STORMWATER DRAIN INSERTS

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/709,824 filed Oct. 21, 2024, which is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to stormwater drain inserts.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Conventional stormwater drain inserts are placed into the openings of stormwater drains under their grates to filter debris from runoff water.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides stormwater drain inserts that may include a bib with an adjustable outer frame and an inner support ring for supporting a removable filter bag. An annular seal flap may be provided around a central opening of the bib above the inner support ring. Overflow ports may be provided in the bib between the outer frame and the inner support ring.

An aspect of the present invention is to provide a stormwater drain insert assembly comprising a top bib including a flexible sheet of material with a peripheral frame and a central bib opening, a filter bag suspended below the top bib supported by the central bib opening, and at least one overflow port extending through the top bib located inwardly from the peripheral frame and outwardly from the central bib opening comprising a hood positioned over a port opening structured and arranged to direct water flow over the hood toward the central bib opening when water flows into the filter bag, and to allow backflow of water into the port opening when the water flow into the bag becomes restricted.

Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a stormwater drain bib insert comprising a flexible sheet of material with a peripheral frame and a central bib opening, and at least one overflow port extending through the bib located inwardly from the peripheral frame and outwardly from the central bib opening comprising a hood positioned over a port opening, wherein the hood of the at least one overflow port comprises an inward opening facing the central bib opening.

These and other aspects of the present invention will be more apparent from the following description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded isometric view of a rectangular stormwater drain insert in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention that may be installed under the grate of a stormwater drain.

FIG. 2 is a top isometric view of the stormwater drain insert of FIG. 1 in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a top view of the stormwater drain insert of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the stormwater drain insert of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a side view of the stormwater drain insert of FIG. 1 with a removable filter bag supported and suspended by a bib and support ring of the stormwater drain insert.

FIG. 6 is a top isometric view of a circular stormwater drain insert in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 6A is a top isometric view of a portion of the stormwater drain insert of FIG. 6 illustrating an overflow port.

FIG. 7 is a top view of the stormwater drain insert of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a bottom view of the stormwater drain insert of FIG. 6.

FIG. 9 is a side view of the stormwater drain insert of FIG. 6.

FIG. 10 is an isometric view of the circular stormwater drain insert of FIG. 6, illustrating an adjustable outer spring ring that may be installed in the outer periphery of the bib to provide an adjustable circular frame for the stormwater drain insert.

FIG. 11 is a top view of an inner support ring for supporting a removable filter bag in a stormwater drain insert.

FIG. 12 is a top view of the adjustable outer spring ring of FIG. 10 which provides the adjustable frame for the stormwater drain insert.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIGS. 1-5 illustrate a rectangular stormwater drain insert assembly 10 in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the stormwater drain insert assembly 10 may be installed in a stormwater drain 1 under its grate 2. As shown in FIGS. 1-5, the stormwater drain insert assembly 10 includes a bib 12 with an adjustable rectangular outer frame 14. The bib 12 comprises a flexible sheet of material 15 having a peripheral pocket 16 in which the rectangular adjustable frame 14 is inserted. Straps 28 are fastened to the outer peripheral edge of the bib 12 to facilitate lowering the stormwater drain insert assembly 10 into the stormwater drain 1, and removal therefrom. When the adjustable outer frame 14 of the stormwater drain insert bib 12 is rectangular, any suitable adjustment means may be used, such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 10,844,588, which is incorporated herein by reference.

The flexible sheet 15 may be a liquid impermeable fabric that extends inwardly from the frame 14. The flexible sheet 15 may comprise any suitable material, for example, polyurethane coated oxford cloth. A pocket 16 in the periphery of the sheet 15 encloses the adjustable frame 14. The peripheral pocket 16 may have a flat width of from 0.5 to 6 inches, for example, 3.5 inches.

The bib 12 has a central opening 17 surrounded by an annular seal flap 18 on its top surface. In the embodiment shown, the annular seal flap 19 includes four arc sections of slightly greater than 90° with overlapping radial slits therebetween. The annular seal flap 18 extends radially inward above the outer perimeter of a removable filter bag 30 to help direct water flow into the filter bag 30.

As shown in FIG. 5, the central opening 17 of the bib 12 has an inner pocket 19 that may be formed by multiple tabs of material 15 that are folded away from the central opening 17 and sewn or otherwise attached to the underside of the flexible sheet material 15 in which an inner support ring 20 is inserted. The inner support ring 20 may be made of metals such as steel, or any other suitable material.

The bib 12 includes overflow ports 22 extending through the flexible sheet 15. Each overflow port 22 includes a hood 24 with an arched opening 26. Port openings 27 are provided below each overflow port 22 through the flexible sheet 15 of the bib 12. In the embodiments shown in the figures, four overflow ports 22 are provided. However, any other suitable number of overflow ports may be used. The arched opening 26 of each overflow port 22 faces radially inward toward the center of the bib 12. If the filter bag 30 becomes full or blocked, stormwater will rise and flow through the overflow ports 22, bypassing the filter bag 30 but still directing flow into the stormwater drain 1. The hood 24 may be made of a flexible material having a peripheral edge that is sewn or otherwise secured to the upper surface of the bib 12. The inward facing opening 26 of the hood 24 is arched in the embodiment shown and may include an arched pocket receiving an arch support 29 therein. The arch support 29 may comprise a tube, a rod, a molded component or the like that may be made of any suitable material such as polymers including vinyl, polyethylene, nylon and the like, natural or synthetic rubber, and metals including stainless steel, aluminum and the like that may be coated, e.g., powder coated.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the filter bag 30 has a flexible or collapsible body 35. A support ring 32 is installed around an upper perimeter of the filter bag 30. An upper annular collar 33 is provided above the support ring 32. The support ring 32 may be inserted in a support ring pocket 34 formed between the upper annular collar 33 and the body 35 of the filter bag 30. An annular fabric seal 36 may be provided at the top of the body 35 below the support ring pocket 34. The filter bag 30 may include one or more layers of water-permeable fabric. Absorbent fingers 37 may be provided inside the body 35, and a strap 38 may be provided in order to drop the removable filter bag 30 into the central opening 17 of the bib 12, and to remove the filter bag 30 therefrom. For example, the filter bag 30 may be similar to the removable filter bags described in U.S. Pat. No. 10,844,588.

FIGS. 6-12 illustrate a circular stormwater drain insert 110 in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. The circular stormwater drain insert 110 shown in FIGS. 6-12 shares similar features with the rectangular stormwater drain insert assembly 10 shown in FIGS. 1-5, with similar element numbers used to depict similar features found in both the circular stormwater drain insert 110 and the rectangular stormwater drain insert 10. Although rectangular and circular stormwater drain inserts are described herein, any other suitable shape may be provided.

The circular stormwater drain insert 110 includes a circular bib 112 with an adjustable outer spring ring frame 114 located at the outer periphery of the bib 112. The adjustable spring ring frame 114 includes spring ring ends 114A and 114B. The adjustable spring ring frame 114 is inserted in a peripheral pocket 116 in the outer periphery of the bib 112. The adjustable ring 114 may have push-on end caps to facilitate adjustment, and may not require adjusting clips or clamps. The spring ring 114 allows the user to accommodate drain openings of various sizes and facilitates positioning and holding by outward tension within the opening wall of a round stormwater drain.

As shown in FIGS. 2, 6, 6A and 10, the arched openings 26 of the overflow ports 22 may have an arch height A_H and arch width A_W. The arch height A_H is measured in a direction normal to a plane of the sheet 15 of the bib 12, and the arch width A_W is measured in a direction parallel with the plane of the sheet 15 of the bib 12. The arch height A_H and arch width A_W may have an arch height to width radio A_H:A_W, which may be greater than 0:1, or greater than 0.05:1, or greater than 0.1:1, or greater than 0.2:1. The A_H:A_W ratio may be up to 3:1, or up to 2:1, or up to 1:1, or up to 0.5:1. The A_H:A_W ratio may range from 0.05:1 to 3:1, or from 0.1:1 to 2:1, or from 0.2:1 to 1:1, or from 0.2:1 to 0.5:1.

As further shown in FIGS. 2, 6, 6A and 10, at least a portion of each arched opening 26 may comprise a curved portion having a radius of curvate A_R. The central bib opening 17 may have a radius of curvature O_R. The radius of curvature A_R of the arched opening 26 and radius of curvature of the O_R of the central bib opening 17 may have a ratio A_R:O_R. The A_R:O_R ratio may typically be at least 0.01:1, or at least 0.05:1, or at least 0.1:1. The A_R:O_R ratio may be up to 10:1, or up to 5:1, or up to 1:1, or up to 0.8:1, or up to 0.5:1. The A_R:O_R ratio may range from 0.01:1 to 10:1, or from 0.05:1 to 5:1, or from 0.05:1 to 1:1, or from 0.1:1 to 0.8:1, or from 0.1:1 to 0.5:1.

As used herein, “including,” “containing” and like terms are understood in the context of this application to be synonymous with “comprising” and are therefore open-ended and do not exclude the presence of additional undescribed or unrecited elements, materials, phases or method steps. As used herein, “consisting of” is understood in the context of this application to exclude the presence of any unspecified element, material, phase or method step. As used herein, “consisting essentially of” is understood in the context of this application to include the specified elements, materials, phases, or method steps, where applicable, and to also include any unspecified elements, materials, phases, or method steps that do not materially affect the basic or novel characteristics of the invention.

Notwithstanding that the numerical ranges and parameters setting forth the broad scope of the invention are approximations, the numerical values set forth in the specific examples are reported as precisely as possible. Any numerical value, however, inherently contains certain errors necessarily resulting from the standard variation found in their respective testing measurements.

Also, it should be understood that any numerical range recited herein is intended to include all sub-ranges subsumed therein. For example, a range of “1 to 10” is intended to include all sub-ranges between (and including) the recited minimum value of 1 and the recited maximum value of 10, that is, having a minimum value equal to or greater than 1 and a maximum value of equal to or less than 10.

In this application, the use of the singular includes the plural and plural encompasses singular, unless specifically stated otherwise. In addition, in this application, the use of “or” means “and/or” unless specifically stated otherwise, even though “and/or” may be explicitly used in certain instances. In this application and the appended claims, the articles “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless expressly and unequivocally limited to one referent.

Whereas particular embodiments of this invention have been described above for purposes of illustration, it will be evident to those skilled in the art that numerous variations of the details of the present invention may be made without departing from the invention as defined in the appended claims.