Insertable vehicle floor drain

Details Insertable vehicle floor drain Insertable vehicle floor drain

1999-06-25

2001-09-18

Gordon, Stephen T. (Department: 3612)

Land vehicles: bodies and tops

Bodies

Floor mat with vehicle body feature

C052S302700, C220S235000, C470S906000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06290279

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to vehicle floors and, more particularly, to drains for vehicle floors.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Vehicle manufacturers typically provide some type of covering for vehicle floors. Vehicle floor coverings are typically configured to provide a resilient and decorative wearing surface with heat insulating and sound deadening qualities. For example, the use of carpet as a vehicle floor covering is well known. Carpeting used to cover a vehicle floor is typically molded into a contoured configuration that conforms to the contour of a vehicle floor so as to fit properly. U.S. Pat. No. 4,579,764 to Peoples, Jr., et al. discloses an exemplary molded foam-backed carpet for use as a vehicle floor covering.
The use of molded thermoplastic polymer compositions as floor coverings for vehicles known as sport utility vehicles (SUVs), which recently have found growing popularity among consumers, is also known. U.S. Pat. No. 5,322,335 to Niemi discloses an exemplary molded floor covering for an SUV.
It is known that water can accumulate on the floors of passenger and cargo compartments of vehicles, particularly during inclement weather. Because of the potential for corrosion and other damage that may be caused by such water accumulation, drain holes are conventionally provided within vehicle floors to enable any collected water to drain out. In order to prevent the infiltration of noise and dirt within a vehicle during vehicle operation, these drain holes are conventionally fitted with removable plugs.
Many conventional floor coverings, particularly floor coverings for SUVs, are formed from material that is impervious to water. As a result, water that accumulates on a vehicle floor covering may be prevented from draining from the vehicle via drains provided within the vehicle floor. Accordingly, there is a need for providing a mechanism that allows water to drain directly through vehicle floor coverings.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the above, it is an object of the present invention to facilitate the removal of water from within a vehicle directly through a vehicle floor covering.
This and other objects of the present invention are provided by a vehicle floor drain that can be inserted through a floor covering and through upper and lower spaced apart floor panels of a vehicle body. Floor drains according to the present invention include a removable drain plug that can be removed to allow water standing on a vehicle floor covering to drain out.
A floor drain according to the present invention has an elongate hollow body that terminates at an open distal end and at an open proximate end. A flange extends circumferentially around the open proximate end. According to one embodiment of the present invention, a resilient lip extends circumferentially around, and outwardly from, the body in adjacent spaced-apart relationship with the flange. The resilient lip is configured to secure the floor drain within a vehicle upper floor panel such that the flange is maintained in compressive engagement with the upper floor panel.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of resilient members extend outwardly from the body in adjacent spaced-apart relationship with the flange. The resilient members are configured to secure the floor drain within a vehicle upper floor panel such that the flange is maintained in compressive engagement with the upper floor panel.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of resilient members extend circumferentially around, and outwardly from, the body adjacent the body distal end. Each resilient member is configured to frictionally engage the lower floor panel through which the body distal end extends. The floor drain is thereby secured within the vehicle lower floor panel such that the flange is maintained in compressive engagement with the upper floor panel.
The body proximate end has a shape that is configured to receive a correspondingly-shaped head of the drain plug in countersunk relation therewith. The body also includes a threaded cylindrical bore that defines an axial direction. The drain plug includes a head and a threaded shank connected to the head and is configured to be inserted within the threaded bore. The threaded shank is configured to threadingly engage the threaded bore such that the drain plug can be inserted and removed via rotation about the axial direction.


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