Elevated Perforated Screen Floor Drain Cover
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing drain covers and filters often require users to lift and remove the drain grate to clean accumulated debris, which is inconvenient and can lead to clogged drains due to solid debris entering the drainage system, especially in outdoor areas like basement walk-out stairwells where flooding is a risk.
Innovation Solution
A deployable, weighted drain cover with a perforated screen structure that elevates above the existing drain grate, featuring elongated members and cross members to filter out debris while allowing water to flow through, and can be easily removed and cleaned without entering the drain interior.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a drain cover is used to prevent debris from entering the drain, then the reliability of the drain is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates because the drain cover must be removed and cleaned manually
Solution Approach 1:
The drain cover is segmented into a removable screen component and a frame component. The screen can be easily detached from the frame, allowing users to clean the screen separately without removing the entire drain cover assembly. This segmentation improves ease of cleaning while maintaining drain reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The drain cover transitions from a static, fixed structure to a dynamic, removable structure. The screen is designed to be easily inserted into and removed from the frame, enabling users to maintain the drain by periodically cleaning the screen. This dynamic design resolves the contradiction between maintaining reliability and ensuring ease of operation.
2Reliability
If a fine mesh screen is used to filter debris, then the reliability of the drain is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The drain cover uses a screen with porous or mesh-like structure that allows water to pass through while blocking solid debris. The porous design provides effective filtration without requiring a complex multi-layer screen structure, maintaining simplicity while ensuring reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The screen is designed with localized filtration properties - the mesh or porous structure is concentrated at the critical filtration areas, while the rest of the frame remains simple and robust. This local quality approach ensures reliable debris filtration without unnecessarily complicating the entire device structure.
3Ease of operation
If the drain cover is made removable for cleaning, then the ease of operation is improved, but the reliability may deteriorate due to potential loss or misplacement
Solution Approach 1:
The screen is nested within the frame structure, with the screen fitting into a recessed area of the frame. When the screen is removed for cleaning, it can be easily reinserted into the frame. This nesting design ensures that the screen remains associated with the drain cover system, reducing the risk of loss or misplacement while maintaining ease of cleaning.
Solution Approach 2:
The frame acts as an intermediary between the drain cover and the screen. The frame provides a standardized interface that receives the screen and facilitates its removal and reinstallation. This intermediary structure ensures reliable retention of the screen while enabling easy cleaning operations.
Data Source
AI summary
A floor drain cover is provided having a substantially rectangular frame defined by a first and second parallel outer frame member, perpendicular cross members connecting the outer frame members together, and an apertured screen positioned over the frame to prevent solid debris from passing therethrough and into a floor drain. The device is positioned over an existing floor drain to prevent debris from clogging the floor drain grate or drain interior. The apertured screen is elevated above the ground and positioned along the upper surfaces of the frame to collect falling debris, while debris is separated from free flowing water entering through the frame sides and ends by way of side frame member apertures and screened end portions. The cover can be periodically removed and cleaned, while the underlying drain is kept largely clean of debris that would otherwise require internal cleaning.