Elongated Shower Drain Assembly with Click Connection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing elongated drain assemblies face challenges in manufacturing and transportation due to bulky components, and they often struggle with reliable sealing at the transition regions between connected elements.
Innovation Solution
The elongated drain assembly employs a click connection mechanism between drain elements, allowing for easy assembly and disassembly without the need for bulky components. The connectors are formed from resilient sealant materials to ensure a reliable seal at the transition regions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If drain elements are made as single elongated pieces, then manufacturing and transportation are simplified, but manufacturing and transportation efforts increase due to bulky components and higher costs
Solution Approach 1:
The drain assembly is divided into multiple separate drain elements (first drain element, second drain element, etc.) that can be manufactured independently in smaller, more manageable sizes. These segmented elements are then connected via click connections to form the complete elongated drain structure, reducing transportation bulkiness while maintaining ease of manufacture through modular production
Solution Approach 2:
The drain elements are designed with nested connecting structures where male connectors protrude from one element and female connectors receive them in adjacent elements. This nesting approach allows the segmented components to interlock tightly, reducing overall bulk during transportation and storage while enabling easy assembly of the complete drain structure
2Ease of operation
If drain elements are connected using traditional sealing methods, then assembly is simplified, but sealing reliability deteriorates at transition regions between connected elements
Solution Approach 1:
The click connections incorporate resilient sealant material as an integral part of the connecting structure between drain elements. This composite approach combines the mechanical connection function with the sealing function in a single integrated component, ensuring reliable sealing at transition regions while maintaining easy assembly through the click connection mechanism
Solution Approach 2:
The use of resilient sealant material changes the physical parameters of the connection interface by introducing elastic deformation capability. This resilience allows the seal to adapt to minor misalignments and maintain reliable sealing under varying operational conditions, while the click connection geometry ensures proper positioning and engagement
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 solution reduces manufacturing and transportation efforts by allowing drain elements of shorter lengths to be assembled on-site, while ensuring high functional reliability through effective sealing and smooth fluid flow transitions.
Implementation Method 1
The male connector (5) is formed from a resilient sealant material (SM) at least in a region adjoining the transition of the first and second fluid guiding surfaces (31, 32)
Data Source
Figure 1~3
Figure 4~5
Figure 6~8
AI summary
The invention provides an elongated drain assembly, preferably an elongated shower drain assembly, which comprises a first drain element (11) comprising a first elongated tray (21) having a first fluid guiding surface (31) and a second drain element (12) comprising a second elongated tray (22) having a second fluid guiding surface (32), and a click connection (4) configured for connecting the first and second drain elements such that their first and second elongated trays adjoin each other to form a continuous elongated tray (2) having a smooth transition of the first and second fluid guiding surfaces The click connection comprises a male connector (5) protruding from a face end region (6) of the first elongated tray and a female connector (7) formed at a face end region (8) of the second elongated tray and configured for inserting therein the male connector in a longitudinal connection direction (CL). The click connection comprises a snap-in pin arrangement and a corresponding snap-in hole arrangement, one of them provided on the male connector and the other provided on the female connector. The male connector and/or the female connector is formed from a resilient sealant material (SM) at least in a region adjoining the transition of the first and second fluid guiding surfaces, and/or the female connector is formed by a C-shaped profile (11) with a central side providing a part of the second fluid guiding surface, narrow sides adjoining the central side, and back sides adjoining the respective narrow side. The snap-in pin arrangement or the snap-in hole arrangement is formed on at least one of the back sides of the female connector.