Water Drainage System
The current invention discloses a water drainage system designed for securing a waterproof membrane as well as centering a wastewater pipe. The water drainage system has a coupling mechanism including a lower drain body and a pipe-capturing member. The lower drain body may be installed in a substrate medium, such as a shower pan, onto which a waterproof membrane would be fixed. The pipe-capturing member has two frusto-conical designs which allow the pipe-capturing member to be firmly asserted into the lower drain body and at the same time center and secure the wastewater pipe. The pipe-capturing member and the lower drain body each has a flange wherein the two flanges trap and secure the waterproof member in place. Additional structures such as a drain trim holder may also be adopted to allow easier adjustment. The current invention is particularly useful for shower pan drainage.
This application is a US utility application and claims priority to U.S. provisional patent application 61/624,130 filed on Apr. 13, 2012, the contents of which are fully incorporated by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThis invention relates to a water drainage system. More particularly, the current invention relates to a water drainage system that may be used with a waterproof membrane to center and secure a waste water pipe in place.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONWater drainage systems are common in every household. It is desirable to have a drain system that is clean, easy to install and adjust, safe, and inexpensive. Examples in the art of water drainage systems are inflexible and hard to adjust. Most are designed for singular purposes while limiting the possible uses with design flaws that exclude certain installation locations and functions as well as having complicated designs with a multitude of parts and areas of potential failure. The current invention fulfills the needs over previous disclosures, providing improvements and convenience in regard to align the drain system with the floor, and how to ensure no residual wastewater accumulates.
DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ARTU.S. Pat. No. 8,060,956 to DeGooyer presents a bondable waterproof fabric membrane shower pan system. This system combines the use of a prefabricated pitched subfloor with a waterproof fabric membrane also comprising of a coupling drain system which attaches to the wastewater pipe. The design has multiple connection points where mechanical connections must be made in order to create a waterproof connection where two level surfaces meet. Since the system starts with a large flange on the bottom for connecting to a shower floor subfloor, it eliminates the possibility of fitting the lower drain body into a surface such as a roof. This mandates that you must build your final surface up to the height necessary for proper drainage.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,562,602 to Cuschera presents a wide floor water drainage system to fit with a small waste water pipe. This design depicts an adaptor for a waste water capturing method wherein a large conical shaped pipe is inserted into the surface to be drained and where in a smaller pipe section is inserted from above into the larger pipe section. The pipes are secured and sealed together with several rubber gaskets as well as two exterior nuts to be attached from the bottom. This design in theory tries to accomplish the same goals wherein a small section of pipe is inserted into a larger pipe section where the waste water pipe is captured and centered. Since the adaptor is secured with nuts from the bottom of the subfloor surface, access to the drain from the floor below is necessary and damage may be done to the ceiling. This design also fails to allow for the capturing of waterproof membranes which will greatly increase the efficiency of the seals as well as creating a secure moisture barrier.
Various implements are known in the art, but fail to address the entire problem solved by the invention described herein. A preferred embodiment of this invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings and will be described in more detail herein below.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONAccording to this invention, a water drainage system is disclosed for use with a waterproof membrane covering a substrate medium above the floor wherein a wastewater pipe is installed. The water drainage system mechanically secures the water proof membrane and at the same time centers and anchors the waste water pipe. The major component of the water drainage system of the current invention comprises a coupling mechanism including a lower drain body and a pipe-capturing member. The coupling mechanism traps a waterproof membrane covering the surfaces onto which wastewater may be disposed. Together with several additional structures, the coupling mechanism ensures that the waste water flows into the waste water pipe that is secured in place.
In particular, the current invention includes a large lower drain body encircling a receiving hole, the lower drain body having a top surface which pitches radially inward and downward toward the center. The lower drain body has a lower drain flange on the top portion of the lower drain body, the lower drain flange extending downward from the top surface. Below the lower drain flange, the lower drain body has a cylindrical section which is dramatically thinner than the lower drain flange in terms of center-to-exterior thickness. The lower part of the cylindrical section is preferably threaded, defining a threaded section generally designed to be connected to an anchoring nut having a threaded interior.
The water drainage system further comprises a pipe-capturing member, the pipe-capturing member having a tubular section with a significant interior-to-exterior thickness and a top flange positioned above the tubular section, the top flange being thin in top-to-bottom thickness and extending outwardly. The tubular section and the top flange encircle a pipe hole, which may be used to receive the insertion of a waste water pipe. The exterior surface of the tubular section decreases in diameter from top to bottom while the interior diameter of the tubular section increases from top to bottom. The diameter change of the interior surface allows the pipe-capturing member to firmly capture a waste water pipe and center the pipe. Similarly, the diameter change of the exterior surface allows the pipe-capturing member to be firmly inserted into the lower drain body. The bottom surface of the top flange of the pipe-capturing member is pitched as to be parallel with the upper surface of the lower drain body. Within this parallel space a waterproof membrane can be trapped or mechanically connected, additionally the same parallel space has pitched weeping channels through the body of the pipe-capturing member, allowing seepage to find its way to the waste water pipe. At the point where the membrane meets the exterior tubular section of the capturing member, a plurality of weeping holes are located around the tubular section under the top flange to allow water to pass through into the waste water pipe. The capturing member may also include threaded inserts in order to secure a drain trim.
Aside from the pipe-capturing member and the lower drain body, other structures may be included in the water drainage system disclosed by the current invention. A drain trim holder may be placed above the pipe-capturing member, the drain trim holder being preferably adjustable in height to level the water drainage system with the finished floor. A drain trim cover may be adopted to cover the drain trim holder. In addition, an anchoring nut may be used to secure the lower drain body to the ground.
The current invention may cover a number of embodiments having variable components. One key feature is that two structures may embrace and held flush against a waterproof membrane. A separate but important aspect of the current design is to allow modest but important positioning of the drain trim holder, thus making the placement of the water outlet adjustable.
In general, the present invention succeeds in conferring the following, and others not mentioned, desirable and useful benefits and objectives.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a water drainage system that is safe and easy to install.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a water drainage system that secures a waste water pipe in place.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a water drainage system that may be used in combination with a waterproof membrane covering the floor.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a water drainage system that may be easily adjusted in terms of position.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a water drainage system that does not cause water accumulation.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a water drainage system that is robust and durable.
The preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. Identical elements in the various figures are identified, as far as possible, with the same reference numerals. Such embodiments are provided by way of explanation of the present invention, which is not intended to be limited thereto. In fact, those of ordinary skill in the art may appreciate upon reading the present specification and viewing the present drawings that various modifications and variations can be made thereto without deviating from the innovative concepts of the invention.
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One of the basic functions that may be served by the water drainage system is to provide draining for an area that is covered by a waterproof membrane 19. As indicated above, the waterproof membrane 19 is a unique design for coverage of surfaces that may be susceptible to flow or accumulation of waste water. The pipe-capturing member 15 and the lower drain body 15 may serve as a coupling mechanism for the waterproof membrane 19. As shown in
Referring to
The tapering of the interior and exterior diameters of the tubular section 21 of the pipe-capturing member 15 is generally not very significant. The tapering angles for the interior and exterior diameters are between 0.1-5°, with the preferred tapering angle to be around 1°. Thus, due to the small tapering angle, the changes of the diameters are not dramatic.
Since the exterior diameter of the tubular section 22 of the pipe-capturing member 15 is tapered and decreases from top to bottom, it has a maximum exterior diameter positioned just beneath the top flange 20. The maximum exterior diameter is substantially equal to the diameter of the receiving hole, which is substantially uniform. Referring to
Since the interior diameter of the tubular section 22 of the pipe-capturing member 15 is tapered and increases from top to bottom, it has a minimum interior diameter positioned just beneath the top flange 20. The minimum exterior diameter is preferred to be substantially equal to the generally uniform outside diameter of a wastewater pipe, which is to be inserted into the pipe hole 35 from the bottom. The tapered interior surface of the tubular section 22 makes the insertion of a wastewater pipe easier. Moreover, the tapered interior surface of the tubular section 22 permits application of a chemical bonding adhesive without causing squeezing away of the adhesive when the wastewater pipe is inserted into the pipe hole 35 of the pipe-capturing member.
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As indicated above, it is preferred that the tubular section 22 of the pipe-capturing member 15 is inserted into the receiving hole 36 of the lower drain body. It is also preferred that the lower drain body 14 and the pipe capturing member 15 are attached with adhesives. Similarly, a wastewater pipe may be inserted into the interior of the pipe-capturing member 15 and attached to the pipe-capturing member 15 with adhesives. It should also be noted that adhesives may not be the only approach to join the three structures. For example, sonic-welding, as well as other methods, may also be utilized as long as effective attachment may be obtained.
In terms of materials, the various components of the water drainage system may be made from same or different materials. It is desirable that the materials are waterproof, durable, robust, easy to mold, and relatively inexpensive. The materials that may be used include but are not limited to: metal, rubber, and plastic such as, but not limited to, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene (PE), high-density polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC), low-density polyethylene (LDPE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), high impact polystyrene (HIPS) and polycarbonate (PC), or some combination thereof. The preferred material for making the lower drain body 14 and the pipe-capturing member is PVC.
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The lower drain body 14 encircles a receiving hole 36 having a generally uniform first diameter, a top part of the lower drain body 14 being a lower drain flange 28 that extends radially outwardly, the lower drain flange 28 having an upper surface sloped to the center of the receiving hole 36, the lower drain body 14 further having a cylindrical section 21 below the lower drain flange 28.
The outer capturing member 60 has an outer capturing member tubular section 64 encircling an outer capturing member hole 66 and an outer capturing member top flange 63 that extends radially outward. The tubular section 64 of the outer capturing member 60 has an exterior diameter and an interior diameter. The outer capturing member top flange 63 is positioned on top of the tubular section 64 and has a sloped lower surface. The sloped lower surface of the outer capturing member top flange 63 is substantially parallel to the upper surface of the lower drain flange 28. The tubular section 64 of the outer capturing member 60 may be inserted into the receiving hole 36 of the lower drain body 14. The outer capturing member top flange 63 and the lower drain flange 36 of the lower drain body 14 hold flush and secure the waterproof membrane 19, which covers a substrate medium. Different from the embodiment shown in
The inner connecting member 70 has an inner connecting member tubular section 71 encircling an inner connecting member hole 75 and an inner connecting member top flange 72 that extends radially outward. The inner connecting member tubular section 71 may be inserted through the drain trim holder 51 so that the inner connecting member top flange 72 rests on the stepped inner flange 53 of the drain trim holder 32. The inner diameter of the hole in the drain trim holder 51 is modestly larger than the exterior diameter of the inner connecting member tubular section 71, with a difference preferably ranges between 2 to 50 mm. With this feature, the inner connecting member 70 allows the drain trim holder 51 to be modestly repositioned when the inner connecting member 70 is inserted through the drain trim holder 51. Such a feature may reduce work load to avoid tile cutting, if tiles are used. Similar to the weeping holes shown in
The first bushing 54 and the second bushing 57 are inserted into the outer capturing member hole 66, with the first bushing 54 being positioned above the second bushing 57. The first bushing 54 and second bushing 57 are made from flexible and waterproof materials such as rubber. In addition, the first bushing 54 and the second bushing 57 have circling protrusions that ensure capturing. The inner connecting member tubular section 71 may be inserted into the first bushing 54 and being secured by the first bushing 54. A pipe may extend through the second bushing 57. capturing member, the weeping holes having openings on the radial chamfer of the upper interior edge of the pipe-capturing member and having an angle to facilitate draining into the pipe hole, and the integral weeping holes in the pipe-capturing member are substantially parallel to the top surface of the upper flange of the pipe capturing member.
The water drainage system may also include other structures to form a more comprehensive and complete design for improvement of a household drainage assembly. For example, the water drainage system may include a shower pan that may be combined with the pipe centering and membrane securing mechanisms such as the lower drain body 14 and the pipe-capturing member 15 (
On key component of the shower pan is the substrate medium 12 as shown in
The shower pan may also include a curb completely or partially surrounding the substrate medium. The curb may be made from the materials identified above or plastic wood composite. It is desirable that the curb be made from water resistant materials. The curb is thicker than the substrate medium and as a combined structure the curb and the substrate medium define the contours of the shower pan. It is preferable that the waterproof membrane also covers the curb. In addition, the waterproof membrane may expand upward against the splash wall adjacent to which the shower pan is installed, providing an extensive waterproof surface.
The waterproof membrane may be folded or cut to match the surfaces of the shower pan and the splash wall. The preferred method is to fold the membrane because such an approach does not leave gaps that may cause accumulation of moisture on the inner surfaces and in the inner voids. The splash wall, which may also be considered a part of the water drainage system, may provide the space needed for disposing the fold-up portion of the waterproof membrane that is not used to provide cover to the water drainage system. The splash wall may have a splash wall void behind it or between sub-layers of the splash wall. There are multiple ways to fold the waterproof membrane. The fold-up portion of the waterproof membrane may be folded into the splash wall void, keeping the appearance of the shower pan clean and neat, also preventing necessary cutting of the waterproof membrane.
Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made only by way of illustration and that numerous changes in the details of construction and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention.
Claims
1. A water drainage system to secure a wastewater pipe and a waterproof membrane, comprising:
- a lower drain body encircling a receiving hole having a first diameter, a top part of the lower drain body being a lower drain flange that extends radially outwardly, the lower drain flange having an upper surface sloped to the center of the receiving hole, the lower drain body further having a cylindrical section below the lower drain flange;
- a pipe-capturing member having a generally tubular section encircling a pipe hole and a top flange that extends radially outward, the tubular section having an exterior diameter and an interior diameter, the top flange being positioned on top of the tubular section;
- wherein the tubular section of the pipe-capturing member is inserted into the receiving hole of the lower drain body, and the top flange has a sloped lower surface, the sloped lower surface is substantially parallel to the upper surface of the lower drain flange.
2. The water drainage system of claim 1, wherein
- the exterior diameter of the tubular section is tapered and decreases from top, defined as the part closer to the top flange, to bottom, allowing the pipe-capturing member to be inserted into receiving hole of the lower drain body, and
- the interior diameter of the tubular section is tapered and increases from top to bottom, allowing the pipe-capturing member to secure and center a waste water pipe.
3. The water drainage system of claim 2, wherein
- the tubular section of the pipe-capturing member has a maximum exterior diameter substantially equal to the first diameter of the receiving hole, and
- the tapered exterior surface permits application of a chemical bonding adhesive without causing squeezing away of the adhesive when the tubular section is inserted into the receiving hole.
4. The water drainage system of claim 2, wherein
- the tubular section of the pipe-capturing member has a minimum interior diameter substantially equal to the outside diameter of the waste water pipe, and
- the tapered interior surface permits application of a chemical bonding adhesive without causing squeezing away of the adhesive when the waste water pipe is inserted into the pipe hole of the pipe-capturing member.
5. The water drainage system of claim 1, wherein the cylindrical section of the lower drain body has a lower part that has a threaded exterior surface, defining a threaded section.
6. The water drainage system of claim 5, further comprising an anchoring nut having a threaded interior, the anchoring nut being fastened to the threaded section of the lower drain body for the purpose of securing the lower drain body to a substrate.
7. The water drainage system of claim 1, wherein the top flange of the pipe-capturing member has an upper interior edge, the upper interior edge is shaped as a radial chamfer, forming a funnel shape, there are integral weeping holes through the pipe-capturing member, the weeping holes having openings on the radial chamfer of the upper interior edge of the pipe-capturing member and having an angle to facilitate draining into the pipe hole, and the integral weeping holes in the pipe-capturing member are substantially parallel to the top surface of the upper flange of the pipe capturing member.
8. The water drainage system of claim 1, further comprising a substrate medium surrounding the lower drain body, the substrate medium has a top surface and the top surface slopes to a lowest middle point, wherein the lowest middle point in the substrate medium coincides with the location of an inlet of a wastewater pipe
9. The water drainage system of claim 8, further comprising a drain trim holder having horizontal saw tooth exterior walls, square tooth interior walls, and a flat bottom surface, the drain trim holder being positioned above the pipe-capturing member.
10. The water drainage system of claim 11, further comprising a drain plate and mounting screws, wherein the drain plate being positioned over the drain trim holder,
- there are vertical holes on the pipe-capturing member, and
- the mounting screws connect the drain trim holder to the pipe-capturing member by insertion into the vertical holes.
11. The water drainage system of claim 10, wherein there are screw holes on the drain trim holder for the insertion of the mounting screws, the screw holes being substantially bigger than the diameter of the mounting screws, allowing limited re-positioning of the drain plate.
12. A water drainage system to secure a wastewater pipe and a waterproof membrane, comprising
- a lower drain body encircling a receiving hole having a generally uniform first diameter, a top part of the lower drain body being a lower drain flange that extends radially outwardly, the lower drain flange having an upper surface sloped to the center of the receiving hole, the lower drain body further having a cylindrical section below the lower drain flange;
- a pipe-capturing member having a generally tubular section encircling a pipe hole and a top flange that extends radially outward, the tubular section has an exterior diameter and an interior diameter, the top flange being positioned on top of the tubular section and having a sloped lower surface, the sloped lower surface is substantially parallel to the upper surface of the lower drain flange;
- an anchoring nut;
- a drain trim holder; and
- a drain plate;
- wherein the exterior diameter of the tubular section is tapered and decreases from top, defined as the part closer to the top flange, to bottom, allowing the pipe-capturing member to be inserted into the receiving hole of the lower drain body, the interior diameter of the tubular section is tapered and increases from top to bottom, allowing the pipe-capturing member to secure and center a waste water pipe inserted into the pipe hole, the top flange of the pipe-capturing member and the lower drain flange of the lower drain body hold flush and secure the waterproof membrane, which covers a substrate medium, the anchoring nut is attached to the cylindrical section of the lower drain body, the drain trim holder is positioned above the pipe-capturing member, and the drain plate covers the drain trim holder.
13. The water drainage system of claim 12, wherein:
- the top flange of the pipe-capturing member has an upper interior edge, the upper interior edge is shaped as a radial chamfer, forming a funnel shape, and
- there are integral weeping holes the pipe-capturing member, the weeping holes having openings on the radial chamfer of the upper interior edge of the pipe-capturing member and having an angle to facilitate draining into the pipe hole.
14. The water drainage system of claim 13, wherein:
- the tubular section of the pipe-capturing member has a maximum exterior diameter substantially equal to the first diameter of the receiving hole, and
- the tapered exterior surface permits application of a chemical bonding adhesive without causing squeezing away of the adhesive when the tubular section is inserted into the receiving hole.
15. The water drainage system of claim 14, wherein:
- the cylindrical section of the lower drain body has a lower part that has a threaded exterior surface, defining a threaded section, and
- the anchoring nut has a threaded interior, the anchoring nut being fastened to the threaded section of the lower drain body for the purpose of securing the lower drain body to a substrate.
16. A water drainage system to secure a wastewater pipe and a waterproof membrane, comprising:
- a lower drain body encircling a receiving hole having a generally uniform first diameter, a top part of the lower drain body being a lower drain flange that extends radially outwardly, the lower drain flange having an upper surface sloped to the center of the receiving hole, the lower drain body further having a cylindrical section below the lower drain flange;
- an outer capturing member having an outer capturing member tubular section encircling an outer capturing member hole and an outer capturing member top flange that extends radially outward, the tubular section having an exterior diameter and an interior diameter, the outer capturing member top flange being positioned on top of the tubular section and having a sloped lower surface, the sloped lower surface is substantially parallel to the upper surface of the lower drain flange;
- an inner connecting member having a inner connecting member tubular section encircling an inner connecting member hole and an inner connecting member top flange that extends radially outward;
- an anchoring nut;
- an adapter;
- a first bushing and a second bushing;
- a drain trim holder having a stepped inner flange; and
- a drain plate;
- wherein the exterior diameter of the outer capturing member tubular section is tapered and decreases from top, defined as the part closer to the outer capturing member top flange, to bottom, allowing the outer capturing member to be inserted into the receiving hole of the lower drain body, a lower section of the outer capturing member tubular section is threaded, the first bushing and the second bushing are inserted into the outer capturing member hole, the first bushing being above the second bushing, the inner connecting member tubular section fits through the drain trim holder into the first bushing, the outer capturing member top flange and the lower drain flange of the lower drain body hold flush and secure the waterproof membrane, which covers a substrate medium, the adapter and the anchoring nut are attached to the threaded part of the outer capturing member tubular section, and the drain plate covers the drain trim holder.
17. The water drainage system of claim 16, there are weeping holes through the inner connecting member tubular section.
18. The water drainage system of claim 16, wherein the inner connecting member allows the drain trim holder to be repositioned when the inner connecting member is inserted through the drain trim holder.
19. The water drainage system of claim 16, further comprising a splash wall disposed adjacent to the substrate medium, the splash wall being covered by the waterproof membrane wherein the splash wall has a splash wall void.
20. The water drainage system of claim 19, wherein the waterproof membrane is folded and the fold-up portions of the waterproof membrane is disposed on the splash wall void.
Type: Application
Filed: Apr 15, 2013
Publication Date: May 15, 2014
Inventor: Christopher Murphy (Roseland, NJ)
Application Number: 13/862,939
International Classification: E03C 1/22 (20060101);