Patent Publication Number: US-8523477-B2

Title: Press-fit restrictor plate

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This patent application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/496,959, filed Jun. 14, 2011. The foregoing patent application is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety for any purpose whatsoever. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     Median style storm drain hoods are used to divert rainwater and the like to storm drainage systems. The present disclosure provides improved systems as disclosed herein. 
     SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSED EMBODIMENTS 
     The disclosed embodiments illustrate embodiments of a restrictor plate which is capable of being positioned in an orifice of the hood inlet. The restrictor plate is capable of being inserted in (e.g., pressed into, popped into) the hood inlet and being secured thereto. In some embodiments this can be done without contacting a front external surface of the hood. 
     Such restrictor plates can include, for example, a front external surface, a front internal surface and an inlet extending therebetween. The hood inlet is defined by plural surfaces, including a top surface and a bottom surface oriented so that a height-wise cross-section of a flow channel defined by the hood inlet can be substantially trapezoidal, narrowing from an upstream side towards a downstream side. The restrictor plate can include a curbed inlet that is defined by plural walls, including a top wall and a bottom wall oriented so that a height-wise cross-section of a curbed flow channel defined by the curbed inlet can be substantially trapezoidal, narrowing from the upstream side towards the downstream side, whereby the top and bottom walls of the curbed inlet can be disposed against respective top and bottom surfaces of the hood inlet without contacting the hood front external surface when secured thereto. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
       The disclosed embodiments are illustrated in the accompanying figures, which are not considered limiting, and in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a top-perspective view of an exemplary restrictor plate in accordance with the disclosure; 
         FIG. 2  is another top-perspective view of the restrictor plate of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a top elevational view of the restrictor plate of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a height-wise end view of the restrictor plate of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a widthwise end view of the restrictor plate of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a bottom elevational view of the restrictor plate of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a view of the restrictor plate of  FIG. 1  installed into a catch basin hood; 
         FIG. 8  is a view of the restrictor plate of  FIG. 1  installed into a catch basin hood; 
         FIG. 9  is a height-wise cross sectional view of the restrictor plate of  FIG. 1  installed in a catch basin hood; and 
         FIG. 10  is a widthwise cross sectional view of the restrictor plate of  FIG. 1  installed in a catch basin hood. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSED EMBODIMENTS 
     The disclosed embodiments are recited in the accompanying claims and illustrated in the accompanying figures, but are not limited by such disclosure. One embodiment, as shown in the Figures, is a restrictor plate  10  for a catch basin hood  12  (illustrated in  FIG. 7-10 ), wherein the hood  12  includes: a front external surface  16 , a front internal surface  18  and an inlet  20  extending therebetween; the hood inlet  20  defined by plural surfaces, including a top surface  22  and a bottom surface  24  oriented so that a height-wise cross-section of a flow channel defined by the hood inlet  20  is substantially trapezoidal, narrowing from an upstream side  26  towards a downstream side  28 ; the restrictor plate  10  including: a curbed inlet  30  defined by plural walls, including a top wall  32  and a bottom wall  34  oriented so that a height-wise cross-section of a curbed flow channel defined by the curbed inlet  30  is substantially trapezoidal, narrowing from the upstream side  26  towards the downstream side  28 ; whereby the top and bottom walls of the curbed inlet  30  are disposed against respective top and bottom surfaces of the hood inlet  20  without contacting the hood front external surface  16  when secured thereto. It will be appreciated that the cross section need not be trapezoidal, but can be other shapes (rectangular, curved, etc.), as desired. 
     As shown, for example, in  FIG. 6 , the restrictor plate  10  may further include a securing element or retainer  36 , (e.g., clip, spring latch, gripping fingers and the like). The securing element  36  projects against the basin internal surface  18  for securing thereto. As illustrated, the securing element  36  is disposed on the downstream side of the curbed inlet  30 , extending from one of the plural curb inlet walls, wherein the securing element  36  projects in a transversely outward direction; the securing element  36  translates in a transversely inward direction when installing the restrictor plate  10 ; and the said securing element  36  translates in a transversely outward direction, against the basin internal surface  18 , when installed, for securing the restrictor plate  10  to the hood inlet  20 . 
     For purposes of illustration, and not limitation, the securing element  36  includes a securing wedge  38 , which is depressed by a respective one of the plural hood inlet surfaces when installing the restrictor plate  10 , thereby translating the wedge  38  in a transversely inward direction. A flexible arm  40  is also included in the securing element  36 , wherein the flexible arm  40  is disposed on the downstream side of the curbed inlet  30 , extends from a first one of the plural curb inlet walls, and connects the wedge  38  to the restrictor plate  10 . The securing element is preferably resiliently deformable such that it can spring into its extended state after installation of the restrictor plate  10  within the hood  12 . 
     As further illustrated, the restrictor plate  10  also includes a second securing wedge or element  42 , projecting in a transversely outward direction which opposes that of the first wedge  38 ; and a second flexible arm  44  connecting the second wedge  42  to the downstream side of another of the plural curb inlet walls which opposes the first plural curb inlet wall. The said second wedge  42  translates in a transversely inward direction when installing the restrictor plate  10 , and the said second wedge  42  translates in a transversely outward direction, against the basin internal surface  18 , when installed, for securing the restrictor plate  10  to the hood inlet  20 . 
     The plural surfaces of the hood inlet  12  include a first, proximal side surface  46  and a second, distal side surface  48  (shown in  FIG. 7 ); the plural curb inlet walls of the restrictor plate  10  correspondingly include a proximal wall  50  and a distal wall  52  (shown in  FIG. 6 ); in one embodiment, the first wedge  38  is connected to the proximal wall  50  via the first flexible arm  40  and the second wedge  42  is connected to the distal wall  52  via the second flexible arm  44 . 
     The proximal side surface  46  and the distal side surface  48  of the hood inlet  20  (shown in  FIG. 7 ) are oriented so that a widthwise cross-section of a flow channel defined by the hood inlet  20  is substantially trapezoidal, narrowing from the upstream side  26  towards the downstream side  28  (shown in  FIG. 9 ). The proximal wall  50  and distal wall  52  of the of the restrictor plate  10  are oriented so that a height-wise cross-section of a curbed flow channel defined by the curbed inlet  30  is substantially trapezoidal, narrowing from the upstream side  26  towards the downstream side  28 ; whereby the proximal and distal walls  50 ,  52  of the curbed inlet  30  are disposed against respective proximal and distal side surfaces  46 ,  48  of the hood inlet  20  without contacting the hood front external surface  16  when secured thereto. 
     The restrictor plate  10  may further include a third securing wedge  54 , connected to the proximal wall  50  by a third flexible arm  56  that extends in a downstream direction therefrom, said third wedge  54  disposed adjacent to the first wedge  38  and projecting in the same transversely outward direction as that of the first wedge  38  so as to flex therewith; and a fourth securing wedge  58 , connected to the distal wall  52  by a fourth flexible arm  60  that extends in a downstream direction therefrom, said fourth wedge  58  disposed adjacent to the second wedge  42  and projecting in the same transversely outward direction as that of the second wedge  42  so as to flex therewith. The first and third wedges  38 ,  54  and respective flexible arms  40 ,  56  form a set of proximal side securing elements which may be height-wise centered on a downstream side  62  of the proximal side wall  50 ; and the second and fourth wedges  42 ,  58  and respective flexible arms  44 ,  60  form a set of distal side securing elements which may be height-wise centered on a downstream side  64  of the distal side wall  52 . 
     In a preferred embodiment, the first and third wedges  38  and  54  are height-wise spaced from each other on the downstream side  62  of the proximal side wall  50 ; and the second and fourth wedges  42  and  58  are height-wise spaced from each other on downstream side  64  of the distal side wall  52 . 
     The restrictor plate  10  preferably also includes a flow orifice base plate  74 , at a downstream side of the curbed inlet  30 , that includes at least one downstream directed flow orifice  76 , sized for filtering particulates above a predetermined size from entering the hood inlet  20 . The flow orifice base plate  74  may include a grid of downstream directed flow orifices, including plural rows  78  and columns  80  of flow orifices, each of which may have a substantially similar shape and size. For example, each flow orifice in the orifice base plate  74  may be substantially rectangular, having a widthwise dimension which is larger than its height-wise dimension. 
     In a preferred embodiment, flexible (e.g., resilient) arms  44  and  60  are connected to a downstream side  82  of the base plate  74 , and at a proximal portion  84  of the base plate  74 ; and flexible arms  56  and  40  are connected to the downstream side  82  of the base plate  74 , and at a distal portion  86  of the base plate  74 . Strengthening ribs  88 , extending from the downstream side  82  of the base plate  74 , minimize deflection of the base plate  74  around each orifice  76 . The ribs  88  extend substantially around and between each orifice  76 , excluding the proximal  84  and distal  86  portions of the downstream side  82  of the base plate  74 , at locations of respective flexible arms  40 ,  44 ,  56 ,  60 . 
     In a preferred embodiment, as shown in  FIG. 6 , the grid of flow orifices includes four orifices, including the first orifice  76 , a second orifice  90 , a third orifice  92 , and a fourth orifice  94 ; the first flexible arm  40  and the third flexible arm  56  respectively border the first orifice  76  and the third orifice  92 , at the distal portion  84  of the downstream side  82  of the base plate  74 ; and the second flexible arm  44  and the fourth flexible arm  60  respectively border the second orifice  90  and the fourth orifice  94 , at the proximal portion  86  of the downstream side  82  of the base plate  74 . 
     The strengthening ribs  88  may include a widthwise extending top rib  96 , disposed at the downstream side  82  of the base plate  74 , at a top portion  98  of the base plate  74 , and substantially continuous between the proximal wall  50  and the distal wall  52 ; a widthwise extending bottom rib  100 , disposed at the downstream side  82  of the base plate  74 , at a bottom portion  102  of the base plate  74 , is substantially continuous between the proximal wall  50  and the distal wall  52 ; and a height-wise extending intermediate rib  104 , disposed at the downstream side  82  of the base plate  74 , preferably at a widthwise center portion thereof, and substantially continuous between the top wall  32  and the bottom wall  34 . 
     The top rib  96  may include a set of alignment ribs  106  extending in a transversely outward direction therefrom, and the bottom rib  100  may include a set of alignment ribs  108  extending in a transversely outward direction therefrom, wherein the alignment ribs  106 ,  108  align the restrictor plate  10  in the hood inlet  20  when installing the restrictor plate  10  therein. 
     The restrictor plate  10  may be molded as a unitary structure from plastic, steel and/or a composite. If desired, the retainers/clips/securing elements (e.g.,  36 ) can be made from a different material from the remainder of the plate  10 . For example, the securing elements can be made from a first material that is more resilient (e.g., spring like) than the rest of the plate  10 . In one embodiment, the plate  10  may be insert molded over the clips from a polymer/composite material, which in turn may be made from a stiffer polymer and/or metallic material. 
     In another embodiment of the present invention, a storm drain assembly includes a catch basin hood  12 , which may be cast from steel, which includes a front external surface  16 , a front internal surface  18  and at least one inlet  20  extending therebetween; the hood inlet  20  is defined by plural surfaces, including a top surface  22  and a bottom surface  24  oriented so that a height-wise cross-section of a flow channel defined by the hood inlet  20  is substantially trapezoidal (or other shape), narrowing from an upstream side  26  towards a downstream side  28 . The assembly further comprises at least one restrictor plate  10  capable of being installed in the at least one hood inlet  20 . In a preferred embodiment, plural hood inlets  108  are aligned in a row and plural restrictor plates  110  are respectively installed in the plural inlets  108 .