Combined strainer and stopper for basin drain

Abstract

A combined strainer and stopper device for basins and sinks has a perforated cylindrical housing with an open lower end and a top wall at its upper end. A valve disc is carried by a lower end of an actuator stem reciprocable in the housing for movement into and out of sealing engagement with a seat in a drain opening independently of movement of the perforated housing. In a preferred form of the invention, the top wall is integral with the side wall and is perforate, and a spring is engaged between the top wall and the stem to urge the valve disc in a direction to seat it. The stem extends through the top wall and through a spaced handle on the upper end of the housing, and the spaced relationship of the handle and top wall guides the stem. Outwardly projecting retaining lugs on the stem cooperate with the handle to retain the valve disc in an open position, and an annular shoulder formed on the housing limits the extent of insertion of the housing into a drain opening. In an alternate form of the invention, the housing is open ended, and the top wall comprises a first plastic cap fitted to the open upper end. A second plastic cap or skirt fitted to the lower end is adapted to engage in the drain opening to support the device in an upright position, and a stop on the second plastic cap limits insertion.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A combined strainer and stopper, comprising: 
 an elongate, tubular, perforate housing having a side wall with an open lower end and a top wall, said lower end being adapted to be inserted into a drain opening from a basin or sink or the like to support the combined strainer and stopper in an upright position extending upwardly from the drain opening into the basin;    a stopper valve carried by the housing and reciprocable relative to the housing into and out of sealing engagement with a seat in the drain opening when the combined strainer and stopper is in operative position in the drain opening; and    a valve actuator stem connected at a lower end with the stopper valve and extending at an upper end through an opening in the top wall for moving the stopper valve into and out of engagement with the valve seat while the perforate housing remains in place in the drain opening.    
     
     
         2 . A combined strainer and stopper as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein: 
 the top wall is perforate and is integral with the side wall.    
     
     
         3 . A combined strainer and stopper as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein: 
 a handle is on the upper end of the housing for use in manipulating the combined strainer and stopper, said handle including a midportion spaced away from the top wall.    
     
     
         4 . A combined strainer and stopper as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein: 
 an opening is formed centrally through the perforate top wall and a spaced opening is formed through the handle midportion, and said actuator stem is slidable through said spaced openings so that it is guided and maintained in a centered position relative to the housing.    
     
     
         5 . A combined strainer and stopper as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein: 
 a spring is engaged between the housing top wall and the actuator stem to yieldably urge the actuator stem and stopper valve in a direction to close the stopper valve against the seat in the drain opening when the combined strainer and stopper are in operative position in the drain opening.    
     
     
         6 . A combined strainer and stopper as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein: 
 a spring is engaged between the housing top wall and the actuator stem to yieldably urge the actuator stem and stopper valve in a direction to close the stopper valve against the seat in the drain opening when the combined strainer and stopper are in operative position in the drain opening.    
     
     
         7 . A combined strainer and stopper as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein: 
 detents are on the actuator stem for cooperation with the housing top wall to limit movement of the actuator stem and stopper valve in the direction urged by the spring, and for cooperation with the handle to hold the actuator stem and stopper valve in an open position against the bias of the spring.    
     
     
         8 . A combined strainer and stopper as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein: 
 the stopper valve comprises a circular disc of resilient material    
     
     
         9 . A combined strainer and stopper as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein: 
 at least one outwardly projecting retaining lug is formed on an outer surface of the actuator stem; and    at least one slot extends outwardly from an edge of said opening through the handle, said lug adapted to pass through the slot when the actuator stein is in one rotational position, and to lie on top of the handle to retain the actuating stem and stopper valve in an upward open position when the lug is moved upwardly through the slot and the actuator stein is rotated to a second rotational position.    
     
     
         10 . A combined strainer and stopper as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein: 
 at least one outwardly projecting retaining lug is formed on an outer surface of the actuator stem; and    at least one slot extends outwardly from an edge of said opening through the handle, said lug adapted to pass through the slot when the actuator stem is in one rotational position, and to lie on top of the handle to retain the actuating stem and stopper valve in an upward open position when the lug is moved upwardly through the slot and the actuator stem is rotated to a second rotational position.    
     
     
         11 . A combined strainer and stopper as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein: 
 an annular shoulder is on an outer surface of the housing to limit the extent of insertion of the housing into a drain opening.    
     
     
         12 . A combined strainer and stopper as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein: 
 an annular shoulder is on an outer surface of the housing to limit the extent of insertion of the housing into a drain opening.    
     
     
         13 . A combined strainer and stopper as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said housing side wall has an open upper end, and the top wall comprises a first plastic cap fitted to the open upper end.    
     
     
         14 . A combined strainer and stopper as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein: 
 a second plastic cap is fitted to the open lower end of the housing side wall, said second plastic cap having a depending cylindrical skirt adapted to fit into a drain opening to support the combined strainer and stopper in an upright position.    
     
     
         15 . A combined strainer and stopper as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein: 
 an elongate guide bushing is fitted to a central portion of the end wall, and the actuator stem is reciprocable in and guided by the bushing.    
     
     
         16 . A combined strainer and stopper as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein: 
 an annular shoulder is formed on an outer surface of the second plastic cap to define a stop that limits the extent of insertion of the combined strainer and stopper into a drain opening.