Abstract:
A liquid diverter system comprising a plastic panel with the collector panel portion angled downward from all corners and sides to a circular recessed drain mounting land to divert liquids to a suitable storage container or disposal area. A perpendicular flange formed at outer edge creates a reservoir capable of holding liquids when immediate drainage is not possible. A non-woven plastic mesh pad in the collector panel prevents debris from clogging the drain, absorbs sound made by falling water and eliminates splashing.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a device for protecting a building&#39;s interiors and contents from damaging effects of fluids falling from damaged roofs, faulty plumbing and condensation that forms and drops from heating, ventilation and air-conditioning devices installed above suspended ceilings. More particularly it is a replacement tile, herein occasionally referred to as Port A Tile, a registered trademark, for use in suspended ceilings. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Of greatest concern are the many commercial, public, and private buildings that are constructed with flat roofs and utilize suspended grid ceiling installations to create usable hidden space between the underside of the roof slab or intermediate floors and the visible decorative underside of the suspended ceiling in work and building access areas. The hidden space is utilized for installation of fire and smoke warning devices, fire control, sprinkler systems, computer networking, telecommunications, electrical conduits, heating, ventilating, and air condition ducts. Also, suspended ceilings are found in buildings of all types, and many are below, and hide from view, pipes and other systems that can leak. 
     Accordingly, situations occur wherein water leaks from damaged roofs. Areas of condensation build up on utilities and climate control devices installed in the space above suspended grid ceilings. The accumulated leaks and condensates fall causing damage to the decorative ceiling materials, subsequently entering, and damaging the occupied space of the building, thereby inconveniencing or injuring the building inhabitants and accoutrements. 
     Consequently there exists a need for a device that installs quickly, conforms to the existing grid support system typical of commercially available suspended ceilings, blends aesthetically with the occupied space and allows continued use of the building without inconvenience while repairs are being planned and implemented. 
     Prior art in this field has significant problems as demonstrated by U.S. Pat. No. 5,299,591 issued Apr. 5, 1994 to Duncan; Harry P. which describes a device for a similar purpose as the present invention but fails to recognize that any build up of water within the panel will increase stresses on the rim, and the entire panel will fall on the inhabitants below. The present invention overcomes this omission by including vertical structural flanges to support the panel and allow a simple means of attaching the panel to the grid rails. 
     As provided by the objects of the present invention the Duncan device is not functional in that it offers no defense against large pieces of falling debris blocking the entire drain apparatus opening and clogging the drain opening completely. Further, the Duncan device as described and illustrated makes no attempt to alleviate the problem of damage to adjacent areas that is caused by splashing of falling liquids on impact with a non-dissipative surface. The Duncan device also makes no attempt to alleviate the problem of distracting noise caused by falling liquids impacting with an impervious membrane supported at its periphery. The Duncan device is intrusive to the work area or common areas immediately under it and will cause distraction and lack of attention to tasks being performed in the immediate area, and the Duncan Device makes no attempt to facilitate the attachment of several leak collecting devices to a common drain line. 
     Other prior art, which does not anticipate the features of the present invention, is disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 6,283,144 issued Sep. 4, 2001 to Kahn, Mackey. Kahn addresses leak damage in ceilings other than the grid type suspended ceilings. The Kahn device is intrusive and destructive to environment where it is installed. It fails to meet the objects of the present invention and teaches away from providing a temporary system that causes no damage and installs easily. By requiring “nails or screws” as fasteners such a system will leave permanent holes and damage to the original ceiling. With the present invention, restoring the original ceiling after repairs are complete entails simply replacing the “sort A Tile” leak diverter with the original ceiling panel. 
     OBJECTS OF THE CURRENT INVENTION 
     An object of the current invention is to provide a means for collecting water or other fluids leaking from intended containment systems and diverting them to a disposal system without damaging or harming a buildings fixtures, materials, inhabitants or other accoutrements. A further object is to provide an easily installed temporary system until repairs can be made. A further object is to provide a leak diverter device and drain line that is aesthetically harmonious with educational, commercial and residential pursuits. Another object is to avoid any leak related noise that will not be conducive to continuing educational, commercial and residential pursuits. Also an object is to provide a means that will prevent debris from reaching and clogging the drain line. A further object of the device is to provide means that will eliminate splashing onto adjoining undamaged ceiling panels. A further object of the device is to provide a complete leak diverter system that can be installed quickly, without destructive attachment devices such as nails or screws, and still another object is to provide a leak diverter system that allows several panels to be joined together in a leak proof grid to match the area of falling liquid. A further object of the invention is to provide a complete leak diverter system comprising of two or more panels that can be connected to a single drain line. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a pictorial showing the leak diverter in operative position in suspended ceiling grid. 
     FIG. 2 shows top plan view. 
     FIG. 3 is a sectional view through the drain hole. 
     FIG. 4 shows an enlarged view of a panel corner. 
     FIG. 5 is a sectional pictorial showing leak drops hitting mat fibers. 
     FIG. 6 is an enlarged view showing leak drops hitting mat fibers wherein the drops are broken to avoid splashing and impacting the panel. 
     FIG. 7 is a pictorial of a panel. 
     FIG. 8 shows detail of a drain connector. 
     FIG. 9 indicates two panels connected for a larger area of protection. 
     FIG. 10 is a sectional enlargement of the point of connection of two leak diverter panels. 
     FIG. 11 is a pictorial of a fill width panel attachment clip used to join leak diverter panels. 
     FIG. 12 is an alternate enlarged sectional view of connected panels for a larger ceiling tile. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     In accordance with the invention, the panel  16  is a pan or tray like device shaped by heating and causing a sheet of firm but flexible plastic, preferably Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene or commonly called ABS, but not limited thereto, to conform to predetermined shape and size in a commercially available thermo-molding process called thermoforming. The aforementioned thermoforming process, for the instant design, causes the sheet to be permanently shaped in a custom made fixture with compound angle incline  17  which extends gradually downward from backside  99  at a corner  91  to a recessed drain mounting land  28  that is located close to an end  96  and central to left side  98  and right side  97 . The thermoforming fixture is also designed to cause a flat ceiling grid support mounting pad  26  to be formed on a left side  98  to match and conform to the horizontal resting portion of acoustical ceiling mounting grid  38 . The said fixture also causes like inclines and pads to be formed on the backside  99 , right side  97  and the end  96  to match relatively located ceiling grids. The half inch flat ceiling grid support mounting pad  26  terminates in a perpendicular flange  22  on the outer edge forming an impervious tray like perimeter to increase the holding capacity of said leak diverter panel  16  to hold and store liquids when immediate disposal is not possible. A convex ridge  24  is formed along the inner edge of the flat ceiling grid support mounting pad  26  to add stability and to act as an aid in locating the leak diverter panel  16  properly in the ceiling mounting grid  38 . 
     The preferred outside dimensions conform to a commercially available square, or rectangular tile  40  in a suspended grid ceiling  36  less minimal space to allow insertion and removal as a replacement for a tile. The perpendicular flange  22  is designed to synergistically conform to the design of ceiling mounting grid  38  that generally has an expanded area at the top of the vertical portion of said grid  38  to stabilize and increase the load-bearing capability of said grid  38 . The perpendicular flange  22  enhances the Port-A-Tile leak diverter&#39;s utility by making it possible to join a leak diverter panel  16  with another leak diverter panel  16 ′ during installation in a rectangular suspended grid ceiling  36  using a full length “U” channel mating clip  34  to join a perpendicular flange  22  of a first diverter panel  16  with a respective flange  22 ′ of the other panel  16 ′. The said flange  22  also forms a perimeter to hold a plastic mesh splash mat  29  sized to fit within the perpendicular flange  22  in the leak diverter panel  16 . In the preferred embodiment said mat  29  has an open non-woven plastic mesh  32  but may be other suitable non absorbent material that will break liquid droplets  42  on contact but is non absorbent so as to allow liquid to pass through after breaking surface tension and dispersing the drip on contact with the mat fiber  31 . The recessed drain mounting land  28  has a circular portion removed to define an orifice  30  to allow attachment of a drain connector  46 . The said connector  46  is attached at the time of operative installation. Droplets  42  collected by the panel  16  are channeled and diverted away for disposal or containment through a tubular drain line  44  that is functionally attached to said drain connector  46 . The said drain connector  46  is inserted into the orifice  30  and secured to said drain mounting land  28  by tightening threaded nut  48  against an extrusion  52  capturing the land  28 . The interiors of the connector  46  and the drain line  44  are hollow to allow liquid collected from said droplets  42  to flow by gravity. The drain connector  46  has a ninety-degree bend  54  such that in operative position a drain line  44  is essentially horizontal near the connector  46 . The tubular drain line  44  is attached to a barbed male slip on adapter  56  which is part of the connector  46 , and the collected droplets  42  can be diverted away for containment or disposal. An optional inline drain shut off valve (not shown) may be inserted into the tubular drain line  44  for use when immediate disposal of collected liquid droplets  42  is not possible or practical, causing the leak diverter panel  16  to temporarily contain rather than divert the accumulating liquid from the droplets  42 . 
     The method for manufacturing the present invention utilizing the thermoforming process would include the steps of first obtaining and cutting to a convenient size a one sixteenth inch thick sheet of ABS. Then by making and using a thermoforming fixture and process with a specific shape and form cause said sheet to be stretched and molded to form a panel  16  by first creating a circular land  28 , and then the stretching process continues to form a continuous and contiguous surface interior  18  with an incline  17  and incline  17 ′ which extends toward and connects to a circumscribing ridge  24 . Said ridge is formed adjacent to a circumscribing pad  26  in a parallel plane with the first said land  28 . Outwardly circumscribing said pad  26  and perpendicular thereto is formed a flange  22  which extends away from the land  28 . The flange  22  is the outermost useful part of the original sheet, and any excess material is cut away. The outside dimensions of the flange  22  are made to conform to commercially available ceiling tile  40  of the type used in common suspended ceilings. After the forming step and to complete the manufacture of a panel  16 , an orifice  30  is cut into the land  28  adequate to receive a standard plumbing connector  46 . 
     During the forming process, the face  20  of the panel  16  is exposed to atmospheric pressure while a vacuum is pulled against the interior  18  of the panel which is against said thermoforming fixture. It would be easily understood by anyone familiar with the art that the above steps create a vessel shaped to conform to a ceiling tile opening that could facilitate funneling of leak droplets toward a drain orifice. 
     A non-woven material in a sheet form approximately one-half inch thick is obtained and selected dense enough that any impinging water droplets  42  cannot pass directly through its thickness without hitting a fiber  31  and being arrested or broken thereby preventing splashing onto an adjacent ceiling tile  40 ′, but in the opposite sense, light and open enough that moisture will not be absorbed and may evaporate if left adhering to a fiber  31 . Said non-woven material is cut to form a mat  29  which is sized to the inside dimensions of the flange  22 . 
     Continuing the process, when a ceiling leak is found and the owner wants a temporary means for diverting the leak droplets  42 , a ceiling tile  40  is removed, a panel  16  is inserted into the space created by removing said tile  40 , a connector  46  is connected and secured with a nut  48 , and a tubular drain line  44  is functionally attached to the end adapter  56  of the connector  46  and which drain line  44  is plumbed to a location where the liquid will cause no harm. 
     In an alternate situation, a ceiling leak may drip randomly over an area larger than a single tile  40 . To divert droplets  42  over a second tile  40 ′, both tile  40  and tile  40 ′ are removed and replaced by a panel  16  and a panel  16 ′. A mat  29  is placed into panel  16  to break the fall of droplets  42  and a mat  29 ′ is placed into panel  16 ′ similarly. If the replacement panels meet where there is no grid  38  a clip  34  is forced over two parallel, meeting flanges, a first flange  22  from the end  96  of the first panel  16  and a second flange  22 ′ from the end  96 ′ of second panel  16 ′, and said clip  34  provides spring bracing pressure to hold the flanges together. Where the two panels meet at an edge supported by a grid  38 , the clip  34  is forced over three flanges including a first flange  22  from a first panel  16 , a second flange  22 ′ from a second panel  16 ′ and the third flange which is a standard reinforcement and part of the grid  38 . Said clip  34  operates to hold together, by spring pressure, the two panels and the grid  38 . 
     As depicted in FIG. 12, and above described, said land  28  which is cut to define said orifice  30  is advantageously positioned relatively near the end  96  of the panel  16 . Such positioning allows the drain connector  46  to be physically close to another connector  46 ′ when two panels are used in combination. The connecting of drain line  44  to simultaneously serve both panels can then be easily accomplished.