Abstract:
A catch basin assembly for draining water into an underground drainage conduit through a riser includes a housing having an open top and a bottom including an outlet section configured for connection to the riser. A debris trap is removably installed in the housing so as to capture and retain particulate debris from water flowing into the housing through the top thereof, the debris trap having an apertured portion that allows water to flow from the debris trap to the outlet section. The housing has a tapered configuration, whereby two or more housings, with the debris traps removed therefrom, can be stacked in a nesting relationship.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     Not Applicable  
       FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT  
       [0002]     Not Applicable  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     This invention relates to catch basins for drainage systems used, for example, to drain rainwater from a field. In particular, it relates to a catch basin assembly, including a basin portion and a removable debris trap, that is configured so that a plurality of the basin portions can be stacked or nested for space-efficient storage and transportation.  
         [0004]     Drainage systems are typically used to drain excess surface water (from rain or watering devices) from an area of land, such as an athletic field or a golf course, or from a landscaped or hardscaped area. Such systems typically include a network of underground conduits or pipes leading to a storm sewer, reservoir, receptacle, or pond (“buried pipe” systems). Surface water or run-off is collected in a plurality of drain assemblies, each of which comprises a catch basin or receptacle that is connected to the underground conduit network by a vertical pipe or riser.  
         [0005]     In prior art drainage systems, a grate covering each catch basin or receptacle prevents some of the larger items of debris carried in the run-off or surface water from entering the drainage system, where such larger items of debris can cause clogs or stoppage. Nevertheless, smaller debris particles, such as sand and silt, can still enter the system and block fluid flow to a degree sufficient to cause water to back up through the drain assemblies.  
         [0006]     Another drawback to prior drainage systems is that, due to variations in the terrain, the depth of the drainage conduits below the surface may vary from place to place within the system. Therefore, the catch basins or receptacles may require housing extensions of various dimensions to connect to the conduit system.  
         [0007]     Finally, in prior art drainage systems, the catch basins or receptacles are not nestable or stackable, thereby taking up much unnecessary space in storage and in transit.  
         [0008]     Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide a catch basin assembly that can be used with typical buried pipe drainage system, wherein the catch basin assembly has an improved ability to keep particulate debris out of the underground conduits, and wherein the catch basin assembly easily adapts to varying depths of the underground conduits. Moreover, it would be advantageous to make such an assembly with components that are nestable or stackable for ease of storage and transport.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0009]     Broadly, the present invention is a catch basin assembly for a drainage system having a buried drainage conduit, the catch basin assembly comprising a housing having an open top and an outlet at the bottom adapted for connection to the buried drainage conduit; and a debris trap removably mounted in housing, wherein the debris trap retains particulate matter entering the housing with water flowing into the top of the housing, while allowing water from which the debris has been removed to flow through to the outlet. More specifically, in a preferred embodiment, the debris trap comprises a bowl for retaining the debris; a retention rim or lip that surrounds the top of the bowl, and that engages an internal shoulder within the housing; and a circumferential array of apertures below the rim, whereby, when the level of water in the bowl reaches the array of apertures, the water flows out of the bowl and through to the outlet. When the bowl of the debris trap is filled with debris (or at predetermined time intervals), the debris trap is simply removed and replaced with a clean unit. A preferred embodiment of the invention also includes a cover with a grate section removably installed in the top of the housing.  
         [0010]     Also, in the preferred embodiment, the outlet is configured for attachment to the upper end (inlet end) of a vertical pipe or riser, the lower (outlet) end of which is fluidly coupled to the buried drainage conduit. Thus, a single housing size can be used throughout a drainage system, with risers of different length allowing the accommodation of different depths of the drainage conduit at different locations. Furthermore, in the preferred embodiment, the housing has a tapered shape, whereby a plurality of housings (with the grates and debris traps removed) can be nestably stacked for space-efficient storage and transport. Likewise, it is advantageous to configure the debris trap for nestable stacking.  
         [0011]     As will be more fully appreciated from the detailed description set forth below, the present invention provides improved capture and retention of particulate debris as compared with prior art devices. Furthermore, the housings and (optionally) the debris traps can be nested for efficient storage and transportation. Finally, the housing can be connected to underground conduits of different depths merely be selecting risers of the appropriate length. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0012]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view, partially in section, of a catch basin assembly, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, as connected to a buried drainage conduit by a riser;  
         [0013]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the removable debris trap used in the catch basin assembly of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0014]      FIG. 3  is a bottom perspective view, partially in section, of the catch basin assembly of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0015]      FIG. 4  is an axial cross-sectional view of the catch basin assembly of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0016]      FIG. 5  is an axial cross-sectional view of a plurality of catch basin housings, of the type used in the catch basin assembly of  FIG. 1 , wherein the housings are stacked in a nested stack; and  
         [0017]      FIG. 6  is an axial cross-sectional view of a plurality of debris traps, of the type used in the catch basin assembly of  FIG. 1 , wherein the debris traps are stacked in a nested stack.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0018]     Turning first to  FIGS. 1 through 4 , a catch basin assembly  10 , in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, is shown connected to a pair of conduits  12   a ,  12   b  by a vertical pipe or riser  14  and an inverted “T” fitting  16 . The conduits  12   a ,  12   b  are of the type typically employed in a buried pipe drainage system. They are fluidly coupled to each other and to the riser  14  by the “T” fitting  16  by any conventional means well-known in the art. For example, the upstream conduit  12   a  is inserted into one horizontal leg of the “T” fitting  16 , the downstream conduit  12   b  is inserted into the other horizontal leg of the “T” fitting, and the riser  14  is inserted into the upright (vertical) leg of the “T” fitting. The conduits  12   a ,  12  and the riser  14  may be secured to the “T” fitting  16  by any suitable means. For example, if these components are made of PVC tubing, they may be secured by any suitable adhesive.  
         [0019]     The catch basin assembly itself comprises a receptacle or housing  18 , a debris trap  20 , an outlet portion  22 , and a grated cover  24 . The housing  18  may be of any suitable shape that can be configured to be stacked in a nesting relationship (as will be described below). In the exemplary embodiment shown, the housing  18  is in the form of a pair of inverted, truncated, right frusticones conjoined end-end-to-end (i.e., axially). Thus, the housing  18  has a circular cross section and an outside diameter that decreases in the axially downward direction so that the housing  18  tapers radially inward from top to bottom. The quality of nestability can be obtained with a housing having a rectangular (particularly, a square) cross section, wherein the perimeter decreases from the top of the housing to its bottom to provide the inward taper. Other housing configurations may also be suitable for this purpose.  
         [0020]     The outlet portion  22  is formed integrally with, and extends downwardly from, the bottom of the housing  18 . The outlet portion  22  is tubular, and it has a bifurcated wall that defines an annular slot  26  (see  FIGS. 3 and 4 ) that is dimensioned to receive the upper end of the riser  14  for connecting the housing  18  to the riser  14  in a fluidly-coupled relationship, as shown in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0021]     The upper end of the housing  18  defines a large inlet opening in which the cover  24  is advantageously installed. The cover  24  typically includes an apertured grate  28 , a first annular lip  30  surrounding the grate  28 , and a tubular portion  32  depending downward from the grate  28 . The diameter of the lip  30  is approximately equal to the diameter of the open upper end of the housing  18 , so that the lip  30  seats on the open upper end of the housing  18 , as shown in  FIGS. 1, 3 , and  4 . The tubular portion  32  fits inside the top of the housing  18  with a friction fit, and is unsecured, so that it is removable. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the cover  24  is substantially circular in cross section to conform to the circular cross section of the housing  18 . If the housing were to be square, for example, the cover would likewise be square.  
         [0022]     As mentioned above, in the exemplary embodiment shown, the housing  18  is formed of two axially-conjoined, inverted, truncated right frusticones. In this configuration, the exterior of the housing  18  includes a radially inward-directed annular step  34  around its perimeter, approximately at its mid-section. The annular step  34  corresponds to an annular shoulder  36  around the interior wall of the housing  18 . The shoulder  36  supports the debris trap  20 , as explained below.  
         [0023]     The debris trap  20 , as best shown in  FIG. 2 , comprises a bowl or pan  38  having an exterior surface that tapers radially inward in the axially downward direction. Integral with the top of the bowl  38  is an annular flow-through section  40  defining a circumferential array of apertures  42  separated by ribs  44 . The flow-through section  40  is topped by a second annular lip  46 , the diameter of which is approximately equal to the diameter of the annular shoulder  36  in the housing  18 , so that when the debris trap  20  is installed in the housing  18 , the second annular lip  46  seats on the shoulder  36 . Thus, when the cover  24  is removed, the debris trap  20  can be removably installed in the housing  18 , and then removed when full of debris, or whenever it is desirable to do so.  
         [0024]     Referring again to  FIG. 1 , with the catch basin assembly  10  connected to the conduits  12   a ,  12   b  of the drainage system by means of the riser  14 , water enters housing  18  through the grate  28  in the cover  24 . The grate  28  blocks the entry of larger objects. The water then flows down into the bowl  38  of the debris trap  20 , which captures and retains smaller debris particles, such as sand and silt, which settle out into the bowl  38 . When the water in the debris trap  20  reaches the level of the flow-through section  40 , it flows out of the apertures  42  down into the bottom portion of the housing  18  and through the outlet portion  22  into the riser  14 , and then into “T” fitting  16 , from which it enters the buried conduits  12   a  and/or  12   b . Whenever it is desired to remove the debris trap  20 , the cover  24  is removed, and the trap  20  is lifted out. The trap  20  can then be emptied of debris and replaced, or a new trap  20  can be installed.  
         [0025]      FIG. 5  shows how the external configuration of the housing, as described above, allows a plurality of housings  18  to be stacked in a nesting relationship to save space during storage and transit. Likewise,  FIG. 6  illustrates a plurality of debris traps  20  stacked in a nesting relationship, as allowed by the external configuration described above.  
         [0026]     While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been described above and is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, it will be appreciated that this embodiment is exemplary only. Thus, a number of variations and modifications may suggest themselves to those skilled in the pertinent arts. For example, the housing and the debris trap may be any convenient shape other than circular in cross section, and the debris trap may be removably retained or held in the housing by any suitable mechanism. Moreover, the debris trap  20  described and shown in the accompanying drawings is merely one example of various functionally equivalent debris trapping means that would suggest themselves to those skilled in the pertinent arts. These and other modifications and variations are considered to be within the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined by the claims that follow.