Drainage device for panels

Abstract

The invention relates to a drainage device (1) for draining liquid from the top surface (D) of a panel (2) to side surfaces (S) of the panel (2) which adjoin the top surface (D) with or without a chamfer, wherein said device is formed from a plate-like basic body (3) which has, on one side, a planar bearing surface (A) for adhesive fastening to the side surface (S) of the panel (2) and, on the opposite side, a drainage surface for draining the liquid, wherein two drainage tangs (4A, 4B) protruding from the plate-like basic body (3) at a right angle to the bearing surface (A) are provided from an upper end region of the basic body (3) for bearing on the top surface (D) of the panel (2) or the chamfer thereof.

Description

[0001] Drainage device for slabs

[0002] The invention relates to a drainage device for draining liquid from the top surface of a plate to side surfaces of the plate which are adjacent to the top surface with or without a bevel, according to the preamble of claim 1.

[0003] The slabs can be floor slabs made of wood, concrete, porcelain stoneware, ceramic, or natural stone, even in the form of tiles. To create patio surfaces, such slabs are laid on a water-absorbing and / or water-draining base layer in a laying plane with joints to allow rainwater or meltwater to drain into the joints and into the base layer. In practice, however, it has been shown that, particularly with slabs in the form of ceramic tiles, accumulations of liquid can form on the top surface of the slabs that do not drain into the joints. If these accumulations of liquid are not removed manually using a squeegee, scrubber, broom, or absorbent material such as a cloth, it can sometimes take days for them to evaporate naturally.In winter, meltwater can freeze at certain temperatures. In both cases, these accumulations of liquid can pose a slip hazard for people and lead to injuries. Furthermore, residues can remain after evaporation, causing visual impairment or unwanted contamination.

[0004] Therefore, in European patent EP 3284878 B1, the applicant proposed a drainage device with a joint anchoring shaft and laterally protruding drainage spikes. This device, with its joint anchoring shaft, can be inserted into the joints between two adjacent slabs. Its drainage spikes rest on the top surface of a slab, drain liquid from the top surface of the slabs. However, drainage devices of this type have the disadvantage that the drainage spikes can deform during use, or the fit of the drainage device in the joint between two slabs can loosen over time, so that the drainage spikes no longer rest on the top surface and drainage no longer occurs.

[0005] It is therefore an object of the invention to avoid these disadvantages and to propose a device by means of which a liquid, and in particular water, can be reliably drained from the top surface of plates over the entire duration of their use.

[0006] This object is achieved by the features of claim 1. Claim 1 relates according to the invention to a drainage device for draining liquid from the top surface of a plate to side surfaces of the plate which border on the top surface with or without a bevel, wherein it is proposed that it is formed from a plate-shaped base body which has on one side a flat contact surface for adhesive attachment to the side surface of the plate and on the opposite side a drainage surface for draining the liquid, wherein from an upper end region of the base body two drainage mandrels protruding from the plate-shaped base body at a right angle to the contact surface are provided for resting on the top surface of the plate or its bevel.It has been shown that the disadvantages of known designs are due to the fact that the panels are sometimes mounted with slight movement relative to each other in their installation plane. This slight movement leads to deformation of the drainage mandrels during use, or the drainage device's fit in the joint between two panels becoming loose over time. With the contact surface that can be attached to one side of the panel, these disadvantages are avoided because the drainage device now moves with the panel when the panel moves.The two drainage mandrels thus always rest reliably on the top surface, ensuring that drainage of the top surface is no longer compromised, even if the slab moves. The drainage device can be brought into working condition by attaching it to the side surface of the slab to be drained, with the two drainage mandrels resting, at least in sections, on the bevel or the top surface of the slab. Due to the high surface tension of water, water accumulation can reach the bevel of the slab without draining into the joint.By placing the drainage mandrels on the bevel or the top surface of the plate, contact is created between the drainage mandrels and the liquid, which reduces the surface tension of the water due to the adhesion forces that occur between the water accumulation and the protruding drainage mandrels during the interfacial tension between solid and liquid, and thus allows the water to flow away via the drainage surface of the base body and thus towards the side surface of the plate.

[0007] The drainage device according to the invention for draining liquid from the top surface of a panel to the side surfaces of the panel is used in such a way that it is glued to a side surface of the panel with the flat contact surface of its plate-shaped base body, with the two drainage mandrels resting on the top surface or bevel of the panel. The flat contact surface for adhesive attachment to the side surface of the panel is located on the side of the base body facing the protruding drainage mandrels. This allows the drainage device to be inserted from above into the sometimes quite narrow joint between two already laid panels, and an adhesive surface prepared on the contact surface can be pressed against the side surface of the panel until the adhesive bond has sufficiently cured.Of course, the drainage device can also be attached before the slab is laid; however, it is advantageous if an already laid terrace surface can also be retrofitted with a drainage device according to the invention. The adhesive surface can be prepared by applying a suitable, preferably fast-curing, adhesive to the contact surface immediately before bonding. Alternatively, it would also be conceivable for the manufacturer to provide an adhesive surface covered with a protective film that can be removed immediately before bonding to the contact surface. In both cases, it is advantageous if the contact surface has a recess for receiving the adhesive.

[0008] The two drainage mandrels taper in their laterally projecting sections from the base body of the drainage device toward their free ends and preferably each terminate in a pointed end, which facilitates the drainage of liquid from the top surface of the slab. It is preferably proposed that the drainage mandrels taper progressively toward their free ends, both horizontally and vertically. The overlying drainage mandrels are thus barely noticeable when walking on the slabs and are otherwise barely noticeable.

[0009] A preferred embodiment of the drainage device according to the invention further provides that the base body and the two drainage spikes projecting from the upper end region of the base body are designed symmetrically to a central plane of symmetry of the base body. In such an embodiment, it can also be provided that the drainage surface in the upper end region of the base body between the two drainage spikes has a V-shaped outer contour, toward which the drainage surface increasingly tapers in order to more efficiently drain liquid from the top surface of the projecting drainage spikes.

[0010] In order to facilitate the insertion of the drainage device between two already laid panels, even without a separate pressing tool, it is proposed that a web be formed on the drainage surface of the base body, running centrally between the two drainage mandrels, onto which web a handle is formed that projects beyond the drainage mandrels, wherein the handle is formed onto the web via a predetermined breaking point arranged below the two drainage mandrels. The handle firstly facilitates the insertion of the drainage device into the joint between two already laid panels and also enables the adhesive surface provided on the contact surface to be pressed against the side surface of the panel. After the adhesive has hardened, the handle can be broken off via the predetermined breaking point, whereby the predetermined breaking point is arranged below the two drainage mandrels and thus remains hidden in the joint where it is no longer noticeable.

[0011] An insertion aid tapering from the lower end of the base body further facilitates the insertion of the drainage device into the joint between two already laid panels.

[0012] In order to make the drainage mandrels as inconspicuous as possible, it is further proposed that at least the drainage mandrels be made of a transparent plastic.

[0013] The surface finish of the protruding drainage spikes plays a role in the efficiency of the liquid drainage. Design variants include a smooth, roughened, or nanostructured surface. This type of surface

[0014] Adhesion forces between the liquid on the top surface of the plate and the drainage spikes promote accelerated drainage of the liquid. A drainage channel in the drainage spike in the form of a capillary would also be conceivable to further promote drainage effectiveness.

[0015] The invention will be explained in more detail below using an exemplary embodiment with the aid of the accompanying drawings.

[0016] Fig. 1 shows a first embodiment of a drainage device according to the invention for draining liquids from plates in a perspective view with a molded handle,

[0017] Fig. 2 is a view of the contact surface of the drainage device according to Fig. 1,

[0018] Fig. 3 is a view of the drainage surface of the drainage device according to Fig. 1,

[0019] Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the drainage device according to Fig. 1 without handle,

[0020] Fig. 5 is a view of the contact surface of the drainage device according to Fig. 4,

[0021] Fig. 6 is a view of the drainage surface of the drainage device according to Fig. 4, and the

[0022] Fig. 7 is a side view of the drainage device according to the invention in use, in which it is attached to a side surface of a plate.

[0023] Figure 1 shows a drainage device 1 according to the invention for draining liquids, in particular water, from the

[0024] CORRECTED SHEET (RULE 91) ISA / EP Cover surface D of plates 2. The drainage device 1 comprises a base body 3, which is plate-shaped and has, on the one hand, a flat contact surface A for adhesive attachment to the side surface S of the plate 2 (see also Fig. 2) and, on the other hand, a drainage surface for draining off the liquid, as can be seen in Fig. 1 and Fig. 3. At the upper end region of the base body 3, two drainage mandrels 4A, 4B projecting in the same direction are arranged, which in the illustrated embodiment are arranged symmetrically to a central plane of symmetry E of the base body 3 (see also Fig. 3) and each have a free end section 5A, 5B facing away from the base body 3.

[0025] Figure 2 shows the contact surface A of the drainage device 1 according to Figure 1, wherein it can be seen in particular that the contact surface A has a recess 6 for receiving adhesive. In Figures 1 and 3 it can be seen in particular that a web 8 running centrally between the two drainage mandrels 4A, 4B is formed on the drainage surface of the base body 3. At the upper end of the web 8, a handle 9 is formed which projects beyond the drainage mandrels 4A, 4B, wherein the handle 9 is formed on the web 8 via a predetermined breaking point 10 arranged below the two drainage mandrels 4A, 4B, as indicated by the dashed line in Figure 6. Furthermore, it can be seen that the drainage surface in the upper end region of the base body 3 between the two drainage mandrels 4A, 4B has a V-shaped outer contour, towards which the drainage surface increasingly tapers in order to be able to drain liquid from the cover surface D of the plates 2 more efficiently.It can also be seen that a tapered insertion aid 7 is provided from a lower end region of the base body 3 in order to facilitate the insertion of the drainage device 1 between two already laid panels 2. Figs. 4-6 show the embodiment of the drainage device 1 according to Figs. 1-3, but without the handle 9. As already explained, the handle 9 firstly facilitates the insertion of the drainage device 1 into the joint between two already laid panels 2 and also enables the adhesive surface provided on the contact surface A to be pressed against the side surface S of the panel 2. After the adhesive has hardened, the handle 9 can be broken off via the predetermined breaking point 10, resulting in the configuration of Figs. 4-6. Since the predetermined breaking point 10 is arranged below the two drainage mandrels 4A, 4B, it remains hidden in the joint and is therefore no longer noticeable.

[0026] A specific embodiment provides that the drainage device 1 is made of a transparent plastic so that it is hardly visible.

[0027] Fig. 7 shows the drainage device 1 in a state of use in which it has been attached to a side surface S of a plate 2. The two drainage mandrels 4A, 4B rest at least in sections on the top surface D of the plate 2. By the drainage mandrels 4A, 4B resting on the top surface D of the plate 2, contact is established between the respective drainage mandrel 4A, 4B and the liquid, which reduces the surface tension of the water due to the adhesion forces occurring during the interfacial tension between solid and liquid between the water accumulation and the protruding drainage mandrel 4A, 4B and thus enables the water to flow away in the direction of the base body 3 and thus in the direction of the side surface S.

[0028] The invention ensures that when the plate moves, the drainage device 1 now moves with the plate 2. The two drainage mandrels 4A, 4B thus always rest reliably on the cover surface D, so that the drainage of the cover surface D is no longer impaired even when the plate 2 moves.

Claims

PATENT CLAIMS 1. Drainage device (1) for draining liquid from the top surface (D) of a plate (2) to side surfaces (S) of the plate (2), which adjoin the top surface (D) with or without a bevel, characterized in that it is formed from a plate-shaped base body (3) which has on one side a flat contact surface (A) for adhesive attachment to the side surface (S) of the plate (2) and on the opposite side a drainage surface for draining the liquid, wherein from an upper end region of the base body (3) two drainage mandrels (4A, 4B) protruding from the plate-shaped base body (3) at a right angle to the contact surface (A) are provided for resting on the top surface (D) of the plate (2) or its bevel.

2. Drainage device according to claim 1, characterized in that the contact surface (A) has a recess (6) for receiving adhesive.

3. Drainage device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the drainage mandrels (4A, 4B) taper increasingly towards their free ends (5A, 5B) both in the horizontal direction and in the vertical direction.

4. Drainage device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the base body (3) and the two drainage mandrels (4A, 4B) projecting from the upper end region of the base body (3) are designed symmetrically to a central plane of symmetry (E) of the base body (3).

5. Drainage device according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the drainage surface in the upper end region of the base body (3) between the two Drainage mandrels (4A, 4B) have a V-shaped outer contour towards which the drainage surface increasingly tapers.

6. Drainage device (4) according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that on the drainage surface of the base body (3) a web (8) is formed which runs centrally between the two drainage mandrels (4A, 4B), on which web a handle (9) projecting beyond the drainage mandrels (4A, 4B) is formed, wherein the handle (9) on the web (8) via a predetermined breaking point arranged below the two drainage mandrels (4A, 4B) (10) is formed.

7. Drainage device according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that an insertion aid (7) tapering from a lower end region of the base body (3) is provided. 8;Dewatering device according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that at least the drainage mandrels (4A, 4B) are made of a transparent plastic.

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