Abstract: A threaded sink flange assembly for a food waste disposer includes a threaded sink flange, a sink flange nut, an upper mounting flange and a retainer. The threaded sink flange has a tubular body portion that has an externally threaded portion and a plurality of radially outwardly projecting mounting ledges with gaps therebetween. The sink flange nut is internally threaded with threaded portions interspersed with gaps, there being at least a gap corresponding to each mounting ledge. The upper mounting flange is annular having a top ring with a plurality of radially inwardly extending mounting projections. The mounting projections are received on the mounting ledges when the upper mounting flange is assembled to the threaded sink flange. A plurality of flanges extend from a bottom of an outer wall of the upper mounting flange with each flange having a radially outwardly extending inclined mounting ramp.

Abstract: An apparatus for selectively activating a food waste disposer for a sink may include a housing and an activation member. The housing may include a switch and a first magnet. The first magnet may be movable relative to the housing and the switch between first and second positions. Movement of the first magnet from the second position to the first position may cause corresponding movement of the switch from an off-position in which electrical current is prevented from reaching a motor of the disposer to an on-position allowing electrical current to the motor. The activation member may include a second magnet and is receivable in a tubular member through which waste drains and positionable relative to the tubular member to place the second magnet in proximity to the first magnet to generate a repulsive magnetic force that moves the first magnet between the first and second positions.

Abstract: A mounting assembly for a food waste disposer includes a lower mounting flange having mounting tabs that engage with mounting ramps of an upper mounting flange. The lower mounting flange is rotated with its mounting tabs riding on the mounting ramps of the upper mounting flange to bring the upper and lower mounting flanges securely together. The lower mounting flange includes mis-installation prevention features that if all the mounting tabs of the lower mounting flange are not properly engaged with corresponding mounting ramps of the upper mounting flange, at least one of the mis-installation prevention features will interfere with one of the mounting ramps and prevent the lower mounting flange from being rotated.

Abstract: In one aspect, a waste disposal system for receiving waste discharged from a drain having a drain flange is disclosed. The system may generally include a waste disposal having a housing extending axially between a top and a bottom. In addition, the system may include a mounting bracket configured to couple the waste disposal to the drain. The mounting bracket may be configured to extend circumferentially around at least a portion of the top of the housing and may include a body and at least one tooth extending radially inwardly from the body. When the waste disposal is moved axially towards the drain, the at least one tooth is configured to move both radially outwardly as the at least one tooth contacts the drain flange and back radially inwardly when the at least one tooth is positioned axially above the drain flange so as to overlap the drain flange.

Abstract: A food waste disposer system, including a food conveying section and a motor section. A grinding section is coupled between the food conveying section and the motor section. The motor section includes an electric motor having a rotor. The rotor has a rotor shaft entrained in at least one self-compensating bearing assembly. In an aspect, the self-compensating bearing assembly has a split spherical bearing and a compressive bearing pocket.

Abstract: A food waste disposer has a grinding mechanism that improves fineness and speed of grinding food waste, and also controls or meters the size of the comminuted food waste particles that are discharged from the food waste disposer. It does so by utilizing a more aggressive grind ring of the grinding mechanism that includes horizontal shredder elements in addition to openings, and blocking all except the openings in a minor circumferential portion of the grind ring from discharging comminuted food waste and water to a discharge outlet. In an aspect, a resilient seal is used to seal the adapter ring to a housing of an upper end bell of the grinding section and also provide a seal for a rotating shredder plate assembly of the food waste disposer.

Abstract: A mounting assembly for a food waste disposer includes a lower mounting flange having mounting tabs that engage with mounting ramps of an upper mounting flange. The lower mounting flange is rotated with its mounting tabs riding on the mounting ramps of the upper mounting flange to bring the upper and lower mounting flanges securely together. The lower mounting flange includes mis-installation prevention features that if all the mounting tabs of the lower mounting flange are not properly engaged with corresponding mounting ramps of the upper mounting flange, at least one of the mis-installation prevention features will interfere with one of the mounting ramps and prevent the lower mounting flange from being rotated.

Abstract: A food waste disposer and mount system has a threaded sink flange and a food waste disposer. The threaded sink flange has a tubular body portion and a flange portion extending radially outwardly from a top of the tubular body portion. The tubular body portion has a threaded portion. The food waste disposer has an upper food conveying section that includes a housing having an upper, annular portion having a threaded portion. The upper, annular portion of the housing of the upper food conveying section is threaded to the threaded portion of the tubular body portion of the threaded sink flange when the threaded sink flange is disposed in a draining opening of a sink to mount the food waste disposer to the sink.

Abstract: A waste line connector assembly for a food waste disposer includes a tailpipe member having a first inlet connectable to an outlet of a food waste disposer, a second inlet connectable to a waste water outlet of a dishwasher, and an outlet connectable to a waste or drain line. A one-way valve, such as a duck-bill valve, is in fluid communication with the second inlet. A flexible coupler, may be provided to be connected to the outlet, with one or both ends of the coupler being angled and rotatably connected to the outlet and/or the waste line so that the angular position of the waste line is variable relative to the tailpipe member.

Abstract: An inlet to an under-sink garbage disposal is guarded by a novel guard and splash-back baffle that comprises an outer tubular ring defining an exterior circumference approximately sized to coincide with an inside diameter of the plumbing inlet; an inner tubular ring coupled through at least one radially extending bar with the outer ring and defining an open and unobstructed inner circumference. The splash baffle comprises a resilient body affixed adjacent to the garbage disposal blade guard that extends generally across the plumbing inlet to constrict flow therethrough. The guard is divided into a plurality of resilient flaps, and is operative in combination with the garbage disposal blade guard to define a flexible one-way valve permitting matter to pass into a garbage disposal while substantially blocking matter from being ejected from the garbage disposal through the garbage disposal blade guard.

Abstract: A switching assembly for a food waste disposer includes a housing containing a switch and first and second magnets. An interlock device has third and fourth magnets. The magnets are arranged so that the switch is actuated when the first and third magnets align and the second and fourth magnets align.

Abstract: An embodiment of a garbage disposal guard is comprised of a cylindrical sleeve having an outside diameter less than the inside diameter of the throat of a garbage disposal; a lip extending outward from the cylindrical sleeve, a lip having an outside diameter greater than the inside diameter of the throat of the garbage disposal; and bars extending between points on the inside diameter of the cylindrical sleeve that form a grate.

Abstract: Various mechanisms for reducing food waste in a food waste disposer are disclosed. In each of the reduction mechanisms, structures are provided for shearing food waste as it passes through or past a rotating shredder plate of the disposer. Each of the reduction mechanism has a rotatable plate having a plurality of lugs positioned for rotation relative to an inner wall of a stationary ring. In one embodiment, the reduction mechanism includes a horizontal toothed ledge positioned above the stationary ring is used to enhance grinding the food waste. In another embodiment, the reduction mechanism includes a vertical rasping surface positioned above the stationary ring. In yet another embodiment, the reduction mechanism includes serrated edges added to the vertical leading edges of the teeth on the stationary ring.

Abstract: A food waste disposer includes a housing defining an inlet opening and a grinding mechanism driven by a motor for grinding food waste received into the housing through the inlet opening. An annular retaining collar has one end for connecting to a sink opening, via a standard sink mount, for example. An annular elastomeric coupler is situated about the opposite end of the annular retaining collar and connected to the housing for vibrationally isolating the annular retaining collar from the housing. The primary loading on the elastomeric material is in shear. Elastomeric materials in shear are particularly effective in absorbing both vibration and shock loads.

Abstract: A switching mechanism for a food waste disposer is provided having a plastic one-piece housing that engages an external surface of the food waste disposer by snapping thereto. The switching mechanism also contains a switch capable of enabling operation of the food waste disposer in response to an interlock device positioned within the drain opening. Also provided is a method for converting a continuous feed waste disposer into a batch feed waste disposer.

Abstract: A switching mechanism for a food waste disposer is provided having a plastic one-piece housing that engages an external surface of the food waste disposer by snapping thereto. The switching mechanism also contains a switch capable of enabling operation of the food waste disposer in response to an interlock device positioned within the drain opening. Also provided is a method for converting a continuous feed waste disposer into a batch feed waste disposer. The switching mechanism includes a plug having a male end and a female end that can receive the electrical plug from the continuous feed waste disposer.

Abstract: A sink flange for use in conjunction with a sink drain. The flange includes a flange body and a flange lip. The flange body is substantially vertical having a top end and a bottom end. The bottom end defines a flange passage therethrough. The flange lip is annular having a top side and a bottom side, which radially extends out of the top end of the flange body. The flange passage and flange lip are at least coated with a polymer.

Abstract: A waste food disposer operation control apparatus that comprises a waste food disposer having an opening for accepting waste material, a flexible hose with a source end and a nozzle end with the source end operationally connected to a controllable water source, a nozzle operationally connected to the hose nozzle end with the nozzle adapted to be positioned in the disposer opening, and an activator means for activating the disposer when the nozzle is positioned in the disposer opening.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a vibration isolation gasket for mounting a food waste disposer to a sink that is at least partially molded onto a portion of the housing of the disposer, and preferably to the disposer's container cover. The vibration isolation gasket preferably includes a rubberized and integrally-formed gasket portion, sleeve portion, and over-molded portion. The gasket portion couples to the drain opening and may contain pleats to prevent food ejection from the disposer. The sleeve portion connects the gasket and over-molded portions, bears the weight of the disposer as it hangs from the sink, and acts as the primary structure for reducing vibration-induced noise. The over-molded portion is preferably molded onto the top and bottom of the container cover, which is in turns crimped to the remainder of the disposer housing.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a vibration isolation gasket for mounting a food waste disposer to a sink that is at least partially molded onto a portion of the housing of the disposer, and preferably to the disposer's container cover. The vibration isolation gasket preferably includes a rubberized and integrally-formed gasket portion, sleeve portion, and over-molded portion. The gasket portion couples to the drain opening and may contain pleats to prevent food ejection from the disposer. The sleeve portion connects the gasket and over-molded portions, bears the weight of the disposer as it hangs from the sink, and acts as the primary structure for reducing vibration-induced noise. The over-molded portion is preferably molded onto the top and bottom of the container cover, which is in turns crimped to the remainder of the disposer housing.

Abstract: A baffle for a food waste disposer to reduce noise is disclosed. The baffle has a diaphragm that allows solid and liquid waste to pass through the diaphragm, and accordingly does not substantially affect the normal operation of the disposer. However, because the baffle covers the central opening in the conventional mounting gasket of the prior art, a direct path from the grinding mechanism in the disposer to the sink is blocked, thus muffling the noise coming from the grinding mechanism. Additionally, the disclosed baffles are preferably, but not necessarily, designed so as to create a water dam on their surface by impeding the flow of water from the sink faucet in a way to create a pool of water. The disclosed baffles may be installed in the drain opening of a sink above the conventional mounting gasket, although other embodiments are also disclosed.