Patent Application
20130000035
1. Technical Field
The invention relates to a wastewater drain comprising an odor trap according to the preamble of claim 1, which is suitable in particular for the installation in shallow shower trays, to a shower base element according to the preamble of claim 15, and to a method for producing such a shower base element.
2. Description of Known Art
Wastewater drains comprising odor traps are known in various designs. If such wastewater drains are used for shallow shower trays, it is important that the wastewater drains have a corresponding shallow design. Freely accessible walk-in shower trays should protrude as close to zero as possible, and therefore only the shower depression remains for installing the wastewater drain.
A wastewater drain construction comprising an odor trap is disclosed, for example, in the prior art, as published in GB 2 298 661 A. Here, a water trap, which comprises a water level chamber both inside and outside the drain, is created on a crucible-shaped housing section, part of which is used as an overflow wall. The drawback of this design is that only the part of the crucible-shaped housing section facing the drain can be utilized as an overflow wall 34, from the first chamber 22 into a second chamber 36, because the second chamber 36 does not completely surround the first chamber 22. So as to still achieve an acceptable drainage capacity, which is defined as the volume of water drained per unit of time, it is necessary to give the outlet 38 connecting to the second chamber 36 a large dimension, whereby the height of the overall system is disadvantageously increased. Moreover, with the selected construction of a second chamber that does not completely surround the first chamber, a flatter design would result in reduced height for the overflow wall 34, which prevents optimal odor control, notably when the water level has dropped due to an extended period of dry conditions. Another drawback is that, given the dimensions thereof, the wastewater drain disclosed in GB 2 298 661 A1 is obviously not suitable for installation in a shallow shower base element.
DE 202008001013 U1 shows a drain fitting, notably for bathtubs and shower tubs, comprising a central water inlet and a siphon trap assembly disposed around the central inlet. An edge region 3 of the tub base 1 surrounding a base drain opening 2 has a conical shape and protrudes downward relative to the underside of the tub base. The conicity of the tub base is used to design a siphon trap assembly such that an upper housing wall section 5.4 is arranged at a higher level than a gasket 14 which is provided beneath a substantially horizontal section of the base drain opening 2 of the tub base. A housing wall section 5.6, which is rigidly integrated in the housing and conically widens toward the top, is provided between the base 5.2 and the overflow edge 5.5.
A removable base insert for forming a retaining wall which extends to the base of the drain housing is not provided and is also not possible from a design perspective, because the diameter of the overflow edge 5.5 is greater than the base drain opening 2 of the tub base.
DE 102008038274 B2 relates to tub drain, comprising a housing 1, an upper inlet opening 2, an inflow channel 3 arranged at the inlet opening, a siphon channel 7, a discharge channel 8, and an outlet opening 5 arranged in the outer lateral wall of the housing. Water entering through the inlet opening 2 is first conducted to the outer lateral wall 4 and then inward into the discharge channel 8. A channel region connects the inflow channel 3 with the siphon channel 7 and is provided below the discharge channel 8 and increases the overall height of the drain by approximately the height present in this channel region. This results in an overall drain height which is not satisfactory in meeting the special requirements of shallow drain systems.
The object is therefore to create a wastewater drain comprising an odor trap which has high drainage capacity and a low design and which also satisfies the requirements regarding the odor blocking action. There is also a demand for a ready-to-install shower base element comprising an integrated drain element, wherein the total height is likewise low, while meeting requirements in terms of drainage capacity and odor prevention.
Another object of the invention is to propose a method that can be used to produce a ready-to-install shower base element.
This object is achieved by a wastewater drain of the type mentioned above in that:
The odor trap is implemented by a chamber system designed according to the known “siphon principle”. An inner, preferably round, inlet chamber is separated from an intermediate chamber by the inlet connector, which constitutes a first retaining wall. The intermediate chamber is likewise preferably round and is separated by a second retaining wall from an outer drainage chamber, which also serves as a drainage channel feeding the inflowing fluid, which is generally water, to a drainage connector. The region between a depression located at the shallow housing base and the lower edge of the first retaining wall forms an underflow, and the region between the second retaining wall and the underside of the inlet connector located above this retaining wall forms an overflow. The underflow and overflow are designed such that, when used, a water level forms which separates the drainage chamber and inlet chamber from each other in a gas-tight manner. The retaining walls, which preferably have a circular shape, are substantially longer than an overflow wall which is formed by only a portion, for example the portion of a base insert associated with the drain, which is favorable in terms of a higher volume flow. The base of the shallow housing has a gradient contour in the direction of the drainage connector. This gradient continuously widens the drainage channel and moreover is favorable in terms of the water draining in the direction of the drainage connector because water, due to the physical properties thereof, will generally flow toward the respectively lowest point.
The cover comprises an attachment which has a receptacle for an inlet connector and a cover face surrounding the attachment. The wastewater drain can thus be integrated as a whole in a floor pavement forming a shower region, wherein only the attachment protrudes above the floor pavement. A sealing layer may optionally be applied to the floor pavement, whereupon in turn a tile floor can be applied in the known manner. The laid tiles directly adjoin the preferably quadrate attachment of the cover and form a shower base contour, comprising the floor covering and wastewater drain, which has a uniform height in the overall. The receptacle for the base insert is designed such that it is held rigidly in the shallow housing and nonetheless is easy to remove as needed, for example for cleaning purposes.
Moreover, it is advantageous to provide an adapter piece, which is connected to a receptacle comprising the drainage connector of the shallow housing. The water flowing out through the drainage channel of the shallow housing must then be supplied to a drainage system, which generally consists of standardized round pipes. If the drainage channel opens directly into such a round pipe system, a bottleneck is created at the transition point, which is unfavorable in terms of flow and leads to stemming and consequently to a decrease in the drainage capacity. In contrast, an adapter piece disposed between the drainage channel and round pipe system reduces the contour of the channel, not seamlessly, but continuously, and thereby prevents the formation of turbulence and discontinuous flow.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a dome projects centrally upward from the depression, the dome forming a support element for a cover grate. While a cantilevered cover grate would have to absorb load peaks at the center thereof, the peaks either reducing the strength of the cover grate or necessitating reinforcement measures that add to the cost of the product, a shallow housing which is provided with such a support element, which for static and flow reasons is preferably conical and round, can overcome the aforementioned drawbacks of a cantilevered system. This makes it possible to implement a relatively large inlet chamber for water penetrating through the openings of the cover grate using a relatively thin cover grate thickness. Such a relatively large inlet chamber favorably impacts the requirements in terms of the drainage capacity and height which are to be achieved.
It is particularly advantageous when two annular faces are formed at the level of the lower edge of the inlet connector, wherein:
If the shallow housing contains no central dome, an inner circular face is produced in place of the inner annular face. The essential aspect is that the inner circular, or circular ring, face is approximately 50% to 65%, and preferably approximately 59%, of the size of the outer annular face, which is essentially formed by the surface of the intermediate chamber, wherein the surfaces of the two faces are to be determined at the level of the lower edge of the inlet connector separating the inlet chamber and intermediate chamber. Such a relationship in terms of size results in surprisingly advantageous flow conditions, which make it possible to optimize the at least partially mutually competing objectives of the wastewater drain, which include an overall low design together with high drainage capacity and good odor blocking action, wherein the optimum is regarded as being that of satisfying the requirements of the standard DIN EN 274-1:2002, 4.6, which includes, among other things, assuring drainage capacity of at least 0.4 liters/second with an swelling height of 15 mm.
In this context, it has also proven to be advantageous for the vertical distance between the upper edge of the base insert and the lower edge of the inlet connector to be less than 40 mm. While a greater distance improves the odor blocking action, it reduces the passage height of the space available for forming a transition between the inlet chamber and intermediate chamber, or between the intermediate chamber and drainage channel, the drain pan having an otherwise constant overall height. The passage height shall be understood to mean the vertical distance between the edge of an inlet connector forming a retaining wall and the bottom of the shallow housing, or between the edge of a base insert forming a retaining wall and the upper delimitation formed by the underside of the inlet connector. A smaller distance leads to decreased odor blocking action, including a drop below the requirements set out in the standard DIN EN 1253-2:2002, 5.2.
Moreover, it is advantageous for the center of the tubular base insert to be arranged offset relative to the side on which the drainage connector is disposed, whereby the drainage channel continuously widens, starting from a point opposite the drainage connector in the direction of the drainage connector. The reason for this is that the outflowing water current initially flows evenly from all sides into the circular inlet chamber, then reaches a circular ring-shaped intermediate chamber, and finally enters the drainage channel. The water flowing over the circular retaining wall of the base insert must be supplied to the drain pan on one side. As a result, the water that flows over the retaining wall on the side opposite the drainage connector merges with the water current of the water that flows over the retaining wall in the region of the direction of the drainage connector. Starting from the point opposite the drainage connector, this point forming a kind of drainage divide from which the outflowing water flows clockwise on one side and counter-clockwise on the other side in the direction of the drainage connector, the amount of water to be discharged in the direction of the drainage connector thus increases continuously. This continuously increasing amount of water is accommodated by the drainage channel, which widens conically in the direction of the drain pan.
It is further advantageous for the shallow housing to comprise a drainage connector having differing horizontal and vertical opening widths, and for the horizontal opening width to be larger than the vertical opening width. This is due to the fact that the draining water is ultimately supplied via the drainage connector to a round pipe, which generally has an outside diameter of 40 mm. So as to deflect the water flowing into the drainage connector from the drainage channel in a manner that is advantageous in terms of flow, sudden transitions should be avoided, because these cause turbulence and stemming. A drain which is conical in the overall would therefore be optimal. However, because the design of such an inlet is not possible due to the desired low overall height, it is advantageous for the horizontal opening width to be larger than the vertical opening width, and therefore a drainage connector having an overall funnel shape is produced.
The overall stability of the adapter piece connected to the shallow housing increases if both components are non-detachably connected to each other. Such a connection can, for example, be achieved by creating detent elements by welding and/or by gluing the components to each other.
So as to be able to join the drainage connector having differing opening widths to a standardized pipe system, it is advantageous for the channel located inside the adapter piece to taper from the receptacle in the direction of the outlet connector and to transition into a round pipe.
In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, a support element supporting the cover is provided in the shallow housing in the region of the transition to the drainage connector. It is thus possible for the cover to have a thin construction, and thus for the height to be reduced and also the necessary strength to be achieved.
In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, a height equalization element is provided, which can be connected to the attachment of the cover. The wastewater drain according to the invention is generally provided with a layer of tile in the region of the face of the cover, wherein the tiles directly adjoin the attachment of the cover and the upper edge of the attachment is connected flush with the level of the grout joints connecting the tiles. Depending on the type, however, the thickness of the floor tiles that are used varies, wherein tiles having a thickness of 3 mm, 8 mm and 10 mm are generally used in the region of a shower base. So as to design the water drain uniformly as the base element even when differing tiles are used, it is recommended that the height of the covering be such that it is suitable for the tile height that is normally the lowest. The other tile thicknesses are adapted by adding a height equalization element in the standard covering, the element equalizing the added difference caused by the use of thicker floor tiles.
The object according to the invention is further achieved by a shower base element having a wastewater drain according to the invention, in which the wastewater drain is integrated in the shower base element. Integrating the wastewater drain allows sub-assembly at the factory, which can not only be carried out cost-effectively, as part of a series production process, but also facilitates the installation of the shower base element at the construction site. Any requirements with respect to the necessary seal tightness of the overall system at the connecting points of individual parts can likewise be implemented and inspected more easily with a factory sub-assembly.
A preferred embodiment of such a shower base element has a total height of no more than 65 mm, with the aforementioned requirements in terms of drainage capacity and odor blocking compliant with standards being satisfied. Because the installation height is reduced to no more than 65 mm, shower stalls that are initially not barrier-free, for example those including shower trays which are placed on a floor pavement layer forming a floor, can be more easily converted. Converting such shower stalls becomes more difficult, or impossible, if the layer that must be removed so as to introduce the shower base element according to the invention is so thick and/or so strong that removal would be economically feasible only with considerable drawbacks for statics and/or cost reasons.
It is further advantageous for the shower base element according to the invention to be penetrated only once at the upper side in the region of the wastewater drain, this penetration being suitable for accommodating the attachment of the cover with a precise fit.
In general, in an intact shower base element, which typically contains a foamed material core as the basic element to which a special mortar layer is applied at the factory, water can enter and seep beneath the shower base element only where the shower base element is penetrated. However, such a penetration is required if the drain is to be provided in the center of the shower base element. So as to reduce the risks of water seeping underneath, it is therefore advantageous to provide as few penetrations as possible, as these constitute potential problem areas.
The object according to the invention is further achieved by a method for producing the aforementioned shower base element, wherein the following method steps are carried out:
What is essential about this method is in particular that the bed plate, which preferably comprises a foamed material made of XPS, EPS or PU material, is coated after the upper side of the bed plate has been provided with a gradient contour which is directed toward the drain. The contour of the wastewater drain, which is designed such that the drain is completely accommodated therein, is introduced from the underside of the bed plate and penetrates the upper side of the plate at the center thereof only to the extent as is required to accommodate the attachment of the cover.
All parts of the wastewater drain, preferably with the exception of the strainer, can be produced from heat-resistant, high-strength plastic material in an injection molding process, wherein good processability and adaptability is also achieved. To the extent required during normal use, the described wastewater drain comprising an odor trap can be disassembled and cleaned and is easy to re-assemble.
This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is neither intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor should it be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any disadvantage noted in any part of this application.
The aforementioned and/or other features, aspects, details, utilities, and advantages of the present invention are: set forth in the detailed description which follows and/or illustrated in the accompanying drawings; possibly inferable from the detailed description and/or illustrated in the accompanying drawings; and/or learnable by practice of the present invention.
The present invention will be more readily understood from the detailed description of embodiments thereof made in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which:
Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to the like elements throughout. The embodiments are described below to explain the present invention by referring to the figures.
Although the following text sets forth a detailed description of at least one embodiment or implementation, it is to be understood that the legal scope of protection of this application is defined by the words of the claims set forth at the end of this disclosure. The detailed description is to be construed as exemplary only and does not describe every possible embodiment since describing every possible embodiment would be impractical, if not impossible. Numerous alternative embodiments and/or implementations are both contemplated and possible, using either current technology or technology developed after the filing date of this patent, which would still fall within the scope of the claims.
The figures show a top view and a sectional view of the wastewater drain 1, comprising a shallow housing 3, a cover 12, an inlet connector 16 introduced inside the cover 12, and an adapter piece 46. The cover 12 opens upward with a quadrate attachment 14.
The wastewater drain moreover comprises a base insert 9, which due to the position thereof at the interior of the housing is only visible in
The upper side of the inlet connector 16 is provided with a circular ring-shaped, flattened face 45, which forms the contact face for the cover grate 11. The circular ring is interrupted by grooves 50, which conduct water merging in the drainage channel 51 into the interior of the inlet connector 16. The inlet connector 16 includes a tubular drain 49.
The shallow housing 3 is connected to the cover 12 and to the adapter piece 46. The connection is established by detent elements. It is also possible to apply a suitable adhesive, either additionally or instead of the detent elements. Components 3, 12 and 46 are connected to each other in a waterproof manner at the connecting points thereof by suitable gaskets, weld connections and/or sealed adhesive joints. The adapter 46 comprises a round outlet connector 25, which is dimensioned such that it can be connected to pipes which are customary in the sanitary field, which typically have standardized dimensions and are not shown in detail here.
The housing side wall 5 of the cover side 7 and a support element 39 provided in the region of the transition 38 bear the cover 12, which is shown in
A flange 15 is used to connect the cover 12 to the inlet connector 16.
In the lower region of the base insert 9, a groove 20 located on the outside is provided, which accommodates a sealing element 21. The sealing element 21 assures a rigid connection between the shallow housing 3 and base insert 9. The outside diameter of the base insert 9 is smaller than the diameter of the receptacle 15 of the cover 12 and therefore the base insert Scan be removed from the wastewater drain as needed, for example for cleaning purposes, even in the completely assembled state.
In substantially similar fashion, the inlet connector 16 is connected to the receptacle 15 of the cover 12 and can optionally be removed.
With the wastewater drain installed, the dome 10, which ascends in a conically thinning manner starting from the depression 61 of the shallow housing 3, and has a flattened tip 56, which preferably is arranged at the same level as the face 45 and acts as further support for the cover grate 11, is located at the center of the inlet connector 16.
In the region of the flange 15, the inlet connector 16 and cover 12 are connected to each other in the form of a plug connection, wherein a sealing element is provided between the two components, the sealing element preferably being a sealing element which is disposed on an outer groove of the inlet connector 16.
When the wastewater drain is used properly, water flows through the cover grate 11 into an annular inlet chamber 53 surrounding the dome 10. The inlet chamber 53 is delimited downward by the lower edge 27 of the inlet connector 16, wherein the inner contour 29 forms a first retaining wall. An annular passage is formed between the lower edge 27 and the base of the depression 61, the passage having a passage height 55 of less than 10 mm, and preferably 8 mm±0.5 mm, through which the water flowing into the inlet chamber 53 is conducted into an intermediate chamber 52. The intermediate chamber 52 is delimited to the inside by the outer contour 30 of the inlet connector 16 and to the outside by the inner contour 31 of the base insert 9, which forms a second retaining wall 22.
Inflowing water is forwarded into the drainage channel 33 via the annular upper edge 32 of the second retaining wall 22 by a second passage, which is delimited toward the top by the underside of the inlet connector 16 and which has a passage height 54 of less than 10 mm, and preferably 8 mm±0.5 mm. The passage heights 54 and 55 are preferably identical in size. The vertical distance H1 between the upper edge 32 of the base insert 9 and the lower edge 27 of the inlet connector 16 is less than 40 mm, and preferably 38 mm±0.5 mm.
The retaining walls formed between the inlet chamber 53 and intermediate chamber 52, and between the intermediate chamber 52 and drainage channel 33, are designed such that an odor trap, which is basically known, is formed.
The essential aspect is that the size of an annular face A1 of the inlet chamber is approximately 50% to 65%, and preferably approximately 59%, of the size of an annular face A2 of the intermediate chamber, in each case measured at the level of the lower edge 27.
As a result, the shower base element 2 constitutes a ready-to-assemble installation part comprising a standardized water drain, wherein the element can be installed at a construction site by an installer at a shower site intended for this purpose. The wastewater drain of this shower base element 2 can, as needed, be connected to further, generally standardized, components of a pipe system and be completed by the subsequent application of a tile surface to form a shower stall, which is flush and barrier-free in relation to the region surrounding the shower base element.
Examples of various features, aspects, components, and/or operations have been provided to facilitate understanding of the disclosed embodiments of the present invention. In addition, various preferences have been discussed to facilitate understanding of the disclosed embodiments of the present invention. It is to be understood that all examples and preferences disclosed herein are intended to be non-limiting.
Although selected embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described individually, it is to be understood that at least aspects of the described embodiments may be combined.
Although selected embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it is to be understood the present invention is not limited to the described embodiments. Instead, it is to be appreciated that changes may be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the claims and the equivalents thereof.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 2011 051 430.9 | Jun 2011 | DE | national |
