Drain Cleaning Device

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/637,988, filed Apr. 24, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

The present application relates to drain cleaning devices for cleaning drains, pipes, or other conduits, and specifically, to a flexible shaft drain cleaner.

Flexible shaft drain cleaners are known as high speed drain cleaners because they include motors that spin the cable at higher speeds. The higher speed is produced by directly driving the cable with torque from a motor/drive mechanism. In addition, flexible shaft drain cleaners include improved cables to withstand the higher speeds. Flexible shaft cables are different from traditional drain cleaner cables and typically include wound cables that are encased by sheaths.

In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a drain cleaning device including: a housing; a drum assembly supported by the housing, the drum assembly including an inner drum, an outer drum, and a space defined therebetween configured to store a flexible cable, the drum assembly configured to rotate about a rotation axis; a motor supported by the drum assembly, the motor including an output shaft; and a battery receptacle supported by the drum assembly, the battery receptacle configured to receive a battery pack that supplies power to the motor; wherein the drum assembly defines an outer diameter measured through the rotation axis; wherein the drum assembly defines a height measured in a direction parallel to the rotation axis; and wherein a ratio defined by the outer diameter of the drum assembly over the height of the drum assembly is between 2.5 and 3.5.

In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a drain cleaning device including: a housing; a drum assembly supported by the housing, the drum assembly including an inner drum, an outer drum, and a space defined therebetween, the drum assembly configured to rotate about a rotation axis, the drum assembly defining an outer diameter measured through the rotation axis; a motor supported by the drum assembly, the motor including an output shaft that defines a motor axis; a transmission coupled to the output shaft and supported by the drum assembly; a flexible cable stored within the space, the flexible cable operable to receive torque from the motor; and a cable guide supported by the drum assembly, the cable guide configured to lead a portion of the flexible cable from the motor to the space, the cable guide defining an arc extending between the output shaft and the space, the arc including a radius extending from a virtual center of the arc; wherein a ratio defined by the outer diameter of the drum assembly over the radius of the arc is between 2.0 and 6.0.

In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a drain cleaning device including: a housing including a top side, a bottom side opposite the top side, a rear side, and a front side opposite the rear side; a drum assembly supported by the housing, the drum assembly including an inner drum, an outer drum, and a space defined therebetween configured to store a flexible cable, the drum assembly configured to rotate about a rotation axis; a motor supported by the drum assembly, the motor including an output shaft; a battery receptacle supported by the drum assembly, the battery receptacle configured to receive a battery pack that supplies power to the motor; and a foot pedal operable to activate the motor, the foot pedal being supportable within the drum assembly.

Other aspects of the invention will become apparent by consideration of the detailed description and accompanying drawings.

Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways.

illustrate a drain cleaning devicethat is operable to clear and clean debris from pipes or other conduits. In the illustrated embodiment, the drain cleaning deviceis a flexible shaft drain cleaner. The drain cleaning deviceis operable to spin a drain cleaning cableat a relatively high speed. As described below, the drain cleaning cablemay include a wound cable, or other suitable cable, positioned within a sheath. The wound cable is driven (e.g., spun) by the drain cleaning devicewithin the sheath to clear debris from a conduit. In the illustrated embodiment, the drain cleaning devicemay be referred to as a mini or small flexible shaft drain cleaner. For instance, the drain cleaning devicemay include a ¼ inch diameter cable that is around 35 feet long whereas standard flexible drain cleaning devices may include a 5/16 inch diameter cable that is approximately 75 feet long. In general, the cableincludes an overall length that is between 30-50 feet long. As such, the drain cleaning deviceis lighter and easier to transport than standard flexible drain cleaning devices.

The drain cleaning deviceincludes a housingand a drum assemblysupported by the housing. The housingincludes a handleon a first or top side of the housing, and a standat a second or bottom side of the housing. The housingincludes a control portionpositioned beneath the handle. The control portionincludes a speed control dialand a direction switch. An actuator (e.g., a foot pedal) is supported within the drum assemblythat is operable to activate the drain cleaning device. In some embodiments, the foot pedalmay be coupled to a portion of the control portion(e.g., through a cable) to activate the drain cleaning device. In other embodiments, the drain cleaning devicemay be activated with a drill style trigger or button. The drill style trigger or button may be positioned on the control portionof the housingor another portion of the drain cleaning device(e.g., on the handle). In some embodiments, the housingmay be supported by a cage-like frame assemblythat supports the drain cleaning device, as shown in. The frame assemblyor the housingmay support wheelsthat allow a user to transport the drain cleaning deviceover a surface. The frame assemblymay be formed from a plurality of bars and links that are coupled together through welding, fasteners, or the like.

In the illustrated embodiment, the handleis movable (e.g., pivotable) between a first position () and a second position (). The first position may also be referred to as an extended position, a deployed position, or a use position. The second position may also be referred to as a retracted position, a collapsed position, or a storage position. In the illustrated embodiment, the handlepivots approximately 90 degrees between the first position and the second position. As such, the handlemay be coupled to the housingusing fasteners, pivot joints, or other known couplings. When the handleis in the retracted position, the handleis generally flush with the housing so that the drain cleaning deviceis more compact and occupies a smaller area to facilitate working in tighter spaces. In other embodiments, the handlemay be an extendible handle to assist a user transporting the drain cleaning device. For example, the handlemay linearly slide and/or telescope between the first position and the second position. The drain cleaning deviceis moveable between an upright position (), in which the standsupports the drain cleaning deviceon a surface, and a use position (), in which the back of the housingsupports the drain cleaning deviceon the surface. However, the drain cleaning devicemay be used in operation in either the upright position or the use position. Using the drain cleaning devicein the upright position reduces the overall footprint of the drain cleaning device.

With reference to, the drum assemblyis supported by the housingand is rotatable relative to the housingabout a rotation axis. The drum assemblyis supported on the housingwith a support shaftthat defines the rotation axis. The drum assemblyincludes an outer drumand an inner drumcoupled to the outer drumfor co-rotation therewith. In the illustrated embodiment, the outer and inner drums,are cylindrical-shaped with an open front end and a closed rear end. The inner drumhas a smaller diameter than the outer drumto define a spacetherebetween. The drain cleaning cablemay be supported within the space. A bearingis positioned between the inner drumand the support shaftto allow rotation of the drum assemblyrelative to the support shaft. In the illustrated embodiment, the drum assemblyis idly supported on the support shaft. In other words, the drum assemblyis allowed to freely rotate on the support shaft. In other embodiments, the drum assemblymay be driven by a motor to rotate with or about the support shaft. In addition, a plurality of surface bearings() are positioned between the drum assemblyand the housing. As shown in, the surface bearingsare circumferentially spaced about an inside surface of the housingbetween the housingand the outer drum. Each surface bearingincludes a housingthat defines a slotto receive a roller bearing(e.g., metal balls) that are allowed to roll in place. The roller bearingsextend from the slotand engage a back surface of the drum assemblyto allow the drum assemblyto smoothly rotate about the rotation axiswithout inducing unwanted friction between the housingand the drum assembly.

With continued reference to, the drum assemblydefines a diameter D measured through the rotation axisbetween the outer perimeter of the outer drum. The drum assemblyalso defines a height H measured in a direction parallel to the rotation axis. In the illustrated embodiment, the diameter D may be in a range between 14 inches and 22 inches. The height H may be in a range between 4 inches and 8 inches. As such, a ratio is defined between the diameter D and the height H of the drum assembly. The ratio of the diameter D to the height H of the drum assemblymay be in a range between 1.75 to 5.5. In other embodiments, the ratio of the diameter D to the height H of the drum assemblymay be in a range between 2.5 and 3.5. In some embodiments, the ratio of the diameter D to the height H of the drum assemblymay be at least 2. In other embodiments, the ratio of the diameter D to the height H of the drum assembly may be less than 5. Further, the spacebetween the inner and outer drums,is sized in order to allow the cableto be stacked within the drum assembly. Specifically, the spaceis sized to keep the cablestacked in a single row when the cableis retracted or inserted into the drum assembly. The stacking of the cablelimits tangles in the cableand improves the efficiency when moving the cablein and out of the drum assembly. The diameter D and the height H of the drum assemblygenerally depends on the size of cable to be used with the drain cleaning device. For example, a cable that has a smaller diameter may include additional length and still fit within the drum assembly. In contrast, a cable with a larger diameter and similar length would need a larger drum assembly to fit within. Consequently, the cableand the drum assemblymay be selectively removable from the housingand replaced with drum assemblies and/or cables of different sizes and types.

With reference to, a drum coveris positioned over the spaceto secure the cablebetween the inner drum, the outer drum, and the drum cover. The drum coverincludes a cable outletthat guides the cableout of the drum assemblyand a cable clipadjacent the cable outletto support the cablewhen not in use. The drum covermay be coupled to the housingwith fasteners. The drum coverincludes a plurality of openingsto allow a user to view and inspect the cable. In the illustrated embodiment as viewed in, the cable outletis positioned at a right-hand side of the drum coveror 3 o'clock position. The cable outletis also positioned so that when the cableis not in use, the cableextends at a tangent relative to the drum cover. In other embodiments, the cable outletmay be positioned at the bottom of the drum coveror 6 o'clock position, the left-hand side of the drum coveror 9 o'clock position, or the top side of the drum coveror 12 o'clock position. In some embodiments, the drum covermay include multiple cable outletslocated at different positions around the drum cover. In other embodiments, the cable outletmay be positioned within a 360-degree range about the drum cover. In further embodiments, the drum covermay be rotatable relative to the drum assemblyto change the position of the cable outletas desired by a user.

With reference back to, the inner drumof the drum assemblysupports a motor housing, a battery housing, a storage receptacle, and a cable guide housing. Moving to, a motoris supported within the motor housing. In some embodiments, the motormay be a DC brushless motor. In other embodiments, the motormay include a brush. The motorincludes an output shaftthat defines a motor axis. The output shaftis configured to be directly coupled to the drain cleaning cableto rotate the cable. The motor axisis offset from the rotation axisof the drum assembly. M ore particularly, the motor axisis spaced apart from, but perpendicular to the rotation axis. The motor axisis also orientated at an oblique angle relative to a vertical plane A (when the drain cleaning deviceis in the upright position) extending through the rotation axis. The vertical plane A extends through the support shaft, the motor, and the storage receptacle. In other embodiments, the output shaftmay be oriented in other configurations.

A transmissionor gear train is also supported in the motor housingand is positioned between the motorand the output shaft. In the illustrated embodiment, the transmissiontransfers torque from the motorto the output shaftso that the output shaftdirectly drives the wound cable to rotate within the sheath. For example, the transmissionmay include a planetary gear system including a single stage or multiple stages, a planetary gearset with a bevel gear set, a planetary gearset with two bevel gearsets, only two bevel gearsets, a spur gearset, a helical gearset, a multi-speed gearbox, or a continuously variable gearbox. In some embodiments, the transmissionmay be considered part of the motor. In other embodiment, the transmissionmay be a separate component from the motorthat may be interchanged with another transmission. The transmissionand the motorare sized to reduce the space used within the inner drum. Specifically, the motorand the transmissiondefine an overall length along the motor axisthat is between 3 inches and 4 inches and an overall diameter that is between 1 inch and 3 inches.

With continued reference to, the battery housingdefines a battery receptacleconfigured to receive a battery pack t. The battery packmay include any of number of different nominal voltages (e.g., 12V, 18V, etc.), and may be configured having any of number of different chemistries (e.g., lithium-ion, nickel-cadmium, etc.). The battery packis operable to supply power to the motorto energize the motor. The battery packis a removable battery pack. The battery packis also a rechargeable battery pack. Alternatively, the motormay be powered by a remote power source (e.g., a household electrical outlet) through a power cord.

In the illustrated embodiment, the battery packis mounted with its longitudinal axis extending parallel to the vertical plane A. In other embodiments, the battery packmay be inserted into the battery receptaclein a direction that is parallel to the rotation axis. In further embodiments, the battery receptaclemay be positioned elsewhere on the drain cleaning device. For example, the battery receptaclemay be mounted on the housing. In such an embodiment, the battery packwould not spin with the drum assemblyduring a drain cleaning operation. Further, the battery receptaclemay be positioned adjacent the center of the inner drum. In some embodiments, the battery receptaclemay be moveable between a first position () and a second position (). The first position may also be referred to as an attachment position. The second position may also be referred to as a storage position. For example, in the attachment position, the battery receptaclereceives the battery packin a direction that is parallel to the rotation axis. The battery receptaclemay then be moved (e.g., pivoted) to the storage position so that the battery packis mounted with its longitudinal axis perpendicular to the rotation axis. Providing a battery receptaclethat receives the battery packin the attachment position allows a user to easily attach the battery packand then pivot the battery receptacleto the storage position in order to remove the battery packfrom interfering with operations of the drain cleaning deviceand to limit the overall footprint of the drain cleaning device.

Control electronicsare disposed within the motor housing. In some embodiments, the control electronicsmay be disposed in a separate housing from the motor housing. The control electronicsare oriented in a vertical configuration. In other words, the longitudinal axis of the control electronicsis generally vertical with respect to the vertical plane A. In some embodiments, the control electronicsmay be orientated with its longitudinal axis at an oblique angle relative to the vertical plane A. In further embodiments, the control electronicsmay be orientated with its longitudinal axis parallel or perpendicular to the vertical plane A. The control electronicsmay include a controller or processor that controls operation of the drain cleaning device. In some embodiments, the controller is implemented as a microprocessor with separate memory. In other embodiments, the controller may be implemented as a microcontroller (with memory on the same chip). In other embodiments, the controller may be implemented using multiple processors. In addition, the controller may be implemented partially or entirely as, for example, a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), an application specific integrated circuit (A SIC), and the like, and the memory may not be needed or be modified accordingly. The memory may include non-transitory, computer readable memory that stores instructions that are received and executed by the controller to carry out functionality of the drain cleaning devicedescribed herein. The memory may include, for example, a program storage area and a data storage area. The program storage area may include combinations of different types of memory, such as read-only memory and random-access memory.

With reference to, the cable guide housingis coupled to the inner drumadjacent the motor housing. The cable guide housingdefines a cavity and a guide channel(e.g., cable guide) extending from the cavity. The output shaftof the motorextends from the motor housinginto the cavity in a direction that is aligned with the guide channel. The guide channelleads into the inner drumand extends into the spacedefined between the inner and outer drums,. A first end of the cableis coupled to the output shaftof the motorand extends through the cable guide housingand into the spacedefined between the outer and inner drums,.

As shown in, a length L is defined between the end of the output shaftof the motorand the start of the guide channel. The size of the space that is defined by the length L allows for alternative transmissions to be used with the motorand cable. In the illustrated embodiment, the length L is between 1.0 inch and 4.0 inches. Generally, a smaller length L between the motorand the guide channelallows for a smaller footprint of the motorand the transmission. The guide channelalso defines an arc between the transmissionand the space. The arc may include a radius R extending from a virtual center of the arc that is between 3.0 inches and 6.0 inches. As such, a ratio is defined between the diameter of the drum assemblyand the radius R of the arc that is between 2.0 and 8.0. In some embodiments, the motorand the transmissionmay be angled relative to the inside surface of the inner drum. The motorand the transmissionmay be positioned at an angle between 2 and 7 degrees relative to the inside surface of the inner drum.

The storage receptacleis disposed on a diametrically opposite side of the rotation axisfrom the motor. The storage receptaclemay store additional battery packs, the foot pedal, cable accessories, etc. The storage receptacleincludes a coverthat is selectively movable (e.g., pivotable) to enclose storage materials within the storage receptacle. The covermay be movable between open and closed positions while remaining coupled to the storage receptacleor may be removed from the storage receptacle when in the open position. The covermay be coupled to the storage receptaclewith a clip, buckle, or other fastener. In other embodiments, the storage receptaclemay be positioned elsewhere on the drain cleaning device. For example, the storage receptaclemay be positioned elsewhere in the inner drumor on the housingadjacent the control portion. In the illustrated embodiment, the foot pedalis supported by the storage receptaclewith a longitudinal axis of the foot pedalperpendicular to the vertical plane A. In other embodiments, the foot pedalmay be supported elsewhere on the drain cleaning device. For example, the foot pedalmay be supported by the storage receptaclewith the longitudinal axis of the foot pedal parallel to the vertical plane A (). Alternatively, the foot pedalmay be supported on the motor housing(). In further embodiments, the drain cleaning devicemay include other storage options. For example, the drain cleaning devicemay include magnetic strips, storage hooks, storage bars(), key couplings, etc. that cable accessoriesand other components of the drain cleaning devicecan be coupled to. The storage barsmay be, for example, located on an outer perimeter of the housing. Each storage barmay extend across a recessed area formed in the housing. The cable accessoriesmay be coupled to (e.g., hang from) the storage bars, and the recessed areas may be at least partially receive the cable accessoriesto help cover and protect the cable accessories.

With reference back to, the direction switchis operable to switch the direction in which the motorrotates the cable (i.e., forward or reverse). In the illustrated embodiment, the direction switchis a sliding switch that can be slid between the forward and reverse positions. As shown in, in some embodiments, the direction switchmay be a toggle position switch. In other embodiments, the direction switchmay include a Hall effect sensor that are activated when the toggle switchis moved. The toggle position switch may reduce the overall footprint of the control portion. The toggle position switch may be a momentary switch or may latch in position. For example, the toggle position switch may need to be held in the forward direction and/or the reverse direction to operate the drain cleaning device. Alternatively, the toggle position switch may remain in the forward direction and/or the reverse direction until acted on by an outside force. Control electronics() are supported within the control portionof the housing. The control electronicsare operable to communicate and send signals from the direction switchand the speed control dialto the control electronicswithin the motor housing. The control electronicsmay be similar to the control electronicsdescribed above. Generally, the user will use the drain cleaning devicewith the motorrotating the cable in the forward direction. However, if the user uses the drain cleaning devicein reverse for too long or continuously, it may wear out the cable. In order to prevent or discourage this use, the control electronicscontrol the motorto run in reverse in bursts rather than continuously. In some embodiments, the drain cleaning devicemay include an indicator such as a LED light or a sound alert to let the user know that the motoris in reverse or has been in reverse for too long. In another embodiment, the drain cleaning devicemay include a mechanical mechanism such as a spring-loaded lever or button that a user depresses in addition to normal actuation in order to make the drain cleaning devicerun in reverse mode. For example, a reverse button may be positioned on the control portionof the housingthat a user keeps depressed while activating the motorin order for the motorto run in reverse and rotate the cablein reverse.

The speed control dialmay be rotated to a set position to control the speed at which the motorrotates the cable. In other embodiments, the speed control dialmay be a variable speed control that a user may control the speed of the motor based on the position of the speed control dialor a trigger used as an actuator. In other embodiments, the control portionmay be supported elsewhere on the drain cleaning device. For example, as shown in, the control portionmay be positioned on the motor housingor elsewhere inside the inner drum. In this embodiment, the handleand/or the control portionmay be removed from the housingto further reduce the overall footprint of the drain cleaning device. In addition, wiring, a slip ring, or the like would not need to extend from the drum assemblyto the housingto electrically connect the motorand the control portion.

Alternatively, the control portionmay be supported on the foot pedalas shown in. As such, the user can place the foot pedalin a convenient operating position and have access to all of the controls needed to operate the drain cleaning device. Further, the control portionmay span across the inner drumand couple to the housingand/or frame assembly, as shown in.

In the illustrated embodiment, the drain cleaning cableis also known as a flexible shaft cable. Compared to typical drain cleaning cables, the flexible shaft cable includes a wound cable that is encased by a sheath. The wound cable is operable to be rotated by the motorwithin the sheath. The flexible shaft cableincludes a first end that is coupled to the motorand a second end that is operable to be extended into a drain to facilitate clearing the drain. Specifically, the wound cable is directly coupled to the output shaftof the motorat the first end of the cableto rotate the wound cable within the sheath. The output shaftmay be coupled to the cableusing a spline-type connection, a set screw, or the like. The portion of the cablebetween the first and second ends extends from the output shaftthrough the cavity to be coiled within the spacebetween the inner and outer drums,. The second end of the cable extends from the spaceand through the cable outleton the drum cover.

In some embodiments, the drain cleaning deviceincludes a clutch disposed between the output shaftof the motorand the first end of the cable. The clutch may be operable to allow slip between the output shaftand the cableif the output torque of the motorexceeds a predetermined limit to protect the cable. For example, the clutch could be a mechanical clutch, such as a radial roller clutch. Alternatively, the clutch may be a ball spring clutch, a friction plate, a friction cone, and electromechanical clutch, or the like. The mechanical clutch may include a first setting for when the motorrotates the output shaftin a forward direction and a second setting for when the motorrotates the output shaftin a reverse direction. The first setting and the second setting may be different. For example, the second setting may allow the clutch to slip at a lower predetermined limit than the second setting.

In other embodiments, the clutch may be an electronic clutch that senses the output torque of the motorby, for example, sensing the current supplied to the motorfrom the battery pack. The electronic clutch may then allow slip to occur if the electronic clutch senses that the output torque from the motorwas above a predetermined limit. Alternatively, the electronic clutch may sense when the current is above the predetermined limit and communicate with the control electronicsto depower the drain cleaning device. Using an electronic clutch reduces the amount of space needed within the inner drumfor the transmissionand motor.

During operation of the drain cleaning device, a user may extend the second end of the cableinto a drain or other conduit. As the cableis payed out from the drum assembly, the drum assemblyrotates in a first direction. Once the second end of the cable encounters a clog, the user may depress the foot pedalto activate the motorand rotate the wound cable within the sheath. Based on the position of the direction switch, the wound cable will spin either clockwise or counterclockwise within the sheath. As the wound cable rotates, the cable accessory assists in removing the debris or clog. Alternatively, a user may force the second end of the cablepast the debris within a drain first before activating the motor. Then, the user may depress the foot pedalto activate the motorwhile retracting the cableout of the drain. The motorrotates the wound cable and thus the cable accessory to remove the debris or clog. The user may also adjust the speed control dialto adjust the revolutions of the wound cable and cable accessory if needed for a larger or smaller clog. While the cableis being retracted from the drain, the drum assemblyrotates in a second direction, opposite the first direction, to wind the cableback within the space. Once the drain has been sufficiently removed of debris and clogs, the user can then retract the cablefrom the drain to store the cable within the drum assembly.

In some embodiments, the control electronicsmay include a wireless communication device to communicate with an external device, such as a smart phone or tablet. The wireless communication device communicates with the control electronicsbased on user input from the external device. For example, a user may use the external device to define operating parameters of the drain cleaning devicesuch as minimum and maximum torque or revolutions per minutes of the output shaftof the motor.

Providing a drain cleaning devicewith a motorthat directly drives a cable allows the cable to rotate at higher torque compared to drain cleaning devices that rely on driving a drum assembly to produce friction to rotate the cable. Rotating the cable at higher torque more efficiently cleans a drain or other conduit.

Although the invention has been described with reference to certain embodiments, variations and modifications exist within the scope and spirit of the invention. Various features and advantages are set forth in the following claims.