Height-Adjustable Drain Walls for Reliable Wall Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing drains face challenges in providing a reliable seal when placed against a wall, especially in elongate configurations, due to difficulties in accessing and inspecting seals, and require specialized models for wall applications, leading to potential leaks and visual inspection issues.
Innovation Solution
A drain design featuring a two-part peripheral wall with an adjustable second part and an elongate profile that can be separately installed, allowing for easy sealing and visual inspection, and includes a profile that bridges the gap between the drain and the wall, using materials that match the surrounding tiles for a seamless finish.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If an upright plate is provided on one side for wall mounting, then a reliable seal between wall and drain is achieved, but a special model specifically for wall applications must be kept in stock
Solution Approach 1:
The peripheral wall is divided into two separate parts: a first peripheral wall part that forms the basic drain structure, and a second peripheral wall part that can be added as an extension. This segmentation allows the same basic drain model to be adapted for different applications (floor or wall mounting) without requiring separate specialized models, thereby maintaining versatility while achieving reliable sealing when needed.
2Reliability
If a horizontal flange is provided on the adjusting frame, then the gap between the adjusting frame and wall tiles can be bridged, but visual inspection of the seal is impeded
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of placing the sealing surface horizontally on the adjusting frame (which blocks inspection), the invention inverts the approach by providing a sealing surface on the vertical outer side of the first peripheral wall part. This vertical positioning allows the seal to be applied and inspected from above, making visual inspection possible while still bridging the gap between the drain and wall tiles effectively.
3Ease of manufacture
If the drain is placed against a wall, then tile floor installation is simplified, but accessing the gap between the adjusting frame and peripheral wall for sealing becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The invention provides a sealing surface on the outer side of the first peripheral wall part that is accessible before the adjusting frame is installed. This preliminary positioning of the sealing surface allows the seal to be applied easily when the drain is placed against a wall, eliminating the difficulty of accessing tight gaps between the adjusting frame and peripheral wall after assembly.
4Area of stationary object
If a wide horizontal flange is used to provide attaching surface for tile membrane, then sufficient attachment area is achieved, but a gap of at least 1 centimetre is created between wall tiles and inflow opening
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of extending the attaching surface horizontally (which creates gaps), the invention moves the sealing and attachment function to the vertical dimension by providing a sealing surface on the outer side of the first peripheral wall part. This vertical positioning allows the tile membrane to be attached without creating horizontal gaps between wall tiles and the inflow opening, thus solving both the attachment area requirement and the gap configuration issue.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
The invention relates to a drain comprising a collecting tray with a bottom (2), an upright peripheral wall (3, 4) arranged along the periphery of the bottom (2), which peripheral wall (3, 4) bounds an inflow opening (8), and a discharge opening (7) for discharging collected water; wherein the peripheral wall of the collecting tray consists of two parts so as to be height-adjustable; and wherein the peripheral wall comprises a first peripheral wall part (3), which first peripheral wall part is upright along the periphery of the bottom and is arranged thereon, and wherein the peripheral wall comprises a second peripheral wall part (4) which is displaceable relative to the first peripheral wall part in a direction perpendicularly of the bottom, and an elongate profile (10) with substantially constant cross-section, which profile is arranged parallel to and adjacently of a side of the peripheral wall and wherein the centre of gravity of the cross-section of the profile lies outside the inflow opening, as seen in top view of the drain.