Patent Grant
8001629
The invention relates to a floor drain according to the preamble of claim 1. The use of floor drains of this type in buildings has been known for some time now. These drains are used, for example in a shower or in a kitchen, to channel away floor-level water into a disposal line running in the floor. Upstream of the disposal line, the floor-level water passes into a drain cup, in which a stench trap is arranged.
A floor drain for a shower is disclosed, for example, in the applicant's EP-A-1 775 395. This floor drain has a drain cup which can be fitted beneath an opening of a shower tray and, above an inflow opening, has a cover which can be removed in order for the drain cup to be cleaned.
A further floor drain of the type mentioned has been disclosed in GB-A-2 315 211 of the prior art. A shower tray is provided in this case as well. The drain opening is arranged in a periphery of the shower tray and is connected, via an angled pipe, to a stench trap arranged alongside the shower area. In order for the stench trap to be cleaned, the latter has a removable cover.
There is an increasing desire for showers which do not have a shower tray. In the case of these showers, the stench trap is usually accommodated in an opening in the floor, in which case the horizontally extending drain opening is flush with the top side of the floor. Such showers have the advantage that they can be used more easily by the disabled, the weak and the elderly.
The object of the invention is to provide a floor drain of the type mentioned which is suitable, in particular, for showers without a shower tray, but also for other types of sanitary installations.
The object is achieved according to claim 1. The invention makes it possible for floor-level water to be channeled away through an opening in a vertical wall, for example in a shower or in a kitchen.
The floor drain according to the invention can be installed, in its entirety, in a wall, for example in a false wall or structural wall. The shower area may thus be designed as desired, irrespective of the drain. Since the shower area does not require any drain cover, or any shower tray, it may be configured in a manner which is particularly appropriate for the disabled. The drainage arrangement is also advantageous from an aesthetic and/or architectural viewpoint since the drain opening may be configured to be very unobtrusive. In may be configured, for example, as a comparatively narrow slot at the bottom end of a wall. The water can then drain very effectively from the floor into this slot, or into this drain opening. The floor here is preferably inclined in the direction of the drain opening. The drain according to the invention, however, is also suitable, for example, for draining floor-level water in a kitchen or in any other room or area in which floor-level water has to be channeled away.
A development of the invention provides an inflow housing with a covering which can be removed for cleaning or inspection purposes. The covering is, for example, a plate which is arranged above the drain opening. It may be, for example, latched on. It may be produced, for example, from a metal or some other material, for example stone or wood. This covering is preferably likewise essentially flush with a front side of the vertical wall. Once the covering has been removed, the drain cup is readily accessible for inspection or cleaning purposes. For example, it would be possible for a dip vessel or a dip tube of the drain cup to be removed and for the housing to be cleaned. Following inspection or cleaning, all that is required is for the covering to be placed in position again, for example latched on.
According to a development of the invention, the inflow housing and the drain cup form a unit. This allows particularly straightforward fitting. For example, this unit may be installed as an installation unit in a false wall. Particularly straightforward, quick and reliable fitting is achieved if the unit forms a pre-assembled unit with the false wall.
A development of the invention provides that the inflow housing is arranged directly above the drain cup. This allows a particularly space-saving arrangement. This is then suitable, in particular, for a shower which is arranged in a corner of a room. A particularly straightforward and space-saving construction is achieved when, according to a development of the invention, the inflow housing is designed in the form of an enclosure and has a front opening which forms the abovementioned vertical drain opening. The enclosure-like inflow housing is suitable, in particular, for installation in a false wall.
According to a development of the invention, the wall-drain opening is a horizontally and vertically extending slot. The slot is arranged, in particular, flush in a wall and may be particularly unobtrusive and, nevertheless, configured such that the shower water can flow out quickly. The floor drain is, or can be, installed preferably in a vertical wall. The wall may be a structural wall or a false wall. In the case of a structural wall, the arrangement is inserted into a corresponding opening in the structural wall. The false wall itself may be any desired false wall and may be produced, for example, as a framework of vertical and horizontal profiles. It may also be provided for a shower which has at least one fitting for operating a shower head.
The invention also relates to a sanitary installation with a floor drain according to the invention. In the case of this installation, the floor drain is installed in an opening in the vertical wall. The wall-drain opening here is preferably essentially flush with a front side of this vertical wall.
According to a development, the installation is a shower which has a shower area formed by a floor superstructure with a top side. The inflow housing is located essentially above the plane of this top side, and the drain cup is located beneath this plane. The drain cup is preferably set down on a floor substructure and has a height corresponding essentially to the height of the floor superstructure. This makes it possible, in particular, for the disposal line to be laid in the floor superstructure. The shower water therefore then passes essentially horizontally from the top side of the shower area, through the drain opening to the stench trap, then flows vertically downwards into the stench trap and, from there, flows essentially horizontally again into the disposal line.
According to a development of the invention, the sanitary installation has a false wall which forms a prefabricated installation unit with the floor drain. When the false wall is fitted, the floor drain is thus also fitted at the same time.
The invention additionally relates to a method of fitting a sanitary installation. In a first step of this method, the drain cup is arranged on a floor substructure and connected to a disposal line. A floor superstructure is then produced on the floor substructure, the floor superstructure having a top side which is essentially flush with the top side of the stench trap.
Fitting can be carried out particularly quickly and reliably when use is made of a false wall in which the floor drain is integrated. It is then possible for the false wall to be fitted, together with the floor drain, on a floor substructure and for the floor substructure to be erected thereafter.
Further advantageous features can be gathered from the dependent patent claims, from the following description and from the drawing.
An exemplary embodiment of the invention will be explained in more detail hereinbelow with reference to the drawing, in which:
The shower 1 which is shown in
Arranged above the floor superstructure 3 is a false wall 8, which is positioned on the floor substructure 2 and is connected to the structual wall 4. According to
The false wall 8, in a bottom region, has an opening 10 into which an inflow housing 12 is inserted. Arranged beneath the inflow housing 12, according to
The covering plate 11 may be produced from any desired material, for example from plastic, metal, stone or wood. It can be fitted in a releasable manner, for example latched on or screwed on. Behind the covering 11, the housing 12 contains an interior chamber 18, which is located above the stench trap 14 and, with the covering 11 removed, allows the stench trap 14 to be inspected and cleaned.
The drain cup 16 has a top inflow opening 35, which is shown in
The inflow housing 12 is connected in a sealed manner to the drain cup 16. The connection contains, for example, a sealing collar 29 or some other suitable seal, which is arranged between the drain housing 12 and the drain cup 16 and ensures that shower water or other floor-level water which flows into the inflow housing 12 always leaves the latter by way of the stench trap 14. The inflow housing 12 and the drain cup 16 preferably form a unit. The inflow housing 12 may be integrally formed on the drain cup 16 or connected in a releasable manner, for example screwed or latched, to the same.
The connecting location between the inflow housing 12 and the drain cup 16 is located essentially in a plane which is formed by the top side 24 of the floor superstructure 3. The inflow housing 12 is thus located above this plane, and the drain cup 16 is located beneath this plane. The drain opening 13 extends vertically upwards, and also horizontally, from this plane, as
The floor drain 9 preferably forms an installation unit with the false wall 8. It is basically also possible, however, for the floor drain 9 to be fitted without the false wall 8. It may be inserted, for example, into an opening (not shown here) in the structural wall 4. However, fitting is simplified to a significant extent if the false wall 8 and the floor drain 9 form a pre-assembled unit. The floor drain 9 is preferably pre-fitted and can be fitted, with the false wall 8, as a unit at the site of installation.
The operation of assembling the shower 1 will be explained hereinbelow, by way of example, with reference to
Once the false wall 8 has been fitted, the disposal line 19 is connected to a drainage connector 15 of the drain cup 16, the disposal line, of course, being inclined to some extent in relation to the horizontal. The floor superstructure 3 is then produced. The top side 24 here is designed such that it is inclined to some extent in relation to the wall-drain opening 13 and forms the bottom termination of the wall-drain opening 13. The floor superstructure 3 may be produced as desired. It can be cast, for example, from a suitable casting compound. However, it may also be produced, for example, from stone or wood.
Following completion of the floor superstructure 3, the enclosure 21 is cut to length, in which case it is flush at the front with the front side 23 of the false wall 8. The fitting 6 is then inserted into the enclosure 21 and connected to the lines 7. Finally, a cladding or tiles can be fitted on the front side of the false wall 8, and the covering 11 may be flush with said cladding or tiles. As a final step, according to
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 07405184 | Jun 2007 | EP | regional |
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| 3457568 | Amatruda | Jul 1969 | A |
| 4043354 | Brown | Aug 1977 | A |
| 6014780 | Jurek et al. | Jan 2000 | A |
| 6581220 | Yekutiely et al. | Jun 2003 | B2 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 90 01 997.6 | Apr 1990 | DE |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20090000025 A1 | Jan 2009 | US |
