Odour Trap With Removable Flexible Non-Return Valve Panel
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing traps with flexible flaps require significant dexterity for assembly and are difficult to access and clean, as they can easily become misaligned or obstructed during installation, leading to ineffective sealing and potential blockages.
Innovation Solution
A trap design featuring a removable and flexible non-return valve mounted to a panel with a passage, where the flap is secured by a pin and can be easily inserted and removed, with a grill option to prevent larger debris from entering the drainpipe, ensuring proper alignment and easy maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the flexible flap is fixedly connected to the housing, then the sealing function is improved, but the ease of cleaning and accessibility deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The trap is divided into separate components: the housing, the panel with passage, and the flexible flap. The flap is attached to the panel rather than fixed to the housing, allowing the panel to be removed for cleaning while the flap remains attached. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by enabling both effective sealing and easy maintenance.
2Ease of manufacture
If the flexible flap is slid into a slit in the housing, then the ease of assembly is improved, but the manufacturing precision and reliability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The panel serves as an intermediary component between the housing and the flexible flap. The panel has a passage with a specific geometry that guides and constrains the flap during assembly, ensuring proper alignment without requiring high dexterity. The panel's structured design acts as a mediator that translates simple assembly actions into precise positioning.
3Reliability
If the flexible flap is made larger to improve sealing, then the sealing effectiveness is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible flap is merged with the panel as a single assembly unit. The flap is attached to the panel, which provides structural support and mounting features. This combination allows the flap to be larger for better sealing while the panel handles the complexity of mounting and alignment, reducing the overall device complexity.
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
The solution simplifies the assembly and cleaning process, prevents misalignment, and ensures effective sealing against odors and vermin, while allowing for easy replacement of the flap and maintaining flow directionality.
Implementation Method 1
the flexible non-return valve is executed as a silicone flap, an edge of which is suspended to the panel, such that the flap comes to hang vertically under the influence of gravity
Implementation Method 2
the flexible non-return valve forms a physical barrier for smells when there is no waste water flowing through the trap
Implementation Method 3
When waste water is flowing through the trap, the flap will come to lie on the flowing water surface as a blanket as it were, such that then also the smell from a sewer or drain is unable to penetrate into the trap
Implementation Method 4
the diameter of the pin and the diameter of the hole are aligned such that after assembly the pin is clamped in the hole for mounting the flexible flap to the panel
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
Trap with removable and flexible non-return valve (7), intended for carrying away waste water and preventing unpleasant smells and vermin coming from a drain or sewer, said trap (1) comprising a housing (2) with an inlet opening (3) and an outlet opening (4) provided in walls (5), (6) of the housing (2), whereby the flexible non-return valve (7) is mounted to or in a panel (8) with a passage (9) for carrying away waste water, whereby the passage (9) is covered by the flexible non-return valve (7) and whereby the trap (1) is provided with fasteners (10) for sliding the panel (8) into or against the housing (2) of the trap (1).