Drain cleaning and maintenance system and method

Abstract

A drain cleaning and maintenance system, including a drain trap, having a first inlet in fluid communication with a drain of a plumbing fixture, a second inlet in fluid communication with the drain trap and a cleaning and maintenance assembly. The assembly includes a maintenance-assembly inlet in fluid communication with a source of pressurized liquid, and a maintenance-assembly outlet in fluid communication with the second inlet. An electronic valve has an open state allowing flow of liquid, from the maintenance-assembly inlet to the maintenance-assembly outlet, and a closed state blocking flow of liquid from the maintenance-assembly inlet to the maintenance-assembly outlet. An electronic controller is adapted to transition the electronic valve between the open state and the closed state, to allow liquid flow from the source to the drain trap via the second inlet.

1 . A drain cleaning and maintenance system, comprising:
 (a) a drain trap, having a first inlet in fluid communication with a drain of a plumbing fixture;   (b) a second inlet, in fluid communication with the drain trap; and   (c) a cleaning and maintenance assembly, in fluid communication with the second inlet, the cleaning and maintenance assembly comprising:
 (i) a maintenance-assembly inlet, in fluid communication with a source of pressurized liquid; 
 (ii) a maintenance-assembly outlet in fluid communication with an interior of the drain trap; 
 (iii) a pipe disposed between the maintenance-assembly inlet and the maintenance-assembly outlet; 
 (iv) an electronic valve having an open state allowing flow of liquid, from the maintenance-assembly inlet to the maintenance-assembly outlet, through the pipe, and a closed state blocking flow of liquid from the maintenance-assembly inlet to the maintenance-assembly outlet; 
 (v) an electronic controller adapted to transition the electronic valve between the open state and the closed state; and 
 (vi) a power source adapted to power the electronic controller and the electronic valve, 
 wherein, when the electronic valve is in the open state, liquid flows from the source of pressurized liquid to the drain trap via the electronic valve. 
   
     
     
         2 . The drain cleaning and maintenance system of  claim 1 , wherein, when the maintenance-assembly inlet is connected to the source of pressurized liquid and the electronic valve is in the open state, an absolute output-pressure of liquid flowing out of the maintenance-assembly outlet is at least 70% of an absolute input-pressure of the liquid when it flows into the maintenance-assembly inlet. 
     
     
         3 . The drain cleaning and maintenance system of  claim 1 , wherein when the maintenance-assembly inlet is connected to the source of pressurized liquid and the electronic valve is in the open state, a pressure differential between an absolute pressure of liquid flowing into the maintenance-assembly inlet and an absolute pressure of liquid flowing out of the maintenance assembly outlet is at most 30%. 
     
     
         4 . The drain cleaning and maintenance system of  claim 1 , wherein, when the maintenance-assembly inlet is connected to the source of pressurized liquid and the electronic valve is in the open state, an absolute pressure of liquid flowing into the maintenance-assembly inlet is at least 2 bar. 
     
     
         5 . The drain cleaning and maintenance system of  claim 1 , wherein, the electronic controller is adapted to maintain the electronic valve in the open state for a duration sufficient for flow of the pressurized liquid flow from the source of pressurized fluid to the drain trap to replace at least a majority of liquid within the drain trap. 
     
     
         6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . The drain cleaning and maintenance system of  claim 1 , further comprising a linear pipe segment disposed upstream of the drain trap, the linear pipe segment having a pipe-inlet adapted to be in fluid communication with the drain of the plumbing fixture and a pipe-outlet in fluid communication with the drain trap, the linear pipe segment including the second inlet. 
     
     
         8 . The drain cleaning and maintenance system of  claim 1 , wherein the drain trap further includes the second inlet. 
     
     
         9 . The drain cleaning and maintenance system of  claim 1 , wherein the second inlet is angled relative to a flow-path from the drain to the drain trap or within the drain trap. 
     
     
         10 . The drain cleaning and maintenance system of  claim 1 , wherein the maintenance-assembly outlet of the cleaning and maintenance assembly is connected directly to the second inlet. 
     
     
         11 . The drain cleaning and maintenance system of  claim 1 , wherein the maintenance-assembly outlet of the cleaning and maintenance assembly is connected to the second inlet via a connector pipe segment. 
     
     
         12 . The drain cleaning and maintenance system of  claim 1 , wherein the cleaning and maintenance assembly is integrally formed with the drain trap and with the second inlet, as a unitary structure. 
     
     
         13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . The drain cleaning and maintenance system of  claim 1 , wherein the maintenance assembly further includes a communication interface, functionally associated with the electronic controller and adapted to enable delivery of control inputs in at least one direct between a remote control unit and the electronic controller. 
     
     
         23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . The drain cleaning and maintenance system of  claim 1 , wherein the electronic controller is programmable. 
     
     
         25 . The drain cleaning and maintenance system of  claim 1 , further comprising a user interface including at least one of an input interface enabling a user to provide input to the electronic controller and an output interface enabling a user to perceive output of the electronic controller. 
     
     
         26 . The drain cleaning and maintenance system of  claim 1 , wherein the cleaning and maintenance assembly further comprises a timer, functionally associated with the electronic controller. 
     
     
         27 . The drain cleaning and maintenance system of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one sensor adapted to sense at least one condition in the drain trap and to provide a sensor-input to the electronic controller, the sensor-input indicative of required maintenance of the drain trap. 
     
     
         28 . The drain cleaning and maintenance system of  claim 1 , further comprising a nozzle including a nozzle-inlet and at least one nozzle-outlet, the nozzle being disposed within a flow path from the maintenance-assembly outlet to the drain trap, such that liquid flowing from the maintenance-assembly outlet flows through the nozzle-inlet and is redirected out of the at least one nozzle-outlet into the drain trap. 
     
     
         29 . The drain cleaning and maintenance system of  claim 1 , wherein the drain cleaning and maintenance assembly is devoid of a pumping mechanism. 
     
     
         30 . The drain cleaning and maintenance system of  claim 1 , wherein the pipe is the only volume of the drain cleaning and maintenance assembly adapted to have liquid disposed therein. 
     
     
         31 . A drain device, comprising:
 (a) a drain trap, having a first inlet, adapted to be in fluid communication with a drain of a plumbing fixture and a second inlet; and   (b) a cleaning and maintenance assembly, integrally formed with the drain trap, and including:
 (i) a maintenance-assembly inlet, adapted to be in fluid communication to a source of pressurized liquid; 
 (ii) a maintenance-assembly outlet in fluid communication with the second inlet; 
 (iii) a pipe disposed between the maintenance-assembly inlet and the maintenance-assembly outlet; 
 (iv) an electronic valve having an open state allowing flow of liquid, from the maintenance-assembly inlet to the maintenance-assembly outlet, through the pipe, and a closed state blocking flow of liquid from the maintenance-assembly inlet to the maintenance-assembly outlet; 
 (v) an electronic controller adapted to transition the electronic valve between the open state and the closed state; and 
 (vi) a power source adapted to power the electronic valve and the electronic controller, 
 wherein, when the maintenance-assembly inlet is in fluid communication to the source of pressurized fluid and the electronic valve is in the open state, liquid flows from the source to the drain trap via the second inlet to clean the drain trap. 
   
     
     
         32 . (canceled)