AU2007239489A1 - Dewatering and/or drainage device - Google Patents

Description

DECLARATION I, Andreas Slepracki, domiciled in 53520 DOmpelfeld-LOckenbach, Sonnenbergstrasse 6, Germany, employed as a translator by Patentanwalte von Kreisler, Selting, Werner, Deichmannhaus, 50667 K61n, Germany, hereby declare that I am conversant with the German and English languages and that the enclosed document is, to the best of my knowledge and belief, a true translation Into English of the German language patent document no. PCT/EP 2007/053798 filed on April 18, 2007, on behalf of Hewitech GmbH & Co. KG. K6ln, this 14th day of October, 2008. (An reas Slepracki) Dewatering and/or drainage device The invention is directed to a dewatering and/or drainage device (hereinafter referred to as dewatering device) as it is used for the percolation of surface water, for example. It is known to discharge surface water into subsurface cavities filled with grid structure elements. DE 20 2004 018 319 U1 and DE 299 24 050 U1 provide an example for such a dewatering device. The known dewatering devices have a box-shaped structure and are generally made of plastic material. They are manufactured by injection moulding. Since the known dewatering devices can be flown through in all three dimensions, they include passages extending in several directions. When such grid struc tures are manufactured by injection moulding, the criss-crossing grid openings require a very intricate slide technique and complex injection moulds. For this reason, the above mentioned DE 299 23 030 U1 describes the manufacture of a drainage box from two equal box halves. However, the manufacture of a box half already requires a complex slide and injection moulding technique. It is an object of the invention to provide a dewatering and/or drainage device that can be manufactured economically and without great effort by injection moulding. This object is achieved by the invention proposing a dewatering and/or drain age device which is provided with - a grid structure through which extends a passage for the inlet of liquid to be drained, 2 - the grid structure being formed by at least three, preferably four, in particular identical parts through which grid openings extend in parallel to one another that run from the inner side of the passage to the outer side of the grid structure. According to the invention, the dewatering device is formed from at least three parts, each part including grid opening extending substantially in one direc tion. Such a grid element can be manufactured straightforwardly by injection moulding, since no slides are required for demoulding, but the demoulding is done automatically by moving the injection moulds apart. These grid elements are put together, e.g. by locking, glueing, welding or separate connecting elements. At least three of these elements together form the dewatering de vice of the invention, the grid openings in each element extending offset under a circumferential angle (1200 for a three-part grid structure and 900 for a four-part grid structure) corresponding to the division. According to the invention, the box- or tube-shaped dewatering device is formed from a plurality of in particular identical parts through which the grid openings extend, with all openings in a part running in parallel to each other. Preferably, these parts can be used to construct a grid structure from eight parts, for example. In this case, a division is provided at every 450. If the grid structure has a box-like outer shape, each side of the grid structure has two identical parts butt-joined at the centre and are joined to a respective adja cent part of the grid structure by a mitre joint. A mitre joint arrangement is suitably also used in a four-part design of the grid structure. In order to increase the stability of the present box- or tube-shaped dewater ing device, it is provided advantageously to arrange a supporting wall in the passage, which is supported at two diametrically opposite portions of two parts of the grid structure. Thereby, pressure forces can be absorbed depend ing on the height of the soil above the buried dewatering device. Thus, the supporting wall may be oriented vertically (with respect to the installation po sition of the dewatering device), but it may also be directed horizontally. In 3 the latter case, the supporting wall stabilizes the grid structure of the present dewatering device against laterally directed soil pressures. The supporting wall may be open, such as a grid structure, or closed. In other words: the support ing wall may have passage recesses. The supporting walls may be secured at their contact surfaces to the respective parts of the grid structure by locking or by another positive connection. Hereinafter, the invention will be described in more detail with reference to several different embodiments and the accompanying drawings. In the Fig ures: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a box-shaped de watering device with four identical grid structure parts, Fig. 2 is a top plan view on one of the grid structure elements, corre sponding to II in Fig. 1, Fig. 3 shows an alternative embodiment of a four-part grid structure with a division different from that of the embodiment in Fig. 1, Fig. 4 shows a circular dewatering device in the form of a pipe with four identical grid structure parts, and Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a dewatering device formed from an eight-part grid structure. Figs. 1 and 2 illustrate a first embodiment of a box-shaped dewatering device 10 having a grid structure formed from four identical grid structure parts 12. Each grid structure part 12 has a plurality of crossing longitudinally and trans versely extending grid webs 14, 16, between which grid openings 18 are formed. Between them and together, the four grid openings 12 form a pas sage 20 running longitudinally through the box-shaped dewatering device 10. On the inner side 22 of the passage 20, openings 24 are aligned with the grid 4 openings 18. When installed, a non-woven fabric (especially a geo-textile) is placed around the dewatering device 10 so as to cover the grid openings 18 on the outer side. This prevents soil from entering into the grid structure. The water to be drained is fed into the passage 20 through drain pipes (not illustrated), where it enters into the grid openings 18 and their apertures via the openings 24 and eventually spreads over the entire dewatering device 10. A plurality of dewatering devices shown in Figs. 1 and 2 may be arranged be side or above each other or in a row, where adjacent dewatering devices may be secured against unintentional relative displacement by pin and hole joints, separate connecting elements or in another manner. The advantage in manufacturing the dewatering device 10 of Figs. 1 and 2 is that the dewatering device 10 is formed from four identical parts, wherein each grid structure part can readily be made by injection moulding. Since all grid openings 18 of all grid structures 12 run in parallel to each other, the de moulding of the injection moulded grid structure part 12 may be effected by simply moving the injection mould halves apart. No slide technology or similar intricate demoulding technique is required. Fig. 3 also illustrates a box-shaped dewatering device 10', wherein the ele ments corresponding to the individual elements of the dewatering device 10 in Fig.1 and 2 are identified by the same reference numerals as in Figs. 1 and 2. The difference between the dewatering device 10' and the dewatering device 10 of Figs. 1 and 2 is the division of the dewatering device into the individual grid structure parts 12. Whereas, in the embodiment of Figs. 1 and 2, these parts extend along the edges of the box-shaped dewatering devices 10 and are thus relatively flat, the grid structure parts 12 of the dewatering device 10' of Fig. 3 include a corner so that manufacturing a grid structure part 12 of the dewatering device 10' requires a somewhat higher injection mould than in the embodiment of Figs. 1 and 2.

5 Fig. 4 illustrates an embodiment of a circular o tube-shaped dewatering device 10". As before, the elements identical or similar to the elements in the em bodiments of Figs 1 to 3 are identified by the same reference numerals. In the embodiment of Fig. 4, each grid structure part 12 extends over an angular range of 900 Fig. 5 illustrates another embodiment of a box-shaped dewatering device 10"'. The grid structure of this dewatering device 10'" also comprises four identical grid structure parts 12, each being formed by crossing grid webs 14, 16. In this embodiment, the grid openings 18 are also open to the passage 20 via openings 24. The connection of the grid structure parts 12 of the above described embodi ments of the dewatering device is preferably realized by welding, glueing or by interlocking adjacent grid structure parts by means of locking or connecting elements. The connecting structure must be such that it withstands the static loads acting on the dewatering device via the soil. In the above described Figures, the individual grid structure parts 12 each have a symmetrical grid structure. It should be noted here that the grid struc ture may suitably also be asymmetrical (relative to a symmetry axis extending along the length or transverse thereto). With lower loads to be expected in the installed state, it is also possible to compose the respective grid structure parts 12 of the Figures of two identical individual parts, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 5 at 25. Thus, the dewatering devices of Figs. 1 and 5, for example, would be formed of eight identical grid structure parts (assuming a symmetrical divi sion of the parts in he longitudinal direction of the passages). In addition, a supporting wall 26 may be arranged in the passage 20, as illus trated. In this embodiment, the supporting wall 26 is provided with passage openings that are defined by openings between adjacent grid webs of the sup porting wall 26. The supporting wall 26 supports two opposite grid structure parts 12, whereby the stability of the dewatering device 10"' is increased.

Claims (7)

1. A dewatering and/or drainage device comprising - a grid structure through which extends a passage (20) for the inlet of liquid to be drained, - the grid structure being formed by at least three, preferably four, in particular identical parts (12) through which grid openings (18) extend in parallel to one another that run from the inner side (22) of the pas sage (20) to the outer side of the grid structure.

2. The dewatering and/or drainage device of claim 1, characterized in that the grid structure is formed from eight identical parts (12).

3. The dewatering and/or drainage device of claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the assembled parts (12) define the passage (20) through the grid structure between them.

4. The dewatering and/or drainage device of one of claims 1 to 3, charac terized in that each part (12) has a rounded grid structure.

5. The dewatering and/or drainage device of one of claims 1 to 4, charac terized in that adjacent parts (12) are joined at their contact surfaces, in particular by glueing, welding or by means of connecting elements.

6. The dewatering and/or drainage device of one of claims 1 to 5, charac terized in that a supporting wall (26) extends in the passage (20) be tween two parts (12) of the grid structure, which supporting wall is sup ported at diametrically opposite portions of the two parts (12).

7. The dewatering and/or drainage device of claim 6, characterized in that the supporting wall comprises passage openings.