket assembly to expand outwardly, the linkage comprising a bolt and a nut threadedly engaged to each other, a shaft of the bolt extending through the hole of the main gasket and respective through holes of the top jaw and the bottom jaw, a head of the bolt being seated against the bottom jaw, the nut being seated against the top jaw, the nut being rotatable in a first rotational direction around the bolt to urge the top jaw and the bottom jaw toward each other, the nut being rotatable in a second rotational direction opposite the first rotational direction to allow the top jaw and the bottom jaw to be moved away from each other.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.