DOWNSPOUT FILTER DEVICE

Abstract

A downspout filter device having an external conduit with an inlet end configured for detachable coupling with a downspout and receipt of drain water, and an outlet for dispersal of the drain water. A filter element is positioned within the external conduit, thereby defining a channel for fluid communication of the drainwater from the inlet of external conduit, through the channel and to the outlet end of the external conduit. The filter element has a filtering material adapted to remove debris from the drain water and a receptacle for the receipt of debris.

Description

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH

Not Applicable.

BACKGROUND

Most conventional buildings include drainage systems to collect rain water or drain water from the roof and direct it away from the foundation of the building. Drainage systems prevent moisture buildup that can enter the building through the foundation. Typically, drainage systems include gutters, or eaves troughs, mounted along the lip of the roof to channel drain water to downspouts, which direct the water on to the ground outwardly from the building foundation. Some drainage systems include buried drainpipes connected to the downspouts to direct the drain water even further away from the building or to a predetermined location, such as a rain barrel or a sewer.

Debris, such as leaves, can accumulate in the drainage system and clog the gutters, downspouts, and drainpipes. A clogged drainage system can prevent proper operation of the system and lead to damage to the building foundation and the system itself. While gutters are typically accessible for cleaning and maintenance, downspouts and drainpipes are not accessible without special equipment, such as a plumber's auger, which may be costly. Therefore, a filter device is needed to prevent debris from clogging the drainage system.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the accompanying drawings which form part of the specification:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a downspout filter installed on a downspout;

FIG. 2 is a section view of the downspout filter installed on the downspout;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a filter element;

FIG. 4 is an end perspective view of the filter element;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of an upper connector of the downspout filter engaged with a downspout;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of a lower connector of the downspout filter engaged with the downspout; and

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the lower connector.

Corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following detailed description illustrates the claimed invention by way of example and not by way of limitation. The description clearly enables one skilled in the art to make and use the disclosure, describes several embodiments, adaptations, variations, alternatives, and uses of the disclosure, including what is presently believed to be the best mode of carrying out the claimed invention. Additionally, it is to be understood that the disclosure is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangements of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The disclosure is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.

As shown in FIGS. 1-7, an embodiment constructed in accordance with the present disclosure, generally referred to as a downspout filter device 10, includes an external conduit 12, an internal filter element 14, an upper connector 16, and a lower connecter 18. The downspout filter device 10 connects between a downspout A and a drain B, a gutter, a spout, or other predetermined location, to convey drain water and filter debris C from the drain water.

The external conduit 12 is preferably a 6″ diameter straight pipe preferably made from polyvinylchloride (PVC), chlorinated polyvinylchloride (CPVC), unplasticized polyvinyl chloride (uPVC), Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), copper, aluminum, or other suitable material.

The upper connector 16 is a reducer fitting configured to increase the pipe diameter size from the inlet 20 to the outlet 22. The upper connector 16 includes an inlet 20 configured to mate with the downspout A, a transition portion 23, and an outlet 24 configured for mating with the external conduit 12. Preferably, the upper connector 16 is a conventional 4×6 reducer fitting having a 4″ diameter inlet and a 6″ diameter outlet. The upper connector 16 is preferably made from polyvinylchloride (PVC), chlorinated polyvinylchloride (CPVC), unplasticized polyvinyl chloride (uPVC), Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), copper, aluminum, or other suitable material. If needed, an adaptor 26 couples between the downspout A and the upper connector 16. A first end 28 of the adaptor 26 is shaped and sized to mate with the downspout A and a second end 30 is shaped and sized to mate with the upper connector 16 to enable fluid communication between the downspout A and the upper connector 16.

The lower connector 18 is a reducer fitting configured to decrease the pipe diameter size from the inlet 32 to the outlet 34. The lower connector 18 includes an inlet 32 configured to mate with the external conduit 12, a transition portion 36, and an outlet 34 configured for mating with a drain B. Preferably, the lower connector is a conventional 4×6 reducer fitting having a 6″ diameter inlet and a 4″ diameter outlet. The lower connector 18 is preferably made from polyvinylchloride (PVC), chlorinated polyvinylchloride (CPVC), unplasticized polyvinyl chloride (uPVC), Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), copper, or other suitable material.

The lower connector 18 includes a support 40 that extends across the internal diameter of the lower connector to provide support to the filter element 14 and prevent the filter element 14 from obstructing the outlet 34. Preferably, the support 40 is a bar sized and shaped to be at least larger than the internal diameter of the outlet to extend across the transition portion 36.

The filter element 14 is generally a permeable conduit that permits the passage of fluids from the inlet 20 of the upper connector 16 to the outlet 34 of the lower connector 18, but restricts the passage of debris. In the embodiment of FIGS. 1-7, the filter element 14 includes a pipe 42 which defines openings 44. The pipe 42 is preferably 4″ and made from polyvinylchloride (PVC), but other materials can be used such as, chlorinated polyvinylchloride (CPVC), unplasticized polyvinyl chloride (uPVC), Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), copper, or other suitable material. A filtering material 45 extends at least across the openings 44. For example, a wire mesh material can wrap around the entire pipe 42, however, other materials can be used, including, but not limited to, metal, plastic, or fabric. An upper inlet end 47 of the pipe 42 is configured to mate with the upper connector 16, such as insertion into the inlet 20 with a slip fit or friction fit. The lower end of the filter element 14 is closed, such as with a cap 46, thereby defining an enclosure 48 that effectively functions as a receptacle for debris. The filter element 14 has an external diameter smaller than the internal diameter of the external conduit 12 to define a channel 50 between the external diameter of the filter element 14 and the internal diameter of the external conduit 12.

In operation, drain water flows from the downspout B into the inlet 20 of the upper connector 16 and into the inlet end 46 of the filter element 14. The drain water passes through the filtering material 46 into the channel 50 between the filter element 14 and the external conduit 12. Debris C within the drain water does not pass through the filtering material 46 and remains in the enclosure 48. The drain water continues to flow through the outlet 34 of the lower connector 18 and into the drain B, gutter, spout, or other, predetermined location. To clean the filter element 12, the entire filter device 10 can be removed. The filter element 14 can then be removed from the external conduit 12 and the debris removed from the filter element 14.

In an alternative embodiment, the filter element can be removed via an resalable panel in the external conduit.

Changes can be made in the above constructions without departing from the scope of the disclosure, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Claims

1. A downspout filter for filtering debris from drain water, comprising: an external conduit having an inlet end configured for detachable coupling with a downspout for the receipt of drain water, and an outlet for dispersal of the drain water; anda filter element removeably positioned within the external conduit, thereby defining a channel therebetween, for fluid communication of the drainwater from the inlet of external conduit, through the channel and to the outlet end of the external conduit, the filter element having a filtering material adapted to remove debris from the drain water and defining a receptacle for the receipt of debris.

2. The downspout filter of claim 1, the filter element comprising: a conduit having an upper end configured for mating with the inlet of the external conduit, a lower end the conduit defining a receptacle for receiving debris, and the conduit defining at least one opening; anda filter material extending across the at least one opening, the filter material configured to prevent the passage of debris through the filter material.

3. The downspout filter of claim 1, further comprising an upper connector having a first end configured for detachable coupling with the downspout, a second end configured for detachable coupling with the inlet end of the external conduit, and a transition portion between the first end and the second end configured to accommodate the difference in size between the first end and the second end.

4. The downspout filter of claim 3, further comprising an adapter configured for detachable coupling between the downspout and the upper connector.

5. The downspout filter of claim 1, further comprising a lower connector having a first end configured for detachable coupling with the outlet end of the external conduit, a second end configured for detachable coupling with a drain, and a transition portion between the first end and the second end configured to accommodate the difference in size between the first end and the second end.

6. A system for filtering debris from drain water from a drainspout, comprising: an external conduit configured for detachable connection between the drainspout and a drain; anda filter element removeably positioned within the external conduit to define a channel between the filter element and the external conduit, the filter element configured to remove debris from the drain water, and the filter element defining a receptacle for receipt of the debris.

7. The downspout filter of claim 6, the filter element comprising: a conduit having an upper end configured for mating with an inlet of the external conduit, and the conduit defining at least one opening; anda filter material extending across the at least one opening, the filter material configured to prevent the passage of debris through the filter material.

8. The downspout filter of claim 6, further comprising an upper connector having a first end configured for detachable coupling with the downspout, a second end configured for detachable coupling with an inlet end of the external conduit, and a transition portion between the first end and the second end configured to accommodate the difference in size between the first end and the second end.

9. The downspout filter of claim 8, further comprising an adapter configured for detachable coupling between the downspout and the upper connector.

10. The downspout filter of claim 6, further comprising a lower connector having a first end configured for detachable coupling with an outlet end of the external conduit, a second end configured for detachable coupling with a drain, and a transition portion between the first end and the second end configured to accommodate the difference in size between the first end and the second end.

11. A method for filtering debris from drain water from a drainspout, comprising the steps of: providing an external conduit;positioning a filter element within the external conduit, thereby defining a channel therebetween, the filter element defining a receptacle;coupling an inlet of the external conduit to a downspout for the receipt of drain water,coupling an outlet of the external conduit to a drain pipe;communicating drain water from the drainspout through the inlet of the external conduit, through the filter element into the channel, and through the outlet into a drain;removing debris from the drain water with the filter element; andcollecting debris from the drainwater in the receptacle.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of: removing the filter element from the external conduit; andremoving debris from the filter material.