Shower Drain Unit With Curved Siphon Wall

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing shower drain units are complex to assemble, prone to misalignment under high water pressure, and often result in inefficient water flow and odor issues due to their intricate designs and poorly secured components.

Innovation Solution

A drain unit comprising a sump, a siphon housed within the sump, and a grid with C-shaped slits that directs water efficiently through a curved surface, ensuring effective coupling with the building's drain system and easy assembly, while maintaining a sleek appearance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If a complex sump shape with vertical walls and multiple unions is used, then water drainage capability is improved, but device complexity and assembly difficulty increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewater drainage capabilityVSAvoidsump shape complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The drain unit is divided into separate functional components: a sump for water collection, a siphon for odor prevention and drainage, and a grid for filtration. Each component can be manufactured independently and assembled together, simplifying the overall device complexity while maintaining effective water drainage capability through the coordinated function of these segmented parts.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The siphon is nested within the sump structure, with the siphon housing positioned inside the sump. This nested arrangement allows the siphon to utilize the space within the sump, eliminating the need for separate complex external structures while maintaining both water drainage and odor prevention functions in a compact integrated design.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

2Ease of manufacture

If the siphon is not well fastened to the sump, then assembly simplicity is improved, but reliability deteriorates under high water pressure

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveassembly simplicityVSAvoidsiphon positioning stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The siphon is pre-positioned within the sump during manufacturing, with its opening aligned with the bottom of the sump before final assembly. This preliminary positioning ensures that when the components are assembled in the field, the siphon is already correctly located and secured, maintaining reliability under high water pressure while keeping the assembly process simple.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Productivity

If a grid with C-shaped slits is used, then water flow efficiency is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewater flow efficiencyVSAvoidslit alignment precision
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The grid features C-shaped slits with a specific local geometry designed to optimize water flow through the grid while maintaining structural integrity. The C-shape provides sufficient opening area for efficient drainage while the configuration is simple enough to be manufactured with standard precision tolerances, avoiding the need for excessively tight manufacturing specifications.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

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 provides a straightforward assembly process, efficient water flow, and prevents unpleasant odors by optimizing the internal space and secure coupling of components, ensuring continuous and odor-free drainage.

Implementation Method 1

the siphon comprises a rear wall, an intermediate wall and a front wall, wherein the intermediate wall has a curved surface suitable for conveying the drain water into a union of the siphon

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSiphon effect: Syphon

Implementation Method 2

the drain water flows down into the sump through the grid, then rises into the siphon between the rear wall and the back of the intermediate wall, and finally flows down along the curved surface towards the union of the siphon

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectGravity: Gravitation

Implementation Method 3

a grid suitable for filtering the drain water conveyed by the channel at the entrance of the sump

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPhysical filtration: Filter (physical)

Data Source

PatentEP3992379B1Drain unit for showers
Publication Date: 2023.07.12 PROFILPAS SPA
  • EP3992379B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3992379B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3992379B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

A drain unit (1) for showers is described, comprising a sump (3), a siphon (4) housed in the sump (3), a channel (2) and a grid (5) suitable for filtering the drain water conveyed by the channel (2) at the entrance of the sump (3). The grid (5) has an opening (51) and a plurality of slits (52) in series which form a C-shape around said opening (51). The siphon (4) comprises a rear wall (42), an intermediate wall (43) and a front wall (44). The intermediate wall (43) has a curved surface (433) able to convey the drain water into a union (31) of the siphon (4) able to couple with a union (41) of the sump (3).