Grate and method for producing a grate

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a grate for a street and / or yard drain having the features of claim 1 as well as a manhole frame with the grate and a method for producing the grate.

[0002] A manhole cover is known from EP 1 031 664 A1. The manhole cover described therein consists of a central cover part with a center and a thickness that varies radially from the center according to an exponential or parabolic function. An intermediate cover part surrounds the central cover part and has a substantially uniform thickness. An outer bearing section surrounds the intermediate cover part and has a greater thickness than the intermediate cover part. A grate is disclosed in CN 209 163 015 U.

[0003] The prior art thus exhibits increased material consumption. The object of the present invention is to save material and costs.

[0004] According to the invention, this object is achieved by the features of the independent claims.

[0005] Specifically, this task is solved by a grate for a street or yard drain. The grate has an interior with drainage openings. Furthermore, the grate has a border area surrounding the interior.

[0006] Several, in particular all, of the drainage openings each have a polygonal peripheral contour. The drainage openings each have a center. The centers of the drainage openings are distributed irregularly throughout the interior.

[0007] The invention has the advantage that the polygonal design of the drain openings allows material and thus costs to be saved.

[0008] The grating can be a point drain grate. In the example of the point drain grate, the edge area can completely surround the interior. The point drain grate can be designed, in particular, to cover a complementary shaft frame. Connection to other gratings is not intended. In this case, corresponding access points can be arranged on one or two opposite sides, particularly on the top of the grate, to allow the point drain grate to be lifted.

[0009] The edge area can be provided as the outer bearing section of the grating, for example, to rest on the shaft frame. The edge area may, for example, not have any drainage openings. However, the edge area may have elevations that are also polygonal in shape. The centers of the elevations may also be irregularly distributed across the edge. Overall, the centers of the elevations and the centers of the drainage openings may be irregularly distributed across the entire area of the grating.

[0010] This can, for example, increase the stability of the grate.

[0011] The term polygonal circumferential contour can be understood here as a circumferential contour whose shape is determined by a polygon, i.e. a closed line in the form of a polygon with more than three corners.

[0012] In particular, the drainage openings can form preferably asymmetrical and / or irregular polygons distributed across the interior of the grate in a plan view of a top and / or bottom of the grate. Likewise, the elevations can form preferably asymmetrical and / or irregular polygons distributed across the edge region of the grate in a plan view of the top and / or bottom of the grate. Thus, viewed together, the drainage openings and the elevations can form preferably asymmetrical and / or irregular polygons distributed across the entire area of the grate in a plan view of the top and / or bottom of the grate.

[0013] Advantageous embodiments of the invention are specified in the subclaims.

[0014] The respective polygonal peripheral contours of the several, in particular all, drain openings can differ from one another, particularly in their shape. Preferably, one and the same polygon, particularly in its shape, can only occur once on the grate.

[0015] The uneven shape can, for example, improve the stability of the grate.

[0016] The centers of the drainage openings can coincide in a plan view of the top and bottom of the grate. The centers of the drainage openings or polygons can preferably be randomly distributed over the interior of the grate in a plan view of the top and / or bottom of the grate. The polygon-shaped peripheral contours can differ in a plan view of the top of the grate from the polygon-shaped peripheral contours in a plan view of the bottom of the grate. In particular, several, for example all, drainage openings can form a funnel or widen in a preferred direction, for example enlarging from the top of the grate to the bottom of the grate, in particular conically.

[0017] This can save weight and improve the stability of the grate.

[0018] The drainage openings can depict Voronoi regions in a plan view of the top and / or bottom of the grate. In particular, the interior region can be designed as a Voronoi diagram. Here, the drainage openings are the Voronoi regions and webs between the drainage openings are boundaries between the Voronoi regions. Preferably, the boundaries between the Voronoi regions can be depicted or formed by uniform web widths. In particular, the webs between the drainage openings have the same web widths. In the case of point drainage grates, in particular, only identical web widths can be provided. This can mean a web width in certain sections. For example, the web widths on the top side of the grate can be the same. The web widths on the bottom side of the grate can also be the same. In this case, the web widths on the top side of the grate can differ from the web widths on the bottom side of the grate.

[0019] Voronoi regions can be a decomposition of a surface or space. A predetermined set of points on the surface or space can be determined, which are referred to herein as the centers of the drainage openings. Each Voronoi region is determined by exactly one center and includes all points on the surface or space that, with respect to the Euclidean metric, are closer to the center of the Voronoi region than to any other center. A Voronoi diagram, also called a Thiessen polygon or Dirichlet decomposition, can be formed from all points that have more than one nearest center and thus form the boundaries of the Voronoi regions. The boundaries can be, as described above, the respective webs, also called ribs, between the drainage openings.

[0020] The bars can have an inverted lobe-shaped cross-section with a bevel on all sides. In particular, the bars can taper from the top to the bottom of the grating. This allows for material savings without sacrificing load-bearing capacity.

[0021] Accordingly, the bars are wider in the compression area, namely the top side as the tread surface, than in the tension area, namely the underside of the grate. The intermediate section of each bar can be wider than the first section of the respective bar and the second section of the respective bar. The first section can define a section from the top side of the grate to the intermediate section. The second section can define a section from the intermediate section to the underside of the grate. The intermediate section can thus be a section between the first section and the second section of the respective bar.

[0022] Thus, the intermediate section of the respective webs can be located between the top side of the grate and the bottom side of the grate. In this case, a width, in particular the web width, of the respective webs at the intermediate section or a width, in particular the web width, of the intermediate section can be greater than a width, in particular the web width, of the respective webs at the first and / or second section or a width, in particular the web width, of the first and / or second section. Overall, a width, in particular the web width, of the respective webs from the top side of the grate to the bottom side of the grate can increase in the first section and decrease in the second section, so that the width, in particular the web width, of the respective webs is narrower on the bottom side of the grate than on the top side of the grate. In this case, the intermediate section can be understood as a turning point between the first and second sections.

[0023] The drainage openings may be polygonal. The drainage openings may have more than four corners, in particular five or six corners.

[0024] Thus, the uneven shape of the drain opening distribution can be used in a variety of ways for grates.

[0025] Corresponding corners and edges of the drain openings can be rounded. Likewise, transitions from the drain openings to the top and / or bottom of the grate can form bulges or rounded sections. Preferably, corresponding corners and edges of the drain openings at the corresponding transitions to the top and / or bottom of the grate can form the corresponding bulges or rounded sections. For example, the bulges / rounded sections can not extend beyond the top and / or bottom.

[0026] This can counteract notch stress.

[0027] The inner region may have a thickness that changes from a center of the grate or from a center of the inner region towards the edge or towards the edge region, preferably changing uniformly and in particular becoming smaller.

[0028] This allows for better load distribution on the grate.

[0029] In contrast to the edge region, the inner region can thus be bulbous or curved, i.e. have a bulbous shape / curvature. In particular, the point drain grate can thus have a variable thickness in the horizontal direction from the center of the grate to the edge of the grate. In particular, a plane or flat upper side and a curved lower side can be provided for at least the inner region of the grate. This is to be understood to mean that the upper side and the lower side of at least the inner region of the grate are not parallel to one another. The drain openings can differ from one another in at least one dimension from the inner region to the edge region, for example in their hole circumference and / or hole depth. The hole circumference and / or hole depth can become smaller from the inner region to the edge region, preferably from the center of the inner region towards the edge of the inner region.

[0030] The edge region can have a horizontal support surface, preferably formed in the circumferential direction of the grate, in particular for resting on the shaft frame. Furthermore, the edge region can have vertical edging surfaces, preferably offset or interrupted in the circumferential direction of the grate. The edging surfaces can extend in the thickness direction of the grate. In the circumferential direction of the grate, several gaps, in particular interruptions, can be present between the edging surfaces.

[0031] Dirt that accumulates over time at the edge can become compacted, causing the grate to become more firmly seated in the mount. This often requires increased force to lift the grate. To counteract this, the edge can be interrupted.

[0032] In addition to saving weight, this also reduces the amount of dirt and sand getting between the grate and the drain body, especially the shaft frame.

[0033] The grate can further have one or more support ribs. The one or more support ribs can extend from the inner region of the grate to the edge region of the grate, in particular to the edging surfaces. In this case, the support ribs can be directly connected to the edging surfaces and extend into the inner region. The support ribs can extend parallel to the upper side of the grate. This can provide additional support for the curvature. In particular, the support ribs can be aligned with the webs of the grate or the webs of the inner region of the grate. In this case, each support rib can be aligned with a respective web. For example, the support ribs can explicitly not be arranged at the corners of the grate or the edging surfaces of the grate, as no stabilizing effect is necessary here. On the other hand, the support ribs can be located on the edges of the grate orThe edges of the grate extend into the interior of the grate. This allows for additional material savings.

[0034] The thickness of the respective support ribs can be greater than a minimum grating thickness, for example, at the edge area, or 1.5 times or 2 times the minimum grating thickness. The thickness of the respective support ribs can be less than a maximum grating thickness, for example, at the center of the grating, or less than 3 / 4 or 1 / 2 of the maximum grating thickness, especially at the center of the grating. The above-mentioned task is also achieved by a manhole frame for a street and / or yard drain with a grating as described above.

[0035] The above-mentioned object is also achieved by a method for producing a grate, preferably as described above. The method comprises applying a mathematical method based on a Delaunay algorithm prior to production. The method further comprises producing a casting mold based on a result of the mathematical method. The method further comprises pouring a metallic melt into the casting mold. The method further comprises solidifying the metallic melt in the casting mold to provide the grate.

[0036] The invention has the advantage that the upstream mathematical process results in weight reduction, material savings and, derived from this, cost savings.

[0037] The Voronoi algorithm can advantageously be used as a mathematical algorithm. In particular, tessalation, i.e., the subdivision of a plane into sub-planes, can be used. Starting from a finite number of generator points in two- or multi-dimensional space, the Voronoi algorithm can divide the space or surface into regions.

[0038] A two-dimensional Voronoi region can contain all points of the surface that are closer to the corresponding generator point than to any other generator point. Boundary lines can therefore arise between the regions, formed by points that are equidistant from two or more generator points. The associated Voronoi diagram can be generated more or less randomly. The generator points can be freely chosen or randomly selected for the process. In particular, the interior of the grate can have the shape or appearance of a Voronoi diagram after production. This can also apply to the entire grate area.

[0039] An optimal thickness of the above-mentioned curvature can also be set by applying a finite element method prior to, simultaneously with, or after the mathematical method.

[0040] This allows for a uniform stress distribution despite the irregular pattern caused by the Voronoi diagram. Deflection can also be limited primarily to the central region and evenly distributed.

[0041] Furthermore, a computer program is provided. The computer program comprises instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to carry out the method or steps of the method as described above.

[0042] Furthermore, a computer-readable data carrier is provided herein. The computer program, as described above, can be stored on the computer-readable data carrier.

[0043] In other words, the invention relates to a grate with a bionic structure. In particular, the distribution of the drainage openings is modeled on or corresponds to a bionic structure. In bionics, processes, structures, and movement sequences are abstracted from nature in such a way that they can be applied in a technical sense.

[0044] By using the polygonal design of the drainage openings in the bionic structure, the grate weight can be reduced to approximately 70% of that of a conventional grate of the same dimensions. This demonstrates that the bionic structure saves material and thus also reduces costs.

[0045] Although some of the aspects described above have been described with reference to the grate, these aspects may also apply to the manhole frame and the method. Likewise, the aspects described above with reference to the method may apply correspondingly to the grate and the manhole frame.

[0046] The invention is explained in more detail using exemplary embodiments with reference to the attached schematic figures.

[0047] In these show Fig. 1 shows a spatial view of a point drain grate; Fig. 2 shows a cross-section of the point drain grate; Fig. 3 shows a plan view of a top side of the point drain grate; Fig. 4 shows a side view of the point drain grate; and Fig. 5 shows a plan view of a bottom side of the point drain grate.

[0048] The point drain grate 10 is an example of the grate generally described herein. Thus, some of the aspects described below with respect to the point drain grate 10 may also apply to the grate in general. Fig. 1 bis 5 various views of the point drain grate 10 are shown schematically.

[0049] In the Fig. 1 bis 5 The point drain grate 10 is shown in a square basic shape. Other shapes, such as rectangular or round, are also possible. In particular, the point drain grate 10 is designed for a street drain or yard drain and, as such, can be inserted into a corresponding shaft frame.

[0050] For this purpose, the point drain grate 10 has surrounds that are offset inward from one edge of the point drain grate 10 in a manner complementary to the shaft frame and arranged along a circumferential direction of the point drain grate 10. The surrounds protrude vertically from the underside of the point drain grate 10, see. Fig. 1 , 2 and 4 .

[0051] The surrounds have corresponding surround surfaces 12, which are spaced apart from one another to prevent dirt from entering from the outside and to simplify lifting the point drain grate 10 from the shaft frame. The surround surfaces 12 are distributed along the edge region 14. For example, the surround surfaces 12 are approximately equally spaced from one another, also referred to as a gap, and preferably run along the edge region 14, i.e., in the circumferential direction of the point drain grate 10. The gaps between the surround surfaces 12 can also be, for example, larger than 0.5 times or 1 times a dimension, length or width, of one of the surround surfaces 12.

[0052] The point drain grate 10 essentially has two sections: an inner section 13 with drainage openings 11 and an edge section 14 surrounding and delimiting the inner section. The edge section 14 can be considered closed. Thus, the point drain grate 10 can consist of these two sections 13, 14.

[0053] The drainage openings 11 located in the interior area 13 are modeled after a bionic structure and each have a polygonal peripheral contour. The resulting polygons together form a so-called Voronoi diagram, see. Fig. 3 . The polygons are distributed over the interior area 13 in the form of the drainage openings 11.

[0054] The Voronoi diagram can be created prior to grate production using a mathematical method. The Voronoi diagram thus serves to prepare for the production of the point drain grate 10. For this purpose, the centers of the Voronoi regions forming the Voronoi diagram can be randomly determined. This can be done using a random algorithm. The centers can thus be determined randomly or freely before the corresponding algorithm is executed. The mathematical method can include a Delaunay triangulation, which creates the corresponding Voronoi diagrams.

[0055] This method, in particular the preceding mathematical method, does not have to be limited to the interior region 13. Rather, the method can refer to the entire surface, in particular the top and / or bottom of the point drain grate 10, or to the entire area of the point drain grate 10. Thus, the edge region 14 can be included in the creation of the Voronoi diagram. Instead of the drainage openings 11, elevations 15 are formed that protrude from the top of the point drain grate 10.

[0056] The drainage openings 11 and the elevations 15 are polygonal, particularly pentagonal, in shape. The inner corners of the drainage openings 11 and the outer corners of the elevations 15 are each rounded to avoid corresponding stresses.

[0057] The interior area 13 has, as in Fig. 2 explicitly shown, a thickness that varies across the inner region, in particular a thickness that is not constant across the inner region 13. The thickness becomes smaller at the transition from inner region 13 to edge region 14. In Fig. 2 Various dimensions a to g are shown as examples. Here, a is a grating thickness, b is an engagement depth, c is a first section depth, d is a dimension from engagement to engagement, e is a thickness of the elevations, f is a maximum thickness of the point drain grate 10 and g is a first dimension of one of the engagements. α and β describe chamfer angles of the corresponding recesses for engagement (α) and drainage openings (β). The chamfer angles α and β can each be around 15°, 20° or 25° or assume a value in between, i.e. between 15° and 20°, between 20° and 25° or 15° to 25°. In addition, angles around 20° in the range from 17.5° to 22.5° are possible.

[0058] In Fig. 2 It is further illustrated how the webs 16 of the point drain grate 10 extend conically downward in the interior region 13. In the first section c, the webs 16 may widen slightly in the direction from the top to the bottom of the point drain grate 10 due to the chamfer. The webs 16 taper down to the bottom of the point drain grate 10.

[0059] Furthermore, the point drain grate has 10 equal web widths forming the boundaries between the Voronoi regions, as indicated by the numbers in Fig. 3 represented symbolically. This can apply to both the top and bottom sides. The web widths on the top and bottom sides differ.

[0060] Fig. 4 further shows a side view of the point drain grate 10. This shows exemplary chamfer angles µ 1 of the edges of the point drain grate 10, µ 2 of the edging surfaces 12 at the edges of the point drain grate 10, and µ 3 of the edging surfaces 12 at the corners of the point drain grate 10. The chamfer angles µ 1 , µ 2 , and µ 3 can each be around 15°, 20°, or 25°, or a value in between, i.e., between 15° and 20°, between 20° and 25°, or 15° to 25°. Angles around 20° in the range from 17.5° to 22.5° are also possible.

[0061] In a further supplementary or additional design, the point drain grate can have 10 additional elements. Fig. 5 A top view of an underside of the point drain grate 10 is shown.

[0062] In Fig. 5 The point drain grate 10 has support ribs 17. The support ribs 17 serve to support the curvature in the interior area 13. The support ribs 17 are aligned with the webs 16, see. Fig. 5 . In particular, the support ribs 17 can extend from the edging surfaces 12 arranged at the edges of the grate into the interior area.

[0063] Thus, the support ribs 17 form a smooth transition from the edging surfaces 12 to the webs 16. The supports 17 can have a constant thickness along their length. Preferably, the support ribs 17 are formed parallel to the top side of the point drain grate 10. Similar to the distribution of the webs 16, the support ribs 17 can be randomly directed away from the edging surfaces 12 toward the interior area 13 of the point drain grate 10.

[0064] Overall, it should be noted that a grate, especially as a point drain grate 10 according to Fig. 1 bis 5, with drainage openings in the form of a bionic structure in the sense of a Voronoi diagram, brings considerable material savings.

[0065] This can reduce the cost of a grate.

[0066] At this point, it should be noted that all parts described above, viewed individually and in any combination, particularly the details shown in the drawings, are claimed as essential to the invention. Modifications to these are familiar to those skilled in the art. List of reference symbols

[0067] 10Point drain grate 11Drain openings 12Edging areas 13Interior area 14Edge area 15Elevations 16Bridges 17Support ribs

Claims

1. Grate (10) for a road or yard drain with an inner area (13) having drainage openings (11) and an edge area (14) surrounding the inner area (13), wherein a plurality of drainage openings (11), in particular all thereof, each have a polygonal peripheral contour with a respective center, and wherein the centers of the drainage openings (11) are distributed irregularly in the inner area (13).

2. Grate (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that the respective polygonal peripheral contours of the plurality of drainage openings (11) differ from one another.

3. Grate (10) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that centers of the drainage openings (11) coincide in a top view of the top side and bottom side of the grate (10).

4. Grate (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the drainage openings (11) form Voronoi regions in a top view of the top side and / or bottom side of the grate (10).

5. Grate (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that webs between the drainage openings have the same web widths.

6. Grate (10) according to claim 5, characterized in that the webs have an inverted club-shaped cross-sectional area with a chamfer on all sides.

7. Grate (10) according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the grate has one or more support ribs which extend from the inner region of the grate to the edge region of the grate and are aligned with the webs.

8. Grate (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the drainage openings (11) are of polygonal design, and in that the drainage openings (11) have more than four corners.

9. Grate (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that corresponding corners of the drainage openings (11) are rounded.

10. Grate (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the inner area (13) has a thickness that changes away from a center of the grate (10) or away from a center of the inner area (13) toward the edge or edge area (14).

11. Grate (10) according to claim 10, characterized in that the thickness decreases uniformly from the center of the inner area (13) toward the edge of the inner area (13).

12. Grate (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the inner area (13) of the grate (10) has a belly shape.

13. Grate (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the edge area (14) has a horizontal supporting surface and vertical rim surfaces (12), in that the rim surfaces (12) extend in the thickness direction of the grate (10) and in that there are multiple gaps between the rim surfaces (12) in the circumferential direction of the grate (10).

14. Manhole frame for a road and / or yard drain, characterized in that the manhole frame has a grate (10) according to one of the preceding claims.

15. Method for producing a grate (10) according to one of claims 1 to 13, characterized by applying a mathematical method based on a Delaunay algorithm prior to production; manufacturing a casting mold based on a result of the mathematical method; casting a molten metal into the casting mold; and solidifying the molten metal in the casting mold to provide the grate.

16. Computer program, characterized in that the computer program comprises instructions which, when the program is executed by a computer, cause the computer to execute the method or the steps of the mathematical method prior to production according to claim 15.

17. Computer-readable data carrier, characterized in that the computer program according to claim 16 is stored on the computer-readable data carrier.