Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
. . CA 02795862 2012-11-19
TILEABLE LINE DRAIN SYSTEMS AND RELATED METHODS
PRIORITY CLAIM
This application claims priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial
No.
61/561,716, filed November 18, 2011, which is hereby incorporated herein by
reference
in its entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
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."
Related Art
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.
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
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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.
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 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.
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
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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.
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.
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.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
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.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a drain tile support in accordance with an
embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a drain pan and a series of installation
blocks in
accordance with an embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 3 is an end, sectioned view of a tile installation in accordance with an
embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 4 is a perspective, top view of the tile installation of FIG. 3; and
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the drain pan of FIG. 2, with the installation
blocks
temporarily installed therein.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
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.
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Definitions
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.
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.
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.
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 the5
CA 02795862 2012-11-19
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.
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.
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.
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-
range6
CA 02795862 2012-11-19
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.
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.
Invention
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.
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 drain7
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2012-11-19
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).
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.
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. 8
CA 02795862 2012-11-19
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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.
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.
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
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CA 02795862 2012-11-19
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.
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.
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).
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 10
CA 02795862 2012-11-19
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.
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.
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
support11
CA 02795862 2012-11-19
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.
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.
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.
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
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made without departing from the principles and concepts of the invention as
set forth in
the examples.
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