Field of the invention

The invention relates to a field of drain covers, especially the drain covers which enable the access of water into a drain but prevent the access of larger pieces into the drain.

Background of the invention

There is a plurality of different cover structures for drains and sewers available on the market. However, the problem of these known covers is their clogging during use. For this reason, the covers have to be cleaned regularly. Even a partially clogged drain cover decreases the flow into the drain causing many problems.

The drain cover structure according to the invention aims at eliminating problems with known prior art.

Brief description of the invention

The present invention is defined by the subject matter of the independent claim.

Embodiments are defined in the dependent claims.

The embodiments and features, if any, described in this specification that do not fall under the scope of the independent claim are to be interpreted as examples useful for understanding various embodiments of the invention.

Brief description of the drawings

The invention will now be described in more detail in connection with preferred embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 show a drain cover according to some embodiments to the invention.

Detailed description of the invention

Drain covers, such as e.g. floor drain covers, traditionally include several holes via which water is able to flow to a drain. The purpose of the holes is also to prevent objects and materials not intended to access the drain from ending up in the drain, which objects and materials could cause the clogging of the drain. Drain covers provided with several holes are susceptible for clogging. For example, a floor drain cover used in a shower room can easily become clogged with hair which get stuck to tabs between the holes. Even a partially clogged drain cover can cause many problems because the flow allowed through the drain cover decreases considerably. The drain cover according to the invention aims at reducing problems that exist in prior-art drain covers.

Referring now to Figure 1, according to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a drain cover 100, comprising a frame part 102 having one uniform opening 104 comprising at least a first, a second and a third branches 106A - 106C wherein each branch comprises at least a first and a second sub-branches 106A1 - 106C2 connected together at one end, and a middle section 108 for connecting all the branches 106A - 106C together to form the uniform opening 104, wherein the middle section 108 comprises protrusions 110A - HOC, arranged between the branches 106A - 106C, protruding towards each other for limiting a size of the opening in the middle section 108 such that a distance between the adjacent protrusions 110A - 110C is at maximum the same as a width of the sub-branches 106A1 - 106C2.

As illustrated in Figure 1, the opening 114 (hole) in the drain cover (100) is uniform which is very essential in the invention. The tabs (or any other features) between the openings in multi-opening (multi-hole) covers collect elongated waste like hairs which at first decrease the flow into the drain and finally may stuck the whole cover preventing the flow totally. So, the term "uniform opening" in this application refers to the drain cover where is only one opening.

Still referring to Figure 1, the uniform opening 114 is formed by a plurality of the branches 106A - 106C. In an embodiment of Figure 1, there is three branches in the opening. Each branch comprises at least two sub-branches 106A1 - 106A2, 106B1 - 106B2, 106C1 - 106C2. The sub-branches are connected together at one end forming substantially V - shape (for example sub-branches 106A1 and 106A2 in Figure 1).

The branches 106A - 106C are coupled together by the middle section 108 such that all the branches form one uniform hole through the drain cover. The middle section 108 further comprises protrusions 110A - HOC that are arranged between the branches 106A - 106C. The protrusions extend toward each other, and this limit the size of the opening in the middle section. In other words, the protrusions extend towards the middle point of the opening as illustrated in Figure 1, for example. Referring now to Figure 2, in an embodiment, the distance DI - D3 between the adjacent protrusions is at maximum the same (or substantially the same) as the width of the sub-branch W. Hence, the distance between the adjacent protrusion is the same or smaller than the width of the sub-branch. The with of the sub-branch W refers to a dimension between longer sides (edges) of the subbranch as illustrated in Figure 2. Standards regulate what the maximum width of the opening can be, and also how must water the drain cover must let though in some certain time period. The maximum width may be 8mm, for example. Hence, the distance DI - D3 between the adjacent protrusions is at maximum 8mm, or smaller like 7,8mm. Due to the protrusions, the maximum size of the opening is limited also in the middle section such that it does not exceed 8mm, for example. When the cover is tested against the standard, a ball having diameter of 8mm may be put on the top of the cover (opening), and the ball is not allowed to go through the opening into the drain. The drain cover must also pass water enough into the drain, and therefore the opening must have large enough. In other words, the opening having small size may prevent the access of the ball into the drain but may not allow water enough to flow to the drain. A strength of a structure of the drain cover having only one opening may also be problematic. When the area of the opening is maximized to get high water flow, there is often thin structures that may brake easily. This is the case especially when the maximum width of the opening is set.

The drain cover according to the invention provides the structure having only one opening with the limited maximum width but still allows the high water flow though it, and further the structure is strong enough to meet the requirements set in the standards. The drain cover is configured to meet European standards of the drain covers.

As illustrated in Figure 1, the drain cover may comprise totally the six sub-branches allowing the flow that is high enough to meet the European standards. The protrusions in the middle section (between the branches) limit the size of the opening in the area in which the branches are connected together making possible to keep the maximum width of the opening small enough to meet the above-mentioned standards. Furthermore, the shape of the opening with a material of the drain cover makes the structure very strong since thin material sections may be avoided. The material of the drain cover may steel, for example.

Referring to Figure 2, in an embodiment, the first, the second and the third branches 106A - 106C comprise the protrusion 112A - 112C, arranged between the sub-branches 106A1 - 106C2, protruding towards the middle section 108 for limiting a size of the opening 108 such that a distance between the adjacent protrusions 110A - HOC, 112A - 112C is at maximum the same as the width of the sub-branches 106A1 - 106C2.

As illustrated in Figure 2, the protrusion 112A in the first branch 106A extends towards the middle section 108, and hence the distance D4, D5 between the adjacent protrusions 112A, 110A, 110C is at maximum the same as the width of the sub-branches W. So, the principles described above with the protrusions in middle section are valid also for the protrusions that are in the branches. The protrusions limit the size of the opening in the areas wherein branches and/or subbranches are connected making possible to meet the standards. The above-mentioned principles are valid for all the protrusions in all the branches.

In an embodiment, the first and the second sub-branches 106A1 - 106C2 are connected before the middle section 108. Referring now to Figure 1, for example the first and the second sub-branches 106A1, 106A2 of the first branch 106A are connected before the branch 106A is coupled with the other branches 106B, 106C. The technical effect of this feature is to limit the size of the opening in the middle section because only three branches are connected there instead of the six sub-branches. If all the six sub-branches are connected in the middle, it may enlarge the size of the opening in that area.

In an embodiment, the sub-branches 106A1 - 106C2 are curved to the same direction. The curved shape of the branches provides a whirling flow (whirl) to the water going into the drain. This whirling flow cleans the drain cover effectively and, additionally, cleans the drain trap more effectively than a non-whirling flow. In addition, the curved shape of the sub-branches increases the area of the opening.

In an embodiment, the width of the sub-branches 106A1 - 106C2 is substantially the same for the whole length of the sub-branches 106A1 - 106C2. The width of the sub-branches W is illustrated in Figure 2. As described above, the width of the opening (branches/sub-branches) may be limited by the standards, hence the branches having the biggest possible width allows the maximum water flow through the opening.

In an embodiment, opposite side edges of the opening 104 are on the same plane. Hence, the sides (edges) of the opening are on the same level (plane) all over the opening. This enables a plate kind of structure of the drain cover such that a thickness is stable all around the cover. In an embodiment, the uniform opening 104 is configured to enable unobstructed flow to the drain. Hence, there is not any (support) structures in the cover (opening) that may obstruct the flow and to which the trashes may be stuck. Water may flow freely thought the opening into the drain.

According to another aspect of the invention, the drain cover comprises the frame part which includes one uniform opening which is arranged to go in a wave-like way from one side of the frame part to the other side of the frame part and to enable the access of water to the drain.

With reference to Figure 3 which shows the drain cover 100 in accordance with an embodiment comprising the frame part 102 which comprises an elongated opening 104. Thus, the drain cover only includes one uniform opening which enables the access of water to the drain. The opening goes from one side of the frame part to the other side of the frame part in a wave-like way, that is, by twists and turns. The opening is band-like, that, is, its width is small compared with its length. In an embodiment, the size of the opening is less than 8 mm, it can be e.g. 7.8 mm. The length of the opening is arranged such that the opening lets through a sufficient amount of water. Various standards in different application areas define the amount that the cover must let water through and how large (wide) the opening can be. For example, a floor drain cover in a shower room must be able to let a certain amount of water through and, additionally, the size of the opening must be such that pieces not belonging to the drain are not able to end up in the drain. Hence by adjusting the length, the size of the opening can be manufactured in accordance with different standards.

The size of the frame part of the cover is limited and, thus, the length of the opening can be increased with the wave-like shape. The wave-like shape refers to the opening going by twists and turns from the first side of the frame part to the second side of the frame part. The wave-like shape can be regular or irregular or a combination of them. Figure 3 shows a regularly wavy opening 104, in other words, the shape of one wave Al is repeated substantially the same for the whole length of the opening. An irregularly wavy shape refers to the shape of the waves of the opening being different from each other, that is, the shape is not the same for the whole length of the opening. In an embodiment, the wave shape is round-tipped (sine-shaped wave), such as shown e.g. in Figure 3. In an embodiment, the wave shape is of the shape of a square (square-shaped wave), such as shown in Figure 5. In an embodiment, the wave shape is of the shape of a triangle (triangular wave), such as shown in Figure 6. The wave shape can also be a combination of these embodiments.

In an embodiment, the wavy opening 104 comprises one or more waves Al. By changing the measurement (height) of one wave, it is possible to affect the size of the opening and the amount of water it lets through. Furthermore, the number of the waves can affect the size of the opening and the amount of water it lets through.

In an embodiment, the opening 104 goes from the vicinity of one edge R1 of the frame part 102 to the vicinity of another edge R2 of the frame part 102, such as shown e.g. in Figure 3. Said edges can be e.g. opposite ones. The shape of the drain cover can then be e.g. circular, quadratic or rectangular. In another embodiment, the opening 104 goes from one corner KI of the frame part 102 towards another corner K2 of the frame part 102, such as shown in Figure 2. Then, the shape of the drain cover can then be e.g. quadratic or rectangular.

A uniform opening refers to the edges of the opening forming one uniform shape. In other words, the cover only includes one opening through which water is led to the drain. As described above, the amount of water let through by the opening can be increased by increasing the size of the opening. This is especially by increasing the length of the opening because there can be limitations for increasing its width. The length of the opening can be increased by a twisting and turning opening.

The drain cover provided with one uniform opening is not so susceptible to clogging as traditional drain covers having several openings. Hence, the drain cover according to the invention enables a sufficiently high flow of water without cleaning, or at least with less cleaning, compared with the known arrangements. The most important reason for the clogging of a drain cover, such as a floor drain cover, is litter stuck on the tabs between the holes. For example, in showering rooms, the drain cover can be clogged due to hair such that the first end of the hair goes to a first hole of the cover and the second end to a second hole and, then, the hair becomes stuck in the tab between the holes. In this way, hair stuck in the drain cover are difficult to loosen. The accumulation of hair significantly decreases the amount of water let through by the drain cover, which can gather a pool of water to the vicinity of the drain cover. This pool of water considerable increases the risk of water damage. For this reason, the drain covers have to be cleaned often, which is cumbersome. Furthermore, the curved shape of the hole, such as shown e.g. in Figure 1, has been discovered to decrease the risk of clogging. The good amount of water flow let through by the drain cover also has an effect on the drain. For example, the drain trap in the drain is kept considerably cleaner, when the drain cover does not become clogged and, thus, enables the good flow of water.

With further reference to Figure 1, in an embodiment, a distance between opposite side edges SRI, SR2 of the opening 104 is the same for the whole length of the opening 104. Thus, the width of the opening is substantially constant for the whole length of the hole. This is the most recommended way to implement the opening in terms of manufacturing technique. In another embodiment, the distance between the side edges varies. In other words, the opening can be narrower in one point than is some other point.

With reference to Figure 7, in an embodiment, the opposite side edges SRI, SR2 of the opening 104 are substantially on the same plane. This also helps in keeping the drain cover clean. The edges being on the same level is also the most recommended way to implement the opening in terms of manufacturing technique.

With reference to Fig. 8, in an embodiment, a wavy opening 104 is arranged to go by twists and turns from one side of the frame part 102 to the other side of the frame part. The wavy opening going by twists and turns further increases the area of the opening and increases the flow allowed through it. Fig. 6 shows the opening provided with a round-tipped wave shown in Fig. 1 which wave goes by twists and turns from one side to the other. The shape of the wavy opening can also be any other form described in this specification and a combination of them.

With reference to Figure 3, in an embodiment, the opening 104 is substantially in the middle of the frame part 102. Being in the middle of the frame part can refer e.g. to the opening 104 substantially on the centre line KL of the frame part. With reference to Figure 9 where the shape formed by the opening is substantially in the middle of the cover part.

In an embodiment, the above-described drain cover is arranged to be used as a floor drain cover. A floor drain refers to e.g. a floor drain used in wet rooms, such as shower rooms and bathrooms. Particularly, hair having come loose in shower rooms often cause the floor drain cover to become clogged, which can be avoided by means of the construction according to the invention.

In an embodiment, the above-described drain cover is arranged to be used in a washbasin. The drain cover according to the invention can also be applied to a cover of a drain in washbasins, that is, as a sieve or a strainer in the base valve. The construction according to the invention in which the strainer of the base valve only includes one uniform hole can prevent the strainer from clogging particularly by longitudinal litter which cause problems in traditional prior-art arrangements.

A drain cover shown in an embodiment is arranged to be used in rainwater drains. The drain cover construction according to the invention can also be applied to a cover for rainwater drains outside. The rainwater drain covers can become clogged e.g. by grasses and/or tree leaves. The cover according to the invention having one uniform wavy opening can provide a better flow-through of water, which keeps the cover clean and prevents elongated litter, such as grasses, from getting stuck on the cover.

The embodiments of the figures show a square-shaped drain cover but the cover can be of any shape. The shape can also be e.g. circular, elongated, triangular, rectangular or polygonal.

The above-described drain cover can reduce many defects in prior art. The drain cover provided with one uniform wavy opening particularly prevents elongated litter from getting stuck to the cover which is traditionally a problem with covers provided with many openings, because elongated litter often get stuck on the tab between the openings. This leads soon at least partial clogging of the cover, which again leads to the flow allowed through the cover decreasing. This can cause e.g. water gathering on top of and/or around the cover and increases the risk of water damage. The decreased flow can also cause problems in the drain trap which requires a good flow to work properly. In other words, the good flow provided by the cover according to the invention keeps the drain trap cleaner than the already known arrangements and enables its better operation. A whirling flow provided with an embodiment of the cover keeps the drain trap clean particularly effectively and, furthermore, prevents the drain cover from clogging.

The drain cover construction according to the invention can be utilised in all drains with use covers that allow water to the drain but prevent pieces not belonging to the drain from accessing it. Therefore, even though the floor drain cover in wet rooms is mentioned in connection with many embodiments, it is not the only application of the invention. The floor drain cover in wet rooms is only one example in which the invention can provide considerable advantages. Additionally, the shape of the drain cover can be any shape.

Those skilled in the art will find it obvious that, as technology advances, the basic idea of the invention can be implemented in many different ways. The invention and its embodiments are thus not restricted to the above-described examples but may vary within the scope of the claims.