Device for Drain Filtration And/Or Hair Collection and Ejecting Waste Objects

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/438,344 filed on Feb. 9, 2024, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/143,600 filed on May 4, 2023, which claims benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119 (e) of Provisional Application No. 63/364,111 filed May 4, 2022, the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference in their entirety.

This application relates to a device for drain filtration and/or hair collection and ejecting waste objects. More particularly, this application relates to a strainer for drains on showers, bathtubs, and sinks that collects hair and/or other objects before going down the drain. Additionally, this application includes a method to quickly eject the waste objects caught by the strainer without touching the waste objects with your hands or fingers.

Currently there are a number of solutions for drain strainers, in particular shower or bath strainers and sink strainers. Most of the solutions feature a cylindrical or coned device that sits atop the drain, flat or elevated, and feature numerous protrusions to allow water to pass through, but not other objects or hair. While some of these solutions seem to prevent most of the hair and objects from escaping into the drain, they do not catch all of it. Another problem with these solutions is removing the hair and waste from the device after it is collected on or around the strainer. These devices require the user to remove the hair and waste from the strainer using their fingers to collect the hair from the device in order to dispose of it. Many users find this action disgusting and undesirable. Another variation of this device features a plug type of unit that is inserted into the drain fixture. It features an inset tubular sleeve with holes to allow water to pass through while preventing hair and objects to pass. This solution also allows some hair and objects past its strainer and also requires the user to use their fingers to dislodge and remove the hair and waste in order to dispose of it.

It is desirable to have a device that prevents nearly all objects and hair from entering a drainpipe when draining water from a shower, bathtub, sink, or other body of water. It is also desirable to collect the objects in a common area or cavity. It is also desirable to be able to empty the objects collected in the common area or cavity without touching the objects with your hands or fingers, since most people are disgusted by doing so. It is also desirable to eject or propel the objects away from the common area or cavity so as to easily dispose the objects into a trash container or other suitable storage container.

In one aspect of the present invention, a drain strainer is provided that includes a basket. The basket defines a central cavity and includes perforations that are sized to enable liquid to drain through the basket while debris is collected in the basket. The drain strainer is configured to be preloaded to a potential energy state and upon the drain strainer being released from the potential energy state the potential energy converts to kinetic energy that is sufficient to eject the debris from the basket.

Other aspects of the disclosed invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, the accompanying drawings and the appended claims.

It will be readily understood that the components of the embodiments as generally described and illustrated in the figures herein, may be arranged and designed in a wide variety of different configurations in addition to the described example embodiments. Thus, the following more detailed description of the example embodiments, as represented in the figures, is not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments, as claimed, but is merely representative of example embodiments.

Furthermore, the described features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. In the following description, numerous specific details are provided to give a thorough understanding of embodiments. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize, however, that the various embodiments can be practiced without one or more of the specific details, or with other methods, components, materials, etc. In other instances, well-known structures, materials, or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obfuscation. The following description is intended only by way of example, and simply illustrates certain example embodiments.

Throughout the present description, the terms “upper”, “lower”, “top”, “bottom”, “left”, “right”, “front”, “forward”, “rear”, and “rearward” shall define directions or orientations with respect to the apparatus as illustrated in, which shows a top and side perspective view of an embodiment of the drain strainer of the present invention. It will be understood that the spatially relative terms “upper”, “lower”, “top”, “bottom”, “left”, “right”, “front”, “forward”, “rear”, and “rearward” are intended to encompass different orientations of the apparatus in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the apparatus in the figures is turned over, elements described as “upper” elements or features would then be “lower” elements or features.

This disclosure will now provide a more detailed and specific description that will refer to the accompanying drawings. The drawings and specific descriptions of the drawings, as well as any specific or alternative embodiments discussed, are intended to be read in conjunction with the entirety of this disclosure. The device for drain filtration and/or hair collection and ejecting waste objects may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided by way of illustration only and so that this disclosure will be thorough, complete and fully convey understanding to those skilled in the art.

Referring to, a drain straineris provided which comprises a circular base flangethat sits in the base of a tub, shower, or other liquid storage container. The base flangeis relatively flat at an outer diameter of the base flange, and then transitions to a depressed central common area or cavity() that is defined by a basketwith perforationswithin the basket. The drain strainerfurther comprises three upwardly vertical protrusionsthat originate near the outer diameter or edgeof the base flangeand spiral or curve in towards the center to the outer edgeof the cavity. Each protrusionis c-shaped and has a basethat mounts or is formed on the base flangeand tapers a partial distance going upwardly from the bottom side of the protrusion. The base flangeis made of a soft, rubber-like like material with an approximate outside diameter of 4″ but may also feature other variations of this dimension. Inset a bit from the outer diameter or edgeof the base flange, the three vertical protrusionsbegin an incline to their full height in a spiral fashion towards the central axis of the drain strainerand stop around 1.75″ from the axis but may also feature other variations of this dimension. At this approximate dimension, the base flangetransitions into the central common area or cavity.

The depressed central cavityfeatures a downward semi-circular shape and has the perforationslocated in multiple areas of the cavity. The basketrests within the opening of a drain flange. Within the cavity, rows of the perforationsline the upper, mid, and lower wall of the basket. On the bottom side of the basketthere may be embossed cylindrical walls () around each perforation, giving each perforation an additional thickness. Along the outer edgeof the cavity, a downward vertical sleeve() may protrude downwardly from the base flangeand incorporates a reinforcement sleeve in the molded material. An alternative drains strainermay be provided that has on the bottom surface of the basket, a flat-shaped pull tab() that protrudes downward and features a fattened grip structureamong its flat surface. The top flangeand the basketare made of a silicone or a Thermoplastic elastomers (TPE) type of material that has flexibility. The soft, rubber-like material of the central basketallows the basketto be stretched and when the pull tabon the bottom of the basketis pulled, the basketstretches and stores potential energy. Upon release of the pull tab, the potential energy is converted to mechanical energy and propels the contents within the cavityoutward. This unique feature allows a user to aim and discharge the contents within the central cavityin a quick, efficient motion without touching the contents within the cavity.

The drain strainermay also have one or more of the following features. Specifically, the drain strainermay comprise a base flange that has two or more upwardly extending vertical protrusions that are spiral or slanted to direct water flow in a prescribed manner. In an alternate version, instead of three vertical protrusion,shows a drain strainerthat has two vertical protrusions that spiral or curve in towards the center to the outer edgeof the cavity.shows an alternate version of a drain strainerthat has five vertical protrusionsthat spiral or curve in towards the center to the outer edgeof the cavity. The number of spiral protrusions may be different than two, three or five. The upwardly vertical spiral or slanted protrusionsmay include inclines from the base flange at both beginning and end locations. The upward vertical spiral or slanted protrusions may also have an upward nature that is perpendicular to the base flange. Alternatively, the protrusions may be protrusionsthat are slanted upwardly or tilted so as to not be perpendicular in nature, such as adegree angle or any other variation of degrees as shown for example in, and may also feature an irregular or curved shape. The upward vertical protrusions may be arranged in slant-like patterns () or short semi-circular arrangements rather than solely having a spiral shape.

The device may also feature alternate versions of the basket. The basketdefining the central common area or cavitymay have a downward semi-circular shape, but it may also have different shapes. For example,shows drain strainerthat has a basketthat is a downward v-shape, andshows a drain strainerthat has a basketthat has a downward u-shape. Within these downward shaped cavities, an alternative version of a drain strainermay have an upward spindle() in the cavity, so as to promote a vortex flow of water and waste and hair around the spindle. The central common area may also feature an upward shape, such as an upward u or upward v shape among other inverted basket type shapes. For example,shows a drain strainerthat has a basketthat extends upwardly at the central common area and has its access opening facing downwardly.

Several different types of tension pull protrusion setups may be provided on the bottom of the central common area for preloading the ejection feature of the drain strainer, such as a flat tab, a round axial node, and or a flat, tab-like protrusion with a grip hole among other arrangements. In particular,shows drain strainerthat has a tension pull nodewhich is a round axial node that is attached to the underside of the basketand extends downwardly from the underside of the basket at the central common area.shows a drain strainerthat generally has a rectangular flat tension pull tabthat has a bulbous cylindrical portion formed at its free end that defines the fattened grip structure. The cylindrical portion extends beyond the width of the remaining portion of the pull taband has a diameter that is larger than thickness (measured between the largest opposite sides) of the remaining portion of the pull tabto aid the user to grasp and pull the pull tab.,andshow a drainer strainerthat has a rectangular tension pull tabthat has a grip holeextending through the largest opposite sides of the pull tab.

The spring-loaded nature of the drain strainer may be predominantly in a pull and release setup, but other setups may be featured within the scope of this invention, such as a twist motion, or slanted or pinched type of action to drive the waste ejection motion. The device may also feature a variation of reinforcements to support the structure or for alignment with a drain fixture. As previously mentioned, the device may feature a reinforcement sleeve within the material of the downward sleeve wall next to the outer edge of the common central area or cavity. Another variation is having one or more reinforcement rings() embedded or superimposed in the material of the base flange at any point relative to the diameter of the base flange.show a pinch type drain strainerthat has reinforcement rings that are flexible so that they may be pinched.

Another variation of a reinforcement would feature a component that could snap into place during final assembly of the product. As illustrated in, an alternative drain strainerormay also have a top buttonof a plunger. In the embodiment shown in, three protrusionssimilar to the embodiment shown inare provided. In the embodiment of the drain strainershown in, there are four protrusionsthat are c-shaped and are slanted or inclined inwardly going in the upward direction that serve as water vortex fins and also allow the user to grip and remove the strainer from the sink drain. This drain strainermay be mounted in a drain of a sinkas illustrated in. Alternatively, a stopper may be provided to block water flow, such as for a bath or sink basin. One such stopper can be placed over the basketat the central common area or cavitythereby preventing water from entering that area. Another variation would be to block the perforationsfrom the bottom side of the basket. The drain strainer may also feature attachments or molded in components such as a suction cup component in order to hang the device on the bathtub, shower, or sink wall and/or a stopper that is used to plug the strainer temporarily. The drain strainer may also feature a structure under the flange and cavity material that is designed to capture and hold the stretched basket material in a pre-loaded or potential energy state. The drain strainer device may also have a structure that can release the cavity material from its pre-loaded or potential energy state so as to expel contents within the cavity material. The drain strainer may be constructed of a variety of materials and is not limited to one or more material choices. Materials may include: silicone, rubber, soft or hard urethanes, steel, stainless steel, aluminum, or other materials commonly or uncommonly used in this industry and by those experienced in this art.

As previously mentioned, the drain strainer includes spiral or slanted vertical protrusions formed or otherwise mounted on the base flangethat serve as guides for the water being drained. These guides direct the water into a spiral or vortex motion, thereby inducing spin. The vortex motion of the water serves multiple purposes. The first purpose of the vortex motion of the water is for collection and rolling of objects and hair within the central axis of the vortex. The hair, illustrated as a single strand of hair, enters the side of the drain strainer and enters the vortex motion. The vortex motion of the water is extremely beneficial for capturing hair by which it tumbles or rolls the hair into a ball or disk of hair. As illustrated by, this tumbling or rolling action prevents a hairfrom passing through the perforationswithin the basketat the central common area or cavity, and also condenses the hairinto a single area (see) which makes it easier to dispose. Another purpose of the vortex motion comes from the driven spin of the water in the vortex. As the water spins, it develops angular momentum. This momentum helps to drive the water down the drain at a faster rate through the drain strainer. Another purpose of the vortex motion is to provide visible proof of the device working in action. As a user drains water through the device, the vortex spin of the water and subsequent soap and hair provides visual proof that the water both picks up speed and collects hair and waste through its spinning action.

show a version of a drain strainerthat has the pull taband a sleevearound a basketwith lateral holesto help a user grip the drain strainer.show that this drain strainerhas a basketthat has L-shaped perforationson the outer edgeof the cavity. This allows draining at the top of the flange. Also, four protrusionsthat are c-shaped and are slanted or inclined inwardly going in the upward direction serve as water vortex fins and also allow the user to grip and remove the strainerfrom the sink drain.shows the drain strainerwith a basketbeing unstretched. When the debrisneeds to be removed, a user grasps the pull taband pulls the pull tabaway from the drain strainersuch that the common area or cavity is stretched as seen in. The user then releases the pull tab to eject the debris() into a garbage container. This slingshot type of motion serves multiple purposes. First, it allows users to remove the waste and hair without having to touch it. Secondly, it facilitates the waste removal by allowing the user to aim and shoot the waste like a projectile into a trash container.

show another version of a drain strainer. This drain strainerhas a base flangethat has petalsaround the periphery that define a flower shape configuration. The three protrusions may be upwardly vertical protrusionsor slanted radially outwardly relative to the base flange.shows the basketbeing unstretched. When the debrisneeds to be removed, a user grasps the pull taband pulls the pull tabaway from the drain strainersuch that the common area or cavity is stretched as seem in. The user then releases the pull tab to eject the debris() into a garbage container.shows this drain strainerbeing mounted in a drain of a shower. It should be noted that the shape of the base flange may take many forms.

The drain strainers,that have the plungerscomprise the flangethat comprise a soft, rubber like material that has a large central cavity defined by the basketwith the perforations. The plunger is inserted into the bottom of the basket. The top flangeand the basketare made of a silicone or a Thermoplastic elastomers (TPE) type of material that has flexibility. With reference to, the drain strainerorcomprises a bottom sectionthat is rigid such as plastic or metal or other suitable material. At the outer edges of the cavity, the base flangesits in a cylindrical structure or sleeveof the bottom sectionand the basketis pinched against the cylindrical structure or sleevewith a thin retaining ringplaced on the inside of the cavity to hold it in place. On the bottom side of the cylindrical structure, two or more legsextend downward and angle toward the central axis of the structure. The legsconverge into a lower base structure or hub that features a cylindrically shaped capture element in the form of a catch. A push tab or plungeris provided. The plungercomprises the top button, a lower plunger element, a stem, and an upper plunger element(). The top buttonof the plunger rests above the silicone basket. The upper plunger elementsits below the basket, which holds the plunger in the basket and keeps it from getting dislodged. The stemis positioned between the upper plunger elementand the lower plunger elementand is sized smaller than the upper and lower plunger elements,. The lower plunger elementis positioned through the bottom of the basket, whereas the top stopperof the plunger rests on the top of the basketand provides a central push point to depress and spring-load the basket. The lower plunger elementis positioned below the basketand is designed to plunge into the catchto hold its position there when the plungergets pushed by the user to spring load the basket.

In particular, as illustrated in, the catchincludes a central slotand an larger offset holethat laterally merges with the central slot. The lower plunger elementis sized to fit through the offset holebut not through the central slot. The stemof the plungerhowever is sized to fit through the central slot. When the top buttonof the plungeris pushed (), it is guided through the offset hole by a funnel() formed in the catch. The top buttonis pushed downwardly through the offset holeuntil the lower plunger elementextends down away from the underside of the catch. Simultaneously, as the lower plunger elementextends downwardly through the offset hole, the resistance of the material of the silicone basket forces the stemlaterally from the offset holeuntil the stemis received by the central slotas illustrated in, and. The resistance of the material of the silicone basketforces the plungerto the center, so once the lower plunger elementis through the offset hole, it guides into the slottowards the center to remain locked in the stretched position.

That is, the top side of the lower plunger elementengages the underside of the catchto prevent the lower plunger elementfrom moving back through the central slot. Upon this action, the basket material is stretched and is in a potential energy position. The plungeris released by sliding the plunger laterally away from the center hole and towards the offset holeuntil the lower plunger elementis aligned under the offset hole.shows a user beginning to slide the plunger toward the offset holeusing a finger to accomplish this action. As the plunger aligns with the offset hole, it releases the tension stored in the basket, which also moves the basketrapidly upward, thereby projecting or ejecting any debris or other material in the basketoutward. In essence, this releasing of the grip on the lower plunger elementin turn causes the stored energy in the basketto be released by which the basketabruptly returns to its rest position. This motion also expels any contents resting inside the common area or cavitydefined by the basket. The basketthen goes back to its unstretched rest position as shown in.

show another embodiment of a drain strainerof the present invention. Referring to, the drain strainercomprises a horizontal strainer flange, and one or more lift-out tabsthat extend in an upwards fashion from the strainer flange. The lift-out tabsare oriented crossways on the strainer flangeas shown in. Specifically, the lift-out tabsextend radially (relative to the longitudinal axis() of the drain strainer) from an inner endof the strainer flangeto almost across the strainer flangeto a flexible outer endof the strainer flange.

As illustrated in, the strainer flangeis circular shaped and extends radially inward transitioning to a tubular grip body. The tubular grip bodyis vertically oriented or near vertically oriented and extends downwardly from the strainer flange. The grip bodyhas an outer surface that includes grip elements in the form of ridgesthat define a grip surface. The ridgesare configured to enable the grip surfaceto be comfortably held by a user's hand and also to help prevent the user's hand from slipping off the grip surfaceespecially when the grip surfaceis wet. Other variations may be possible to provide a comfortable, non-slip surface such as dots or other patterned protrusions or indents. In the present invention, the grip bodyis oriented in a circular fashion, but may take shape in other formats, such as an ellipse, square, or other variations. The strainer flangefeatures a molded soft top that transitions inwardly to an elastic basketthat surrounds a central cavity as also shown in.

The baskethas a side wallthat depends downwardly and inwardly from the inner endof the flange and terminates into a bottom wallto define a frustoconical shape. The basketcomprises perforationsformed in the side walland bottom wallthat allow water to flow through, but catch waste and other objects to prevent them from entering the drain. As the side wallof the baskettransitions to the bottom wall, there is a slight inversion portionin which the bottom wall of the basket projects upwardly to define a recess() formed on the underside of the basket. As seen in, a pull tabis integrally formed in one piece with or otherwise attached to the inversion portionof the bottom walland extends downwardly from the underside of the bottom wall. The pull tabincludes grip elements in the form of ridgesnear its distal endthat define a non-slip surfaceto help prevent a user's hand from slipping off the pull tabwhen pulling it down. Other variations of a non-slip surface may be employed. The inversion portionalso enables the pull tab to be tucked up to provide sufficient clearance with the bottom of a drain() to prevent the pull tab from interfering with the bottom of the drain. In essence, the main purpose of the bottom inversion portionis to “tuck” the pull tabup and away from the bottom of the drainto prevent it from striking certain drain flanges.

As seen in, the soft top of the strainer flangeand the basketare molded with a flexible and elastic material such as silicone or a thermoplastic elastomer. This material enables the basketto stretch and then quickly retract back to its unstretched position. A reinforcement collarmade of a rigid material is attached on the underside() of the strainer flangeand on the inner side() of the grip body. In particular, the reinforcement collarincludes a flat collar flangeand a tubular collar bodyas shown in. The tubular collar bodyextends downwardly from the flat collar flangeterminating beyond the grip body. The flexible and elastic material is molded over the outside and top of the collar flangeand over the outside of the collar body, but not on the bottom() of the collaras shown in. The collar material is suitable so that silicone has a chemical bond to it. The reinforcement collarmay also be adapted to be mechanically bonded to the strainer flangeand other elements of the drain strainer. The strainer flangealso extends radially outward beyond the collar flangeto define the flexible outer end portionof the strainer flange.

shows the grip surfaceon the outer circumference of the grip bodyand the tubular collar bodyattached to the inner side of the grip body. The cylindrical nature of the collar bodyand the grip bodyallows a user to grasp with his or her hand around the grip bodyto hold the strainerwith his or her hand in a comfortable manner, while simultaneously being able to pull the pull tabdownstream with the other hand as shown in. The collar bodyand grip bodyare cylindrical and concentric with the drain strainerbut may take the form of other shapes such as an oval, square, or other irregular shapes.show the drain strainerseated within a drain flangewith the strainer flangepositioned on and engaging the drain flangein the rest position. The pull tabis shown with clearance above the bottom of the draindue to the recessformed from the inversion of the bottom wallof the basket. Another feature of the inverted bottom wallis that it increases the surface area for which drain perforations can be located, thus increasing the speed at which the strainer can take and strain objects from water.

In use, a user grasps the lift out tabsand picks up the drain strainerwith wastewithin the basketas shown in. Then as shown in, a user holds the drain straineraround the grip bodywith one hand, and pulls back on the pull tabalong the longitudinal axiswith the other hand to pre-load the strainer by stretching the basketto move the basketrelative to the strainer flange. Then, as shown in, the user releases the pull tabsuch that the pre-loaded basketconverts potential energy to kinetic energy and creates momentum in the basket to eject the debris and expels the wastefrom the basket.

show the drain strainerin a manufactured mode, wherein the strainer flangeis over-molded over the reinforcement collarin the inverted/ejected position. The inverted “L”-shaped profile of the reinforcement collar presents many challenges to over-molding a silicone or TPE surface onto it. By molding the basketin an inverted position, standard injection molding methods can be utilized. Specifically, the drain strainer is manufactured in the Up/Inverted Mode for ease to manufacture, since the collarcauses issues in injection molding when trying to mold the basket. The reinforcement collar may include holes() to allow the silicone to pass through during the over-mold process.

As seen in figure, the profile of the basketutilizes first and second living hinges,. The first living hingeis formed at the junction of the strainer basketand the strainer flangeand extends around the strainer basket. The first living hingeis configured to enable the side wall of the basketto naturally invert or move between the “up” manufacturing mode position wherein the basketis inverted and extends upwardly beyond the strainer flangeand the “down” operational mode position (), wherein the basketis uninverted and extends downwardly beyond the strainer flange. The second living hingeis formed at the junction of the bottom and side walls of the strainer basketand extends around the bottom wall. The second living hingeallows the center inversion portionof the basketto always naturally remain in the “up” mode, despite the side wallof the basketbeing in the “down” operational mode (). The center inversion portionof the basketonly goes in the “down” mode when a user is pulling on the pull tab to stretch the entire basket. So, as the user starts to stretch/pre-load the basket, the user pulls slightly on the pull tabto move the inversion portiondownwardly or downstream (as viewed in) along the longitudinal axisuntil the recessdisappears as seen in. The user can then pull more to stretch the entire basketto increase the strength of the slingshot action. The use of the first and second living hinges,within the silicone material promotes normal inversion of the main body while keeping the very bottom of the basketin the same orientation, despite the inversion.

show a perspective view of another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the drain strainerhas a top strainer flangethat has a narrow width. The drain strainerhas lift out tabsin which each tab is oriented circumferentially (relative to the longitudinal axisalong the drain strainer) along the strainer flange, such that one of the two opposite sideshaving the largest area face the longitudinal axis() of the drain strainer. The strainer flangehas an undersidethat slopes downwardly and inwardly from the outer edge of the strainer flangeto define a lipas seen in. The underside of the lipmakes contact and engages with the inner sideof the drain flangeat the rimof the drain flange, so that strainer flangeis flushed with the upper end of the drain flangeas seen in. The contact of the strainer flangewith the sink flangeat this location reduces the lipthat water would normally have to be high enough to get over.

This a notable difference since the bottom side of the strainer flangein the previous embodiment shown inmakes contact with the drain flangeon the top side of the drain flange, whereas this alternate embodiment makes contact with the drain flangeon the beveled outer circumferential wall of the strainer flange. All of the other elements of this embodiment are similar in structure and function to that of the embodiment shown in FIGS.-. Thus, in the interest of brevity similar reference numbers are used to refer to elements that are similar in structure and function.

show another embodiment of a drain strainer. This embodiment is similar to the embodiment shown inexcept for the following. In this embodiment, the drain strainer has no lower grip surface or lower reinforcement collar. Further, this alternate embodiment features larger lift out tabsthat extend upwardly and then convexly curve outwardly to define c-shaped finger and thumb holders.shows the user with his thumb and finger placed into their respective finger and thumb holders to enable the user to lift the drain strain off the sink drain and also to hold the drain strainer so that the user can pull the pull tab. All of the other elements of this embodiment are similar in structure and function to that of the to the embodiment shown in. Thus, in the interest of brevity similar reference numbers are used to refer to elements that are similar in structure and function.

shows another embodiment of a drain strainerthat utilizes a push to set method to apply pre-load/tension to a drain strainer, and a squeeze to release method to release the tension and transform the potential energy to kinetic energy. As seen in, this alternate embodiment features an over-molded top strainer flangethat extends partially down to a rigid basket, and then is also over-molded to the rigid lower basketwith perforationsbeing formed in the basketthat allow water to flow through, but catch waste and other objects to prevent them from entering the drain. A reinforcement or grip collarmade of a rigid material is attached on the underside() of the strainer flange. In particular, the reinforcement collarincludes a flat collar flangeand a tubular collar bodyas shown in. The tubular collar bodyextends downwardly from the flat collar flange. The flexible and elastic material is molded over the collar flange. The collar material is suitable so that silicone has a chemical bond to it, however minor alterations to the collar could make it suitable for a mechanical bond as well. The strainer flangealso extends radially outward beyond the collar flangeto define the flexible outer end portionof the strainer flange. The drain strainerincludes lift tabsof similar construction and function as that of the embodiment shown in.

The silicone/TPE that extends down into the basketcan stretch to store potential energy as seen in. Two or more pockets or windowsin the silicone/TPE are provided, and leave a grip edgeexposed on the rigid lower basketas seen in. As illustrated in, lock tabsand grip surfacesare provided on the collar body. The grip surfacesare defined by grip elements in the form of ridgesformed on the outer side of the collar body.

As seen in, each of the lock tabscomprise two vertical lock elementsin the form of hooks that are attached to an outer cover portionof the lock tab and extend outwardly (relative to lock tab) away from each other and then extend towards the outer cover portion. When the lock tab is being installed in the windowof the collar body, beveled sidesof the lock elements engage the edgesof the window causing the lock elements to move inwardly toward each other to enable the lock elements to extend through the window. Once the lock elementsextend through the window, the lock elementsthen move outwardly away from each other and engage an inner sideof the collar bodyto secure the lock tabto the collarin a bayonet type connection as shown in.is a non-assembled view to highlight how the lock tabsare inserted into the grip collarafter manufacturing is complete. The lock tabis inserted with the bottom lock groovefirst through the window of the grip collar. As the lock tab is fully inserted, the lock elements of the lock tab grab the inner sideof the collar body, which secures it to the grip collar.

As depicted in, the lock tabcomprises a vertical guide wall, rampsand lock groovesThese elements are attached to the cover portion. The guide wallis located between the rampsand the ramps,are located between the lock elementsThe ramps slope downwardly and away from the cover portion. The baskethas slots() in the grip edgesthat receive the guide wallsof the lock tabsIn the rest position of the drain strainer, the grip edgescontact their respective rampsas shown inbefore the basket is stretched down. As the basketis pushed downstream along a longitudinal axis() of the drain strainer, the grip edgesslide down along their corresponding rampsof both lock tabsThis action causes the grip collarto flex and widen. As the basketreaches the bottom, the grip edges,anddisengage from their rampsand strike the bottom edge of their lock groovesWith the outward force removed from the grip collar, the grip collarretracts back to its normal shape and moves inwardly with the lock tabssuch that grip edgesare inserted into their respective lock grooves, thereby securing the grip edgesof the basketin the lock groovesas shown in.

shows the basket in the pre-loaded configuration, where the grip edges,of the basketare locked into the lock groovesof the lock tabs. When the lower portion of the basketis pushed and locked down, the upper silicone/TPE portion of the basketstretches and remains in a pre-loaded potential energy state. The potential energy state can instantly be transformed into kinetic energy whereby the basketseeks to return to its original unstretched state.shows a user ready to push down on the rigid basketto pre-load the drain strainer, andshows a user holding a pre-loaded drain strainerbefore ejection.

shows a user squeezing the grip collar, and the basketis unlocked and released from the lock tabsThe user performs this conversion by squeezing the two grip surfaceslocated opposite of the tabs on the grip collar. By squeezing the grip surfaces, the grip collar wall bends into an oval which subsequently widens the area of the lock tabs. The lock tabs widen and move away from the basket and release the basket. The basket is immediately propelled upstream, which creates momentum in the basket, and in turn, ejects all the contents that were within the basketas seen in.

show another embodiment of a drain strainer. In this embodiment, the drains strainerhas a cylindrical external housingthat sits within a drain flange. This embodiment features a top flangethat includes a basket structurethat sits within the external housing. The basketincludes perforationsthat allow water to flow through, but catch waste and other objects to prevent them from entering the drain. The basketis made of a rigid material such as plastic or metal. The drain strainerincludes a vertical or near vertical wallthat is integrally formed with and depends downwardly from the top flangeand rests next to a bottom lip() of the housing. The drain strainerhas a biasing member in the form of a spring() that is wound around the vertical walland undergoes compression during the pre-load phase. Other types of biasing members may be used instead of a spring such as, for example, a compressive rubber element. This drain strainerincludes lock tabsEach of the lock tabsis similar in structure and function. Similar reference numbers will be used for similar elements in each of the lock tabs

show the lock tabinstalled onto a bottom ringof the compression spring. Each of the lock tabshas grip elements in the form of ridges() on its outer side that defines a grip surface area. Each of the lock tabshas an inner arcuate groove() that receives the bottom ring. The bottom ringof the springacts as a pivot point whereby each of the lock tabscan then rotate slightly around the spring. Each of the lock tabsfeatures a ramp(). When a user presses inward on the grip surface areaof the lock tab, the rampwill move outward and away from the wall.

To pre-load the drain strainerfrom its rest position, a user pushes down on the basket. This moves the vertical walldownstream along a longitudinal axis() of the drain strainerrelative to the housing. The bottomof the vertical wallstrikes the rampsof the lock tabsThis will kick the bottom() of each lock tabaway from the vertical walluntil windows() within the vertical wallbecome exposed below the housing. The lock tabsthen engage into the windowsand thereby lock the vertical wallin place which keeps the compression springin a compressed, potential energy state as seen in. In the compression spring's natural state, the upper portion's flat flange sits above the lower portion's top edge in a compressed/potential energy state with lock tabsengaged.

As the user pushes on the gripsof the lock tabsthe bottomof each lock tab swings away from each window whereby the vertical wallis released and the potential energy of the spring is converted to kinetic energy. This immediately moves the walland basketaxially away from the user (or upstream relative to the drain strainer being positioned in the drain), which creates momentum in the basket, and thereby ejects the contents within the basket.

show another embodiment of a drain strainer. This embodiment is a compression spring style strainer with manual pull/release pre-load and activation. As seen in, this alternate embodiment features an external housingthat sits within a drain flange. The drain strainerincludes a strainer flange. An internal structure and basketis provided and features a pull tabon the bottom of the basketas seen in. The basketincludes perforationsthat allow water to flow through, but catch waste and other objects to prevent them from entering the drain. The basketis made of a rigid material such as plastic or metal. As shown in, the internal structure also features a vertical wallthat rests next to a bottom spring lipof the housing. A compression springsits in between the external and internal structures, such that the bottom of the springrests in the bottom spring lip, and the top of the spring rests in an upper spring lipwhich is incorporated into the internal structure at the top of the basket.

Referring to, the vertical wallof the internal structure can be seen extending beyond the bottom of the housingof the external structure. Multiple tabs,are formed on the bottom of the vertical wall and laterally extend outwardly beyond the vertical wall. The tabs prevent the strainer from coming apart after it has been assembled. The housingincludes slotson its bottom that are of similar shape as the tabs but are sized slightly larger to enable the tabs to extend through when aligned to them. This arrangement provides a way to install the walland basketinto the housingthen twist one relative to the other to keep the unit together. Specifically, the slots,are aligned with their respective tabsand then housingis moved upwardly relative to the vertical walluntil the tabs extend through their slots. Then, the housingis rotated relative to the vertical walluntil the tabs are moved away from the slots, thereby locking the vertical wallto the housing.

This arrangement enables basketand vertical wallto be manually pulled by the pull tabwhich when pulled compresses the spring. In the use or rest position where the drain strainersits in the drain flange, the compression springis at a relaxed or slightly compressed state as shown in. To eject the contents in the drain strainer, the user first lifts the drain strainerout of the drain flange and pulls the pull tab. This action draws the basketand vertical walldownwardly or downstream along a longitudinal axis() of the drain strainerand compresses the springto a potential energy state as shown in. Once the user is ready, the user may release the pull tab, by which the compression springconverts potential energy to kinetic energy and immediately moves the vertical walland basketupward or upstream, which creates momentum in the basketand ejects the contents within the basket.

show another embodiment of the drain strainer. Referring to, the drain strainercomprises a circular base flangethat sits in the base of a tub, shower, or other liquid storage container in a rest position. The base flangeis relatively flat at an outer diameter of the base flange, and then transitions to a depressed central common area or cavitythat is defined by a basketwith perforationswithin the basket. The drain strainerfurther comprises three upwardly vertical protrusionsthat originate near the outer diameter or edgeof the base flangeand spiral or curve in towards the center to the outer edgeof the cavity. Each protrusionis c-shaped and has a basethat mounts or is formed on the base flangeand tapers a partial distance going upwardly from the bottom side of the protrusion. The base flangeis made of a soft, rubber-like material with an approximate outside diameter of 4″ but may also feature other variations of this dimension. Inset a bit from the outer diameter or edgeof the base flange, the three vertical protrusionsbegin an incline to their full height in a spiral fashion towards a central longitudinal axis() of the drain strainerand stop around 1.75″ from the axis but may also feature other variations of this dimension. At this approximate dimension, the base flangetransitions into the central common area or cavity.

As seen in, the drain strainer may comprise a grip collarthat is attached to and depends downwardly from the base flange. The grip collarincludes a collar flange() and a vertical wallthat is formed with the collar flangeand depends downwardly from the collar flange. The grip collarmay include lateral openingsaround the circumference of the grip collarto help facilitate water flow in a tight area, such as a shower drain flange. The drain strainerfurther comprises a pull tabformed on the bottom surface of the basketthat depends downwardly from the basket. The pull tabmay include grip elements in the form of ridgesnear its distal end that form a grip area.

The top flangeand the basketare made of a silicone or a Thermoplastic elastomers (TPE) type of material that has flexibility. The strainer flangeis over-molded over the grip collarin an inverted/ejected position. The soft, rubber-like material of the central basketallows the basketto be stretched and when the pull tabon the bottom of the basketis pulled along the longitudinal axis, the basketstretches and stores potential energy. Upon release of the pull tab, the potential energy is converted to kinetic energy and propels the contents within the cavityoutward. This unique feature allows a user to aim and discharge the contents within the central cavityin a quick, efficient motion without touching the contents within the cavity. Referring to, the drain straineralso includes living hingesandto help facilitate inversion characteristics. Living hingeis located at the junction of the strainer flangeand basketand helps to invert the basketfrom manufacturing mode to sell/use mode. The second living hingeis located in the basket near the pull taband allows the pull taband center of the basketto partially invert if the pull tabstrikes the bottom of the drain flange as illustrated in.