U.S. patent application number 11/189660 was filed with the patent office on 2005-12-01 for protective cover for preventing spilled liquids from flowing into drains or holes.
This patent application is currently assigned to New Pig Corporation. Invention is credited to Evans, R. Douglas JR., Healy, Patrick E..
Application Number | 20050262624 11/189660 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37741220 |
Filed Date | 2005-12-01 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050262624 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Evans, R. Douglas JR. ; et
al. |
December 1, 2005 |
Protective cover for preventing spilled liquids from flowing into
drains or holes
Abstract
A protective cover for drains and other holes is provided which
prevents spills and unwanted liquids from flowing therein. The
protective cover includes a sheet of flexible, liquid impermeable
material having top and bottom surfaces. A pliable, liquid
impermeable material is attached to the bottom surface of the sheet
around a peripheral edge of the sheet. The pliable, liquid
impermeable material includes an exposed surface that is tacky so
that it ahderes to a surface surrounding the drain or other hole to
prevent the flow of liquid therebetween.
Inventors: |
Evans, R. Douglas JR.;
(Everett, PA) ; Healy, Patrick E.; (Gallitzin,
PA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Alan G. Towner
Pietragallo, Bosick & Gordon
One Oxford Centre, 38th Floor
301 Grant Street
Pittsburgh
PA
15219
US
|
Assignee: |
New Pig Corporation
Tipton
PA
|
Family ID: |
37741220 |
Appl. No.: |
11/189660 |
Filed: |
July 26, 2005 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
11189660 |
Jul 26, 2005 |
|
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|
10447364 |
May 28, 2003 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
4/293 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47K 1/14 20130101; E03F
1/00 20130101; E03F 5/0404 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
004/293 |
International
Class: |
A47K 001/14 |
Claims
1. A protective cover for preventing spills and/or unwanted liquids
from flowing into drains or holes, the protective cover comprising:
a sheet of flexible, liquid impermeable material having top and
bottom surfaces, the sheet having a first weight per unit area; and
a pliable, liquid impermeable material attached to the bottom
surface of the sheet about a peripheral edge of the sheet and
having a second weight per unit area greater than the first weight
per unit area, the pliable, liquid impermeable material having an
exposed surface that is inherently tacky so that it may adhere to
and form a seal with a surface surrounding the drain or hole to
prevent flow of liquid therebetween upon contact between the tacky
exposed surface and the surface surrounding the drain or hole.
2. The protective cover of claim 1, wherein the pliable, liquid
impermeable material is selected from the group consisting of
polyurethane, polyvinyl chloride, vinyls, silicons and soft
rubber.
3. The protective cover of claim 1, wherein the sheet of flexible,
liquid impermeable material is selected from the group consisting
of vinyls, silicons, polyurethane, polyvinyl chloride, soft rubber
and plastic.
4. The protective cover of claim 1, wherein the sheet of flexible,
liquid impermeable material has a shape selected from the group
consisting of square, circular, triangular and rectangular.
5. The protective cover of claim 1, wherein at least the top
portion of the sheet of flexible, liquid impermeable material
comprises a color that is highly visible.
6. The protective cover of claim 1, wherein the sheet of flexible,
liquid impermeable material comprises a sheet of woven or nonwoven
fabric surrounded by a liquid impermeable material.
7. The protective cover of claim 1, further comprising at least one
stabilizing member provided on the bottom surface of the sheet
between the pliable, liquid impermeable material.
8. A protective cover for preventing spills and/or unwanted liquids
from flowing into drains or holes, the protective cover comprising:
a sheet of liquid impermeable material having top and bottom
surfaces; and a pliable, liquid impermeable material attached to
the bottom surface of the sheet about a peripheral edge of the
sheet, the pliable, liquid impermeable material having an exposed
surface that is tacky such that it may adhere to a surface
surrounding the drain or hole to prevent flow of liquid
therebetween.
9. The protective cover of claim 8, wherein the pliable, liquid
impermeable material is selected from the group consisting of
polyurethane, polyvinyl chloride, vinyls, silicons and soft
rubber.
10. The protective cover of claim 8, wherein the exposed surface of
the pliable, liquid impermeable material is inherently tacky.
11. The protective cover of claim 8, wherein the sheet of liquid
impermeable material is flexible and is selected from the group
consisting of vinyls, silicons, polyurethane, polyvinyl chloride,
soft rubber and plastic.
12. The protective cover of claim 8, wherein the sheet of liquid
impermeable material has a shape selected from the group consisting
of square, circular, triangular and rectangular.
13. The protective cover of claim 8, wherein the sheet of liquid
impermeable material includes a first weight per unit area, and
wherein the pliable, liquid impermeable material includes a second
weight per unit area greater than the first weight per unit
area.
14. The protective cover of claim 8, wherein at least the top
surface of the sheet of liquid impermeable material comprises a
color that is highly visible.
15. The protective cover of claim 8, wherein the sheet of liquid
impermeable material comprises a sheet of woven or nonwoven fabric
surrounded by a liquid impermeable material.
16. A protective cover for drains or holes to prevent spills and/or
unwanted liquids from flowing into drains or holes, the protective
cover comprising: a sheet of liquid impermeable material having top
and bottom surfaces, the sheet having a thickened portion provided
adjacent a peripheral edge of the sheet, the thickened portion
including an exposed surface that is tacky such that it may adhere
to a surface surrounding the drain or hole to prevent flow of
liquid therebetween.
17. The protective cover of claim 16, wherein the sheet of liquid
impermeable material is flexible and is selected from the group
consisting of vinyls, silicons, polyurethane, polyvinyl chloride,
soft rubber and plastic.
18. The protective cover of claim 16, wherein the thickened portion
comprises a material selected from the group consisting of
polyurethane, polyvinyl chloride, vinyls, silicons and soft rubber
attached to the bottom surface of the sheet adjacent the peripheral
edge of the sheet, the thickened portion material being
pliable.
19. The protective cover of claim 18, wherein the exposed surface
of the thickened portion material is inherently tacky.
20. The protective cover of claim 16, wherein the thickened portion
of the sheet includes a first weight per unit area, and wherein
other portions of the sheet include a second weight per unit area
less than the first weight per unit area.
21. The protective cover of claim 16, wherein the sheet of liquid
impermeable material has a shape selected from the group consisting
of square, circular, triangular and rectangular.
22. The protective cover of claim 16, wherein the sheet of liquid
impermeable material comprises a flexible sheet of woven or
nonwoven fabric surrounded by a liquid impermeable material.
23. The protective cover of claim 16, further comprising at least
one stabilizing member provided on the bottom surface of the sheet
between the thickened portion.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S.
application Ser. No. 10/447,364 filed May 28, 2003, which is
incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention is directed toward portable protective
covers and, more particularly, toward a temporary cover for
protecting drains, holes and the like from spills and unwanted
liquids.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
[0003] It is often desirable to temporarily close off drains to
prevent various liquids from flowing therein. Particularly, when
handling hazardous liquids in the vicinity of a drain, such as a
storm drain or manhole, it is desirable to temporarily seal off the
drain to prevent any hazardous liquid that may be accidentally
spilled on the ground from entering the drain. Some known methods
of sealing off a drain to prevent the possible ingress of liquids
include, but are not limited to, providing custom fitted ridged
covers, utilizing manual or automatic cutoff valves, covering the
drain with a flexible material (e.g., canvas) and covering the
flexible material with dirt or sand, and utilizing a uniformly
thick sheet of polyurethane, vinyls, and other pliable materials to
cover the entire drain. However, these known methods of drain
isolation have certain practical limitations to their
usefulness.
[0004] Utilizing custom fitted ridged covers or cutoff valves
requires extensive preparation and installation efforts.
Manufacturing a custom fitted cover and/or installing cutoff valves
are both time consuming endeavors. Neither a customer fitted cover
nor an installed cutoff valve can be easily adapted for use in
covering and isolating drains other than the one for which the
cover or valve was specifically designed. Moreover, once a custom
fitted cover or cutoff valve is in place in a drain or drain
system, neither is readily removable and/or transportable to
another location for use.
[0005] Utilizing a flexible material held in place by dirt or sand
to seal off a drain also presents certain problems in that such a
covering is difficult to work with and is cumbersome and time
consuming to implement in emergency situations. The effective seal
surrounding the drain is limited by the dirt or sand utilized to
hold the flexible material in place, and is further limited in that
the dirt or sand may be washed away or eroded during flooding. Such
a drain covering has limited reusability and transportability, and
the seal effectuated thereby has little resistance to the shear
forces of onrushing liquids.
[0006] Uniformly thick sheets of polyurethane, vinyls, and other
pliable materials exhibit useful reusability and transportability
properties, and are generally reliable when utilized to cover small
drains or holes. However, when utilized to cover larger drains,
such as those on the order of 30.times.30 inches and above, the
large polyurethane/vinyl sheets required to cover such drains
become heavy and difficult to transport and implement in emergency
situations.
[0007] The present invention is directed toward overcoming one or
more the above-mentioned problems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] A device for providing a temporary protective cover for
drains and other holes is provided, according to the present
invention, to prevent liquids from flowing therein. The protective
cover generally includes a sheet of flexible, liquid impermeable
material having top and bottom surfaces. The sheet includes a
thickened portion provided adjacent to a peripheral edge of the
sheet, with the thickened portion including an exposed surface
having a tackifier thereon such that it may adhere to a surface
surrounding the drain to prevent the flow of liquid
therebetween.
[0009] In one form, the thickened portion of the sheet includes a
pliable, liquid impermeable material attached to the bottom surface
of the sheet about the peripheral edge of the sheet. The pliable,
liquid impermable material includes a tackifier on the exposed
surface thereof so that it may adhere to a surface surrounding the
drain to prevent the flow of liquid therebetween.
[0010] In another form, the sheet of flexible, liquid impermeable
material includes a first weight per unit area, with the pliable,
liquid impermeable material including a second weight per unit area
greater than the first weight per unit area. Thus, the temporary
covering device forms a seal around the drain at the outer
periphery of the sheet.
[0011] In a further form, the exposed surface of the pliable,
liquid impermeable material is inherently tacky so that it may
adhere to a surface surrounding the drain to prevent the flow of
liquid therebetween.
[0012] In yet a further form, the pliable, liquid impermeable
material includes an inherently tacky material such as soft
polyurethanes, or other pliable substrate materials such as
polyvinyl chloride, vinyls, silicons and soft rubber to which a
tackifier is applied. The sheet of flexible, liquid impermeable
material may include vinyls, silicons, soft rubber, polyurethane,
polyvinyl chloride, or other flexible materials.
[0013] In still a further form, the sheet of flexible, liquid
impermeable material may take virtually any shape, including, but
not limited to, square, circular, triangular, rectangular, etc.
Similarly, the pliable, liquid impermeable material may also take
any shape, and does not necessarily need to coincide with the shape
of the sheet.
[0014] The temporary protective cover device of the present
invention is positionable over a drain or other hole such that the
exposed surface of the pliable, liquid impermeable material
contacts a portion of the surface surrounding the drain or other
hole, whereby the cover device is adapted for preventing a liquid
from passing through the drain or other hole. For safety purposes,
at least the top surface of the sheet of flexible, liquid
impermeable material may include a color that is highly
visible.
[0015] An aspect of the present invention is to provide a
protective cover for preventing spills and/or unwanted liquids from
flowing into drains or holes, comprising a sheet of flexible,
liquid impermeable material having top and bottom surfaces, the
sheet having a first weight per unit area, and a pliable, liquid
impermeable material attached to the bottom surface of the sheet
about a peripheral edge of the sheet and having a second weight per
unit area greater than the first weight per unit area. The pliable,
liquid impermeable material has an exposed surface that is
inherently tacky so that it may adhere to and form a seal with a
surface surrounding the drain or hole to prevent flow of liquid
therebetween upon contact between the tacky exposed surface and the
surface surrounding the drain or hole.
[0016] Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a
protective cover for preventing spills and/or unwanted liquids from
flowing into drains or holes, comprising a sheet of liquid
impermeable material having top and bottom surfaces, and a pliable,
liquid impermeable material attached to the bottom surface of the
sheet about a peripheral edge of the sheet, the pliable, liquid
impermeable material having an exposed surface that is tacky such
that it may adhere to a surface surrounding the drain or hole to
prevent flow of liquid therebetween.
[0017] A further aspect of the present invention is to provide a
protective cover for preventing spills and/or unwanted liquids from
flowing into drains or holes, comprising a sheet of liquid
impermeable material having top and bottom surfaces, the sheet
having a thickened portion provided adjacent a peripheral edge of
the sheet. The thickened portion includes an exposed surface that
is tacky such that it may adhere to a surface surrounding the drain
or hole to prevent flow of liquid therebetween.
[0018] These and other aspects of the present invention will be
more apparent from the following description.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0019] FIG. 1 is a top view of a protective cover for sealing off a
drain in accordance with an embodiment of the present
invention.
[0020] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 2-2 of
FIG. 1.
[0021] FIG. 3 is a bottom, perspective view of the protective cover
of FIG. 1.
[0022] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of an alternate embodiment
of a sheet material included in a protective cover of the present
invention.
[0023] FIG. 5 is a top view of a modified form of a temporary
protective cover according to the present invention.
[0024] FIG. 6 is a top view of an additional modified form of a
temporary protective cover according to the present invention.
[0025] FIG. 7 is a top view of yet a further modified form of a
temporary protective cover according to the present invention used
in connection with sealing off a drain.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0026] The present invention provides a protective cover which
prevents spills and/or other unwanted liquids from flowing into
drains or holes. At least a portion of the liquid is prevented from
flowing into a drain or hole by the protective cover. The spill or
unwanted liquid may be any flowable material such as hazardous
liquids, storm water, hydrocarbons, chemicals, debris, dirt, trash
and the like which are desired to be kept out of drains and the
like. As used herein, the term "drains or holes" means any drain,
hole or other opening such as a vent, manhole or the like through
which it is desired to prevent the flow of spills or unwanted
liquids.
[0027] Referring to FIGS. 1-3, a temporary protective cover for
drains and other holes according to the present invention is shown
generally at 10. The protective cover 10 includes a sheet of liquid
impermeable material 12 having top 14 and bottom 16 surfaces. While
the sheet 12 is generally rectangular in shape, other shapes are
contemplated. The sheet of liquid impermeable material 12 is
generally flexible and, in one form, is made of vinyl or other
similar flexible and water impermeable materials. The sheet 12
includes a thickened portion 18 provided adjacent a peripheral edge
of the sheet 12. The thickened portion 18 includes an exposed
surface 20 having a tackifier (not shown) thereon, or is inherently
tacky, such that it may adhere to a surface surrounding a drain or
hole to prevent the flow of liquids therebetween.
[0028] The thickened portion 18 generally includes a pliable,
liquid impermeable material 22 attached to the bottom surface 16 of
the sheet 12. The pliable material 22 comprises a soft material,
for example, having a hardness range on the durometer F scale of
from about 10 to about 70. The pliable, liquid impermeable material
22 may be attached to the bottom surface 16 of the sheet 12 via
glue, or any other attachment means such that a watertight seal is
formed between the pliable, liquid impermeable material 22 and the
sheet 12. The exposed surface 20 of the pliable, liquid impermeable
material includes a tackifier (not shown) thereon, or is inherently
tacky, such that it may adhere to a surface surrounding a drain or
hole to prevent the flow of liquids therebetween. It is
contemplated herein that the pliable, liquid impermeable material
22 be approximately 3/8" thick, however, the pliable, liquid
impermeable material 22 may be of any thickness without departing
from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
[0029] It should be understood that the various materials
contemplated for use as the flexible sheet 12 and the pliable,
liquid impermeable material 22 will overlap, since many of the
materials will exhibit both flexible and pliable properties. For
example, it is contemplated herein that the pliable, liquid
impermeable material 22 may include polyurethane, polyvinyl
chloride (PVC), vinyls, silicons, soft rubber, and other similar
soft, pliable materials and mixtures thereof. Similarly, it is
contemplated herein that the flexible, liquid impermeable sheet 12
may include vinyls, silicons, polyurethane, PVC, soft rubber or
plastic, and other similar flexible materials and mixtures thereof.
In a preferred form, the sheet 12 will be thinner than the pliable,
liquid impermeable material 22, however, both the sheet 12 and the
pliable, liquid impermeable material 22 may be of any thickness
(same thickness or not) without departing from the spirit and scope
of the present invention. Further, both the sheet 12 and the
pliable, liquid impermeable material 22 may be of the same material
without departing from the spirit and scope of the present
invention.
[0030] As shown in FIG. 4, the flexible sheet 12' may include a
woven fabric 23 surrounded by and encased in a liquid impermeable
material 24, which may include any of the previuosly mentioned
materials. In one form, the flexible sheet 12' includes a
geotextile material, such as that sold under the trade name
XR-5.TM.. XR-5.TM. can be used with a wide range of harsh liquids
and includes a tough, woven synthetic fabric molecularly coated
with a liquid impermeable plastic-type compound that is minimally
degradable even in adverse environments. Geotextile materials, such
as XR-5.TM., are durable, flexible, and exhibit good dimensional
stability, tensile strength and puncture resistance. It should be
understood, however, that the woven fabric 23 of the flexible sheet
12' may include any woven fabric, natural or synthetic, and may
even include nonwoven fabrics, natural or synthetic, without
departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
Similarly, the liquid impermeable material 24 of the flexible sheet
12' may include any liquid impermable material sufficient to
surround the woven fabric 23 without departing from the spirit and
scope of the present invention.
[0031] The pliable, liquid impermeable material 22 may be made of a
denser material than the sheet 12, and includes a weight per unit
area that is greater than the weight per unit area of the sheet 12.
By providing a heavier material at the peripheral edge of the sheet
12, an effective seal may be formed around the drain or other hole
by the heavier material 22, while the lighter sheet material 12
covers the drain or other hole. Even if the pliable, liquid
impermeable material 22 and the sheet material 12 are made from the
same material with the same thickness, the peripheral edge of the
sheet 12 will still have an increased weight due to the material 22
provided thereon. When polyurethane is used as the pliable, liquid
impermeable material 22, generally the exposed surface 20 thereof
will be inherently tacky as discussed below. If other materials are
used for the pliable, liquid impermeable material 22 that do not
have such inherent tackiness, a tackifier may be applied to the
exposed surface thereof. While a process is described below for
manufacturing polyurethane having an inherent tackiness, one
skilled in the art will appreciate that other material, such as,
for example, vinyls, silicons and rubbers, may also be manufactured
to have an inherent tackiness.
[0032] The pliable, liquid impermeable material 22 may be made from
polyurethane as mentioned above. Particularly, a mixture of various
polyurethanes is poured into a mold and allowed to cure. A typical
polyurethane mixture comprises from about 50 to about 80 weight
percent polyol, and from about 20 to about 50 weight percent
isocyanate. The liquid polyurethane is mixed and cured in a manner
which gives it a moderate degree of inherent tackiness to all
exposed surfaces of the polyurethane material. The molding and
curing process creates a substantially smooth bottom surface 20,
which may contain minor undulations. The polyurethane material is
soft, yet resilient, and thus may be easily severed by a user with
a knife. Surfaces of the polyurethane material which are exposed
when a portion of it is severed are also inherently tacky.
[0033] Referring to FIG. 1, the inventive covering device 10 has
particular utility when utilized to seal off a drain or other hole,
shown generally at 25. To implement the covering device 10 for use,
the user first determines the size of the protective cover 10
needed for covering the drain 25. It is contemplated herein that
for best performance, the inner edge of the pliable, liquid
impermeable material 22 should be a distance "d" of approximately
0-3 inches from an edge of the drain 25. However, the distance "d"
is set forth herein for exemplary purposes only and is not meant to
limit the invention in any way. For example, the pliable, liquid
impermeable material 22 can overlap the drain edge, and the drain
25 will remain sealed as long as sufficient material 22 is
positioned about the drain 25 to seal off the edge of the drain
25.
[0034] The user places the temporary protective cover 10 over the
drain 25 and the bottom surface 20 of the pliable, liquid
impermeable material 22 adheres to the surface surrounding the
drain 25 forming a seal. The adherence of the pliable, liquid
impermeable material 22, coupled with its resilient pliability,
creates a seal on the surface surrounding the drain 25 which is
sufficient to prevent the flow of liquid past the pliable, liquid
impermeable material 22. The pliable, liquid impermeable material
22 will work its way into various undulations in the surface and
create an effective seal even when the surface surrounding the
drain 25 is not smooth. Further, the sheet of flexible, liquid
impermeable material 12 covers the drain 25, such that the
protective cover 10 seals off and covers the drain 25 to prevent
the flow of liquid therein.
[0035] Since the pliable, liquid impermeable material 22 is
provided only at the outer periphery of the sheet 12, the
protective cover 10 may be lightweight and readily implemented for
use in emergency situations, such as where hazardous liquids are
accidentally spilled near a drain opening. Further, both the
flexible, liquid impermeable sheet 12 and the pliable, liquid
impermeable material 22 will resist water, oil and many chemicals
making the protective cover 10 suitable for use in many types of
work environments, including hazardous work environments. The
protective cover 10 is readily reusable and cleans up easily with
soap and water. For safety purposes, the top surface 14 of the
sheet 12 may be made of a color that is highly visible, such as
orange, yellow, red and the like.
[0036] As shown in phantom in FIG. 3, to add stability to the
protective cover 10, stabilizing members 27 may be provided
extending between the frame defined by the pliable, liquid
impermeable material 22 along the bottom surface 16 of the flexible
sheet 12. The stabilizing members 27 may be made of any of the
materials previuosly described for the flexible sheet 12 and the
pliable, liquid impermeable material 22, or may be made from a
totally different material. The exposed surface of the stabilizing
members 27 may or may not be tacky. Preferably, the stabilizing
members 27 will be flexible so that the covering device 10 may be
rolled or folded for storage. However, the stabilizing members 27
may be made of a rigid material without departing from the spirit
and scope of the present invention. Further, while the stabilizing
members 27 are shown in FIG. 3 in the form of a cross or an "X",
the stabilizing members 27 may be provided in any
configuration.
[0037] It should be understood herein the various shapes and sizes
of the inventive cover 10 may be implemented without departing from
the spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, as
shown in FIG. 5, the inventive cover 30 may include a circular
sheet of flexible, liquid impermeable material 32 having a
thickened portion 34 including a pliable, liquid impermeable
material 36 provided about an outer periphery of the sheet 32. As
shown in FIG. 5, the pliable, liquid impermeable material 36 is
also of a circular shape and is attached to the bottom surface of
the sheet 32 in a manner as previously described.
[0038] Additionally, hybrid forms of the present inventive cover
are contemplated wherein the shape of the flexible, liquid
impermeable sheet does not coincide with the shape of the pliable,
liquid impermeable material. As shown in FIG. 6, the inventive
covering device 40 includes a square sheet of flexible, liquid
impermeable material 42 having a thickened portion 44 including a
pliable, liquid impermeable material 46 provided about an outer
periphery of the sheet 42. The pliable, liquid impermeable material
46 is attached to the bottom surface of the sheet 42 in a manner as
previously described. However, as shown in FIG. 6, the pliable,
liquid impermeable material 46 defines a circular shape on the
bottom surface of the inventive cover 40 which does not coincide
with the generally square shape of the flexible, liquid impermeable
sheet 42.
[0039] The inventive covering device described herein may be
utilized to cover virtually any type of drain or hole, so long as a
sufficient distance is provided between the edge of the pliable,
liquid impermeable material and the drain edge such that a seal may
be formed with a surface surrounding the drain. As an example, FIG.
7 illustrates a generally square covering device 50 utilized to
seal off a generally circular shaped drain 52. The inventive cover
50 includes a pliable, liquid impermeable material 54 attached to
the bottom surface of the sheet of flexible, liquid impermeable
material 54 in a manner as previously described. The pliable,
liquid impermeable material 56 forms a seal with the surface
surrounding the drain 52, while the flexible, liquid impermeable
sheet 56 covers the drain 52. As long as a sufficient distance "d"
is maintained between the ede of the drain 52 and the inner edge of
the pliable, liquid impermeable material 54, a sufficient seal will
be formed to prevent the flow of liquid into the drain 52.
[0040] Various constructions of the inventive cover have been
described herein. However, these particular constructions are by no
means exhaustive, and other configurations may be utilized in
accordance with the teachings herein without departing from the
spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, while the
flexible, liquid impermeable sheet and the pliable, liquid
impermeable material have been described herein as including
different materials, they may be made from the same polyurethane or
other material without departing from the spirit and scope of the
present invention. By providing the pliable material about a
peripheral edge of a generally lightweight, flexible sheet, an
effective seal will be formed around a drain, while the cover will
be generally lightweight and capable of quick and easy
imlementation even for large drains on the order of 30.times.30
inches and greater. If the pliable material is heavier than the
sheet material, this will also aid in formnig an effective seal
around the drain. Further, while a few exemplary shapes for the
sheet of flexible, liquid impermeable material have been described
herein, the sheet may take virtually any shape, including, but not
limited to, square, circular, triangular, rectangular, etc.,
without departing from the spirit and scope of the present
invention. Similarly, the pliable, liquid impermeable material may
also take any shape, and does not necessarily need to coincide with
the shape of the sheet.
[0041] Further, while the sheet 12, 12' has been described herein
as being flexible, the sheet 12, 12' may also be made of a rigid
material without departing from the spirit and scope of the present
invention. The rigid material may be selected from any rigid
material having liquid impermeable properties.
[0042] The protective cover of the present invention provides a
temporary cover for drains and other holes to protect against
unwanted liquids. The protective cover is readily reusable and
transportable, and may be quickly implemented to seal a drain
and/or hole in an emergency situation. The cover may be implemented
for use with a variety of different types and sizes of drains
and/or holes, and forms a tight seal around the drain/hole to block
out unwanted liquids from entering the drain or hole.
[0043] Whereas particular embodiments of this invention have been
described above for purposes of illustration, it will be evident to
those skilled in the art that numerous variations of the details of
the present invention may be made without departing from the
invention as defined in the appended claims.
* * * * *