OF MANUFACTURING SUCH

Field of the Invention The present invention relates to combined kerb drainage elements and in particular combined kerb drainage elements formed from polymers such as recycled and virgin plastic materials.

Background of the Invention

Combined kerb drainage elements are commonly used in civil engineering projects because of their dual functionality as a kerb for delineating road/pedestrian areas and drainage means for disposing of water that would otherwise accumulate on said road/pedestrian areas.

The vast majority of combined kerb drainage elements are manufactured from precast concrete (PPC) or polymer resin concrete and formed as single monolithic elements.

Limitations in existing concrete casting techniques mean that the horizontal and vertical wall sections of cast combined kerb drainage elements must be relatively simple in design.

Although alternative materials, such as recycled and virgin plastic materials, have also been used to form combined kerb drainage elements the designs adopted have, due to corresponding limitations in moulding techniques, tended to follow those used in the cast concrete elements; albeit with the advantage of being more lightweight in construction.

These design limitations imparted by the known manufacturing techniques have impeded efforts to improve the anchoring of kerbs in general, and combined kerb drainage elements in particular, within surrounding ground works when they are installed in road/pedestrian areas. Such limitations have also impaired attempts to increase the drainage capacity of combined kerb drainage elements.

Summary of the Invention

In order to address the limitations outlined above the present invention provides a manufacturing method that can be employed to produce polymer based combined kerb drainage elements with improved drainage and/or anchoring capabilities.

To this end the present invention provides a combined kerb drainage element according to claim 1 and a method of manufacturing combined kerb drainage elements according to claim 1 1 . In particular, the present invention provides a polymer based combined kerb drainage element comprising: a first moulded component having side walls that define a first longitudinal channel; a second moulded component having side walls that define a second longitudinal channel; and wherein the side walls of at least one of the moulded components are linked by a living hinge such that said hinged side walls can be aligned with the side walls of the associated moulded component to construct the combined kerb drainage element with an internal conduit.

By forming the combined kerb drainage element from two distinct components, at least one of which is provided with a living hinge, it is possible to form more complex shapes than might otherwise be achieved using standard moulding techniques. In particular, the living hinge enables the hinged side walls of a moulded component to be inclined inwards towards one another. It will be appreciated that employing a living hinge to orient the side walls in such a manner would not otherwise be achievable using established moulding techniques because the moulded component could not be removed from its mould due to overhanging. It is envisaged that this design flexibility enables the formation of internal conduits with non-uniform cross-sectional shapes, which enable the capacity of the combined kerb drainage element to be increased without the need to increase the size of the upper region thereof, which projects above the ground when the combined kerb drainage element is in situ in road/pedestrian areas, or digging a deeper hole to accommodate a longer lower portion. It is envisaged that, preferably, the first moulded component provides the upper portion of the combined kerb drainage element, at least a portion of which is, in use, exposed above ground, and the second moulded component provides the lower portion of the combined kerb drainage element, which is typically completely buried. Preferably the polymer used to form the combined kerb drainage element may be a mouldable plastic material. It is envisaged that both virgin and recycled plastic materials of suitable structural strength can be usefully employed either alone or in combination in the combined kerb drainage elements of the present invention.

Preferably one of the side walls of the first moulded component may be provided with at least one aperture that, in use, allows water to enter the internal conduit of the combined kerb drainage element. In this way, once the combined kerb drainage element is in situ, any water running off the adjacent road/pedestrian surfaces can get into the internal conduit and flow away.

Preferably the side walls of the first and second mould components may be provided with complementary engagement means that co-operate to help retain the alignment of the side walls in the constructed combined kerb drainage element.

It is envisaged that complementary engagement means, which may for example take the form of tongue and groove, serve to structurally support the connective alignment of the side walls of the first and second moulded components. Advantageously the complementary engagement means work in concert with additional securing means (e.g. adhesive).

Preferably the cross-sectional area of the longitudinal channel of the second moulded component may be greater than that of the first moulded component. In this way the capacity of the internal conduit of the combined kerb drainage element can be increased by only increasing the channel provided in the lower, buried, portion of the combined kerb drainage element. This enables the combined kerb drainage element as a whole to comply with industrial standards with regard to kerb sizes, for example.

Preferably the combined kerb drainage element may further comprise at least one anchoring portion configured to retain the combined kerb drainage element in position relative to surrounding ground works once such has been installed. It is envisaged that anchoring portions may be provided on the front (i.e. road facing surface), the back (i.e. pavement facing surface) or both to help securely locate the combined kerb drainage element in position within the surrounding ground works.

Further preferably the at least one anchoring portion may be located adjacent to or coterminous with a region on the combined kerb drainage element where the side walls of the first and second moulded components engage one another.

In this way the strength of the connection formed between the first and second moulded components can be further increased.

The at least one anchoring portion may comprise a longitudinal protrusion that extends away from the main body of the combined kerb drainage element along the length thereof. The longitudinal protrusion may extent along the entire length of the combined kerb drainage element or only a portion thereof.

It will be appreciated that the longitudinal protrusion can key in to the surrounding ground works (e.g. concrete) and thereby anchor the combined kerb drainage element securely in position.

Further preferably the protrusion may define a leading edge with a plurality of apertures located between the main body of the combined kerb drainage element and the leading edge. Such an arrangement allow for the surrounding ground work to get behind the leading edge, and in case of concrete set, to provide further structural strength to the anchor.

Advantageously, in use, the leading edge may protrude from the back (i.e. pavement facing surface) of the combined kerb drainage element.

Preferably the side walls of each moulded component differ in height so that when the first and second moulded components are connected together the joint formed at the front (i.e. the surface facing the road in use) by the complementary shaped engagement means is offset from the joint formed at the back (i.e. the surface facing the pavement in use) by the complementary shaped engagement means.

It is envisaged that misaligning the joints formed between the first and second moulded components serves to increase the structural strength of the combined kerb drainage element in response to pressure applied from the front/back faces thereof. The present invention also provides a method of manufacturing a combined kerb drainage element, said method comprising: moulding first and second components each having side walls that define longitudinal channels, wherein at least one of the moulded components is provided with a living hinge between the side walls thereof; bending the hinged moulded component such that the side walls of the first and second moulded components align with one another; securing the first and second moulded components together to construct an integrated combined kerb drainage element with an internal conduit.

As described in relation to the combined kerb drainage element of the present invention, the method of the present invention enables the manufacture of combined kerb drainage elements with more sophisticated designs having improved anchoring and drainage characteristics.

Preferably the longitudinal channel defined by the second moulded component may be formed with a greater cross-sectional area than the longitudinal channel defined by the first moulded component.

Preferably the first and second components may be moulded from a mouldable plastic. As detailed above, it is envisaged that both virgin and recycled plastic materials of suitable structural strength can be used either alone or in combination.

Preferably the first and second moulded components may be secured together by sealing means that ensure the connection between the moulded components is watertight. In this regard it is envisaged that the seal may be achieved by the use of hot melt, synthetic compound, polyurethane, induction loop welding, hot plate welding or similar technology.

Preferably the method may further comprise providing at least one aperture in the first moulded component. It is envisaged that said at least one aperture might be formed during the moulding process or milled out of the moulded product post moulding.

Preferably the method may further comprise providing the combined kerb drainage element with at least one anchoring portion. Once again it is envisaged that said at least one anchoring portion might be formed during the moulding process or secured to the combined kerb drainage element post moulding. Preferably the method may further comprise providing the side walls of the moulded components with complementary shaped engagement means configured to structurally strengthen the connection formed between the first and second moulded components. It is envisaged that said complementary shaped engagement means might be formed during the moulding process or milled out of the moulded product post moulding.

Preferably the first and second components of the complementary shaped engagement means may be additionally moulded with structural reinforcement in the form of external ribs. Brief Description of the Drawings

The present invention will now be described with reference to the preferred embodiment shown in the drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 shows a perspective view from the front of a preferred embodiment of the combined kerb drainage element of the present invention; Figure 2 shows a perspective view from the back of the combined kerb drainage element shown in Figure 1 ;

Figure 3 shows a cross-sectional diagram of the preferred embodiment of Figures 1 and 2 in situ adjacent a road;

Figure 4 shows the stages involved in constructing the combined kerb drainage element of the preferred embodiment from its component parts; and

Figure 5 shows a comparison of the capacities of the internal conduits provided by a combined kerb drainage element known in the art and the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment of the Present Invention The present invention relates to an improved combined kerb drainage element formed from moulded polymer components. It is envisaged that provided the material used to form the combined kerb drainage element is mouldable is considered to fall within the scope of the present invention, in so far as in is a material that comprises polymers such as recycled and virgin plastic materials. In view of this it is envisaged that the polymers may be mixed with additives, such as mineral fillers (e.g. calcium carbonate, talc, etc.) or fibres that aid with stiffness of the moulded product. Such polymer composites, provided they can be moulded, are considered to fall within the general teaching of the present invention. Only those features of a combined kerb drainage element considered relevant to the description of the present invention will be referred to in detail. However the person skilled in the art will appreciate that further features may be added to the described design without departing from the general concept of the present invention.

In order to aid the description of the preferred embodiment the majority of the provided figures show the combined kerb drainage element on its own without any surrounding ground works. Only Figure 3 shows the combined kerb drainage element in situ.

Figure 1 shows a combined kerb drainage element 1 from the front thereof. Throughout the description any references made to the 'front' of the combined kerb drainage element are intended to relate to the portion of the combined kerb drainage element that abuts the ground works that make up the road.

Conversely, any reference to the 'back' of the combined kerb drainage element is intended to relate to the portion of the combined kerb drainage element that abuts the ground works that make up a pavement or pedestrian walkway, for example. The term ground works is intended to refer to any structural component that forms part of the road or pedestrian areas that the kerb serves to delineate. This term will be further described in relation to Figure 3.

The combined kerb drainage element 1 shown in Figure 1 is made up of two moulded components. The first, upper component 2, in use, is at least partially exposed above the ground. The second, lower component 3, in use, is buried within ground works.

The first component 2 has side walls 2a and 2b which run along the length of component with a longitudinal channel running there between. Similarly the second component 3 has side walls 3a and 3b which run along the length of the component with a channel there between. Side walls 2a and 3a align with one another at connection point 6. Similarly, side walls 2b and 3b align with one another at connection point 7. Both connection points run the length of the combined kerb drainage element 1 . The connection points 6, 7 are sealed using, for example, adhesive, a hot melt, induction loop welding, hot-plate welding. Other suitable technologies will be appreciated by the skilled person.

In order to further strengthen the connection points 6, 7 the abutting ends of the connecting side walls (i.e. 2a with 3a and 2b with 3b) are provided with a tongue and groove arrangement. However it is envisaged that alternative connection arrangements might be employed without departing from the general concept of the present invention.

The second, lower moulded component 3 is provided with a living hinge 4 that facilitates the relative pivotal movement of side walls 3a and 3b. As will be described in more detail later, this pivoting action facilitates the construction of an internal conduit 16 (see Figures 3 & 5) with a cross-sectional shape that would not otherwise be achievable using standard moulding techniques.

The first, upper component 2 is provided with apertures 5 that provide access to the internal conduit 16 from outside the constructed combined kerb drainage element 1 . As will be appreciated from Figure 3, the apertures 5 are located on the portion of the first component 2 that is not buried when installed adjacent a road/pedestrian area. In this way water can flow off a road and into the conduit of the combined kerb drainage element from where it can be disposed of.

The combined kerb drainage element 1 is provided with anchoring means 8 on the front face thereof. The anchoring means 8 take the form of a bulged portion which protrudes away from the main body of the combined kerb drainage element 1 and helps key it is position within surrounding ground works (e.g. concrete). This interaction can be seen in Figure 3 and will be described in more detail below.

The bulging portion of the anchor means 8 and connection means 7 are coterminous, in so far as they are co-located. This arrangement is considered particularly advantageous because it enables the contact surface area formed between the ends of the associated sidewalls 2b and 3b to be maximised. In addition, when the combined kerb drainage element is in situ, the surrounding ground works (e.g. concrete) can act upon the sidewalls 2b, 3b to retain them in contact with one another, thereby strengthening the overall structural strength of the combined kerb drainage element 1 . Turning now to Figure 2, which shows the back of the combined kerb drainage element 1 , a second anchoring means 9 will be appreciated. Anchoring means 9 comprises a rib, with a leading edge, that runs longitudinally along the length of the combined kerb drainage element 1 . However, it is appreciated that in an alternative arrangement multiple rib portions may be spaced longitudinally along the back of the combined kerb drainage element in place of a single continuous rib.

A plurality of apertures 10 are provided between the leading edge of the rib 9 and the main body of the combined kerb drainage element 1 . In use the apertures 10 allow the surrounding ground work, for example concrete, to get behind the rib 9 and, in doing so, further anchor the combined kerb drainage element 1 within the surrounding ground works.

Also visible from the back of the combined kerb drainage element 1 are structural reinforcement means 1 1 , which take the form of multiple horizontally oriented ribs. The ribs 1 1 are spaced equally along the back of the combined kerb drainage element 1 . Preferably the ribs may also run underneath the underside of the combined kerb drainage element and rise up at least a portion of the front of the combined kerb drainage element 1 . The skilled person will appreciate that this arrangement of the ribs can be varied depending on the inherent structural strength of the materials used to construct the combined kerb drainage element.

As outlined above, the moulded components 2, 3 that come together to construct the combined kerb drainage element 1 can be formed from virgin and/or recycled plastics. Thermoplastics and thermosets are considered particularly suitable; with, polyolefin such as Polyethylene and Polypropylene of particular note. As detailed above, these plastic materials can be mixed with other additives to achieve further benefits without departing from the general concept of the present invention. Turning now to Figure 3, which show the preferred embodiment of the combined kerb drainage element in situ within surrounding ground works, the anchoring features of combined kerb drainage element 1 can be better appreciated.

The entire second, lower component 3 of the combined kerb drainage element 1 is buried within a concrete haunch 12, which in turn abuts against associate pavement support structures (not shown). The concrete haunch encloses both anchoring means 8, at the front of the combined kerb drainage element, and anchoring means 9, at the back of the combined kerb drainage element. In this way the combined kerb drainage element 1 is firmly held in position with the haunch 12. The person skilled in the art will appreciate that anchoring means 8 and 9 co-operate to ensure that the combined kerb drainage element 1 is prevented from tilting or twisting when struck from the sides. This improvement will be appreciated when compared to the known design of combined kerb drainage element, an example of which is shown in Figure 5. The road, which runs adjacent to the combined kerb drainage element 1 , is formed from layers of ground work. The lowest layer 13 is typically crushed limestone or similar, the top of which aligns with the front portion of the base of the haunch 12. Above this layer is provided the base course 14, this layer abuts against the front face of the combined kerb drainage element and help hold it and the haunch 12 in position.

The final top layer is the wearing course 15. This layer, which forms the road's surface, is aligned with the apertures 5 of the combined kerb drainage element so that any water run-off from the road can enter the internal conduit 16 of the combined kerb drainage element and flow away. This helps keep the road free from flooding.

The construction of the combined kerb drainage element 1 will now be described with reference to Figure 4, which shows the key construction steps for forming the combined kerb drainage element from the first and second moulded components 2, 3 of the preferred embodiment. In the first step the second moulded component 3 is produced using standard moulding techniques (e.g. casting, compression moulding, rotational moulding, injection moulding, forming, etc ..) with a living hinge 4 provided between side walls 3a and 3b. At this initial stage the side walls generally project away from each other so that the moulded product can be easily removed from its mould.

In the second step the side walls 3a and 3b are folded in towards one another such that they go past parallel and are inclined towards one another. The living hinge 4 ensures that the walls do not come too close together.

Once side walls 3a and 3b have been folded the first, upper component 2 is brought into contact with the second, lower component 3. The living hinge 4 enables the side walls of the second component to be adjusted to ensure they align with the side walls of the first component. Once the first and second moulded components 2, 3 are aligned they can be secured/sealed together using a suitable connection technique (i.e. adhesive, hot melt, etc.).

One of the key benefits of the combined kerb drainage element 1 of the present invention is that it can be constructed with an internal conduit that has a non-uniform cross-sectional shape. This flexibility of design enables the capacity of the conduit to be increased below ground without requiring the upper exposed portion of the combined kerb drainage element to be increased in size too.

A comparison of the combined kerb drainage element of the present invention with a known combined kerb drainage element design is provided in Figure 5, from which it can be clearly seen that, although both combined kerb drainage elements are of a similar height, the embodiment of the present invention has a greatly increased drainage capacity (roughly 40%) over that of the known design.