Safety Drain Stopper

One evening after work you are finishing up the dishes before heading to bed. You reach into the water to take out any remaining dishes. Suddenly, you feel a sharp excruciating pain in your left hand. Ouch! You pull your hand out of the water and see a deep red gash running across the center of your palm. You were reaching in for a spoon, but a rogue steak knife was hiding in the opaque brown water. You end up needing 6 stiches.

I wanted to design a tool that would help prevent unnecessary injuries in the sink. One problem that stood out was the danger of cuts and scrapes when washing dishes. Sharp knives can fall in the sink with the other dishes. An unsuspecting dishwasher can reach into the soapy or murky dishwater and be cut by a knife.

My solution is to create a drain stopper for residential homes that can be operated remotely, with its handle protruding from outside of the water. This allows the water to be drained without risking injuries. You place the rod into the water and attach it to the drain. You twist, allowing the water to be drained. Then you can carefully remove any knives left in the sink. The drain can be removed, allowing the garbage disposal to be used as needed.

The main tools used were our school's MakerBot X 3D printer, AutoCAD Inventor, and a dial caliper.

The Safety Drain Stop.

Defining the Problem.

What are the dimensions of the standard kitchen sink and drain?

How can I create a product that will solve this problem?

What is the best design for an remotely adjustable drain stop?

The final product does a good job sealing out water. It isn't perfect, after 5-10 minutes the water will eventually leak out. I think if we were to use a softer filament, the area between the plates would seal better. Overall, I think It does well when considering the scope of the project.