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This application claims the benefit of provisional patent application No. 60/310,585, filed Aug. 7, 2001. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The field of the invention pertains to open decks usually made of wood that are commonly attached to modern homes. The decks are used for outdoor relaxation and entertainment and may be constructed from a few inches to many feet above ground. The decks are planked with gaps of one quarter inches or less to allow for expansion and contraction of the planks. As a result, water and small debris passes between and falls onto whatever is below the deck. 
     Absent the water draining from the deck, the space beneath the deck can be used as dry storage for a variety of purposes, depending on the height above the ground. Storage of various outdoor furniture items, portable barbecues used on the deck and yard maintenance items could be stored out of the rain and in the off season, for example. Where the deck is a significant distance from the ground, the deck could serve as a carport or open boat house. Thus, an economical, unobtrusive and effective device to collect water passing between the planks of a deck would be a desirable addition to a new or existing deck. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The new device comprises a plurality of deck pans supported by the deck joists and shaped to direct the moisture to a collecting trough which, in turn, directs the water to a vertical drain pipe or downspout. For new construction, the deck pans are joined to fit over parallel adjacent joists and are held in place by the planking applied thereover. For existing decks, the deck pans are attached to the sides or undersides of the adjacent joists. The deck pans and troughs are formed with specific pitches to minimize collection of standing water in the deck pans and troughs. The deck pans may be ganged to extend their length. 
     The new device includes various optional features to reduce or eliminate the exposure of the joists, headers and other structural members to moisture. These features have become particularly important in view of the severe future reductions and bans on the use of heavy metal compounds to treat lumber to prevent decay. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 illustrates a side cutaway section of the deck pan construction taken longitudinally between two joists; 
     FIG. 2 is a top view of a deck pan; 
     FIG. 3 is a side view of a deck pan; 
     FIG. 4 is an exploded end view taken at the juncture of a deck pan with a collection trough; 
     FIG. 5 illustrates a side cutaway section of an alternative form of the deck pan construction taken longitudinally between two joists; 
     FIG. 6 is a front cutaway section taken perpendicular to FIG. 5 at the location of vertical drains to a collection trough; 
     FIG. 7 is a partial top view of the installed deck pans prior to installation of the decking; 
     FIG. 8 is a partial section above a collection trough illustrating a protective deck installation; 
     FIGS. 9A,  9 B and  9 C illustrate installation of the deck pans at the headers; 
     FIGS. 10A,  10 B and  10 C illustrate an attachment bracket; 
     FIGS. 11A and 11B illustrate detailed attachments with the bracket of FIG. 10; 
     FIGS. 12A and 12B are side and top views, respectively, of header covers to lap over the brackets of FIG. 10; 
     FIG. 13 illustrates installation of the deck pan at an outside header; 
     FIGS. 14A and 14B illustrate vertical views of alternative attachments of deck pans to the varmint shields; 
     FIGS. 15A,  15 B,  15 C and  15 D illustrate in detail a closed end deck pan; 
     FIGS. 16A,  16 B and  16 C illustrate alternative deck pans and fastening means for molded composite deck planks; 
     FIG. 17 illustrates composite deck planks having integral deck pans; and 
     FIGS. 18A and 18B illustrate metal deck units combined with supporting deck pans. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Illustrated in FIG. 1 is a portion of a deck comprising vertical supports  10 , horizontal beams  12  supporting joists  14  and headers  16 . The joists  14  and headers  16  support the parallel planks  18  of the deck  20 . Typically, the deck  20  is located adjacent a building  22 , and the planks  18  are spaced apart  24  to accommodate seasonal thermal expansion and swelling. 
     Under the deck  20  between the joists  14  are a pair of formed plastic or metal pans  26  and  28  that are fastened into position before the deck  20  is assembled to the joists  14 . Each pan  26  is shaped as shown in FIGS. 2,  3  and  4  wherein an overlapping peripheral flange  30  extends about each sloping side  32  and the shallow end  34  of the pan. The flange  30  overlaps on the joists  14 . 
     The deep end  36  of the pan  26  upon installation extends over a trough  38  perpendicular to the joists  14  and therebelow. The assembly may include a varmint shield  40  as shown to prevent birds and rodents from entering the trough  38  or the pans  26 . With this construction, the pans  26  and  28  gather all of the water that seeps through the gaps  24  between the planks  18  of the deck  20 . The water flows to the trough  38  and from there to a downspout (not shown). 
     Illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6 is an alternative form of the pan  26  wherein the trough  38  is adjacent the header  16 . The pan  26  is modified to include a drain pipe  42  leading to the trough  38 . Adjacent one end  44  of the trough  38  is a downspout  46 . The drain pipe  42  end of the pan  26  is closed off at  48  and flanged  30  over the header  16 . 
     As an alternative a conventional eavestrough  50  may be mounted on the header  16  and apertures formed in the header  16  to allow water to pass through from the pan  26  into the eavestrough  50  as indicated by a dashed line  52 . Where pans  26  and the other features are to be added to an existing deck  20  without removal of the planking  18 , the flanges  30  may be bent downwardly as indicated by dashed lines at  54 . Or, the pans  26  may be manufactured with downwardly extending flanges  30  specifically for retrofitting existing decks. 
     As specific examples the deck pans  26  can be manufactured for 16 or 24 inches on center joists  14  and in lengths of 4 to 10 feet to accommodate decks of various widths from the building  22 . The deck pans  26  are V-shaped and formed with at least one quarter inches per foot slope leading to the trough  38  to prevent pooling and stagnant water in the pans. The trough  38  is either formed or mounted to provide at least one-quarter inches per foot slope also. 
     FIG. 7 illustrates the deck with deck pans  28  installed. The flanges  30  overlap, however, in this embodiment the fasteners are hidden, and deck planking brackets  56  are also attached by the hidden fasteners. Notches  58  are also formed in the flanges  30  to drain any water that collects above the headers  16 . FlGS.  8  through  11  detail the construction shown in FIG. 7 as follows. 
     In FIGS. 8 and 11, parallel joists  14  support deck planking  18  and deck pans  28  as above, however, the lowermost flange  30  and bracket  56  there above are fastened by a hidden nail or screw  60 . The screw  60  is covered by the flange  30  of the next adjacent deck pan  28 . The uppermost flange  30  of the next adjacent deck pan  28  includes a lip  62  extending into the V-notch  64  of the bracket  56 . A second screw  66  attaches the deck planking  18  to the bracket  56  at a location offset from the joist  14 . Where the joist  14  is a rim joist as shown in FIG. 11A, a rim joist cover  68  protects the screw  60 . The bracket  56  provides the additional advantage of spacing screw  66  further from the deck plank end  70  to reduce the likelihood of splitting the plank  18 . 
     As shown in FIG. 9, to protect the header  16  the flange  30  is formed with drainage notches  58 . The notches  58  allow any water that collects above the header  16  to drain into the deck pan  28 . The header is notched at  72 , as shown in FIG. 9A, to accommodate the notches  58 . FIG. 9C illustrates a section through the flange  30  at the notches  58 . 
     In FIG. 10, the bracket  56  is shown separately and comprises a V-shape having a flange  74  with fastener holes  76  to one side and a blank flange  78  to the other side. At the bottom of the V are holes  80  to permit water to drain from the V-shape into the deck pan there below. The flange  78  is preferably slightly higher than the flange  74  to accommodate the upper flange  30  as shown in FIG.  11 . The holes  76  are placed to match the oblong holes  82  shown in FIG.  9 B. 
     FIG. 12 illustrates the rim joist cover  68  of FIG.  11 A. The rim joist cover  68  may be notched  84  periodically for drainage but otherwise is flat  86  with lips  88  and  62  to either side for shedding moisture and protecting the underlying rim joist  14 . 
     As shown in FIG. 13, where there are railing posts  90  and trim boards  92  and  94 , the rim joist cover  96  is modified to protect not only the rim joist  14  but also the trim board  94  that is bolted  98  to the rim joist along with the post. The construction is otherwise as shown above. 
     In FIG. 14A, two deck pans  26  and  28  come together with a gap  100  there between. The deck pans  26  and  28  have flanges with overlapping notches  103 ,  105  fitted within v-notches in the joint (FIG.  14 A). Water can fall through the gap  100  to the drainage trough  38  there below. Where varmint shields  40  are installed between the deck pans  26  and  28  and the drainage trough  38 , wind cannot blow and spray the failing water. Where no varmint shields are installed, screens  102  descending from the gap  100  can help control water flow to the drainage trough  38 . 
     FIG. 14B offers a simpler solution where water spray is not a problem. The bottom of one deck pan  26 ′ extends  104  over the bottom of deck pan  28 ′. The bottom of deck pan  26 ′ includes raised portions  106  to permit water from both pans to easily pass underneath deck pan  26 ′ and fall from the end  36  of deck pan  28 ′ down into the drainage trough. 
     FIG. 15 further details the construction of FIGS. 5 and 6. The FIG. 15 construction is particularly suited to installations where the deck is enclosed on three sides by walls thus requiring the deck pan flange  30  to extend on all four sides of the deck pan  26 . The drain hole  108  is spaced from the entire flange  30 . The peripheral construction comprising overlapping flanges  30  and brackets  56  is as disclosed above. The drain holes  108  may lead to individual drain pipes or a drainage trough perpendicular to the joists. 
     FIG. 16 illustrates deck pans  110  adapted for use with composite deck surfaces  112 . As shown, the deck pans  110  fit under the outside legs  114  of the deck surfaces  112  to collect water falling through the gaps  116  between the legs. A variety of devices can be used to retain the deck surfaces  112  and deck pans  110  to the joists  118 . In FIG. 16A, barbed fastening clips  120  grip the center legs  122  of the deck surfaces  112 . The clips  120  are screwed  124  to the joists  118 . In FIG. 16B, wire clips  126  are screwed  128  to the joists  118  and fit in holes  130  in the center legs  122 . FIG. 16C details placement of the screw  128  against the bottom of the ring  132  to force  134  the clip  126  downward tightening the deck surface  112  to the joist  118  as the ring  132  engages the bevel under the screw head. 
     FIG. 17 shows a modified composite deck surface  136  wherein the deck pan  138  is integral with the deck surface. As above, water flows through the gap  140  between the deck surfaces, and the deck surfaces are clipped  142  by the center legs  144  to the joist  118  below. 
     In FIG. 18A, metal deck units comprise deck surfaces  146  atop integral deck pans  148 . The deck pans  148  are fastened to the joists by twisted straps  150 . The deck surfaces  146  overlap the deck pans  148  in the same manner as shown for the composite surfaces in FIG.  17 . The straps  150  can be pre-riveted  152  to the metal deck units and pivoted and twisted into position as the deck units are installed. FIG. 18B illustrates a deck unit with the strap  150  down but not twisted. The deck surface  146  may have plastic snap on surfaces as shown.

Summary:
In an open planked deck a plurality of deck pans thereunder collect moisture and are supported by the deck joists. The deck pans are shaped to direct the moisture as water to a collecting trough which, in turn, directs the water to a vertical drain pipe or downspout. For new construction, the deck pans are joined to fit over parallel adjacent joists and are held in place by the deck planking there over. For existing decks, the deck pans are attached to the sides or undersides of the adjacent joists. The deck pans and collecting troughs are formed with specific pitches of prevent collection of standing water in the pans or troughs.