Segmented Shower Drain Cover for Hidden Edges and Easy Cleaning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing shower drains with visible upper edges of vertical walls and grating require matching color treatments for the drain pan and surrounding surfaces, leading to increased costs and aesthetic issues due to visible gaps when finishing layers are applied.
Innovation Solution
A cover plate divided into two parts covers the upper edges of the vertical walls, allowing the drain pan to be made of a less expensive material and enabling the cover plate to match the surrounding finish without requiring the drain pan to be colored, with removable parts for easy access and cleaning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If the grating is placed within the perimeter of the vertical walls and provided with color treatment, then the aesthetic appearance is improved, but the costs increase excessively due to requiring the drain pan to also be color-treated
Solution Approach 1:
The cover plate is divided into multiple segments (first cover plate portion and second cover plate portion) that can be separately manufactured and assembled. This allows the cover plate to be color-treated independently while the drain pan can use a different, less expensive material without color treatment, resolving the cost issue while maintaining aesthetic appearance.
2Ease of manufacture
If the shower drain is fitted against a wall before applying the finishing layer, then installation is simplified, but gaps become visible between the shower drain and wall after the finishing layer is applied
Solution Approach 1:
The cover plate is designed with portions that extend beyond the vertical walls of the drain pan, creating an overlap that allows the finishing layer to be applied over the drain area. This preliminary design ensures that when the finishing layer is applied, it covers the area where gaps would otherwise be visible, maintaining aesthetic appearance while allowing flexible installation timing.
3Illumination intensity
If the finishing layer overlaps the grating, then aesthetic appearance is improved, but removal of the grating for cleaning becomes hampered or impossible
Solution Approach 1:
The cover plate is segmented into a first cover plate portion that overlaps with the finishing layer and a second cover plate portion that does not overlap. The second portion remains accessible for removal and cleaning operations, while the first portion provides the aesthetic overlap with the finishing layer. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by providing different functional zones within the same component.
4Device complexity
If the drain pan is made visible, then structural simplicity is maintained, but aesthetic appearance deteriorates due to visible upper edges of vertical walls
Solution Approach 1:
The cover plate acts as an intermediary element that covers the visible upper edges of the vertical walls of the drain pan. Instead of making the drain pan itself aesthetically pleasing through color treatment, the cover plate serves as a mediator that hides the drain pan's appearance while allowing the drain pan to remain structurally simple and made of less expensive material.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
The shower drain according to the invention comprises a drain pan elongated in a longitudinal direction and having an outlet (2), a bottom surface and vertical walls (4, 6) along a perimeter of the bottom surface, wherein upper edges of the vertical walls define an inflow opening of the drain pan. The shower drain further comprises a cover plate (8, 9), which covers the inflow opening of the drain pan, wherein in the cover plate at least one orifice is provided, through which water can flow via the inflow opening into the drain pan. The cover plate extends over each of the upper edges of the vertical walls in order to cover the upper edges completely. The cover plate is divided, in the longitudinal direction of the drain pan, into at least two cover plate parts (8, 9).