Floor Drain With Height-Adjustable Odour Seal for Flow Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing drainage devices face a conflict between maintaining a high water seal height for odor prevention and achieving high drainage capacity, with adjustments often requiring mechanical processing or component replacement, making it difficult to adapt to changing conditions.

Innovation Solution

A drainage device with an adjustable odor trap featuring a flexible or deformable line section and an adjusting device within the housing, allowing the water seal height to be varied without mechanical processing, using mechanisms like electric motors or solenoids to adjust the trap's position and shape.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the water seal height is increased to improve odor prevention, then the sealing performance is improved, but the drainage capacity is reduced due to increased flow resistance

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesealing performanceVSAvoiddrainage capacity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the water seal height adjustable rather than fixed. The odor trap includes an adjustable component that allows the water seal height to be varied according to different drainage requirements, enabling the system to dynamically optimize between sealing performance and drainage capacity based on actual usage conditions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Productivity

If the water seal height is reduced to improve drainage capacity, then the drainage performance is improved, but the odor prevention capability is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedrainage capacityVSAvoidsealing performance
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The adjustable water seal height mechanism allows the system to adapt between high sealing mode and high drainage mode by changing the water seal height parameter, resolving the contradiction between odor prevention and drainage capacity through dynamic reconfiguration.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Adaptability or versatility

If mechanical processing or component replacement is used to adjust the drainage device, then the adaptability to changing conditions is improved, but the complexity and effort required for adjustment is increased

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveadaptability to conditionsVSAvoidadjustment complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a built-in adjustable mechanism within the odor trap that allows easy modification of the water seal height without requiring mechanical processing or component replacement. This dynamic adjustment capability provides adaptability to changing conditions while maintaining simplicity in the adjustment process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The adjustable component is integrated into the odor trap structure, allowing users to perform adjustments themselves without requiring external mechanical processing tools or specialized component replacement procedures, thus reducing adjustment complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

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

Enables dynamic adjustment of water seal height and drainage capacity to suit local conditions, ensuring effective odor prevention and efficient wastewater flow without the need for mechanical alterations or component replacement.

Implementation Method 1

an odor trap arranged in the cavity for receiving sealing water... a certain volume of sealing water within a section of the odor trap preventing gases from flowing through

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectWater seal: Liquid Membrane

Implementation Method 2

the odor trap has at least one adjustable line section which is designed to be flexible and/or is formed from at least one flexibly deformable line section, and in that the odor trap is designed to be adjustable in such a way that the height of the sealing water level defined by the sealing water can be varied

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHydraulic adjustment: Hydraulic Press

Data Source

PatentEP4067590B1Floor drain with height-adjustable odour seal
Publication Date: 2025.09.10 VIEGA TECHNOLOGY GMBH & CO KG
  • EP4067590B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4067590B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4067590B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to a drainage device (1, 1') for creating a water drain embedded in a floor, comprising a housing (2) defining a cavity (7), a trap (3) arranged in the cavity (7) for receiving sealing water, and a connecting pipe section (4) connected to the trap (3) for connecting a drainage line. The drainage device (1, 1') according to the invention is characterized in that the trap (3) is adjustable such that the height of the sealing water level defined by the sealing water is variable, wherein an adjusting device (6) is arranged within the housing (2) for adjusting the height of the sealing water level.