Field of the Invention

The present invention pertains to a method for producing a grate for a drain, more specifically an elongate drain (or gutter) for use in a walk-in shower.

Background

For esthetic reasons and in order to keep the useful surface of the floor of a walk-in shower at its maximum, the parts of drain assemblies for walk-in showers that remain visible after

installation are preferably elongate and as narrow as possible. An elongate drain assembly of this type is known from Belgian patent no. BE 1018522 A5, originally in the name of NV Steylaerts, and from Belgian patent no. BE 1022376 Bl in the name of De

Denkfabriek BVBA, and is commercially available under the

trademark "Carrodrain" . The only part of the "Carrodrain" drain remaining visible after installation, is an elongate grate with a narrow width.

There is, however, a demand for drains with even narrower grates. By using even narrower grates, the problem arises that it has proved almost impossible to produce light grates that are

sufficiently rigid out of conventional materials, such as

stainless steel.

It is an object of embodiments of the present invention to at least partially solve that problem.

Summary

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for producing a grate for a drain, the method comprising: cutting off at a desired length a hollow metal profile with at least a first planar surface and a second planar surface, which first planar surface and second planar surface lie opposite each other; cutting out at least a first elongate orifice, oriented in the longitudinal direction of the hollow metal profile, in the first planar surface; cutting out at least a second elongate orifice, oriented in the longitudinal direction of the hollow metal profile, in the second planar surface.

The invention is based inter alia on the insight of the inventor that the grate, even when it is very long and narrow, can be made sufficiently rigid by starting from a hollow profile with a first planar surface (top side) and a second planar surface (bottom side) , because the interconnection of both surfaces through the sides of the profile strongly diminishes the flexibility of the whole. The invention is further based on the insight of the inventor that cutting out is an appropriate method to provide the necessary orifices in a hollow metal profile; the cutting out is preferably performed by laser cutting, but other techniques like waterjet and mechanical milling can be applied as well. By providing several orifices in the second planar surface (in use, the bottom side) , the flat bottom side of the profile becomes the grate as such, i.e. a plate with openings through which the water that needs to be drained reaches the drain body; the sides of the profile constitute the mechanical consolidation; and the flat top side of the profile, which will be flush with the finished floor after installation, defines the narrow, elongate slot which remains visible (comprised of one or several openings lying back to back) of the (shower) drain. In this manner, a narrower drain can be obtained than was possible up to now, without the loss of rigidity being a limiting factor.

In an embodiment of the method according to the present invention, the cutting out of the at least a first elongate orifice or the cutting out of the at least a second elongate orifice, comprises the following steps: cutting out a plurality of aligned elongate partial orifices, oriented in the longitudinal direction of the hollow metal profile, by means of laser cutting, such that the partial orifices are separated from each other by one or more bridges of metal that has not been cut out; and mechanically removing the one or more bridges such that the plurality of partial orifices are merged to form said elongate orifice.

It is an advantage of the embodiment that the advantages of laser cutting in terms of speed and precision, are combined with a feature that diminishes the susceptibility to lateral compression of the profile during the manufacturing process. The bridges that are kept during the laser cutting prevent the lateral compression of the profile, such that the complete laser cutting process can take place on a rigid workpiece. After completion of the laser cutting, these bridges are removed by mechanical sawing, milling, or filing, in such a way that the desired elongate orifice is obtained.

In a particular embodiment, the bridges, as seen in the

longitudinal direction of the hollow metal profile, have a dimension that is smaller than the width of the partial orifices.

Since the bridges in this embodiment make up only a fraction of the length of the grate, the mechanical step consumes much less time and energy than if the whole grate would be manufactured by mechanical means.

In an embodiment of the method according to the present invention, the hollow metal profile has a substantially rectangular cross section .

By starting from a hollow metal profile with a substantially rectangular cross section, e.g. a cross section in the shape of a rectangle or a rectangle with rounded corners, the grate will by itself have a flat bottom side and top side, and perpendicular side walls, which is optimal from the perspective of the ease of installation . In an embodiment of the method according to the present invention, the hollow metal profile consists of stainless steel.

Given the intended use of the grate in a humid environment, stainless steel is an ideally suited material for the

manufacturing of the grate.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a grate obtainable with the method as described above.

Thus, the invention also pertains to an elongate grate having a first planar surface and a second planar surface, which first planar surface and second planar surface lie opposite each other and are interconnected by side walls, wherein at least a first elongate orifice, oriented in the longitudinal direction of the elongate grate, is provided in the first planar surface, and wherein at least a second elongate orifice, oriented in the longitudinal direction of the elongate grate, is provided in the second planar surface.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a grate assembly, comprising the grate as described above and a frame-shaped inlay, the outer dimensions of which correspond with the inner dimensions of the elongate orifice.

By using a frame-shaped inlay, the actual drain slot becomes even narrower, which may be desirable for aesthetic reasons. At the same time, the odor trap and the interior of the drain body remain easily accessible for maintenance and cleaning, by removing the frame-shaped inlay.

In an embodiment, the grate assembly according to the present invention is provided with spacers that at least partially rest on the second surface, and are formed such that they support the frame-shaped inlay when it is installed in the elongate orifice. The use of such spacers has the advantage of keeping frame- shaped inlay at the same height across the entire length. Optionally, judiciously shaped spacers can protect the profile from lateral compression .

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a drain system, comprising: a drain body for installation into the floor, provided with an inlet port with a peripheral flange; and a grate assembly as described above; wherein the drain body is shaped such that the grate assembly can be placed fittingly on top of the inlet port whereby the first surface lies at a distance from the peripheral flange.

Because the drain body and the grate assembly are designed in such a way that the top side of the grate lies at a distance from the peripheral flange, i.e. it protrudes higher, the floor can be finished in such manner that the top side of the flooring (e.g. tiling) lies at the same height as the top side of the grate assembly .

In an embodiment of the drain system according to the present invention, the drain body further comprises adjusting means to vary the distance between the first surface and the peripheral flange, and the grate is adapted to rest on the adjusting means.

It is an advantage of this embodiment that the drain system can be adapted for use with different thicknesses of tiles, whereby the top side of the tiles lies at the same height as the top side of the grate assembly.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a drain kit, comprising: the drain system as described above; an odor trap; and a tool to lift the frame-shaped inlay out of the grate; wherein the drain body, the odor trap, and the grate assembly are formed in such a way that the odor trap can be removed from the drain body after installation of the drain body when the frame-shaped inlay is not situated in the grate. With this kit, a drainage system is obtained whereby the odor trap and the interior of the drain body remain easily accessible for maintenance and cleaning, by removing the frame-shaped inlay by means of the tool.

Brief Description of the Figures

These and other aspects and advantages of embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

- Figure 1 represents a drain body as known from the

aforementioned Belgian patent no. BE 1022376 Bl;

- Figure 2 illustrates a grate assembly according to an

embodiment of the present invention;

- Figure 3 is a flow chart of an embodiment of the method

according to the present invention;

- Figure 4 shows an example of a tool to lift the frame-shaped inlay out of the grate (grate key) ; and

- Figure 5 illustrates the maintenance cycle of an embodiment of the drain system according to the present invention.

Description of Embodiments

In order to situate the parts which can be manufactured using the method of the present invention, Figure 1 presents a drain body as known from the aforementioned Belgian patent no. BE 1022376 Bl . For further details, explicit reference is hereby made to that document. Figure 1 shows a drain body 200 in its entirety, with an odor trap 100 installed in the location provided for this purpose. The drain body 200 is intended for installation in a floor. It is provided with a recess to receive an odor trap 100. The recess is adapted such that the outlet port(s) 130 of the odor trap connect to a second drain channel 220 provided on the drain body. The illustrated drain body 200 has two connections to the drain channel, with a view to the use of a compartmented odor trap with two outlet ports. The drain body 200 is shaped such that the odor trap can still be removed for cleaning, maintenance or

replacement, after installation.

The illustrated drain body 200 has a peripheral flange with an upper surface 250, extending substantially in a horizontal plane from the periphery of the inlet zone, above which the floor is installed, for example a tile floor, a cast floor, or another suitable floor covering. On this upper surface 250 adhesively a water-sealing layer can be adheringly arranged, as described in more detail in the above cited Belgian patent no. BE 1018522 A5, which is incorporated by this reference for that purpose. Thus, an assembly can be provided of the drain body 200 according to the present invention, an odor trap 100 according to the present invention, and a sealing mat intended for installation around the periphery of the drain body 200, wherein a portion of the sealing mat overlaps at least the outer periphery of the water-sealing layer .

The illustrated drain body 200 is shaped such that water to be drained can flow in over nearly the entire length. By a judicious design, water that flows in near the extremities of the drain body 200 is guided to a collection zone, whence it can flow into the inlet port of the odor trap 100. In normal use, the inlet slot of the drain body 200 (including the recess of the odor trap 100) is covered with a grate 260, the top side of which is preferably at the same height as the finished floor. The grate 260 is removable, to provide the user access to the inside of the drain body 200 and the odor trap 100 which is also removable. Thus, a grate assembly according to the present invention may be assembled by combining a grate 300, as described below, with a corresponding frame-shaped inlay 400. Figure 2 illustrates a grate assembly with a grate 300 and a frame-shaped inlay 400 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The illustrated grate 300 is produced on the basis of a

rectangular metal profile, such that it has a first planar surface 310 (hereafter also called "top side") and a second planar surface 320 (hereafter also called "bottom side") , as well as two

perpendicularly oriented side walls. In the top side 310, at least one elongate orifice 315 is provided, through which the water can drain away from the floor. Without loss of generality, the embodiment illustrated and described in more detail hereinafter is provided with one elongate orifice 315.

The outer dimensions of the frame-shaped inlay 400 correspond to the inner dimensions of the elongate orifice 315 of the grate 300, with the necessary play to be able to easily slide both parts in and out of each other. After installation of the frame-shaped inlay 400 in the orifice 315, the useful draining port is limited to the slot of the inlay 400, which ensures a very sleek design of the whole.

In addition, at least one orifice 325 is provided in the bottom side 320. Without loss of generality, the embodiment illustrated and described in more detail hereinafter is provided with three elongate orifices, such that the bottom side 320 serves as the actual grate, and can contribute to stopping hair, foreign objects, and the like. The central orifice is big enough to allow the installation and removal of an odor trap 100 in the designated recess of the drain body 200.

Figure 3 shows a flow chart of an embodiment of the method according to the present invention. In the first illustrated step 1010, the desired length is cut from a hollow metal profile, preferably made of stainless steel. Typical lengths of commercially available shower drains are 80 cm and 100 cm, but the invention can also be applied to other desired lengths. The hollow metal profile needs to have a first planar surface 310 (top side) and a second planar surface 320 (bottom side) , which lie opposite each other. This is always the case with a rectangular profile (possibly with rounded corners), which is the preferred option. Profiles with dimensions of 30 mm ^χ 15 mm, 40 mm ^χ 15 mm and 40 mm x 20 mm are particularly suited, although the invention is not limited to these dimensions. Preferably, the widest surfaces are used as top side and bottom side, such that the narrower surfaces serve as upright walls.

An elongate orifice is cut out, oriented in the longitudinal direction of the hollow metal profile, in the first planar surface (top side) 310, preferably by means of laser cutting. This procedure can take place at once, or be comprised of two substeps:

- providing a plurality of aligned elongate partial orifices

1020, oriented in the longitudinal direction of the hollow metal profile, for example by means of laser cutting, such that the partial orifices are separated by one or more bridges of metal that has not been cut out; and

- mechanically removing, for example by sawing, milling, filing or such techniques, of the one or more bridges 1040 such that the plurality of orifices are merged to form the elongate orifice 315.

When temporary bridges are used, they preferably have a dimension, as seen in the longitudinal direction of the hollow metal profile, that is smaller than the width of the partial orifices - the bridges are, in other words, elongate in the direction transversal to the longitudinal direction of the drain.

The term "laser cutting" is used to refer to cutting with a focused laser beam with sufficiently high intensity to create very narrow and accurate slots through melting and evaporation of the material. This technique is known from the processing of metals such as stainless steel. In addition, at least one orifice is cut out 1030 in the second planar surface (bottom side) 320, preferably by means of laser cutting. The same division in several steps as described here above for the recess in the top side 310 can also be applied here.

Although the steps in the flow chart are shown in a certain order, this order does not limit the invention. Optionally, the lower part of the profile is cut away at each extremity of the resulting grate 300, such that a relatively flat n-shaped protrusion of a certain length is obtained on each side, as can be seen in figure 2. It is an advantage of this variant that the drain can be extended to any desired length, by

installing additional Π-shaped profiles in the floor adjacent to grate 300, beyond the length of the underlying drain body 200.

The grate 300 can be provided with one or more spacers (not illustrated) that rest at least partially on the bottom side 320, and are shaped such that they support the frame-shaped inlay 400 when it is placed in the elongate orifice 315. The spacers can extend over the width of the hollow metal profile, and thus increase the rigidity of the grate 300, or merely support the frame-shaped inlay 400, whereby the frame-shaped inlay 400

contributes to the rigidity of the grate 300.

A drain system according to the present invention can be obtained through the combination of a drain body 200 for installation into the floor, provided with an inlet port with a peripheral flange 250 and a grate assembly as described above. The drain body 200 of such a drain system is shaped such that the grate assembly 300, 400 can be placed fittingly on top of the inlet port, whereby the first surface 310 lies at a distance from the peripheral flange 250, in a similar way as the grate 260 of Figure 1.

Preferably, the drain body 200 further comprises adjusting means to vary the distance between the first surface 310 and the peripheral flange 250, preferably in a stepless manner. The adjusting means can consist for example of a number of screws, bolts or threaded rods that can be screwed up and down in

corresponding screw threads of the drain body. The grate 300 is then adapted to rest on the adjusting means, by not providing orifices 325 in those places where the grate 300 needs to rest on the adjusting means, or by providing specific recesses in which elements are provided with which the adjusting means can engage. Thanks to the rigidity of the grate 300 that is obtained by starting from a hollow profile, the entire grate 300 can be maintained at the desired height by just two screws, bolts or threaded rods .

A drain kit according to the present invention can be obtained through the combination of the drainage system as described above, an odor trap 100; and a tool 450 to lift the frame-shaped inlay 400 out of the grate. The drain body 200, the odor trap 100, and the grate assembly 300, 400 are then shaped such that the odor trap 100 can be removed from the drain body 100 after installation of the drain body 100 when the frame-shaped inlay 400 is not situated in the grate 300. For details about the elongate odor trap that can be used to this end, and the features of a

corresponding drain body, reference is made to the aforementioned Belgian patent no. BE 1022376 Bl .

Figure 4 shows an example of a tool 450 to lift the frame-shaped inlay from the grate, hereafter denoted as a "grate key". By bringing this grate key 450 into the slot of the frame-shaped inlay 400 in an orientation that is parallel with the longitudinal direction of the drain gutter, and subsequently turning it 90°, the frame-shaped inlay 400 can easily be lifted. If the adjusting means to vary the distance between the first surface 310 and the peripheral flange 250 are designed as screws, then one of the extremities or a protrusion of the tool 450 can be designed such that it can serve as a screwdriver to screw these screws in and out of the drain body; the extremity in question can for example have a flattened, cross-shaped, quadratic or hexagonal shape, depending on the slots provided in the screws. In the illustrated example, a quadratic protrusion is provided, which fits into a corresponding recession of the adjusting screw; this embodiment has the special advantage that the tool 450 can be cut out of a metal plate (for example made of stainless steel) in its entirety, for example by laser cutting.

An exemplary maintenance cycle of a drain kit according to the invention is illustrated in Figure 5. Without loss of generality, it is assumed that the drain system is mounted in a walk-in shower. The shower can be used as frequently as needed 2010 until the moment at which a cleaning of the drainage system becomes necessary 2020. To be able to clean the system, the frame-shaped inlay 400 is removed 2030 using the grate key 450 as described above. Once the frame-shaped inlay 400 is removed, the interior of the drain body and the odor trap contained therein are accessible through the orifice 315 in the top side 310 and the most central orifice 315 in the bottom side 320. The odor trap 100 can now be removed from the drain body by hand 2040. In this disassembled situation, the odor trap 100, the grate 300, and the parts of the drain body 200 that can be reached through the orifices 325, can be cleaned. After cleaning, one first places back 2060 the odor trap 100, after which the frame-shaped inlay 400 can be inserted back into 2070 the orifice 315 of the grate 300. The drain system is now ready for use again 2010.

Although the invention has been described hereinabove by reference to specific embodiments, this is only done for illustrative purposes and not to limit the scope of protection of the present patent. The person skilled in the art will understand that possible variations of the proposed examples are within the scope of protection of the patent, which is to be determined on the basis of the accompanying claims.