BALCONY EGDE DRAINAGE SYSTEM

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to draining water off building structures. In particular, the present invention relates to a linear drain system for terminating installed tiles at the edges of balconies or terraces and redirecting water away from the walls below.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It should be noted that reference to the prior art herein is not to be taken as an acknowledgement that such prior art constitutes common general knowledge in the art.

Most residential or commercial buildings with one or more stories will normally consist of some form of balcony structure extending horizontally from an outer vertical wall of the building with a free edge opening away from the building structure. For safety purposes some form of railing system is typically mounted atop the balcony free edge. In modern construction, residential and commercial buildings are typically formed from a structural system made largely of reinforced concrete and steel. Smaller residential properties are constructed of aluminium, steel or timber frames with balconies extending horizontally from an outer vertical wall with an underlying deck or joist construction. In buildings constructed for residential purposes, in particular multi-story buildings several balconies of the same or similar size are aligned vertically one above the other.

Balconies are typically constructed as a suspended or cantilevered concrete slab with steel reinforcing. To enhance the finish of the balcony, the concrete slab is covered with some form of ceramic or stone tile. In order to avoid any water penetrating through the tiles to the porous concrete a waterproof membrane is laid between the tile and the concrete slab. If water manages to seep between the tiles or through cracks in the tiles the waterproofing membrane is designed to protect the slab from water ingress and the potential onset of concrete cancer.

As the balcony extends horizontally from an outer vertical wall of the building it will ultimately be exposed to outdoor environmental conditions. Rain and other water will land on the balcony and this water needs to be directed off the balcony or into a drain. It is important to remove water from the floor of tiled balconies from both a health and safety perspective but also the need to ensure water does not pond on the balcony. Any water which is directed off the balcony will drain down the outer edge of the balcony or onto the vertical face of the building, this causes staining and moss build up and in multi-story residential buildings is one of the major sources of disputes between residents.

One of the solutions for preventing the staining of the outer edge of the balcony is to install a profiled drip edge element along the external perimeter of the balcony to direct water away from the edge of the balcony. The drip edge element is anchored to the balcony by an arm extending from one side of the element with tiles laid over the arm and up to the edge of the balcony. A tile edge extends vertically upward from the mounting arm to protect the outer edge of the tiles mounted over the arm. The drip edge element is designed to slow the flow of water over the edge of the balcony and redirect the water away from the balcony edge and therefore avoid the staining of the vertical edge face of the balcony or building.

These devices have proven to be problematic in overcoming the staining problem. For example, in heavy rain conditions where large quantities of water are washing over the free edge of the balcony the drip edge element is often, not sufficient to ensure the water is directed outward away from the outer edge of the balcony. Also, given the somewhat intricate shape of the drip edge element makes it somewhat difficult when it comes to joining two drip edge elements together to extend along the length of the perimeter of the balcony. In most cases a gap is simply left between adjacent elements.

To assist with the problem of water draining over the free edge of the balcony a drainage system can be installed along the free edge or adjacent to the free edge. A linear or strip drain system is commonly used where there is need to drain a generally extended flat surface, such as a balcony or a section of a building floor. In most installations the strip drain is mounted to the balcony with a tile on opposite sides of the strip drain which places the drain at least a tile width away from the edge of the balcony. This type of installation is common due to the placement of the drip edge on the free edge of the balcony with the arm which extends from the drip edge. The current design with the attaching wing which is anchored to the balcony does not easily allow for the installation of a strip or linear drain adjacent to the outer edge of the balcony.

Clearly it would be advantageous if a balcony edge drainage system could be devised that helped to at least ameliorate some of the shortcomings described above. In particular, it would be beneficial to provide a balcony edge drainage system with a linear drain system for terminating installed tiles at the edges of balconies or terraces and redirecting water away from the walls below.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with a first aspect, the present invention provides a balcony and like outwardly extending external aspects of a building structure floor drain assembly, the floor drain assembly comprising: an elongate channel section forming a longitudinally extending trough, the trough having a floor with a first interior surface shape and a pair of wall sections extending substantially vertically upward from opposing longitudinal edges of the floor; an insert releasably disposed in the elongate channel section to overlie the trough floor, the insert having a planar top wall with a pair of side walls extending orthogonally from opposing longitudinal edges of the top wall; at least one outlet assembly having a central mounting portion with a surface shape that is the same as the first interior surface shape of the floor, the at least one outlet assembly including a conduit extending from a bottom surface of the central mounting portion that is coupleable to a plumbing system; and an elongate edge assembly extending longitudinally from one of the pair of wall sections of the elongate channel section, the edge assembly comprising: a flange extending orthogonally from an upper edge of the wall section; and a leg portion extending downwardly from a longitudinal edge of the flange, the leg portion having a lip extending outwardly at an angle from a distal end of the leg portion; wherein the floor drain assembly is positioned adjacent to a free edge of the balcony and like outwardly extending external aspects of the building structure, with the leg portion and lip of the elongate edge assembly positioned to direct fluids away from a vertical face of the free edge.

Preferably, the first interior surface shape may be formed as a substantially planar flat floor. Alternatively, the first interior surface shape may be formed as a V-shaped floor. Further alternatively, the first interior surface shape may be formed as any shape which allows the fluid to drain from the elongate channel section and into the at least one outlet assembly.

Preferably, the pair of wall sections may further comprise a longitudinal slot located within each wall section and positioned on the floor side of each wall section. The longitudinal slot may extend along the length of each wall section and is spaced apart a distance from the opposing longitudinal edges of the floor.

Preferably, the floor drain assembly may further comprise an endcap that is sized to substantially enclose an end of the trough of the elongate channel section. The endcap further may comprise a recess extending around a peripheral edge of the endcap, the recess is shaped to correspond to a cross-sectional shape of the elongate channel section. The endcap may have a pair of apertures located adjacent to opposing end portions of the endcap, when the endcap is located to enclose an end of the trough of the elongate channel section each aperture is aligned with an end of the longitudinal slot located within the wall sections and adapted to receive a fastener therein, the endcap is affixed to the elongate channel section by an adhesive disposed in the recess and the fastener.

Preferably, the planar top wall of the insert may further comprise a plurality of slots configured to allow a flow of fluids and debris into the elongate channel section.

Preferably, the pair of side walls of the insert may have a height substantially equal to a height of the pair of wall sections of the elongate channel. The planar top wall of the insert may be aligned to sit flush with a top edge of the pair of wall sections of the elongate channel when the insert is disposed in the elongate channel section.

Alternatively, the planar top wall of the insert may be configured to receive a finish flooring material thereon. The insert may further comprise a pair of tile-tray flanges extending upwardly from the top planar wall of the insert between which the finish flooring material is disposed. A top surface of the finish flooring material may be aligned to sit flush with a top edge of the pair of wall sections of the elongate channel when the finish flooring material is disposed in the pair of tile-tray flanges of the insert and the insert is disposed within the elongate channel section.

Preferably, a plurality of slots may be located adjacent the opposing longitudinal edges of the planar top wall of the insert, the plurality of slots allow a flow of fluids and debris into the elongate channel section. The plurality of slots may be positioned between each one of the pair of tile-tray flanges of the insert and each longitudinal edge of the planar top wall on opposing sides of the insert. The plurality of slots may be aligned to run parallel to and adjacent each opposing longitudinal edge of the insert.

Preferably, the finish flooring material may be a tile.

Preferably, the insert may have a width sufficient to provide a space between each of the pair of side walls and respective adjacent ones of the pair of wall sections of the trough and a length substantially equal to the longitudinal extent of the trough.

Preferably, the conduit extending from the bottom surface of the central mounting portion may have a bore that aligns with an aperture formed in the floor of the elongate channel section.

Preferably, the central mounting portion of the at least one outlet assembly may be coupled to an outer surface of the floor of the elongate channel section by an adhesive.

Preferably, the elongate edge assembly may extend longitudinally from one of the pair of wall sections of the elongate channel section and on the other one of the pair of wall sections is adapted to abut against a finish flooring material.

Preferably, the flange and the leg portion of the elongate edge assembly may form a void with one of the pair of wall sections of the elongate channel section for receiving a finish flooring material mounted on the vertical face of the free edge of the balcony and like outwardly extending external aspects of the building structure.

Preferably, the lip may extend outwardly at an obtuse angle with respect to the distal end of the leg portion. The obtuse angle may be in the range of 120 to 160 degrees with respect to the distal end of the leg portion, the angle the lip extends outwardly facilitates the fluid runoff.

Preferably, the elongate edge assembly may extend from one of the pair of wall sections and along the longitudinal extent of the trough of the elongate channel section.

Preferably, the elongate channel section and the elongate edge assembly may be formed as a single section by extrusion. Alternatively, the elongate channel section and the elongate edge assembly may be formed as a single section by bending. Preferably, the elongate channel section and the elongate edge assembly may be manufactured from a metal material.

Preferably, the insert may be formed as a single section by extrusion. Alternatively, the insert may be formed as a single section by bending. Preferably, the insert may be manufactured from a metal material.

Preferably, the endcap may be formed as a single section by extrusion. The endcap may be manufactured from a metal material.

In accordance with a further aspect, the present invention provides a floor drain assembly comprising: a plurality of elongate channel sections connected together in an end-to-end fashion, each elongate channel section having a longitudinally extending trough, the trough having a floor with a first interior surface shape and a pair of wall sections extending substantially vertically upward from opposing longitudinal edges of the floor; a plurality of connector members forming a sealable connection between adjacent ends of the elongate channel sections; a plurality of inserts releasably disposed in the elongate channel sections to overlie the trough floor, each insert having a planar top wall with a pair of side walls extending orthogonally from opposing longitudinal edges of the top wall; an endcap sized to substantially enclose a distal end of the trough of each elongate channel section that is positioned on opposing ends of the floor drain assembly; at least one outlet assembly having a central mounting portion with a surface shape that is the same as the first interior surface shape of the floor, the at least one outlet assembly including a conduit extending from a bottom surface of the central mounting portion that is coupleable to a plumbing system; and an elongate edge assembly extending longitudinally from one of the pair of wall sections of each elongate channel section, the edge assembly comprising: a flange extending orthogonally from an upper edge of the wall section; and a leg portion extending downwardly from a longitudinal edge of the flange, the leg portion having a lip extending outwardly at an angle from a distal end of the leg portion; wherein the floor drain assembly is positioned adjacent to a free edge of a balcony and extending longitudinally for the length of the balcony, the leg portion and lip of the elongate edge assembly positioned to direct fluids away from a vertical face of the free edge of the balcony.

Preferably, the floor drain assembly may further comprise any one of the features of the floor drain assembly of the first aspect.

Preferably, each connector member may comprise a base with a surface shape that is the same as the first interior surface shape of the floor of the elongate channel sections, the base having a pair of wall flanges extending substantially vertically upward from opposing longitudinal edges of the base. A height of each wall flange may be less than a height of the pair of wall sections extending substantially vertically upward from opposing longitudinal edges of the floor of each elongate channel section.

Preferably, the connector member may be coupled to an outer surface of each elongate channel section by an adhesive.

Preferably, the floor drain assembly may further comprise a corner connector to allow a further floor drain assembly to be placed at an angle with respect to an end of the floor drain assembly formed by the plurality of elongate channel sections connected together in an end-to-end fashion.

Preferably, the corner connector may comprise an open ended L-shaped channel with a first leg and a second leg, the first and second legs having a surface shape that is the same as the first interior surface shape of the floor of each elongate channel section. The corner connector may have a pair of wall sections extending substantially vertically upward from opposing longitudinal edges of the first and second legs and a height of each wall section is less than a height of the pair of wall sections extending substantially vertically upward from opposing longitudinal edges of the floor of each elongate channel section.

Preferably, adjacent ends of the further floor drain assembly and the floor drain assembly formed by the plurality of elongate channel sections may be mitre cut at their adjacent ends to form the angle of the corner connector.

Preferably, the angle the further floor drain assembly may be placed with respect to the end of the floor drain assembly is in the range of 25 to 150 degrees. Alternatively, the angle may be 90 degrees.

Preferably, the connector member and the corner connector may be formed as a single section by extrusion. Alternatively, the connector member and the corner connector may be formed as a single section by bending.

Preferably, the connector member and the corner connector may be formed from a metal material.

In accordance with a still further aspect, the present invention provides a balcony and like outwardly extending external aspects of a building structure comprising: a subfloor; a plumbing system extending at least partially through the subfloor; and a floor drain assembly comprising: a plurality of elongate channel sections connected together in an end-to-end fashion, each elongate channel section having a longitudinally extending trough, the trough having a floor with a first interior surface shape and a pair of wall sections extending substantially vertically upward from opposing longitudinal edges of the floor; a plurality of connector members forming a sealable connection between adjacent ends of the elongate channel sections; a plurality of inserts releasably disposed in the elongate channel sections to overlie the trough floor, each insert having a planar top wall with a pair of side walls extending orthogonally from opposing longitudinal edges of the top wall; an endcap sized to substantially enclose a distal end of the trough of each elongate channel section that is positioned on opposing ends of the floor drain assembly; at least one outlet assembly having a central mounting portion with a surface shape that is the same as the first interior surface shape of the floor, the at least one outlet assembly including a conduit extending from a bottom surface of the central mounting portion that is coupleable to the plumbing system; and an elongate edge assembly extending longitudinally from one of the pair of wall sections of each elongate channel section, the edge assembly comprising: a flange extending orthogonally from an upper edge of the wall section; and a leg portion extending downwardly from a longitudinal edge of the flange, the leg portion having a lip extending outwardly at an angle from a distal end of the leg portion; a flooring underlayment is disposed over the subfloor of the balcony; a finish flooring material is disposed over the underlayment and extending to the other one of the pair of wall sections of each elongate channel section; wherein the floor drain assembly is positioned adjacent to a free edge of the balcony and extending longitudinally for the length of the balcony, the leg portion and lip of the elongate edge assembly positioned to direct fluids away from a vertical face of the free edge of the balcony.

Preferably, the floor drain assembly may further comprise any one of the features of the floor drain assembly of the first aspect.

Preferably, the floor drain assembly may further comprise any one of the features of the connector member and the corner connector of the further aspect.

In accordance with a still further aspect, the present invention provides a balcony floor drain assembly, the assembly comprising: an elongate channel section forming a longitudinally extending trough, the trough having a floor with a first interior surface shape and a pair of wall sections extending substantially vertically upward from opposing longitudinal edges of the floor; an insert releasably disposed in the elongate channel section to overlie the trough floor, the insert having a planar top wall with a pair of side walls extending orthogonally from opposing longitudinal edges of the top wall; at least one outlet assembly having a central mounting portion with a surface shape that is the same as the first interior surface shape of the floor, the at least one outlet assembly including a conduit extending from a bottom surface of the central mounting portion that is coupleable to a plumbing system; and an elongate edge assembly extending longitudinally from one of the pair of wall sections of the elongate channel section, the edge assembly comprising: a flange extending orthogonally from an upper edge of the wall section; and a leg portion extending downwardly from a longitudinal edge of the flange, the leg portion having a lip extending outwardly at an angle from a distal end of the leg portion; wherein the floor drain assembly is positioned adjacent to a free edge of the balcony with the leg portion and lip of the elongate edge assembly positioned to direct fluids away from a vertical face of the free edge of the balcony.

Preferably, the balcony floor drain assembly may further comprise any one of the features of the floor drain assembly of the first aspect.

Any one or more of the above embodiments or preferred features can be combined with any one or more of the above aspects.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be understood more fully from the detailed description given hereinafter and from the accompanying drawings of the preferred embodiment of the present invention, which, however, should not be taken to be limitative to the invention, but are for explanation and understanding only.

FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate examples of prior art drip edge elements and installation of the prior art drip edge with a linear strip drain;

FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of a balcony edge strip drain assembly installed on the free edge of a balcony in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 illustrates an end view of the balcony edge strip drain assembly with a substantially flat floor profile in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 illustrates an end view of the balcony edge strip drain assembly with a V-shaped floor profile in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show top and bottom perspective view of the balcony edge strip drain of FIG. 5 with the insert removed for clarity in the top perspective view;

FIG. 8 shows a bottom plan view of the balcony edge strip drain of FIG. 5;

FIGS. 9 and 10 show two of the options available for the insert for the balcony edge strip drain assembly;

FIGS. 11 and 12 show perspective and front plan views of an endcap for the balcony edge strip drain assembly of FIG. 4;

FIGS. 13 and 14 show a perspective and front plan views of an endcap for the balcony edge strip drain assembly of FIG. 5;

FIG. 15 shows a perspective view of a connector member for the balcony edge strip drain assembly of FIG. 4;

FIG. 16 shows a perspective view of a connector member for the balcony edge strip drain assembly of FIG. 5;

FIG. 17 shows a perspective view of a corner connector for the balcony edge strip drain assembly of FIG. 4;

FIG. 18 shows a perspective view of a corner connector for the balcony edge strip drain assembly of FIG. 5;

FIG. 19 shows an exploded top view of the balcony edge strip drain assembly of FIG. 5 installed on a balcony corner in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 20 illustrates a trowel used for installation of the balcony edge strip drain assembly of FIG. 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The following description, given by way of example only, is described in order to provide a more precise understanding of the subject matter of a preferred embodiment or embodiments.

It is also to be understood that the specific devices and processes illustrated in the attached drawings, and described in the following specification are simply exemplary embodiments of the inventive concepts defined in the appended claims. Hence, specific dimensions and other physical characteristics relating to the embodiments disclosed herein are not to be considered as limiting, unless the claims expressly state otherwise. Additionally, unless otherwise specified, it is to be understood that discussion of a particular feature or component extending in or along a given direction or the like does not mean that the feature or component follows a straight line or axis in such a direction or that it only extends in such direction or on such a plane without other directional components or deviations, unless otherwise specified.

Reference will now be made to the drawings in which the various elements of embodiments will be given numerical designations and in which embodiments will be discussed so as to enable one skilled in the art to make and use the invention. It will be further noted that the figures are schematic and provided for guidance to the skilled reader and are not necessarily drawn to scale. Rather, the various drawing scales, aspect ratios, and numbers of components shown in the figures may be purposely distorted to make certain features or relationships easier to understand. Descriptions of well-known components and processing techniques are omitted so as to not unnecessarily obscure the embodiments herein.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, show a sectional end view and an enlarged perspective view of balcony edge installations of two types of prior art drip edge elements 20, 20A of the type to which the present invention is applicable. FIG. 1 shows a sectional end profile of an outer edge of a balcony building panel 11, such as in particular a balcony slab or a comparable building slab with a balcony drainage installation 10. An upper surface 9 of the building panel 11 has the drip edge element 20, linear strip drain 15 and tiles 14 mounted thereon. The building panel 11 also has a front vertical side wall 12. The drip edge element 20 is mounted at the junction between the vertical side wall 12 and the upper side 9 of the building panel 11.

The drip edge element 20 comprises a mounting leg 21 for abutment on the upper surface 9 of the building panel 11, vertical closing leg 22 and a water drainage leg 23, the vertical closing leg 22 and the drainage leg 23 extend from opposite sides of the mounting leg 21. The water drainage leg 23 has a first vertical section which is positioned to lie against the vertical side wall 12 and an angled section with a lip 24. The first vertical section is supported off the vertical side wall 12 by two longitudinal, rounded webs. In a corner region between vertical closing leg 22 and mounting leg 21 is a drainage channel integrally formed in the drip edge element 20.

The drip edge element 20 is secured to the junction between the vertical side wall 12 and the upper surface 9 of the building panel 11 by a tile 14 placed over the mounting leg 21. A waterproof membrane is first applied to the upper surface 9 of building panel 11. The waterproof membrane can be in the form of compressed fibre cement sheet or may be a liquid waterproof membrane which is painted onto the upper side 9. Tile adhesive then secures the drip edge element 20 and the tile 14 in place on top of the compressed fibre cement sheet. The outer edge of the outer tile 14 abuts against the vertical closing leg 22 of the drip edge element 20.

On the opposite edge of the outer tile 14 a linear strip drain 15 is positioned and runs longitudinally between tiles 14. The linear strip drain 15 is formed as an elongate channel section with a longitudinally extending trough 16. The trough 16 has a floor with a pair of walls extending vertically upward from opposing longitudinal edges of the floor. An insert 17 is releasably disposed in the elongate channel section to overlie the trough 16. The insert 17 has a planar top wall with a plurality of slots which allow the flow of water into the trough 16. The linear strip drain 15 is designed for outdoor balconies and installed with tiles 14 on both sides of the lineal drain 15. In most installations, this linear strip drain 15 would run from one end to other end of the balcony.

FIG. 2 shows another example of a drip edge element 20A. The drip edge element 20A has the wing 21A extending substantially vertically from the front portion 22A and the drip edge projection 24A. A tile 14 is positioned over and secures the wing 21A of the drip edge element 20A in position on the edge of the balcony 11. The drip edge projection 24A extends away from the vertical wall 12 of the balcony 11 to direct water away from the vertical wall 12 of the balcony 11.

The present invention was designed to provide a linear drain system 40 which could be positioned at the edge of a balcony or terrace and used to terminate installed tiles 14 at the edges of the balconies or terraces. The linear drain system 40 also redirects water flowing over the linear drain portion 50 from the balcony or terrace away from the vertical walls 12 adjacent to the edges of the balcony or terrace to avoid or at least assist with preventing staining and moss build up on the vertical walls 12.

The present invention in its broadest form provides a floor drain assembly 40 for balconies and like outwardly extending external aspects of a building structure. The floor drain assembly 40 has an elongate channel section forming a longitudinally extending trough. The trough having a floor 41 with a first interior surface shape and a pair of wall sections 42 extending substantially vertically upward from opposing longitudinal edges of the floor 41. An insert 50 is releasably disposed in the elongate channel section to overlie the trough floor 41. The insert 50 has a planar top wall 51 with a pair of side walls 52 extending orthogonally from opposing longitudinal edges of the top wall 51. At least one outlet assembly 60 has a central mounting portion 62 with a conduit 61 extending from a bottom surface of the central mounting portion 62, with the conduit 61 coupleable to a plumbing system (not shown). The central mounting portion 62 has a surface shape that is the same as the first interior surface shape of the floor 41.

An elongate edge assembly extends longitudinally from one of the pair of wall sections 42 of the elongate channel section. The edge assembly comprises a flange 44 extending orthogonally from an upper edge of the wall section 42 and a leg portion 45 extending downwardly from a longitudinal edge of the flange 44. The leg portion 45 has a lip 46 which extends outwardly at an angle from a distal end of the leg portion 45. The floor drain assembly 40 is positioned adjacent to a free edge of the balconies and like outwardly extending external aspects of the building structure, with the leg portion 45 and lip 46 of the elongate edge assembly positioned to direct fluids away from a vertical face 12 of the free edge of the balcony.

FIG. 3 illustrates a sectional end profile view of a balcony edge installation of the floor drain assembly 40 of the present invention. The balcony structure extends horizontally from an outer vertical wall of a building with a free edge 8 opening away from the building structure. The balcony structure is formed from a plurality of balcony building panels 11, such as timber floor joists 11 extending horizontally from the outer wall of the building. A waterproof membrane 29 is first applied to the upper surface 9 of the building panel 11. The waterproof membrane can be in the form of compressed fibre cement sheet 29 placed over and secured to the upper surface 9 of the floor joist 11. The compressed fibre sheet 29 is secured by fasteners and adhesive to the floor joist 11.

Attached at the free edge 8 and running longitudinally along the length of the balcony is the floor drain assembly 40. The length of the balcony will determine the number of lengths of floor drain assembly 40 that are required for the installation. Each floor drain assembly 40 can be supplied in lengths designed to suit the longitudinal extent of the balcony. However, preferably the floor drain assembly 40 is supplied in standard lengths of 5.8 metres and can be joined together by connector members 80 forming a sealable connection between adjacent ends of each floor drain assembly 40. If the installation is simply a straight end to end installation, an end cap 70 seals opposite ends of the floor drain assembly 40. The end cap 70 is secured to the ends of the floor drain assembly 40 by the combination of adhesive and fasteners, the fasteners are received within a bore 43 located in an end wall of each wall section 42. If however, the installation is required to also navigate around a corner of the balcony then a corner connector 90 is required to allow two floor drain assemblies 40 to be joined to form a seamless floor drain installation. Also, dependent upon the overall length of the installation will determine how many outlet assemblies 60 are required to adequately drain the elongate channel section into the attached plumbing system. The outlet assemblies 60 connect the drain aperture 49 in the floor 41 of the floor drain assembly 40 via the conduit 61 to the attached plumbing system. The aperture 49 in the floor 41 and the conduit 61 in the outlet assembly form a bore 63 therethrough. The conduit 61 can be configured for coupling to a drain pipe of a plumbing system by means known in the art, such as gluing, solvent welding, welding, threaded coupling, fasteners, friction-fit, or the like.

The floor drain assembly 40 has one of the pair of outer wall sections 42 extending orthogonally from the upper surface 9 at the free edge 8 of the balcony. The elongate edge assembly extends longitudinally along and orthogonally from the one of the pair of wall sections 42. A flange 44 extends orthogonally from the upper edge of the wall section 42 and a leg portion 45 extends downwardly from an outer longitudinal edge of the flange 44. Located extending vertically beneath the flange 44 and between the flange 44 and the leg portion 45 is wall 47. The wall 47 extends the longitudinal length of the floor drain assembly 40 beneath the flange 44. The void formed between the outer wall section 42, the flange 44 and the wall 47 is used to receive the upper edge portion of a compressed fibre sheet 29A and tile 14A for covering the vertical face 12.

The leg portion 45 extending downwardly from the outer edge of the flange 44 has a lip 46 extending from a distal end of the leg portion 45. The lip 46 extends at an obtuse angle with respect to the leg portion 45. The leg portion 45 and the lip 46 extend the longitudinal length of the floor drain assembly 40. Any water or liquid which is not captured by the linear strip drain portion of the floor drain assembly 40 passes over the flange 44 and down the leg portion were the lip 46 directs the flow away from the vertical face 12.

Overlying the trough floor 41 and located between the vertically wall sections 42 is a first embodiment of the releasable insert 50. As is illustrated in FIG. 3, the insert 50 has a plurality of slots 55 in the planar top wall 51. The planar top wall 51 has a pair of side walls 52 extending orthogonally from opposing longitudinal edges of the top wall 51. When the insert 50 is inserted to overlie the trough floor 41 the bottom ends of the pair of side walls 52 sit on the trough floor 41 which positions the planar top wall 51 to sit flush with the top edges of the vertical wall sections 42 and the flange 44. This ensures that a seamless flat surface is formed between top surface of the floor drain assembly 40 and the finished tiled surface of the balcony. A semi-enclosed channel 53 is formed between the planar top wall 51, the trough floor 41 and the pair of side walls 52 when the insert 50 is inserted between the vertical wall sections 42. The width of the insert 50 is slightly less than that of the width between the two vertical wall sections 42 of the floor drain assembly 40 this allows the insert 50 to be easily removable between the vertical wall sections 42. The slots 55 may be in formed in any shape and any configuration in the planar top wall 51 of the insert 50. The slots 55 allow a flow of fluids and debris into the elongate channel section of the trough floor 41.

The outer surface of the trough floor 41 of the floor drain assembly 40 is secured to the compressed fibre cement sheet 29 by adhesive 13. With the floor drain assembly 40 in place at the free edge 8, the balcony surface can now be finished with tiles 14. Sand cement bedding material 28 is first placed on top of the compressed fibre cement sheet 29 and allowed to cure. Once cured an adhesive 13 is put down and tiles 14 placed and positioned to finish the balcony surface. Tiles 14 are placed up to and abutting the inner vertical wall 42 of the floor drain assembly 40. Alternatively, a small expansion gap is left between the tiles 14 and the vertical wall 42 of the floor drain assembly 40.

For safety reasons, some form of balustrade is fixed to the outer tiles 14 running beside the vertical wall 42 of the floor drain assembly 40 on the balcony free edge 8. As illustrated in FIG. 3 a spigot 25 is secured through the tiles 14 by fasteners 26 and the glass 27 is secured within the spigot 25. The glass is held by a spigot 25 to form a substantially frameless glass balustrade at the balcony edge and just inside the floor drain assembly 40 at the free edge 8. Any material can be used to form the balustrade at the balcony edge.

FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate two end plan views of floor drain assemblies 40, 40A of the present invention. FIG. 4 shows the same floor drain assembly 40 as described in relation to FIG. 3. FIG. 5 illustrates a V-shaped floor profile 41A, 41B of the floor drain assembly 40A. The floor portion 41A, 41B has a transverse cross-sectional profile forming a generally V-shaped canal with a pair of floor sections 41A extending to a point 41B in the middle thereof. Substantially vertically oriented walls 42A extend upwardly from opposing longitudinal edges of the floor sections 41A. It is understood that the floor profile may take other similar forms without departing from the scope of exemplary embodiments described herein.

The change to the profile of the floor also requires similar changes to the endcap 70A, connector 80A and corner connector 90A which will be described below. Likewise, the central mounting portion 62 of the outlet assembly 60 has a surface shape that is the same as the surface shape of the floor 41A, 41B to match the profile of the bottom of the floor 41A, 41B. The remaining components of the of the floor drain assembly 40A are the same as that of the corresponding component as previously described for the floor drain assembly 40, however the letter ‘A’ has been added to each reference numeral to differentiate between the two embodiments.

FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of a floor drain assembly 40A with the insert 50, outlet assembly 60 and endcaps 70A removed for clarity. The floor drain assembly 40A has a floor portion 41A, 41B with a transverse cross-sectional profile forming a generally V-shaped canal extending longitudinally between first and second ends 200, 201. A pair of vertically oriented walls 42A extends upwardly from opposing longitudinal edges of the floor sections 41A. A bore 43A extends longitudinally along each wall 42A. The bore 43A at each end 200, 201 is adapted to receive a fastener to secure the endcaps 70A in place on the first and second ends 200, 201. The endcaps 70A sealing the ends 200, 201 of the floor drain assembly 40A.

One of the pair of vertically oriented walls 42A has a top wall section 48A which when the floor drain assembly 40A is in place on the free edge 8 of the balcony, the top wall section 48A sits flush with a top surface of an adjacent tile 14. Likewise, the opposite one of the pair of vertically oriented walls 42A has the flange 44A extending orthogonally therefrom. Located centrally in the floor 41A, 41B is the drain aperture 49A which forms the bore 63 with the conduit 61 of the outlet assembly 60. The conduit 61 connects the outlet assembly 60 of the floor drain assembly 40A to an attached plumbing system.

The elongate edge assembly extends longitudinally along and orthogonally from the one of the pair of wall sections 42A. The flange 44A extends orthogonally from the upper edge of the wall section 42A and a leg portion 45A extends downwardly from an outer longitudinal edge of the flange 44A. Located extending vertically beneath the flange 44A and between the flange 44A and the leg portion 45A is wall 47A. The wall 47A extends the longitudinal length of the floor drain assembly 40A beneath the flange 44A. The leg portion 45A extending downwardly from the outer edge of the flange 44A has a lip 46A extending from a distal end of the leg portion 45A. The lip 46A extends at an obtuse angle with respect to the leg portion 45A. The leg portion 45A and the lip 46A extend the longitudinal length of the floor drain assembly 40A. Any water or liquid which is not captured by the linear strip drain portion of the floor drain assembly 40A passes over the flange 44A and down the leg portion were the lip 46A directs the flow away from the vertical face 12 of the balcony.

FIGS. 7 and 8 show a perspective view and bottom plan view of the floor drain assembly 40A with the insert 50, outlet assembly 60 and endcaps 70A in place. The endcaps 70A are secured to and seal the ends of the floor drains assembly 40A by adhesive and fasteners 71A. Also, the central mounting portion 62 of the outlet assembly 60 has the same surface profile as the surface shape of the floor 41A, 41B.

FIGS. 9 and 10 illustrate two embodiments of the insert 50, 50A in accordance with the present invention. FIG. 9 shows the insert 50 has a plurality of slots 55 in the planar top wall 51. The planar top wall 51 has a pair of side walls 52 extending orthogonally from opposing longitudinal edges of the top wall 51. When the insert 50 is inserted to overlie the trough floor 41 the bottom ends 54 of the pair of side walls 52 sit on the trough floor 41, 41A which positions the planar top wall 51 to sit flush with the top edges of the vertical wall sections 42, 42A and the flange 44, 44A of the floor drain assembly 40, 40A. The slots 55 may be formed in any shape and any configuration in the planar top wall 51 of the insert 50. The slots 55 allow a flow of fluids and debris into the elongate channel section of the trough floor 41, 41A.

FIG. 10 shows the embodiment of a tile-ready insert 50A in accordance with the present invention. The tile-ready insert 50A is similarly configured to the insert 50, in that it includes the planar top wall 51A and has a pair of side walls 52A extending orthogonally from opposing longitudinal edges of the top wall 51A. The tile-ready insert 50A differs in that it includes a tile tray disposed on the planar top wall 51A and between upstanding flanges 57A positioned on opposite side edges of the planar top wall 51A to form a channel within which a tile or other finish-flooring materials can be disposed. The tile tray is dimensioned with a width that is less than that of the planar top wall 51A such that apertures 55A can be provided alongside and running parallel with the upstanding flanges 57A. The apertures 55A allow a flow of fluids and debris into the elongate channel section of the trough floor 41, 41A of the floor drain assembly 40, 40A.

FIGS. 11 and 12 show perspective and end views of the endcap 70 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The endcap 70 is configured to couple to and enclose an end 200, 201 of the floor drain assembly 40. The endcap 70 has a front face 77 spaced apart from a back face 76 by top and bottom edges 73, 75. A recessed edge 74, 78 is formed around three sides of the endcap 70 which seals against the floor 41 and the two vertical walls 42 of the floor drain assembly 40. A pair of apertures 72 are located within the edges 74 which when the endcap 70 is positioned on the end 200, 201 aligns with the bores 43 in the side walls 42 to receive a fastener therein. One or more glues, adhesives, or the like can be disposed around the recessed edge 74, 78 for coupling the endcap 70 to the floor drain assembly 40 to form a liquid-tight seal therebetween.

FIGS. 13 and 14 show perspective and end views of the endcap 70A in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The endcap 70A is configured to couple to and enclose an end 200, 201 of the floor drain assembly 40A. The endcap 70A has a front face 77A spaced apart from a back face 76A by top and bottom edges 73A, 75A, 75B. A recessed edge 74A, 78A, 78B is formed around three sides of the endcap 70A which seals against the floor 41A, 41B and the two vertical walls 42A of the floor drain assembly 40A. A pair of apertures 72A are located within the edges 74A which when the endcap 70A is positioned on the end 200, 201 aligns with the bores 43A in the side walls 42A to receive a fastener therein. One or more glues, adhesives, or the like can be disposed around the recessed edge 74A, 78A, 78B for coupling the endcap 70A to the floor drain assembly 40A to form a liquid-tight seal therebetween.

The bottom edge 75A, 75B and the recessed edge portion 78A, 78B has a transverse cross-sectional profile of a generally V-shape with a pair of side sections 75A, 78A extending from a point 75B, 78B in the middle thereof. It is understood that the transverse cross-sectional profile of the endcap may take other similar forms to match the profile the corresponding floor of the floor drain assembly without departing from the scope of exemplary embodiments described herein.

FIGS. 15 and 16 show two embodiments of the connector 80, 80A used to join two adjacent floor drain assemblies 40, 40A to form a sealable connection therebetween. FIG. 15 shows the connector 80 formed as an elongate channel section having a floor 81 with a first interior surface shape and a pair of wall sections 82 extending substantially vertically upward from opposing longitudinal edges of the floor 81. The connector 80 has a first end 84 spaced apart from a second end 85. Each wall section 82 has a top surface 83 spaced from the longitudinal edge of the floor 81. When used to connect two adjacent floor drain assemblies 40 together, the wall sections 82 of the connector 80 have a height which is less than the height of the pair of vertical wall sections 42 of each floor drain assembly 40. One or more glues, adhesives, or the like can be disposed around the floor 81 and wall sections 82 for coupling the connector 80 to the floor drain assemblies 40 to form a liquid-tight seal therebetween.

FIG. 16 shows the connector 80A formed as an elongate channel section having a floor 81A, 81B with a first interior surface shape formed with a transverse cross-sectional profile of a generally V-shape with a pair of side sections 81A extending from a center line 81B in the middle thereof. A pair of wall sections 82A extends substantially vertically upward from opposing longitudinal edges of the pair of side sections 81A. The connector 80A has a first end 84A spaced apart from a second end 85A and each wall section 82A has a top surface 83A spaced from the longitudinal edge of the side sections 81A. When used to connect two adjacent floor drain assemblies 40A together, the wall sections 82A of the connector 80A have a height which is less than the height of the pair of vertical wall sections 42A of each floor drain assembly 40A. One or more glues, adhesives, or the like can be disposed around the floor 81A, 81B and wall sections 82A for coupling the connector 80A to the floor drain assemblies 40A to form a liquid-tight seal therebetween.

FIGS. 17 and 18 illustrate two embodiments of the corner connector 90, 90A used to form a 90 degree angle between two floor drain assemblies 40, 40A to form a sealable connection therebetween. FIG. 17 shows the corner connector 90 formed as an L-shaped channel section having a floor 91 with a first interior surface shape and pairs of wall sections 92 extending substantially vertically upward from opposing longitudinal edges of the floor 91 of each channel section. The corner connector 90 has a first end 94 spaced apart from a second end 95. Each wall section 92 has a top surface 93 spaced from the longitudinal edge of the floor 91. When used to connect two floor drain assemblies 40 together at right angles, the wall sections 92 of the connector 90 have a height which is less than the height of the pair of vertical wall sections 42 of each floor drain assembly 40. Each floor drain assembly 40 has an end which is mitre cut at an angle of 45 degrees and each cut floor drain assembly 40 sits within a channel section of the L-shaped corner connector 90. One or more glues, adhesives, or the like can be disposed around the floor 91 and wall sections 92 for coupling the corner connector 90 to the floor drain assemblies 40 to form a liquid-tight seal therebetween.

FIG. 18 shows the corner connector 90A formed as an L-shaped channel section having a floor 91A, 91B with a first interior surface shape formed with a transverse cross-sectional profile of a generally V-shape with a pair of side sections 91A extending from a center line 91B in the middle thereof. Pairs of wall sections 92A extend substantially vertically upward from opposing longitudinal edges of the floor side sections 91A of each channel section. The corner connector 90A has a first end 94A spaced apart from a second end 95A. Each wall section 92A has a top surface 93A spaced from the longitudinal edge of the floor side section 91A. When used to connect two floor drain assemblies 40A together at right angles, the wall sections 92A of the connector 90A have a height which is less than the height of the pair of vertical wall sections 42A of each floor drain assembly 40A. Each floor drain assembly 40A has an end which is mitre cut at an angle of 45 degrees and each cut floor drain assembly 40A sits within a channel section of the L-shaped corner connector 90A. One or more glues, adhesives, or the like can be disposed around the floor side sections 91A, center line 91B and wall sections 92A for coupling the corner connector 90A to the floor drain assemblies 40A to form a liquid-tight seal therebetween.

FIG. 19 shows an exploded balcony installation of the floor drain assembly 40 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The floor drain assembly 40 is installed around the free edge of the balcony and tiles 14 are laid up to the inner side wall 42 of the floor drain assemblies 40. As described above, to form the 90 degree corner each floor drain assembly 40 has an end 201 which is mitre cut at an angle of 45 degrees and sits within a channel section of the L-shaped corner connector 90. Likewise, a connector 80 is used to join two adjacent floor drain assemblies 40 in an end to end formation. The open ends 200 of the end floor drain assemblies 40 have an endcap 70 coupled thereto to form a liquid-tight seal. One or more glues, adhesives, or the like can be disposed around the corner connector 90, connector 80 and endcaps 70 for coupling to the floor drain assemblies 40 to form a liquid-tight seal therebetween.

FIG. 20 shows an example of a trowel 100 designed to assist with the installation of the V-shaped components on the balcony edge installation. For example, when installing floor drain assembly 40A, corner connector 90A and connector 80A the trowel 100 is used to provide the correct V-shape profile within the glues, adhesives, or the like. The trowel 100 is formed as an elongate channel section having a pair of wing sections 102 extending from a center line 103 and forming a transverse cross-sectional profile with a generally V-shape. A handle 101 is mounted above the center line 103 for allowing a user to control the movement of the trowel 100. A first wall 104 extends vertically from a longitudinal edge of one of the wing sections 102. The first wall 104 has a top wall surface 105 spaced from the longitudinal edge of the wing section 102. A second wall 106 extends vertically from the longitudinal edge of the other one of the wing sections 102. The second wall 106 has a flange 107 extending orthogonally from and forming an L-shape with the second wall 106. Two flat guiding surfaces 108 are formed on adjacent sides of the second wall 106 and the flange 107.

The lip 46, 46A which extends from the lower end of the leg portion 45, 45A extends at an obtuse angle with respect to the leg portion 45, 45A. By way of example only, the obtuse angle may be an angle in the range of 120 to 160 degrees with respect to the distal end of the leg portion 45, 45A. The angle which the lip 46, 46A extends from the lower end of the leg portion 45, 45A facilitates the fluid runoff.

The component parts of the floor drain assembly 40, 40A of the present invention can be formed as a single section by extrusion, by bending, by injection moulding or any other known processes. Each floor drain assembly 40 can be is supplied in lengths designed to suit the longitudinal extent of the balcony. However, preferably the floor drain assembly 40 is supplied in standard lengths of 5.8 metres. Alternatively, each section comes in standard lengths of between 3.8 to 5.8 metres which can be cut to suit the individual size required for the balcony installation. The floor drain assembly 40, 40A is manufactured from a metal or plastics material. By way of example only, the metal material is 6063-T5 Aluminium, stainless steel, cooper, or the like. The plastics material is any hardened polymer material, for example, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), chlorinated polyvinyl chloride (CPVC), and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), among other plastics.

The component parts including the floor drain assemblies 40, 40A, the inserts 50, 50A, the endcaps 70, 70A, the outlet assembly 60, the connectors 80, 80A and the corner connectors 90, 90A may be constructed from dissimilar materials. For example, it may be preferable to produce the floor drain assemblies 40, 40A and the inserts 50, 50A from aluminium or stainless steel or similar materials for aesthetic and/or structural properties while the outlet assembly 60, the endcaps 70, 70A, the connectors 80, 80A and the corner connectors 90, 90A are formed from a plastic, such as PVC to decrease costs, ease manufacturing, and aid coupling to plumbing systems comprised of similar plastic materials.

A typical balcony installation will either consist of a drain running across the front edge of the balcony or running around all three free edges of the balcony. The first installation simply requires a plurality of floor drain assemblies 40, 40A connected together in an end-to-end fashion by connectors 80, 80A forming a sealable connection between adjacent ends of each floor drain assembly 40, 40A. Each end of the installation has an endcap 70, 70A coupled to the floor drain assemblies 40, 40A to form a liquid-tight seal therebetween. The second installation requires the drain assembly to navigate around a corner of the balcony. To move around the corners a corner connector 90, 90A is added to form a 90 degree angle between two floor drain assemblies 40, 40A to form a sealable connection therebetween.

While the present invention has been described and illustrated in relation to navigating around 90 degree corners it should also be understood that corner connectors which allow floor drain assemblies 40, 40A to navigate around a corner of any angle is possible without departing from the scope of exemplary embodiments described herein. For example, the corner connector and floor drain assemblies 40, 40A could be mitre cut to form an angle within the range of 10 to 170 degrees.

Advantages

The present invention provides a linear drain system for terminating installed tiles at the edges of balconies or terraces and for redirecting water away from the walls below.

The present invention provides a floor drain assembly which allows a strip drain to be mounted at the free edge of a balcony which can drain any water which lands on the balcony and therefore avoid any ponding of water on the balcony, which is important from a health and safety perspective. The present invention also incorporates an elongate edge assembly with a drip lip which aids in directing water away from the vertical face of the balcony and therefore avoiding any staining and moss build up on the vertical face of the balcony. This is one of the major sources of disputes between residents in multi-story residential buildings.

Variations

It will be realized that the foregoing has been given by way of illustrative example only and that all other modifications and variations as would be apparent to persons skilled in the art are deemed to fall within the broad scope and ambit of the invention as herein defined in the appended claims.

As used herein the term “and/or” means “and” or “or”, or both.

As used herein “(s)” following a noun means the plural and/or singular forms of the noun.

For the purposes of this application, the term “tiles” is understood as a generic term for panel-shaped covering material made of ceramic, natural or artificial stone. The term “thin-bed mortar” defines any type of adhesive and/or tile adhesive with which tiles can be laid using the so-called thin-bed method.

In this specification, adjectives such as first and second, left and right, top and bottom, and the like may be used solely to distinguish one element or action from another element or action without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order. Where the context permits, reference to an integer or a component or step (or the like) is not to be interpreted as being limited to only one of that integer, component, or step, but rather could be one or more of that integer, component, or step etc.

The above description of various embodiments of the present invention is provided for purposes of description to one of ordinary skill in the related art. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to a single disclosed embodiment. As mentioned above, numerous alternatives and variations to the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art of the above teaching. Accordingly, while some alternative embodiments have been discussed specifically, other embodiments will be apparent or relatively easily developed by those of ordinary skill in the art. The invention is intended to embrace all alternatives, modifications, and variations of the present invention that have been discussed herein, and other embodiments that fall within the scope of the above described invention.

In the specification the term “comprising” shall be understood to have a broad meaning similar to the term “including” and will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or step or group of integers or steps but not the exclusion of any other integer or step or group of integers or steps. This definition also applies to variations on the term “comprising” such as “comprise” and “comprises”.