FLOOR DRAIN

Description

[0001] The disclosure relates to a plumbing fixture installed in the floor of a structure, and more particularly to a floor drain which can be connected to a plumbing system to receive and drain water. The application claims a floor drain according to claim 1.

[0002] A floor drain is a commonly used plumbing fixture installed in the floor of a structure, and mainly designed to remove water near it and resolve the unwanted sewer gas smell. Known floor drains are sealed mechanically or by water, and the former includes a drain body including a cavity, a reset member, and a sealing base. The inner space of the cavity serves as a water passage, and the bottom of the cavity combined with the sealing base act as a valve. The reset mechanism is a power mechanism that controls the opening and closing of drain body to drain the water out of the cavity. The driving force of the reset mechanism is a mechanical force, such as a restoring force exerted by a spring, or a magnetic force. The reset member drives the valve from opening position for water discharge back to the original sealing position when the discharge is completed. For an increase in drainage stability and capacity of a mechanical-type floor drain, Chinese Patent CN201428167Y titled energy-storage type floor drain provides a reset mechanism including a driving shaft that operates the moving direction of a sealing base. The Chinese Patent also provides a mechanical-type floor drain including the reset mechanism, a drain body including a cavity, and the sealing base. Benefit from an automatic opening and closing drainage mechanism, the mechanical-type floor drain also includes a drain cup including a through hole at the bottom and being disposed in the cavity of the drain body. The water enters the floor drain through a guide plate and into the drain cup. As the water level rises, the water compresses a spring wrapped around the driving shaft, pushing open the sealing base to allow water to flow into the drainpipe. During drainage procedures, the water accumulated in the drain cup remains relatively constant despite change of water flow, compressing the spring to hold the base at a downward displacement, thereby opening the floor drain. When there is no water flow, the accumulated water escapes from the drain cup via the through hole, resulting in a gradual decrease in the force exerted on the spring. The floor drain is closed completely when the spring returns to its original length.

[0003] In Chinese Patent titled energy-storage type floor drain, an additional guide plate is required to direct the water flow into the drain cup. The usage of the guide plate brings two issues, the first being a reduction of water inlet area, and secondly a 180-degree change in the water flow direction before entering the annular channel between the drain cup and the cavity. These two issues lead to higher resistance to water flowing though the floor drain, thereby reducing water flow capacity of the drain.

[0004] In addition, Chinese Patent titled energy-storage type floor drain does not take into account the aspects including: 1) during the drainage phase, there is a variable positive pressure generated in the drainpipe acting on the sealing base, generating an upward force opposite to the force of gravity of the water in the drain cup, offsetting the force exerting on the spring. When the positive pressure in the drainpipe is equal to or greater than the force of gravity of the water, the floor drain will be unable to open; 2) during the drainage phase, the drain cup is submerged in the cavity filling up with water. The water exerts an upward buoyancy force on the submerged drain cup, which is opposite to the downward force of gravity on the water accumulated in the drain cup. The downward force applied on the drain cup is thus offset by the buoyancy force. In other words, the force acting on the spring is reduced, decreasing the area of the gap between the sealing base and the lower end face of the drain body, and further leading to a poor drainage.

[0005] The disclosure provides a floor drain comprising a drain cup with large-flow of water, which are divided into two types: a cup body with a relatively large-sized water inlet, and a cup body with a relatively small-sized water inlet. The cup bodies of different structures have different sensitivity to the factors influencing the water flow. Accordingly, the disclosure optimizes structure of a flow channel and stress state of a cup body, leading to a opening the floor drain. When there is no water flow, the accumulated water escapes from the drain cup via the through hole, resulting in a gradual decrease in the force exerted on the spring. The floor drain is closed completely when the spring returns to its original length. In addition, CN 206 486 973 U also recites a mechanical-type floor drain, in which a drain cup having a through hole at its bottom is disposed in the cavity of the drain body; a reset mechanism is used to move the valve of the floor drain for opening or closing the drain; the reset mechanism includes a driving shaft movable downwardly by water to open the water outlet of the drain and movable upwardly by a restoring force of a spring to close the water outlet; and the spring wraps around the top portion of the driving shaft. In Chinese Patent titled energy-storage type floor drain, an additional guide plate is required to direct the water flow into the drain cup. The usage of the guide plate brings two issues, the first being a reduction of water inlet area, and secondly a 180-degree change in the water flow direction before entering the annular channel between the drain cup and the cavity. These two issues lead to higher resistance to water flowing though the floor drain, thereby reducing water flow capacity of the drain.

[0006] In addition, Chinese Patent titled energy-storage type floor drain does not take into account the aspects including: 1) during the drainage phase, there is a variable positive pressure generated in the drainpipe acting on the sealing base, generating an upward force opposite to the force of gravity of the water in the drain cup, offsetting the force exerting on the spring. When the positive pressure in the drainpipe is equal to or greater than the force of gravity of the water, the floor drain will be unable to open; 2) during the drainage phase, the drain cup is submerged in the cavity filling up with water. The water exerts an upward buoyancy force on the submerged drain cup, which is opposite to the downward force of gravity on the water accumulated in the drain cup. The downward force applied on the drain cup is thus offset by the buoyancy force. In other words, the force acting on the spring is reduced, decreasing the area of the gap between the sealing base and the lower end face of the drain body, and further leading to a poor drainage.

[0007] The disclosure provides a floor drain comprising a drain cup with large-flow of water, which are divided into two types: a cup body with a relatively large-sized water inlet, and a cup body with a relatively small-sized water inlet. The cup bodies of different structures have different sensitivity to the factors influencing the water flow. Accordingly, the disclosure optimizes structure of a flow channel and stress state of a cup body, leading to a reduction of flow resistance to the flow channel, an increased in the flow area of the floor drain, and a higher water drainage.

[0008] The disclosure provides a floor drain comprising a drain base, a drain body comprising a cavity, a drain cup disposed in the cavity, a supporting frame, and a reset member.

[0009] The drain cup is disposed in the cavity of the drain body. The drain cup comprises a cup body, a stem, and a base. The cup body comprises a lower end provided with a through hole, and two ends of the stem are in contact with the cup body and the base, respectively. The base functions as a bottom seal. When the floor drain is closed, the upper surface of the base is in a sealed connection to the lower end of the drain body. When the floor drain is opened, a gap occurs between the upper surface of the base and the lower end of the drain body, and the water is drained out of the drain body from the gap. The drain cup is connected to the reset member and is movable vertically to open and close the floor drain.

[0010] The internal space of the drain body is the water channel for water drainage of the floor drain. The lower end face of the drain body and the base form a floor drain opening and closing system.

[0011] The drain cup comprises a cup body, a stem, and a base. The cup body comprises a lower end provided with a through hole, and two ends of the stem are in contact with the cup body and the base, respectively. The base functions as a bottom seal. The stem disposed between the cup body and the base to restrict the distance between cup body and the base can be an independent part, or a part attached to the cup body or the base, or even part of other components. When the floor drain is closed, the upper surface of the base is in close contact with the lower end face of the drain body to form a seal; when the floor drain is open, the gap between the upper surface of the base and the lower end face of the drain body forms an outlet of the floor drain.

[0012] The supporting frame connects the drain body and the reset member and is connected to the drain cup via the reset member, and thus indirectly supporting the drain cup. The supporting frame is not shown in FIGS. 1-5.

[0013] The reset member is a driving mechanism controlling the opening and closing of the floor drain. The reset member comprises a spring or a magnet or a combination thereof. The driving force of the reset member can be an elastic force such as restoring force of a spring, or a magnetic force of the magnet. The reset member controls motion of the base via a shaft, returning the base from opening position to sealing position. The reset member is not shown in FIGS. 1-5.

[0014] The disclosure details the components related to the floor drain, instead of the parts attached to the components or the forms of combination of the components. For example, the following are not detailed forms in the disclosure: the drain base disposed in the floor which cooperates with the attached components disposed on the floor to receive and lead water to the cavity of the drain body; the guide plate or the grooved guide plate can be combined with the supporting frame; the supporting frame can be integrated with the drain body; and the drain body can be integrated, or detachably integrated with the drain base. The cavity of the drain body, and the cup body of the drain cup can be round or other shapes.

[0015] In certain embodiments, no device is disposed on the annular channel formed by the inner surface of the drain body and the outer surface of the drain cup, so that the water directly falls into the annular channel. The technical solution increases the area of the water inlet, eliminating the flow resistance generated by 180-degree change in direction of waterflow, and increasing the water drainage.

[0016] In FIG. 1, A shows a floor drain comprising no guide plate. When the floor drain is closed, the inner surface of the drain body 1, the outer surface of the cup body 2-1, and the upper surface of the base 2-4 form a temporary water storage tank. When the water falls into the closed floor drain, the water first flows into the water storage tank. The weight of the accumulated water is exerted on the reset member, and its value is approximately equal to the product of the static pressure of the accumulated water and the area of the drainage outlet at the bottom of the drain body 1. The downward force acting on the reset member increases with the increase of the water level in the water storage tank. When the downward force reaches the threshold value for opening the reset member, the floor drain is opened. When the floor drain is in the open state, the water flows into the annular channel formed by the inner surface of the drain body 1 and the outer surface of the cup body 2-1, and is discharged from the gap between the lower end face of the drain body 1 and the upper surface of the base 2-4.

[0017] In FIG. 1, B is a schematic diagram showing a waterflow direction of a floor drain with a guide plate in the Chinese Patent titled energy-storage type floor drain. Compared B with A in FIG. 1, due to the presence of the guide plate in B the water about to flow into the floor drain needs to be reversed 180 degrees to enter the annular flow channel. In the technical solution of the disclosure, the water inlet is not provided with a guide plate, so the water from the ground directly falls vertically into the annular channel, thus reducing the flow resistance of the water. In the disclosure, the water inlet is not provided with a guide plate, the area of the water inlet is nearly doubled.

[0018] In the Chinese Patent titled energy-storage type floor drain, the water directly flows into the cup body. This invention is different because water flows into the cup body via the through hole 2-2 in this invention. When the water storage tank is filled with water up to a certain height, the reset member is pressed to open the drainage outlet. The hole 2-2 size is designed accordingly to keep adequate quantity of water in the cup body 2-1. For a floor drain comprising a cup body with a small-sized water inlet, the drainage capacity is more sensitive to the area of the water inlet and the flow resistance. Thus, the arrangement of the through hole can maintain a steadier opening state of the floor drain and increases the drainage capacity of floor drain.

[0019] In certain embodiments, the increase of downward force on the drain cup is achieved by restricting the area of the cup bottom, specifically: the vertically projected area of the cup body should be greater than that of the cup bottom. This design solution increases the downward force applied on the drain cup, resulting in a wider and more stable opening in the floor drain during the water discharge phase, thereby enhancing the drainage capacity.

[0020] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a floor drain according to one embodiment of the disclosure. When the water in the floor of a structure enters the floor drain, the drain cup 2 is subject to three forces including the weight of the water in the cup body 2-1, the force resulting from the pressure difference between the upper and lower surfaces of the cup body 2-1, and an impact force of the water flow on the upper surface of the base 2-4. The composition of these forces maintains the opening status of the floor drain.

[0021] In the drainage state, the water flows through the annular channel between the drain body 1 and the cup body 2-1 and drains out from the gap formed by the lower end of the drain body 1 and the upper surface of the base 2-4. When the water flows in the annular channel, a vortex is generated on the bottom surface of body 2-1, thereby forming a low-pressure area. The pressure force P acting on the cup body 2-1 is calculated as follows: P = (p t - p b ) ×A, where p t is the pressure acting on the upper surface of the cup body 2-1, p b is the pressure acting on the lower surface and A is the vertically projected area of the cup body 2-1. The pressure-gradient force P acting on the cup body 2-1 is proportional to the vertically projected area A of the cup body 2-1.

[0022] According to the Law of Conservation of Momentum, the average impact force F acting on the base 2-4 is calculated using the formula: F = M × U, where M is the mass of water flowing through the drain per unit time, and U is the flow speed of the water. The mass M of the water is calculated using the formula: M = Q × ρ, where Q is the inflow volume of the water per unit time (the volume flow rate), and ρ is the density of the water. The flow speed U of the water is calculated using the formula: U = Q / S, where S is the area of the drainage outlet at the lower end of the drain body 1. Therefore, F = Q 2< ρ / S. At the same water volume flow rate Q, the impact force F acting on the base 2-4 is inversely proportional to the area S of the drainage outlet. The smaller area S of the drainage outlet also leads to a smaller surface area of the base 2-4, so when the positive pressure inside the drainpipe exerts an upward force on the base in the drainage process, because the base has a relatively small surface area, the upward force exerting on the base 2-4 is relatively small.

[0023] In certain embodiments of the disclosure, the vertically projected area of the cup body 2-1 is much greater than the vertically projected area S of the base 2-4, thereby effectively increasing the downward force acting on the drain cup 2, facilitating the steady opening of the floor drain and improving the drainage capacity of the floor drain.

[0024] In certain embodiments, an optimization of flow ratio of water inlet and drainage outlet has been proposed, leading to an increase in force exerted on the drain cup. The flow area of the drainage outlet is larger than that of the inlet of the annular channel, creating a large stable force exerted on the drain cup to maintain a larger and more stable drainage discharge than the prior art.

[0025] Referring to FIG. 3, when the floor drain is opened, the water flows into the annular channel, through the bottom of the drainage outlet and drains out from the gap between the drain body 1 and base 2-4. S-in refers to the cross-sectional area of the water inlet of the annular channel, and S-out refers to the cross-sectional area of the water outlet at the bottom of the drain body 1. The cross-sectional area S-in is smaller than S-out. When the flow area of the gap between the lower end of the drain body 1 and the upper surface of the base 2-4 is greater than the area of the cross-section S-out, the flow area of the water inlet of the annular channel is the smallest of the three areas which the water pass through. As a result, the annular channel will not be completely filled with water, effectively reducing the upward buoyant exerting on the cup body 2-1, increasing the downward force exerting on the drain cup 2, and improving the stability and the drainage capacity of the floor drain.

[0026] In certain embodiments, as shown in FIG. 4, the annular channel formed between the cup body 2-1 and the drain body 1 has a straight part and a contraction part. The contraction part has a slope to smooth the change in the flow of water, hence reducing the flow resistance as the water drains out through the passage, increasing the force that maintains the stable opening of the floor drain and therefore promoting discharge of sediments contained in the water.

[0027] In certain embodiments, a guide plate is an annular plate member disposed above the annular channel, and functions to receive and lead the water to the drain cup instead of the annular channel. The objective of such optimization design guarantees a large downward force exerting on the drain cup when the water flow enters which can overcome the positive pressure in the drainpipe. FIG. 5 shows a floor drain comprising a guide plate. For a floor drain comprising a relatively large-sized water inlet, although the arrangement of the guide plate 3-4 reduces the flow area of the water inlet, the drainage capacity of the floor drain is hardly affected. The water is guided via the guide plate 3-4 to the cup body 2-1 of the floor drain. The maximum gravitational force G of the storage water in the cup body 2-1 is proportional to A × h, where A is the vertically projected area of the cup body 2-1, and h is the height of the cup body 2-1. On the other hand, during the drainage process, the drainpipe exerts an upward pressure force on the base of the drain cup 2 that equals to the product of the vertically projected area S of the base 2-4 and the positive pressure in the drainpipe. In the embodiment, the vertically projected area A of the cup body 2-1 is greater than the vertically projected area S of the base 2-4, so that the downward gravitational force of the storage water in the cup body 2-1 is greater than the upward pressure-gradient force, keeping the floor drain in an open state.

[0028] The disclosure also employs a grooved guide plate on a floor drain comprising a drain cup of any water inlet size. As shown in FIG. 6, the grooved guide plate is disposed above the cup body. The grooved guide plate comprises an annular water collector 3-5 and a guide channel 3-6. FIG. 6 also shows a cross sectional view of the annular water collector 3-5 taken from line C-C in FIG. 6. FIG. 6 further shows a cross sectional view of the guide channel 3-6 taken from line D-D in FIG. 6. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a grooved guide plate comprising four guide channels 3-6. The height of flange is designed such that when water flow is small, the annular water collector 3-5 diverts the water to the guide channel 3-6 and then into the cup body 2-1. When water flow is large, the water can overpass the flange of the annular water collector 3-5 and the guide channel 3-6 and flow directly into the annular channel between the inner surface of the drain body 1 and the outer surface of the cup body.

[0029] In certain embodiments, the drain cup is held by the cantilever of the supporting frame via the driving shaft penetrating through the longitudinal axis of the drain cup. This design allows the drain cup to be cleaned without having to disassemble the drain body, expands the flow area of water inlet and increases the drainage capacity of the floor drain. Referring to FIGS. 7A-7C, the reset member 8 comprises a reset spring 8-1, an upper shaft 8-2, a lower shaft 8-3, and a stopper spring 8-4. The reset spring 8-1 is fixedly disposed on the spring seat 3-3. The upper shaft 8-2 and the lower shaft 8-3 form a driving shaft affixed to the longitudinal axis of the drain cup 2, connecting the drain cup 2 to the supporting frame 3. The supporting frame 3 comprises the supporting ring 3-1, the cantilever 3-2 and the spring seat 3-3. The cantilever 3-2 connects the spring seat 3-3 and the supporting ring 3-1, as shown in FIG. 7. The spring seat 3-3 is secured to one end of the cantilever 3-2. The upper shaft 8-2 is disposed on the spring seat 3-3. The spring seat 3-3 is covered by a sealing cover 4, thereby preventing the spring seat from being blocked by dirt. The reset member 8 adopts a spring mechanism, and the elastic resilience of the spring is the driving force to open and close the floor drain.

[0030] In certain embodiments, referring to FIG. 8, the drain cup 2 is fixedly disposed on the driving shaft passing through the axis of the drain cup 2. The driving shaft comprises the upper shaft 8-2 provided with a female fastener, and a lower shaft 8-3 provided with a male fastener. The female fastener comprises a clamping portion 8-2-1, a counterbore portion 8-2-2 and a narrow groove 8-2-3. The male fastener comprises a connection rod 8-3-1 and a connector 8-3-2. The connector is slidable along the surface of the female fastener and is inserted into the clamping portion 8-2-1. In the process of assembly of the driving shaft, the male fastener of the lower shaft 8-3 is inserted into the female fastener of the upper shaft 8-2. The female fastener is opened due to elastic deformation. After the male fastener is pressed into the female fastener, the male fastener fits with the female fastener, and the female fastener is elastically reset and locked. It is required that the female fastener be made with elastically deformable materials such as plastic. No elasticity is required for the male fastener and it can use any material such as plastic or metal.

[0031] Optionally, referring to FIG. 9, provided further security to the connection between the upper shaft 8-2 and the lower shaft 8-3, where a sleeve 2-1-0 is disposed on the lower end of the cup body 2-1. The lower end of the upper shaft 8-2 is a female fastener and the upper end of the lower shaft 8-3 is a male fastener comprising a connection rod and a connector. In the process of assembly of the driving shaft, when the male fastener of the lower shaft 8-3 is inserted into the female fastener of the upper shaft 8-2, the clamping portion 8-2-1 is opened. The sleeve 2-1-0 disposed on the lower end of the cup body 2-1 does not hinder the connection of the upper shaft 8-2 and the lower shaft 8-3. After the male fastener is completely pressed into the female fastener, the clamping portion 8-2-1 is closed, and the stopper spring 8-4 wrapped around the lower shaft 8-3 decompresses to drive the sleeve 2-1-0 to surround the clamping portion 8-2-1, thus locking the female fastener.

[0032] In certain embodiments, the supporting frame 3 is integrated with the drain body 1 to form an integrated structure, which eases the assembly of the floor drain. Referring to FIG.10, the supporting frame 3 comprises a plurality of circumferentially disposed hanging hooks 3-7. The drain body 1 comprises a plurality of mounting holes 1-2 cooperating with the hanging hooks 3-7. The plurality of hanging hooks is deformable and can be respectively pressed into the plurality of mounting holes. After the plurality of hanging hooks is respectively pressed into the plurality of mounting holes, the plurality of hanging hooks recovers to its original formation and is locked in the mounting holes, thereby locking the supporting frame 3 and the drain body 1 together.

[0033] In certain embodiments, referring to FIG. 11, the drain body 1 is rotatably removably fixed on the drain base 6, thus facilitating the cleaning of the supporting frame and the drain body. The drain base 6 comprises a plurality of circumferentially disposed lugs 6-1. The drain body 1 comprises a plurality of circumferentially disposed slots 1-1 corresponding to the plurality of lugs 6-1. When the drain body 1 is secured to the drain base 6, the plurality of circumferentially disposed lugs 6-1 is flush with the plurality of circumferentially disposed slots 1-1. The drain body 1 is rotatable with respect to the drain base 6. Rotate the drain body, so that the plurality of lugs 6-1 is respectively embedded in the plurality of slots 1-1, thus securing the drain body to the drain base 6.

[0034] In certain embodiments, the drain body 1 comprises an outer edge provided with a pressure plate. A sealing ring is integrated into the outer edge of the pressure plate. The sealing ring is in a sealed connection to the drain base. FIG. 12 shows a sealing mode of the drain body 1 and the drain base 6 in accordance with certain embodiments of the disclosure and a local enlarged view of part G. The drain body 1 comprises an outer edge provided with a pressure plate 1-3. The sealing ring 1-4 is integrated into the outer edge of the pressure plate 1-3 and is in a sealed connection to the drain base 6. The pressure plate 1-3 is an elastic material such as plastic. The drain body 1, the pressure plate 1-3 and the sealing ring 1-4 can be integrally molded through an injection molding process. When the supporting frame 3 is integrated with the drain body 1, the supporting frame 3 can be regarded as an extension of the drain body 1, and the sealing ring 1-4 can be integrated into the supporting frame 3. The connection mode of the drain body 1 and the drain base 6 omits the sealing rubber ring in the related art and simplifies the assembly of the floor drain.

[0035] The following advantages are associated with the floor drain of the disclosure. The disclosure optimizes the channel structure of the floor drain and the stress state of the drain cup, increases the flow area of the floor drain, reduces the flow resistance to the flow channel, increases the downward force exerting on the drain cup, improves the drainage stability in the presence of positive pressure in the drainpipe, and improves the drainage capacity of the floor drain. The disclosure also offers many advantages in easy removal and installation, as well as a simplified manufacturing process with higher assembly efficiency and lower manufacturing cost over the prior art, laying a foundation for automatic production. Fig. 1-5 disclose the principle of a floor drain, whereas fig. 7-14 disclose a floor drain according to claim 1, hence according to the invention . FIG. 1 is a working principle diagram of large flow floor drain without a guide plate; A is a schematic diagram showing a waterflow direction of a floor drain without a guide plate according to one embodiment of the disclosure; B is a schematic diagram showing a waterflow direction of a floor drain with a guide plate in a known patent titled energy-storage type floor drain; FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a floor drain according to one embodiment of the disclosure; FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a floor drain according to another embodiment of the disclosure; FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a floor drain comprising a contracted drain body according to still another embodiment of the disclosure; FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a floor drain comprising a guide plate according to still another embodiment of the disclosure; FIG. 6 shows a top view of a grooved guide plate, a sectional view of an annular water collector, and a sectional view of a guide channel; FIG. 7 shows an assembly diagram of a drain cup, a supporting frame and a reset member according to one embodiment of the disclosure, a top view of a supporting frame, and a section view of the supporting frame taken from line E-E in FIG. 7; FIG. 8 shows an assembly diagram of a supporting frame and a reset member according to one embodiment of the disclosure, and a schematic diagram of a driving shaft of the reset member; FIG. 9 shows an assembly diagram of a drain cup, a supporting frame and a reset member according to one embodiment of the disclosure, and a local enlarged view of part F; FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a supporting frame comprising a hanging hook according to one embodiment of the disclosure; FIG. 11 shows a connection diagram of a drain body and a drain base according to one embodiment of the disclosure, a schematic diagram of a drain body comprising a slot, and a schematic diagram of a drain base comprising a lug; FIG. 12 shows a connection diagram of a drain body and a drain base according to another embodiment of the disclosure, and a schematic diagram of a drain body comprising a pressure plate; FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of a floor drain in Example 1; and FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram of a floor drain in Example 2.

[0036] In the drawings, the following reference numbers are used: 1. Drain body; 1-1. Slot; 1-2. Mounting hole; 1-3. Pressure plate; 1-4. Sealing ring; 2. Drain cup; 2-1. Cup body; 2-1-0. Sleeve; 2-2. Through hole; 2-3. Stem; 2-4. Base; 3. Supporting frame; 3-1. Supporting ring; 3-2. Cantilever; 3-3. Spring seat; 3-4. Guide plate; 3-5. Annular water collector; 3-6. Guide channel; 3-7. Hanging hook. 4. Sealing cover; 5. Grate; 6. Drain base; 6-1. Lug; 7. Sealing rubber ring; 8. Reset member; 8-1. Reset spring; 8-2. Upper shaft; 8-2-1. Clamping portion; 8-2-2. Counterbore portion; 8-2-3. Narrow groove; 8-3. Lower shaft; 8-3-1. Connection rod; 8-3-2. Connector; 8-4. Stopper spring.

[0037] Example 1 of the disclosure details a floor drain comprising a drain cup with a large-sized water inlet.

[0038] Referring to FIG. 13, the vertically projected area of the cup body 2-1 is more than twice of that of the base 2-4. The annular channel between the inner surface of the drain body and the outer surface of the drain cup comprises a straight part and a contracted part. As needed, a guide plate 3-4 is disposed on the supporting frame 3 to guide the water into the cup body. The water accumulated in the cup body exerts a downward force on the drain cup 2 and offsets the pressure from the drainpipe. The drain base 6 is fixedly disposed in the floor of a structure, and functions to support the entire floor drain. When the water in the floor of a structure enters the floor drain via a grate 5, the water is guided by the guide plate 3-4 and enters the cup body 2-1. Thus, the cup body 2-1 is filled with water. The maximum water volume in the cup body 2-1 is constant, so that the weight of the storage water overcomes the upward force of the reset spring 8-1 and presses the drain cup 2 down to the lowest point of the reset spring 8-1. Thus, the flow area of the drainage outlet of the floor drain, that is, the gap between the upper surface of the base 2-4 and the lower end of the drain body 1, reaches the maximum. In Example 1, the guide plate can be replaced with a grooved guide plate as shown in FIG. 6A, further improving the drainage capacity of the floor drain.

[0039] The reset member 8 is connected to the drain cup 2 and controls the opening and closing of the drain body. The reset member 8 comprises the reset spring 8-1, the upper shaft 8-2, the lower shaft 8-3, and the stopper spring 8-4. The reset spring 8-1 is fixedly disposed on the spring seat 3-3. One end of the upper shaft 8-2 is wrapped around by the reset spring 8-1, and the other end is connected to the lower shaft 8-3. The lower shaft 8-3 is fixed on the lower end of the drain cup 2. The drain cup 2 is supported by the spring seat 3-3 via the upper and lower shafts.

[0040] The upper shaft 8-2 is connected to the lower shaft 8-3 using a buckle structure as shown in FIG. 8. The drain cup comprises a sleeve 2-1-0 surrounding the female fastener of the upper shaft 8-2. When the upper shaft 8-2 is integrated with the lower shaft 8-3, the sleeve is wrapped around the female fastener and held in place by the stopper spring 8-4, securing the connection of the two shaft sections. The stopper spring also serves to press the base 2-4 against the drain body 1, resulting in better sealing performance of the floor drain.

[0041] The supporting frame 3 is integrated with the drain body 1 to form an integrated structure. The integrated structure is rotatably removably fixed on the drain base 6, thus facilitating the cleaning of the supporting frame and the drain body. Example 1 also employs an integrated sealing ring 1-4 in a sealed connection to the drain base to replace a rubber ring 7.

[0042] Example 2 of the disclosure details a floor drain comprising a drain cup with a small-sized water inlet.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 14, the cup body 2-1 has an outer diameter of 30 mm, and the drain body 1 can be inserted into a vertical drainpipe with a nominal diameter of 50 mm. The water enters the grate 5, flows through the drain base 6 and the supporting ring 3-1, down through the annular channel, and out from the gap between the lower end face of the drain body 1 and the upper surface of the base 2-4. The water flows into the cup body 2-1 via the through hole 2-2 and the opening of the cup body 2-1 and accumulates in the cup body 2-1. As a result, the floor drain remains opened due to the weight of the water captured in cup body 2-1. As shown in FIG. 14, the supporting frame 3 comprises no guide plate, and thus the flow area of the water inlet is nearly doubled and the water resistance due to presence of the guide plate is eliminated, thereby effectively improving the drainage capacity of the floor drain.

[0044] The reset member 8 comprises a spring mechanism, and the supporting frame 3 is supported via the cantilever. A sealing rubber ring 7 is disposed between the drain body and the drain base 6 to prevent the leakage of odor from the drainpipe.

[0045] A floor drain is a commonly used plumbing fixture installed in the floor of a structure, which can be connected to a plumbing system to receive and drain water and resolve the unwanted sewer gas smell. The disclosure improves the drainage capacity of the floor drain while resolving the unwanted sewer gas smell, especially in the presence of positive pressure in the drainpipe. The disclosure is used widely in domestic or commercial structures.

Claims

1. A floor drain, comprising: a drain base (6); a drain body (1) comprising a cavity; a drain cup (2); a supporting frame (3); and a reset member (8); wherein: the drain cup (2) comprises a cup body (2-1), and a base (2-4); the drain body (1) is integrated with the drain base (6), or is detachably connected to the drain base (6); the cup body (2-1) comprises a lower end provided with a through hole (2-2); the cup body (2-1) is disposed in the cavity and the base (2-4) is disposed out of the cavity; a space between the drain body (1) and the drain cup (2) forms an annular channel, and the annular channel communicates with the through hole (2-2); the annular channel comprises a water inlet and a water outlet; the water outlet is a drainage outlet disposed on a lower end of the drain body (1); the drain cup (2) and the reset member (8) are movable with respect to the supporting frame (3) to open and close the water outlet; and the supporting frame (3) is connected to the drain body (1) and the reset member (8); wherein the reset member (8) comprises a reset spring (8-1), and a driving shaft; characterized in that, the drain cup (2) comprises a stem (2-3), the stem (2-3) is hollow, one end of the stem (2-3) is in contact with the cup body (2-1), and the other end is in contact with the base (2-4); the cup body (2-1) and the base (2-4) comprise a center opening; the driving shaft of the reset member (8) is disposed through the stem (2-3), as well as through the center opening of the cup body (2-1) and the center opening of the base (2-4), there is a clearance fit between the drain cup (2) and the driving shaft .

2. The floor drain of claim 1, wherein the driving shaft comprises an upper shaft (8-2) and a lower shaft (8-3); the upper shaft (8-2) comprises a female fastener and a head in top, the lower shaft (8-3) comprises a male fastener and a head in bottom; the diameter of the upper shaft (8-2) is larger than that of the lower shaft (8-3); and the male fastener is secured to the female fastener thereby integrating the upper shaft (8-2) and the lower shaft (8-3), the drain cup (2) is fixed between the bottom of the upper shaft (8-2) and the head of the lower shaft (8-3).

3. The floor drain of claim 2, wherein the reset spring (8-1) is wrapped around the upper shaft (8-2), and the stopper spring (8-4) is wrapped around the lower shaft (8-3); the cup body (2-1) further comprises a sleeve (2-1-0), when the upper shaft (8-2) is integrated with the lower shaft (8-3), the sleeve (2-1-0) is wrapped around the female fastener.

4. The floor drain of claim 1, further comprising a guide plate (3-4) extending above the cup body (2-1) to guide water into the cup body (2-1).

5. The floor drain of claim 1, characterized in that the cup body (2-1) comprises a straight part and a contraction part disposed between the straight part and the stem (2-3), and a diameter of the contraction part decreases from the cup body (2-1) to the base (2-4).

6. The floor drain of claim 1, characterized in that a vertical projected area of the cup body (2-1) is greater than a vertical projected area of the base (2-4).

7. The floor drain of claim 1, characterized in that the supporting frame (3) comprises a supporting ring (3-1), a cantilever (3-2), and a spring seat (3-3); the spring seat (3-3) is secured to one end of the cantilever (3-2); the cantilever (3-2) is connected to the supporting ring (3-1) and the spring seat (3-3); and the reset member (8) is supported by the cantilever (3-2).

8. The floor drain of claim 1, characterized in that the supporting frame (3) comprises a plurality of circumferentially disposed hanging hooks (3-7), and the drain body (1) comprises a plurality of mounting holes (1-2) receiving the hanging hooks (3-7), respectively.

9. The floor drain of claim 1, characterized in that the drain base (6) comprises a plurality of circumferentially disposed lugs (6-1), and the drain body(1) comprises a plurality of circumferentially disposed slots (1-1); and the plurality of circumferentially disposed lugs (6-1) is respectively disposed in the plurality of circumferentially disposed slots (1-1).

10. The floor drain of claim 1, characterized in that the drain body (1) comprises an outer edge provided with a pressure plate (1-3); one end of the pressure plate (1-3) is provided with a sealing ring (1-4); and the sealing ring (1-4) is in a sealed connection to the drain base (6).