Pipe Mounting Device for Floor Drain Alignment Under a Subfloor
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge in installing floor drains lies in attaching the drain body to the drain pipe, as the pipe often moves within the subfloor cutout, leading to potential leaks and misalignment, making the installation difficult and prone to water damage.
Innovation Solution
A pipe mounting device with an elongate part and a mounting head that can move between a first position for insertion and a second position for secure engagement within the pipe, allowing easy access and alignment, using a friction fit to stabilize the pipe without damaging it.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the installer pushes the drain body onto the drain pipe through the cutout, then the drain body can be attached to the drain pipe, but the drain pipe moves or flexes away causing misalignment and potential leaks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a mounting device as an intermediary tool between the installer and the drain pipe. This device includes a mounting head that engages with the drain pipe and an elongate part that extends through the subfloor cutout, allowing the installer to control and stabilize the pipe position from above the subfloor during installation
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting device is inserted into the drain pipe before the drain body is attached. The mounting head is positioned within the pipe end and the device is moved to a second position where the mounting head lockingly engages with the inner diameter of the pipe end, stabilizing the pipe in advance before the critical attachment step
2Reliability
If the mounting head is made harder than the pipe end to create friction fit, then secure engagement is achieved, but excessive force could damage or crack the pipe end
Solution Approach 1:
The patent carefully selects the material hardness parameter of the mounting head to be slightly harder than the pipe end material, creating an optimal balance. This parameter change enables the pipe end to slightly flex and create a friction press fit without exceeding the damage threshold of the pipe material
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting head is designed with specific local properties at its engagement surface, including controlled hardness and size, to exert precise localized force against the inner diameter of the pipe end. This localized quality control ensures sufficient friction engagement while preventing damage to the pipe
3Reliability
If traditional mounting systems like bolts or screws are used below the subfloor, then the pipe can be secured, but complex manual dexterity and access below the subfloor are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent moves the operation from the traditional two-dimensional space below the subfloor to a three-dimensional solution that extends through the subfloor. The elongate part of the mounting device passes through the subfloor cutout, allowing the installer to access and control the pipe from above the subfloor, effectively utilizing the vertical dimension to overcome access limitations
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
Facilitates streamlined and improved installation of floor drains by allowing easy alignment and secure attachment of the drain body to the pipe, reducing the risk of leaks and damage, and requiring less manual dexterity than traditional methods.
Implementation Method 1
the pipe end slightly flexes to accommodate the mounting head in the second position, creating a friction of press fit between the mounting head and the pipe end
Data Source
AI summary
A pipe mounting device includes an elongate part and a mounting head attached to a first end of the elongate part. The mounting head is sized and configured for positioning within a pipe end. The pipe mounting device is movable via the elongate part between a first position in which the mounting head is passable through an inner diameter of the pipe end along a length, and a second position in which the mounting head lockingly engages with the inner diameter of the pipe end and is usable to secure a position of the pipe end below a subfloor.