Conventionally, water which drains from a sink or basin, such as a restroom sink, travels through the drain opening of the sink and empties into undersink piping which directs the water from the sink into the building's waste water system. The undersink drain piping is referred to as a "P-trap" drain, and "P-trap " assemblies are common to many sinks, both commercial and residential. The P-trap piping assembly includes vertical pipe section which extends downwardly from the sink drain opening and below the sink to a J-shaped pipe section. The J-shaped pipe section makes a 180.degree. bend and then extends vertically upward to connect to an L-shaped pipe piece which makes a 90.degree. bend from the J-shaped piece to extend generally horizontally into the wall to connect the P-trap with the waste water system of the building. The J-shaped portion serves the purpose of capturing or trapping any foreign objects which fall down the drain and which may become lodged in the waste water drainage system therefore clogging the system, hence the name "P-trap". Under the force of gravity, any foreign objects will sit in the bottom of the J-shaped section to be subsequently removed, such as by a plumber. Also extending below sinks are hot and cold water supply pipes commonly referred to as supply water angle valves, which include supply line sections connected to a water supply that extend generally horizontally from the wall to connect to a valve and faucet line sections that extend generally vertically upward from the valve to connect to the sink faucet.
Current building regulations require that restroom facilities in a public building, such as restroom sinks, be accessible to all people, including disabled persons. Disabled persons, such as persons in wheelchairs, must often maneuver the chair partially under the sink to access it. Since the water supply pipes and P-trap drain pipes protrude from the wall there is a risk of abrasions from the hard piping or even burns from the temperature of the water and piping to the legs of a person confined to a wheelchair. The current federal and state regulations regarding undersink piping, most notably the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), require that the P-trap and water supply piping be covered and insulated so as to protect a person using the sink from being burned or from incurring injuries from impact with the piping. As a result of these regulations, various methods and apparatuses have been utilized to try and adequately cover and insulate undersink P-traps and water supply piping. In the past, one of the more popular methods of insulation was to utilize loose foam insulation which was wrapped around the piping. However, traditional foam insulation usually fit poorly and was difficult to secure resulting in wasted time and frustration by the plumber or other installer. Furthermore, the foam wrap, due to its poor fit and inadequate securing means, was not very aesthetically pleasing in its appearance. Additionally, the ribbed construction of a wrapped pipe leaves ridges and cavities which trap dirt and other bacteria under the sink.
Various other methods and apparatuses have been utilized to cover a P-trap and supply piping beneath a sink as is evidenced by various patents in the field. However, besides often being ineffective, many of these other devices and methods are still difficult and time consuming to secure and use, requiring various fasteners and other securing means to hold the insulation and coverings to the piping. For example, various existing undersink pipe coverings utilize lengthwise slits on all of the different cover pieces to fit them over the piping, which requires external fasteners to clamp the slit pieces together circumferentially. Further, existing coverings include various ridges, slits and/or openings on the cover piece which have a tendency to trap dirt and other bacteria around the coverings and pipes. Such openings and slits may be inappropriate for use in sterile environments such as hospitals where trapped bacteria may lead to infection of persons using the facilities.
Still further, some of the various currently available cover devices do not present a pleasant appearance when installed, and do not wear well having a tendency to spread at various slits and openings.
Accordingly, there is still a need for a simple and sanitary P-trap and supply pipe cover assembly and method which addresses the shortcoming of the existing devices and methods. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide such a cover assembly and method which addresses the shortcomings of prior devices and is still effective to prevent a disabled person from being burned or bruised and cut by the piping when using a sink.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds