Waterless Urinal Odor Trap Sealant Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Waterfree urinal traps face issues with syphoning, leading to loss of odor-preventing sealant and reduced cartridge life due to excessive water flushing or sudden heavy use, resulting in increased replacement costs and potential clogging.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a lowered ceiling over the entry compartment, a snorkel in the drain stand, and ribs to guide wastewater flow, along with an angled overflow end and channel guides to prevent syphoning and clogging, while minimizing the exposed sealant area and enhancing fluid flow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a larger quantity of sealant is used to maintain odor barrier capability during syphoning events, then odor prevention is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a vertical dimension by adding a baffle wall that creates a multi-level structure within the trap chamber. This divides the space into an upper chamber and a lower chamber, allowing sealant to be positioned at different elevations. The baffle wall with its opening at a specific height creates a controlled pathway that maintains the odor barrier function while reducing the total sealant quantity needed, as the sealant is concentrated in strategic locations rather than distributed across a large surface area.
Solution Approach 2:
The trap chamber is segmented into multiple compartments by the baffle wall. This segmentation creates distinct zones: an upper chamber for receiving wastewater, a lower chamber for sealant accumulation, and a controlled opening between them. The segmentation allows the sealant to be confined to specific areas where it is most effective, reducing the overall quantity needed while maintaining reliable odor prevention during syphoning events.
2Reliability
If the drain stand surface area is increased to reduce clogging, then reliability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent adds a vertical element to the drain stand structure by incorporating a raised portion or ledge at a specific height. This creates a multi-level drainage surface where wastewater can flow over different elevations. The raised portion increases the effective surface area for water flow without significantly expanding the horizontal footprint, thereby reducing clogging risk while maintaining a compact design.
Solution Approach 2:
The drain stand incorporates curved or angled surfaces that guide wastewater flow smoothly. The raised portion may have rounded edges or sloped surfaces that prevent debris accumulation and facilitate continuous flow. This curvature design increases the effective flow path length and surface area interaction without adding complex structural elements, improving clog resistance while keeping the design simple.
3Reliability
If the ceiling of the entry compartment is lowered to reduce exposed sealant area, then odor prevention is improved, but the volume of the entry compartment decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent compensates for the reduced entry compartment volume by utilizing the vertical dimension. The baffle wall creates a lower chamber that provides additional volume for sealant accumulation and wastewater storage. By distributing the functional volume across different elevations (upper chamber for intake, lower chamber for storage), the design maintains adequate capacity while keeping the exposed sealant area minimized through the lowered ceiling configuration.
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
This configuration reduces odor exposure, extends cartridge life, and minimizes clogging, ensuring effective odor barrier performance with reduced sealant usage and preventing syphoning during heavy use or flushing events.
Implementation Method 1
a modicum of sealant floatable on the wastewater in the chamber for functioning as a barrier to orders
Implementation Method 2
such as by completely filling the discharge or outlet compartment to its ceiling, thus creating a syphon effect, which thereby sucks the wastewater and sealant from the entry compartment
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 3A
AI summary
A cartridge for a waterless urinal, having an inlet compartment (78,) has a ceiling (90), which is spaced from the cartridge upper wall (60) and from the wastewater-receiving opening (64) therein. A throat (88), which communicates the inlet compartment with the wastewater-receiving opening, has an area which is less than the area of the ceiling. Further, a discharge section (86) is coupled between an outlet compartment (80) and the external drain and includes a drain tube (98) and communicating with the outlet compartment and opening at an exit port area (106) for discharge of the wastewater fluid. A three rib channel guide mechanism (100) is formed within the tube to guide flow of the wastewater. In addition, the discharge section drain tube (98) includes a snorkel (110) which extends downwards to above the level of the horizontal drain, to allow any air from the external drain to pass to the outlet compartment generally below the ceiling (90) to prevent any syphoning.