Jan 27, 2022
Mountain Plumbing is Proud of Oran’s Accomplishment and We Are Excited to Introduce this Innovative Solution to the Market
Product innovation is a hallmark of our work here at Mountain Plumbing Products and sets us apart from the competition in the decorative plumbing parts and accessories category. We are here to help make “your design, finished” through innovation and finding practical and designer solutions for some of the most often forgotten parts of your home.
Our latest offering is the Batch Feed Waste Disposer System that converts a continuous feed disposer to batch feed with no rewiring needed. Through Oran Baldwin’s diligent work and creativity, he has developed a way that doesn’t require the homeowner to purchase a completely new waste disposer if they want a different functionality. The fully plated stainless steel strainer basket and sink flange works seamlessly with Mountain Plumbing Perfect Grind® disposers and comes in multiple finishes to match your kitchen design.
To better understand the patent Oran Baldwin received, he answered some questions about his background and work developing this batch feed waste disposer product:
Question: What is your position at Mountain Plumbing and how many years have you served in that role?
Oran: Officially my title is “Engineer”, but unofficially it’s “Engineer & Tech Support Manager” since I help in many aspects of supporting our customer service team with answering technical and functionality questions about our products. It’ll be 4 years with the company in March.
Question: Where were you educated and what was your degree in?
Oran: I attended the University of Texas at Dallas with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering.
Question: Why do you like working for Mountain Plumbing and developing products like this?
Oran: I enjoy working for Mountain because they are willing to take risks on new, innovative products like this one. They’ve given me the opportunity to advance my career as an engineer and to gain valuable experience with product development. With Mountain’s extensive product catalog, I have really worked on a broad range of projects and every day is something new and different.
Question: What was your inspiration for developing this Batch Feed Waste Disposer System?
Oran: There was an unmet demand in the market for a decorative batch feed interlock which fits in with a modern luxury kitchen. Prior batch feed interlock products focused on function over style. This product fills that niche by providing an option that is both elegant and functional. And with our focus on being innovative here at Mountain Plumbing, I went ahead and invented something to meet this market demand and received a patent for it.
Question: Can you provide more information about the patent itself?
Oran: The patent is for the MT202BF “Batch Feed Waste Disposer System – Basket & Flange Only” specifically as this is the part installed into the waste disposer. The Patent Number is: US 11,208,794 B2 and titled “FOOD WASTE DISPOSER INTERLOCK DEVICE”. Also if you are interested in more details, the abstract reads as follows:
- An interlock device coupled to a magnetically activated switch when the interlock device is removably seated in a sink flange coupled to a food waste disposer, comprising: a base having interlock device magnets, a recessed seat having drain holes, a helical cam, a strainer basket adjoined to a rotatably mounted spindle having a handle adjoined thereto, opposing nubs, which travel within the helical cam, when the handle is twisted, a spindle mounted seal adapted to block flow through the interlock device, when the spindle mounted seal is releasably seated in the recessed seat, and allowing fluid to flow through the interlock device, when the spindle mounted seal is releasably unseated from the recessed seat; the interlock device activating the food waste disposer when the interlock device is removably seated in the sink flange and one of the interlock device magnets is adjacent a switch magnet of the magnetically activated switch.
