This Application is a Section 371 National Stage Application of International Application No. PCT/EP2013/051183, filed 23 Jan. 2013 and published as WO 2013/110629 A1 on 1 Aug. 2013, in German, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
The invention concerns a drainage body connecting element for connecting drainage bodies, i.e. hollow or grid-like bodies which can be installed in the ground and are intended to receive precipitated surface water and slowly dissipate it into the ground or to store the water.
Surface water, which often occurs in large volume flows, is generally discharged into the public drainage network. Charges are levied for such water drainage. To enable this surface water to seep into the ground, trench drains are known, i.e. constructions which are installed in the ground and can often receive very large volumes of surface water which then dissipates into the ground. Such trench drains are constructed from individual bodies which are connected together. These constructions must be very stable since often, vehicles must drive over the surface below which the drain is installed. For this, not only must the individual bodies from which the drain is constructed be stable, but the connections between the individual bodies must also be stable in order to give the entire construction the necessary stability. Furthermore, it is necessary for the drainage body connecting elements not only to have the necessary strength, but they must also be simple and economic to produce and easy to install.
The invention is based on the object of producing a drainage body connecting element which guarantees a high connection strength and a precise alignment between drainage bodies, but nonetheless is economic and simple to install.
This object is achieved by a drainage body connecting element according to claim 1.
In particular, this object is achieved by a drainage body connecting element for connecting drainage bodies, comprising two pegs connected via a web, each of which can be placed in a receiving orifice of a drainage body so that two drainage bodies are connected together via the web. Such a construction is easy to produce, easy to install and also durable.
Preferably the pegs can be locked in the receiving orifices. This ensures that when loads are applied perpendicular to the casing surfaces of the pegs, these cannot be squeezed out of the receiving orifices.
Preferably the pegs are formed tapering towards a lower end on their outer faces, and preferably have a protruding upper edge at an opposing upper end, which edge can in particular be inserted by form fit in the receiving orifice. In particular when made by injection moulding, the conical form is particularly suitable for removal of the drainage body connecting elements from the mould.
Preferably the drainage body connecting elements have first locking devices via which a first drainage body connecting element can be connected to a second, such that the first drainage body connecting element can be mounted in a first drainage body either flush or countersunk in relation to its surface, and the second drainage body connecting element can be mounted on the first drainage body connecting element protruding above the surface of the drainage body. By means of this arrangement, firstly one connection of two adjacent drainage bodies, smooth surfaces can be produced i.e. surfaces without protruding drainage body connecting elements. Secondly, when drainage bodies are stacked on top of each other, the upper drainage bodies can be fixed to the lower drainage bodies in the horizontal direction via the protruding drainage body connecting elements (no fixing in the vertical direction is required). Here it is of particular advantage that the first and second drainage body connecting elements are formed identically, so that only a single type of drainage body connecting element need be produced.
In a first embodiment of the invention, the pegs can be pushed into each other and locked together in this position. This gives a very stable construction in a simple manner.
In a second embodiment of the invention, the pegs can be locked together at their ends. This gives not only a simple construction but rather, even longer connecting elements can be produced for connecting drainage bodies which are stacked on top of each other.
In the first embodiment, the first locking devices are preferably configured such that the pegs can be connected both to each other and to the drainage bodies via these first locking devices. This construction is particularly simple.
In the second embodiment, it is advantageous if the first locking devices are configured to connect the pegs together and the second locking devices are provided for connecting the pegs to the drainage bodies. This achieves said extended construction in a simple manner.
The pegs are preferably configured so that they can be inserted either with lower ends in the receiving orifices countersunk into or flush with a surface of the drainage body, or with a second end in the receiving orifice protruding from the surface of the drainage body. This achieves an increased variability of usage of the drainage body connecting elements.
In order to connect together at their edges drainage bodies which are stacked on top of each other, for each drainage body connecting element only two pegs pushed into each other or two pegs attached to each other are required. In order not to have to create separate drainage body connecting elements for this application, it is advantageous if the web can be separated from the pegs or in particular can be separated in the middle. Thus uniform drainage body connecting elements produced with pegs can be converted into edge connecting elements.
Advantageously, because of the variability of the drainage body connecting element according to the invention, three different connection types can be achieved with this component, namely connection of adjacent drainage bodies, connection of drainage bodies stacked on top of each other, and connection of two adjacent drainage bodies and two drainage bodies stacked on top of each other.
Preferably the drainage body connecting element is produced as an injection moulding, in particular made of plastic, wherein the pegs (in some cases, also the webs) are formed as hollow bodies. This achieves a considerable material saving without substantially reducing the strength of the drainage body connecting element.
Embodiments of the invention are explained below in more detail with reference to drawings. The drawings show:
In the description below, the same reference numerals are used for the same parts and those with the same effect.
In the first preferred embodiment of the drainage body connecting element shown in detail in
Upper edges 23, 23′ are provided at upper ends 25, 25′ and protrude outward in the form of flanges.
Pegs 20, 20′ are connected together in pairs via a web 21.
Furthermore, first locking devices 22 are provided at the lower ends 24, 24′ of the pegs 20, 20′. When pushed or stacked in each other as shown in
Whereas the outer faces of the pegs 20, 20′ sit freely in the receiving orifices 12, 13, the upper edges 23, 23′ stand in form-fit connection with the walls of the recesses 12, 13 so that the two drainage bodies 10, 11 are connected together substantially play-free via the web 21.
First, two drainage body connecting elements 1, 2 are stacked on top of each other. As shown in particular in
The “upper” drainage body connecting element 2 sits in the first drainage body connecting element 1 and is firmly connected to this by its first locking devices 22. With its upper end 25, 25′ or upper edge 23′, this drainage body connecting element 2 protrudes far above the surface 18 of the drainage body 10 so that the upper drainage body 11 (in
A further preferred embodiment of the drainage body connecting element is now described below with reference to
This embodiment of the drainage body connecting element differs from that described above firstly in that the two drainage body connecting elements 1 and 2 are connected at their upper ends 25, 25′ (see
Two locking devices 26 are provided at the lower ends 24, 24′ and allow a snap engagement with the lower drainage body 10 (see
The pegs 20, 20′ are of different lengths, as shown in particular in
Furthermore, in comparison with the previous embodiment, it is easier to place an upper drainage body 11 on a lower drainage body 10 since the thinner lower ends 24′ of the “upper” drainage body connecting element 2 protrude over the surface 18 of the lower drainage body 10, and hence there is a relatively large play between the pegs and the walls of the receiving orifice 13. The form-fit engagement takes place only in the region of the upper edges 23, 23′ (see in particular
Both embodiments of the invention described above are also distinguished in that only a single “type” of drainage body connecting element need be produced. By connecting two drainage body connecting elements together, both a flush surface (for edge mounting) or a protrusion of the one drainage body connecting element from the associated receiver orifice, for connecting drainage bodies which are stacked vertically on top of each other, can be guaranteed.
Although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, workers skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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10 2012 100 560 | Jan 2012 | DE | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/EP2013/051183 | 1/23/2013 | WO | 00 |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
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WO2013/110629 | 8/1/2013 | WO | A |
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