ES2987506T3 - Drain bowl for use on a sanitary bowl drain valve - Google Patents

Abstract

Drain vessel (1) for use in a drain valve (8) of a sanitary vessel, in particular a sink, washbasin or the like, comprising three components in the form of an upper vessel part (2) for use in an opening of the sanitary vessel, a lower vessel part (3), which in particular has a drain opening (5), and a connecting device (4), with which the upper vessel part (2) and the lower vessel part (3) can be connected to each other, in particular wherein the lower vessel part (3) and the upper vessel part (2) can be connected positively and/or non-positively by means of the connecting device (4). (Automatic translation with Google Translate, without legal value)

Description

DESCRIPTION

Drain bowl for use on a sanitary bowl drain valve

The invention relates to a drain bowl for use in a drain valve of a sanitary vessel, in particular a sink, washbasin or the like.

The invention also relates to a drainage unit for a sanitary container, in particular in the form of a sink, washbasin or the like.

The invention also relates to a connection element and to a method of manufacturing a connection element.

Although the present invention is generally applicable to any drain bowl and drain accessory, the present invention will be explained with reference to drain bowls and drain accessories for sinks.

US 453,308 A and US 2,065,347 A each show a vertical overflow pipe for closing a drain opening. US 5,692,248 A shows a bottom part of a bowl which is inserted into the drain opening of a washbasin. From BE 682687 A, various embodiments of a drain bowl are known. US 5,418,983 A shows a bottom part of a bowl which is inserted into the drain opening of a washbasin. From DE 202010005380 U1, a washbasin drain is known comprising a lower part mountable to the washbasin from below and sealing against the bottom of the washbasin and an upper part mountable to the washbasin from above and sealing against the inside of the washbasin, the lower part and the upper part being connected to each other by a lower pipe section enclosed by the bottom part and an upper pipe section enclosed by the top part, through which a drainage channel extends. US 1,612,588 A discloses fittings for drains used in sinks, washbasins and the like. From GB 1333706 A, there are also known drain openings for installation in baths, washbasins, sinks and similar sanitary installations, which have a tubular shaft, one end of which is provided with an outwardly protruding circumferential flange, which is designed in such a way that it sits on the inner surface of an appliance around an opening in the base of the appliance when the opposite end of the stem is passed downwardly through the opening and the opening is fastened to the appliance, whereby the opposite end of the stem can be connected to a drain pipe in a known manner.

Kitchen sinks often have a drain that serves to remove dishwater. To prevent the sink from overfilling, an overflow system is often installed, for example in the form of an overflow opening in the sink or a concealed overflow system based on the principle of communicating pipes.

The latter has become known together with a drain fitting, for example from EP 2 660 398 A1. Here, in a known manner, a drain bowl of the drain fitting is inserted from above into a drain opening of the sink and connected to a drain valve arranged at the bottom of the sink, such that the drain valve and the drain bowl are fixed in the drain opening of the sink. In this case, the drain bowl is made of one piece and can be closed by means of a plug. In addition to a central drain opening, the drain valve also has two side openings for connecting the concealed mountable overflow system. The fluid connection between the sink and the overflow system is possible via the flow openings in the side wall of the drain bowl, even if the drain bowl is closed by the plug. The overflow system is connected to the centrally located drain opening via the lower of the two openings of the drain valve. If the sink is overfilled, water is channeled from the sink through the overflow system and the drain valve drain opening into a trap.

The disadvantage is that cleaning the drain bowl is complicated and time-consuming if its flow openings become dirty. Another disadvantage is that the height of the drain bowl must be designed differently or adapted to the thickness of the sink wall. This increases the manufacturing costs of the drain bowl.

One of the tasks of the present invention is therefore to provide a drain bowl and a drain valve which are easy to clean, can be manufactured at low cost and can be adapted to different material thicknesses and types of sanitary container in a simple and flexible manner. Furthermore, a simple and reliable connection of an overflow system, in particular an overflow system based on communicating pipes, should be made possible.

The present invention solves the problems with a drain bowl according to claim 1.

The present invention also solves the problems with a drainage accessory according to claim 8.

The connecting device, in particular a connecting element, for connecting an upper part of a bowl to a lower part of a drain bowl for use in a drain valve of a sanitary vessel, in particular a sink, washbasin or the like, may have an essentially annular shape and have a circumferential sealing element on the radial exterior, essentially L-shaped clamping devices being arranged extending parallel to the axis of the ring.

Furthermore, the connecting device, in particular the connecting element, can be manufactured using a two-component injection moulding process.

The term “connectable” is to be understood in the broadest sense and refers, in particular in the claims, preferably in the description, to any type of fixing, arrangement, etc., total or partial, of two parts, components, etc., to each other. These may be separated from each other, but their relative mobility with respect to each other is limited in at least one direction.

One of its advantages is that the multi-part design of the drain bowl, for example a three-piece design, makes it particularly easy to clean and install. In addition, its manufacture is cost-effective, as there is no need for complicated designs of a one-piece drain bowl with flow openings. The multi-part design of the drain bowl, in particular in conjunction with the drain valve, also allows extremely flexible adaptation of a drain fitting to different sink wall thicknesses, material types, and the like.

Advantageously, the lower bowl part and the upper bowl part can be connected in a form-fitting and/or force-fitting manner by means of the connecting device. An advantage of this is that a simple and reliable fixing of the lower bowl part and the upper bowl part is made possible by means of the connecting device.

The lower part of the bowl and the upper part of the bowl can be connected to each other in certain areas by means of the connecting device. The advantage in this case is that material and weight can be saved, which makes handling easier and reduces manufacturing costs. The term “area” should in particular be understood as a section, space, surface or similar. The term “by area” in connection with the term “connectable” should in particular be understood as a purely sectional definition or connection.

The upper part of the bowl has a projection on its side opposite the lower part of the bowl, in particular in the form of a circumferential edge, and the connecting device has at least one retaining element for fixing to the projection on the upper part of the bowl. This facilitates the production of the lower part of the bowl and the connecting element. The retaining element(s) can be designed in the form of a fully or partially circumferential profile on the upper part of the connecting element, for example in the form of a hook or L-profile or the like. The projection can also have recesses, indentations or the like, into which the retaining element(s) can engage fully or partially for fixing.

The connecting device has at least one spacer element for distancing the upper part of the bowl and the lower part of the bowl such that at least a minimal flow opening is formed between the upper part of the bowl and the lower part of the bowl. This makes it particularly easy to attach the drain bowl: First, the lower part of the bowl can be connected to the connecting device and then the upper part of the bowl can be connected to it. The drain bowl can thus be supplied pre-assembled for installation in a sink or the like.

The connecting device advantageously has a first sealing element, which is arranged on an outer side of the connecting device. The first sealing element can be in the form of one or more O-rings. For this purpose, the connecting device can have corresponding recesses into which the first sealing element can be inserted. By means of the sealing element, the connecting device can also provide a sealing function in addition to the partial connection or fixing of the upper bowl part and the lower bowl part.

Advantageously, the connecting device has a second sealing element at its upper part to seal the contact with the bottom of the bowl. In this way, leakage of liquid between the connecting device and the bottom of the bowl is prevented, even when the bottom of the bowl is closed by a plug.

Conveniently, the connecting device is made of a different material than the upper part of the bowl and/or the lower part of the bowl, in particular with both bowl parts made of metal and the connecting device made of plastic. One of the advantages gained in this way is that production is inexpensive overall and yet a high-quality impression of the upper and lower parts of the bowl is created for the observer. In addition, it can also be easily cleaned. It is also possible to manufacture the two mentioned parts and the connecting device from different materials.

Advantageously, the connecting device and the lower bowl part and/or the connecting device and the upper bowl part can be connected to each other by means of a bayonet connection. This enables easy assembly and disassembly of the drain bowl, particularly reliable fixing of the upper and lower bowl parts and easy cleaning of the bowl. Likewise, two of the three components - the upper bowl part, the lower bowl part and/or the connecting device - or all of them can also be fixed to each other by means of a snap, clip and/or bayonet connection. The upper bowl part can have corresponding recesses on the circumferential edge into which the retaining elements of the connecting device fit. The lower bowl part can also be designed accordingly, into which additional retaining elements of the connecting device fit for a snap, clip and/or bayonet connection. Conversely, the connecting device can also have recesses into which corresponding projections, retaining elements, or the like of the upper and/or lower bowl part fit. Conveniently, the bottom of the bowl is essentially disc-shaped. This makes the production of the bottom of the bowl particularly easy. This can also be easily connected to the top of the bowl using the connecting device.

Advantageously, the connecting device can be connected to the radially outer region of the upper bowl part and/or the connecting device can be connected to the radially outer region of the lower bowl part. This means that the upper and lower bowl parts can be easily fixed or connected to each other by means of the connecting device. In this way, a complicated fixing in the area of the inside of the two bowl parts can be omitted.

Advantageously, the first sealing element and/or the second sealing element are formed in one piece with the connecting device. This makes the connecting device easier to manufacture and further reduces the number of parts required, thereby reducing costs and assembly work.

Conveniently, the bottom part of the bowl can be fixed to the drain valve by means of a fixing element, in particular a central fixing element. This facilitates the fixing of the multi-part drain bowl as a whole to the drain valve via the bottom part of the bowl, especially in the middle.

Advantageously, the drain valve has at least two openings for connecting an overflow system and the connecting device can be arranged on the drain valve such that at least one of the openings is in fluid connection with the sanitary container. This allows, for example, a concealed overflow system to be connected to the drain valve with the multi-part drain bowl and to provide an overflow protection function for the sanitary container.

The at least two openings are conveniently arranged vertically above one another at a predetermined distance from one another. On the one hand, this makes it possible to dispense with a complicated arrangement of the openings and a corresponding control system in the same horizontal plane. On the other hand, the predetermined distance means that the connection device can be placed within this distance on the drain valve, so that it can be easily adapted to different wall thicknesses of the sanitary containers. In this way, separate production of the drain valve for different wall thicknesses can be avoided.

Advantageously, a first sealing element, which is arranged on the outside of the connecting device and/or a second sealing element on the upper part of the connecting device for sealing contact of the connecting element and the lower part of the bowl are manufactured in one piece with the connecting device using the multi-component injection moulding process, preferably the two-component injection moulding process. This means that the respective sealing element can be manufactured together with the connecting device at low cost and the assembly work is reduced.

Other important features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the subclaims, the drawings and the associated description of the figures with reference to the drawings.

In the drawings, preferred embodiments of the invention are shown and are explained in more detail in the following description, with identical reference signs referring to identical or similar or functionally identical components or elements.

In them,

Figure 1 shows a drainage bowl according to one embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2 shows a cross section of a drain valve with a drain bowl according to an embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 3 shows in cross section a drain valve with a drain bowl according to another embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 4 shows a drain valve with a drain bowl according to another embodiment of the present invention; and

Figure 5 shows a drain fitting with an overflow system connected in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 1 shows a drainage bowl according to one embodiment of the present invention.

In Figure 1, a multi-part drain bowl 1 is shown. The drain bowl 1 has an essentially annular or cylindrical upper bowl part 2, which tapers towards a flat lower bowl part 3. In addition, Figure 1 shows a connecting device in the form of a connecting element 4 for connecting the lower bowl part 3 to the upper bowl part 2. The upper bowl part 2 has no openings in its side wall 2a, which considerably simplifies its production. However, openings can also be provided in this part if necessary. The upper bowl part 2 also has an upper circumferential edge 6a projecting in a radial direction and a lower circumferential edge 6b projecting in a radial direction. The upper circumferential edge 6a serves to rest on the inside of a sanitary container at a drain opening, for example a sink. The lower circumferential edge 6b is used to insert or hook the connecting element 4. For this purpose, the connecting element 4 has on its upper side substantially L-shaped retaining elements 7 which correspond to the edge 6b, the longer legs 7c of which are oriented in the direction of the axis 60 of the upper bowl part 2. The retaining elements 7 are designed such that they completely or partially surround the circumferential edge 6b of the upper bowl part 2. In addition, the connecting element 4 has an O-ring-shaped sealing element 10 on its radial outer side 4a.

The lower bowl part 3 is disk-shaped and has a central opening 12 in the centre for fixing it in place, as well as several drainage openings 5 in the circumferential direction. These drainage openings 5 can be closed by a plug 31 and prevent the contents from running out of a sink or the like. The lower bowl part 3 is dimensioned such that its outer diameter corresponds, on the one hand, to the outer diameter of the circumferential edge 6b of the upper bowl part 2 and, on the other hand, to the positioning of the lower bowl part 3 between the retaining elements 7 of the upper part of the connecting element 4.

The upper bowl part 2 and the lower bowl part 3 are made of metal, while the connecting element 4 is made of plastic. Other materials are also conceivable or it is possible to manufacture the connecting element of metal. It is also conceivable to manufacture the lower bowl part 3 and the connecting element 4 of the same material, in particular plastic.

Figure 2 shows a drain valve with a drain bowl according to an embodiment of the present invention in cross section.

In Figure 2, the arrangement of a drain bowl 1 in a drain valve 8 is now essentially shown. The outer diameter of the connecting element 4 is dimensioned such that, in its mounted position in the drain valve 8, it is in sealing contact with the interior 8' of the drain valve 8, if necessary by means of a circumferential seal 10. In order to provide flow openings 9 between the upper bowl part 2 and the lower bowl part 3, the lower bowl part 3 is fixed in an area of the drain valve 8 not shown here in Fig. 2 by means of a hollow screw 13 arranged in the central opening 12. By this fixing of the lower bowl part 3 to the drain valve 8 and the simultaneous contact of the upper bowl part 2 with a wall 50 of a sink, the upper bowl part 2 and the lower bowl part 3 are essentially "braced" to each other by means of the connecting element 4, i.e. the upper bowl part 2 and the lower bowl part 3 are arranged at a defined distance from each other in the assembled state, the distance being essentially determined by the vertical extension of the L-shaped retaining elements 7 of the connecting element 4. In other words, the movement of the upper bowl part 2 in the downward vertical direction in Fig. 2 is restricted by the wall 50 and the vertical movement of the lower bowl part 3 is restricted by the fixing to the upper bowl part 2 by the connecting element 4, the lower bowl part 3 restricting the movement of the connecting element 4 in the vertical direction by its fixing to the outlet valve 8.

The lower part 3 of the bowl rests in a sealing manner on a contact surface 11 of the annular connecting element 4, which may be provided with a seal 11'. The seal 11' may be in the form of an O-ring, which is partially pressed into a corresponding recess in the contact surface 11.

In the embodiment of the drainage bowl 1 of Fig. 2 and also in the other figures, the bottom part 3 of the bowl and the connecting element 4 can also be made of the same material, in particular plastic, for example by means of a 2-component injection moulding process. The seal 11' and/or the seal 10 can also be manufactured in one piece with the connecting element 4 by means of the multi-component injection moulding process, whereby the respective seal is then made of a rubber-like material, for example.

The L-shaped retaining elements 7 of the connecting element 4 may be designed to be partially flexible, for example to provide a kind of spring function, in order to prevent damage if too much force is applied when installing the drain bowl 1. Furthermore, mounting tolerances can be compensated for by fixing the drain bowl 1 with the hollow screw 13 on the drain valve 8.

Figure 3 shows in cross section a drain valve with a drain bowl according to another embodiment of the present invention.

The drain valve 8 shown in Figure 3 now has two lateral connection openings 20, 21 arranged one above the other in the vertical direction on its left side in Figure 2. The two lateral connection openings 20, 21 serve for connection to a concealed overflow system. The two lateral connection openings 20, 21 have a distance 40 defined in the drain valve 8 from one another in the vertical direction. The connection element 4 of the drain bowl 1 is arranged in the drain valve 8 such that it seals against the interior 8' in the area between the two connection openings 20, 21, i.e. in the area of the distance 40. In this way, a fluid connection is created between the upper part of the drain valve 8 and the lower part of the drain valve 8'. In this way, a fluid connection is created between the upper part of the upper bowl part 2, i.e. with the contents of a sink, on the one hand, and with the upper lateral connection opening 20 via the flow openings 9 between the lower bowl part 3 and the upper bowl part 2, on the other hand. An outlet opening 25 of the drain valve 8 is arranged at its lower part and connected to a drain pipe 26.

Figure 4 shows a drain valve with a drain bowl according to another embodiment of the present invention.

In Figure 4, a drain valve with a drain bowl 1 as shown in Figure 2 is essentially shown. In contrast to the drain valve 8 shown in Figure 2, the drain valve 8 shown in Figure 4, or more precisely the connecting element 4 in Figure 4, now has the connecting elements 7 with an upper retention zone 7b and a lower retention zone 7a, so that the circumferential edge 6b of the upper bowl part 2 is now fixed between these two in the vertical direction and is not limited only vertically upwards, for example in the direction of a sink, by the upper retention zone 7b, as in Figure 1. In this way, a defined distance is made available between the lower bowl part 3 and the upper bowl part 2. The two retention zones 7a, 7b can be designed as radial projections in the direction of the central axis 60 of the upper bowl part 2 and the lower bowl part 3. Furthermore, these may have a distance from each other greater than the thickness of the circumferential edge 6b of the upper bowl part 2 in the vertical direction along the axis 60. To avoid damage during installation, they may be designed to be flexible in the vertical direction, for example elastic. They may also have a different length in the radial direction. For example, the lower retention zone 7a may be shorter than the upper retention zone 7b.

Figure 5 shows a drain fitting with an overflow system connected in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.

In Figure 5, a drain bowl 1 is shown with an upper bowl part 2, a lower bowl part 3 and a connecting element 4. The drain bowl 1, or more specifically its lower part 3 and indirectly the connecting element 4, is fixed in the middle of the drain valve 8 with a hollow screw 13. In order to close and open the drain openings 5 of the lower bowl part 3, a plug 31 is arranged which is connected to a sieve basket 30 and which can normally be raised or lowered, for example by means of a corresponding drive device (not shown here), in order to open or close the drain openings 5. At the top of the drain valve 8, a gasket in the form of a sealing gasket 32 is arranged, which abuts against the bottom of the wall of a sink when the drain valve 8 is mounted. At the bottom of the drain valve 8, there is also an outlet opening 25 for connecting a drain pipe 26. Two openings 20, 21 for connecting an overflow system 22, 23, 24 based on the communicating pipe principle are arranged horizontally above one another on the left side of the drain valve 8. This overflow system 22, 23, 24 comprises a riser pipe 22a, 23a which is fluidically connected to the upper opening 20. Furthermore, the overflow system comprises an overflow bridge 23, which comprises an aerator 24 in its upper region in a known manner. The overflow bridge 23 connects the riser pipe 23a to a downpipe 23b, which opens into the lower opening 21 of the drain valve 8 in the downstream course 22b. As already explained, the drain valve 8 seals towards the sink via the seal 32. The inner contour of the drain valve 8 and the outer contour of the connecting element 4 are matched to each other very precisely, so that the two side openings 20, 21 are sealed against each other.

When assembled and with the lower bowl part 3 closed by the plug 31, water cannot drain directly from a sink into a siphon or the like: Water first enters the drain bowl 1 from a sink via the upper bowl part 2. The water then enters laterally via the lateral flow openings 9, located between the upper bowl part 2 and the lower bowl part 3, via the essentially flat, oval upper opening 20. Depending on the water level in the sink, it rises via the overflow system in the rising pipe 22a, 23a. When the water level reaches the turning point, i.e. the maximum filling level in the sink, at the overflow bridge 23, the water flows back down via the falling pipe 22b, 23b and via the lower side opening 21 to the drain valve 8 located below the drain bowl 1. The water is then drained directly into the drain into the siphon. The drain bowl 1 with the connecting element 4, the upper bowl part 2 and the lower bowl part 3 behaves like a conventional bowl.

In summary, the invention, in particular its embodiments, provides or enables at least one of the following advantages:

- special ease of cleaning

- ease of installation

- manufacturing profitability and

- great flexibility in adapting the drain bowl to different sinks, in particular to their wall thicknesses, types of material, etc.

List of reference signs

1 Drain bowl

2 Top of the bowl

2nd Side wall of the top of the bowl

3 Bottom of the bowl

3a Outer wall of the bottom of the bowl

4 Connecting element

4a Outer side of the connecting element

5 Drain openings

6 Surrounding edge

7 Retaining hook

7a, 7b, 7c Upper retention area/lower retention area/retention hook leg 8 Drain valve

8' Inside the drain valve

9 Side flow openings

10 Circumferential joint

11 Support surface of the bottom of the bowl

11' Contact surface gasket

12 Central opening

13 Hollow screw

20 Upper side connection opening

21 Lower side connection opening

22 Corner connection of the overflow system

22a, 23a Riser tube

22b, 23b Downpipe

23 Overflow system overflow bridge

24 Overflow system aerator

25 Drain valve outlet opening

26 Drain tube

30 Sieve Basket

31 Closing cap

32 Sealing gasket

40 Distance between connection openings

50 Sink wall

60 Axis

Claims (10)

1. Drain bowl (1) for use in a drain valve (8) of a sanitary container, in particular a sink, washbasin, or the like, comprising three bowl-shaped components. a bowl top (2) for insertion into an opening of the sanitary container, a lower bowl part (3) which in particular has a drainage opening (5), and a connecting device (4), by means of which the upper bowl part (2) and the lower bowl part (3) can be connected to each other, in particular where the lower bowl part (3) and the upper bowl part (2) can be connected by means of the connecting device (4) so that they fit together by shape and/or by force, characterized because The upper bowl part (2) has a projection, in particular in the form of a circumferential edge, on its side facing the lower bowl part (3) and the connecting device (4) has at least one retaining element (7) for fixing to the projection of the upper bowl part (2) and wherein the connecting device (4) has at least one spacer element (7a, 7b) for spacing the upper bowl part (2) and the lower bowl part (3) such that at least one minimum flow opening (9) is formed between the upper bowl part (2) and the lower bowl part (3). 2. Drain bowl according to claim 1, characterized in that the connection device (4) has a first sealing element (10) which is arranged on the outside of the connection device (4) and/or because the connection device (4) has a second sealing element (11') on its upper part to seal the contact between the connection device (4) and the lower part (3) of the bowl. 3. Drain bowl according to one of claims 1-2, characterized in that the connecting device (4) is made of a different material than the upper bowl part (2) and/or the lower bowl part (3), in particular because the bowl parts (2, 3) are made of metal and the connecting device (4) is made of plastic. 4. Drain bowl according to one of claims 1-3, characterized in that the connecting device (4) and the lower bowl part (3) and/or the connecting device (4) and the upper bowl part (2) can be connected to each other by means of a bayonet connection. 5. Drainage bowl according to one of claims 1-4, characterized in that the lower part (3) of the bowl is essentially disc-shaped. 6. Drainage bowl according to one of claims 1-5, characterized in that the connecting device (4) can be connected to a radially outer region (6b) of the upper bowl part (2) and/or and the connecting device (4) can be connected to a radially outer region (3a) of the lower bowl part (3). 7. Drain bowl according to claim 6, characterized in that the first sealing element (10) and/or the second sealing element (11') are formed in one piece with the connecting device (4). 8. Drainage accessory for a sanitary container, in particular in the form of a sink, washbasin or the like, comprising a drainage bowl (1) according to one of claims 1-7 and a drainage valve (8), wherein an outer side (4a) of the connection device (4) of the drainage bowl (1) rests sealingly against an inner side (8') of the drainage valve (8), in particular wherein the lower part (3) of the bowl can be fixed to the drainage valve (8) by means of a fixing element (13), in particular a centrally arranged fixing element. 9. Drainage accessory according to claim 8, characterized in that the drain valve (8) has at least two openings (20, 21) for connecting an overflow system (22, 23, 24), and in that the connection device (4) can be arranged on the drain valve (8) such that at least one of the openings (20, 21) is in fluid connection with the sanitary container. 10. Drainage accessory according to claim 9, characterized in that the at least two openings (20, 21) are arranged one above the other in the vertical direction at a predetermined distance (40) from each other.