Compact Drain Valve Layout With Lateral Overflow Piping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing drain arrangements for washbasins or sinks occupy a large structural space, making them unsuitable for compact installations, particularly in base cabinets below the sanitary item.
Innovation Solution
A compact drain arrangement design featuring a drain valve housing with lateral outlet and overflow connections, minimizing vertical height by positioning the outflow pipe and connecting pipes alongside each other, and using an actuating unit that extends laterally to reduce the overall structural height.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the drain arrangement uses a conventional vertical layout with the overflow unit extending upwards and the drain line extending downwards, then the overflow functionality and drainage function are achieved, but the structural space in the downward direction becomes too large, reducing the volume of base cabinet space
Solution Approach 1:
The patent repositions the overflow unit from a vertical arrangement to a lateral arrangement. The first and second connecting pipes extend laterally from the drain valve housing side walls instead of vertically, allowing the overflow unit to be positioned adjacent to the drain line at the same vertical level. This dimensional change eliminates the need for large downward structural space while maintaining overflow functionality.
2Volume of stationary object
If the drain arrangement uses a compact design with lateral outlet and connecting pipes, then the structural height is minimized and base cabinet space is improved, but the complexity of positioning and connecting the pipes laterally increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the overflow unit and drain line into a single lateral arrangement, where both the first connecting pipe (overflow) and second connecting pipe (drain line) extend laterally from the drain valve housing. This merging of functions into a unified lateral configuration simplifies the overall pipe arrangement by eliminating the need for separate vertical extensions, thereby reducing structural height without proportionally increasing complexity.
3Volume of stationary object
If the outlet opening and mouth openings are positioned laterally on the drain valve housing, then the outflow pipe and connecting pipes can extend alongside each other minimizing structural height, but the manufacturing precision required for lateral positioning increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent positions the outlet opening and mouth openings at specific lateral locations on the drain valve housing side walls. By concentrating the functional openings at these optimized lateral positions, the design achieves minimal structural height while the localized positioning requirements are manageable through precise molding or machining of the housing at these specific locations rather than requiring high precision throughout the entire structure.
Data Source
AI summary
A drain arrangement that comprises a drain valve housing which has a first channel section with an inlet opening, a second channel section with an outlet opening, and a valve seat situated between the inlet opening and the outlet opening. There also is a valve body, an actuating unit by way of which the valve body is movable, and an outflow pipe into which the second channel section opens by way of the outlet opening thereof. A first central axis extends centrally through the first channel section, and an outflow pipe central axis extends centrally through the outflow pipe. The outflow pipe central axis intersects the first central axis, and the drain arrangement furthermore comprises an overflow unit, which has a first connecting pipe, an overflow pipe and a second connecting pipe.