Abstract:
A modular raintank and water storage system are described. A modular raintank comprises a plurality of interconnected external sidewall modules. The sidewall modules have a plurality of openings which allow water to freely flow into and out of the modular raintank. The water storage system comprises a plurality of interconnected modular raintanks. The adjacent modular raintanks of the water storage system can share a sidewall, and can be stacked on top of each other and connected in a side-by-side pattern. The shared sidewall comprises a plurality of locking lip members arranged in rows to facilitate the attachment of additional modular plates of adjacent raintanks and a plurality of U-shaped openings to facilitate visual inspection of the tank while underground.

Description:
CLAIM OF PRIORITY 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to Australian provisional application No. 2006901293, filed Mar. 14, 2006, and to Australian provision application No. 2006901294, filed Mar. 14, 2006. 
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to modular infiltration or rain tanks, leach drains or channels, and in particular, to systems of modular infiltration tanks used to store water. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Underground infiltration tanks and leach drains are formed from plastic perforated tank cells, which are butted or stacked together to form a tank of required size, and are wrapped in geotextile and surrounded in good draining medium such as sand. The geotextile allows water to pass therethrough but stops any sand or soil from passing therethrough. Thus, storm water flows into the infiltration tank via a connecting pipe or infiltration, and percolates into the surrounding strata through the geotextile-covered perforated walls of the tank. Similarly, water infiltrates through the soil above the tank and enters the tank through the geotextile-covered top perforated wall of the tank. 
         [0004]    To form a reuse or water-harvesting tank, the above tank system is surrounded on the base and sides by a water impervious sheet. To assist in lowering transportation cost, most of the prior art infiltration tanks and leach drains modules are formed by joining together multiple wall plates, and the tanks or modules are typically transported in stacks of plates. These plates are of two types—a male plate having pins located on the periphery—and a female plate having recesses with which the pins engage. 
         [0005]    As there is only a frictional engagement between the pins and the recesses, the pins can disengage if the plates flex. In addition, the presently used raintanks have an inherent weakness to side soil pressure once underground, particularly on the male plate side. This weakness occurs because the tank is held together by the interconnection of small plastic pins of the male plate with matching openings on the larger female plate. Such interconnection weakens the tank module and can lead to structural failure of the tank. 
         [0006]    In addition, the presently utilized raintank modules utilize a plurality of thin interconnecting support struts, having small flow-through openings therebetween. These support struts are positioned very closely together, in order to provide stronger structural support against the force of the soil. However, such close proximity of the interconnecting struts prevents one from accessing the inside of the tank for inspection purposes, such as for example, with a camera. 
         [0007]    The present invention seeks to overcome the above-described problems of the prior art by providing new modular plates for an underground raintank. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    In one form, the invention provides a modular plate member for forming an underground infiltration or storage system, comprising: 
         [0009]    a first planar member having an alternating pattern of support surfaces and openings in a checker board like pattern; 
         [0010]    a second planar member spaced from and parallel to said first planar member, and having an alternating pattern of support surfaces and openings in a checker board like pattern, with each opening of the second planar member aligning with a support surface of the first planar member and with each support surface of the second planar member aligning with an opening of the first planar member; 
         [0011]    joining members connecting the support surface of one planar member to the adjacent support surfaces of the other plate; 
         [0012]    a periphery wall extending between the edges the first and second planar members; 
         [0013]    first openings located in the periphery wall; 
         [0014]    locking members extending outwardly from the periphery walls; and 
         [0015]    second openings in at least some of the support surfaces of the first and second planar members located adjacent the edges thereof, 
         [0016]    whereby the locking members of one plate member pass through and lock behind the first or second openings in the other plate member to lock the plate members together, to resist separation. 
         [0017]    In one embodiment of the present invention the locking members have side protrusions which lock behind the openings to resist separation of the plates. 
         [0018]    In another embodiment of the present invention there are provided additional openings in the central row of the support surfaces into which locking members of another plate member can be locked to lock another plate thereto. 
         [0019]    In a further form of the invention provides a modular plate member for forming an underground rainwater infiltration or storage system, comprising: 
         [0020]    a first planar member having an alternating pattern of openings and octagonal support surfaces in a checker board like pattern; 
         [0021]    a second planar member spaced from and parallel to said first planar member, and having an alternating pattern of openings and octagonal support surfaces in a checker board like pattern, with each openings of the second planar member aligning with an octagonal support surface of the first planar member and with each octagonal support surface of the second planar member aligning with an opening of the first planar member; 
         [0022]    columnar members located at the corners of the octagonal support surfaces of one plate member connecting to the corners of the adjacent octagonal support surfaces of the other planar member; 
         [0023]    a periphery wall extending between the edges the first and second planar members; 
         [0024]    first openings located in the periphery wall; 
         [0025]    second openings located in at least some of the support surfaces of the first and second planar members located adjacent the edges thereof, 
         [0026]    locking members extending outwardly from the periphery walls and having protrusions extending laterally therefrom beyond one of the dimensions of the first and second openings; and 
         [0027]    whereby the locking members of one plate member pass through and the protrusions lock behind the first or second openings in the other plate member to lock the plate members together, to resist separation. 
         [0000]    In another preferred embodiment, the invention is a modular raintank structure comprising: 
         [0028]    a plurality of sidewall plate modules, said sidewall plate modules interconnected to form a box-shaped raintank with a hollow interior space; 
         [0029]    a plurality of internal plate modules extending within the hollow interior space of said raintank between opposing sidewall plate modules; 
         [0030]    each of said sidewall plate modules and internal plate modules including a skeletal framework of a plurality of interconnecting struts, said struts having openings therebetween; 
         [0031]    wherein water can freely flow into and out of said modular raintank through said openings. 
       In one form of the above embodiment, the interconnecting struts of the sidewall plate modules are nonparallel. 
       [0032]    In yet another preferred embodiment, the present invention is a modular water storage system comprising: 
         [0033]    a plurality of interconnected raintank modules, each of said raintank modules having a plurality of external sidewall plate modules forming a box-like shape with a hollow interior; 
         [0034]    each raintank module including a plurality of internal plate modules extending within the hollow interior of said raintank module between opposing sidewall plate modules; 
         [0035]    each of said sidewall plate modules and internal plate modules including a skeletal framework of a plurality of interconnecting struts, said struts having openings therebetween; and 
         [0036]    wherein water can freely flow into and out of said modular raintank through said openings. 
         [0037]    In one variation of the above embodiment, at least two of the interconnected raintank modules in the water storage system share a common sidewall. 
         [0038]    In another variation of the above embodiment, at least one of the raintank module in the water storage system is stacked on top of another raintank module. 
         [0039]    In yet another preferred embodiment, the invention is a modular wall panel for an underground infiltration tank, comprising: 
         [0040]    a rectilinear periphery formed of four edge members; 
         [0041]    a plurality of longitudinally running strut members extending between said periphery edge members; 
         [0042]    a plurality of transversely running strut members extending between said edge members and intersecting said longitudinally running strut members; 
         [0043]    a plurality of diagonally extending strut members extending between said edge members and intersecting said longitudinally and said transversely running strut members; 
         [0044]    a plurality of locking lip members, said locking lip members being arranged in a plurality of rows extending between said edge members, said plurality of locking lip members being adapted to interlock with corresponding locking members of at least one additional modular plate, thereby connecting said modular wall panel with said additional modular plates. 
         [0045]    In one variation of the above embodiment, the modular wall panel includes a plurality of strut members extending from the peripheral edge members and forming an opening between themselves and the peripheral edge member from which they extend. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0046]    The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the following figures, in which: 
           [0047]      FIG. 1  illustrates a plan view of a modular cell plate according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0048]      FIG. 2  is a cross sectional view of the modular cell plate of  FIG. 1  taken along section I-I. 
           [0049]      FIG. 3  illustrates a perspective view of the locking mechanism as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0050]      FIG. 4  illustrates a detailed view of the locking mechanism as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 3 . 
           [0051]      FIGS. 5 &amp; 6  illustrate the locking operation between plates. 
           [0052]      FIG. 7  illustrates a transverse plate according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0053]      FIG. 8  illustrates a modular cell plate according to another embodiment of the invention. 
           [0054]      FIG. 9  illustrates schematically the joining of two cross plates to a modular cell plate in the process of forming a tank module. 
           [0055]      FIG. 10   a  is a perspective view of a fully assembled raintank module. 
           [0056]      FIG. 10   b  is a front view of a modular end plate according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0057]      FIG. 10C  is a perspective close-up view of the connection between the modular cell plates and the modular end plate of the present invention. 
           [0058]      FIG. 11   a  is a perspective view of a partially assembled raintank module, showing two cross plates attached to one modular cell plate. 
           [0059]      FIG. 11   b  is a perspective view of a partially assembled raintank module, showing in detail the connection between modular cell plates and an end plate. 
           [0060]      FIG. 11   c  is a perspective view of a partially assembled raintank module, showing two cross plates attached to two modular cell plates. 
           [0061]      FIG. 11   d  is a perspective view of a partially assembled raintank module, showing the connection between three modular cell plates and two cross plates. 
           [0062]      FIG. 11   e  is a perspective view of a partially assembled raintank module, showing the connection between three modular cell plates two cross plates, and one end plate. 
           [0063]      FIG. 11   f  is a perspective view of a partially assembled raintank module, showing the connection between three modular cell plates, two cross plates, and two end plates. 
           [0064]      FIG. 12  is a perspective view of two fully assembled raintank modules, stacked one on top of another. 
           [0065]      FIG. 13   a  is a perspective view of a fully assembled first raintank module and the first modular cell plate of a second raintank module being connected to an end plate of the first raintank module. 
           [0066]      FIG. 13   b  is a perspective view of a fully assembled first raintank module and the first two modular cell plates of a second raintank module being connected to an end plate of the first raintank module. 
           [0067]      FIG. 13   c  is a close-up view of a fully assembled first raintank module and the first two sidewalls of a partially assembled second raintank module being connected to an end plate of the first raintank module. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0068]    The following discussion describes in detail several embodiments of the present invention and multiple variations of those embodiments. This discussion should not be construed, however, as limiting the invention to those particular embodiments. Practitioners skilled in the art will recognize numerous other embodiments as well. 
         [0069]      FIGS. 1 ,  2 , and  3  illustrate one embodiment of the modular wall panel (cell plate) of the present invention. Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , modular cell plate  1  comprises two opposed planar members  2  and  3 . The top planar member  2  comprises an array of octagonal support surfaces  4  alternating with openings  6  in a checkerboard pattern. This pattern is reproduced on bottom planar member  3  with the octagonal support surfaces  4  of the top planar member  2  overlaying the openings  7  of the bottom planar member  3 , and the openings  6  of the top planar member  2  overlaying the octagonal support surfaces  5  of the bottom planar member  3 . In addition, the top planar member  2  contains square openings  10  which overlay the square openings  10  of the bottom planar member  3 . 
         [0070]    Referring to  FIG. 2 , columnar supports  8  connect each corner of the support surfaces  4  of the upper planar member  2  with the respective corners of adjacent support surfaces  5  of the lower planar member  3 . 
         [0071]    Referring back to  FIG. 1 , a periphery wall  9  extends around cell plate  1 , extending between the edges of the top planar member  2  and bottom planar member  3 . The periphery wall  9  includes cut outs  11  and locking members  12 . Edge support surfaces  20  are positioned adjacent the periphery wall  9 . Referring to both  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 3 , the edge support surfaces  20  are shaped so as to form a castellated edge with cut outs  21  similar to the cut outs  11 . 
         [0072]    Referring to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , locking members  12  have protrusions  13 , which extend wider than the size of the width of the cut outs  11  and  21 . Hence, as shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , when cell plates are pressed together, the locking members  12  are compacted. As locking members  12  pass through cut outs  11  and  21 , the protrusions  13  spring back and lock behind the cell plate wall  14  surrounding the cut outs  11 . In effect, as shown in  FIG. 4 , the neck  19  of the locking member  12  is compressed and tensioned, urging the protrusions  13  against the wall  14  on both sides of the opening and resisting the withdrawal of the locking member  12 . 
         [0073]    Referring to  FIGS. 3 and 5 , a vertical cell plate  15  can lock into a horizontal cell plate  16  when the locking members  12  engage with the edge holes  21  which are formed in the edge support members  18 . Alternatively, as illustrated in  FIG. 6 , two vertical  15  or two horizontal plates  16  can lock together. 
         [0074]    Referring back to  FIG. 1 , additional cut outs  17  are located on the central row of support surfaces  4  &amp;  5 , such that another cell plate (not shown) can be connected to cell plate  1 . It will be appreciated that these cut outs  17  can be located not only on the central row of support surfaces, but can be located on any of the horizontal or vertical rows of support surfaces of cell plate  1  to accommodate the connection of one or several other cell plates to cell plate  1 . 
         [0075]      FIG. 7  illustrates another embodiment of the invention. Referring to  FIG. 7 , cross plate  22  comprises a skeletal framework of reinforced thin struts  23  that have openings therebetween. The cross plate  22  also has two circular apertures  24 . Locking members  12  are positioned on outer walls  25  of the cross plate  22 . Thus, several plates  22  can be connected to each other (not shown) on any one of their sides or can alternatively be connected to plates such as plate  1  of  FIG. 1 , as shown in  FIG. 9 . As a result, a tank module can be formed of any number of cell plates and cross plates to form a tank module three or more cell plates high or wide. 
         [0076]      FIG. 8  illustrates another embodiment of the present invention wherein the octagonal support surfaces are replaced by an octagonal framework, with all other features being same as previously described. 
         [0077]      FIG. 10   a  illustrates an assembled tank module in accordance with the present invention. Tank module  30  is cube-like in shape and has a hollow interior. Tank module  30  contains six sidewalls. Four of the sidewalls are comprised of modular cell plates  32 . In the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 10   a , modular cell plates  32  are similar to cell plate shown in  FIG. 1 , but contain a pattern of interconnecting strut members as illustrated in  FIG. 8 . However, it will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art that modular cell plate  1  or cell plates with a different pattern of interconnecting members can be used instead. Referring to  FIG. 10   a , the remaining two sidewalls of tank module  30  are comprised of two end plates  34 . 
         [0078]    The end plate  34  of the invention is illustrated in more detail in  FIG. 10   b . Similarly to cross plate  22 , end plate  34  comprises a skeletal framework of reinforced thin struts  39  that have openings therebetween. In the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 10   b , four of the thin struts  39  are U-shaped. Unlike cross plate  22 , which has two circular apertures  24 , the end plate  34  in the illustrated embodiment has four horse-shoe shaped apertures  40 , formed by the aforementioned four U-shaped thin struts extending from and back to the peripheral edge members. 
         [0079]    The U-shaped openings  40  in end plate  34  provide an advantage over the plates of the prior art in that they allow the user to access the inside of a raintank once it is underground. For example, a cable with a video camera on its end may be inserted into any of the U-shaped openings  40  and the entire inside of the raintank may be examined for structural integrity. 
         [0080]    The end plate  34  is also unlike cross-plate  22  in that it does not have locking members protruding from its outer walls. Instead, as seen in  FIG. 10   b , end plate  34  includes locking lip members  41  oriented in three rows  41   a ,  41   b  and  41   c  and extending along the entire length of end plate  34 . The locking lip members  41  provide an advantage over protruding clip members of the modular plates of the prior art in that they allow for a much stronger connection between the end plate  34  and modular cell plates, as will be further discussed below. 
         [0081]    Referring to  FIG. 10   c , the locking lip members  41  are adapted to mate with matching locking members  42  and periphery wall members  43  of cell plate  32 . The locking lip members  41  of end plate  34  are configured such that two cell plates  32  can be simultaneously connected to both sides of end plate  34 , through the interconnection between locking lip members  41  of end plate  34  and the matching locking members  42  and periphery wall members  43  of cell plates  32 . This interconnection is also illustrated in  FIGS. 11B ,  13 B, and  13 C, and allows for two modular raintanks to be connected to each other utilizing end plate  34  as a common sidewall. 
         [0082]      FIG. 11   a - 11   f  illustrate the step-by-step assembly of tank module  30 . Referring to  FIG. 11   a , two cross plates  34   a  are attached to modular cell plate  32 . In the embodiment illustrated in  FIGS. 11   a - 11   f , cell plate  32  is shown as having a pattern of support surfaces identical to cell plate  1  of  FIG. 1 . One cross plate  34   a  is attached to the top planar member  36  and the other cross plate  34   a  is attached to the bottom planar member  38 . 
         [0083]    The cross plates  34   a  are connected to the modular plate  32  by locking members  35 , which are preferably identical to locking members  12  of cross plate  22  in  FIG. 7 . The locking members  35  of cross plates  34   a  interlock with matching locking slots (cut outs)  33  in plate  32 . As can be seen, cell plate  32  includes three rows of locking slots  33  (identified as  33   a ,  33   b , and  33   c  in  FIG. 11   d ), allowing not one but three cross plates  34   a  to be attached to each side of cell plate  32  in order to increase the strength of the assembled tank module. 
         [0084]    Referring to  FIG. 11   c  and  11   d  respectively, a second modular cell plate  32  is attached to one of the cross plates  34   a , and a third modular plate  32  is attached to the other one of the cross plates  34   a . Once again, the attachment of cross plates  34   a  to modular plates  32  is facilitated by locking members  35  of cross plates  34   a  interlocking with corresponding locking slots  33  of modular cell plates  32 . 
         [0085]    Referring to  FIG. 11   e , one end plate  34  is attached to all three modular cell plates  32  at their one end  32   a . Referring to  FIG. 11   f , another end plate  34  is attached to all three modular cell plates  32  at their other end  32   b . The end plate  34  attaches to cell plates  32  when the three rows  41   a ,  41   b ,  41   c  of locking lip members  41  of end plate  34  interlock with the matching locking members  42  and periphery wall members  43  of cell plates  32 . The interlocking of locking members  42  and periphery wall members  43  of cell plates  32  with locking lip members  41  of end plate  34  provides much stronger structural support for the tank module than would an interlocking configuration of protruding locking members (as for example locking members  12  of plate  22  in  FIG. 7 ) with matching cutouts. 
         [0086]    In the final step of assembly, a fourth modular cell plate  32  is attached to the top side of all three modular cell plates  32  and a fifth modular cell plate  32  is attached to the bottom side of all three modular cell plates  32 , forming an assembled tank module  30 , as illustrated in  FIG. 10A . The fourth and fifth modular plates  32  attach by interconnecting with of the first three modular plates  32 , as shown in detail in  FIG. 10   c.    
         [0087]    Assembled tank modules can be connected with each other to form a water storage network of any required size. Tank modules can be stacked on top of each other as shown in  FIG. 12 . 
         [0088]    In addition, as explained earlier, multiple tank modules can be constructed side by side, utilizing end plate  34  as a common sidewall. For example, one tank module could have six other tank modules attached to it, i.e., one tank module on each one of its six sidewalls.  FIGS. 13   a - 13   c  illustrate by way of example how a second tank module is assembled on one sidewall of a first tank module. As can be seen in  FIGS. 13   a - 13   c , the second tank module  30   b  shares a sidewall (end plate  34 ) with the first module  30   a . A third tank module (not shown) could be attached in a similar way to the second tank module and share one sidewall with the second tank module. Such a wall sharing arrangement between connected tank modules saves a significant amount of plastic material. 
         [0089]    It should be obvious to people skilled in the art that modifications and alterations can be made to the above embodiments without departing from the spirit of the present invention. 
         [0090]    The invention is to be determined by the following claims: