Prefabricated Plumbing Unit for Accessible Grey Water Routing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing plumbing systems in buildings require complex and time-consuming installations, often necessitating costly cutting operations and fail to meet modern building codes for accessibility, noise levels, and structural integrity, especially when dealing with grey water conduits.
Innovation Solution
A prefabricated plumbing element with a frame structure and waste conduit assembly that allows for easy installation, reduces noise, and meets modern building regulations by using a prefabricated design with a waste conduit assembly that includes a vertical waste conduit and branch conduit, allowing for efficient grey water handling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If pipes are embedded within building structures (stone, concrete, tile), then structural integrity is maintained, but accessibility for maintenance and repair becomes difficult requiring costly cutting operations
Solution Approach 1:
The plumbing system is divided into modular components: a frame structure that can be separated from building structures, removable pipe sections, and detachable connections. This segmentation allows maintenance personnel to access and repair pipes without cutting into the building's structural elements, while the frame maintains structural integrity when installed.
Solution Approach 2:
The plumbing system incorporates dynamic, removable components including the frame structure that can be detached from building structures, and pipe sections that can be disconnected. This dynamic design enables easy access for maintenance while preserving structural integrity during normal operation.
2Ease of repair
If modern building codes require surface-installed water conduits, then accessibility for maintenance is improved, but installation time and precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The frame structure and pipe assemblies are pre-fabricated and pre-assembled before installation at the building site. Connections are pre-configured and sealed components are pre-installed, which significantly reduces on-site installation time and minimizes the precision requirements during actual installation while maintaining accessibility for future maintenance.
3Ease of operation
If long horizontal lines are installed inside floor/ceiling structures, then waste water can be connected to vertical shafts, but ceiling height is reduced due to increased structure thickness
Solution Approach 1:
The plumbing system utilizes vertical stacking of modular units, where each unit contains necessary horizontal connections. By transitioning from extensive horizontal routing within thick structures to vertical arrangement of standardized modules, the system achieves waste water connection functionality while minimizing ceiling thickness and preserving ceiling height.
4Device complexity
If prefabricated plumbing elements are used, then installation complexity is reduced, but adaptability to different building configurations may be limited
Solution Approach 1:
The frame structure and pipe assemblies are designed as universal, modular components that can be configured for various building types and layouts. Standardized connection interfaces and adjustable frame dimensions enable the same prefabricated elements to adapt to different building configurations while maintaining simple installation procedures.
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3A
AI summary
A plumbing element (100) configured to conduct grey water and to be mounted to a structure of a building comprising a vertical waste pipe system is disclosed. The plumbing element comprises a frame structure (105) and a waste conduit assembly (107) having an upper end and a lower end, wherein the lower end is connectable to the vertical waste pipe system of the building or to the upper end of the waste conduit assembly of a second plumbing element below the plumbing element and the upper end is connectable to the vertical waste pipe system of the building or to a lower end of the waste conduit assembly of a third plumbing element above the plumbing element. The waste conduit assembly (107) comprises a vertical waste conduit (110) and a branch conduit (111), which opens to the vertical waste conduit (110) and has an inlet (112) for connecting to an outlet of a trap.