Longitudinal Odor Trap for Narrow Walk-in Shower Drain
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing drain assemblies for walk-in showers are limited by the width of their gratings and odor traps, which cannot be made narrower without reducing drainage rate or mechanical strength, and are not easily removable for maintenance.
Innovation Solution
A compact, narrower odor trap design that allows water to flow along only one side, forming a quasi-box-shaped element, enabling easy insertion and removal, and maintaining a high drainage rate through judicious design of the inlet and collection zone.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If a conventional odor trap design is used, then the drainage channel is effectively sealed, but the drain assembly width cannot be reduced further without compromising drainage rate or structural strength
Solution Approach 1:
The odor trap is reconfigured from a traditional transverse orientation to a longitudinal orientation aligned with water flow. The first and second closing walls are positioned at different longitudinal locations rather than spanning the width, allowing the drain assembly width to be reduced while maintaining drainage capacity through the extended longitudinal configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The odor trap is divided into functional segments with the first closing wall positioned upstream and the second closing wall positioned downstream. This segmentation allows water to flow through the channel between the walls while maintaining the sealing function, enabling a narrower overall width without reducing drainage rate.
2Length of moving object
If the odor trap is made narrower to reduce drain assembly width, then the drainage rate is significantly reduced or the walls become mechanically weaker
Solution Approach 1:
The odor trap geometry is transformed from a wide transverse structure to a narrow longitudinal structure. The closing walls are positioned to span the channel width at different longitudinal locations, creating an elongated configuration that maintains structural strength through increased length while reducing the required drain assembly width.
3Ease of operation
If a removable odor trap is designed for easy maintenance, then the drain assembly can be accessed without breaking the floor, but the odor trap cannot be made narrower
Solution Approach 1:
The odor trap is reoriented from a transverse configuration that requires wide access for removal to a longitudinal configuration that fits within a narrower drain assembly. The first and second closing walls are positioned along the flow direction, allowing the odor trap to be removed and reinserted through a narrower opening while maintaining ease of maintenance access.
4Reliability
If the classical swan neck odor trap is used, then the sealing function is effective, but it is not accessible after being built-in without breaking up the floor
Solution Approach 1:
The odor trap is designed as a separable assembly with the first closing wall, second closing wall, and channel portion as distinct functional elements. This segmentation allows the odor trap to be removed as a complete unit for maintenance while maintaining the sealing function during operation, unlike the integrated swan neck design that requires floor breaking for access.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention pertains to an odor trap, which comprises a first drainage channel situated between an inlet and an outlet, comprising, viewed in the flow direction, a first closing wall for the closing off of an uppermost part of the drainage channel and a second closing wall for the closing off of a lowermost part of the first drainage channel. The first and second closing walls, viewed in a horizontal direction, overlap. The odor trap comprises an elongated main body. The inlet substantially extends over the length of a first planar surface of the main body, which first planar surface is determined by the first closing wall. The second closing wall is situated in the main body. The outlet is situated in a second planar surface, situated opposite the first planar surface. The invention also pertains to a drain body and a drain assembly.