Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02613840 2007-12-10
DEVICE FOR CONTAINING THE SPILLAGE OF WATER FROM AN APPLIANCE
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a device for containing the spillage of water
from an appliance,
and more particularly, relates to a device for containing the spillage of
water from an appliance
which may be temporarily or permanently positioned beneath the appliance for
the purposes of
receiving, containing and disposing of spilled water from the appliance.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Many modem appliances, such as clothes washing machines, dishwashing machines,
water
heaters, water softeners, water coolers, refrigerators with water supply and
other appliances
(hereinafter collectively referred to as "appliance" or "appliances" , unless
specifically otherwise
referenced) receive and handle water during normal operation, leading to the
risk or possibility
that water may leak or spill or overflow from the appliance, or from water
supply to or return
hoses from the appliance, which may result in significant water damage to the
surrounding
environment, flooring, furniture, and other materials that may come into
contact with the leaked
or spilled or overflowed water.
It is desirable to have a device which may be temporarily or permanently
positioned beneath the
appliance for the purposes of receiving, containing and disposing of spilled
water from the
appliance.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the object of the present invention is to provide a device which
may be temporarily
or permanently positioned beneath the appliance for the purposes of receiving,
containing and
disposing of spilled water from the appliance.
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a device
for containing the
spillage of water from an appliance, comprising, a tray having at least one
wall and adapted to
receive and support the appliance, drainage means in water-tight engagement
with the walled
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tray, and a seal engaged with the at least one wall and adapted to engage the
appliance.
Advantageously, the present invention provides a device which may be
temporarily or
permanently positioned beneath the appliance for the purposes of receiving,
containing and
disposing of spilled water from the appliance.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
A preferred embodiment of the present invention is described below with
reference to the
accompanying drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a typical (prior art) top-load washing
machine ;
Figure 2 is a perspective view, partially in ghost, of a walled tray of one
embodiment of
the present invention into which has been positioned a top-load washing
machine;
Figure 3A is a perspective view of a walled tray of one embodiment of the
present
invention;
Figure 3B is a perspective view of a walled tray of an alternative embodiment
of the
present invention;
Figure 4A is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of the present
invention;
Figure 4B is a cross-sectional view of an alternative embodiment of the
present invention;
Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment of the present invention
illustrated
in Figure 4A, with a trap attached to the drainage hose;
Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the embodiment of the
present invention
illustrated in Figure 4A, with a seal attached to the wall of the walled tray
of the present
invention;
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Figure 7 is a multiple walled extension shield of one embodiment of the
present
invention;
Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of the joint between the
wall of the
extension shield and the wall of the walled tray;
Figure 9 is a view of one embodiment of the walled tray of one embodiment of
the
present invention having a permanently positioned down pipe in one corner of
the walled
tray.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
With reference to Figure 1, a typical (prior art) top-load washing machine
(generally shown as 1)
is illustrated and is being referenced herein, it being understood that the
device of the present
invention may be utilized in the context of various different appliances as
that term is defined
above, with appropriate and applicable modifications to the device of the
present invention.
With reference to Figure 2, a typical (prior art) top-load washing machine 1
is positioned within a
walled tray 2 of one embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment
of the present
invention, as illustrated in Figures 2 and 3A, the walled tray 2 is preferably
made of structural
plastic, fiberglass, stainless steel, galvanized steel, or such other
structural and waterproof
material known to a person skilled in the art, and, as illustrated in Figure
3A, has a floor 20
which preferably provides a sloped surface 22 , the slope of which is directed
toward a drain 5 as
more fully described herein, and has walls 8 around the periphery of the
preferably sloped floor
20, which walls 8 are structurally and in waterproof engagement with floor 20
so that the walls 8
and floor 20 may receive leaked or spilled or overflowed water from the
washing machine I and
thereafter temporarily contain the leaked or spilled or overflowed water which
is thereafter
drained from the walled tray 2 as more fully described herein.
In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, as illustrated in Figure
4A and 4B, a
support surface 7 is provided on and integral with the outer edge of the floor
20 inside of the
walls 8 and upon which a support surface 7 the washing machine I rests,
support surface 7 being
adapted to receive and securely and stably support the top-load washing
machine 1 as illustrated
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=in Figure 2. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, pivotable
wheels or casters 3
are mounted to the underside of the walled tray 2 to allow the walled tray 2
and washing machine
1 positioned thereon, to be easily rolled, for example, during the movement of
the washing
machine 1 during the installation of the washing machine 1. In an alternative
embodiment of the
present invention, in place of the pivotable wheels or casters 3, stationary
legs (not shown) are
mounted to the underside of the walled tray 2 to provide clearance beneath the
walled tray 4,
allowing for the installation/coupling of a drainage hose 4 to the drain 5 as
more fully described
herein.
As illustrated in Figures 3A and 4A, the drain 5 preferably has a drain hole
5A and a downwardly
directed drain pipe 5B extending therefrom, the drain pipe 5B being in
watertight and secure
engagement with the drain hole 5A in a manner known to a person skilled in the
art, the drain
pipe 5B being adapted to receive and couple in water-tight engagement with a
drain hose 4 which
drain hose 4 may be directly (or by way of a water trap 4A as illustrated in
Figure 5 to stop or
reduce the passage of foul odors through the drain hose 4) attached in a
manner known to a
person skilled in the art to a wastewater or drain line in a building's
plumbing system (not
shown). In the embodiment of the present invention illustrated Figure 4B, the
drain 5 preferably
has a drain hole 5A and a downwardly directed drain pipe 5C extending
therefrom in watertight
and secure engagement with the drain hole 5A in a manner known to a person
skilled in the art,
the drain pipe 5C being adapted to pass through a hole 5D in the floor and
being adapted to
receive and couple in water-tight engagement with a drain hose 4 which drain
hose 4 may be
directly (or by way of a water trap) attached in a manner known to a person
skilled in the art to a
wastewater or drain line in a building's plumbing system (not shown). In one
embodiment of the
present invention, a holding tank (not shown) positioned downstream of the
drain hose 4 and in
secure watertight engagement therewith, may be used to receive leaked or
spilled or overflowed
water received from the device of the present invention.
As illustrated in Figure 3B, in an alternative embodiment of the present
invention, the walled tray
2 has multiple, and preferably four plugged or pluggable drain holes 5C, the
plugged or
pluggable drain holes 5C being positioned within the walls of the walled tray
2 and proximate
the corners thereof, providing the user with flexibility as to the choice of
which plugged or
pluggable drain holes 5C to utilize as the drain hole (the other non-utilized
plugged or pluggable
drain holes 5 and 5C being or remaining plugged by a suitable water-tight plug
5D). In this
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manner, the position of the drain hole may be chosen by the user as needed,
for example, when
the appliance is to be positioned in a location in which it is desirable to
use a drain hole
positioned in the corner (rather than the center) of the walled tray.
In one embodiment of the present invention, as illustrated in Figure 6, a seal
9 (preferably made
of rubber or other similar material) is glued or otherwise securely attached
to, and extending
along the length of the inner surface of the walls 8 of the walled tray 2, the
seal 9 extending
inwardly from the walls 8 to engage with the vertical walls of the washing
machine 1 so that
leaked or spilled or overflowed water which enters the walled tray 2 may be
prevented from or
less likely to flow out of the walled tray, past the seal 9, and into the
environment adjacent or
beyond the walled tray 2.
In a further embodiment of the present invention, as illustrated in Figure 7,
an extension shield
24 is provided, preferably made of structural plastic, fiberglass, stainless
steel, galvanized steel,
or such other structural and waterproof material known to a person skilled in
the art, which may
be either integral with and extending from the walls 8 of the walled tray 2,
or alternatively, may
be separate from, and adapted for watertight engagement with the walls 8 of
the walled tray 2 as
more fully described herein, the extension shield 24 providing additional
protection from damage
due to leaked or spilled or overflowed water from the appliance. In the
preferred embodiment, as
illustrated in Figure 7, the extension shield 24 has three walls, namely two
side walls 26 and a
back wa1128, corresponding with and being positioned so that, when installed
on the walled tray
2 with a washing machine positioned there-within, two side walls 26 and a back
wall 28 of the
extension shield 24 are proximate the two corresponding side walls and back
wall of the washing
machine. In the preferred embodiment, two or three or more plugged or
pluggable holes 10 are
provided in the wall through which holes 10A, l OB and I OC, hot and cold
water supply and
wastewater return lines may be positioned, preferably utilizing grommets or
other watertight
devices to secure the water supply and return lines in their respective holes
in a manner known to
a person skilled in the art. As illustrated in Figure 7, a seal 11 (preferably
made of rubber or other
similar material) is glued or otherwise securely attached to, and extending
along the edge of the
inner surface of the two side walls 26 and a back wal128 of the extension
shield 24, the seal 11
extending inwardly from the two side walls 26 and a back wall 28 to engage
with the
corresponding vertical walls of the washing machine 1 to prevent or
substantially reduce the
likelihood that leaked or spilled or overflowed water will flow beyond the
walls extension shield
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= 24, but rather will more likely flow into the walled tray 2 below rather
than past the seal 11, and
into the environment adjacent and beyond the walled tray 2. As illustrated in
Figure 8, in one
embodiment of the present invention, the walls of the extension shield 24
curve and extend
inwardly 26A near the bottom of the walls so that the inward extension 26B of
the walls of the
extension shield 24 is positioned inside of the walls 8 of the walled tray 2.
In one embodiment of
the present invention, a seal 13 (preferably made of rubber or other similar
material) is provided
between the inwardly extended wal126B of the extension shield and the walls 8
of the walled
tray, as illustrated in Figure 8, to reduce the likelihood that water will
flow into the environment
outside of the walled tray 2. In the preferred embodiment of the present
invention, the extension
shield 24 is attached to the walled tray 2 by means of screws, bolts, water
resistant adhesive or
glue or in such other manner as would be known to a person skilled in the art.
In one embodiment of the present invention, a short down-pipe 15, preferably
made of the same
material as that of the walled tray, is securely positioned within, or
integrated into one corner of
the walled tray as illustrated in Figure 9, the top of the down-pipe 15 being
adapted for water-
tight engagement and coupling with the waste-water hose 15A from the washing
machine, and
the bottom of the down-pipe 15 extending in watertight engagement through the
floor of the
walled tray 2 and presenting beneath the walled tray 2 a short length of pipe
15B adapted for
water-tight engagement and coupling with a drainage hose 16 for the removal of
wastewater
received in the down pipe 15, so that the waste-water hose from the washing
machine may be
securely attached to the top of the down-pipe 15, and a drainage hose 16
attached to the bottom
of the down-pipe 15, permitting waste-water to pass from the washing machine
1, through the
wastewater hose 14 from the wash machine 1, down the down pipe 15, and into
the drainage hose
16 attached to the bottom of the down-pipe 5 and thereafter into the drain
line in a building's
plumbing system (not shown).
The present invention has been described herein with regard to preferred
embodiments. However,
it will be obvious to persons skilled in the art that a number of variations
and modifications can
be made without departing from the scope of the invention as described herein.
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