U.S. patent application number 13/681156 was filed with the patent office on 2013-12-05 for tileable line drain systems and related methods.
This patent application is currently assigned to Schluter Systems L.P.. The applicant listed for this patent is Schluter Systems L.P.. Invention is credited to Reinhard H. Plank.
Application Number | 20130318704 13/681156 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 48481544 |
Filed Date | 2013-12-05 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130318704 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Plank; Reinhard H. |
December 5, 2013 |
TILEABLE LINE DRAIN SYSTEMS AND RELATED METHODS
Abstract
A tile installation comprises a plurality of surface tiles
installed upon a surface, the plurality of surface tiles defining a
perimeter area that adjoins a drain area. An elongate drain pan is
installed within the drain area and is fluidly coupled via at least
one outlet to a drainage system to allow flow of liquid to the
drainage system. The drain pan includes: an at least partially
horizontal support surface; and ii) a drain pan wall having an
interior face. An elongate drain tile support is removably fittable
within the drain pan, the drain tile support including an upper
surface to which one or more drain tiles are attached, and at least
one support leg extending downwardly from the upper surface and
being restable upon the support surface of the drain pan.
Inventors: |
Plank; Reinhard H.;
(Plattsburgh, NY) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Schluter Systems L.P. |
Plattsburgh |
NY |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Schluter Systems L.P.
Plattsburgh
NY
|
Family ID: |
48481544 |
Appl. No.: |
13/681156 |
Filed: |
November 19, 2012 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61561716 |
Nov 18, 2011 |
|
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|
Current U.S.
Class: |
4/613 ;
29/428 |
Current CPC
Class: |
Y10T 29/49826 20150115;
E03F 5/0408 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
4/613 ;
29/428 |
International
Class: |
E03F 5/04 20060101
E03F005/04 |
Claims
1. A tile installation, comprising: a plurality of surface tiles
installed upon a surface, the plurality of surface tiles defining a
perimeter area that adjoins a drain area; an elongate drain pan,
installed within the drain area and being fluidly coupled via at
least one outlet to a drainage system to allow flow of liquid to
the drainage system, the drain pan including: an at least partially
horizontal support surface; and ii) a drain pan wall having an
interior face; and an elongate drain tile support, removably
fittable within the drain pan, the drain tile support including an
upper surface to which one or more drain tiles are attached, and at
least one support leg extending downwardly from the upper surface
and being restable upon the support surface of the drain pan.
2. The tile installation of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of
some of the surface tiles extend over the drain pan wall to abut or
overhang a plane extending upwardly from the interior face of the
drain pan wall.
3. The tile installation of claim 1, further comprising at least
one support flange, extending laterally from the drain pan, the
support flange configured to underlay adjacent surface tiles.
4. The tile installation of claim 1, wherein all structure
supporting the drain tile is at least the distance of a thickness
of the drain tile away from an upper surface of the tile
installation.
5. The tile installation of claim 1, wherein the at least one
support leg includes at least two support feet extending downwardly
from the support leg, and further comprising at least one opening
defined between the support feet to provide an area for drainage of
liquid into the drain fitting.
6. The tile installation of claim 5, further comprising a pliable
material attached to lower portions of the support feet, the
pliable material providing a pliable interface between the support
leg and the drain pan.
7. The tile installation of claim 1, wherein the upper surface of
drain tile support is substantially covered by one or more drain
tiles.
8. The tile installation of claim 7, wherein a plurality of drain
tiles collectively substantially cover the drain tile support.
9. The tile installation of claim 1, wherein the upper surface of
drain tile support includes a bondable interface attached thereto,
the bondable interface providing an improved bonding interface
between the drain tile and the upper surface of the drain tile
support.
10. The tile installation of claim 1, wherein a measureable,
vertical distance is defined between a bottom of the support leg
and a top of the upper surface of the drain tile support, so as to
elevate the drain tile above, or level with, an upper surface of
the drain pan wall.
11. The tile installation of claim 1, wherein the drain tile is
located on a lateral edge of the tile installation, and wherein the
adjacent surface tiles define a single slope directed toward a gap
defined between edges of the drain tile and edges of adjacent
surface tiles.
12. A method of providing drainage for a tile installation without
the use of a visible drain grate, comprising: coupling an elongate
drain pan to a drain fitting within a drain area of a tile
installation, the drain pan including i) an at least partially
horizontal support surface; and ii) a drain pan wall having an
interior face; installing a plurality of surface tiles upon a
surface adjacent the drain pan, the plurality of surface tiles
defining a perimeter area that adjoins the drain area, at least a
portion of some of the surface tiles extending over the drain pan
wall to abut or overhang a plane extending upwardly from the
interior face of the drain pan wall; and fitting an elongate drain
tile support within the drain pan, the drain tile support including
an upper surface to which at least one drain tile can be coupled,
and at least one support leg extending downwardly from the upper
surface and restable upon the support surface of the drain pan;
wherein the at least one drain tile is sized so as to create a gap
between lateral edges of the drain tile and adjacent surface tiles
to allow drainage of liquid through the gap and into the drain
fitting.
13. The method of claim 12, further comprising temporarily fitting
one or more installation blocks into an opening defined by the
interior face of the drain pan wall; and abutting the surface tiles
against the one or more installation blocks while installing the
surface tiles adjacent the drain pan.
14. The method of claim 12, wherein the installation block extends
upwardly substantially coplanar with a plane defined by the
interior face of the drain pan wall.
15. The method of claim 14, further comprising temporarily fitting
a plurality of installation blocks into the opening defined by the
interior face.
16. The method of claim 14, wherein the installation block is
slidable along a length of the drain pan.
17. The method of claim 12, wherein the drain tile is located on a
lateral edge of the tile installation, and wherein the adjacent
surface tiles define a single slope directed toward a gap defined
between edges of the drain tile and edges of adjacent surface
tiles.
18. A tileable drain assembly, comprising: a drain pan, coupleable
to a drain fitting installed within a drain area, the drain pan
including: i) an at least partially horizontal support surface; and
ii) a drain pan wall having an interior face; and a drain tile
support, removably fittable within the drain pan, the drain tile
support including an upper surface to which a drain tile can be
attached, and at least one support leg extending downwardly from
the upper surface and restable upon the support surface of the
drain pan; wherein the upper surface of the drain tile support is
elevated at least as high as an upper surface of the drain pan wall
when the drain tile support is fitted within the drain pan.
19. The assembly of claim 18, wherein the at least one support leg
includes at least two support feet extending downwardly therefrom,
and further comprising at least one opening defined between the
support feet to provide an area for drainage of liquid into the
drain fitting.
20. The assembly of claim 19, wherein the support feet include a
pliable material attached thereto, the pliable material providing a
pliable interface between the support feet and the drain pan.
21. The assembly of claim 18, wherein the upper surface of drain
tile support is sized so as to be substantially covered by a
plurality of drain tiles.
22. The assembly of claim 18, wherein the upper surface of drain
tile support includes a bondable interface attached thereto, the
bondable interface providing an improved bonding interface between
the drain tile and the upper surface of the drain tile support.
23. The assembly of claim 18, further comprising at least one
installation block, sized to fit within an opening defined by the
interior face of the drain pan wall, the installation block being
operable to allow surface tiles to be abutted thereagainst whilst
installing the surface tiles upon the surface adjacent the drain
pan.
24. The assembly of claim 23, wherein the installation block is
slidable along a length of the drain pan.
25. The assembly of claim 23, further comprising a plurality of
installation blocks which collectively fill a space defined by the
drain pan.
Description
PRIORITY CLAIM
[0001] This application claims priority of U.S. Provisional Patent
Application Ser. No. 61/561,716, filed Nov. 18, 2011, which is
hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
RELATED CASES
[0002] This application is related to U.S. Patent Application Ser.
No. ______, filed ______, titled Tileable Drain Systems and Related
Methods under attorney docket number 2460-016.NP.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] 1. Field of the Invention
[0004] The present invention relates generally to the field of
drainage systems for use in flooring installations. More
particularly, the present invention relates to drainage systems
utilizing so-called "line drains," or "trench drains."
[0005] 2. Related Art
[0006] Line drains have become increasingly popular, particularly
where large format tiles or stones are desirable in a shower
application, due to the fact that a single slope towards a line
drain is easier to achieve compared to a multi-directional slope
towards a typical shower drain. Thus, line drains are currently
available on the market; however, they generally rely on a
height-adjustment mechanism to align the level of a grate with the
level of the surrounding finished floor.
[0007] Some line drains utilize a "drain tile" system, in which a
decorative or functional tile is installed over the drain system
instead of a conventional grate. However, in these systems, only
after attaining the height adjustment can the "drain tile" be
applied to the support structure used instead of the grate.
Conventional tileable line drain grates typically have a U-shaped
cross section, and the tile is set atop or within the valley of the
"U" cross section, with the top surface of the tile matching the
height of the U-shaped walls. This leaves a visible metal edge
around the tile installed in the grate.
[0008] While such line drains are popular choices for a variety of
applications, many consumers and designers remain dissatisfied with
the appearance provided by either the grate used in the line drain
or the "drain tile" used in place of a grate.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a tile
installation is provided, including a plurality of surface tiles
installed upon a surface, the plurality of surface tiles defining a
perimeter area that adjoins a drain area. An elongate drain pan can
be installed within the drain area and can be fluidly coupled via
at least one outlet to a drainage system to allow flow of liquid to
the drainage system. The drain pan can include: an at least
partially horizontal support surface; and ii) a drain pan wall
having an interior face. An elongate drain tile support can be
removably fittable within the drain pan, the drain tile support
including an upper surface to which one or more drain tiles are
attached, and at least one support leg extending downwardly from
the upper surface and being restable upon the support surface of
the drain pan.
[0010] In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a method
of providing drainage for a tile installation without the use of a
visible drain grate is provided, including: coupling an elongate
drain pan to a drain fitting within a drain area of a tile
installation, the drain pan including i) an at least partially
horizontal support surface; and ii) a drain pan wall having an
interior face; installing a plurality of surface tiles upon a
surface adjacent the drain pan, the plurality of surface tiles
defining a perimeter area that adjoins the drain area, at least a
portion of some of the surface tiles extending over the drain pan
wall to abut or overhang a plane extending upwardly from the
interior face of the drain pan wall; and fitting an elongate drain
tile support within the drain pan, the drain tile support including
an upper surface to which at least one drain tile can be coupled,
and at least one support leg extending downwardly from the upper
surface and restable upon the support surface of the drain pan;
wherein the at least one drain tile is sized so as to create a gap
between lateral edges of the drain tile and adjacent surface tiles
to allow drainage of liquid through the gap and into the drain
fitting.
[0011] In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a
tileable drain assembly is provided, including a drain pan,
coupleable to a drain fitting installed within a drain area. The
drain pan can include: an at least partially horizontal support
surface; and ii) a drain pan wall having an interior face. A drain
tile support can be removably fittable within the drain pan, the
drain tile support including an upper surface to which a drain tile
can be attached, and at least one support leg extending downwardly
from the upper surface and restable upon the support surface of the
drain pan. The upper surface of the drain tile support can be
elevated at least as high as an upper surface of the drain pan wall
when the drain tile support is fitted within the drain pan.
[0012] Additional features and advantages of the invention will be
apparent from the detailed description which follows, taken in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which together
illustrate, by way of example, features of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] The following drawings illustrate exemplary embodiments for
carrying out the invention. Like reference numerals refer to like
parts in different views or embodiments of the present invention in
the drawings.
[0014] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a drain tile support in
accordance with an embodiment of the invention;
[0015] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a drain pan and a series of
installation blocks in accordance with an embodiment of the
invention;
[0016] FIG. 3 is an end, sectioned view of a tile installation in
accordance with an embodiment of the invention;
[0017] FIG. 4 is a perspective, top view of the tile installation
of FIG. 3; and
[0018] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the drain pan of FIG. 2,
with the installation blocks temporarily installed therein.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0019] Reference will now be made to the exemplary embodiments
illustrated in the drawings, and specific language will be used
herein to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood
that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby
intended. Alterations and further modifications of the inventive
features illustrated herein, and additional applications of the
principles of the inventions as illustrated herein, which would
occur to one skilled in the relevant art and having possession of
this disclosure, are to be considered within the scope of the
invention.
[0020] Definitions
[0021] As used herein, the singular forms "a" and "the" can include
plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
Thus, for example, reference to "a support structure" can include
one or more of such structures.
[0022] As used herein, the term "substantially" refers to the
complete or nearly complete extent or degree of an action,
characteristic, property, state, structure, item, or result. As an
arbitrary example, an object that is "substantially" enclosed is an
article that is either completely enclosed or nearly completely
enclosed. The exact allowable degree of deviation from absolute
completeness may in some cases depend upon the specific context.
However, generally speaking the nearness of completion will be so
as to have the same overall result as if absolute and total
completion were obtained. The use of "substantially" is equally
applicable when used in a negative connotation to refer to the
complete or near complete lack of an action, characteristic,
property, state, structure, item, or result. As another arbitrary
example, a composition that is "substantially free of" an
ingredient or element may still actually contain such item so long
as there is no measurable effect as a result thereof.
[0023] As used herein, the term "about" is used to provide
flexibility to a numerical range endpoint by providing that a given
value may be "a little above" or "a little below" the endpoint.
[0024] Relative directional terms are sometimes used herein to
describe and claim various components of the drain systems of the
present invention. Such terms include, without limitation,
"upward," "downward," "horizontal," "vertical," etc. These terms
are generally not intended to be limiting, but are used to most
clearly describe and claim the various features of the invention.
Where such terms must carry some limitation, they are intended to
be limited to usage commonly known and understood by those of
ordinary skill in the art. For example, the term "horizontal" is
sometimes used to refer to various portions or elements of drain
frames: as one of ordinary skill in the art would readily
appreciate, this usage is not intended to be limited to a component
that is absolutely horizontal, but can be extended to components
that are primarily horizontal, or mostly horizontal. A horizontal
component, as that term is used herein, can include a slight slope
that enables drainage of liquids across the slope.
[0025] As used herein, the term "tile" is to be understood to refer
to a generally planar slab-like component that can be used as a
floor or wall covering. Tiles discussed herein can be formed of a
variety of materials, including without limitation, ceramic,
marble, stone, granite, polymers, glass, and the like.
[0026] As used herein, a plurality of items, structural elements,
compositional elements, and/or materials may be presented in a
common list for convenience. However, these lists should be
construed as though each member of the list is individually
identified as a separate and unique member. Thus, no individual
member of such list should be construed as a de facto equivalent of
any other member of the same list solely based on their
presentation in a common group without indications to the
contrary.
[0027] Numerical data may be expressed or presented herein in a
range format. It is to be understood that such a range format is
used merely for convenience and brevity and thus should be
interpreted flexibly to include not only the numerical values
explicitly recited as the limits of the range, but also to include
all the individual numerical values or sub-ranges encompassed
within that range as if each numerical value and sub-range is
explicitly recited. As an illustration, a numerical range of "about
1 to about 5" should be interpreted to include not only the
explicitly recited values of about 1 to about 5, but also include
individual values and sub-ranges within the indicated range. Thus,
included in this numerical range are individual values such as 2,
3, and 4 and sub-ranges such as from 1-3, from 2-4, and from 3-5,
etc., as well as 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, individually.
[0028] This same principle applies to ranges reciting only one
numerical value as a minimum or a maximum. Furthermore, such an
interpretation should apply regardless of the breadth of the range
or the characteristics being described.
[0029] Invention
[0030] The present invention relates generally to improved line
drain assemblies. In particular, the systems of the present
invention include a line drain pan with a drain tile support
removably fittable therein. The drain tile support generally
includes a number of legs or support feet that uniformly transfer
loads experienced by tiles carried by the support to the drain pan.
The length of these legs can correspond with the depth of the drain
pan at the level of contact to thus align the top surface the drain
tile support with the surface of the substrate. In some
embodiments, spacers made of a pliable material are used to
establish a friction fit between the drain tile support and the
drain pan, and to provide a uniform spacing around the drain tile
and adjacent surface tiles.
[0031] Turning now to the figures, in one aspect of the invention,
various components of a tile installation are shown in FIGS. 1 and
2. A tileable drain assembly (shown in full in FIGS. 3 and 4) can
include a drain pan (12 in FIG. 2) that can be coupleable to a
drain fitting (not shown in detail) installed within a drain area.
For example, the drain pan can be coupled to the drain fitting by
way of port 13, shown in FIG. 2, in addition to various other
mechanisms known in the art. The drain pan can include an at least
partially horizontal support surface (14 in FIGS. 2 and 3) a drain
pan wall (16 in FIG. 3) having an interior face (18 in FIG. 3).
[0032] A drain tile support 20 can be removably fittable within the
drain pan. The drain tile support can include an upper surface 22
to which a drain tile 24 can be attached. At least one support leg
25 can extend downwardly from the upper surface. The support leg
(or a component coupled to the support leg, such as feet 26) can be
restable upon the support surface of the drain pan. In one aspect
of the invention, the upper surface 22 of the drain tile support
can be elevated at least as high as an upper surface 18 of the
drain pan wall when the drain tile support is fitted within the
drain pan. As shown in FIG. 1, the at least one support leg can
include at least two support feet 26 that can extend downwardly
from the support leg. At least one opening 34 can be defined
between the support feet to provide an area for drainage of liquid
into the drain fitting.
[0033] The present system thereby provides a number of advantages
over conventional line drain systems. For example, the use of the
drain tile 24 instead of a conventional straining grate provides a
much more pleasing aesthetic to the drain system. In addition, as
all of the support structure upon which the drain tile is carried
is located at least a thickness of the drain tile from the upper
surface of the tile installation, there are no unsightly portions
of the support frame visible to the casual observer. This is
contrary to many conventional systems in which metal frames which
carry a drain tile or a straining grate are clearly visible to a
casual observer.
[0034] Also, as the drain tile support can include a number of
support feet (or a continuous support leg), the loads transferred
through the drain tile to the drain tile support are distributed
evenly to the underlying drain pan. This can greatly reduce the
stresses experienced by the drain pan, which might otherwise lead
to failure of the system. This aspect of the invention is
particularly advantageous in light of the locations in which many
line drains are typically installed, as line drain applications may
often be subject to rolling loads from carts, wheelchairs, and the
like.
[0035] The present invention also provides the advantage that the
drain tile support 20 need not be adjusted in height to accomplish
a flush installation of the drain tile 24 relative to adjacent
surface tiles 30. This is due to the fact that the relative level
of the drain pan 20 can be established by aligning at least one
support flange (37 in FIG. 3) so as to be flush with the surface
adjacent the line drain installation. As the upper surface 22 of
the drain tile support 20 can be established to be level with the
upper surface of the flange, the drain tile 24 installed upon the
drain tile support is automatically level with adjacent surface
drain tiles 30 (a portion of which are installed over the flange
37). In this manner, no height adjustment of the drain tile support
need be undertaken in many applications.
[0036] While the present system is well suited for installation of
a drain tile 24 that matches adjacent surface tiles 30, a variety
of alternative combinations can also be achieved. For example, the
drain tile can be selected to be of identical construction of the
adjacent surface tiles, but of a different color or finish.
Alternately, the drain tile can be formed of a completely different
material: for example, the drain tile can be formed from glass,
polymer, slate, granite, etc., while the adjacent surface tiles can
be common ceramic tiles. Varying the appearance or structure of the
drain tile from the adjacent tiles in no way affects the
functionality of the present system.
[0037] While not so required, in one aspect of the invention, the
support feet 26 can include a pliable material (38 in FIG. 3)
attached thereto. The pliable material can aid in providing a
pliable interface between the support feet and the drain pan. In
addition, the support feet 26 or legs 25 can include one or more
spacers 50 coupled thereto. The spacers can be formed of a pliable
material that also aids in providing a compliant interface between
the drain tile support 20 and the drain pan 12. The spacers 50 can
also serve to establish and maintain a precise gap or opening (36
in FIGS. 3 and 4) between the drain tile 24 and the adjacent
surface tiles 30. Maintaining a consistent gap importantly allows a
consistent area through which liquids can flow past the drain tile
24 and to the underlying drainage system.
[0038] In one aspect of the invention, the upper surface 22 of the
drain tile support 20 can include a bondable interface 23 attached
thereto. The bondable interface can aid in providing an improved
bonding interface between the drain tile and the upper surface of
the drain tile support. The bondable interface can be formed of a
variety of materials, such as a bondable fleece, or the like. As
shown in FIG. 3, the bondable fleece an also be coupled to the
flanges 37 to extend beneath the surface tiles 30 (and likely be
coupled to additional bondable fleece applied floor-wide beyond the
drainage installation).
[0039] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, in one aspect of the invention,
the assembly can include at least one installation block 44, which
can be sized to fit within an opening defined by the interior face
18 of the drain pan wall 16. The installation block can be operable
to allow surface tiles to be abutted thereagainst whilst installing
the surface tiles upon the surface adjacent the drain pan. In one
aspect of the invention, a plurality of installation blocks can be
provided, each slidable along a length of the drain pan. While not
so required, the plurality of installation blocks can collectively
substantially fill the entire space defined by the drain pan.
[0040] The installation blocks can ensure that the gap 36 that is
intended to be created between the drain tile 24 and adjacent
surface tiles 30 is as accurately controlled as possible. All a
tile installer need do to ensure the gap is correct is install the
installation blocks within the drain pan, and then abut the
adjacent surface tiles (as well as any grout that is used) against
the installation blocks while they are in place in the drain pan.
Once the grout and/or mortar used to install the tiles is cured,
the installation blocks can be easily removed, leaving a very clean
and well-defined edge that forms one side of the gap or opening
36.
[0041] In addition to the structural components discussed above,
the present invention also provides a method of providing drainage
for a tile installation without the use of a visible drain grate.
The method can includes coupling an elongate drain pan to a drain
fitting within a drain area of a tile installation, the drain pan
including i) an at least partially horizontal support surface; and
ii) a drain pan wall having an interior face. A plurality of
surface tiles can be installed upon a surface adjacent the drain
pan, the plurality of surface tiles defining a perimeter area that
adjoins the drain area. At least a portion of some of the surface
tiles can extend over the drain pan wall to abut or overhang a
plane extending upwardly from the interior face of the drain pan
wall. An elongate drain tile support can be fitted within the drain
pan, the drain tile support including an upper surface to which at
least one drain tile can be coupled, and at least one support leg
extending downwardly from the upper surface and restable upon the
support surface of the drain pan. The at least one drain tile can
be sized so as to create a gap between lateral edges of the drain
tile and adjacent surface tiles to allow drainage of liquid through
the gap and into the drain fitting.
[0042] The method can further include temporarily fitting one or
more installation blocks into an opening defined by the interior
face of the drain pan wall, and abutting the surface tiles against
the one or more installation blocks while installing the surface
tiles adjacent the drain pan. The installation block or blocks can
extend upwardly substantially coplanar with a plane defined by the
interior face of the drain pan wall. In one embodiment of the
invention, a plurality of installation blocks can be fit into the
opening defined by the interior face. The installation block or
blocks can be slidable along a length of the drain pan.
[0043] In accordance with the method, the drain tile can be located
on a lateral edge of the tile installation, and adjacent surface
tiles can define a single slope directed toward a gap defined
between edges of the drain tile and edges of adjacent surface
tiles.
[0044] It is to be understood that the above-referenced
arrangements are illustrative of the application for the principles
of the present invention. Numerous modifications and alternative
arrangements can be devised without departing from the spirit and
scope of the present invention while the present invention has been
shown in the drawings and described above in connection with the
exemplary embodiments(s) of the invention. It will be apparent to
those of ordinary skill in the art that numerous modifications can
be made without departing from the principles and concepts of the
invention as set forth in the examples.
* * * * *