Modular Shower Tray Panel With Adjustable Drain Section

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing shower floor panel systems face challenges in achieving stable, adjustable, and cost-effective installations without requiring on-site adjustments or improvisations, often resulting in uneven surfaces and compromised tightness and sound insulation.

Innovation Solution

A shower floor panel combination featuring a standardized shower channel plate part with integrated drain and a variable shower floor panel main part connected via metal profiles or form-fitting designs, allowing for adjustable height and width, integrated sealing profiles, and height-adjustable threaded feet for precise installation and stability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Stability of the object's composition

If shower floor panel systems use height-adjustable feet, then installation stability and height adjustment capability are improved, but on-site adjustments and improvisations are still required, increasing installation complexity

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinstallation stabilityVSAvoidinstallation complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The shower floor panel is supplied with height-adjustable feet and corresponding openings pre-configured at the factory, allowing the installer to simply adjust the height rather than perform complex on-site modifications. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for improvisation and reduces installation complexity while maintaining stability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The height-adjustable feet allow for parameter changes in panel height and positioning, enabling the panel to adapt to different installation conditions and achieve stable installation without requiring complex structural modifications or on-site fabrication.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If shower floor panel has integrated sealing profiles, then tightness and sound insulation are improved, but the surface becomes non-flat, causing steps in tiled floor and potential tile breakage

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovetightnessVSAvoidsurface flatness
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSShape

Solution Approach 1:

The sealing profile is integrated into a recess in the shower floor panel, creating a nested structure where the sealing profile sits within the recess rather than protruding from the surface. This allows the top surface to remain flat for proper tile installation while the nested sealing profile maintains tightness and sound insulation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

3Ease of manufacture

If shower floor panel uses standardized components, then manufacturing cost efficiency is improved, but adaptability to different installation configurations is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecost efficiencyVSAvoidconfiguration adaptability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The shower floor panel is divided into standardized modular components (panel body, height-adjustable feet, integrated sealing profile with recess, drain integration) that can be manufactured efficiently using standardized processes. These modular segments can then be configured together to adapt to different installation requirements, maintaining both cost efficiency and versatility.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

4Reliability

If shower floor panel ensures stable seat and tight tiling, then installation reliability is improved, but on-site adjustments and improvisations are required, increasing installation time

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinstallation reliabilityVSAvoidinstallation time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The integrated sealing profile and height-adjustable feet are pre-configured at the factory to ensure proper fit and stability. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for time-consuming on-site adjustments and improvisations, allowing installers to simply assemble the pre-configured components for reliable installation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

Multiple functions (sealing, sound insulation, surface flatness, stability) are merged into a single integrated sealing profile structure with recess, eliminating the need for separate components and on-site assembly of multiple parts, thereby reducing installation time while maintaining reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentEP2700342B1Shower tray panel
Publication Date: 2018.04.25 SANIPAT GMBH
  • EP2700342B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2700342B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2700342B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The shower tray panel (100) has a shower gutter unit (600) with an integrated shower gutter (400) and a shower base plate major portion (500). The shower gutter unit and the shower tray plate major portion are connected to each other by a connecting element (300). The main portion is provided with two height-adjustable screw threaded feet (200a). The shower tray plate major portion is provided with a first variable width (BDBP-HT). The shower gutter unit is provided with a second constant width (BDR-T). An independent claim is included for method for setting a shower tray plate.