Patent Application
20170121978
This invention relates to collection and direction of water, and more specifically to the collection of water from rainwater channels in roofs.
The present invention provides apparatuses that allow water from canales to be captured and communicated with water collection systems for storage or dispersal. Embodiments of the present invention accommodate existing canales with minimal or no modification to the canale or building or roof structure. Embodiments of the present invention provide for capture of water while allowing overflow to exit the canale if water flow exceeds the capacity of the collection system, e.g., in heavy rains or blocked water collection or dispersal systems.
Example embodiments of the present invention provide an apparatus with a catchment portion defining a volume that accepts water from a canale and communicates water to a collection system (where a collection system can communicate with a storage system or a dispersal system). The catchment portion is mounted to the canale using an attachment portion of the apparatus such that water from the canale enters the catchment portion, but such that excess water can overflow the catchment portion and fall to the ground.
Various aspects and attendant advantages of one or more exemplary embodiments and modifications thereto will become more readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
In many arid areas of the world, and in particular the American Southwest, buildings are sometimes constructed with roofs that are nearly flat, such as ¼″ of vertical change in 12″ of horizontal distance. This style of roof and building is sometimes called Santa Fe style.
Rainwater from these nearly flat roofs is frequently conveyed from the roof through one or more troughs that extend from the surface of the roof material through the building wall and project from the outer surface of the wall, typically from 2 inches to 16 inches, with longer distances more common. These troughs are sometimes called canales. Canales are frequently constructed of sawn lumber lined with sheet metal, and can, as an example, have an internal width of about 8 inches. As further examples, canales can be made of other materials such as galvanized steel or rigid foam, and can have other widths such as 6 inches. Rainwater that falls onto the roof flows across the roof to the canale, through the canale, and onto the ground. The canale provides a means for water to fall to the ground and away from the building wall and foundation.
Saving or harvesting rainwater in arid climates water is highly desirable, and present methods of collecting rainwater from canale systems suffer various disadvantages. The ground below the canale can be modified with gravel, aggregates, stones, cobbles, collection cisterns, or collection and distribution piping, or combinations of these methods, to utilize the rainwater. When rain falls during windy conditions the draining rainwater can blow against the side of the house or away from rainwater collection systems if not contained, and if persistent light rainfall occurs much of it can be lost to windblown spray. When heavy rainfall occurs draining water can overshoot collection systems.
Example embodiments of the present invention provide a downspout connector apparatus for collecting water from canale-type roof drains. An example embodiment comprises an apparatus defining a collection inlet, accepting water flowing into the apparatus from the outlet of a canale, and directing the flow of water to a downspout connector for directing the water to downspouts or other water direction systems. The collection inlet is open to the flow of water from a canale, or other similar water-draining outlet from a nearly flat roofing system. The apparatus has a bottom and walls that are angled so as to direct water to the outlet of the apparatus, and hence to a downspout connector that can be directly attached to the apparatus. The apparatus is configured to attach to the canale or other water draining outlet, such as by tabular projections or straps from the apparatus that can be integral to the connector, or separately constructed and attached to or around the connector and canale or drain outlet. Nails or screws can be used, if needed, to attach the apparatus to the canale or other associated structures. Example embodiments can be mounted with canales without requiring modification of or damage to (e.g., holes cut into the bottom of) existing canales.
Example embodiments of the present invention provide a collection apparatus for rainwater flowing from a canale due to gravity, through an opening in the apparatus that faces upwards to accept the water flowing downwards from the discharge of the canale, a bottom, sides, and top that channel water to an outlet that is substantially rectangular in cross section and sized to accept a downspout connector that further connects to other downspout sections for fluidically conveying water to water storage, distribution, or dispersal apparatuses.
Example embodiments of the present invention provide a rainwater collection device that allows for collecting rainwater at the outlet of a canale and fluidically conveying the rainwater to a downspout connector for connection to other downspout and distribution piping, tubing, hose, or similar means of conveying water for storage, distribution, or dispersal.
Example embodiments of the present invention provide for rainwater collection from square, round, ovoid, rectangular, or combinations of these shapes used to drain nearly flat roofs.
Example embodiments of the present invention provide for the collection of rainwater from canales or similar roof drain outlets without having to cut, drill, or modify such apparatuses other than placing a fastener such as a nail or screw into the drain device and without penetrating roofing material.
Example embodiments of the present invention provide for collection of rainwater without having to modify the roof or drain methods or to place a dam or other obstruction in or on the roof drain outlet to cause water level to rise enough to flow up over the flange of and into a drain device fitting and therefore causing ponding or puddling of waters which could then leak through leak paths not normally exposed to standing water, and could allow insect infestations due to puddled water.
Example embodiments of the present invention provide for water to freely flow out of the roof drain outlet and into its original flow path in the event the rainwater collection device clogs, or is blocked or overwhelmed.
Embodiments of the present invention can be fabricated from available sheet goods such as sheet metal. Sheet metal can be cut and folded along lines as shown in
Embodiments can provide for attachment to canales by, as examples, nailing or screwing to a canale, placing a strap that is either integral to the apparatus or a separate piece around the apparatus and canale, or incorporating the apparatus into a new canale (e.g., making a canale for new construction with an apparatus according to the present invention integrated into the metal that frequently lines a canale). A strap can be incorporated into the apparatus, mounted with the apparatus, and extended above the apparatus and around the canale. Secure fastening of the strap (or straps) can provide for secure mounting of the apparatus with the canale. As another example, an embodiment can comprise a portion of canale, e.g., molded as part of a complete canale structure configured to be attached to a roof.
Note that the wall does not completely block the flow of water out of the canale—if water is flowing at high velocity then some of the water can overshoot the wall, and if the catchment portion is unable to accept all the water falling into it from the canale then water can freely overflow the wall. Such situations can arise, as examples, if rain fall is heavier than can be accommodated by the catchment portion, downspout, and any distribution or collection system, or if there is a blockage or other flow reduction in the catchment portion, downspout, or elsewhere that causes water to leave the catchment portion through the downspout at a lesser rate than water enters the catchment portion from the canale. This ability to continue to drain the roof even if the water flow is too heavy for the collection system (due to heavy rain, or blockages or flaws in the collection system, or any combination of factors) is important to ensure that the use of the example embodiment does not lead to undesirable water accumulation in the canale or on the roof.
Note also that the catchment portion mounts with the canale via screws through the strap in the canale, and via screws through flanges in the catchment portion into the underside of the canale. Accordingly, the roofing material does not need to be pierced (a common cause of leaks), and the canale does not need to be modified, to install the example embodiment.
The present invention has been described in connection with various example embodiments. It will be understood that the above description is merely illustrative of the applications of the principles of the present invention, the scope of which is to be determined by the claims viewed in light of the specification. Other variants and modifications of the invention will be apparent to those of skill in the art.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62249995 | Nov 2015 | US |
