Patent landscapes › Home & cleaning
Is a drain snake patented?
Short answer: specific designs of a drain snake have been patented many times, but "a drain snake" as a general idea is not what is protected. What matters is the exact combination of features in your version.
What our index shows
- 83 US and WO patent publications since 2000 have a title matching “drain snakeaugercleaner” or a close variant (our index of 9.7 million patent families; one publication per family).
- Among the 52 best keyword matches we examined, 37 were published in 2020 or later, and the earliest was published in 2000.
- Most frequent assignees in those matches: MILWAUKEE ELECTRIC TOOL CORP (9), EMERSON PROFESSIONAL TOOLS LLC (8), RIDGE TOOL CO (6), EMERSON PROFESSIONAL TOOL LLC (3).
- Most common patent classes (CPC subclasses): B08B (44), E03F (28), E03C (24), B65H (6).
Counts come from keyword matching on titles and abstracts, so they are indicative, not a legal count. Some matches are different products that share a word.
14 real patent publications related to a drain snake
- Drain auger US-12606999-B2 2026 · NANJING CHERVON IND CO LTD
A drain auger includes a drum, a motor, and a cable. The drum forms an accommodation space. The motor drives the drum to rotate. The cable is at least partially stored in the accommodation space. The total length of the extended c…
View on Google Patents - Drain cleaner with cable counting US-12590447-B2 2026 · EMERSON PROFESSIONAL TOOLS LLC
A drain cleaner includes a housing and inner and outer drums disposed in the housing. The inner drum is rotatable relative to the housing. The inner drum and the outer drum form an annular drum channel for receiving a drain cleani…
View on Google Patents - Protective cover for drain snakes US-12247387-B1 2025 · ALBRECHT H V
Protective covers made of protective material to prevent twisting and kinking of associated apparatus used for clearing obstructions in pipes or other cavities (the apparatus also commonly referred to as drain snakes) are disclose…
View on Google Patents - Drain cleaners having an adjustable cable clamp US-2025235906-A1 2025 · EMERSON PROFESSIONAL TOOL LLC
A drain cleaner includes a housing and a rotatable drum disposed in the housing. A motor is secured to the drum for rotating a drain cleaning cable. A cable clamp is secured to the drum and is rotatable with the drum. The cable cl…
View on Google Patents - Sectional drain cleaner cable system for clean use, storage, and transport US-12059719-B2 2024 · RIDGE TOOL CO
Various storage containers are described for retaining drain cleaning cables. Storage systems utilizing the containers with a cable guide assembly are further described. Also described are methods of using the containers and syste…
View on Google Patents - Drain auger US-2023149985-A1 2023 · TECHTRONIC CORDLESS GP
The present disclosure provides a drain auger than includes a drum with an accessory attachment. A pole attachment is coupled to the drum. A cable is extendable and retractable relative to the drum. An actuator is operatively coup…
View on Google Patents - Plumbing snake assembly US-11274426-B2 2022 · ALCALA ROBERT
A plumbing snake assembly includes a drill has a handle, a motor housing, a chuck is positioned on the motor housing and a drive unit is positioned within the motor housing. The motor housing has a cable aperture extending thereth…
View on Google Patents - Drain snake drill with interchangable drums US-2021187570-A1 2021 · ULLOA DANIEL JACOB
A drain snake drill includes an elongate body having a bore extending along its length to guide a cable snake. The body is open at its rear end to define a compartment space defined by a receptacle feature. A cable drum cartridge …
View on Google Patents - Drain auger machine attachment for unclogging drains US-2021222412-A1 2021 · EMSLIE DAVID
An apparatus configured for attachment to an auger machine and a drain pipe that encloses an auger and its cable to prevent particulate matter, liquids and other materials of the drainpipe from splattering the environment outside …
View on Google Patents - Compact drain snake US-10240330-B2 2019 · BRASSCRAFT MFG CO
A drain snake may include a hollow body having a rearward end and a forward end, and a longitudinal axis extending between the rearward and forward ends. The forward end has a cable feed passage. The drain snake may further includ…
View on Google Patents - Cable feeding device for drain cleaner US-10189060-B2 2019 · SDY INT CO LTD
A cable feeding device for a drain cleaner includes an upper body mounted on a support tube of the drain cleaner, a control subassembly, and a lower body. The upper body in which an upper feeding roller is held and the lower body …
View on Google Patents - Motorized Drain Snake US-2014115802-A1 2014 · YU MU-TSUN
A motorized drain snake includes a flexible member and a coupling. The flexible member has a first end provided with a hollow threaded portion and a second end provided with a tip portion. The coupling has a first end provided wit…
View on Google Patents - Hand-operated drain snake with auger US-8584297-B2 2013 · TASH GEORGE
A hand-operated drain snake is provided. The snake includes a first shaft having a first longitudinal axis, an auger disposed on an exterior surface of the first shaft, a second shaft having a second longitudinal axis, and a trans…
View on Google Patents - Separable drain snake device and kit US-8359696-B1 2013 · TURNER STEPHEN S
A drain snake device having a rotatable handle crank at one end and an interlocking opposite end. The interlocking end is uniquely attachable to a corresponding attachment end portion of a disposable elongated snake segment. A sli…
View on Google Patents
What this means for your idea
Because patents cover specific combinations of features, the useful question is not “has a drain snake been patented?” but “has my combination of features been described before?” Household products tend to differ in the mechanism (how something attaches, folds, dispenses or cleans) rather than the basic idea.
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Guides that help with this
First-look landscape. Not exhaustive. Not legal advice. This page lists keyword-matched publications from a limited database; it does not say whether any product is or isn't covered by a patent, whether a patent is still in force, or whether your idea is patentable. Consult a registered patent attorney or agent.