Pool floor drain assembly for a suction-activated water circulation system

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6810537
  • Patent Number
    6,810,537
  • Date Filed
    Tuesday, May 14, 2002
    22 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, November 2, 2004
    20 years ago
Abstract
The swimming pool floor or spa floor drain assembly of the present invention includes a drain body having a mouth positionable in proximity to the pool wall to serve as a fluid flow inlet, a spaced apart fluid flow outlet positionable below the mouth and a sidewall interconnecting the mouth with the outlet to define a fluid flow chamber. The cross sectional area of the fluid flow chamber decreases from the mouth to the base. A fluid deflecting plug includes a comparatively large area top and a comparatively small area base. A sidewall interconnects the top and base to form the plug with a cross sectional area decreasing form the top to the base. A support structure positions the plug within the drain body such that at least a substantial portion of the plug sidewall is spaced apart from the drain body sidewall to define a fluid flow channel having a first comparatively larger cross sectional area in proximity to the drain body mouth and a second comparatively smaller cross sectional area in proximity to the drain body outlet. The variation in the cross sectional area from the drain body mouth to the drain body outlet provides a lower fluid flow velocity at the mouth than at the outlet when fluid is transferred from the pool through the floor drain assembly.
Description




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




1. Field of the Invention




The present invention relates to swimming pool and spa floor drain assemblies, and more particularly to pool floor drain assemblies having an outlet coupled to a water return line which transfers water from a pool or spa to a pump.




2. Description of the Prior Art




U.S. Pat. No. 3,940,807 (Baker) discloses a safety suction outlet for pools and utilizes radially extending tubes to inhibit drain flow blockage.




U.S. Pat. No. 4,115,878 (Johnson) discloses a spa safety drain having a conventional grating or cover protecting a chamber which includes a secondary bypass feature.




U.S. Pat. No. 4,658,449 (Martin) discloses a protective adaptor for a pool drain designed to be placed above a pool floor drain grating to define a raised screening surface for screening any water flowing into the drain to prevent whirl-pooling effect in the drain.




U.S. Pat. No. 5,268,096 (Robol) discloses a typical cavity style prior art pool floor drain having a perforated grating or cover, an underlying cylindrical chamber and a horizontally oriented suction line.




U.S. Pat. No. 5,341,523 (Barnes) discloses an anti-vortex drain which avoids the requirement for a grating by providing a circular cover in combination with a spaced apart circular lip placed above a cylindrical sump chamber having a horizontal suction line.




U.S. Pat. No. 5,734,999 (Nicholas) discloses a safety device for swimming pools which includes a floor drain grate having two or more water inlet systems one of which is spaced widely apart from the primary drain to reduce the probability of that a bather will block the floor drain assembly.




U.S. Pat. No. 5,753,112 (Barnes) discloses a main drain leaf removal system for swimming pools which includes a cylindrical inner chamber with an inlet port elevated above the swimming pool floor and a larger diameter concentrically disposed cylindrical outer chamber having an inlet system level with the pool floor. Separate suction pipes transfer water from the inner and outer chambers. The outer chamber is designed to serve as a leaf removal chamber.




U.S. Pat. No. 5,759,414 (Wilkes) discloses a swimming pool main drain assembly having a domed top including both water inlets as well as a centrally located water outlet.




U.S. Pat. No. 6,038,712 (Chalberg) discloses a safety suction assembly for use in whirlpool baths which includes a safety relief vent located in the center of the drain cover which is activated when the drain is blocked.




U.S. Pat. No. 6,088,842 (Barnett) discloses a drain assembly for preventing hair entanglement in a pool or hot tub and illustrates a slotted grate as well as other grate configurations all having tapered lower grate surfaces.




U.S. Pat. No. 6,230,337 (Barnett) discloses an anti-vacuum drain cover having an elevated grating as well as spoke-like water inlets located at the pool floor level, the openings of which are spaced apart from the central point of the pool floor drain.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




Briefly stated, and in accord with one embodiment of the invention, a floor drain assembly for installation in the wall of a swimming pool or spa includes a drain body, a fluid deflecting plug and a support structure. The drain body includes a mouth positionable in proximity to the pool wall and serves as a fluid flow inlet. A spaced apart fluid flow outlet is positionable below the mouth of the drain body. The drain body further includes a sidewall which interconnects the mouth with the outlet to define a fluid flow chamber. The cross sectional area of the fluid flow chamber decreases from the mouth to the base. The fluid deflecting plug includes a comparatively large area top and a comparatively small area base. A sidewall interconnects the top and base to form the plug with a cross sectional area which deceases from the top to the base. The support structure positions the plug within the drain body such that at least a substantial portion of the sidewall is spaced apart from the drain body sidewall to define a fluid flow channel having a first comparatively larger cross sectional area in proximity to the drain body mouth and a second comparatively smaller cross sectional area in proximity to the drain body outlet. The variation in cross sectional area from the top portion to the bottom portion of the fluid flow channel provides a lower fluid flow velocity at the mouth than at the outlet when fluid is transferred from the pool through the floor drain assembly.




The pool floor drain of the present invention is adapted to receive, to compress and to transfer to the pump filter basket large, flexible debris such as leaves while simultaneously preventing accidental suction created mechanical entrapment of bathers. The pool floor drain assembly is provided with a structural configuration which functions to isolate the hydrostatic relief valve from the pool suction source. A secondary water circulation path is activated when the primary water circulation path becomes blocked. The floor drain assembly includes a separately removable access cover for accessing and servicing an optional hydrostatic pressure relief valve without impairing the safety features or operational characteristics of the drain even when the access cover has been removed. The floor drain inlet is joined with an elongated entrance path or channel formed with a sufficient length and with an appropriately tapered cross sectional configuration to minimize the possibility of mechanical entrapment of a bather's hand or fingers. The floor drain assembly may be configured as a dual drain system having at least two spaced apart suction inlets where high volume water circulation normally takes place through a primary suction inlet of a primary floor drain with substantially no flow volume through the suction inlet of a spaced apart secondary drain placed in either the pool wall or the pool floor unless the primary inlet has been at least partially blocked.











DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS




The invention is pointed out with particularity in the appended claims. However, other objects and advantages together with the operation of the invention may be better understood by reference to the following detailed description taken in connection with the following illustrations, wherein:





FIG. 1

illustrates a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the floor drain assembly with arrows illustrating the normal water flow when the drain body inlet remains unobstructed.





FIG. 2

illustrates the floor drain assembly of

FIG. 1

with arrows showing a secondary water flow path which is activated when the primary inlet is at least partially obstructed.





FIG. 3

illustrates a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the pool floor drain of the present invention.





FIG. 4

represents a sectional view of the pool floor drain assembly illustrated in FIG.


1


.





FIG. 5

represents a sectional view of the pool floor drain assembly illustrated in

FIG. 1

taken from an angle different from that shown in FIG.


4


.





FIG. 6

represents an exploded perspective view of various elements of the pool floor drain assembly illustrated in FIG.


1


.





FIG. 7

represents an exploded perspective view of additional components of the pool floor drain assembly illustrated in FIG.


1


.





FIG. 8

represents a partially cutaway, exploded perspective view of the bayonet-mount coupling of the outlet portion of the drain body.





FIG. 9

represents a partially cutaway perspective view of the floor drain assembly of the present invention installed in a pool and including a hydrostatic pressure relief valve.





FIG. 10

represents a generalized schematic diagram illustrating how the pool floor drain assembly of the present invention may be installed.





FIG. 11

represents a schematic diagram of a pool using a prior art pool floor drain assembly.





FIG. 12

represents a schematic diagram of a pool using a prior art pool floor drain assembly.











DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT




In order to better illustrate the advantages of the invention and its contributions to the art, a preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described in detail.





FIG. 10

represents a generalized schematic diagram illustrating a swimming pool


10


including a swimming pool floor drain assembly


12


connected to pump


14


by pool suction or water return line


16


and valve


18


. Pump


14


typically includes a pump filter basket. After passing through the pool filtration system


20


, the filtered water is returned to pool


10


. Skimmer


22


is connected by suction line


24


and valve


26


to pump


14


. A secondary drain


28


or vacuum relief drain is interconnected with pool floor drain assembly


12


by alternate water return line


30


. Vacuum relief drain


28


is preferably installed on a pool sidewall but may just as well be installed in the pool floor at a predetermined minimum distance away from the main pool floor drain assembly


12


. Since the system of the present invention may also be installed in a spa the terms “pool” and “spa” will be used interchangeably.




Referring now to

FIGS. 1-4

, one preferred embodiment of the pool floor drain assembly


12


of the present invention will be described in detail. A drain sump


32


includes a bottom


34


, a substantially cylindrical side surface


36


and an open top. A wedge shaped sealing lip


38


is positioned slightly inboard of the circular perimeter surface


40


of drain sump


32


.




The bottom


34


of drain sump


32


includes an elongated, vertically oriented passageway


42


. The

FIG. 6

assembly drawing more clearly illustrates the individual component parts which are assembled and combined with the primary molded structural element


44


from which the complete drain sump


32


is fabricated. Using conventional molding techniques, drain sump


32


cannot be economically molded as a single integrated plastic part. To further facilitate molding, inlet


50


can be fabricated as a separate part and interconnected with the drain sump


32


.




As illustrated by

FIGS. 4

,


5


and


6


, a vertical to horizontal fluid flow transition element


46


extends below the base


48


of drain sump


32


and includes a vertically oriented inlet


50


and a horizontally oriented outlet


52


. As illustrated in the

FIG. 6

assembly drawing, the inner portion


54


of fluid flow transition element


46


is individually molded and positioned adjacent to the outer portion


56


of fluid flow transition element


46


which is integrally molded with drain sump


32


to create the molded structural element


44


illustrated in

FIGS. 4 and 6

. Inner element


54


is typically placed into position during the assembly process without a glued together joint. Adapter element


58


is next placed into position and glued to molded structural element


44


as illustrated in the drawings. Adapter element


58


may include a plurality of radially spaced apart fingers


60


. The interior surface of vertically oriented inlet


50


of adapter element


58


includes conventional female pipe threads.




As shown in

FIGS. 4 and 9

, the horizontally oriented outlet


52


of fluid flow transition element


46


includes a female receptacle


62


which facilitates coupling to the suction or water return line


16


.

FIG. 4

illustrates that fluid flow transition element


46


includes an internal passageway having a cylindrical cross section with a substantially constant diameter.




Referring now to

FIGS. 1-5

, the swimming pool floor drain assembly


12


of the present invention further includes a funnel shaped drain body


64


having a substantially circular mouth


66


which serves as a fluid flow inlet, a neck region


68


serving as a fluid flow outlet and a sidewall


70


interconnecting mouth


66


with neck


68


. As best illustrated in

FIG. 4

, neck


68


is dimensioned to fit within and form a fluid tight coupling with inlet


50


. As shown in

FIG. 8

, neck


68


may be formed as a separate element and connected to the remainder of drain body


64


by a twist lock bayonet mount. The lower portion of the neck


68


of funnel shaped drain body


64


is dimensioned to interfit with and form a relatively fluid tight seal with the female threaded portion of inlet


50


of adaptor element


58


.




The swimming pool floor drain assembly


12


of the present invention also includes a fluid deflecting plug


72


in the form of a cunical which includes a v-shaped sidewall


74


dimensioned to fit within mouth


66


of funnel shaped drain body


64


as best illustrated in

FIGS. 1-4

. The bottom of the V-shaped sidewall


74


defines a closed lower end surface of the plug


72


. Fluid deflecting plug


72


further includes a domed top


76


closing the upper end surface of the plug


72


. As illustrated in

FIG. 7

, domed top


76


includes a plurality of three spaced apart, downwardly extending clips


78


which pass through and form a snap together fit with three matching slots


80


in sidewall


74


of plug


72


. These elements may also be interconnected by screws. A plurality of vertically extending reinforcing ribs


82


may be formed on the interior surface of sidewall


74


to enhance the structural strength of plug


72


.




As illustrated in

FIG. 4

, the outer portion of the top of funnel shaped drain body


64


includes a laterally extending lip


94


having a circular perimeter area


96


which overlaps with, contacts and forms a relatively fluid tight seal with the mated, upwardly projecting wedge shaped sealing lip


38


of drain sump


32


. During the original installation process, funnel shaped drain body


64


may be screwed into vertically oriented inlet


50


of adapter element


58


until a relatively fluid tight seal is formed between the perimeter area


96


of funnel shaped drain body


64


and the wedge shaped sealing lip of drain sump


32


.




As best illustrated in

FIGS. 3 and 7

, a multi element support structure is generally illustrated by reference number


84


and serves as a rigid mechanical connection to secure fluid deflecting plug


72


within the interior of the funnel shaped drain body


64


and to maintain a fixed spacing between the sidewall


70


of funnel shaped drain body


64


and the sidewall


74


of fluid deflecting plug


72


. The fixed spacing between sidewalls


70


and


74


defines a variable velocity fluid flow channel which extends from funnel mouth


66


to the funnel outlet or neck


68


. The channel has a first cross sectional area in proximity to the funnel shaped drain body inlet and a second smaller cross sectional area in proximity to the funnel shaped drain body outlet to provide a reduced fluid flow velocity at the funnel shaped drain body inlet in comparison to the fluid flow velocity at the funnel shaped drain body outlet.




Support structure


84


may be configured as shown in

FIG. 7

to include one or more plug like vertical support elements or pegs


86


which interface with a complementary shaped drain body lateral support element such as one or more spaced apart recesses


88


which perform the function of rigidly coupling plug


72


to drain body


64


. While these components may be permanently glued together, they may also be removably coupled together by removable coupling means such as stainless steel nuts and bolts


90


as illustrated in FIG.


7


. The extended or fanned out portion


92


of domed top


76


serves the cosmetic function of covering support structure


84


after the pool floor drain assembly has been installed in the floor of the swimming pool.




Various additional structural elements may be added to the basic embodiment of the pool floor drain assembly


12


to enable it to be coupled as illustrated in

FIG. 10

by water return line


30


to the secondary or vacuum relief drain


28


. This alternate or secondary fluid flow path is activated only when fluid flow through the inlet or mouth


66


of floor drain assembly


12


is interrupted, either partially or completely, by an obstruction such as a bather sitting or lying across mouth area


66


which either completely or partially blocks the normal fluid flow path as illustrated in

FIGS. 1 and 3

.




The plurality of flow direction arrows depicted in the

FIGS. 2 and 5

sectional views illustrate the alternate or secondary fluid flow path which is automatically activated when it becomes necessary to initiate fluid flow through vacuum relief drain


28


and alternate water return line


30


. To facilitate this alternate or bypass water flow path, a plurality of laterally spaced apart, rectangular vacuum relief slots or fluid flow bypass apertures are formed in the sidewall


70


of funnel shaped drain body


64


just below the lip


94


. Representative ones of these bypass slots or apertures are designated by reference number


98


. As illustrated in

FIGS. 3

,


5


and


6


, the bottom portion


34


of drain sump


32


includes a secondary fluid flow inlet


100


forming a water tight coupling with alternate return line


30


.




As illustrated in

FIGS. 1

,


2


,


4


and


5


, a fluid distribution chamber or secondary chamber


102


is formed between and extends radially or coaxially around at least a portion of the funnel shaped drain body sidewall


70


and the interior of drain sump


32


. Fluid distribution chamber


102


allows fluid to be transferred from secondary fluid flow inlet


100


through the plurality of fluid flow bypass slots


98


into the annular fluid flow channel formed between the sidewalls of funnel shaped drain body


64


and fluid deflecting plug


72


. As illustrated by the fluid flow designating arrows in the

FIGS. 2 and 5

drawings, in the bypass mode the flow of fluid continues downward through that channel, passes through the neck


68


of drain body


64


, downward through fluid flow transition


46


and through water return line


16


to pump


14


. The division of the fluid flow volume through the normal or primary flow path illustrated in

FIG. 3

versus the alternate or secondary vacuum relief flow path illustrated in

FIGS. 2 and 5

is determined by the degree of blockage or obstruction of the normal fluid flow path and the resulting internal pressure changes within the fluid flow channel between funnel shaped drain body


64


and fluid deflecting plug


72


.




A plurality of ribs


104


projecting upward from the sidewall of funnel shaped drain body


64


may be provided to serve a number of different functions. First, ribs


104


will typically be located between adjacent fluid flow bypass slots


98


to maintain essentially laminar flow between the mouth


66


and neck


68


of funnel shaped drain body


64


. Ribs


104


inherently provide enhanced structural rigidity which may be desirable in certain applications. The ribs are not necessary to the function of the present invention.




As illustrated in

FIGS. 1-5

, the fluid flow bypass slots


98


have been located toward the top of the fluid flow channel between funnel shaped drain body


64


and fluid deflecting plug


72


and in proximity to the mouth


66


of drain body


64


. Although fluid flow bypass slots


98


could be located anywhere along this internal fluid flow channel, placing them toward the top of the fluid flow channel optimizes the performance of the pool floor drain assembly of the present invention. For example, when leaves or other relatively large size debris are sucked through the mouth of floor drain assembly


12


, the laminar fluid flow within the drain assembly rapidly moves such debris downward through the unobstructed fluid flow channel without requiring that the leaves or other debris be deformed or folded, a process which will ultimately take place when such large debris enters into and then passes through the substantially reduced diameter neck region


68


of funnel shaped drain body


64


.




The unique configuration of the pool floor drain assembly of the present invention, however, provides for a variable velocity fluid flow as the fluid passes between the inlet and outlet portions of funnel shaped drain body


64


. For example, the inlet or mouth of the floor drain assembly


12


is configured as an unobstructed annular or ring shaped passageway having a comparatively large diameter and a comparatively large cross sectional area. Within the neck region


68


of the funnel shaped drain body


64


, the diameter of the annular or ring shaped fluid flow passageway has been reduced to a minimum distance with a resulting substantial increase in the fluid flow velocity. This increased fluid flow velocity readily crushes, folds and otherwise deforms large debris such as leaves, thereby performing a function necessary to ensure the transfer of leaves from neck section


68


through water return line


16


to pump


14


where such leaf like debris can be extracted in the pump filter basket and periodically removed by the pool user.




One primary advantage of the pool floor drain assembly of the present invention is that it entirely avoids the prior art requirement for a floor drain grate assembly to filter out large size debris such as leaves. Grate assemblies are required to filter out large debris from prior art pool drain floor drain systems which are typically formed as a rectangular or circular cavity with a water return line extending either vertically downward and out of the floor drain bottom or horizontally out the side of the cavity style floor drain. In both cases, non uniform flow exists within the interior of the floor drain. Were a relatively small apertured grating not provided on the top of such prior art cavity style floor drain assemblies, large leaf like debris would be pulled into the interior of the pool drain cavity and over time would accumulate and fully obstruct the interior volume of the floor drain cavity, plug the water outlet and require activation of a secondary or alternate floor drain which, as illustrated in

FIG. 12

, is typically spaced at least three feet apart from the primary drain. Once that first prior art floor drain becomes clogged, the secondary drain bypass feature necessary for bather safety will have been lost. The present invention, on the other hand, by receiving and extracting from the pool floor such large leaf like debris entirely avoids the problem experienced by conventional prior art cavity style pool floor drain designs.




An additional advantage of the annular, funnel shaped fluid flow channel formed between the funnel shaped drain body


64


and fluid deflecting plug


72


is that the safety code requirement for a relatively low 1.5 foot per second fluid flow rate at the pool floor drain mouth or inlet is readily achieved due to the substantially larger fluid flow channel area at the mouth of the funnel shared floor drain in comparison to the substantially smaller cross sectional area of the neck


68


of the drain assembly.




The domed top


76


of fluid deflecting plug


72


forms an elevated surface relative to the pool floor which performs the additional function of elevating a bather's body above the mouth of the pool floor drain assembly, a feature which may render it more difficult for a bather to inadvertently obstruct either all or part of the mouth portion of the pool floor drain assembly.




Incorporation of the vertical to horizontal fluid flow transition element


46


as an integral element of the molded drain sump


32


substantially facilitates both the initial installation of the pool floor drain assembly of the present invention as well as installation related testing and subsequent maintenance. Transition element


46


by being integrally molded can as is illustrated in

FIG. 4

produce a physically compact ninety degree bend to smoothly transition from a vertical orientation to a horizontal orientation to accommodate coupling with an external horizontally oriented water return line


16


buried in the ground. The configuration of this transition element allows it to be highly compact in both the horizontal and vertical directions such that the width of transition element


46


is contained well within the overall width of the pool floor drain assembly itself. With prior art cavity style pool floor drain assemblies, a series of pipe extensions interconnected with two forty-five degree transition elements is normally required to prevent undue water flow restriction through this comparatively high velocity fluid flow conduit. The present invention readily accomplishes this ninety degree flow direction change within two inches of vertical distance whereas prior art techniques require from five to seven inches of vertical distance to accomplish that same direction change objective. For pool installations in rocky ground, caliche or other hard surfaces, this vertical distance reduction can represent a substantial savings in terms of installation cost and difficulty.




Because flow transition element


46


allows for vertical access from above through vertical oriented inlet


50


in adaptor


58


, pool installation personnel can readily screw in fluid pressure testing equipment to perform leak testing before completion of pool construction. As illustrated in

FIG. 4

, funnel shaped drain body


64


can readily be inserted and removed because it is secured to drain sump


32


by a plurality of screws. This feature significantly facilitates both the original floor drain installation as well as subsequent maintenance and replacement of parts.




As illustrated in

FIGS. 5 and 6

, the bottom


34


of drain sump


32


includes an additional vertically oriented, threaded hydrostatic port


106


which is typically closed off with a threaded plug


108


. Hydrostatic port


106


is designed to accommodate a hydrostatic valve


110


and a perforated french drain pipe


112


as shown in FIG.


9


. Hydrostatic valves are required by codes in geographic areas such as Florida where the bottom of the pool may be installed below the local water table level. For such applications, plug


108


is removed to allow installation of a substitute hydrostatic valve


110


to perform the intended function of preventing the local water table from floating the pool out of the ground when a pool has been drained. When mouth or primary inlet


66


is obstructed, the secondary water flow path will be activated, preventing a significant pressure reduction within the secondary chamber and thereby also preventing unwanted activation of hydrostatic valve


110


with the resulting undesirable transfer of groundwater into the swimming pool. As a result, the unique configuration of the present invention effectively isolates the static relief valve or hydrostatic valve


110


from the pool suction.




As shown in

FIGS. 5 and 7

, the domed top


76


further serves as a separately removable cover to access the hollow or open chamber formed within the interior of fluid deflecting plug


72


to allow service access to hydrostatic plug


108


and hydrostatic valve


110


. The removal of top


76


does not compromise the safety characteristics of the drain because the sidewall of base


74


of fluid deflecting plug


72


remains in place even when the domed top


76


has been removed to allow service access to hydrostatic plug


108


or to hydrostatic valve


110


.




As shown in

FIG. 1

, one or more vent slots


114


may be provided in domed top


76


. Even if vacuum relief drain


28


or alternate water return line


30


become blocked, slots


114


will provide an alternate water flow path between fluid distribution chamber


102


and the pool to prevent the pool suction line from pulling the hydrostatic valve open and feeding ground water into the pool. When the pool has been drained and ground water forces the hydrostatic valve


110


open, ground water will flow into the empty pool through slots


114


even if other portions of the floor drain inlet have been blocked.




As shown in

FIG. 4

, the elongated fluid flow channel may preferably be configured to include an appropriate length, spacing, and length to spacing ratio to restrict or prevent body appendages such as fingers or small hands from forming a sealing engagement with the suction inlet formed at neck


68


. For example, a fluid flow channel length of about two inches or greater should accomplish that objective. Optimum performance from a safety perspective may be achieved by forming the fluid flow channel with both a sufficient length and with a tapered, narrowing channel configuration as shown in FIG.


4


.




It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the disclosed swimming pool or spa floor drain assembly may be modified in numerous ways and may assume many embodiments other than the preferred forms specifically set out and described above. For example, the transition from the relatively large diameter mouth of the floor drain assembly to the relatively small diameter neck of the funnel shaped drain body may be achieved by many other geometric configurations other than the parallel walled, double conical funnel configuration illustrated in the drawings. Specifically, the large diameter to small diameter transition could be made by means of various symmetric or asymmetric undulations transitioning from large diameter to small diameter or by a series of stepped diameter changes. In addition, it is not necessary that a constant spacing be maintained between the sidewalls forming the fluid flow pathway. In certain applications, it may be useful to vary the spacing between the sidewalls either by increasing the relative spacing, or by decreasing the relative spacing, both as a function of vertical position between the mouth and the neck of the system. Although the pool floor drain of the present invention has been described in a preferred form having a circular cross section, the present invention could readily be fabricated in an oval, rectangular or serpentine configuration without any substantial loss in the advantageous function of the present invention. For example, in a rectangular configuration, the opposed sidewalls of the funnel shaped drain body and the fluid deflecting plug could be configured in a relatively parallel orientation along each rectangular sidewall segment. The pool floor drain assembly of the present invention could also be configured in the shape of a polygon such as a hexagon in addition to the other shapes described above.




The flow bypass function described above in connection with the utilization of a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart slots


98


in combination with independent fluid chamber


102


could alternatively be configured as one or more apertures disposed at one or more locations in the sidewall of the funnel shaped drain body connected directly to alternate water return line


30


rather than providing for flow between an intermediate fluid distribution chamber


102


. Accordingly, it is intended by the appended claims to cover all such modifications of the invention which fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.



Claims
  • 1. A floor drain assembly for installation in the wall of a swimming pool comprising:a. a drain body having a mouth positionable in proximity to the pool wall serving as a fluid flow inlet, a spaced apart fluid flow outlet positionable below the mouth and a side wall interconnecting the mouth with the outlet and defining a fluid flow chamber, the cross sectional area of the fluid flow chamber decreasing from the mouth to the outlet; b. a fluid deflecting plug having a comparatively large area top, a comparatively small area base and a side wall interconnecting the top and base to form the plug with a cross sectional area decreasing from the top to the base; c. a support structure for positioning the plug within the drain body such that at least a substantial portion of the plug sidewall is spaced apart from the drain body sidewall to define a fluid flow channel having a first comparatively larger cross sectional area in proximity to the drain body mouth and a second comparatively smaller cross sectional area in proximity to the drain body outlet to provide a lower fluid flow velocity at the mouth than at the outlet when fluid is transferred from the pool through the floor drain assembly; d. a secondary fluid flow inlet for receiving fluid from a bypass fluid flow path; and e. a fluid flow bypass aperture disposed in the drain body sidewall and in fluid communication with the secondary fluid flow inlet for transferring fluid into and through the fluid flow channel to the drain body outlet when fluid flow through the drain body inlet is restricted.
  • 2. The floor drain assembly of claim 1, wherein the fluid flow bypass aperture further includes a series of spaced apart fluid flow bypass apertures.
  • 3. The floor drain assembly of claim 2 wherein the spaced apart fluid flow bypass apertures are located in proximity to the mouth of the drain body.
  • 4. The floor drain assembly of claim 3 wherein the spaced apart fluid flow bypass apertures are disposed in the sidewall of the drain body.
  • 5. The floor drain assembly of claim 4 wherein the fluid flow bypass apertures are separated by laterally spaced apart intervals.
  • 6. The floor drain assembly of claim 5 wherein the fluid flow bypass apertures comprise slots formed in the drain body.
  • 7. The floor drain assembly of claim 1 wherein the secondary fluid flow inlet is coupled to a vacuum relief drain spaced apart from the floor drain assembly.
  • 8. The floor drain assembly of claim 1 further including a secondary chamber positioned coaxially outboard of the drain body sidewall.
  • 9. The floor drain assembly of claim 8 wherein the secondary chamber substantially surrounds the drain body.
  • 10. The floor drain assembly of claim 8 wherein the secondary fluid flow inlet is in fluid communication with the secondary chamber.
  • 11. The floor drain assembly of claim 10 wherein a secondary fluid flow path is defined by the secondary fluid flow inlet, the secondary chamber, the fluid flow bypass aperture, the fluid flow chamber and the drain body fluid flow outlet.
  • 12. A method for drawing water from a swimming pool to a pump, comprising the steps of:a. providing a floor drain assembly having a mouth, a drain body including a fluid flow bypass aperture and an outlet coupled to the pump; b. providing a secondary drain spaced apart from the floor drain assembly and in fluid communication with the water within the pool and with the fluid flow bypass aperture of the floor drain assembly; c. applying suction from the pump to the floor drain assembly to establish a water flow path from the pool through the floor drain assembly when the mouth remains unobstructed; and d. activating a secondary water flow path from the secondary drain through the fluid flow bypass aperture and into the floor drain assembly when the mouth is at least partially obstructed.
  • 13. A swimming pool floor drain assembly comprising:a. a drain sump having a bottom and including a central area, a side surface and an open top, the sump bottom including an elongated, vertically oriented passageway; b. a funnel shaped drain body having a mouth serving as a fluid flow inlet, a neck serving as a fluid flow outlet and a sidewall interconnecting the mouth and neck, the neck being dimensioned to fit within and form a relatively fluid tight coupling with the elongated passageway in the sump; c. a fluid deflecting plug having a sidewall dimensioned to fit within the mouth of the funnel shaped drain body; d. a support structure for positioning the plug within the interior of the funnel shaped drain body with a fixed spacing between the plug and the drain body sidewalls to define a fluid flow channel therebetween; e. a secondary fluid flow inlet for receiving fluid from a bypass fluid flow path; and f. a fluid flow bypass aperture disposed in the drain body sidewall and in fluid communication with the secondary fluid flow inlet for transferring fluid into and through the fluid flow channel to the drain body outlet when fluid flow through the drain body inlet is restricted.
  • 14. The swimming pool floor drain assembly of claim 13 wherein the fluid flow bypass aperture further includes a series of spaced apart apertures.
  • 15. The swimming pool floor drain assembly of claim 14 wherein the spaced apart fluid flow bypass apertures are located in proximity to the mouth of the funnel shaped drain body.
  • 16. The swimming pool floor drain assembly of claim 15 wherein the spaced apart fluid flow bypass apertures are disposed in the funnel shaped drain body.
  • 17. The swimming pool floor drain assembly of claim 16 wherein the fluid flow brass apertures are separated by laterally spaced intervals.
  • 18. The swimming pool floor drain assembly of claim 17 wherein the fluid flow bypass apertures comprise slots formed in the funnel shaped drain body.
  • 19. The swimming pool floor drain assembly of claim 13 further including a fluid distribution chamber extending radially around and outside of at least a portion of the funnel shaped drain body sidewall for transferring fluid from the secondary fluid flow inlet to the fluid flow bypass aperture.
  • 20. The swimming pool floor drain assembly of claim 19 wherein the fluid flow bypass aperture further includes a series of spaced apart fluid flow bypass apertures.
  • 21. The swimming pool floor drain assembly of claim 20 wherein the spaced apart fluid flow bypass apertures are located in proximity to the drain body mouth.
  • 22. The swimming pool floor drain assembly of claim 21 further including a plurality of ribs located between adjacent fluid flow bypass apertures.
  • 23. The swimming pool floor drain assembly of claim 19 wherein the funnel shaped drain body is formed as a substantially conical member.
  • 24. The swimming pool floor drain assembly of claim 23 wherein the fluid flow inlet is formed as an annular passageway disposed between the fluid deflecting plug and the funnel shaped drain body.
  • 25. The swimming pool floor drain assembly of claim 19 further including a vacuum relief drain coupled in fluid communication with the secondary fluid flow inlet.
  • 26. The swimming pool floor drain assembly of claim 13 wherein the open top of the drain sump includes a circular perimeter surface, wherein the funnel shaped drain body includes a lip and wherein the lip extends over and contacts the circular perimeter surface.
  • 27. A swimming pool floor drain assembly comprising:a. a drain sump having a bottom and including a central area, a side surface and an open top, the sump bottom including an elongated, vertically oriented passageway; b. a funnel shaped drain body having a mouth serving as a fluid flow inlet, a neck serving as a fluid flow outlet and a sidewall interconnecting the mouth and neck, the neck being dimensioned to fit within and form a relatively fluid tight coupling with the elongated passageway in the sump; c. a fluid deflecting plug having a sidewall dimensioned to fit within the mouth of the funnel shaped drain body; d. a support structure for positioning the plug within the interior of the funnel shaped drain body with a fixed spacing between the plug and the drain body sidewalls to define a fluid flow channel extending from the mouth to the neck of the funnel shaped drain, the support structure further including a vertical support element extending from the fluid deflecting plug and interfacing with a lateral support element extending laterally outward from the support structure and overlapping a part of the drain body for rigidly coupling the fluid deflecting plug to the funnel shaped drain body; and e. the lateral support element includes first and second spaced apart, vertically oriented recesses and wherein the support vertical element comprises first and second spaced apart, downwardly extending pegs positioned and dimensioned to mate with the first and second recesses.
  • 28. The swimming pool floor drain assembly of claim 27 further including first and second nuts and bolts for rigidly securing the first and second pegs to the first and second recesses.
  • 29. A swimming pool floor drain assembly comprising:a. a funnel shaped drain body having a fluid flow inlet located at an upper end of the drain body and a fluid flow outlet located at a lower end of the drain body and including a side wall extending between the inlet and outlet, the inlet having a first cross sectional and the outlet having a second cross sectional area with the first cross sectional area exceeding the second cross sectional area; b. a fluid deflecting plug dimensioned to fit through the inlet of the funnel shaped drain body and having closed upper and lower end surfaces, the fluid deflecting plug having a first cross sectional area at the upper end and a second cross sectional area at the lower end with the first cross sectional area exceeding the second cross sectional area; c. a support structure for establishing a rigid mechanical connection between the fluid deflecting plug and the funnel shaped drain body to maintain a fixed spacing between the fluid deflecting plug and the funnel shaped drain body to define a variable velocity fluid flow channel extending between the funnel shaped drain body inlet and outlet, the channel having a first cross sectional area in proximity to the funnel shaped drain body inlet and a second smaller cross sectional area in proximity to the funnel shaped drain body outlet to provide reduced fluid flow velocity at the funnel shaped drain body inlet in comparison to the fluid flow velocity at the funnel shaped drain body outlet; d. a secondary fluid flow inlet for receiving fluid from a bypass fluid flow path; and e. a fluid flow bypass aperture disposed in the funnel shaped drain body sidewall and in fluid communication with the secondary fluid flow inlet for transferring fluid into and through the fluid flow channel to the funnel shaped drain body outlet when fluid flow through the funnel shaped drain body inlet is restricted.
  • 30. The swimming pool floor drain assembly of claim 29 wherein the fluid flow bypass aperture further includes a series of spaced apart fluid flow bypass apertures.
  • 31. The swimming pool floor drain assembly of claim 30 wherein the spaced apart fluid flow bypass apertures are located in proximity to the drain body inlet.
  • 32. The swimming pool floor drain assembly of claim 31 wherein the spaced apart fluid flow bypass apertures are disposed on the funnel shared drain body.
  • 33. The swimming pool floor drain assembly of claim 32 wherein the fluid flow bypass apertures are separated by laterally spaced intervals.
  • 34. The swimming pool floor drain assembly of claim 31 further including a plurality of ribs located between adjacent fluid flow bypass apertures.
  • 35. The swimming pool floor drain assembly of claim 30 wherein the fluid flow bypass apertures comprise slots formed in the funnel shaped drain body side wall.
  • 36. The swimming pool floor drain assembly of claim 29 further including a fluid distribution chamber extending radially around and outside of at least a portion of the funnel shaped drain body sidewall for transferring fluid from the secondary fluid flow inlet to the fluid flow bypass aperture.
  • 37. The swimming pool floor drain assembly of claim 36 wherein the fluid flow bypass aperture further includes a series of spaced apart fluid flow bypass apertures.
  • 38. The swimming pool floor drain assembly of claim 37 wherein the spaced apart fluid flow bypass apertures are located in proximity to the drain body inlet.
  • 39. The swimming pool floor drain assembly of claim 38 wherein the spaced apart fluid flow bypass apertures are disposed in the funnel shaped drain body.
  • 40. The swimming pool floor drain assembly of claim 37 wherein the fluid flow bypass apertures are separated by equally spaced intervals.
  • 41. The swimming pool floor drain assembly of claim 36 wherein the fluid deflecting plug is formed as a substantially conical member.
  • 42. The swimming pool floor drain assembly of claim 41 wherein the funnel shaped drain body is formed as a substantially conical member.
  • 43. The swimming pool floor drain assembly of claim 42 wherein the inlet of the channel is formed as an annular passageway disposed between the fluid deflecting plug and the funnel shaped drain body.
  • 44. The swimming pool floor drain assembly of claim 36 further including a vacuum relief drain coupled in fluid communication with the secondary fluid flow inlet.
  • 45. The swimming pool floor drain assembly of claim 29 wherein the closed upper end surface of the deflecting plug is domed top.
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