Irrigation and drainage box

Abstract: An irrigation and/or drainage box 1 comprises a base 2 which is provided with perforations and side walls 3, 4 which are provided with perforations and are substantially perpendicular to the base 2 and integrally connected thereto. The box 1 is open on the side which lies opposite the base 2. The box 1 furthermore comprises columns 7, 8 which extend substantially vertically from the base 2 towards the open side. On the open side, the box 1 is designed in such a manner that two identical boxes can be placed with the open sides towards one another and can be connected to one another without the need for further accessories. For this purpose, at least some of the columns 7, 8 are provided, on the open side of the box 1, with first connection parts in the form of projections 9, and other columns are provided, on the open side of the box 1, with second connection parts in the form of cavities 10, in which case, when two boxes are placed with the open sides towards one another, first connection parts 9 of one box are able to interact with second connection parts 10 of the other box in order to form a connection between the two boxes.

Description: The invention relates to an irrigation and/or drainage box according to the preamble of claim 1. A drainage box of this type is disclosed in JP-A-4-26648. The known drainage box has a conical shape with oblique side walls. The circumferential edge of the box provided with connection parts by means of which two same boxes can be connected to one another. The object of the invention is to provide an improved irrigation and/or drainage box which, in combination with another box or other boxes according to the invention in order to form an irrigation and/of drainage unit or system to be placed in the ground, can withstand loads from the surrounding earth and/or loads on the ground better than the known drainage box. This object is archieved by an irrigation and/or drainage box having the features of the characterising part of claim 1. EP-A-0787865 discloses an irrigation and/or drainage box with columns. However, this box is designed for combination with a lid. Advantageous embodiments of an irrigation and/or drainage box according to the invention are specified in the subclaims. The invention will be explained in more detail in the following description of a specific embodiment of the irrigation and/or drainage box according to the invention, with reference to the drawing, in which: Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a specific embodiment of the box according to the invention, Fig. 2 shows a plan view of the box shown in Fig. 1, Fig. 3 shows a side view of the long side of the box shown in Fig. 1, Fig. 4 shows a side view of the short side of the box shown in Fig. 1, Fig. 5 shows a perspective view of a unit formed from two boxes shown in Fig. 1 which have been placed with the open sides towards one another, and Fig. 6 shows an irrigation and/or drainage system which has been formed from boxes in accordance with Fig. 1. The irrigation and/or drainage box 1 according to the invention which is illustrated in the drawing, preferably consists of plastic and is made by injection-moulding, comprises a base 2, long side walls 3 and short side walls 4. The side walls 3, 4 are substantially perpendicular to the base 2 and are integrally connected thereto. The box 1 is open on the side which lies opposite the base. The base 2 and the side walls 3, 4 are provided with perforations or openings 5 and 6, respectively, which openings may have many different forms. These perforations or openings 5, 6 serve to allow water to pass through. The box 1 is furthermore provided with columns 7, 8 which extend substantially vertically from the base 2 towards the open side of the box, the columns 7 adjoining the side walls 3, 4 and being integral therewith, while the columns 8 stand free in the box 1. The columns 7 which are integral with the side walls 3, 4 are of planar design at least on the side which adjoins the side walls 3, 4. In the embodiment of the box 1 illustrated, this planar side lies in the same plane as the outer side of the side wall 3, 4 in question, and the columns 7 in question are preferably substantially square in cross section. The columns 8 standing inside the box are preferably round in cross section, since this is advantageous from the manufacturing technology viewpoint. In the irrigation and/or drainage box 1 according to the invention, the base 2 and the side walls 3, 4, as can also be seen in the drawing, are preferably of substantially planar design and free from projections on the outer side of the box. This has the advantage that the boxes are easier to manufacture and furthermore avoids damaging nets or filter cloths made from geotextile which are arranged around the boxes in order to prevent soil particles from entering the box via the openings 5 and 6. On the open side, the box 1 according to the invention is designed in such a manner that two same boxes can be placed with the open sides towards one another and can be connected to one another without the need for further accessories, producing a unit as shown in Fig. 5. Preferably, for this purpose, at least some of the columns 7, 8, usually half of the columns 7, 8, are provided, on the open side of the box, with first connection parts, and other columns 7, 8, usually the other half of the columns 7, 8, are provided, on the open side of the box, with second connection parts. When two boxes 1 are placed with the open sides towards one another, the first connection parts of one box are able to interact with the second connection parts of the other box, thus forming a connection between the two boxes. In the embodiment of the box 1 illustrated, the first connection parts are formed by projections 9 which lie at the free end of the columns 7, 8 in question and form an extension of these columns, and the second connection parts are formed by cavities 10 which are formed in the free end section of the columns 7, 8 in question. The distribution of the projections 9 and the cavities 10 is such that when two boxes 1 are placed with the open sides towards one another, projections 9 on columns 7, 8 of one box fit into cavities 10 in columns 7, 8 of the other box, thus forming the connection between the two boxes. Preferably, the connection between a first connection part (projection 9) and second connection part (cavity 10) is a click-fit or clamp-fit connection. Advantageously, openings 11 through which water can run into or out of the columns 7, 8 are formed in the projections 9. Furthermore, the openings 11 are advantageous when moulding the columns, since they provide the option of supporting a core which forms the inside of the column 7, 8, during injection-moulding of a box 1 in an injection mould, on a mould part which forms the outside of the column 7, 8. As can be seen in the embodiment of the box according to the invention which is illustrated in the drawing, the top side of the columns 7, 8 extends approximately as far as the plane which is defined by the edges 12 of the side walls 3, 4 and the projections 9 project beyond this plane. In the irrigation and/or drainage box according to the invention, it is preferable for at least one of the side walls to be provided with a preferably round opening 13. In the embodiment illustrated, the two short side walls 4 are provided with such an opening 13. The opening 13 is provided with a grate 14, which can easily be removed. A connection pipe 15 (cf. Fig. 6) can be fitted into the opening 13, preferably after the grate 14 has been removed. It is also possible firstly to position a half pipe socket (not shown) in the opening 13, which socket is connected, preferably with a clamp fit, to the edge 16 of the opening 13. A connection pipe can then again be fitted into this half pipe socket. The connection between the connection pipe 15 and the box 1 does not have to be leaktight. The connection using a half pipe socket prevents the connection pipe from slipping out of the opening 13 in the event of any subsidence. As has already been stated, two same boxes 1 can be placed with the open sides towards one another, thus forming a unit 17 (cf. Fig. 5) which is delimited by the two bases 2 and side walls 3, 4 and which is able to leave an underground space open. Covering units of this nature with filter cloth prevents soil particles from penetrating into and contaminating the underground space and ultimately limiting the capacity of the units. Preferably, in the irrigation and/or drainage box 1 according to the invention, the ratio between the length and the width is 2:1. In this case, the columns 7, 8 are preferably provided with connection parts 9, 10 and positioned in such a manner that two boxes 1 can be placed against one another with their longitudinal axes parallel to one another so that they completely overlap, but also with their longitudinal axes perpendicular to one another. In the first case, two boxes form a separate unit which is delimited by the bases and side walls, as illustrated in Fig. 5. In the second case, it is possible to assemble larger irrigation and/or drainage units, with a large number of boxes being placed on top of one another in the form of building bricks. In a practical embodiment, the dimensions (length x width x height) of a box are 100 x 50 x 23.4 cm. The openings 13 in the side walls 10 have a diameter of approx. 18 cm. A half pipe socket for a connection pipe with a diameter of 16 cm fits into these openings. A plurality of units 17 formed by two boxes 1 which have been placed with the open sides towards one another can be placed on top of and/or next to one another and coupled together, so as to form larger systems. Fig. 6 shows such a system with six units 17 (twelve boxes 1). A connection pipe 15 is connected to one of the boxes. In Fig. 6, two units 17 which are indicated by dashed lines are positioned transversely with respect to the other units 17. Connection parts (not shown) can be used to couple together the boxes. The connection parts may be simple loose clamps, but may also be integral connection parts formed on the boxes themselves. If the short sides are coupled together, the grates 14 do not have to be removed from the openings 13. The base 2, which is planar on the outer side, is provided, inside the box, with a relatively large number of columns 7, 8 and ribs 18, in order to make the boxes able to withstand any loads on the ground which arise. In embodiments of the irrigation and/or drainage box according to the invention which are not shown, it is possible to position the columns 8 in such a manner that there are no columns in a straight line between the openings 13 in the short side walls 4, so that in principle the units can be cleaned internally by using a hose to spray through them via the openings 13.

Claims: Irrigation and/or drainage box (1), comprising a base (2) which is provided with perforations (5) and side walls (3,4) which are provided with perforations (6) and which are integrally connected to the base, the box being open on the side which lies opposite the base, and the box being designed, on the open side, such that two same boxes (1) can be placed with the open sides towards one another and can be connected to one another without the need for further accessories, characterized in that the side walls (3,4) are substantially perpendicular to the base (2), in that the box (1) comprises columns (7,8) which extend substantially vertically from the base (2) towards the open side, and in that at least some of the columns (7,8) are provided, on the open side of the box, with first connection parts (9), and other columns (7,8) are provided, on the open side of the box, with second connection parts (10), such that, when two same boxes according to the invention are placed with the open sides towards one another, the first connection parts (9) of one of the two same boxes are able to interact with the second connection parts (10) of the other of the two same boxes in order to form a connection between the two same boxes. Irrigation and/or drainage box according to claim 1, characterized in that the first connection parts are formed by projections (9) which lie at the free end of the columns (7,8) in question and form an extension of these columns, and the second connection parts are formed by cavities (10) which are formed in the free end section of the columns (7,8) in question, such that, when two same boxes are placed with the open sides towards one another, projections (9) on columns of one of the two boxes fit into cavities (10) in columns of the other of the two boxes. Irrigation and/or drainage box according to claim 2, characterized in that the connection between the first (9) and the second connection part (10) is a click-fit or clamp-fit connection. Irrigation and/or drainage box according to one of claims 1-3, characterized in that the box (1) is provided with columns (7) which adjoin and are integral with the side walls (3,4) and are of planar design at least on the side which adjoins the side walls. Irrigation and/or drainage box according to claim 4, characterized in that the planar side of the column (7) which is integral with a side wall (3,4) lies in the same plane as the outer side of the side wall in question. Irrigation and/or drainage box according to one of claims 1-5, characterized in that the base (2) and the side wall (3,4) of the box (1) are of substantially planar design on the outer side of the box. Irrigation and/or drainage box according to one of claims 1-6, characterized in that columns (8) which do not adjoin the side walls (3,4) are substantially round in cross section. Irrigation and/or drainage box according to one of claims 1-7, characterized in that at least one of the side walls (4) is provided with an opening (13) in which a pipe part can be placed. Irrigation and/or drainage box according to claim 8, characterized in that the opening (13) is provided with a grate (14). Irrigation and/or drainage box according to claim 9, characterized in that the grate (14) is removable. Irrigation and/or drainage box according to one of claims 8-10, characterized in that two side walls (4) which lie opposite one another are provided with an opening (13) Irrigation and/or drainage box according to one of claims 1-11, characterized in that the ratio between the length and the width of the box (1) is 2:1. Irrigation and/or drainage box according to claim 12, characterized in that the first and second connection parts (9, 10) are positioned such that two same boxes (1) can be placed with the open sides against one another and connected to one another with their longitudinal axes parallel to one another so that they completely overlap, and also with their longitudinal axes perpendicular to one another. Irrigation and/or drainage unit comprising two same boxes (1) according to one or more of claims 1-13 which have been placed towards one another and have been connected to one another. Irrigation and/or drainage system comprising a plurality of boxes (1) according to one or more of claims 1-13.

Inventors: BESTEN MARCUS WILHELMUS JOHANN, BESTEN, MARCUS WILHELMUS JOHANNES
Applicants: WAVIN BV, WAVIN B.V.
Application year: 1999
Main classification: E02B11
IPC codes: E02B11