Lint strainer for washing machine drains

#The field of the invention is plumbing accessories, and the invention relates more particularly to strainers to prevent undesirable objects from entering a drain.

#Most modern washing machines agitate the objects being washed to an extent sufficiently so that some lint, and often a substantial amount of lint, passes out of the washing machine through its drain hose. Most washing machine drain hoses exit directly into a drain pipe and any such lint passes into the drain pipe. Not uncommonly, such lint will plug the drain pipe, and the result is an overflow of the drain pipe and a substantial mess and possible damage to the area surrounding the washing machine.

#It is an object of the invention to provide a strainer for washing machine exit hoses, which strainer is easily cleaned and of a universal type nature to fit a wide range of drain pipe sizes.

#FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a washing machine including a rubber drain hose inserted into a generally vertical drain pipe having the lint strainer of the present invention placed in the opening of the drain pipe.

#FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the lint strainer of the present invention taken along line 2--2 of FIG. 1.

#FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the lint strainer of the present invention.

#The lint strainer of the present invention is shown in perspective view in FIG. 3 and indicated by reference character 10. Lint strainer 10 has a flexible, closed tubular strainer member 11, preferably fabricated from a durable mesh made from a man made fiber such as nylon. Strainer member 11 has openings 12, shown best in FIG. 4, and such openings should be large enough to readily permit small pieces of lint to pass through. Such small pieces of lint cause no blockage of a drain system and would decrease the time interval between cleaning of the strainer. It has been found that openings which permit a spherical object having a diameter up to about 1/32 of an inch to pass through is practical and preferable.

#It can be seen that the strainer member 11 has a closed end 13 and an open end 14 and a ring member 15 is affixed to the open end 14 of strainer member 11. Ring member 15 may be molded over open end 14, as shown in FIG. 4, or it could be affixed by an adhesive or snap ring. Alternatively, the ring member could be sewn to open end 14 and could be a simple wire ring. Preferably, however, ring member 15 is a polymer member which prevents any corrosion and securely holds the mesh from which the strainer member 11 is fabricated.

#The use of lint strainer 10 is shown best in FIGS. 1 and 2 where a washing machine 16 is shown and has a rubber drain hose 17. Rubber drain hose 17 has an inverted U-shaped exit end 18. The exit opening is indicated by reference character 19. A generally vertical drain pipe 20 is attached to a fitting 21 which leads to the sewer system of the house. Drain pipe 20 is typically a metal, thin-walled pipe and has a flared opening indicated by reference character 22. Flared opening 22 has an inside diameter indicated by reference character "d" and the outside diameter of the ring member 15 of lint strainer 10 is indicated by reference character "D" shown in FIG. 3.