Urinal Seal Installation for Vertical Wall Plumbing
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Solution Overview
Problem
The installation of urinals on vertical walls is challenging due to the difficulty in achieving a watertight seal between the urinal and the plumbing drain lines, as the water supply and drain lines pass through a vertical wall, making accurate positioning and sealing difficult, especially since gravity works against maintaining the seal.
Innovation Solution
A urinal seal with a frusto-conical pipe insert portion, a radially extending seal portion, a circumferential flange, and a sealant applied to the opposing side of the seal portion, which is designed to be compressed between the siphon outlet and the drain inlet, ensuring a secure and watertight connection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional sealing methods are used with vertical wall installation, then the urinal can be installed on the wall, but achieving a watertight seal between the urinal and drain lines becomes difficult due to gravity working against the seal position
Solution Approach 1:
The seal is pre-installed into the drain line opening in the vertical wall before the urinal is mounted. The seal includes a pipe insert portion that is inserted into the drain line and a flange that protrudes through the wall surface, creating a ready-made sealing interface that eliminates the need for complex sealing operations during urinal installation.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing system is divided into separate functional components: a pipe insert portion for insertion into the drain line, a seal portion with adhesive for bonding, and a flange for providing a mounting surface. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function and simplifies the overall installation process.
2Manufacturing precision
If mounting brackets are positioned accurately relative to drain lines, then proper alignment can be achieved, but installation time increases due to the precision required
Solution Approach 1:
The seal with flange is pre-installed and positioned accurately in the drain line opening before the urinal mounting brackets are attached to the wall. This preliminary positioning establishes the correct alignment reference, allowing the mounting brackets to be quickly attached without requiring complex measurement and adjustment procedures.
3Reliability
If the seal is located out of sight and out of reach during installation, then the sealing interface is hidden, but it becomes difficult to properly engage and maintain the seal in position on the vertical wall
Solution Approach 1:
The seal is pre-installed into the drain line opening with the adhesive side facing outward before the urinal is mounted. This preliminary installation ensures the seal is properly positioned and the adhesive is ready to bond, eliminating the need for plumbers to reach behind the wall to adjust or maintain the seal during urinal installation.
Solution Approach 2:
The flange acts as an intermediary element that provides a accessible mounting surface for the urinal while the actual sealing interface (adhesive layer) remains positioned at the drain line opening. This allows the sealing function to be maintained out of sight while the mounting function is made accessible.
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 improves installation accuracy, reduces installation time, and minimizes leaks by providing a reliable sealing mechanism that maintains a watertight connection between the urinal and the drain lines, even on vertical surfaces.
Implementation Method 1
a sealant applied to the sealing portion and wherein the adhesive is applied to the opposing side of the seal portion from the circumferential flange
Data Source
AI summary
A urinal seal and a method of installing a urinal with a urinal seal located between the siphon outlet on a urinal and the plumbing drain lines of a building structure. The urinal seal generally includes a pipe insert portion and seal portion radially extending outwardly therefrom. The seal portion includes a first surface having an applied adhesive and a second opposing surface having a circumferential flange extending therefrom.