Roof Drain Cover with Extended Flow Ring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional drain covers are prone to clogging due to debris accumulation, which impairs fluid flow and requires frequent maintenance, and they often have limited compatibility with various drain types, leading to inefficiencies in fluid drainage systems.
Innovation Solution
A drain cover design featuring a dome and skirt configuration with an extended outer flow ring, allowing for fluid flow even when debris accumulates, and a mount system for easy installation and compatibility with multiple drain types, including roof, floor, and street drains.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional drain covers are used with vertically-oriented members and gravel guards, then debris blockage is prevented, but fluid flow is impeded and clogging occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional design by using horizontally-oriented members instead of vertically-oriented members. The horizontal members create open spaces that allow both fluid flow and debris passage, eliminating the clogging problem while maintaining blockage prevention. This inversion of the structural orientation resolves the contradiction between preventing blockage and maintaining flow capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of the cover structure by eliminating the gravel guard and using horizontal members with specific spacing and dimensions. These parameter changes optimize the balance between debris prevention and fluid flow, allowing the cover to maintain reliability while improving productivity through enhanced flow capability.
2Reliability
If typical drain covers are fastened to drains, then protection is provided, but compatibility with various drain types is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs the cover with a universal mounting system that can accommodate various drain types including roof drains, floor drains, and street drains. The cover structure and mounting mechanism are designed to be adaptable to different geometries and configurations, providing protection across multiple applications without requiring drain-specific customization.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates a flexible mounting system that can adapt to different drain configurations. The mounting mechanism allows for adjustment and accommodation of various drain types, providing dynamic adaptability while maintaining secure protection. This enables the same cover design to be universally applied across different drain scenarios.
3Reliability
If gravel guards are installed at the base of covers, then small debris is blocked, but fluid flow into the cover is severely impeded
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the gravel guard component entirely from the design. By extracting this element, the patent eliminates the flow impediment it created while relying on the horizontal member configuration to provide adequate debris blocking functionality. This extraction resolves the contradiction by removing the harmful element without compromising the beneficial debris blocking capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements debris blocking functionality through the horizontal members positioned at strategic locations within the cover structure. Rather than using a gravel guard at the base, the horizontal members provide localized blocking where needed while maintaining open flow paths, achieving small debris blocking without impeding fluid flow into the cover.
Data Source
AI summary
A cover for a drain. The cover may be used with roof drains or other drains and allow for fluid collection into the drain even with buildup of debris around or on the cover. The cover may have a lower flange or skirt portion with a large area and extending outwardly in an arcuate or polygonal configuration and having openings for fluid flow. The lower portion may be oriented at a positive, zero, or negative angle with respect to the horizontal. The lower portion may be wider than a drain body over which the cover is used. An upper portion may be connected to the lower portion and may be more vertically-oriented than the lower portion and having openings.