Patent Application
20140115998
The disclosed embodiment relates to clean out adapters for rainwater collection downspouts attached to underground drainage systems.
Rainwater collection systems are found on most commercial and residential structures to collect and divert water away from the foundation. Typically, gutters are used to collect rainwater that falls on a structure's roof and carry the water to a downspout. The downspout directs the water off the roofline and away from the foundation or into a sub-surface drain system. With a structure's roof and gutters being constantly exposed to the elements, debris including leaves, pine needles, litter, and other materials enter the collection system and cause backups. To avoid drain backups and potential water damage, the water collection systems need to be cleaned out periodically. This task is potentially dangerous with the height of some gutters, and also expensive if the clog occurs underground in the sub-surface drain system.
Generally, the prior art relating to downspout adapters utilize a screen to trap and remove debris from the base of the downspout before the water enters into the sub-surface drain system. It is known in the art that a screen at the bottom of an adapter chamber, located between the base of a downspout and the entrance of the drain system, is used to collect debris from the downspout. This chamber, a debris trap, is located about waist height, and contains an access panel to remove the collected debris from the screen. Some prior art that uses a screen in the bottom of a chamber contains an overflow port that channels water away from the structure in heavy rains, while in other art the chamber is perforated to allow water to flow out if the screen is clogged. Additionally, other art discloses the use of removable debris receptacles that allows water to strain through the receptacle while debris is collected. The debris receptacle then can be taken out of the downspout adapter for cleaning.
In yet other prior art the downspout adapter has a diverter plate that blocks the opening to the drain system. When the diverter plate is in a closed position the gutter and downspout can be flushed with water and the debris within the system is diverted out of the downspout entirely before entering the drain system. The downspout adapters in the prior art keep the downspout directly above the sub-surface drain system and trap debris before it enters into the sub-surface drain system. When debris does enter into the sub-surface drain system each of the above described adaptors makes it difficult to reach and clean out the sub-surface drain system.
The foregoing example of the related art and limitations related therewith are intended to be illustrative and not exclusive. Other limitations of the related art will become apparent to those of skill in the art upon a reading of the specification and a study of the drawings.
The following embodiments and aspects thereof are described and illustrated in conjunction with systems, tool and methods which are meant to be exemplary and illustrative, not limiting in scope. In various embodiments, one or more of the above described problems have been reduced or eliminated, while other embodiments are directed to other improvements.
One aspect of the present invention is to provide easier access to a sub-surface drain system for better clean out.
Another aspect of the present invention is an access opening with a removable cap on the downspout adapter to assist with clean out of the sub-surface drain system.
Other aspects of the present invention are the interchangeable top and bottom sections that connect to the downspout and sub-surface drain pipe, respectively.
A further aspect of the present invention is an access opening providing for attachment of a debris trap during active clean out of the downspout.
In yet another aspect of the present invention is the combination of both a downspout to drain pipe adapter and clean out adapter providing for conservation of materials and labor.
In addition to the exemplary aspects and embodiments described above, further aspects and embodiments will become apparent by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several views.
In the exemplary embodiment the downspout adapter comprises a hollow main body enclosure with a top section, a middle cavity, and a bottom section defining a path wherein water flows from a downspout, through the adapter, and into a sub-surface drain system. The top section is a hollow female fitting with an upper and a lower portion that protrudes upward from the middle cavity. The upper portion of the top section is slightly larger than the downspout allowing the base of the downspout to be positioned tightly at the opening of the top section. This connection prevents most debris from entering the top section from outside the downspout. The downspout and top section form the downspout longitudinal axis which occurs at the center of the downspout. The bottom section is also a hollow female fitting with an upper and lower portion that protrudes downwards from the middle cavity, allowing the lower portion of the downspout adapter to be positioned on the top of the drain pipe at the entrance into the sub-surface drain system. The drain pipe and bottom section form the drain pipe longitudinal axis which occurs at the center of the drain pipe. The adaptor provides for the downspout longitudinal axis and the drain pipe longitudinal axis to be offset, allowing for direct access to the sub-surface drain system. The middle cavity has an access opening with a reattachable cap allowing for better access to the drain pipes while cleaning out the sub-surface drain system. With the offset of the downspout axis and drain pipe axes it is easier for the user to clean out the subsurface drain system without having to dig up any pipes. To assist the user in cleaning out the gutters and downspout a removable debris basket is inserted into the drain pipe through the access opening to catch debris while permitting water to flow through. After active clean out the debris basket is then removed.
Before explaining the disclosed embodiment of the present invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of the particular arrangement shown, since the invention is capable of other embodiments. Exemplary embodiments are illustrated in referenced figures of the drawings. It is intended that the embodiments and figures disclosed herein are to be considered illustrative rather than limiting. Also, the terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.
As shown in
In alternate embodiments, the top section 100 may be constructed as a separate piece or pieces from the middle cavity 200, allowing for interchangeability if downspout sizes are changed during the structure's life cycle. It should be noted that other ways to connect the downspout to the top section may be used. If the downspout size is larger or smaller then the top opening, an adapter piece may be used to connect the two pieces and still maintain a connection that does not let in debris. The adapter may be ridged or consist of a flexible member to accommodate the connection required.
The middle cavity 200 in the depicted embodiment is hollow, partially rectangular in shape, and has the approximate width as the top section 100. In the depicted embodiment the middle cavity 200 has a width d1 of 3⅝ inches matching the width of the top section 100 fitting a standard 2″×3″ residential downspout. It should be appreciated that the downspout adapter width can change to accommodate different downspout cross-section dimensions or have a different width then the top section 100. Directly below the top section 100, the middle cavity 200 has a sloped base for directing water flowing from the downspout to the sub-surface drain system. A sloped or tapered base section below the top section 100 allows water to flow through the downspout adapter to the drain pipe without accumulation or ponding inside. In the depicted embodiment the slope of the base section is approximatly 30° from the horizontal allowing for drainage. It should be appreciated that any slope that allows for the downspout water to drain into the drain pipe can be used. The length d3 of the middle cavity 200 allows the downspout longitudinal axis 101 and the drain pipe longitudinal axis 301 to be offset from one another as shown in
For better access to the drain system an access opening 201 with a cap 202 is located on the middle cavity 200 above the bottom section 300.
At the bottom of the middle cavity 200, offset from the top section 100, the bottom section 300 is located. In the depicted embodiment, the bottom section 300 is a circular partially-hollow female fitting extruding from the middle cavity 200 with an upper and lower portion and allowing for attachment to the top of the sub-surface drain system. The bottom section 300 is sized and adapted for a drain pipe to fit within the lower portion of the bottom section 300. In the depicted embodiment the outside diameter OD is 4½ inches. The connection to the drain pipe is a tight fitting joint, which can be glued, slip fit, snapped, or fitted together depending on the type of drain pipe. Similar to the top section 100, in alternate embodiments the bottom section 300 can be constructed as a separate piece or pieces from the middle cavity 200 allowing for interchangeability between different size drain pipes. Additionally, adapters, either ridged or flexible, may be used if the drain pipe is larger or smaller then the bottom section 300.
Additionally, in the depicted embodiment, the downspout adaptor is long enough d3 to allow for the outside edge of the downspout 103 to be offset in relation to the inside edge of the drain pipe 303. With the offset of the downspout longitudinal axis 101 and the drain pipe longitudinal axis 301, and the offset of the outside edge of the downspout 103 and the inside edge of the drain pipe 303 the user is able to access the entire drain pipe without obstructions. This allows both for easier access and for better cleaning of the drain system. It is noted that some downspout/drain pipe configurations it may not be possible to provide an offset between the outside edge of the downspout 103 and the inside edge of the drain pipe 303.
In an alternative embodiment, a debris trap is placed at the entrance of the drain system pipe to catch debris within the adapter while allowing water to flow into the sub-surface drain system. The screen can be either fixed or removable for cleaning the downspout adapter.
The top section 100 is a rectangular hollow female fitting with an upper and lower portion extruding above the middle cavity 200. The upper portion of the top section 100 connects to the base of a building downspout. In the depicted embodiment the top section 100 is sized to fit a standard 2″×3″ nominal size residential downspout with a width d1 of 3⅝ inches and a length d2 of 2⅜ inches. It is understood that the top section 100 can be manufactured in different shapes and sizes to fit a variety of downspout systems.
The middle cavity 200 connects both the top section 100 and the bottom section 300 and has a length d3 that allows for the downspout longitudinal axis 101 and the drain pipe longitudinal axis 301 to be offset. In the depicted embodiment the middle cavity 200 is a hollow, partially rectangular in shape, and has the same width d1 as the top section 100, 3⅝ inches, and a length d3 of 7½ inches. Directly below the top section 100 opening, the middle cavity 200 has a sloped base for directing water flowing from the downspout at the downspout longitudinal axis 101 into the sub-surface drain pipe system at the drain pipe longitudinal axis 301. This sloped base section can be either a sloped wall of the middle cavity 200, as shown in
Providing access for clean out of the sub-surface drain pipe system is an access opening 201 with a cap 202 located on the middle cavity 200 above the bottom section 300 along the drain pipe longitudinal axis 301. In the depicted embodiment the access opening 201 and cap 202 are substantially D-shaped allowing for access to the sub- surface drain system. The access opening 201 and cap 202 are located on the top portion of the middle cavity 200 providing direct access above the drain pipe along the drain pipe longitudinal axis 301. The cap 202 is attached to the middle cavity 200 at the access opening 201 with two screws 203 into a mounting shoulder 204. In the depicted embodiment the mounting shoulder 204 is a thickened area protruding outwards with respect to the middle cavity 200 in the shape of a half oval as shown in
At the bottom of the middle cavity 200, offset from the top section 100, the bottom section 300 is attached to the middle cavity 200. In the depicted embodiment, the bottom section 300 is a circular partially-hollow female fitting with an upper and lower portion extruding from the middle cavity 200. The lower portion of the bottom section 300 attaches to the top opening of the sub-surface drain system. The bottom section 300 is sized and adapted to match various drain pipes. In the depicted embodiment the inside diameter ID is 4½ inches to fit a schedule 40 PVC drain system pipe.
The debris basket 400 is used for active clean out and does not remain in the downspout adaptor during non-use. To flush and clean the downspout the debris basket 400 is used to collect debris before entering the drain system. The user will remove the cap 202 and place the debris basket 400 into the access opening 201 and into the bottom opening 300. The building downspout is cleaned and flushed with debris collected in the debris basket 400. The debris basket 400 is then removed and the cap 202 is replaced after clean out.
Generally rainwater falls on a structure and is carried through a gutter system to a downspout. Debris is picked up by the water and is carried through the downspout and the downspout adapter into the sub-surface drain system that moves the water away from the structure's foundation. When the sub-surface drain system has accumulated debris the user will remove the cap from the downspout adapter and clean or flush the drain system directly. The downspout adapter allows for better access to the drain system without having to excavate the area around the drain system.
Additionally, another benefit of the disclosed invention is the combination of a clean out and adapter from the downspout to the sub-surface drain pipe. Currently, conventional downspout adapters provide only a connection between the downspout and drain pipe. If a clean out is needed, it must be added to either the downspout or the sub-surface drain pipe. In general practice clean outs are rarely used because of the added material and labor costs. By combining two functions into a single adaptor both installation time and raw materials are saved. With green building initiatives throughout the nation this invention is particularly helpful.
While a number of exemplary aspects and embodiments have been discussed above, those of skill in the art will recognize certain modifications, permutations, additions and sub-combinations therefore. It is therefore intended that the following appended claims hereinafter introduced are interpreted to include all such modifications, permutations, additions and sub-combinations are within their true spirit and scope. Each apparatus embodiment described herein has numerous equivalents.
The terms and expressions which have been employed are used as terms of description and not of limitation, and there is no intention in the use of such terms and expressions of excluding any equivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof, but it is recognized that various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention claimed. Thus, it should be understood that although the present invention has been specifically disclosed by preferred embodiments and optional features, modification and variation of the concepts herein disclosed may be resorted to by those skilled in the art, and that such modifications and variations are considered to be within the scope of this invention as defined by the appended claims. Whenever a range is given in the specification, all intermediate ranges and subranges, as well as all individual values included in the ranges given are intended to be included in the disclosure. When a Markush group or other grouping is used herein, all individual members of the group and all combinations and subcombinations possible of the group are intended to be individually included in the disclosure.
In general the terms and phrases used herein have their art-recognized meaning, which can be found by reference to standard texts, journal references and contexts known to those skilled in the art. The above definitions are provided to clarify their specific use in the context of the invention.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61720946 | Oct 2012 | US |
