Arcuate Dividing Wall in Drain Fitting Overflow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing drain fittings face challenges in achieving high overflow capacity without increasing production costs or space requirements, and they often suffer from inefficient water flow and noise due to air entrapment and pulsating movements after the overflow edge.
Innovation Solution
The drain fitting features a riser pipe with a rectangular cross-section and an arcuate dividing wall on one side, forming a U-shaped riser channel that surrounds a smaller return channel, which enhances water transition and reduces air entrapment, allowing for a more efficient and laminar flow, while the connecting pipe can be easily adapted to fit different installations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the cross-section of the overflow is increased to improve overflow capacity, then the overflow performance is improved, but the space requirement and production costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The dividing wall is designed with an arcuate shape instead of a straight edge. This curvature optimizes the water flow path, allowing for a more efficient transition from the riser channel to the return channel. The curved geometry enables better flow characteristics and reduces air entrapment, achieving high overflow capacity without requiring a larger cross-sectional area
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the geometric parameters of the overflow structure, specifically the shape of the dividing wall and the cross-sectional dimensions of the channels. By optimizing the ratio between the riser channel cross-section and the return channel cross-section, and by adjusting the arcuate geometry of the dividing wall, the system achieves high overflow capacity with compact dimensions
2Productivity
If the cross-section of the overflow is increased to improve overflow capacity, then the overflow performance is improved, but the production costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The arcuate dividing wall is designed to be formed in one piece with the housing, which simplifies the manufacturing process. The curved geometry can be efficiently produced using modern molding techniques, avoiding the need for complex assembly operations or additional components, thereby keeping production costs low while achieving high overflow capacity
3Device complexity
If a straight overflow edge is used, then the structure is simple, but the water flow is inefficient and noisy due to air entrapment and pulsating movements
Solution Approach 1:
The arcuate shape of the dividing wall creates a smooth, continuous flow path for the water. This curvature prevents the formation of air pockets and reduces turbulence, eliminating the pulsating movements and noise associated with straight overflow edges. The design maintains structural simplicity while dramatically improving flow efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The invention addresses the harmful effect of air entrapment by using the arcuate geometry to guide air bubbles away from the flow path. The curved surface allows air to escape smoothly rather than being trapped, converting what would be a harmful phenomenon into a benign condition, thereby improving flow efficiency without adding complexity
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design achieves a higher overflow capacity with reduced noise and manufacturing costs, ensuring a constant and efficient flow by minimizing air entrapment and dead spaces, thus preventing pulsating movements and maintaining optimal performance.
Implementation Method 1
the flow after the overflow edge is more constant and laminar than before
Implementation Method 2
an inclusion of air and a detachment of the water from the partition immediately after the overflow edge can be largely avoided
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
AI summary
The fitting (1) has a drain valve (2) with a closing body in a housing (3) fastenable in a drain opening of a sanitary apparatus e.g. wash basin. An overflow (5) is fastenable to the housing, and includes an ascending duct and a return duct flowing in each case in the housing. A partition of a rising pipe (12) of the overflow is integrally formed at an outer wall of the overflow. The partition includes an overflow edge at an upper end through which water ascending in the rising pipe flows into the return duct. The partition is arc-shaped within a region of cross section of the overflow edge.