Drain inlet cover

• US 7,131,787 B2
• Filed: 05/11/2005
• Issued: 11/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Environmental Systems LLC
• Original Assignee: Environmental Systems LLC
• Inventors: McGinn, John H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lagman, Frederick L.
• Application Number:
  US11/127,614
• Publication Number:
  US 20060002773A1
• Time in Patent Office: 545 Days
• Field of Search: 405/36, 405/302.7, 405/302.6, 404 2- 5
• US Class Current: 405/36
• CPC Class Codes: E03F 5/0404 with a permanent or temporary filtering device; Filtering devices specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: E03F 5/046 adapted to be used with kerbs E03F5/06 takes precedence draining of roads E01F

Abstract

A drain inlet cover for a drain in a road which is bordered by a sidewalk and separated from the sidewalk by a curb, with access to the drain through an opening in the curb. The cover includes a horizontal section which lies on the road and a vertical section which covers the opening in the curb. Each section includes a filter member which lies between two apertured polymeric members.

Claims

1. A drain inlet cover suitable for installation over a drain in a road which is bordered by a sidewalk and separated from the sidewalk by a vertical curb, with access to the drain through an opening in the curb, the drain inlet cover comprisinga horizontal laminar section which has front, rear and side edges, anda vertical laminar section which has a lower edge secured to the rear edge of the horizontal section;

the horizontal section comprising

(a) an upper laminar member which has a plurality of relatively large apertures therethrough,

(b) a lower laminar member which has a plurality of relatively large apertures therethrough, and

(c) a horizontal laminar filter member which

(i) is sandwiched between the upper and lower members, and

(ii) has a plurality of relatively small filter apertures therethrough; and

the vertical section comprising

(a) a front member which has a plurality of relatively large apertures therethrough,

(b) a rear member which has a plurality of relatively large apertures therethrough, and

(c) a vertical filter member which

(i) lies between the front and rear members, and

(ii) has a plurality of relatively small filter apertures therethrough.

2. A drain inlet cover according to claim 1 wherein the front and rear members are laminar members and the vertical filter member is sandwiched between them and in contact with each of them.

3. A drain inlet cover according to claim 1 wherein the front and rear members have a hollow chamber between them.

4. A drain inlet cover according to claim 1 wherein the median area of the apertures in each of the upper, lower, front and rear members is 0.03 to 0.16 in².

5. A drain inlet cover according to claim 1 wherein the minimum dimension of each of the apertures in each of the upper, lower, front and rear members is in the range 0.15 to 0.4 inch.

6. A drain inlet cover according to claim 1 wherein each of the horizontal filter member and the vertical filter member has a mesh size of 200 to 600 micron.

7. A drain inlet cover according to claim 1 wherein each of the horizontal filter member and the vertical filter member is composed of material is capable of passing 100 to 200 gallons of water per square foot per minute.

8. A drain inlet cover according to claim 1 which includes a sealing member underneath the horizontal section, or a sealing member behind the vertical section, or both.

9. A drain inlet cover according to claim 1 which includes weights around the periphery of the horizontal section.

17. A method of reducing the amount of sediment which passes through a drain in a road which is bordered by a sidewalk and separated from the sidewalk by a vertical curb, the curb having an opening which provides access to the drain, and the drain having a rear portion which is unobstructed at the road level but is covered by the sidewalk, the method comprising placing a drain inlet cover as defined in claim 1 over the drain, the horizontal section of the drain inlet cover being placed on the road and the vertical section being placed so that covers at least a lower portion of the opening in the curb and overlaps side edges of the opening in the curb.

18. A method according to claim 17 wherein

(i) the drain includes a grate which is set in the road and which has front, rear and side edges, the rear edge being adjacent to the opening in the curb, and

(II) the front and side edges of the horizontal portion of the drain inlet cover overlap the front and side edges of the grate, and the horizontal filter member extends over substantially all of the grate.

10. A drain inlet cover suitable for installation over a drain in a road which is bordered by a sidewalk and separated from the sidewalk by a vertical curb, with access to the drain through an opening in the curb, the drain inlet cover comprisinga horizontal laminar section which has front, rear and side edges, anda vertical laminar section which has a lower edge secured to the rear edge of the horizontal section;

the horizontal section comprising

(a) an upper laminar member which is composed of a polymeric composition and which has a plurality of apertures therethrough, the apertures having a minimum dimension in the range 0.15 to 0.5 inch,

(b) a lower laminar member which is composed of a polymeric composition and which has a plurality of apertures therethrough, the apertures having a minimum dimension in the range 0.15 to 0.5 inch, and

(c) a horizontal laminar filter member which

(i) is sandwiched between the upper and lower members, and

(ii) has a plurality of filter apertures therethrough, the filter apertures being substantially smaller than the apertures in the upper and lower laminar members; and

the vertical section comprising

(a) a front member which is composed of a polymeric composition and which has a plurality of apertures therethrough, the apertures having a minimum dimension in the range 0.15 to 0.5 inch,

(b) a rear member which is composed of a polymeric composition and which has a plurality of apertures therethrough, the apertures having a minimum dimension in the range 0.15 to 0.5 inch, and

(c) a vertical filter member which

(i) lies between the front and rear members,

(ii) has a plurality of relatively small filter apertures therethrough, the filter apertures being substantially smaller than the apertures in the front and rear members, and

(iii) extends from the bottom of vertical section to a level which is 60 to 80% of the height of vertical section.

11. A drain inlet cover according to claim 10 wherein the front and rear members are laminar members and the vertical filter member is sandwiched between them and in contact with each of them.

12. A drain inlet cover according to claim 11 wherein the upper laminar member and the front laminar member are different parts of a first monolithic apertured polymeric sheet, and the lower laminar member and the rear laminar member are different parts of a second monolithic apertured polymeric sheet.

13. A drain inlet cover according to claim 10 wherein the front and rear members are laminar members having a hollow chamber between them.

14. A drain inlet cover according to claim 13 wherein the front, rear, upper and lower members are different parts of a monolithic apertured polymeric sheet.

15. A drain inlet cover according to claim 10 wherein the horizontal filter member has a mesh size of 200 to 500 micron and the vertical filter member has a mesh size of 200 to 500 micron.

16. A drain inlet cover according to claim 10 which includes a sealing member underneath the horizontal section, or a sealing member behind the vertical section, or both.

19. A method of making a drain inlet cover, the method comprising

(A) providing a precursor comprising

(a) a first laminar member which is composed of a polymeric material and has a plurality of relatively large apertures therethrough,

(b) a second laminar member which is composed of a polymeric material and has a plurality of relatively large apertures therethrough, and

(c) a laminar filter member which

(i) is composed of the polymeric material,

(ii) is sandwiched between the first and second members, and

(iii) has a plurality of relatively small filter apertures therethrough;

(B) configuring the precursor into a configuration to provide horizontal and vertical sections; and

(C) stabilizing the precursor in the configuration.

20. A precursor for a drain inlet cover, the precursor comprising

(a) a first laminar substantially rectangular member which is composed of a polymeric material and has a plurality of relatively large apertures therethrough,

(b) a second laminar substantially rectangular member which is composed of a polymeric material and has a plurality of relatively large apertures therethrough, and which overlaps 80 to 100% of the first layer;

and

(c) a laminar substantially rectangular filter member which

(i) is composed of a polymeric material,

(ii) is sandwiched between, and does not extend beyond the first and second members, and which overlaps 80 to 100% of the area of the second member, and

(iii) has a plurality of relatively small filter apertures therethrough;

a part of the first member, or a part of the second member, or parts of both the first member and second member, extending beyond the filter member to provide a rectangular section which is free of the filter member.