Floor Feed-Through Bushing With Integrated Drain Channel

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Solution Overview

Problem

During the installation of feedthroughs in walls or floors, water accumulation in protective pipes outside buildings, particularly in hilly terrain, can lead to uncontrolled water entry into the building when the pipes are removed, posing safety risks and requiring a solution for controlled drainage.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of a bushing with a closure that seals the pipe element and a drain channel with a smaller cross-section than the tubular element, allowing for controlled drainage of water through a drain hose, which is connected to the drain channel and directed outside or to a drain, using a drain unit that opens the blind closure by inserting a pin to facilitate water flow.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the protective pipe is removed without draining water, then the installation process is simpler and faster, but water enters the building uncontrolled causing safety risks

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinstallation speedVSAvoidsafety
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The drain channel is pre-integrated into the bushing structure during manufacturing, allowing water to be drained before pipe removal. This preliminary drainage action eliminates the safety hazard of uncontrolled water entry while maintaining installation efficiency, as the drainage pathway is already in place and requires no additional complex setup.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The drain channel acts as an intermediary structure between the protective pipe and the building interior. It provides a controlled intermediate pathway for water to exit the protective pipe gradually, mediating between the stored water in the pipe and the building interior, thus preventing direct uncontrolled water entry.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If a drain channel with large cross-section is used, then water drainage is faster, but the force required for insertion increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedrainage speedVSAvoidinsertion force
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSForce

Solution Approach 1:

The drain channel's cross-sectional area is optimized to a specific range (1-10 cm²) that balances drainage performance with insertion feasibility. This parameter optimization ensures that the channel is large enough to drain water effectively but small enough to be inserted with acceptable force, resolving the contradiction between drainage speed and insertion effort.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Force

If the drain channel has small cross-section, then insertion force is reduced, but drainage capacity is limited

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinsertion forceVSAvoiddrainage capacity
Core Design Contradiction:
ForceVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The drain channel cross-sectional area is set within the optimal range of 1-10 cm², which represents a carefully balanced parameter choice. This parameter optimization ensures sufficient drainage capacity for typical water accumulation scenarios while maintaining insertion forces at acceptable levels, resolving the trade-off between drainage capacity and insertion effort.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

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 enables safe and controlled drainage of water, preventing uncontrolled water entry into the building and reducing the force required for insertion, thus ensuring safer and more efficient installation of cables and lines by allowing water to be drained before pipe removal.

Implementation Method 1

The bushing has a closure that closes the pipe element in relation to its longitudinal direction, i.e. seals it (prevents the passage of water within the scope of what is technically usual)

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSealing:

Implementation Method 2

Through this drain channel, any water that has collected in the pipe element on one side of the closure can advantageously be drained from the other side

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectGravity-driven flow: Gravitation

Data Source

PatentEP3404170B1Use of a feed-through for a floor or ceiling element
Publication Date: 2021.05.05 HAUFF TECHNIK GMBH & CO KG
  • EP3404170B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3404170B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3404170B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to the passage (1) for installation in a wall or floor element, with a pipe element (2) for keeping a passage opening free between two opposite sides of the wall or floor element, through which passage opening a conduit can be passed in a longitudinal direction (20) of the pipe element (2) through the wall or floor element.