Pop-up Drain Stopper Linkage Assembly

Abstract

A pop-up drain stopper linkage assembly contains: a drain base, a connector, a lift rod, a connection seat, a flexible clamper, an adjustment member, a driving rod, and a drain stopper. The drain base includes an outlet, the connector is fixed on the drain base, and the lift rod is pulled upward and pressed downward by a user. The connection seat includes a first through orifice in which the lift rod is fitted, an accommodation groove defined in the first through orifice, and at least one locking structure formed on the accommodation groove. The flexible clamper is housed in the accommodation groove, and the adjustment member is disposed on the connection seat. The driving rod includes a first end rotatably connected with the connector and includes a second end connecting with the connection seat. Furthermore, the drain stopper is secured on the drain base.

1 . A pop-up drain stopper linkage assembly comprising:
 a drain base including an outlet;   a connector fixed on the drain base;   a lift rod pulled upward and pressed downward by a user;   a connection seat including a first through orifice in which the lift rod is fitted, an accommodation groove defined in the first through orifice, and at least one locking structure formed on the accommodation groove;   a flexible clamper housed in the accommodation groove of the connection seat;   an adjustment member disposed on the connection seat;   a driving rod including a first end rotatably connected with the connector, and the driving rod including a second end connecting with a the connection seat; and   a drain stopper secured on the drain base.   
     
     
         2 . The pop-up drain stopper linkage assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein
 the drain base is disposed on a basin;   the lift rod extends through the basin;   the lift rod inserts into the connection seat, and   each of the at least one fixing structure has at least one locking position and at least one unlocking position;   the flexible clamper includes a flexible clamping portion in which the lift rod is inserted, a top of the flexible clamper is forced by an action force so as to flexibly retract and to clamp the lift rod inward, and after releasing the flexible clamper, the flexible clamper expends outward and to unclamp the lift rod, hence the lift rod is adjustably moved upward or downward;   the adjustment member is disposed on a top of the connection seat and is adjustably rotated among the at least one locking position and the at least one unlocking position; when the adjustment member is located at the at least one locking position, the flexible clamper is forced by the action force, and when the adjustment member is located at the at least one unlocking position, the flexible clamper is removed;   the driving rod is in connection with the connector, and the driving rod has a lever movement, when the lift rod moves upward or downward with the connection seat;   the drain stopper includes a bottom end moving upward or downward in response to the lever movement of the driving rod, such that the outlet of the drain base turns on/off, when the bottom end of the drain stopper moves upward or downward respectively.   
     
     
         3 . The pop-up drain stopper linkage assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the accommodation groove of the connection seat has two opposite locking structures formed on a peripheral wall thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The pop-up drain stopper linkage assembly as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein each of the at least one fixing structure is a channel spirally and obliquely extending around the peripheral wall of the accommodation groove, and each locking structure has at least two recesses configured to form the at least one locking position and the at least one unlocking position;
 the adjustment member includes at least one protrusion, when the adjustment member is rotated, and the at least one protrusion is retained in the at least two recesses respectively.   
     
     
         5 . The pop-up drain stopper linkage assembly as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein each of the least two recesses extends from a first upper fringe of each locking structure along an extending direction and has a height difference on an axial direction, wherein a lower portion of each recess has each of the at least one locking position, and an upper section of each recess has each of the at least one unlocking position. 
     
     
         6 . The pop-up drain stopper linkage assembly as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein each locking structure has four recesses which are a first recess, a second recess, a third recess, and a fourth recess formed from a bottom of each locking structure to a top of each locking structure; the first recess is configured to retain a lift rod of a smallest diameter, the second recess is configured to retain a lift rod of a small diameter, the third recess is configured to retain a lift rod of a large diameter or a lift rod of a largest diameter, and the fourth recess is configured to remove the lift rod of the largest diameter. 
     
     
         7 . The pop-up drain stopper linkage assembly as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the adjustment member includes a grip portion, a cylinder portion extending from the grip portion, an opening defined on a center of the grip portion and communicating with the cylinder portion so as to accommodate the lift rod, two opposite tabs extending outward from the cylinder portion so as to be rotated by the user, a bottom of the cylinder portion abutting against the flexible clamper, the at least one protrusion formed below the two opposite tabs, and a cutout defined between the at least one protrusion. 
     
     
         8 . The pop-up drain stopper linkage assembly as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the accommodation groove of the connection seat has a first inverted conical fence, and the flexible clamper is in an inverted cone shape and includes a second inverted conical fence so as to be accommodated inside the first inverted conical fence of the accommodation grove; the flexible clamper further includes a second upper fringe formed on an upper portion of an inner wall thereof so as to be forced by a bottom of the adjustment member, a second through orifice defined in the flexible clamper and having the flexible clamping portion, a mouth defined in the second through orifice proximate to a bottom of the connection seat, such that when the second upper fringe is pressed downward to abut against the first inverted conical fence, the flexible clamping portion retracts flexibly by way of the mouth so as to clamp the lift rod. 
     
     
         9 . The pop-up drain stopper linkage assembly as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein the second through orifice of the flexible clamper has multiple first ribs arranged thereon. 
     
     
         10 . The pop-up drain stopper linkage assembly as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein the flexible clamping portion includes a rubber portion and a plastic portion which is a part of the second inverted conical fence. 
     
     
         11 . The pop-up drain stopper linkage assembly as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the flexible clamper is annular and includes a peripheral ring and multiple flexible feet separately and circumferentially extending inward from the peripheral ring; wherein the peripheral ring is forced by a bottom of the adjustment member; a cavity is defined among distal ends of the multiple flexible feet so that the lift rod is inserted through the cavity and is clamped by the distal ends of the multiple flexible feet. 
     
     
         12 . The pop-up drain stopper linkage assembly as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein each of the multiple flexible feet has two first extensions obliquely extending downward from an inner side of the peripheral ring, each flexible foot has two second extensions obliquely extending upward from distal ends of the two first extensions respectively, and the two second extensions connect together, such that a hollow orifice is defined between each flexible foot and the peripheral ring, and a connecting section of the two first extensions and the two second extensions abuts against the first inverted conical fence of the accommodation groove. 
     
     
         13 . The pop-up drain stopper linkage assembly as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the flexible clamper is integrally stamped from metal material. 
     
     
         14 . Preferably, the pop-up drain stopper linkage assembly further contains a buffer member fitted on the lift rod between the adjustment member and the flexible clamper so that the flexible clamper deforms, after the bottom of the adjustment member forces a top of the flexible clamper via the buffer member. 
     
     
         15 . The pop-up drain stopper linkage assembly as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the connection seat includes a first engagement portion formed on the bottom thereof; the driving rod includes a first segment, a second segment, a spherical knob located adjacent to the first segment and rotatably connected with the connector, and multiple second engagement portions horizontally arranged proximate to the second segment; the first engagement portion of the connection seat is engaged with one of the multiple second engagement portions. 
     
     
         16 . The pop-up drain stopper linkage assembly as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein one of the first engagement portion and the one second engagement portion is a column, and the other of the first engagement portion and the one second engagement portion is a hole. 
     
     
         17 . The pop-up drain stopper linkage assembly as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein the first engagement portion is a column integrally extending from the connection seat, and each of the multiple second engagement portions is a hole. 
     
     
         18 . The pop-up drain stopper linkage assembly as claimed in  claim 17 , wherein the column has a spherical surface so as to insert through and engage with the hole matingly. 
     
     
         19 . The pop-up drain stopper linkage assembly as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the drain base includes a metal tube, a plastic sleeve fitted on the metal tube and connected with the connector, a plastic tube connected on a bottom of the metal tube. 
     
     
         20 . The pop-up drain stopper linkage assembly as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein the metal tube has a third through orifice defined thereon relative to the plastic sleeve, and the metal tube has a second rib extending outward from an outer wall thereof; the plastic sleeve has a fourth through orifice defined thereon relative to the second through orifice, and the plastic sleeve has a slot formed on an inner wall thereof. 
     
     
         21 . The pop-up drain stopper linkage assembly as claimed in  claim 20 , wherein the plastic sleeve includes a coupling portion having two symmetrical hooks between which the fourth through orifice is defined; the driving rod includes a first segment, a second segment, and a spherical knob located adjacent to the first segment and rotatably connected with the connector; the connector includes a positioning member, a covering member, and two washers; the positioning member has an internal end, an external end, and two flaps extending from an outer wall of the internal end so as to rotatably retain with the two hooks of the plastic sleeve respectively; the covering member is screwed with the external end of the positioning member so that a chamber is defined between the covering member and the positioning member to accommodate the spherical knob of the driving rod; one of the two washers is fixed between an inner surface of the covering member and the spherical knob, and the other washer is defined between an inner surface of the positioning member and the spherical knob, such that the spherical knob is rotatably connected between the two washers. 
     
     
         22 . The pop-up drain stopper linkage assembly as claimed in  claim 21 , wherein the internal end of the positioning member has a support peg formed thereon and partially inserting into the second through orifice of the metal tube, a first aperture defined in the internal end so that the first segment of the driving rod is inserted into the metal tube via the first aperture of the internal end; the connector further includes a seal sleeve fitted between an outer wall of the support peg and the fourth through orifice of the plastic sleeve. 
     
     
         23 . The pop-up drain stopper linkage assembly as claimed in  claim 20 , wherein the plastic sleeve has a fitting section extending outward from an outer wall thereof, and the fitting section has a receiving room defined therein and communicating with the fourth through orifice; the driving rod includes a first segment, a second segment, a spherical knob located adjacent to the first segment and rotatably connected with the connector, and multiple second engagement portions horizontally arranged proximate to the second segment; the connector includes a first sheath, a cap, and a second sheath, wherein the first sheath is accommodated in the receiving room and has an internal end, an external end, a support peg formed on the internal end and partially inserting into the second through orifice of the metal tube, and a spherical concave face defined on an inner wall of the external end; the cap is screwed on the external end of the first sheath so that the spherical knob of the driving rod is rotatably connected between the cap and the spherical concave face of the first sheath; the second sheath is fitted between the support peg and the fourth through orifice.