Tiled Floor Drain with Segmented Grating and Asymmetric Channel
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tiled floor designs with elongate shower drains and discharge channels face challenges such as difficulty in cleaning and inspection due to hidden tile gratings, require excessive tile cutting for incline, and pose slip hazards from metal drain strips, while also having suboptimal finish and seal issues.
Innovation Solution
A tiled floor design with a drain element having fixed dimensions, where tiles form the inclining surface and discharge channel, allowing for easy sealing and cleaning, and incorporating a foam underlayer for simplified installation and concealed drainage, along with adjustable finishing profiles to ensure a neat finish and prevent slipping.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If a tile grating is used to cover the shower drain, then the drain becomes less visible and the finish is improved, but the drain becomes difficult to remove for inspection and cleaning
Solution Approach 1:
The drain cover is divided into two separate parts: a removable grating element and a fixed threshold element. The grating can be easily removed for cleaning while the threshold remains in place to maintain the finish appearance, resolving the contradiction between aesthetic finish and accessibility for maintenance.
2Quantity of substance
If a smaller drain element is used, then material usage is reduced, but excessive tile cutting is required to create multiple inclining surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The drain element is extended in the longitudinal dimension to create an elongate shape. This dimensional change allows a single large tile to form the inclining surface without requiring multiple cuts, while the increased length compensates for the reduced width, maintaining adequate drainage capacity with reduced material usage.
3Reliability
If metal drain strips are used, then drainage function is provided, but slip hazard is created due to low surface roughness
Solution Approach 1:
The drain element is constructed with different materials for different parts: the threshold uses a non-slip material (such as ceramic or stone) that matches the surrounding floor tiles, while the internal drainage channels maintain efficient water flow. This local differentiation eliminates the slip hazard while preserving drainage function.
4Reliability
If a discharge channel with large width is used, then sealing is improved, but the transition to surrounding floor is difficult to finish
Solution Approach 1:
The discharge channel has an asymmetric cross-section with a narrow width at the surface level where it transitions to the floor, and a wider section below for adequate sealing. The threshold element tapers to a thin edge at the top, creating a smooth aesthetic transition while maintaining sufficient sealing capacity in the lower portion.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
The invention relates to a tiled floor (1), comprising: - a drain element (4, 26) arranged in the tiled floor and having an inflow opening (8) which can be connected to an outlet pipe (9); - a discharge channel (5, 23, 24) which is formed in the floor and connects to an inflow side of the drain element, and along which water can be carried to the drain element and wherein the bottom of the discharge channel is formed by tiles (5); - an inclining surface (A) which is formed in the surface of the tiled floor and the downward inclining direction of which is directed toward the drain element, wherein the discharge channel is elongate, with two parallel inflow edges (12) over which water can flow into the discharge channel, that the drain element comprises two parallel upper edges (13), which upper edges are arranged in line with the inflow edges of the discharge channel and wherein at least one upper edge and the inflow edge lying in line therewith connect to the inclining surface; wherein the upper edge of the inflow side of the drain element extends between the two upper edges of the drain element and wherein the upper edge of the inflow side lies at least partially below the level of the two parallel upper edges of the drain element and connects to the bottom surface of the discharge channel.