Narrow Deck Drain System with Modular Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional deck drains are unsightly, prone to clogging, and difficult to maintain, with wide top openings that occupy visual space around pools and recreational water sources, posing safety risks due to potential overflow from clogs.
Innovation Solution
A deck drain system featuring a narrow top opening, modular design with slanted upper walls and fill holes, and a shield for easy installation and maintenance, allowing for efficient water flow and easy cleaning with a low-profile aesthetic.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If conventional wide deck drains are used, then water flow capacity is sufficient, but visual impact increases and aesthetic appeal deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The drain system is divided into modular sections that can be assembled to create the required drainage capacity while maintaining a narrow profile. The segmented design allows multiple narrow modules to work together as a single drainage system, resolving the contradiction between narrow appearance and sufficient water flow capacity.
2Ease of repair
If conventional deck drains with removable covers are used, then maintenance access is improved, but cost increases and cover durability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The maintenance function is extracted from the cover structure itself. Instead of relying on removable covers that can break, the system provides maintenance access through the narrow top opening by extracting only the necessary access capability, eliminating the need for fragile removable covers while maintaining ease of repair.
3Productivity
If conventional deck drains are used, then water drainage function is adequate, but clogging risk increases and maintenance difficulty worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from static conventional drains to a dynamic modular configuration. The modular sections can be independently accessed and cleaned, and the narrow top opening design with specific geometric features prevents debris accumulation, making the system adaptable to maintenance needs while maintaining efficient water removal.
4Area of stationary object
If narrow top opening is used, then aesthetic appeal improves and visual impact decreases, but water flow capacity may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system compensates for the reduced top opening width by utilizing vertical dimension and internal channel geometry. The narrow top opening transitions into a vertically optimized internal channel structure that maintains adequate water flow capacity through three-dimensional space utilization rather than relying solely on horizontal width.
Data Source
AI summary
A modular deck drain system comprising a bottom channel and an upper cover. The bottom channel has a pair of opposed side walls and a bottom surface coupled to the side walls. The bottom channel also has a plurality of stabilizing members coupled to and extending from an external surface of the bottom channel, and at least one modular junction node. The upper cover is configured to couple to the bottom channel. The upper cover has two upper walls, each wall having a top end and a bottom end, and the top end of each wall is coupled to an upper lip. A narrow top opening is formed by the upper lips. The upper cover has at least one cutline.