A FLOOR DRAIN

Abstract: A floor drain arranged to be positioned in a depressed manner in a floor, comprising a drain member (3) provided with an opening in its upper part for receiving a drain grating member (6), which is arranged loosely on at least one underlying support surface of the drain member (3). The drain grating member (6) has a surface directed upwardly and located, at least in one area in the vicinity of the peripheral edge of the drain grating member (6), below or at essentially the same level as the floor surface of said floor at least in the vicinity of the drain member (3). The drain member (3) comprises an upwardly projecting portion (4) located centrally and comprising said support surface (10) for the drain grating member (6).

Description: A floor drain TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION AND PRIOR ART The present invention relates to a floor drain arranged to be positioned in a depressed manner in a floor, comprising a drain member provided with an opening in its upper part for receiving a drain grating member, which is arranged loosely on at least one underlying support surface of the drain member, wherein the drain grating member has a surface directed upwardly and located, at least in one area in the vicinity of the peripheral edge of the drain grating member, below or at essentially the same level as the floor surface of said floor at least in the vicinity of the drain member. Such floor drains are provided in different kinds of wet rooms for example bathrooms, shower compartments and industry premises for receiving and drain off water, such as bath water, shower water and waste water. This water often comprises hairs and other particles, which may get caught in the drain. Therefore, the floor drain must be cleaned regularly for not being clogged. A problem with drain grating members arranged loosely on an underlying support surface of the drain member is that they risk to be pushed out of its position unintentionally. Such an underlying support surface extends usually around the opening of the floor drain and has a recess with such a depth that the upwardly directed surface of the drain grating member is located below or at essentially the same level as the floor surface, when it is positioned on the support surface. If said support surface is not cleaned regularly particles from the waste water may get caught there so that the support surface get rather rough with the consequence that the drain grating member will rest in an unstable way on the support surface or the upwardly directed surface of the drain grating member may partly be located at a level above the floor surface. Thereby, the risk increases significantly that the drain member unintentionally will be pushed out of its position. Another problem with conventional floor drains is local edge portions of the drain member and a great flow resistance through water traps of conventional art, leading to particles of dirt getting caught in the floor drains with the consequence that they are clogged. Another problem with conventional floor drains appears when they are to be cleaned and the drain grating member to be lifted. Frequently, this leads to annoyance because it is nearly impossible to lift the drain grating member without tools. The holes of the drain grating member are often too small for fingers of normal size to pass and lift it with a force directed upwardly. In the same way the edges of the drain grating member lie form fit to the surrounding floor surfaces, so that only a small gap between these parts are obtained, where fingers may not get any grip for lifting the drain grating member. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The object of the present invention is to provide a floor drain having such a construction that it makes a solution to the above mentioned problem possible. Such a floor drain may have a drain grating member which is nearly impossible too push out of its position unintentionally but is easy to lift when necessary. Furthermore, such a floor drain may make it possible to construct a drain member which has such a shape that particles in the waste water do not get caught by the surface of the drain member. This object is achieved by the invention by the floor drain defined initially, which is characterised in that the drain member comprises an upwardly projecting portion located centrally and comprising said support surface for the drain grating member. By such an upwardly projecting portion and support surface of the drain member it is possible to construct the drain member and the drain grating member in such a way that they may solve the problem mentioned above. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the drain grating member has no holes located above the support surface. Thereby, the waste water is prevented from flowing over said support surface and the risk that the particles are fasten to said support surface is eliminated. Preferably, the upwardly projecting portion and support surface have an essentially circular extension in a horizontal plane. The support surface of the upwardly projecting portion may be positioned in essentially the same horizontal plane as the upper opening of the drain member. Thereby a drain grating member, arranged on such a support surface may have a relatively uncomplicated construction, corresponding essentially to a conventional drain grating member. According to another preferred embodiment, said upwardly projecting portion and drain grating member comprise guide means in form of a guide surface arranged on the lower side of the drain grating member and interacting with a surface on the upwardly projecting portion in such a way that lateral movements of the drain grating member are prevented. By such a construction, the risk that the drain grating member unintentionally is pushed out of its position is nearly fully eliminated. According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, the floor drain comprises raising means arranged to displace at least one portion of the drain grating member upwardly in the vertical direction to a position above said floor surface by application of a non upwardly directed force. According to one embodiment said non upwardly directed force is a turning force directed essentially in the horizontal plane. This turning force may without any problem be applied to a drain grating member because the holes of the drain grating member usually are so shaped that the fingers of the hand may obtain a sufficient grip for providing this turning movement of the drain grating member, which is arranged loosely on a support surface of the drain member. In order to obtain a displacement upwardly by said turning of the drain grating member, the drain grating member and an underlying surface, respectively, may comprise interacting cam surfaces, wherein at least one of said cam surfaces is sloping in relation to the horizontal plane. Thereby, the cam surface of the drain grating member may comprises an oblique disk and the cam surface arranged for the drain grating member may be provided on a plate, which is arranged to be held by a fastening device. This fastening device may comprise a screw device for fastening of the drain member in said depression in the floor. According to another embodiment, said raising means may be provided to displace said area of the drain grating member upwardly by application of a force directed essentially downwards. This may be provided by the feature that said means comprise, for example, a depressible button device, which actuate a lever mechanism in such a way that an upwardly directed movement of the drain grating member is provided by a depression of the button device. According to a preferred embodiment, said raising means are provided centrally on the drain grating member and on the support surface. By such a location, said raising means may be protected from a flow of waste water and thus particles in the waste water do not risk to get caught on to said raising means. According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, the drain member has an inner surface to guide the waste water downwards between the opening of the drain member and an outlet pipe, wherein the cross-sectional area of the drain member is essentially greater than the cross-sectional area of the outlet pipe, wherein said surface is provided with a path sloping gently to guide the waste water from the opening to the outlet pipe along a transport length being significantly prolonged in relation to an essentially straight line therebetween for obtaining an increased flow velocity of the water in relation to a movement along said line. By this increase of the flow velocity of the water, the risks decrease that hairs and particles get caught and the drain member being clogged. Such a path extends preferably around the upwardly projecting portion. In order to obtain a minimum flow resistance it may extend essentially helically around the upwardly projecting portion. A suitable extension of the path around the upwardly projecting portion may be obtained by an angle of about 360°, i.e. one round. Alternatively, the path may have a highest point located 180° from the outlet pipe, wherein the water is guided in two directions around the upwardly projecting portion. According to a floor drain arrangement according to the present invention, a suitable water trap is connected to said outlet pipe of the drain member. Further advantages of the invention and preferred features are to be clear by the following description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Below, a preferred embodiment of the present invention is to be explained by means of an example, and with reference to the attached drawings, in which: Fig 1 shows a vertical section through a floor drain construction according to a preferred embodiment of the invention. Fig 2 shows a vertical section through the drain member according to Fig 1. Fig 3 shows a perspective view of the drain member. Fig 4 shows a vertical section through a drain grating member constructed with means for the displacement of the drain grating member upwardly. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION In Fig 1 an container-like insertion 1 , preferably made of plastic or metal material, is shown which is defined for a hole intended for a floor drain and which is water proof and intended to be fixed in relation to the surrounding floor. The container-like insertion 1 has an upwardly projecting portion 2 located centrally. A drain member 3 is intended to be provided in the container-like insertion 1. The drain member 3 also comprises an upwardly projecting portion 4 located centrally, wherein the mounting of the drain member 3 in the container-like insertion 1 may be performed by a fastening device 5 arranged at the top of the upwardly projecting portions 2, 4. A drain grating member 6 is arranged to cover the upper part of the drain member. A suitable water trap is also applied to the floor drain construction and connected to a pipe line 7 for guiding away the water flowing down in the floor drain. The drain member 3 showed in Fig 2 and 3 comprises a path 8 for transportation of waste water. The lower part of the path 8 leads to an outlet pipe 9. The drain member 3 comprises the upwardly projecting portion 4 which has an upper surface 10, which together with the surrounding surface 1 1 forms support surfaces for an attachable drain grating member 6, as shown in Fig 1. By the present invention, the surrounding surface 1 1 is not necessary but it is possible that the support surface 10 only supports the drain grating member 6. The drain grating member 6 preferably comprises holes located only essentially above the path 8, consequently not over the support surfaces 10 and 1 1 . The path 8 extends circularly around the upwardly projecting portion 4 with a gentle preferably continuous slope downwardly, wherein the path 8 slopes at least less than 30° in relation to the horizontal plane. The shape of the path 8 around the upwardly projecting portion 4 is essentially helical and extends about one turn around the upwardly projecting portion 4. The path 8 extends essentially over the whole extension of the drain member in vertical direction and has an essentially constant cross-sectional area. It has in the transverse direction a rounded shape, which may be semi-circular. The lower part of the path 8 and the outlet pipe 9 have in the transverse direction a corresponding shape, thereby the waste water may not be stopped at its passage to the outlet pipe 9. The inner surfaces of the drain member 3 are gently rounded so that no edges prevent the flow of the waste water in and to said path 8. The support surface 10 of the upwardly projecting portion 4 is shaped circularly and the side surfaces of the upwardly projecting portion 4 extend essentially vertically down to the surrounding path 8. Fig 4 shows a drain grating member 6 constructed with an underlying tubular part 12 shaped cylindrically and located centrally, which comprises an oblique disk 13. The upwardly projecting portion 4 of the drain member 3 has a helical fastening device 5 for the mounting of the drain member 3. The fastening device 5 is applied together with a plate 14, which is constructed with an inclined cam surface 15. By turning of the drain grating member 6 in order to raise the drain grating member 6, the inclined cam surfaces 15 and 13 interact so that the drain grating member 6 is displaced upwardly in the vertical direction. In order to prevent the drain grating member 6 from being pushed laterally at the application to the drain member 3 and at said displacement upwardly, guide means are provided in form of guiding surfaces 16, which may be arranged on the drain grating member 6 and be comprised of an inner essentially cylindrical surface of the tubular part 12 and which interact with the outer circumferential surface 4' of the upwardly projecting portion 4. Said guide surfaces may also be formed by the circumferential edge surface of the drain grating member 6 and the circumferential delimiting wall of the drain member 3. Consequently, the guiding surfaces keep the drain grating member 6 in position laterally in its mounted rest position and during an initial phase when it is displaced upwardly. Consequently, in the present embodiment the upwardly projecting portion 4 makes it possible by the interacting guiding surfaces 4', 16 that the drain grating member 6 may not be pushed laterally, whereby the risk that the drain grating member 6 is pushed out of its position unintentionally is eliminated. The support surface 10 of the upwardly projecting portion 4 also makes a positioning of said cam surfaces 13, 15 possible which is protected from the waste water, which surfaces are intended to displace the drain grating member 6 in vertical direction by a turning movement. Finally, a surrounding path 8 gently sloping is formed by the upwardly projected portion 4 so that waste water continuously may be guided with a relatively high velocity from the opening of the floor drain to the outlet pipe 9. Thereby, particles of the waste water are prevented in an effective way from getting caught along the surface of the drain member 3. The invention is not in any way restricted to the above described embodiment, but a number of possibilities of modifications are obvious within the scope of the claims.

Claims: Claims 1. A floor drain arranged to be positioned in a depressed manner in a floor, comprising a drain member (3) provided with an opening in its upper part for receiving a drain grating member (6), which is arranged loosely on at least one underlying support surface of the drain member (3), wherein the drain grating member (6) has a surface directed upwardly and located, at least in one area in the vicinity of the peripheral edge of the drain grating member (6), below or at essentially the same level as the floor surface of said floor at least in the vicinity of the drain member (3), characterised in that the drain member (3) comprises an upwardly projecting portion (4) located centrally and comprising said support surface (10) for the drain grating member (6). 2. A floor drain according to claim 1 , characterised in that the drain grating member (6) has no holes located above the support surface (10). 3. A floor drain according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that said upwardly projecting portion (4) and the support surface (10) have an essentially circular extension in a horizontal plane. 4. A floor drain according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said support surface (10) is located in essentially the same horizontal plane as the upper opening of the drain member (3). 5. A floor drain according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said upwardly projecting portion (4) and the drain grating member (6) comprise guide means in form of a guide surface (16) arranged on the lower side of the drain grating member (6) and interacting with a surface (4 * ) on the upwardly projecting portion (4) in such a way that lateral movements of the drain grating member (6) are prevented. 6. A floor drain according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that raising means are arranged to displace at least one portion of the drain grating member (6) upwardly in the vertical direction to a position above said floor surface by application of a non upwardly directed force. 7. A floor drain according to claim 6, characterised in that said raising means are provided to displace said area upwardly by application of a turning force in essentially the horizontal plane. 8. A floor drain according to claim 7, characterised in that said raising means comprise interacting cam surfaces arranged on the drain grating member (6) and on an underlying support surface, respectively. 9. A floor drain according to claim 8, characterised in that at least one of said cam surfaces (13, 15) is inclined in relation to the horizontal plane. 10. A floor drain according to claim 9, characterised in that the drain grating member (6) comprises an oblique disk (13). 1 1. A floor drain according to any one of the claims 8-10, characterised in that the cam surface (15) at the underlying surface of the drain grating member (6) is provided on a plate (14), which is arranged to be held by a fastening device (5). 12. A floor drain according to claim 1 1 , characterised in that fastening device (5) comprises a screw device for fastening of the drain member (3) in said depression in the floor. 13. A floor drain according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the raising means are provided to displace said area upwardly by application of a force directed essentially downwards. 14. A floor drain according to claim 13, characterised in that said raising means comprise a depressible button device, which actuate a lever mechanism in such a way that an upwardly directed movement of the drain grating member (6) is obtained by a depression of the button device. 15. A floor drain according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said raising means are provided centrally on the drain grating member (6) and on the support surface (10), which is a part of the drain member (3). 16. A floor drain according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the drain member (3) has an inner surface to guide the waste water downwards between the opening of drain member (3) and an outlet pipe (9), wherein said surface is provided with a path sloping gently to guide the waste water from the opening to the outlet pipe (9) along a transport length being significantly prolonged in relation to an essentially straight line therebetween for obtaining an increased flow velocity of the water in relation to a movement along said line. 17. A floor drain according to claim 16, characterised in that the path (8) extends around the upwardly projecting portion (4). 18. A floor drain according to claim 17, characterised in that the path (8) extends essentially helically around the upwardly projecting portion (4). 19. A floor drain according to claim 16 or 17, characterised in that the path (8) extends around the upwardly projecting portion (4) by an angle of about 360°. 20. A floor drain according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that a water trap is connected to said outlet pipe (9) of the drain member (3).

Inventors: OHLSSON ROLF, OHLSSON, ROLF
Applicants: OHLSSON ROLF, SENOVA AB, OHLSSON, ROLF
Application year: 1998
Main classification: E03F5
IPC codes: E03F5