The present disclosure relates generally to deck drainage systems. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to deck drainage system brackets for supporting deck drainage systems.
Some homes include decks that can be used for outdoor activities such as hosting parties, outdoor cooking, and the like. Decks may be built from wood or synthetic lumber. If lumber is used, the lumber may be spaced apart to allow liquids and debris to pass through to exposed ground under the deck. As such, space under the deck may be unusable due to falling liquid and/or debris and/or because sunlight may be blocked by the deck. Thus, some people use space under a deck for storage or do not use the space at all.
One solution to this problem is to equip decks with a deck drainage system. A deck drainage system may capture liquids and/or debris falling through the deck and may route the liquids and/or debris to a gutter or other outlet. One type of drainage system may include drainage panels that can be joined together to provide a substantially solid ceiling for space under the deck. One downside to some of these drainage systems is that these systems rely on heavy self-supporting interconnected panels and/or alternatively may require use of brackets to support the drainage panels.
Some decks are made with pressure treated lumber. Until recently, pressure treated lumber typically used for outdoor decks was treated with chromated copper arsenate (“CCA”). CCA is an arsenic-containing additive now regulated by the U.S. Federal Government as a toxic pesticide. One fairly recent replacement for CCA is alkaline copper quaternary (“ACQ”), which has become a popular substitute for CCA that is used in many outdoor decks.
Some brackets used for deck drainage systems, however, can be formed from various metals such as steel, aluminum, or other materials. Steel is heavy and may tend to rust and/or otherwise corrode over time. Aluminum can be more resistant to liquid and other elements relative to steel and can be lighter than steel when used in similar volumetric proportions. Aluminum, however, may corrode when exposed to liquid and ACQ-treated lumber.
Because of these and other challenges, retrofitting decks with drainage systems can pose various challenges. These challenges may be compounded if the deck is formed from ACQ-treated lumber. Furthermore, drainage system components can be expensive and adding a drainage system therefore may be cost-prohibitive for some homeowners. As such, some homeowners may forego adding a drainage system to a deck, thereby sacrificing space under a deck for safety and/or cost concerns.
It is with respect to these and other considerations that the disclosure made herein is presented.
The present disclosure is directed to a deck drainage system bracket. According to the concepts and technologies disclosed herein, a deck drainage system bracket includes a main hanger portion and hanger swing portion that can be assembled together to form the deck drainage system bracket. The main hanger portion can have one or more mounting surfaces having a number of mounting holes for mounting the main hanger portion to a deck joist or other support structure. The main hanger portion and the hanger swing portion can cooperate to form an opening for grasping a standing seam or other portion of one or more deck drainage panels.
In some embodiments, the deck drainage system bracket includes two mounting surfaces offset by about ninety degrees for allowing installation of the deck drainage brackets with joists that run lengthwise parallel to, or perpendicular to, a desired flow path of the deck drainage system. As such, a standing seam engaged by the deck drainage system bracket can extend in a first direction that is perpendicular to or parallel to a joist to which the deck drainage system bracket is attached. The main hanger portion and/or the hanger swing portion can be formed from plastics or other polymers, epoxies, resins, or other chemicals. In one embodiment, the main hanger portion and/or the hanger swing portion are formed from glass-filled NYLON. Glass-filled NYLON can be resistant to corrosion including ACQ-induced corrosion, and can be easy to manufacture and transfer due to the ability to form the deck drainage system brackets using injection molding and the light weight of NYLON and/or other polymers relative to metals and alloys. Furthermore, plastics and polymers can be cheaper than metals and alloys, thus reducing the price of the deck drainage system brackets while providing a tensile strength that can exceed that provided by metals and alloys. Thus, embodiments of the deck drainage system brackets can provide enhanced strength, cheaper manufacturing and transfer costs, and resistance to corrosion and/or other breakdown, relative to other designs and/or materials.
The deck drainage system bracket also can include ribs, supports, and notches and notch recesses that can be provided to increase the strength of the deck drainage system bracket relative to other designs. Furthermore, the main hanger portion and the hanger swing portion can include tabs configured to engage deck drainage panels contacted and/or supported by the deck drainage system brackets. The main hanger portion and the hanger swing portion also can include, respectively, hanger guides and hangers that can be used to allow pre-assembly and/or assembly of the deck drainage system bracket, as well as reducing rotation of the hanger swing portion relative to the main hanger portion.
According to an aspect, a deck drainage system bracket includes a hanger swing portion including a hanger, a first tab, and a first assembly hole, and main hanger portion having a mounting surface including at least one mounting hole formed therethrough, a second assembly hole, a second tab, and a hanger guide for engaging the hanger of the hanger swing portion. In some embodiments, a fastening mechanism can be passed through the first assembly hole and the second assembly hole, and an insert can be disposed in at least one of a first insert recess formed in the main hanger portion or a second insert recess formed in the hanger swing portion for engaging the fastener.
In some embodiments, at least a portion of the main hanger portion can be formed from glass-filled NYLON. The hanger can include one or more hangers, and the hanger guide can include one or more hanger guides. In some embodiments, a notch can be formed in the hanger swing portion and a notch recess can be formed in the main hanger portion for engaging the notch. In some embodiments, the hanger includes one or more hangers, the hanger guide includes one or more hanger guides, the notch includes one or more notches, and the notch recess includes one or more notch recesses. The mounting surface can include two mounting surfaces, each of the mounting surfaces including one or more mounting holes. In some embodiments, the first tab is located proximate to a first side of the hanger swing portion and the hanger swing portion includes a first aperture configured to allow visual access to the first tab from a second side of the hanger swing portion. In some embodiments, the second tab is located proximate to a first side of the main hanger portion, and the main hanger portion includes a second aperture configured to allow visual access to the second tab from a second side of the main hanger portion. In some embodiments, the deck drainage system bracket further includes one or more supports extending from at least a portion of a first of the two mounting surfaces to at least a portion of a second of the two mounting surfaces.
According to another aspect, a deck drainage system bracket includes a hanger swing portion including one or more hangers, a first tab, a first pair of assembly holes, a fastener recess, and an insert recess for housing an insert. The deck drainage system also includes a main hanger portion including a first mounting surface and a second mounting surface. Each of the first mounting surface and the second mounting surface can include one or more mounting holes for mounting the deck drainage system bracket to a support surface. The main hanger portion of the deck drainage system bracket also can include a second pair of assembly holes configured to cooperate with the first pair of assembly holes to provide a pair of assembly passageways, a second tab, and one or more hanger guides for engaging the one or more hangers of the hanger swing portion.
In some embodiments, the deck drainage system bracket further includes a fastening mechanism passed through at least one of the pair of assembly passageways and into the insert. At least a portion of the main hanger portion can be formed from glass-filled NYLON, and at least a portion of the hanger swing portion also can be formed from glass-filled NYLON. In some embodiments, the deck drainage system further includes one or more notches formed in the hanger swing portion and one or more notch recesses formed in the main hanger portion for engaging the one or more notches. In some embodiments, the first tab is located proximate to a first side of the hanger swing portion and the hanger swing portion includes a first aperture configured to allow visual access to the first tab from a second side of the hanger swing portion. In some embodiments, the second tab is located proximate to a first side of the main hanger portion, and the main hanger portion includes a second aperture configured to allow visual access to the second tab from a second side of the main hanger portion. In some embodiments, one or more supports extends from at least a portion of the first mounting surface to at least a portion of the second mounting surface, and the deck drainage system bracket further includes at least one rib for supporting at least a portion of the main hanger portion.
According to yet another aspect, a deck drainage system bracket includes a hanger swing portion including one or more hangers, a first tab for engaging at least a portion of a deck drainage panel, one or more notches, a first pair of assembly holes, a fastener recess, and an insert recess for housing an insert. The deck drainage system bracket also can include a main hanger portion including a first mounting surface and a second mounting surface, a second pair of assembly holes configured to cooperate with the first pair of assembly holes to provide a pair of assembly passageways, one or more notch recesses, a second tab for engaging at least a portion of a further deck drainage panel, and one or more hanger guides for engaging the one or more hangers of the hanger swing portion. Each of the first mounting surface and the second mounting surface can include one or more mounting holes for mounting the deck drainage system bracket to a support surface of a deck. The deck drainage system bracket further can include a fastening mechanism passed through at least one of the pair of assembly passageways and into the insert.
According to some embodiments, at least a portion of the main hanger portion can be formed from glass-filled NYLON, and at least a portion of the hanger swing portion can be formed from glass-filled NYLON. In some embodiments, the first tab can be located proximate to a first side of the hanger swing portion and the hanger swing portion includes a first aperture configured to allow visual access to the first tab from a second side of the hanger swing portion. According to some embodiments, the second tab can be located proximate to a first side of the main hanger portion and the main hanger portion can include a second aperture configured to allow visual access to the second tab from a second side of the main hanger portion. According to some embodiments, the deck drainage system bracket can include one or more supports extending from at least a portion of the first mounting surface to at least a portion of the second mounting surface and one or more ribs on the main hanger portion and the hanger swing portion for supporting at least a portion of the main hanger portion or the hanger swing portion.
This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended that this Summary be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any or all disadvantages noted in any part of this disclosure.
The following detailed description is directed to a deck drainage system bracket. According to various embodiments, the deck drainage system bracket can include a main hanger portion and a hanger swing portion. The main hanger portion and the hanger swing portion can be assembled together to form the deck drainage system bracket. The main hanger portion can have one or more mounting surfaces with a number of mounting holes. The mounting holes can be used to mount the main hanger portion to a deck joist or other support structure. In some embodiments, the deck drainage system bracket includes two mounting surfaces offset by about ninety degrees for allowing installation of the deck drainage brackets with joists that run lengthwise parallel to, or perpendicular to, a desired flow path of the deck drainage system.
The main hanger portion and the hanger swing portion can cooperate to form an opening for grasping a standing seam or other portion of one or more deck drainage panels. The main hanger portion and/or the hanger swing portion can be formed from plastics or other polymers, epoxies, resins, or other chemicals. In one embodiment, the main hanger portion and/or the hanger swing portion are formed from glass-filled NYLON or other polymers. Thus, embodiments of the deck drainage system brackets can provide enhanced strength, cheaper manufacturing and transfer costs, and resistance to corrosion and/or other breakdown, relative to metals, alloys, or other materials that could be used to form the deck drainage system brackets.
The deck drainage system bracket also can include ribs, supports, and notches and notch recesses that can be provided to add strength to the deck drainage system bracket. The main hanger portion and the hanger swing portion also can include tabs configured to engage deck drainage panels contacted and/or supported by the deck drainage system brackets. The main hanger portion and the hanger swing portion also can include, respectively, hanger guides and hangers that can be used to allow pre-assembly and/or assembly of the deck drainage system bracket, as well as reduce rotation of the hanger swing portion relative to the main hanger portion when assembled. These and other aspects of the deck drainage system bracket disclosed herein will be discussed in more detail below with reference to the FIGURES.
In the following detailed description, references are made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which are shown by way of illustration specific embodiments or examples. It must be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely illustrative of the concepts and technologies disclosed herein. The concepts and technologies disclosed herein may be embodied in various and alternative forms, and/or in various combinations of the embodiments disclosed herein. The word “illustrative,” as used in the specification, is used expansively to refer to embodiments that serve as an illustration, specimen, model or pattern.
Additionally, it should be understood that the drawings are not necessarily to scale, and that some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. In other instances, well-known components, systems, materials or methods have not been described in detail in order to avoid obscuring the present disclosure. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present disclosure. Referring now to the drawings, in which like numerals represent like elements throughout the several figures, aspects of a deck drainage system bracket will be presented.
The fastener 106 can mate or otherwise couple with an insert 108 or other reciprocal fastening mechanism. In the illustrated embodiment, the fastener 106 passes through a fastener recess 110 formed in the main hanger portion 102 and mates with an insert 108 disposed in an insert recess 112 formed in the hanger swing portion 104. As shown in
As shown in
According to some embodiments, the main hanger portion 102 and/or the hanger swing portion 104 of the deck drainage system bracket 100 can be formed from a same material. In other embodiments, the main hanger portion 102 and the hanger swing portion 104 of the deck drainage system bracket 100 are formed from different materials. According to various embodiments, one or more of the main hanger portion 102 and/or the hanger swing portion 104 are formed from glass-filled NYLON. For example, in one embodiment the main hanger portion 102 and the hanger swing portion 104 are formed from NYLON 66 33% GF. In another embodiment, the main hanger portion 102 and/or the hanger swing portion 104 are formed from PC 141 Black. According to various embodiments, the materials used to form the deck drainage system bracket 100 are safe to use with ACQ-treated lumber. Furthermore, some embodiments of the deck drainage system bracket 100, including some embodiments of the deck drainage system brackets 100 formed from glass-filled NYLON, can be cheap to manufacture, light and therefore cheap to ship, and can have smooth edges that can avoid or eliminate injuries to installers caused by sharp edges of some metal brackets. Other materials are contemplated and are possible. As such, it should be understood that these embodiments are illustrative, and should not be construed as being limiting in any way.
According to some embodiments, the functionality of the fasteners 106 is provided by a screw or bolt. In one embodiment, the functionality of the fasteners 106 is provided by 10-32×3-inch machine screws with a Phillips pan head formed from 18-8 stainless steel. In this embodiment, the functionality of the insert is provided by a DODGE insert sold under the model number 6041-3BR 375, which can be installed in the insert recesses 112 using ultrasonic equipment or thermal installation equipment, among other contemplated insertion processes. Because other fasteners 106 and inserts 108 are possible and are contemplated, it should be understood that these embodiments are illustrative, and should not be construed as being limiting in any way.
Turning now to
It should be understood that a portion of the deck drainage system bracket 100 can be cut from the upper portion 200 to shorten the length of the deck drainage system bracket 100. Similarly, additional mounting holes 206 can be formed above, between, or below the illustrated mounting holes 206 using a drill or other tool, if desired. Although not shown in
In particular, as will be more easily understood with reference to
It should be appreciated that the deck drainage system bracket 100 can include additional mounting surfaces 204 and/or that the mounting surfaces 204 can be alternatively arranged, if desired, to accommodate additional or alternative deck drainage system panel arrangements. For example, in one contemplated embodiment, the deck drainage system bracket 100 includes a third mounting surface 204 arranged with approximately a forty-five degree offset from the orientation either or both of the mounting surfaces 204 shown in
In various embodiments, the deck drainage system bracket 100 also can include supports 208. The supports 208 can be formed between the mounting surfaces 204 and can be included to provide the deck drainage system bracket 100 with support and/or rigidity. The supports 208 can be solid structures (as shown) and/or can be formed as ribs or hollowed support surfaces. The configuration of the supports 208 can be varied depending upon various considerations such as, for example, material costs, anticipated support strength requirements, weight requirements, shipping costs, and the like. As such, the illustrated embodiment should be understood as being illustrative and should not be construed as being limiting in any way.
The deck drainage system bracket 100 also can include a number of notch recesses 210 formed in the lower portion 202 or elsewhere in the deck drainage system bracket 100. The notch recesses 210 can accommodate notches or other structures formed in the hanger swing portion 104, which is illustrated and described in more detail below, particularly with reference to
The lower portion 202 is illustrated as including two assembly through holes (“assembly holes”) 212. As shown in
According to various embodiments, the main hanger portion 102 can include a tab 214. As shown in
The main hanger portion 102 also can include a number of support and/or manufacturing ribs (“ribs”) 218. The ribs 218 can be included to add support and/or rigidity to various structures of the main hanger portion 102 and/or to aid in manufacturing. With respect to supporting the various structures of the deck drainage system bracket 100, it can be appreciated with reference to the various FIGURES that the ribs 218 can be arranged to support the various structures of the deck drainage system bracket 100 to help avoid or even eliminate breakage or other failures of the deck drainage system bracket 100. Because support structures are generally understood, the support functions of the ribs 218 are not described further herein but can be appreciated with reference to the FIGURES.
With respect to manufacturing, the ribs 218 also can be included to aid in forming the deck drainage system brackets 100. In particular, the main hanger portion 102 and/or the hanger swing portion 104 can be formed using a molding process such as an injection molding process. As such, the ribs 218 can be included to simplify and/or otherwise facilitate removal of the main hanger portion 102 and/or the hanger swing portion 104 from molds used to form the main hanger portion 102 and/or the hanger swing portion 104. Because injection molding and other similar processes are generally understood, the manufacturing uses of the ribs 218 are not described herein in additional detail. It should be understood that the relative location, orientation, size, and/or number of ribs 218 are merely illustrative of one contemplated embodiment and should not be construed as being limiting in any way.
The main hanger portion 102 also can include hanger guides 220. The hanger guides 220 can be included for aligning and/or supporting hangers formed on the hanger swing portion 104. The hangers of the hanger swing portion 104 are illustrated and described in more detail below, particularly with reference to
With additional reference to
Furthermore, some aspects of the tab 214 are varied or modified by manufacturers or installers for known use requirements. For example, the height h1 of the tab 214 can be varied to accommodate various sizes and configurations of drainage panels. The height h1 can be varied during manufacturing or post-manufacturing using a file or other tool, if desired. Similarly, a relative size and configuration of the opening 302 for accommodating the drainage panels can be varied by varying various orientations, sizes, configurations, and/or other aspects of the lower portion 202 of the main hanger portion 102. As such, the illustrated embodiment of the main hanger portion 102 shown in
As can be seen in
In some embodiments, including the embodiment illustrated in the FIGURES, the rear notch recess support areas 500 are disposed in-line with the ribs 218 to further strengthen the various structures of the deck drainage system bracket 100 and/or to transfer forces from the notch recesses 210 to other structures of the deck drainage system bracket 100. It should be understood that the size, location, orientation, and number of rear notch recess support areas 500 can be varied in accordance with variation of the notch recesses 210 and/or the notches described below with reference to
In some embodiments, as shown in
Turning now to
In some embodiments, an installer can pre-assemble the deck drainage system bracket 100 before or during installation, with the main hanger portion 102 supporting the hanger swing portion 104 via the hanger guides 220 and the hangers 700. As can be more easily seen in
The hanger swing portion 104 also can include one or more notches 702. As described above, the notches 702 can interface with the notch recesses 210 of the main hanger portion 102 for various purposes. For example, the notches 702 can transfer weight from the hanger swing portion 104 to the main hanger portion 102. The notches 702 also can be used to restrict rotation of the hanger swing portion 104 relative to the main hanger portion 102. Furthermore, notches 702 can interface with the notch recesses 210 to add additional interface points between the main hanger portion 102 and the hanger swing portion 104 thereby strengthening and/or encouraging proper assembly of the deck drainage system bracket 100. It should be understood that these embodiments are illustrative, and should not be construed as being limiting in any way.
As can be appreciated from
The hanger swing portion 104 also can include a tab 704. The tab 704 can be, but is not necessarily, similar to the tab 214 described above with regard to the main hanger portion 102. Thus, it can be appreciated that the size, orientation, and configuration of the tab 704 can be similarly varied as described above. The tab 704 also can cooperate with the tab 214 to support a standing seam or other portion of a drainage system. Thus, the deck drainage system bracket 100 can provide a rigid and/or strong support mechanism for the drainage system, as can be appreciated in more detail with reference to
The hanger swing portion 104 also can include assembly through holes (“assembly holes”) 706. The assembly holes 706 can be, but are not necessarily, similar or even identical to the assembly holes 212 described above with respect to the main hanger portion 102. Thus, it can be appreciated that the fasteners 106 described above with reference to
Referring now to
As can be most easily seen in
Turning now to
Turning now to
According to some embodiments, the drainage panels 1200 can be coupled together along respective lengths of the drainage panels 1200. The drainage panels 1200 can be coupled and/or joined together using various mechanisms and/or fasteners such as, for example, screws, rivets, bolts, nails, glue or other adhesives, spot welding or other thermal bonding mechanisms, and/or other thermal, mechanical, and/or chemical adhesives and/or fasteners. In the illustrated embodiment, the drainage panels 1200 are joined together by cooperatively assembling to form a standing seam (illustrated generally at 1202). It should be understood that this embodiment is illustrative, and should not be construed as being limiting in any way.
The standing seam 1202 shown in
While various structures of the deck drainage system bracket 100 have been described herein, some dimensions are now provided as an example of one contemplated embodiment. This embodiment is illustrative and should not be construed as being limiting in any way. With reference to
According to some embodiments, the fastener recess 110 has a first diameter of 0.297 inches that narrows to 0.277 inches to provide the fastener support structure 504 shown in
Based on the foregoing, it should be appreciated that various embodiments of deck drainage system brackets have been disclosed herein. Although the subject matter presented herein has been described in conjunction with one or more particular embodiments and implementations, it is to be understood that the embodiments defined in the appended claims are not necessarily limited to the specific structure, configuration, or functionality described herein. Rather, the specific structure, configuration, and functionality are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims.
The subject matter described above is provided by way of illustration only and should not be construed as limiting. Various modifications and changes may be made to the subject matter described herein without following the example embodiments and applications illustrated and described, and without departing from the true spirit and scope of the embodiments, which is set forth in the following claims.
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