DraiNut

Most men would rather headlock an angry raccoon into submission than change a nasty diaper. But they would rather face the diaper than cleanout a clogged bathroom sink drain. The wad of indescribable foreign material that comes out of that hole leads a man to wonder, more than he would like, about his wife’s morning rituals. “Is that a R.O.U.S. wearing a hair binder?” (Yes, I did just reference Princess Bride 1987)

The true culprit is not the wife’s flowing locks but the outdated drain plug mechanism. A rod goes across the drain tube that actuates a drain support structure that takes up half the flow volume. It seems to have had “hair catching” as one of the design intents. The world needs to reinvent the drain.

The DraiNut by ETI is the answer to this daunting domestic disturbance. By offering a simple nylon ball valve connected to a torsion cable, the DriaNut removes the need for internal mechanisms while allowing external cleaning. In stead on pulling a plunger up and down the handle rotates.  If it is required the ball valve could contain a screen on top to catch the big pieces.

This is a $750,000 Idea. The market is every house in the world with a drain. It could be an add on to existing sinks if the mounting process was simple enough. The current replacement parts for a drain are $5-$10. The DraiNut kit would need to be in the range of $15-$20 to have any chance. This price restriction and concept shift from the norm are major market obstacles.

 Although it might seem like a boring problem, I had fun thinking through the dozens of ways to accomplish this; hydraulic balloons, twisting a silicone tube, blade valves. Please let me know if you have any ideas on this issue, other than making the whole world bald.