Floor Drain Flange Sealing for Uniform Liquid Floor Coverings

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing drainage systems fail to provide a tight installation of seamless floor coverings due to multiple sealing planes, leading to uneven thickness and potential cracking, especially with liquid-applied floor coverings.

Innovation Solution

A drainage device with a vertical contact surface of 1-6 mm, a support section, and a single-piece design, including a circumferential seal and a flexible sealing membrane, ensuring uniform thickness and tight sealing with liquid-applied floor coverings.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If multiple sealing planes are used in existing drainage systems, then sealing capability is improved, but floor covering thickness uniformity deteriorates and cracking risk increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesealing capabilityVSAvoidfloor covering thickness uniformity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple sealing functions into a single integrated sealing plane formed by the flange. The flange creates one continuous sealing surface between the floor covering and the drainage system, eliminating the need for multiple separate sealing planes. This single sealing plane approach maintains reliable sealing while providing a uniform support surface that prevents thickness variations and cracking in liquid-applied floor coverings.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Ease of operation

If liquid-applied floor coverings are used, then seamless installation is achieved, but tight installation becomes difficult due to multiple sealing planes

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveseamless installationVSAvoidtight installation
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The flange integrates multiple sealing functions into one continuous sealing plane, creating a uniform support surface that facilitates seamless application of liquid floor coverings. This single integrated sealing structure eliminates the complexity of multiple sealing planes, allowing the liquid covering to be applied continuously without interruption while maintaining tight installation and reliable sealing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Reliability

If existing drainage systems with multiple sealing planes are used, then sealing is provided, but uneven thickness and potential cracking occur

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovesealingVSAvoidthickness uniformity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The flange consolidates multiple sealing planes into a single integrated sealing structure that provides both reliable sealing and a uniform support surface. This unified design eliminates the thickness variations and instability caused by multiple separate sealing planes, ensuring consistent floor covering thickness and preventing cracking while maintaining effective sealing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

4Manufacturing precision

If a single-piece design with vertical contact surface is used, then thickness uniformity and tight sealing are improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvethickness uniformityVSAvoiddevice structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The flange integrates the vertical contact surface, sealing function, and support structure into a single piece, achieving thickness uniformity and tight sealing without significantly increasing device complexity. This consolidated design eliminates the need for multiple separate components and assembly steps, maintaining structural simplicity while providing the required precision and sealing performance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

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

The solution ensures a uniform thickness and tight sealing of liquid-applied floor coverings, preventing cracking and ensuring seamless installation.

Implementation Method 1

a flexible sealing membrane with an opening through which water can pass

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFlexible sealing: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentEP4071312B1Device for a discharge device arranged in the floor of a room and discharge device comprising such a device
Publication Date: 2025.11.05 DALLMER GMBH & CO KG
  • EP4071312B1 patent drawingFigure 1~3
  • EP4071312B1 patent drawingFigure 2~4
  • EP4071312B1 patent drawingFigure 5~7

AI summary

Device (1) for a drainage device arranged in the floor of a room, comprising an opening (4) which, in the assembled state of the device (1), extends vertically through the device (1) and is configured to transfer water flowing from the floor into the drainage device, a system section (2) with a vertical contact surface (3) in the assembled state of the device (1), which surrounds the opening (4) and is configured to bear against a liquid floor covering (12) on the side facing away from the opening (4), wherein the contact surface (3) has a vertical dimension of less than 7 mm, and a connecting section (6) formed integrally with the system section (2), which, in the assembled state, projects from above into the drainage device, wherein the connecting section (6) is configured toto be sealed on its outer side against a part of the drainage device with a circumferential seal (8).