Abstract:
A window well protective cover. The cover has a nonskid surface, and is formed of plastic or fiberglass reinforced plastic in a suitable color. Trimmable cubes are provided along a rear extension of an edge flange, and a trimmable shoulder is provided along a rear extension of the top surface. The trimmable cubes and trimmable shoulder portions allow the cover to be trimmed for tight fitting engagement with an adjacent building structure.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD  
         [0001]    This invention relates to window well covers, as typically used in foundations in residential and light commercial construction, and more particularly, to covers for window wells that can be easily provided in a desired size to provide weather resistant ventilation of such spaces.  
         BACKGROUND  
         [0002]    In residential and light commercial construction, it is common practice to provide a fabricated steel structure to keep earth away from an opening for access to either basement windows, or to a crawl space beneath the building structure. Many workable crawl access and basement window well wall structures (hereinafter, “window well structures”) have been developed thru the years for such applications. In such structures, it is usually important to provide a suitable cover prevent the ingress of rain, as well at to prevent the ingress of vermin such as rats, mice, or other animals. Also, such covers must provide structural capability to support humans, to keep them from breaking such a cover and falling into a window well when they step on such a cover.  
           [0003]    However, it would still be quite desirable to reduce the overall costs that must necessarily be incurred in the manufacture and distribution of covers for such window well structures. Also, labor saving techniques, or changes in the apparatus which would reduce the overall cost of installation of such covers would be welcome by the contractors charged with installing the covers on such window well structures.  
           [0004]    We are aware of various attempts in which an effort has been made to provide an improved cover for window well structures. One of the designs which resembles the instant invention to some remote extent is disclosed by Pearson U.S. Pat. No. 5,752,348, issued May 19,1998 for a WINDOW WELL COVER. He shows a cover for a window well structure that has a sloping, planar surface with peripheral flanges to fit down over upstanding edges of a window well structure. However, he does not provide a design that includes the feature of being trimmable for fitting to a selected building structure. Nor does his cover for a window well structure provide for screened ventilation. Thus, the advantages of our simple, trimmable, ventilatable cover for a window well structure, which is made with portions that can be trimmed in the field as necessary for providing a desired fit both over a window well structure and against a building structure, to provide a strong, weather proof cover with substantially leak resistant window ventilation structure, and which is environmentally friendly, are important and self evident. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING  
       [0005]    In order to enable the reader to attain a more complete appreciation of the invention, and of the novel features and the advantages thereof, attention is directed to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:  
         [0006]    [0006]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cover over a well vent structure, where the cover is fabricated in accord with the principles disclosed herein, shown in place next to a building structure to protect the space within a window well structure from the elements.  
         [0007]    [0007]FIG. 2 provides a bottom perspective view of a cover, showing at the rear the trimmable portions, with trim patterns indicated therein, and with cross-bracing within the cover, as well as a protective lower screen.  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken across a portion of FIG. 1, showing the use of a cover in place over a window well structure, with ventilation between the outside and the interior of a window well structure.  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 4 is a partial side view of a cover in place against a building structure and over a window well structure.  
         [0010]    [0010]FIGS. 5A, 5B,  5 C,  5 D,  5 E,  5 F,  5 G,  5 H, and  5 I represent alternate colors for the material used to manufacture the plastic cover for window well structures described herein.  
         [0011]    The foregoing figures, being merely exemplary, contain various elements that may be present or omitted from actual implementations depending upon the circumstances. An attempt has been made to draw the figures in a way that illustrates at least those elements that are significant for an understanding of the various embodiments and aspects of the invention. However, various other elements of the covers for window wells are also shown and briefly described to enable the reader to understand how various features, including optional or alternate features, may be utilized in order to provide a compact, efficiently constructible window well cover or crawl space access well structure cover which can be manufactured of a long lasting material in a desired color, and of high strength with minimum weight, using an environmentally friendly material.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0012]    Attention is directed to FIG. 1 of the drawing, where a window well structure  10  is shown as placed against a finished foundation wall  12  to protect a window (not illustrated) against earth. A cover  20  is provided over the window well structure  10 , to provide safety, as well as protection against the elements and vermin. Covers  20  as described herein may be utilized for covering existing window wells in the field, or for covering new window wells as they are installed. Since covers  20  sit flat on the upper surface of suitable existing or new window wells  10 , covers  20  are ideal for protectively covering such wells.  
         [0013]    The cover  20  includes an upper substantially planar top protective portion  22  of preselected thickness, and rear end  24 . The read rend  24  extends between a first corner  25   1  and a second corner  25   2 . Extending between first corner  25   1  and a second corner  25   2 , a downwardly projecting flange  26  having a first side  26   1 , a second side  26   2 , and a front  26   3 , is provided spaced inwardly a distance L from the peripheral edge  28  of the top  22 . At the rear end  24 , an upper reinforcing portion  30  is provided. At the rearward reaches of first  32  and second  34  ends of flange 26 , a plurality of trimmable blocks  40  are provided, preferably in cubic shape, located between vertical trim lines  42  and horizontal trim lines  44 . Spaced inwardly from upper reinforcing portion  30 , and spaced toward the front  46  of cover  20  from the innermost trim line  42 , is a rear wall  50 . Importantly, the trimmable blocks  40  enable the close fitting of a cover  20  with the details of a foundation, where the cover  20  meets a foundation or siding. AT the rear end of top protective cover portion  22 , a trimmable shoulder portion  51  is provided in the general shape of a side-by-side set of double T members. However, the bottom of the T portions are, in one embodiment illustrated, truncated and replaced by the trimmable blocks  40  just mentioned above.  
         [0014]    An interior peripheral wall  52  is provided inside of flange  26 . A screen  54  of suitable dimensions having an edge wall  55  is secured between rear wall  50  and interior peripheral wall  52 , at groove  57  in inward side of flange wall  26 , to effectively seal the space therebetween against passage of objects below the selected screen mesh size. As noted in FIG. 3, air as represented by reference arrows  60  is free to travel outward, and as represented by reference arrows  62 , is free to travel inward  
         [0015]    The cover for window well structure or crawl space access, as disclosed herein, is ideal for manufacture as an integral, one-piece cover structure (without screen) by injection molding of a suitable plastic. During the plastic preparation process, a suitable plastic can be developed having a color selected from one of the following: colors: (a) red or pink, (b) brown, (c) violet or purple, (d) green, (e) blue, (f) gray or silver, (g) orange, (h) yellow or gold, (i) or black, all as further noted in FIG. 1 and FIGS. 5A through 5I.  
         [0016]    The cover  20  is preferably made with a ultraviolet resistant and rated plastic, with high strength, and of weather resistant material. As noted in FIG. 4, covers are ideally manufactured with a sufficient downward slope angle alpha from the horizontal line  70  that allows about one inch per foot slope away from the structure  12 , to detour moisture away from the foundation and out of crawl spaces and basements. Covers also should be manufactured with strength to support human weight. We prefer a structure having a top thickness of at least ¾ inches, and with ribs of about ½ inch in transverse cross section. The rib structure noted in FIG. 2 should be evaluated and confirmed, based on the material of construction actually selected. Ideally, a criss-cross, block shaped strengthening rib structure  71  is advantageously employed, extending below the bottom surface  72  of the top protective portion  22 . As shown in FIG. 2, transversely running  74  and longitudinally  76  running rib portions are provided. Also, a non-skid texture, as noted in FIG. 1, is advantageous.  
         [0017]    It is to be appreciated that the various aspects and embodiments of the cover for crawl space access and for basement window well structure as described herein are an important improvement in the state of the art of structures and materials to cover crawl space access and to cover basement window wells. A plastic cover as described herein is virtually non-destructible by insects, vermin, and the elements, and is easily made with adequate strength to support human weight. Importantly, such a cover well is environmentally friendly, in that no metal oxides are released to the environment as would be the case with steel or galvanized steel cover structures. Although only a few exemplary embodiments have been described in detail, various details are sufficiently set forth in the drawings and in the specification provided herein to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the invention(s), which need not be further described by additional writing in this detailed description. Importantly, the aspects and embodiments described and claimed herein may be modified from those shown without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages provided by this invention, and may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. Therefore, the embodiments presented herein are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. As such, this disclosure is intended to cover the structures described herein and not only structural equivalents thereof, but also equivalent structures. Numerous modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention(s) may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein. Thus, the scope of the invention(s), as set forth in the appended claims, and as indicated by the drawing and by the foregoing description, is intended to include variations from the embodiments provided which are nevertheless described by the broad interpretation and range properly afforded to the plain meaning of the claims set forth below.