Wall-Mounted Floor Drain for Tray-Free Shower Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a growing demand for showers without shower trays, which require a more accessible and aesthetically pleasing drainage solution that is also suitable for other sanitary facilities, as existing floor drains often require a shower tray or visible drain covers, limiting design flexibility and accessibility.
Innovation Solution
A floor drain system that can be fully integrated into a wall, featuring a removable cover for cleaning and a space-saving, box-shaped inlet housing that forms a unit with the drain pot, allowing for easy installation and a flush, unobtrusive drainage design suitable for showers, kitchens, and other areas.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a floor drain is installed under a shower tray with a drain cover, then the drainage function is achieved, but the shower area design is limited and accessibility is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the drainage function from the traditional shower tray configuration by installing the floor drain directly in the wall. This separates the drainage component from the shower tray structure, allowing the shower area to be designed freely without being constrained by drain cover positions or shower tray requirements, thereby improving both design freedom and accessibility
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions the drainage opening from a horizontal configuration (requiring a shower tray) to a vertical wall-mounted configuration. This dimensional change allows water to drain efficiently while eliminating the need for a shower tray and drain cover, thus enhancing both design versatility and accessibility for disabled and elderly users
2Adaptability or versatility
If a wall-mounted floor drain is used, then design freedom and accessibility are improved, but the drainage efficiency may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The inlet housing is designed with a curved, rounded configuration that facilitates smooth water flow into the drain pan. This curved geometry prevents flow resistance and ensures efficient drainage, maintaining high productivity despite the wall-mounted configuration
Solution Approach 2:
The floor is designed to be inclined toward the drain opening, creating a gravitational flow path that ensures water naturally flows to the drainage point without resistance. This equipotential design maintains drainage efficiency while allowing the drain to be positioned in the wall
3Adaptability or versatility
If the inlet housing and drain pan are separate components, then flexibility is improved, but installation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The inlet housing and drain pan are merged into a single integrated unit that forms a pre-assembled component. This combination simplifies installation by reducing the number of separate parts to be assembled, while the unit itself remains adaptable for use in pre-walls or building walls, maintaining installation flexibility without increasing complexity
Data Source
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AI summary
The floor drain has a drain cup with a top opening for ground water, and an outlet connected to a disposal line (19). An inflow housing (12) is arranged above the opening of the drain cup and is open on one side. The housing is connected to a wall-drain opening (13) in a vertical wall, such that drain cup is installed in the vertical wall, and the housing collects the ground water behind the wall-drain opening and directs the ground water into the cup. The housing has a wall with a lateral opening through which the ground water flows into the housing. An independent claim is also included for a method for installation of a sanitary device.