Sanitary Drain Housing with Height-Adjustable Frame

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for installing drains in sanitary installations are complex, particularly in aligning and sealing the mounting box after screed pouring, and lack flexibility in adapting to different floor structures.

Innovation Solution

A method involving a housing with a detachable frame that can be adjusted in height, allowing the drain fitting to be positioned within the housing and sealed after screed pouring, using a frame made of hard foam for easy cutting and a sealing collar for sealing, along with height-adjustable feet and additional connections for water and electrical inlets.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If a mounting box is leveled on a substrate before pouring screed, then the drain installation achieves proper alignment, but the assembly process becomes relatively complex

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvealignment precisionVSAvoidassembly complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The housing is pre-positioned on the substrate before pouring the screed layer, allowing it to be embedded and leveled in advance. This preliminary positioning ensures proper alignment while simplifying the overall assembly process, as the housing serves as a reference element during screed pouring rather than requiring complex post-installation adjustments.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The housing acts as an intermediary element between the substrate and the drain fitting. By embedding the housing in the screed, it provides a stable, pre-positioned structure that simplifies the connection of the drain fitting later, eliminating the need for complex leveling operations on the substrate itself.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If the housing is permanently embedded in the screed, then the installation adapts flexibly to different floor heights, but the sealing process after screed pouring becomes complex

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefloor height adaptabilityVSAvoidsealing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The housing is divided into two functional parts: a lower portion that is permanently embedded in the screed for stability and adaptability to different floor heights, and an upper frame portion that remains accessible for sealing operations. This segmentation allows the sealing process to be performed on the accessible frame rather than requiring complex operations on the embedded portion.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The frame serves as an intermediary sealing surface between the embedded housing and the final waterproofing membrane. By providing this intermediate sealing layer on the accessible frame, the system simplifies the overall sealing process while maintaining the permanent embedding of the housing for floor height adaptability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Ease of manufacture

If a detachable frame with sufficient wall thickness is used, then the housing can be easily cut to screed level and sealed, but the material consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecutting and sealing easeVSAvoidmaterial consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The housing frame is designed with locally optimized wall thickness: sufficient thickness (at least 10 mm) only in the regions where cutting and sealing operations are performed, while other portions of the housing use minimal necessary thickness. This local quality approach provides the required ease of manufacture for cutting and sealing while minimizing overall material consumption.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP3527733B1Method for installing a drain of a sanitary fitting
Publication Date: 2023.01.25 BETTE GMBH & CO KG
  • EP3527733B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3527733B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3527733B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

An installation device for a drain comprises a housing (1) on which a connection (8) for a wastewater pipe (13, 14) is provided on a side wall, to which a drain assembly (7) arranged in the housing (1) can be connected, and the housing (1) is closed at a top by a removable cover (12), wherein a detachable frame (2) is provided on the housing (1) above the connection (8) for the wastewater pipe (13, 14). The invention further relates to a method for installing a drain in a sanitary installation.