Wall Drain Venting Decouples Air and Water Flow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wall drain devices allow contaminated air and moisture to escape into the room when water flows in, posing sanitation issues, especially in hospitals, due to the displacement of air within the device.
Innovation Solution
A wall drain device with a ventilation opening decoupled from the interior, connected to a building air conditioning system, and equipped with a suction device to prevent germ-loaded air from entering the sanitary area, along with a setback flap and locking device to manage water flow and prevent backflow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a wall drain device is used to drain water from a shower tray or bathtub, then water drainage function is achieved, but contaminated air and moisture escape into the room through the inlet opening due to air displacement
Solution Approach 1:
The vent opening is spatially separated from the inlet opening and positioned in the upper rear section of the housing. This segmentation allows air and water flows to be decoupled, with air exiting through the vent opening while water enters through the inlet opening, preventing contaminated air from entering the room
Solution Approach 2:
The vent opening acts as an intermediary channel for displaced air to exit the housing. By providing this separate air egress path, the system prevents air from reversing direction and entering through the inlet opening, thus eliminating the harmful effect of germ-laden air entering the room
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the vent opening is positioned in the upper rear section of the housing, then air flow is decoupled from water flow, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The upper rear section of the housing serves multiple functions: it provides structural support, accommodates the vent opening for air egress, and maintains the decoupling of air and water flows. This multi-functionality achieves the goal of preventing germ-laden air escape without significantly increasing device complexity
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
Effectively prevents the spread of germs and moisture into the room by decoupling air and water flows, ensuring a sanitary environment by using a ventilation system and suction to manage air pressure and prevent backflow.
Implementation Method 1
air, which due to its always lower specific gravity compared to, in particular, inflowing water, is located above the water
Implementation Method 2
air, which due to its always lower specific gravity compared to, in particular, inflowing water, is located above the water, does not flow back into the room equipped with the sanitary installation through the inlet opening against the direction of inflowing water, but rather flows out of the interior of the wall drain housing through the vent opening
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
The invention relates to a wall drain device (10) with a wall drain housing (30) that can be arranged in and/or behind a wall (20) or in a wall opening (25) and connected to a wastewater pipe, and at least one wall-side inlet opening (40), wherein the wall drain housing (30) has at least one vent opening (50) which, in an installed operating state of the wall drain device (10), is arranged behind the wall (20) in an upper section of the wall drain housing (30) and is designed such that air, which due to its always lower specific gravity compared to, in particular, inflowing water, is located above the water, does not flow back into the room equipped with the sanitary installation through the inlet opening against the direction of the inflowing water, but rather flows out of the interior of the wall drain housing through the vent opening of the wall drain housing, decoupled from the inflowing water.wherein the vent opening (50) is connected to an active air extraction system of a building air conditioning system, for example an air conditioning system, in particular of a hospital, and a combination of such a wall drain device (10) with a sanitary floor element (90).