Drainage enhancer for double seepage drains

• US 5,216,767 A
• Filed: 06/25/1992
• Issued: 06/08/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Dal-Tex Specialty & Manufacturing Company
• Original Assignee: Mark C. Elmore
• Inventors: Elmore, Mark C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Recla, Henry J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fetsuga, Robert M.
• Application Number:
  US07/903,607
• Time in Patent Office: 348 Days
• Field of Search: 4/596, 4/612, 4/613, 4/614, 137/362
• US Class Current: 4/613
• CPC Class Codes: E03F 5/0408 specially adapted for showers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/6988 Floor installation

Abstract

A device for improving the drainage through, and structural integrity of, a mortar bed of a shower floor. The device encircles a neck portion of a drain in the shower floor. The device is positioned between the mortar bed and drainage weep holes formed in the drain so that practically any water seepage through the mortar bed must pass through the device before entering the weep holes. The device has a greater porosity than that of the mortar bed and provides a larger drainage surface area of the mortar bed than that of the weep holes alone.

Claims

1. A floor drainage device for use with a shower floor having a drain of the type having a drain body for attachment to a drain pipe, a drain neck including an open top end defining a drain opening and a drain neck collar for attaching the drain neck to the drain body, at least one of the drain neck and collar including drainage weep holes, the shower floor including a shower pan sealingly positioned between the collar and drain body and a porous mortar bed positioned on the pan and around the drain neck, said drainage device comprising:

an encircling member having a central opening for allowing the member to be positioned around the drain neck, said encircling member being constructed of a material having a greater porosity than that of the mortar bed and being sized to be positioned between the weep holes and the mortar bed such that substantially all water seepage through the mortar bed must pass through said encircling member before entering the weep holes;

whereby, said encircling member enhances water seepage drainage through the mortar bed by providing a greater drainage surface area of the mortar bed than that provided by the weep holes alone.

2. The drainage device as defined in claim 1, wherein said encircling member is constructed as a plurality of sections.

3. The drainage device as defined in claim 1, wherein said encircling member includes notched areas formed in an underside thereof to accommodate bolt heads of bolts used to attach the collar to the drain body.

4. The drainage device as defined in claim 3, wherein said porous material has sufficient rigidity to allow firm packing of the mortar bed.

5. The drainage device as defined in claim 1, wherein said porous material is flexible.