Patent Application
20070294965
The accompanying drawings are not intended to be drawn to scale. In the drawings, each identical or nearly identical component that is illustrated in various figures is represented by like numeral. For purposes of clarity, not every component may be labeled in every drawing. Preferred, non-limiting embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
This invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components as set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways beyond those exemplarily presented herein.
In accordance with one or more embodiments, the present invention relates generally to a flange for use in sub-floor basement waterproofing systems. The flange may be installed at the joint between the foundation wall and footing, around the perimeter of a basement. More specifically, the flange may be positioned so as to enclose the joint between the foundation wall and footing. The flange may be installed around the entire perimeter of the basement, or only a portion thereof as desired. The flange may be effective in directing groundwater to a drainage conduit positioned to collect and channel groundwater to, for example, a sump for removal.
The flange may be constructed of any material suitable for its intended purpose, such as a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic. The flange material in at least one embodiment should be durable and generally compatible with groundwater, soil, concrete, and any minerals or chemicals with which it may come into contact. The dimensions of the flange may vary for different applications but, in general and without limiting the scope of the disclosure, a typical flange may range from 2 to 8 inches in height, and from 1/16 to ¼ inches in thickness.
The flange may be flexible so as to facilitate installation in a variety of basement waterproofing applications. For example, the flexible flange of at least one embodiment may be bent and slid into position during a retrofit process, as discussed in greater detail below. The flexible nature of the flange also enables it to conform to a basement perimeter of any geometry, thus eliminating the need to join together different pieces to accommodate corners and other obstructions during installation. The flexible flange may be manufactured, such as by an extrusion process, in long pieces and may be rolled for compact storage and convenient transfer to a construction site. For example, the flange may be extruded as a continuous piece or source 100 to 150 feet in length using dies to shape the desired cross-sectional profile. The flange may be also manufactured in shorter and/or longer lengths to suit other applications.
During installation, a desired length of the flange may be cut from the continuous piece for use. Alternatively, multiple portions of flange may be seamed together to generate a required length. When joining is necessary, it may be desirable to overlap the pieces, such as by 4 to 8 inches, before sealing the joint with an adhesive, for example, a tape or caulk. This may add strength to the resulting joint and help prevent potential leakage at the seam.
Additional features of one embodiment of a flange of the present invention will now be described with reference to
The angular portion 120 extends from a first end of the vertical portion 110 and is generally designed to slant away from the foundation wall when installed to create a zone for ground water collection at the interface of the foundation wall and footing. The angle at which the angular portion 120 is oriented relative to the vertical portion 110, as well as the distance that the angular portion 120 extends from the vertical portion 110, defines the zone and each may be separately optimized. For example, in some embodiments, the angular portion 120 may form a 45 degree angle relative to the vertical portion 110. Without being bound to any particular theory, the angular portion 120 may serve as a barrier to prevent groundwater originating at the joint between the foundation wall and footing from penetrating the basement floor. As part of a basement waterproofing system, the flange 100 with the angular portion 120 may aid in directing the groundwater to a drainage conduit. The angular portion 120 is generally oriented to slope in a downward direction, such that a distal end 125 of the angular portion 120 may rest on the foundation footing, or gravel deposited thereon, when the flange 100 is installed.
Some embodiments of the flange 100 may include one or more tear away features 130 along the vertical portion 110 to enable altering the overall height of the flange 100 when desired. For example, the height of the flange 100 may be shortened using the tear away feature 130 to ease installation in certain applications. The tear away feature 130 may also be used to remove a portion of the flange 100 after installation, such as a portion that may remain extending above the basement floor level. The tear away feature 130 may be formed integral to the flange 100 during molding or extrusion. Alternatively, the tear away feature 130 may be added subsequent to initial manufacture by, for example, a scoring or perforation process. In general, the tear away feature 130 can embody any structural modification which enables a tearing motion, or use of a tool, to easily and uniformly remove an undesired section of the vertical portion 110 without excessive force. Furthermore, the tear away feature 130 should generally be designed so as to maintain the overall structural integrity of the vertical portion 110, as it may be desirable to employ the entire original flange height without making use of the tear away feature 130 in many installation applications. Multiple tear away features 130 may be positioned along the vertical portion 110 for flexibility in application.
The flange 100 may also include a lip 140 extending from a second end of the vertical portion 110 to aid installation. The lip 140 is generally designed to slope in an upward direction, away from the foundation wall when the flange 100 is installed. Thus, a distal end 145 of the lip 140, and the distal end 125 of the angular portion 120, may extend in opposite directions. The angle at which the lip 140 is oriented relative to the vertical portion 110, and the distance that the lip 140 extends from the vertical portion 110, may be separately optimized to aid installation. For example, in retrofitting applications discussed further below, the lip 140 may be configured to facilitate sliding the flange 100 into position, such as with a rotational, or hooking motion. In some embodiments, the lip 140 may form a 45 degree angle relative to the vertical portion 110.
An adhesive section 150 may be applied to the side 115 of the vertical portion 110. The adhesive section 150 may function to attach the flange 100 to a foundation wall or intermediate layer, such as a vapor barrier, during installation. The adhesive section 150 may be applied uniformly along the entire length of the flange 100 to create a seal between the flange 100 and foundation wall or intermediate layer. The adhesive section 150 may extend across the full height of the side 115, or only a portion thereof. In some embodiments, multiple adhesive sections 150 may be positioned along the side 115 for flexibility in installation. The adhesive section 150 may be provided in any configuration and comprise any material capable of facilitating the aforementioned attachment. For example, the adhesive section 150 may comprise an adhesive strip of double-sided tape, glue or other adhesive. The adhesive section 150 may further comprise a protective layer capable of being removed to expose the adhesive material prior to attachment. The adhesive section 150 may be included during manufacture of the flange 100, or, alternatively, it may be applied on-site during installation.
Thus, the flange of at least one embodiment of the present invention may be installed to create a closed system wherein the flange is uniformly sealed against a foundation wall or intermediate layer around the perimeter of the basement. Without being bound by any particular theory, a closed system may virtually eliminate any flow path between sub-floor and above-floor levels. Such a closed system may aid in containing radon gas and bacteria at the sub-floor level. Additionally, the closed system may promote energy conservation, such as by alleviating the need to dehumidify the basement environment.
As mentioned above, the flange of the present invention may be used in conjunction with an intermediate layer positioned between the foundation wall and flange, such as a vapor barrier. In such a case, the flange may be sealed to the vapor barrier with the adhesive section 150, rather than directly to the foundation wall. The vapor barrier is typically mechanically fastened to cover the foundation wall, and the attachment may be enforced with an adhesive, such as a caulk. A vapor barrier may aid in preventing vapors from entering the basement, and may direct any water seepage in the foundation walls down to the sub-floor drainage system. Thus, the vapor barrier may serve to protect studs, sheetrock or paneling of interior basement walls, as well as to lower overall humidity levels by keeping water vapor from entering the basement environment. In general, any material with a perm rating of less than about 1.0 is considered a vapor retardant. Many kinds of vapor barriers are commercially available, and climate or other conditions may influence the selection of a vapor barrier for a particular application. The flange of the present invention may be used with all types of vapor barriers. During installation, as discussed in greater detail immediately below, the flange may be sealed against the vapor barrier. Beneficially, the flange may serve to protect the vapor barrier from certain minerals in the concrete, such as lime, which may otherwise degrade the vapor barrier over time.
The flange of the present invention may be installed using various techniques to suit different waterproofing applications.
The distal end 125 of the angular portion 120 rests on crushed stones 220 which have been distributed over a foundation footing 230 to facilitate drainage of groundwater to a conduit 250, positioned adjacent to the foundation footing 230. Alternatively, in other embodiments, the conduit 250 may be positioned over the foundation footing 230 adjacent to the foundation wall 210. The angular portion 120 defines a zone 240 wherein any groundwater emanating from a joint 260 between the foundation wall 210 and the foundation footing 230 may collect for passage to the conduit 250.
After the flange 100 is positioned, a concrete flooring 270 may be laid over the crushed stones 220 and applied up to the flange 100, thus pushing the flange 100 against the vapor barrier 200. In this way, the crushed stones 220, as well as the overall structure of the flange 100, may both serve as barriers between the concrete flooring 270 and any groundwater present to protect against water damage. The concrete flooring may be laid, for example, 1 to 4 inches in thickness. In embodiments of the present invention wherein the flange 100 includes one or more tear-away features (not shown) as discussed above, the tear-away feature may be used to alter the height of the vertical portion 110 to customize and facilitate installation. Alternatively, the tear-away feature may be used after the concrete flooring 270 is applied to remove any excess portion of the flange 100 extending above the basement floor level.
Other components of an overall basement waterproofing system, in which the flange 100 of the present invention and the conduit 250 operate, may also be installed prior to laying concrete floor 270. Such components may include, for example, drain ports, sumps, and pump units. An interior basement wall framing may then be built on the concrete flooring 270 if desired, such as to create a finished basement. The embodiment discussed with reference to
Other embodiments of the flange of the present invention, and methods for its installation and use, are envisioned beyond those exemplarily described herein. As used herein, the term “plurality” refers to two or more items or components.
The terms “comprising,” “including,” “carrying,” “having,” “containing,” and “involving,” whether in the written description or the claims and the like, are open-ended terms, i.e., to mean “including but not limited to.” Thus, the use of such terms is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter, and equivalents thereof, as well as additional items. Only the transitional phrases “consisting of” and “consisting essentially of,” are closed or semi-closed transitional phrases, respectively, with respect to the claims.
Use of ordinal terms such as “first,” “second,” “third,” and the like in the claims to modify a claim element does not by itself connote any priority, precedence, or order of one claim element over another or the temporal order in which acts of a method are performed, but are used merely as labels to distinguish one claim element having a certain name from another element having a same name (but for use of the ordinal term) to distinguish the claim elements.
Those skilled in the art should appreciate that the parameters and configurations described herein are exemplary and that actual parameters and/or configurations will depend on the specific application in which the systems and techniques of the invention are used. Those skilled in the art should also recognize, or be able to ascertain, using no more than routine experimentation, equivalents to the specific embodiments of the invention. It is therefore to be understood that the embodiments described herein are presented by way of example only and that, within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereto, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.
