Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to the field of plumbing fixtures. More particularly, the invention relates to a floor drain assembly and detection of water intrusion into the space under the flooring.

Background of the Invention

A floor drain is characterized by a hole (i.e., a drain opening), usually covered by a grate, formed in a floor surface, in order to capture the overflow from a household water handling device such as a sink, bathtub, shower, toilet, and washing machine. The floor around the drain is generally sloped to direct the overflow water to the drain and to the sewer in liquid communication therewith.

Many floor drain assemblies are configured to complement the look of the surrounding tiles. At times, the grout and sealant applied between the floor drain assembly and the surrounding tiles deteriorates and wears away, such that the overflow water infiltrates through the worn grout into the underlying substrate. The amount of water infiltration is increased when a puddle of overflow water is collected in the vicinity of the floor drain, after having being directed thereto by the slope in the floor. Water seepage is particularly bothersome in a high-rise building where water infiltrates through the worn grout into the permeable concrete layer interposed between two adjacent stories. The infiltrating water often passes through the concrete layer to the ceiling of the lower floor, causing dampness patches and at times even a steady drip. Many building defects result from water leaking into reinforced concrete to produce an electrolyte that is one of the basic causes for corrosion to occur.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a floor drain assembly that is suitable to alleviate and even eliminate the damage caused by water infiltration through worn grout in the vicinity of a floor drain.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a floor drain assembly that is capable of indicating that water has penetrated under the flooring.

It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a floor drain assembly that is cost effective. Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds.

Summary of the Invention

A floor drain assembly comprises a vertical drain pipe extending downwardly from a drain hole that penetrates a floor surface on which overflow water is able to collect and through which the overflow water is able to gravitate and flow to a sewer system, and a skirt that encircles the drain pipe, wherein said skirt is configured to intercept any of the overflow water that has infiltrated through worn grout applied to the floor surface and located outwardly from the drain hole and to prevent the intercepted overflow water from causing a building defect.

In one aspect, the skirt comprises a substantially horizontal collection surface and a surface downwardly extending from said collection surface along which the intercepted overflow water is flowable and subsequently dischargeable.

In one aspect, the intercepted overflow water is able to be discharged remotely from the drain pipe and thereby indicate that water has penetrated under the flooring.

In one aspect, the floor drain assembly further comprises a discharge pipe penetrating an outside wall of a building and a conduit in liquid communication with both the discharge pipe and an aperture formed in a bottom region of the downwardly extending surface, the intercepted overflow water capable of flowing downwardly along the downwardly extending surface, and through the conduit and discharge pipe until being discharged from the building.

In one aspect, the floor drain assembly further comprises a closure pivotally connected to a terminal end of the discharge pipe, said closure configured to be opened in response to a sufficiently high opening force applied thereto by the flowing infiltrated overflow water.

In one aspect, the downwardly extending surface of the skirt is connected to the drain pipe and one or more apertures are formed in the drain pipe upwardly to a connection region between the downwardly extending surface and the drain pipe, the intercepted overflow water capable of flowing downwardly along the downwardly extending surface and through the one or more apertures to an interior of the drain pipe, and then to the sewer system.

In one aspect, the downwardly extending surface of the skirt is integrally formed with the drain pipe. In one aspect, the skirt is connected to the drain pipe.

In one aspect, the skirt is integrally formed with the drain pipe.

In one aspect, the drain pipe comprises a vertical main drain pipe and a vertical extension attached to the main drain pipe, an upper edge of one of the main drain pipe and of the extension coinciding with the drain hole and extending downwardly therefrom.

Brief Description of the Drawings

In the drawings:

- Fig. 1 is a vertical cross sectional view of an embodiment of a floor drain assembly;

- Fig. 2 is a vertical cross sectional view of another embodiment of a floor drain assembly; and

- Fig. 3 is a vertical cross sectional view of a floor drain assembly, according to another embodiment of the invention.

Detailed Description of the Invention

Referring now to Fig. 1, a floor drain assembly indicated by reference numeral 10 according to one embodiment is shown. Floor drain assembly 10 includes a vertical drain pipe 12, generally made of elastomeric or plastic material for reduced costs, and a skirt 14 made of similar or different inexpensive material which encircles, and is connected to, or integrally formed with, drain pipe 12.

Overflow water is intended to gravitate through the drain hole 8 that penetrates the floor surface 7, schematically illustrated, on which the overflow water collects and through drain pipe 12 to a sewer system. At times, as described above, the overflow water infiltrates through worn grout located outwardly from drain pipe 12 and into a permeable substrate layer underlying the floor surface. Many building defects and unsightly dampness patches result from the infiltrating water.

The use of floor drain assembly 10 advantageously obviates the risk of water infiltration through the substrate layer as skirt 14 intercepts any overflow water that infiltrated through worn grout located outwardly from drain pipe 12 before gravitating to the substrate layer.

As shown, skirt 14 comprises a substantially horizontal collection surface 15, i.e., which may slightly slope towards drain pipe 12, e.g., at an angle of no more than 2 degrees. Collection surface 15 receives the overflow water that has infiltrated through the floor surface 7 surrounding drain hole 8. An outer edge 18 of collection surface 15 is located at a distance D from the central axis 21 of drain pipe 12 equal to a product of the radius R of drain pipe 12 and a factor ranging from 1.5-2.5. For any embodiment described herein, skirt 14 is generally annular, but may assume other shapes as well, for example a rectangular periphery.

To accommodate positioning of skirt 14, the width of the conventional drain pipe receiving cavity that is provided below floor surface 7 is enlarged by the factor which ranges from 1.5-2.5. Since the width of the conventional drain pipe receiving cavity is substantially equal to the relatively small outer diameter of drain pipe 12 and the structurally strong substrate layer surrounds the cavity and underlies floor surface 7, the floor surface is assured of remaining intact when stepped upon. Collapse of a portion of floor surface 7 overlying the enlarged drain pipe receiving cavity due to the application thereon of a force, for example during a stepping or a jumping motion, is prevented by filling the cavity with a medium that provides a suitable reactive force, such as a sand-gravel mixture.

An inclined surface 17 extends downwardly from the radially inward edge 16 of collection surface 15 to a lowermost inclined surface edge 19 located radially inwardly to drain pipe 12 and below the lowermost edge 13 of the drain pipe to which inclined surface 17 is attached, such as by welding. Inclined surface 17 extends downwardly at an angle relative to the horizontal plane, e.g., ranging from about 1-70 degrees. An additional vertical drain pipe 24, only a portion thereof being shown, which may be flexible and corrugated and considered as an extension, is concentric to, in abutting relation with, and of a slightly smaller diameter than, the main drain pipe 12, extends downwardly from lowermost inclined surface edge 19.

Two or more circumferentially spaced apertures 22 are formed in drain pipe 12 slightly above lowermost drain pipe edge 13, for example at a height of 5 mm thereabove. After the infiltrated overflow water has been collected on collection surface 15 and the water level rises, the collected water gravitates along inclined surface 17 and flows through an aperture 22. The collected water then flows downwardly through the additional vertical drain pipe 24 to the sewer system, such as by means of a Tee fitting.

Skirt 14 may be a unit that is separate from drain pipe 12. To ensure that the collected water will be introduced into an aperture 22, skirt 14 may be immobilized, for example to the overlying floor or to any other suitable structure, while being in abutting relation with drain pipe 12 at edge 13. Fig. 2 illustrates a floor drain assembly 40 according to another embodiment. In this embodiment, the infiltrated overflow water is delivered through a conduit 38 and is discharged outwardly from the building via a pivotal closure 69. This configuration can be used as a visual leakage indicator, as normally water should flow through drain pipe 52.

Skirt 44 comprises a rim 42, shown to be round, and an annular concavity 46 that curves downwardly and inwardly from the radial inward edge of rim 42. The radial inward edge of concavity 46 may be affixed either to vertically oriented drain pipe 52 (as shown in Fig. 3) or to an annular extension 54 attached to the inner surface of drain pipe 52 (as shown in Fig. 2). The upper edge of extension 54, which is coincident with floor surface 47, delimits the drain hole 58. The outer edge of skirt 44 is located at a distance from the central axis of drain pipe 52 equal to a product of the radius of drain pipe 52 and a factor ranging from 1.5-2.5.

The overflow water introduced within drain pipe 52 is able to flow downwardly into multi-outlet and individually occludable access chamber 56 and through one of its outlets 62 to the sewer system. Access chamber 56 may be embedded in fill material 59, such as self-compacting pea stone or any other suitable substrate. A downwardly sloped sealing layer 53 may be applied to overlie fill material 59.

Conduit 38 in liquid communication with an aperture formed in concavity 46 extends downwardly to inlet port 61 of a discharge pipe 64, which is also embedded in fill material 59 and penetrates an outer wall 63 of building 65. A planar abutment plate 67 surrounding inlet port 61, which may be annular, is conveniently positionable in abutment with sealing layer 53 to ensure that the longitudinal axis of discharge pipe 64, which may be parallel to abutment plate 62 with the assistance of elbow 68 curving downwardly from inlet port 61, will also be downwardly sloped. Pivotal closure 69 is operatively connected to the end of discharge pipe 64. A medium, such as a sand-gravel mixture, is preferably added to the cavity 55 defined vertically between floor surface 47 and sealing layer 53 and horizontally between outer walls 61 and 63 to ensure that the floor surface will be assured of remaining intact when stepped upon.

Skirt 44 is adapted to collect any infiltrated overflow water that has infiltrated through worn grout located outwardly from drain pipe 52 and through the underlying medium, causing the collected infiltrated water to flow downwardly along concavity 46 and then through conduit 38 and discharge

RECTIFIED SHEET (RULE 91) pipe 64. When the flow rate of the infiltrated water flowing downwardly through discharge pipe 64 is high, the hydraulic pressure is sufficiently high to apply an opening force on pivotal closure 69 that enables the infiltrated overflow water to be discharged outwardly from the building.

While some embodiments of the invention have been described by way of illustration, it will be apparent that the invention can be carried out with many modifications, variations and adaptations, and with the use of numerous equivalents or alternative solutions that are within the scope of persons skilled in the art, without exceeding the scope of the claims.