DEVICE FOR DRAIN FILTRATION AND/OR HAIR COLLECTION AND EJECTING WASTE OBJECTS

Abstract

A drain strainer is provided that includes a flange and a basket. The flange transitions to a central cavity. The basket defines the central cavity and includes perforations that are sized to enable liquid to drain through the basket while debris is collected in the basket. The basket has a flexibility of a sufficient value such that the basket may be stretched in a downstream direction to a predetermine value and then released to eject the debris from the basket.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of Provisional Application No. 63/364,111 filed May 4, 2022, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.

FIELD

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.

BACKGROUND

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.

SUMMARY

In one aspect of the present invention, a drain strainer is provided that includes a flange and a basket. The flange transitions to a central cavity. The basket defines the central cavity and includes perforations that are sized to enable liquid to drain through the basket while debris is collected in the basket. The basket has a flexibility of a sufficient value such that the basket may be stretched in a downstream direction to a predetermine value and then released 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.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated into and constitute a part of the specification. They illustrate one embodiment of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a drain strainer of a first embodiment according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a top view of the drain strainer of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the drawing strainer of FIG. 1

FIG. 4 is a side and bottom perspective view of a version of a drain strainer with a tension pull node.

FIG. 5 is a side perspective view of a version of a drain strainer with a tension pull tab.

FIG. 6 is a side perspective view of a version of a drain strainer of FIG. 1 with a tension pull tab having a hole in the tension pull tab.

FIG. 7 is a bottom perspective view of a version of a drain strainer with a cylindrical reinforcement ring.

FIG. 8 is a top perspective view of a version of a drain strainer of FIG. 1 with two vertical projections in spiral formation.

FIG. 9 is a top perspective view of a version of a drain strainer with five vertical projections in spiral formation.

FIG. 10 is a side view of a version of a drain strainer with a V-shaped basket at a central common area and with a tension pull tab having a hole in the tension pull tab.

FIG. 11 is a side view of a version of a drain strainer with a U-shaped basket at a central common area and with a tension pull tab having a hole in the tension pull tab.

FIG. 12 is a top perspective view of a version of a drain strainer with a basket configuration extending upwardly at a central common area and having its access opening facing downwardly.

FIG. 13 is a top perspective view of the drain strainer of FIG. 1 but with the spiral protrusions being slanted.

FIG. 14 is a bottom perspective view of a version of a drain strainer with a pull tab in an unstretched (not preloaded) position and being grasped by a hand of a user.

FIG. 15 is a bottom perspective view of the drain strainer of FIG. 14 with a pull tab in a stretched (preloaded) position and being grasped by a hand of a user.

FIG. 16 is a bottom perspective view of a drain strainer showing an alternative version of a pinch type drain strainer.

FIG. 17 is a bottom perspective view of the drain strainer of FIG. 16 showing a pinch method of waste ejection.

FIG. 18 is a schematic side and top perspective view of a hair passing through a hole in the drain strainer of FIG. 1.

FIG. 19 is a schematic side and bottom perspective view a portion of the drain strainer of FIG. 1 showing an embossed hole with hair curling rather than passing through.

FIG. 20 is a side perspective view of an alternate version of the drain strainer.

FIG. 21 is a side view of the drain strainer of FIG. 20.

FIG. 22 is a side perspective view of the drain strainer of FIG. 20.

FIG. 23 is top perspective view of a drain strainer version showing a spindle.

FIG. 24 is a side perspective view of a version of the drain strainer having a plunger being pushed by a user for use in a sink.

FIG. 25 is a top perspective view of the drain strainer of FIG. 24.

FIG. 26 is a bottom and side perspective view of the drain strainer of FIG. 24.

FIG. 27 is a side perspective view of the drain strainer of FIG. 26.

FIG. 28 is an exploded view of the drain strainer of FIG. 24.

FIG. 29 is a bottom perspective view of the drain strainer of FIG. 24.

FIG. 30 is a bottom view of the drain strainer of FIG. 24.

FIG. 31 is a bottom and side view of the drain strainer of FIG. 24.

FIG. 32 is a top view of another version of the drain strainer.

FIG. 33 is a top and side perspective view of the drain strainer of FIG. 32.

FIG. 34 is a top perspective view of the drain strainer of FIG. 24 being pushed by a user.

FIG. 35 is a side perspective view of the drain strainer of FIG. 27.

FIG. 36 is a perspective view of the drain strainer of FIG. 24 being mounted in a drain of a sink.

FIG. 37 is a bottom perspective view of the drain strainer of FIG. 24 being operated by a user to release the plunger from its locked position.

FIG. 38 is a side view of the drain strainer of FIG. 24 in a locked and stretched position.

FIG. 39 is a sectional view taken along line 39-39 of FIG. 38.

FIG. 40 is a top perspective view of the catch of the drain strainer of FIG. 24.

FIG. 41 is a side sectional view of the catch of FIG. 40.

FIG. 42 is a side and bottom perspective view of a drain strainer in the stretched position.

FIG. 43 is a side and bottom perspective view of the drain strainer of FIG. 42 in the unstretched position.

FIG. 44 is a side perspective view of the drain strainer of FIG. 42 being illustrated to eject debris in trash can by a user.

FIG. 45 is a side perspective view of another version of a shower type drain strainer being illustrated to eject debris in trash can by a user.

FIG. 46 is a bottom and side perspective view of the drain strainer of FIG. 45.

FIG. 47 is a top perspective view of the drain strainer of FIG. 46.

FIG. 48 is a top view of the drain strainer of FIG. 45.

FIG. 49 is a top view of the drain strainer of FIG. 45 with hair collected in the basket and showing a single strand of hair entering the side of the drain strainer.

FIG. 50 is a side perspective view of the drain strainer of FIG. 45 being mounted in a drain of a shower.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

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 FIG. 1, 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 FIGS. 1-3, a drain strainer 10 is provided which comprises a circular base flange 12 that sits in the base of a tub, shower, or other liquid storage container. The base flange 12 is relatively flat at an outer diameter of the base flange 12, and then transitions to a depressed central common area or cavity 14 (FIG. 2) that is defined by a basket 17 with perforations 15 within the basket 17. The drain strainer 10 further comprises three upwardly vertical protrusions 16 that originate near the outer diameter or edge 18 of the base flange 12 and spiral or curve in towards the center to the outer edge 20 of the cavity 14. Each protrusion 16 is c-shaped and has a base 22 that mounts or is formed on the base flange 12 and tapers a partial distance going upwardly from the bottom side of the protrusion 16. The base flange 12 is 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 edge 18 of the base flange 12, the three vertical protrusions 16 begin an incline to their full height in a spiral fashion towards the central axis of the drain strainer 10 and stop around 1.75″ from the axis but may also feature other variations of this dimension. At this approximate dimension, the base flange 12 transitions into the central common area or cavity 14.

The depressed central cavity 14 features a downward semi-circular shape and has the perforations 15 located in multiple areas of the cavity 14. The basket 17 rests within the opening of a drain flange. Within the cavity 14, rows of the perforations 15 line the upper, mid, and lower wall of the basket 17. On the bottom side of the basket 17 there may be embossed cylindrical walls (FIG. 19) around each perforation, giving each perforation an additional thickness. Along the outer edge 20 of the cavity 14, a downward vertical sleeve 24 (FIG. 7) may protrude downwardly from the base flange 12 and incorporates a reinforcement sleeve in the molded material. An alternative drains strainer 11 may be provided that has on the bottom surface of the basket 17, a flat-shaped pull tab 28 (FIG. 5) that protrudes downward and features a fattened grip structure 30 among its flat surface. The top flange 12 and the basket 17 are made of a silicone or a Thermoplastic elastomers (TPE) type of material that has flexibility. The soft, rubber-like material of the central basket 17 allows the basket 17 to be stretched and when the pull tab 28 on the bottom of the basket 17 is pulled, the basket 17 stretches and stores potential energy. Upon release of the pull tab 28, the potential energy is converted to mechanical energy and propels the contents within the cavity 14 outward. This unique feature allows a user to aim and discharge the contents within the central cavity 14 in a quick, efficient motion without touching the contents within the cavity 14.

The drain strainer 10 may also have one or more of the following features. Specifically, the drain strainer 10 may 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, FIG. 8 shows a drain strainer 30 that has two vertical protrusions that spiral or curve in towards the center to the outer edge 20 of the cavity 14. FIG. 9 shows an alternate version of a drain strainer 32 that has five vertical protrusions 16 that spiral or curve in towards the center to the outer edge 20 of the cavity 14. The number of spiral protrusions may be different than two, three or five. The upwardly vertical spiral or slanted protrusions 16 may 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 protrusions 36 that are slanted upwardly or tilted so as to not be perpendicular in nature, such as a 45 degree angle or any other variation of degrees as shown for example in FIG. 13, and may also feature an irregular or curved shape. The upward vertical protrusions may be arranged in slant-like patterns (FIG. 13) or short semi-circular arrangements rather than solely having a spiral shape.

The device may also feature alternate versions of the basket 17. The basket 17 defining the central common area or cavity 14 may have a downward semi-circular shape, but it may also have different shapes. For example, FIG. 10 shows drain strainer 38 that has a basket 40 that is a downward v-shape, and FIG. 11 shows a drain strainer 42 that has a basket 44 that has a downward u-shape. Within these downward shaped cavities, an alternative version of a drain strainer 46 may have an upward spindle 48 (FIG. 23) in the cavity 14, 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, FIG. 12 shows a drain strainer 50 that has a basket 52 that 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, FIG. 4 shows drain strainer 54 that has a tension pull node 56 which is a round axial node that is attached to the underside of the basket 17 and extends downwardly from the underside of the basket at the central common area. FIG. 5 shows a drain strainer 11 that generally has a rectangular flat tension pull tab 28 that has a bulbous cylindrical portion formed at its free end that defines the fattened grip structure 30. The cylindrical portion extends beyond the width of the remaining portion of the pull tab 30 and has a diameter that is larger than thickness (measured between the largest opposite sides) of the remaining portion of the pull tab 28 to aid the user to grasp and pull the pull tab 28. FIGS. 6, 10 and 11 show a drainer strainer 58 that has a rectangular tension pull tab 60 that has a grip hole 62 extending 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 26 (FIG. 28) embedded or superimposed in the material of the base flange at any point relative to the diameter of the base flange. FIGS. 14 to 16 show a pinch type drain strainer 64 that have 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 FIGS. 20-22 and 24-31, an alternative drain strainer 63 or 66 may also have a top button 68 of a plunger 90. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 20-22, three protrusions 16 similar to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 are provided. In the embodiment of the drain strainer 66 shown in FIGS. 24-31, there are four protrusions 70 that 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 strainer 66 may be mounted in a drain of a sink 104 as illustrated in FIG. 36. 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 basket 17 at the central common area or cavity 14 thereby preventing water from entering that area. Another variation would be to block the perforations 15 from the bottom side of the basket 17. 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 include spiral or slanted vertical protrusions formed or otherwise mounted on the base flange 12 that 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 123, 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 FIGS. 18 and 19, this tumbling or rolling action prevents a hair 74 from passing through the perforations 15 within the basket 17 at the central common area or cavity, and also condenses the hair 122 into a single area (see FIG. 49) 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.

FIGS. 32, 33, and 42-44 show a version of a drain strainer 116 that has the pull tab 56 and a sleeve 118 around a basket 117 with lateral holes 120 to help a user grip the drain strainer 116. FIGS. 32 and 33 show that this drain strainer 116 has a basket 117 that has L-shaped perforations 128 on the outer edge 20 of the cavity 14. This allows draining at the top of the flange 12. Also, four protrusions 70 that 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 strainer 116 from the sink drain. FIG. 43 shows the drain strainer 116 with a basket 117 being unstretched. When the debris 76 needs to be removed, a user grasps the pull tab 56 and pulls the pull tab 56 away from the drain strainer 116 such that the common area or cavity is stretched as seen in FIGS. 42 and 44. The user then releases the pull tab to eject the debris 76 (FIG. 44) into a garbage container 78. 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.

FIGS. 45-50 show another version of a drain strainer 106. This drain strainer 106 has a base flange 108 that has petals 110 around the periphery that define a flower shape configuration. The three protrusions may be upwardly vertical protrusions 16 or slanted radially outwardly relative to the base flange 108. FIG. 46 shows the basket 17 being unstretched. When the debris 76 needs to be removed, a user grasps the pull tab 56 and pulls the pull tab 56 away from the drain strainer 106 such that the common area or cavity is stretched as seem in FIG. 45. The user then releases the pull tab to eject the debris 76 (FIG. 44) into a garbage container 78. FIG. 50 shows this drain strainer 106 being mounted in a drain of a shower 124. It should be noted that the shape of the base flange may take many forms.

The drain strainers 63, 66 that have the plungers 90 comprise the flange 12 that comprise a soft, rubber like material that has a large central cavity defined by the basket 17 with the perforations 15. The plunger is inserted into the bottom of the basket 17. The top flange 12 and the basket 17 are made of a silicone or a Thermoplastic elastomers (TPE) type of material that has flexibility. With reference to FIG. 28, the drain strainer 66 or 63 comprises a bottom section 82 that is rigid such as plastic or metal or other suitable material. At the outer edges of the cavity 14, the base flange 12 sits in a cylindrical structure or sleeve 84 of the bottom section 82 and the basket 17 is pinched against the cylindrical structure or sleeve 84 with a thin retaining ring 26 placed on the inside of the cavity to hold it in place. On the bottom side of the cylindrical structure 84, two or more legs 86 extend downward and angle toward the central axis of the structure. The legs 86 converge into a lower base structure or hub that features a cylindrically shaped capture element in the form of a catch 88. A push tab or plunger 90 is provided. The plunger 90 comprises the top button 68, a lower plunger element 92, a stem 94, and an upper plunger element 96 (FIG. 39). The top button 68 of the plunger rests above the silicone basket. The upper plunger element 96 sits below the basket, which holds the plunger in the basket and keeps it from getting dislodged. The stem 94 is positioned between the upper plunger element 96 and the lower plunger element 92 and is sized smaller than the upper and lower plunger elements 92, 96. The lower plunger element 92 is positioned through the bottom of the basket 17, whereas the top stopper 68 of the plunger rests on the top of the basket 17 and provides a central push point to depress and spring-load the basket 17. The lower plunger element 92 is positioned below the basket 17 and is designed to plunge into the catch 88 to hold its position there when the plunger 90 gets pushed by the user to spring load the basket 17.

In particular, As illustrated in FIG. 40, the catch 88 includes a central slot 98 and an larger offset hole 100 that laterally merges with the central slot 98. The lower plunger element 92 is sized to fit through the offset hole 100 but not through the central slot 98. The stem 94 of the plunger 90 however is sized to fit through the central slot 98. When the top button 68 of the plunger 90 is pushed (FIGS. 24 and 34), it is guided through the offset hole by a funnel 102 (FIG. 41) formed in the catch 88. The top button 68 is pushed downwardly through the offset hole 100 until the lower plunger element 92 extends down away from the underside of the catch 88. Simultaneously, as the lower plunger element 92 extends downwardly through the offset hole 100, the resistance of the material of the silicone basket forces the stem 94 laterally from the offset hole 100 until the stem 94 is received by the central slot 98 as illustrated in FIGS. 29, 37, and 39. The resistance of the material of the silicone basket 17 forces the plunger 90 to the center, so once the lower plunger element 92 is through the offset hole 100, it guides into the slot 98 towards the center to remain locked in the stretched position.

That is, the top side of the lower plunger element 92 engages the underside of the catch 88 to prevent the lower plunger element 92 from moving back through the central slot 98. Upon this action, the basket material is stretched and is in a potential energy position. The plunger 90 is released by sliding the plunger laterally away from the center hole and towards the offset hole 100 until the lower plunger element 92 is aligned under the offset hole 100. FIG. 37 shows a user beginning to slide the plunger toward the offset hole 100 using a finger to accomplish this action. As the plunger aligns with the offset hole 100, it releases the tension stored in the basket 17, which also moves the basket 17 rapidly upward, thereby projecting or ejecting ay debris or other material in the basket 17 outward. In essence, this releasing of the grip on the lower plunger element 92 in turn causes the stored energy in the basket 17 to be released by which the basket 17 abruptly returns to its rest position. This motion also expels any contents resting inside the common area or cavity 14 defined by the basket 17. The basket 17 then goes back to its unstretched rest position as shown in FIG. 35.

The disclosed device is unique in that it is structurally different from other known devices or solutions. More specifically, the device is unique due to the presence of: (1) vertical protrusions, spiral or slanted in nature, incorporated into the base flange for inducing water vortex flow. (2) A basket having a central common area or cavity with the ability to stretch, so as to be pulled or twisted or pinched in order to change its shape and store potential energy thereby which can be released. (3) A basket having a central common area or cavity with the ability to propel or eject waste outward and away from itself by means of restoring itself to its natural state after being released from a potential energy mode. (4) A pull tab or other way for the user to pull the basket into stretched position. (5) A plunger and catch element that can secure a stretched basket into a potential energy mode for later release.

While the foregoing written description of the invention enables one of ordinary skill to make and use what is presently considered to be the best mode thereof, those of ordinary skill in the art will understand and appreciate the existence of variations, combinations, and equivalents of the specific embodiment, method, and examples herein. The invention should, therefore, not be limited by the above-described embodiments, method, and examples, but by all embodiments and methods within the scope and spirit of the invention.

Claims

1. A drain strainer comprising:

a flange, wherein the flange transitions to a central cavity;

a basket, wherein the basket defines the central cavity, wherein the basket comprises perforations that are sized to enable liquid to drain through the basket while debris is collected in the basket, wherein the basket has a flexibility of a sufficient value such that the basket may be stretched in a downstream direction to a predetermine value and then released to eject the debris from the basket.

2. The drain strainer of claim 1 further comprising protrusions, wherein each protrusion is provided on the flange and extends upwardly from the flange, wherein the protrusions are configured and arranged to guide the liquid towards the central cavity.

3. The drain strainer of claim 2, wherein the protrusions are configured and arranged to create a circular vortex motion of the liquid to collect the debris in a ball.

4. The drain strainer of claim 2 wherein each protrusion extends from the central cavity to near an outer edge of the flange.

5. The drain strainer of claim 4, wherein each protrusion extends from the central cavity to near the outer edge of the flange in a spiral shape.

6. The drain strainer of claim 5, wherein each protrusion extends vertically extends upward from the flange.

7. The drain strainer of claim 4, wherein each protrusion curves as the protrusion extends from the central cavity to near the outer edge of the flange.

8. The drain strainer of claim 7 wherein each protrusion inclines inwardly as the protrusion extends upwardly.

9. The drain strainer of claim 1 further comprising a pull tab, wherein the pull tab is attached to the basket and extends away from the basket from an underside of the basket, wherein the pull tab is operative to enable a user to pull the basket downstream and stretch the basket to the predetermined value.

10. The drain strainer of claim 9, wherein the pull tab is a cylindrical node.

11. The drain strainer of claim 9, wherein the pull tab includes an opening.

12. The drain strainer of claim 9, wherein the pull tab includes an enlarge portion at a free end of the pull tab for aid in gripping the pull tab.

13. The drain strainer of claim 1, wherein one or more of the perforation extend into the flange.

14. The drain strainer of claim 1 further comprising a plunger, wherein the plunger has a top button that is position in the basket, wherein the top button is configured to be pressed in the downstream direction to stretch the basket in the downstream direction to the stretch position and the plunger releasably engages a catch to releasably lock the plunger to keep the basket in the stretch position, wherein the plunger is configured to be disengaged from the catch thereby releasing the basket from the stretched position to eject the debris from the basket.

15. The drain strainer of claim 14, wherein catch includes a central slot and an offset opening that laterally merges with the central slot, wherein the plunger includes a stem and a lower plunger element, wherein the stem attaches to the top button and the lower plunger element, wherein the offset opening has a size that is larger than the central slot, wherein the lower plunger element is sized to extend through the offset opening but not the central slot, wherein the stem is sized to extend through the central slot and offset opening, where the top button is configure to be pressed in the downward direction such that the lower plunger element extends downwardly through the offset opening and laterally moves to the central slot to engage the underside of the catch to releasably lock the plunger to keep the basket in the stretch position.

16. The drain strainer of claim 15, wherein the lower plunger element may be moved to align under the offset opening to release the basket from the stretched position to eject the debris from the basket.

17. The drain strainer of claim 1 further comprising a reinforcement sleeve that is position under the flange and extends around the basket.

18. The drain strainer of claim 1, wherein the flange has a plurality of petals around the periphery of the flange.