Adjustable Drain Cover for Tile Floor Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional shower drain systems face challenges during tile installation due to difficulties in aligning and adjusting square or non-circular drain heads, which can lead to misalignments and inefficient installation processes, especially when dealing with irregularly shaped tiles and existing drains.
Innovation Solution
A drain system with a support frame that includes a base portion and a wall portion, allowing for adjustable vertical position and lateral/rotational alignment relative to the drain opening, featuring material locking features to secure grout and set screws for precise height and angle adjustments, enabling easier integration with various tile shapes and existing drain fixtures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a square or non-circular drain head is used with a threaded connection, then the drain head can be height adjusted, but the drain head cannot be rotated for alignment after tiling begins
Solution Approach 1:
The drain system is divided into separate components: a drain body that remains fixed and a drain cover that can be independently rotated and adjusted. This segmentation allows the drain cover to be aligned with tiles after installation without requiring rotation of the entire drain assembly, resolving the contradiction between height adjustment precision and rotational alignment capability.
Solution Approach 2:
A removable drain cover acts as an intermediary between the fixed drain body and the tile surface. The drain cover can be temporarily installed, aligned with tiles, and secured with mortar, while the drain body remains in its fixed position. This intermediary component enables both precise height adjustment of the drain body and subsequent rotational alignment with the tile pattern.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the drain head is positioned and mortared in place before tiling, then the drain head position is fixed, but the tile layout cannot be optimized around the drain
Solution Approach 1:
The drain body is preliminarily positioned and secured to the substrate before tile installation, establishing a stable reference point. The removable drain cover is then used during tile installation to allow flexible layout optimization. After tiling is complete, the drain cover is permanently secured with mortar. This preliminary positioning of the drain body combined with flexible cover installation enables both stability and installation efficiency.
3Adaptability or versatility
If existing tiles are present and a drain needs to be installed or replaced, then the drain must be accessed through the existing tile floor, but this creates complex demolition and reinstallation requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The drain body is extracted and installed separately from the tile floor structure. A hole is cut through the existing tile floor to access the drain body, which is then installed in the opening. The removable drain cover is placed over the drain body, and tiles are reinstalled around the cover. This extraction approach separates the drain installation from the tile work, allowing independent optimization of each component and reducing overall installation complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A drain system includes a drain cover positionable over a drain opening in a tile floor. A support frame is configured to support and position the drain cover over the drain opening. A plurality of tabs are attached to the support frame and configured to extend below the drain cover.