One-Piece P-Trap Structure for Easier DIY Installation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional P-trap designs have complex structures that complicate manufacturing and installation, requiring professional plumbers and high labor costs, while users seek a simpler DIY installation method.
Innovation Solution
A one-piece P-trap design with a simplified structure, comprising a front body and rear body integrally coupled with specific angle elbows and tubes, and a manufacturing process that reduces steps and materials, allowing for easy assembly and installation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional multi-component P-trap structure is used, then assembly flexibility is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple separate components (front body, rear body, connecting member) into a single integrated P-trap body. The front body includes a vertical tube and obtuse angle elbow, the rear body includes an acute angle elbow and level tube, all formed as one piece through bending and shaping operations on a single metal sheet, eliminating the need for separate connecting members and multiple assembly steps.
2Reliability
If conventional multi-component P-trap structure is used, then connection reliability is improved, but ease of manufacture deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates all connection surfaces and sealing interfaces into the single P-trap body structure. The front body and rear body are formed with integrated connection surfaces that directly interface with the water supply pipe and drain pipe, eliminating separate connecting members and multiple assembly steps while maintaining connection reliability through continuous metal structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary forming operations on the metal sheet during manufacturing, including bending, shaping, and creating connection surfaces in advance. The P-trap body is pre-formed with all necessary geometric features (vertical tube, elbows, level tube, connection surfaces) before installation, enabling quick assembly without complex field operations.
3Strength
If conventional multi-component P-trap structure is used, then structural strength is improved, but productivity and installation speed deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a single integrated P-trap body from one metal sheet, providing continuous material structure and inherent structural strength without requiring multiple fasteners or joining operations. The integrated design eliminates weak points at connection interfaces while reducing the number of components that need to be assembled, thereby increasing installation speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs all structural forming and strengthening operations during manufacturing, including bending, shaping, and creasing the metal sheet to create the final three-dimensional structure with inherent strength. The product arrives at the installation site already strengthened and ready for quick assembly, eliminating the need for field strengthening operations.
4Adaptability or versatility
If conventional multi-component P-trap structure is used, then adaptability to different configurations is improved, but loss of time in assembly increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates all configuration variations into a single P-trap body design that accommodates different pipe orientations and connections through its integrated geometry. The front body with vertical tube and obtuse angle elbow, combined with the rear body featuring acute angle elbow and level tube, provides configuration adaptability without requiring separate components or assembly steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent pre-forms all configuration-specific geometric features during manufacturing, including various elbow angles, tube orientations, and connection surface positions. The single P-trap body arrives at the installation site with all configuration adaptations already built-in, eliminating the need for field modifications or component reconfiguration.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4
AI summary
Disclosed are a one-piece P-trap and its manufacturing process. The one-piece P-trap includes a front body and a rear body integrated with each other; the front body includes a vertical tube and an obtuse angle elbow integrated with each other, and the vertical tube and obtuse angle elbow are intersected at a junction; the rear body includes an acute angle elbow and a level tube integrated with each other, and the acute angle elbow and the level tube are intersected at a junction; the obtuse angle elbow and the acute angle elbow are intersected at a junction; the front body and the rear body constitute a whole main body; the main body has a water inlet disposed at the top of the vertical tube and a water outlet disposed at an end of the main body. The P-trap is a one-piece structure, not just simplifying the manufacturing process of the P-trap, saving the packaging process and improving the production efficiency only, but also reducing the installation steps for use and allowing ordinary people to install and use the P-trap easily.