The technical field relates to the field of drainage systems for evacuating surface runoff out of the area surrounding basement windows. More particularly, it relates to a window well drainage system for draining surface water runoff into a foundation drain and a method for performing same.
An important feature of basement windows relates to admit daylight in the basement of a building by defining an opening space around such sub-grade windows. Additionally, most building codes in North America require that dwellings include an emergency egress, such as an egress window, for each habitable room, including the one inhabited in the basement.
However, an important disadvantage of basement windows extending below the ground level is that they can be prone to seepage of infiltrating surface water runoff around and through the interface of the windows and their frame. There is thus a need to drain efficiently the surface water runoff from the area surrounding basement windows to the foundation drain or any other mean to evacuate the water.
Window wells address the needs and requirements specified hereinabove. In its basic configuration, the basement window is enclosed within a retaining wall which further confines the soil to form a well area which extends below the lower level of the window frame opening. Commonly, the window well area defines a dry well filled with stones, wherein the surface water runoff is drained gravitationally until it reaches the foundation drain on its bottom end.
However, such window wells require a minimum of maintenance in order to prevent the clogging of the window well area. Moreover, the presence of expansive soils in the surrounding environment may inflict structural damages to window wells, as well as to foundation walls. Once clogged or impaired, window wells can no longer evacuate surface water runoff through the foundation drain, and the accumulation of water nearby the basement windows may cause imminent water infiltration predicament.
In view of the above, there is a need for an improved window well drainage system which, by virtue of its design and components, would be able to overcome or at least minimize some of the above-discussed prior art concerns.
It is therefore an aim of the present invention to address the above mentioned issues.
According to a general aspect, there is provided a window well drainage system comprising: a window well wall defining a window well cavity; a main drainage conduit having an upper port extending in the window well cavity and a lower port in liquid communication with a foundation drain; and at least one secondary drainage conduit in liquid communication with the main drainage conduit, the at least one secondary drainage conduit extending from the main drainage conduit to a foundation drain.
According to another general aspect, there is provided a window well drainage system comprising: a window well wall defining a window well cavity with a lower surface and being open at a top thereof; a main drainage conduit having an upper port extending above the lower surface of the window well and a lower port in liquid communication with a foundation drain; a window well screening component mounted to the window well wall and extending above the window well cavity; and a drainage conduit screening component covering the upper port of the main drainage conduit, the window well screening component and the drainage conduit screening component being spaced apart from one another.
According to still another general aspect, there is provided a method for draining surface water runoff to a foundation drain using a window well drainage system having a window well cavity. The method comprises: receiving the surface water runoff into the window well cavity; flowing the surface water runoff into a main drainage conduit having an upper port in liquid communication with the window well cavity; and directing the surface water runoff flowing into the main drainage conduit into a plurality of available paths reaching the foundation drain.
According to a further general aspect, there is provided a window well drainage system comprising: a window well base defining a window well cavity having a lowest end; a main drainage conduit having an upper port extending above the lowest end of the cavity and a lower port extending below the window well base and being connectable to a foundation drain for liquid communication therewith; a window well screening component engageable to cover the window well cavity; and a drainage conduit screening component engageable to cover the upper port of the main drainage conduit, the window well screening component and the drainage conduit screening component being spaced apart from one another when engaged.
In an embodiment, the main drainage conduit comprises an upper section extending in the window well cavity and including the upper port. The upper section of the main drainage conduit extending within the window well cavity cab be removably engageable with the window well base.
In an embodiment, the window well base comprises an open end opposite the lowest end of the window well cavity and the upper port of the main drainage conduit extends below the open end of the window well base. The open end of the window well base can comprise at least one straight side configured for placement adjacent a window. The open end can be substantially rectangular-shaped. The window well base can comprise sidewalls extending upwardly from the lowest end of the window well cavity, the sidewalls comprising an upper end defining the open end of the window well cavity. The upper port of the main drainage conduit can extend below the upper end of the sidewalls. The sidewalls can define a receptacle configured to retain water and debris entering through the open end of the window well cavity and channel the water towards the upper port of the main drainage conduit. The sidewalls can comprise a peripheral ledge configured to support the window well screening component. The upper port of the main drainage conduit can extend below the peripheral ledge of the sidewalls of the window well base.
In an embodiment, the window well cavity comprises a depression surrounding the main conduit for accumulating debris. The window well cavity can be substantially funnel-shaped.
In an embodiment, the window well base further comprises a section of the main drainage conduit extending below the window well base.
In an embodiment, the upper section of the main drainage conduit extending within the window well cavity comprises sidewalls sloping away from the upper port. The window well base can comprise a peripheral wall configured to support the upper section of the main drainage conduit extending within the window well cavity. The main drainage conduit can further comprise an extension section removably engageable with the window well base.
In an embodiment, the window well screening component is removably engageable with the open end of the cavity.
In an embodiment, the drainage conduit screening component comprises an atrium grate.
In an embodiment, the window well screening component comprises a flat grate.
In an embodiment, the window well base is flexibly connectable to at least a section of the main drainage conduit below the upper port.
In an embodiment, the main drainage conduit comprises a main section mounted to the window well base and an extension section engageable with the main section. The main section and the extension section can be flexibly connectable to one another.
In an embodiment, the window well screening component is configured to screen particles of a first mesh size, and the drainage conduit screening component is configured to screen particles of a second mesh size, the second mesh size being smaller than the first mesh size.
In an embodiment, at least one of the window well screening component and the drainage conduit screening component comprises at least one selected from a group consisting of: a grate, a grid, a mesh, a strainer, a filter bag and a woven textile.
In an embodiment, the window well base further comprises a window well wall extending peripherally and upwardly therefrom along at least a section thereof.
In an embodiment, the window well drainage system further comprises at least one secondary drainage conduit securable to the main drainage conduit, said at least one secondary drainage conduit extending from the main drainage conduit to the foundation drain.
According to still another general aspect, there is provided a window well drainage system comprising: a window well base defining a window well cavity having a lowest end; a main drainage conduit having an upper port located in the window well cavity and a lower port connectable to a foundation drain for liquid communication therewith; and at least one secondary drainage conduit connectable to the main drainage conduit for liquid communication therewith, said at least one secondary drainage conduit extending from the main drainage conduit to the foundation drain when connected to the main drainage conduit.
In an embodiment, the window well drainage system according to claim 28, wherein the upper port of the main drainage conduit extends above the lowest end of the window well cavity.
In an embodiment, the at least one secondary drainage conduit comprises a lower port, the lower port of the main drainage conduit and the lower port of the secondary drainage conduit being spaced apart from one another in the foundation drain.
In an embodiment, the window well base is flexibly connectable to at least a section of the main drainage conduit below the upper port.
In an embodiment, the main drainage conduit comprises a main section connectable to the window well base and an extension section connectable to the main section. The main section and the extension section of the main drainage conduit can be flexibly connectable to one another.
In an embodiment, the at least one secondary drainage conduit comprises a plurality of secondary drainage conduits providing a plurality of parallel paths for fluid flowing from the main drainage conduit to the foundation drain.
In an embodiment, the window well drainage system further comprises a window well screening component covering the open end of the well cavity and a drainage conduit screening component covering the upper port of the main drainage conduit.
According to still another general aspect, there is provided a method for draining water to a foundation drain, comprising: providing a window well drainage system having a window well cavity and a main drainage conduit; allowing the water to flow into the window well cavity while screening particles of a first mesh size; allowing the water to flow into the main drainage conduit while screening particles of a second mesh size, the second mesh size being smaller than the first mesh size; and channeling the water from the main drainage conduit into the foundation drain.
In an embodiment, the method further comprises the steps of accumulating particles having a mesh size between the first and second mesh sizes in the window well cavity around the main drainage conduit, and channeling the water in the main drainage conduit through a plurality of parallel paths terminating in the foundation drain.
Other objects, advantages and features will become more apparent upon reading the following non-restrictive description of embodiments thereof, given for the purpose of exemplification only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
In the following description, the same numerical references refer to similar elements. The embodiments, geometrical configurations, materials mentioned and/or dimensions shown in the figures or described in the present description are embodiments only, given solely for exemplification purposes.
Moreover, although the embodiments of the window well drainage system and corresponding parts thereof consist of certain geometrical configurations as explained and illustrated herein, not all of these components and geometries are essential and thus should not be taken in their restrictive sense. It is to be understood, as also apparent to a person skilled in the art, that other suitable components and cooperation thereinbetween, as well as other suitable geometrical configurations, may be used for the window well drainage system, as will be briefly explained herein and as can be easily inferred herefrom by a person skilled in the art. Moreover, it will be appreciated that positional descriptions such as “above”, “below”, “left”, “right” and the like should, unless otherwise indicated, be taken in the context of the figures and should not be considered limiting.
Referring to the drawings and more particularly to
Referring now to
Since the upper port 44 of the main drainage conduit 42 extends above the lowest end 36 of the window well cavity 32, a depression 37 surrounds the main drainage conduit 42. The intercepted relatively fine elements accumulate in the depression 37 and are thus accessible, by removing the window well screening component 24, to be recovered. In aggregate terms, the window well drainage system 20 comprises two screening components 24 and 53, spaced-apart from one another, wherein the first screening components 53 prevents relatively coarse elements from entering the window well base 22 while allowing relatively fine elements to amass into the window well cavity 32.
As mentioned above, in the embodiment shown, the window well base 22 and the main drainage conduit 42 are engaged together through a flexible connection 38. The flexible connection 38 enables the window well base 22 to move independently from the drainage assembly 40, thereby preventing any impairment of the window well drainage system 20 when surrounding soil displacements happen, for instance and without being limitative during a thaw period. In an embodiment, the lower section 30 of the window well base 22 comprises a ductile component, such as and without being limitative a cast iron spigot and socket joint, or the like, to engage with the main drainage conduit 42. In an alternative embodiment, other types of flexible connection 38 can be fitted to the lower section 30 of the window well base 22, between the main drainage conduit 42, such as rubbers, thermoplastic elastomers, or the like.
In an embodiment, the main drainage conduit 42 further comprises an expansion joint 54, such as and without being limitative a rubber bellow, or the like. The expansion joint 54 extends between two contiguous sections of the conduit 42. It is appreciated that the main drainage conduit 42 can include a plurality of spaced-apart expansion joints 54. Similarly as for the lower section 30 of the window well base 22, the main drainage conduit 42 being extensible at the expansion joint 54, the window well drainage system 20 can support surrounding soil displacements, for instance and without being limitative during a thaw period. In an alternative embodiment, the main drainage conduit 42 can comprise other types of pipe expansion joints 54, such as a bellow of plastic, or the like.
In the embodiment shown in
In addition to the main drainage conduit 42, in the embodiment shown, the drainage assembly 40 comprises at least one secondary drainage conduit 58 extending downwardly from the intermediate section 50 of the main drainage conduit 42 to the foundation drain 70. In the embodiment shown, the drainage assembly 40 comprises two secondary drainage conduits 58, each one extending, first outwardly in an upper section 64 and then downwardly substantially parallel to the main drainage conduit 42 in a lower section 66, on a respective side of the main drainage conduit 42. Each one of the secondary drainage conduits 58 comprises an upper port 60 in liquid communication with the intermediate section 50 of the main drainage conduit 42 and a lower port 62 fluidically opened in the foundation drain 70. However, one skilled in the art will understand that, in an alternative embodiment, the window well drainage system 20 can comprise only one or a great number of secondary drainage conduits 58, or the like. Flexible attachments similar to the expansion joint 54 of the main drainage conduit 42 can also be supplemented or retrofitted to one and/or a plurality of the secondary drainage conduit(s) 58.
In the embodiment shown, the lower port 62 of each one of the secondary drainage conduits 58 and the lower port 46 of the main drainage conduit 42 are spaced-apart from one another into the foundation drain 70. In an alternative embodiment, the arrangement of the lower ports 46, 62 into the foundation drain 70 can be asymmetrical.
The above-described window well drainage system 20 can be used to drain surface water runoff into the foundation drain 70. The surface water runoff first penetrates into the window well cavity 32, wherein the relatively coarse elements and/or debris (not shown) are intercepted by the window well screening component 24, thereby preventing the relatively coarse elements and/or debris from entering into the window well drainage system 20.
A portion of the surface water runoff (including relatively finer elements having a diameter inferior to the mesh size of the main conduit cover screening component 53) flows directly into the main drainage conduit 42 through the upper port 44 of the conduit 42, whereas a remaining portion of the surface runoff accumulates in the depression 37 in the lowest end 36 of the window well cavity 32, surrounding the main drainage conduit 42. Relatively fine elements settle and accumulate in the depression 37, while a supernatant portion of the collected surface runoff flows through the upper port 44 of the conduit 42 into the drainage assembly 40.
Then, the secondary drainage conduit(s) 58 and the main drainage conduit 42 provide the surface water runoff with a plurality of available flowing paths to the foundation drain 70, the plurality of paths comprising a main flowing path 56 and at least one alternative flowing path 68. The main flowing path 56 is defined in the main drainage conduit 42 and extends from the upper port 44 to the lower port 46 thereof. Similarly, each one of the alternative flowing path 68 extends from the upper port 44 of the main conduit 42 to the lower port 62 of a respective one of the secondary drainage conduits 58. In the illustrated embodiment, the flowing paths are parallel flowing paths. In other words, the paths diverge at a common junction, allowing water to flow through the most convenient path. In this fashion, if one path is blocked downstream from the common junction, the blocking of that path will not impact the flow of water through the other parallel paths.
In the embodiment shown in
With reference now to
In the illustrated embodiment, the sidewalls 126 are configured such the cavity 132 is substantially rectangular-shaped at the upper end 134. Other configurations are also possible, preferably where the cavity has at least one straight side (not shown) sized such that it can be placed adjacent a window and run along the entire length of the window. For example, the cavity 132 could have the shape of a semi-circle.
As can be appreciated, the upper port 144 of the main drainage conduit 142 extends above the lowest end 136 of the cavity 132 and below the upper end 112 of the sidewalls 126 (which corresponds to the upper end 134 of the cavity 132). In this fashion, water and debris can accumulate inside a receptacle 114 defined in the cavity 132, before eventually rising high enough to drain through the upper port 144. Since the upper port 144 extends below the upper end 112 of the sidewalls 126, a window well screening component (not shown), similar to the window well screening component 24 of the above-described embodiment, can rest on the upper end 112, for example on a peripheral ledge 116 thereof, without interfering with the upper port 144.
In the illustrated embodiment, the window well base 122 also includes a section 179 of the main drainage conduit 142 extending downwardly from the lowest end 136 of the cavity 132. More particularly, the section of the main drainage conduit 142 comprises an upper section 118 extending in the window well cavity 32, and a second section 172 extending below the window well base 122. In the embodiment shown, the upper section 118 of the main drainage conduit 142 is single piece with the main conduit screening component 153. More particularly, the upper section 118 comprises an atrium grate 174 through which water can flow to the upper port 144 of the main drainage conduit 142. It also comprises sidewalls 176 which extend upwardly from the lowest end 136 of the cavity 132 and slope away from the main conduit screening component 153 aligned with the upper port 144. In the embodiment shown, the upper section 118 is removably engageable with the window well base 122. For example, it can abut against a peripheral wall 178 extending inwardly in the window well base 122.
As for the above-described embodiment, a depression 137 surrounds the main drainage conduit 142. The intercepted relatively fine elements accumulate in the depression 137.
The second section 172 of the main drainage conduit 142 is in liquid communication with the upper port 144 and the upper section 118. In the embodiment shown in
In the embodiment shown, the main section 179 is part of the window well base 122 and extends continuously from the sidewalls 126 defining the cavity 132.
The embodiments of
Several alternative embodiments and examples have been described and illustrated herein. The embodiments of the invention described above are intended to be exemplary only. A person of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate the features of the individual embodiments, and the possible combinations and variations of the components. A person of ordinary skill in the art would further appreciate that any of the embodiments can be provided in any combination with the other embodiments disclosed herein. It is understood that the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or central characteristics thereof. The present examples and embodiments, therefore, are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and the invention is not to be limited to the details given herein. Accordingly, while the specific embodiments have been illustrated and described, numerous modifications come to mind without significantly departing from the spirit of the invention. The scope of the invention is therefore intended to be limited solely by the scope of the appended claims.
This Application claims priority under 35 USC §119(e) of U.S. provisional patent application 62/017,572 filed on Jun. 26, 2014, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20160017569 A1 | Jan 2016 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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62017572 | Jun 2014 | US |