Abstract:
The invention relates to a system, apparatus and method for controlling and/or expelling water from basements or other subterranean rooms. More particularly, the invention relates to a water drainage device that includes a multiple flow channels to allow water to bypass a clogged area of a flow channel. Preferably, one the flow channels is filtered to impede the build of particulate matter and sediment in the channel.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention relates generally to a system, apparatus and method for controlling and/or expelling water from basements or other subterranean rooms. More particularly, the invention relates to a water drainage device that includes a plurality of flow channels to allow water to bypass a clogged area of a flow channel. The invention further relates to a method of water control utilizing such apparatus, wherein the apparatus is installed in a subterranean room to receive and redirect water.  
         [0002]     The use of conduit systems, and structures to control water leakage in basements has long been known. The following patents describes such various conduit systems and structures.  
         [0003]     U.S. Pat. No. 3,990,469, titled Basement drainage structure, to Ralston, teaches a plurality of elongated drainage members connected in end to end fashion. The drainage members are located about the periphery of a basement floor, upon the floor and adjacent the basement walls. Each drainage member has a base and a wall connected to the base and spaced apart from the basement wall. A sealant member connects the bases to the basement floor. A drain channel is attached to one drainage member, whereby water collected by the drainage members is directed to an area drain in the basement. A flush assembly is attached to a drainage member half-way about the periphery of the basement floor from the drain channel.  
         [0004]     U.S. Pat. No. 4,590,722 titled Unique improved drainage system for basements, to Bevelacqua, teaches a drainage apparatus for basements includes a conventional block or poured concrete wall supported by a footer having an excavation at its inner side extending to the same level as the lower part of the footer, with an aperture and drain tile positioned in the excavation and extending the length thereof. A cover plate means extends from the drain pipe over to the wall for end support on an inner ledge means on the block wall, whereby a floor section can be laid over the cover plate and drain tile to blend into the remainder of the basement floor.  
         [0005]     U.S. Pat. No. 4,757,651 titled Wall system, to Crites, teaches a wall system for use on a vertical wall, such as a basement wall, is disclosed. A drain conduit is positioned adjacent the wall footer and a collection member is mounted along the bottom of the wall. A plurality of connector conduits extend between the collection member and the drain conduit. In one embodiment a vertical support column is mounted adjacent the wall.  
         [0006]     U.S. Pat. No. 4,869,032, titled Apparatus and method for waterproofing basements, to Geske, teaches a drainage control apparatus for basements having a poured concrete floor. The drainage system includes a plurality of drainage structures in an end-to-end abutting relationship. Each drainage structure has a vertical leg and a horizontal leg, with the vertical leg being positioned proximate to the vertical side wall of the basement and the horizontal leg resting upon the top of the foundation footing. The vertical leg includes a plurality of outwardly protruding embossments proximate the bottom end of the vertical leg. The vertical leg also includes an outwardly projecting, longitudinal spacer lip proximate the upper end of the vertical leg. Both the embossments and spacer lip touch the vertical basement side wall to maintain a gap between the vertical leg and the vertical side wall. The horizontal leg of the drainage structure includes a plurality of channels to direct water into a drain pipe.  
         [0007]     U.S. Pat. No. 5,784,838, titled Drain for draining water from a basement floor, to Philips, teaches a basement wall drain unit that extends around the periphery of a basement next to the wall for draining away any potentially damaging moisture. The drain fits securely to a foundation wall before a concrete floor is poured in a basement. The drain further has a removable cap. The cap being removed after the concrete floor has been poured and hardened. The cap is for preventing wet concrete from filling the drain during installation of the basement floor or the like. Another feature of the invention is to provide a device and method that have spaced apart drainage holes in a channel for draining water from the basement area to a location under the basement floor.  
         [0008]     U.S. Pat. No. 6,405,508, titled Method for repairing and draining leaking cracks in basement walls, to Janesky. teaches a method for repairing and concealing a crack in the interior surface of a basement wall, and for draining water admitted through the crack into a drain at the base of the wall. The method involves the steps of covering the crack, along the length thereof and down to the drain, with a thin, narrow strip of a water-absorbing, water-wicking fabric such as a layer of plastic foam or woven cotton. Thereafter, a thin barrier layer of an elastomeric caulk composition is spread thereover and beyond the edges thereof onto the surface of the basement wall to channel the flow of water from the wall crack, through the layer of wicking fabric, and down into the drain.  
         [0009]     U.S. Pat. No. 6,672,016, titled Wall and sub-floor water drain barrier panel for basement water-control systems, to Janesky, titled a sub-floor, perimeter, L-shaped water drainage panel for new construction basements having walls and supporting footings for receiving and draining water running down the walls and/or water entering at the wall/footing interface. The plastic drainage panel is molded with a plurality of spaced frustroconical wells on vertical and horizontal sections thereof, to engage the wall and footing, and space the panels therefrom and to be filled with wet concrete composition, when the floor is poured, to support the wall and footing against the basement floor and prevent relative movement therebetween.  
         [0010]     Each of the patents discussed above, are incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. Generally, most of these systems include a channel which receives water from the foundation walls and directs the water along its length and into a commercial pump to pass out of the basement. Variations and improvements have been introduced, such as having attachments means to more securely hold the system in place or having apertures to receive water at various lengths along the conduit rather than at a single location. All involve the same basic concept—a system with a way to direct water into the system, move it along its length and direct the water to a pump where it will be directed out of the basement.  
         [0011]     As water seeps into the basement, it brings with it sediment and other particulates. Over time, these various particulates can build up within the channel and eventually impede the flow of water through the channel. Once blockage occurs, water may then seep into the basement.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0012]     The system of the present invention is designed to alleviate the problems associated with sediment/particulates clogging the flow of water through the conduit. The present drainage conduit has two channels rather than just one as found in existing systems. The present invention has a part of its design, a filtering material that serves to filter out sediments/particulates preventing any such sediments/particulates from entering the second flow channel. Additionally, the system utilizes apertures positioned along the length of the side wall of the first conduit to receive water at various locations. If blocking occurs at one area of the conduit preventing further inflow of water at that position, water can enter at any of the unclogged apertures.  
         [0013]     This dual channel system provides a filtered second flow channel to receive water when the first flow channel is blocked at some points along its length. The system allows the water to rise into the second flow channel and bypass the blocked area and move back down into the first flow channel. By filtering the water, ensures that particulates are filtered from the water and thus do not prevent movement in the second flow channel.  
         [0014]     In one aspect of the invention there is a basement drain comprising a frame and a filter element. The frame has a first flow channel, and a second flow channel. The first flow channel is positioned generally above the second flow channel. The first channel has an open end along its length. The frame is preferably formed from a flat sheet of flexible plastic. The frame, however, may be made of other useful materials, such as certain metals, such as aluminum. Based on the disclosure herein, the use of other materials would become readily apparent to one skilled in the art.  
         [0015]     The filter element has a frame and a filter material disposed about said frame, the filter element disposed within the first channel. The filter element may have any size or shape such that it provides filter of sediments or other debris, thereby allowing the flow of water within the filter element. In a sense, the filter element provides a filter flow channel, or multiple flow channels depending on the construction of the filter element. The filter element is adapted to provide filtering into the first flow channel. It is contemplated that to increase the filter capacity, that a second filter element may be contained within the second flow channel.  
         [0016]     In one embodiment, the frame is formed from six walls. A first flow channel is formed by the second wall connected to the third wall, and the sixth wall connected to the third wall. A second flow channel is formed by the third wall connected to the fourth wall, the fourth wall connected to the fifth wall, the fifth wall connected to the sixth wall, the sixth wall connected to the third wall. Preferably, the fifth wall has a plurality of openings to allow water to enter the second flow channel. The sixth wall forms a floor of the first channel and forms a ceiling of the second channel. The first wall has a free end along the length of the first wall. The first wall may have a plurality of wall spacers along its length to space the free end from the wall so that water dripping down the basement wall will be directed to one side of the first wall.  
         [0017]     In one aspect of the invention, the first wall, third wall, and fifth wall are substantially perpendicular to the second wall, fourth wall, and sixth wall. Also, the second wall, fourth wall, and the sixth wall each have a substantially similar width.  
         [0018]     In one aspect of the invention, the first wall is flexibly connected to said second wall. The second wall is flexibly connected to said third wall. The third wall is flexibly connected to the fourth wall. The fourth wall is flexibly connected to said fifth wall. The fifth wall is flexibly connected to sixth wall. In this particular embodiment of the invention, a single sheet of rigid flexible plastic, or other suitable material may be cut out from a roll of stock plastic, and then the particular walls created by forming longitudinal creases in the plastic.  
         [0019]     In this embodiment, there would be a total of five longitudinal creases, one crease between each wall. Forming the basement drain this way allows, a low cost method of producing the frame of the water drainage device. After, the drain template is cut from the plastic, it can be easily stacked in a flat manner without taking up much space. When ready for installation, the frame can be folded into a proper configuration.  
         [0020]     In one aspect of the invention, the sixth wall has a one or more connectors extending along a free end of the sixth wall. The connectors are adapted to connect to openings disposed about the third wall. Preferably, the connectors are tab-shaped. When folding the frame, the tabs are then inserted into the openings. Various shapes may be utilized to connect the sixth wall to the third wall.  
         [0021]     A method according to the invention relates to the control and drainage of water which enters the walls and which must be drained away from the walls and out of the basement to the exterior. Typically, such a drainage method is accomplished by directing water through gaps between the floor and walls.  
         [0022]     The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the features and technical advantages of the present invention in order that the detailed description of the invention that follows may be better understood. Additional features and advantages of the invention will be described hereinafter which form the subject of the claims of the invention. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the conception and specific embodiment disclosed may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention. It should also be realized by those skilled in the art that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of the invention, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages will be better understood from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying figures. It is to be expressly understood, however, that each of the figures is provided for the purpose of illustration and description only and is not intended as a definition of the limits of the present invention. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0023]     For a more complete understanding of the present invention, reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:  
         [0024]      FIG. 1  is a schematic perspective view showing the present invention;  
         [0025]      FIG. 2  is a detail perspective of a water drainage device for the water drainage device shown in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0026]      FIG. 3  is a side view of a frame of the water drainage device of  FIG. 2 , according to the present invention;  
         [0027]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the frame in  FIG. 3  in an open condition;  
         [0028]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a filter element of the water drainage device of  FIG. 2 , according to the present invention; and  
         [0029]      FIG. 6  is a bottom view of a filter element of the water drainage device of  FIG. 2 , according to the present invention.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0030]     Each of  FIGS. 1-6  show various aspects of the system, apparatus and method according to the present invention.  FIG. 1  depicts the water drainage device  10 , wherein the water drainage device is installed in a subterranean room, such as a basement.  FIGS. 2-6  depict in further detail the water drainage device.  
         [0031]     Typically a subterranean room includes a foundation wall that is built on a footer and a floor that abuts the foundation wall. The wall illustrated is a block wall  26  but the system may be successfully implemented with other types of walls, such as, for example, concrete or limestone walls. Frequently, water builds up within the walls and can leak through the walls into the subterranean room. Building codes normally require that subterranean rooms be constructed to drain water from within a basement wall and redirect it out of the room. This may be achieved in a number of ways, including the use of drain and tile. The foundation wall may have a vapor barrier in the form of a membrane material or coating applied to further inhibit the flow of water into the basement and on to the basement floor  30 .  
         [0032]     A concrete block wall  26  is constructed with the use of concrete blocks which are hollow and are positioned vertically on top of each other aligning the hollow centers. As water enters into the concrete wall, the water flows through the hollow centers of the blocks and exits the wall from apertures  36  in blocks that are placed at intervals along the concrete wall. The water drainage device  10  is designed to receive this water, as more fully explained below, and direct the water along the device via water flow channels  19 ,  22  and toward a sump where the water is directed out of the basement.  
         [0033]     The water drainage device  10  is designed to rest on the footer of the wall  24  and is placed adjacent to the inner surface of the foundation wall  26  and extends around the periphery of the room. In the exemplary embodiment of  FIG. 2 , the water drainage device  10  is set within a recess formed in the foundation.  
         [0034]     The water drainage device  10  includes a frame  16  and a filter element  20 . The frame has a first flow channel  19 , and a second flow channel  22 . The first flow channel  19  is positioned generally above the second flow channel  22 . The first channel has an open end along its length.  
         [0035]     The frame is preferably formed from a flat sheet of flexible plastic, such as high density polyethylene. The frame  16 , however, may be made of other useful materials, such as certain metals, such as aluminum. The apparatus is preferably a two-piece construction, including a frame or jacket, and a divider in the form of a filter element.  
         [0036]     The filter element may be purchased or fabricated. Prefabricated filter frames with filter material suitable for the present invention, may be purchased from American Wick Drain Corporation, which sells the Akwadrain™ Highway Edge Drain, or from JDR Enterprises, Inc. which sells the JDRain™ line of drains.  
         [0037]     As used in the Figures the following references numerals refer to various aspects of the water drainage device: 
         10  water drainage device      16  frame of the water drainage device      19  first flow channel      20  filter element      22  second flow channel      40  first wall      42  second wall      44  third wall      46  fourth wall      48  fifth wall      50  sixth wall      52  openings      54  openings in third wall      56  wall spacers      58  connecting tabs      60  filter frame      62  filter material        
 
         [0055]     Turning now to  FIGS. 2-4 , the frame  16  has a plurality of interconnecting walls. The frame  16  may be generally rectangular in cross-section, or may be an alternative configuration. In one embodiment, the frame  16  is formed by six walls  40 ,  42 ,  44 ,  46 ,  48 ,  50 . A first flow channel  19  is formed by the second wall  42  connected to the third wall  44 , and the sixth wall  50  connected to the third wall  44 . The first flow channel  19  has an opening along its length. A second flow channel  22  is formed by the third wall  44  connected to the fourth wall  46 , the fourth wall  46  connected to the fifth wall  48 , the fifth wall  48  connected to the sixth wall  50 , the sixth wall  50  connected to the third wall  44 . Preferably, the fifth wall  48  has a plurality of openings  52  to allow water to enter the second flow channel  22 . The fourth wall  46  forms a floor of the first channel  19  and forms a ceiling of the second channel  22 . The first wall has a free end along the length of the first wall.  
         [0056]     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the frame  16  of the water drainage device  10  has tabs on the free end of the sixth wall  50  for interconnected with openings  54  in the third wall  44 .  
         [0057]     The first  40 , third  44  and fifth  48  walls are generally perpendicular to the second  42 , fourth  46 , and sixth  50  walls. When the water drainage device is implement the first wall  40  will extend past the surface of the basement floor. The second wall  42  will disposed above the sixth wall  50  which will be disposed above the fourth wall  46 . The first wall  40  may have a plurality of wall spacers  56  to space the free end of the first wall from the basement wall.  
         [0058]     The second flow channel  22  is preferably rectangular and is disposed at a lower portion of the frame  16 . The first wall  40  may have a plurality of wall spacers  56  to space the free end of the first wall from the basement wall.  
         [0059]     The frame  16  is further provided with a plurality of receiving apertures or openings  54 . The apertures  54  are formed substantially about the third wall  44  and corresponding tabs  58  are situated on the free end of the sixth wall  50 . As illustrated in  FIG. 3 , the apertures  54  are spaced apart at longitudinal intervals.  
         [0060]     The frame  16  is further provided with a plurality of apertures  52 . The apertures are formed substantially in the fifth and sixth walls. As is best illustrated in  FIG. 3 , the apertures  52  are spaced apart at longitudinal intervals. In one embodiment, the apertures  52  are generally elongated and rectangular. As will become apparent, the generally lower portions of the apertures  52  (formed in the fifth wall  48 ) function to direct water external of the frame  16  into the lower flow channel  22 . As will be described below, the upper or generally horizontal portion of the apertures  52  (formed in the sixth wall  50 ) allows for fluid communication between the lower flow channel  22  and the upper flow channel  19 .  
         [0061]      FIG. 3  also illustrates the sixth wall  50  being connected to the third wall  44 . Specifically, the sixth wall is provided with tabs  58  that mate with matching tab holes  54  provided in the third wall  44 . Accordingly, in this preferred embodiment, the sixth wall separates the lower flow channel  22  from an upper flow channel  19  compartment (as is shown in  FIG. 2 ).  
         [0062]     Turning now to  FIGS. 5 and 6 , the filter element  20  has a frame  60  and a filter material  62  disposed about said filter frame  60 . In a preferred embodiment, the filter element  20  is disposed within the first channel  19 . The filter element  20  may have any size or shape such that it provides filter of sediments or other debris, thereby allowing the flow of water within the filter element  20 . In a sense, the filter element  20  provides a filter flow channel, or multiple flow channels depending on the construction of the filter element. The filter element  20  is adapted to provide filtering into the first flow channel. It is contemplated that to increase the filter capacity, that a second filter element may be contained within the second flow channel  22 .  
         [0063]     The water drainage device  10  preferably includes a filter element  20  situated in the first flow channel  19  compartment. In the preferred embodiment, the filter element  20  is comprised of a sheet of plastic comprising a frame  60  that is shaped with a plurality of cones spaced on the upper surface of the element and has a covering of foam filter material  62 . The configuration of the foam on the filter element  20  creates spaces between the cones and provides the spacing for the flow of water (which would be filtered).  
         [0064]     Various lengths of the water drainage device may be used for installation. A separate corner section may also be fabricated which for installation in the corner of a wall. The corner section allows for coupling of the straight sections of the water drainage device.  
         [0065]     It will become apparent to one skilled in the art upon viewing the figures and reading the accompanying description that the filter frame  60  may take on a variety of suitable functional configurations. Each of these variations and/or configurations are within the scope of the invention. For example, in one embodiment, the walls of the frame  60  may define substantially each of the first and second flow channels, and, as necessary, further additional flow channels. In another embodiment, the supporting wall is replaced by other means for supporting the filtering element  20 . In this embodiment, the bottom of the filter element provides the only separation between the first and second flow channels. As a further example, the filter element  20  may be defined by a rigid filter material only.  
         [0066]     Although the present invention and its advantages have been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions and alterations can be made herein. Without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. Moreover, the scope of the present application is not intended to be limited to the particular embodiments of the process, machine, manufacture, composition of matter, means, methods and steps described in the specification. As one of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate from the disclosure of the present invention, processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps, presently existing or later to be developed that perform substantially the same function or achieve substantially the same result as the corresponding embodiments described herein may be utilized according to the present invention. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to include within their scope such processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps.