EP3294964A1

EP3294964A1 - Slot drain

Info

Publication number: EP3294964A1
Application number: EP16726385.4A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Simon Francis Godwin Bradbeer
Original assignee: Alumasc Ltd
Current assignee: Alumasc Building Products Ltd
Priority date: 2015-05-27
Filing date: 2016-05-26
Publication date: 2018-03-21
Also published as: WO2016189310A1; GB2538753A; GB2538753B; GB201509074D0

Abstract

A slot drain (10) comprises a channel portion (12)and a throat portion (14)having two walls (18)extending upwardly from the channel portion (12).The slot drain (10)further comprises a drain grate (24)having a grate portion (26) seatable on an upper edge(20) of the throat portion (14)and a body portion(28)extending downwardly from the grate portion (26 and into the throat portion(14). The drain grate (24)is made of a material harder than that of the throat portion(14).

Description

SLOT DRAIN

The present invention relates to improvements to a slot drain for a drainage system.

Slot drains are used for draining water from a surface, such as a tarmacked road, into drain channels beneath. British Patent No. GB2311549 describes one such slot drain, having a throat providing an opening for water on the surface to be drained. The throat extends beneath the surface and connects to a drain channel for receiving and carrying away the drained water.

It is usual to provide a grille or grate at the surface opening of the throat to prevent at least a portion of debris from entering and clogging the drainage system. It is also used to prevent items from accidentally falling into or being wedged in the drain, such as bicycle wheels, or footwear. The grille is typically designed to cover the surface opening as well as a portion of the throat portion adjacent the surface opening, thus the grille is located exterior of the throat portion.

To ensure the grille is attached securely to the throat portion, a tight or wedge fit between the two parts may be required. This is usually achieved by urging the grille onto the throat portion, which may cause the throat portion to deform. When under load or stress, the throat portion is then more likely to deform or get damaged.

When casting the slot drain into concrete during installation of the drainage system, a protective cover is sometimes provided to temporarily cover the grille to prevent ingress of concrete into the slot drain. Such a cover sits on top of and protrudes beyond an upper surface of the grille. The cover is then removed following installation of the slot drain.

To save installation time and transportation costs, the covers should ideally be applied to the slot drains prior to transit. However, they often become damaged in transit as they get shunted or impacted by sliding movements of adjacent slot drains, or are crushed by sliding movements of a slot drain stacked above. Furthermore, the weight of the slot drains stacked above can cause the covers to break. Replacing a defective or damaged cover is an inefficient use of time and resources.

In order to align slot drains in an end-to-end series, registration elements may be provided on the throat or channel portion which extend beyond an end of the slot drain for locating an adjacent slot drain. These elements are usually welded and fixed to the throat or channel portion. Registration elements at an end of such a series slot drains are thus surplus to requirement and may cause obstructions to the drainage system.

Slot drains are usually transported in bulk and are typically arranged in rows and columns, which are then stacked one on top of another. To minimise movement of and thus damage to the slot drains in transit, the slot drains are usually secured to support means in a transport vehicle. An engagement member is provided on the slot drain to locate onto the support means, one such example being a downwardly protruding lip on a support foot of the slot drain. However, such an arrangement makes installation of the slot drains difficult, as the protruding lip hinders placement of the support foot onto a supporting surface of the slot drain, thus increasing installation time and complexity.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved slot drain so as to obviate at least one of the above-mentioned problems.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a slot drain comprising a channel portion, a throat portion having two walls extending upwardly from the channel portion, each wall of the throat portion having an outer surface, and a drain grate having a grate portion seatable on the throat portion and a body portion extending downwardly from the grate portion and into the throat portion, the grate portion having a shoulder for locating the grate portion on an upper edge of the throat portion and an outer wall surface which is flush or substantially flush with the outer surfaces of the walls of the throat portion, the drain grate being at least in part made of a material harder than that of the throat portion.

The slot drain is advantageous because a portion of the drain grate is positioned within the throat portion to maintain its structural integrity. Positioning a portion of the drain grate within the throat portion rather than around the throat portion also reduces the likelihood of deforming the throat portion when the drain grate is attached to the throat portion.

The drain grate is at least in part made of a harder material than that of the throat portion, being designed to be flush with the surface to be drained. The drain grate is thus better at withstanding impact. For example, the body portion of the drain grate may be made of a harder material to withstand the impact of traffic passing thereover. Alternatively or additionally, the grate portion of the drain grate may be made of a harder material to resist compression exerted on the throat portion by concrete during casting.

The shoulder locates the drain grate accurately and securely on the throat portion. The flush or substantially flush arrangement of the outer surfaces of the walls of the grate portion and the throat portion provides a planar or substantially planar outer surface when the slot drain is to be cast in concrete during installation, which helps to create a better casting.

Preferable and/or optional features of the first aspect of the invention are set forth in claims 2 to 10.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a slot drain comprising a channel portion, a throat portion having two walls extending upwardly from the channel portion, a drain grate provided at an upper edge of the throat portion and having two raised side edges on its upper surface forming a channel therebetween, and a drain grate cover removably receivable in the channel of the drain grate such that the cover is flush or recessed relative to the side edges of the drain grate, the drain grate cover being slidable in the channel of the drain grate.

The provision of a channel on the drain grate to accommodate the drain grate cover enables a flush, substantially flush, or recessed fitting, so that the drain grate cover does not protrude above the drain grate. The two raised side edges allow a slot drain stacked on top of the cover to be better balanced and its weight spread thereacross. In transit, this reduces the likelihood of the cover being damaged due to the supported load.

This arrangement also allows the slot drain to be pre-assembled with the cover installed thereon, ready to be used prior to transporting the slot drain to an installation site, without the risk of the cover being damaged in transit. This then negates the need to transport the cover separately of the slot drain and to apply the cover to the slot drain on site prior to installation of the slot drain, thus reducing transportation cost and installation time.

The drain grate cover is slidable relative to the drain grate. Thus, the cover is able to slide in the channel to accommodate, at least to some degree, sliding movement of a slot drain stacked on top of it, in transit. This prevents the cover from being crushed against an end of the drain grate due to such sliding movement.

Preferable options relating to the second aspect of the invention are set forth in claims 12 to 19. According to a third aspect of the present invention there is provided a slot drain comprising a channel portion, a throat portion having two walls extending upwardly from the channel portion, a pivotable throat locator connected or connectable to the throat portion and pivotable between a deployed condition and stowed condition, wherein when in the deployed condition a portion of the throat locator extends beyond an end of the throat portion for locating a throat portion of a neighbouring slot drain, and when in the stowed condition the throat locator is retracted.

The pivotable throat locator is able to be deployed only when required, that is, when the slot drain is to be aligned and abutted against an adjacent slot drain, and can be stowed out of the way when not required. When stowed, the throat locator does not protrude above the end of the throat portion, and does not cause obstruction to the drainage system.

Preferable options relating to the third aspect of the invention are set forth in claims 21 to 24.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention there is provided a slot drain comprising a channel portion, a throat portion having two walls extending upwardly from the channel portion, a pivotable throat locator connectable to the throat portion and pivotable between a deployed condition and stowed condition, wherein when in the deployed condition a portion of the throat locator extends beyond an end of the throat portion for locating a throat portion of a neighbouring slot drain, and when in the stowed condition the throat locator is retracted.

The pivotable latch on the support foot provides a convenient way of safely securing the slot drain onto a transport means that can be stowed when the latch is not required, during and after installation. Preferable options relating to the seventh aspect of the invention are set forth in claims 26 and 30.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention there is provided a drainage system comprising a plurality of slot drains in accordance with the first, second, third or fourth aspect of the present invention.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of improving structural rigidity of a slot drain in accordance with the first, second, third or fourth aspect of the present invention, comprising the steps of a] attaching a spacer element between two walls of a throat portion of the slot drain, a retainer of the spacer element extending through at least one of the two walls of the throat portion, b] pivotably connecting a throat locator to the said one of the two walls of the throat portion and adjacent the spacer element, c] pivoting the throat locator to engage with the retainer thereby displacing the retainer from its original position enhancing a locking effect of the spacer element at the said at least one of the two walls of the throat portion. Preferably, the throat locator abuts the retainer to hold the retainer in its displaced condition.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention there is provided a slot drain comprising a channel portion, a throat portion having two walls extending upwardly from the channel portion, and a drain grate having a grate portion seatable on an upper edge of the throat portion and a body portion extending downwardly from the grate portion and into the throat portion, wherein the body portion has a height the same as or greater than a height of the grate portion and the drain grate is at least in part made of a material harder than that of the throat portion.

Having the height of the body portion the same as or greater than the height of the grate portion allows the body portion to extend into, at a reasonable extent, the throat portion to improve the structural integrity of the throat portion, in particular at an upper region of the throat portion. When the slot drain is cast in concrete during installation, the body portion of the drain grate inside the throat portion resists inward pressure applied by the concrete to an outer surface of the throat portion. For a better understanding of the present invention, and to show more clearly how it may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example only, to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a perspective side-end view of an embodiment of a slot drain in accordance with the first, second, third, fourth and seventh aspects of the invention, and a slot drain for a drainage system, in accordance with the fifth aspect of the invention, with a throat locator in a deployed or in-use condition;

Figure 2 shows an enlarged perspective view of the drain grate and the drain grate cover of Figure 1, with the drain grate cover in an aligned position with the drain grate; Figure 3 shows an enlarged perspective close up view of a drain grate and a drain grate cover of the slot drain of Figure 1, with the drain grate cover in a misaligned position with the drain grate;

Figure 4 shows a perspective end view of the drain grate and the drain grate cover of Figure 1, with the drain grate cover disengaged from the drain grate; Figure 5 shows a perspective view from an underside of the drain grate and the drain grate cover of Figure 1, with the drain grate cover engaged and in a misaligned position with the drain grate;

Figure 6 shows an end view of the slot drain of Figure 1, showing a support foot of the slot drain depending from the channel portion; and Figure 7 shows a perspective rear view of the support of Figure 6 with a pivotable latch in a stowed condition.

Referring firstly to Figures 1 to 3, a slot drain 10 of a drainage system comprises a channel portion 12 and a throat portion 14. In the depicted embodiment, the channel portion 12 has a substantially hexagonal vertical cross section, having six planar sides 16. The throat portion 14 has two walls 18 extending upwardly and vertically or substantially vertically from the channel portion 12. The two walls 18 are preferably parallel to each other. Each of the two walls 18 of the throat portion 14 has an upper edge 20 defining an opening 22 therebetween to receive water from a surface to be drained. The water received by the throat portion 14 flows downwardly to the channel portion 12 and is then carried away from the surface by the drainage system. The slot drain 10 is arranged such that a greatest lateral extent of the channel portion 12 is greater than a lateral extent of the throat portion 14. This keeps the opening 22 of the throat portion to a minimum so that it is discrete, unobtrusive and safe without affecting the ability of the slot drain 10 to carry water away.

Referring also to Figures 4 and 5, a drain grate 24 is attached to the throat potion 14 at its opening 22 by a rivet 25 on each wall 18. The drain grate 24 acts to protect the throat portion 14, and also serves as a barrier to prevent at least a portion of debris from entering and clogging the drainage system.

The drain grate 24 comprises a grate portion 26 seatable on the upper edge 20 of the throat portion 14 and a body portion 28 extending downwardly from the grate portion 14, through the opening 22 into the throat portion 14.

The grate portion 26 has a rectangular or substantially rectangular frame 30 formed by two opposing elongate side walls 32 and two opposing end walls 34 extending therebetween. An upper surface 35 of the grate portion 26 is designed to be flush with the surface to be drained, thus is exposed to the outside. The body portion 28, having side walls 36 and end walls 38, extend respectively from the side and end walls 32, 34 of the grate portion 26. The side walls 32 of the grate portion 26 are wider than the side walls 36 of the body portion 28, thereby forming a shoulder 40 for the grate portion 26 to locate and be supported on the upper edge 20 of the throat portion 14.

The grate portion 26 is dimensioned such that the side walls 32 are flush or substantially flushed with an outer surface 42 of the walls 18 of the throat portion 14. The body portion 28 is dimensioned such that it fits snugly into the throat portion 14, the side walls 36 of the body portion contacting or abutting an inner surface of the walls 18 of the throat portion.

The body portion 28 preferably has a height that is greater than a height of the throat portion 14. The body portion 28 thus gives interior support and structural integrity to the throat portion 14, preventing the throat portion 14 from being compressed when the slot drain 10 is cast into concrete during installation. The height of the body portion 28 may be around 1.5 to 6 times the height of the throat portion 14, more preferably 2 to 5 times, even more preferably 2.5 to 4 times, most preferably around 3 times. The height of the body portion 28 is preferably around 0.05 to 0.75 times the height of the throat portion 14, more preferably 0.1 to 0.5 times, even more preferably 0.125 to 0.25 times, most preferably 0.15 times.

In the depicted embodiment, a support element or strut 44 is provided to extend across the opposing side wall 32, partway and in this case half way or substantially half way along, defining a grate opening 46 on either side of the support strut 44. The support strut 44 provides additional structural integrity to the grate portion 26. It will be appreciated that the support strut 44 may be dispensed with to simplify and reduce cost of manufacture, or it may be positioned differently if desired. It is also possible to provide more than one support strut 44 on the drain grate 24. Drain grate locating means, in the form of a key 48 and keyway 50 provided on the body portion 28 of the drain grate 24 and the upper edge 20 of the throat portion 14 respectively in the depicted embodiment, is provided. The drain grate locating means locate and align or substantially align the drain grate 24 with the throat portion 14 such that the end walls 34, 38 of the drain grate 24 are aligned with ends of the throat portion 14. It will be appreciated that the location of the key 48 and keyway 50 may be interchanged.

The drain grate 24 is made of a harder material that the throat portion 14, which helps to maintain the opening 22 of the throat portion 14 and prevent it from collapsing even when under compression from the concrete from either side of the slot drain 10 and under pressure from above the surface to be drained. As the upper surface 35 of the grate portion 26 is exposed to the outside, the harder material the better the drain grate 24 is at withstanding impact and force exerted upon it in use. The hardness of the material can be determined by Vickers hardness test, consists of indenting a test material with a diamond indenter subjected to a load of 1 to 100 kgf The full load is normally applied for 10 to 15 seconds. The higher the Vickers Pyramid Number, the harder the material. Thus, the material of the drain grate 24 should have a higher Vickers Pyramid Number than that of the throat portion 14.

In the depicted embodiment, the channel and throat portions 12, 14 are made of the same material. Galvanised steel is particularly suitable. The drain grate 24, in the depicted embodiment, is made of a material different to the channel and throat portions 12, 14, for example ductile iron, which has a higher Vickers Pyramid Number than galvanised steel. It will be appreciated that the channel portion and the throat portion may be made of a different material, and the material of the throat portion and the drain grate may be of different grades of the same material, for example, steel, as long as the Vickers Pyramid Number of the drain grate is of a higher number.

In the depicted embodiment, the upper surface 35 of the grate portion 26 is provided with two raised side edges 52 forming a channel 54 therebetween. A drain grate cover 56 is removably received in the channel 54 such that the drain grate cover 56 is flush or substantially flush with the side edges 52 of the drain grate 24. The drain grate cover 56 is used to cover the grate openings 46 to prevent or limit ingress of concrete or other detritus when the slot drain 10 is cast in concrete during installation.

The drain grate cover 56 may be slidable along a longitudinal extent of the channel 54, so that during transit, the drain grate cover is able to slide or move along the channel 54 when it is urged to do so by sliding movements of the slot drain stacked above it. This allows the drain grate cover 56 to be applied to the drain grate 24 prior to the slot drain 10 being transported, without the risk of the drain grate cover 56 being crushed in transit.

The drain grate cover 56 comprises a cover portion 58 locatable in the channel 54 of the grate portion 26, having a planar or substantially planar upper surface 60 and a lower surface 62 from which a retainer, having two spaced apart spring clips 64 in the depicted embodiment, extends. Each in use spring clip 64 extends through the grate opening 46 into the drain grate 24 and the throat portion 14, each spring clip 64 having two spring arms 66 for abutting and urging against an inner surface of the side walls 36 of the body portion 28 of the drain grate 24. The height of the spring clip 64 preferably may be around 0.25 to 0.75 times the height of the body portion 28 of the drain grate, more preferably 0.4 to 0.6 times, more preferably around 0.5 times. The retainer releasably retains the drain grate cover 56 to the drain grate 24.

The two spring arms 66 preferably diverge away from each other to enhance the connection between the drain grate cover 56 and the drain grate 24 as illustrated in the depicted embodiment. It will be appreciated that the retainer may be provided with just one or more than two spring clips 64, if desired, and any appropriately engageable retainer could be considered.

The spring clips 64 of the depicted embodiment are slidably and releasably connected to the cover portion 58. This allows the cover portion 58 of the slot drain cover 56 to potentially slide out of its corresponding slot drain 24 during extreme sliding movement of the slot drain 10 stacked above. In this case, the spring clips 64 will simply slide out of and be disconnected from the cover portion 58 without causing damage to themselves and the cover portion 58 of the drain grate.

A longitudinal lip 68 extends downwardly and laterally inwardly from the lower surface 62 of the cover portion 58, defining a rail 70 for a corresponding runner 72 on each spring clip 64 to slide therealong. It will be appreciated that the location of the lip 68 and the runner 72 may be interchanged, if desired

It will be appreciated that the retainer and the cover portion 28 of the drain grate 24 may be fixed relative to one another for security, thereby permitting a more limited scope of sliding motion.

The drain grate cover 56 may be made of plastics, or the same material to the drain grate 24.

The depicted embodiment further comprises a pivotable throat locator 74 connected to one end of the throat portion 14. The throat locator 74 is pivotable between a deployed or in-use condition whereby a portion of the throat locator 74 extends beyond the said end of the throat portion 14 for aligning and assisting with connecting adjacent slot drains 10 together, and a stowed condition whereby the throat locator 74 is retracted away from the said end of the throat portion 14. The throat locator 74 of the depicted embodiment comprises a plate member 76 connected to the outer surface 42 of the each side wall 18 of the throat portion 14 by a rivet 78. The two plate members 76 are preferably arranged in parallel.

A spacer element, depicted in this embodiment as a vertically extending spacer plate 80, is provided inside the throat portion 14 adjacent each end of the throat portion 14. The spacer plate 80 extends between the two walls 18 of the throat portion 14, and from below the drain grate 24 terminating before the channel portion 12. The spacer plate 80 provides strength and stability to the throat portion 14.

The spacer plate 80 is attached to the throat portion 14 by a retainer, preferably in the form of two retainer arms 82, provided at the vertical sides of the spacer plate 80. The retainer arms 82 extend through each wall 18 of the throat portion 14, and are arranged to be positioned one above and one below the throat locator 74. When the throat locator 74 is pivoted to the stowed condition, one of the two retainer arms 82 of each retainer is also caused to pivot or bend away from the said end of the throat portion 14. This is particularly advantageous in further securing the spacer plate 80 to the throat portion 14 or effectively locking the spacer plate 80 to the throat portion 14. This arrangement stabilises, as well as maintains structural integrity of, the throat portion 14. Furthermore, the throat locator 74 abuts the retainer arm 82 in its displaced condition.

The retainer arms 82 preferably protrude further outwardly from the side walls 18 of the throat portion 14 than the side walls 32 of the grate portion 26, as the side walls 32 of the grate portion 26 are preferably flush or substantially flush with the side walls 18 of the throat portion 14. In any event, even if the side walls 32 to extend or overlap the exterior surfaces of the side walls 18 of the throat portion 14, the side walls 32 do not project beyond a protruding extent of the or each retainer arm 82. The connection between the throat locator 74 and the throat portion 14 should be tight, such that reasonable force is required to pivot the throat locator 74, for example by tapping or hammering on the throat locator 74.

A channel locator 84 is further provided to attach or connect to one end of the channel portion 12, having two plate members 86 attached to the two lowermost planar sides 16 of the channel portion 12 respectively. A portion of each plate member 86 extends beyond the said end of the channel portion 12 for locating and aligning with a channel portion 12 of an adjacent slot drain 10. The channel locator 84 may be welded or riveted to the channel portion 12.

The throat locator 74, spacer plate 80, and/or the channel locator 84 may be made of the same material as the throat portion 14 and/or the channel portion 12 or may be made of different material.

Referring to Figures 6 and 7, a support foot 88 is provided so as to depend from the lowermost sides 16 of the channel portion 12 to enable the slot drain 10 to stand upright. The support foot 88 is substantially 'L' shaped, having two vertical members 90 and a horizontal member 92 connecting the two vertical members 90. An outwardly extending horizontal flange 94 extends from an upper end of each vertical member 90 for connecting to the channel portion 12, by welding, a rivet, or other suitable attachment means.

In the depicted embodiment, the two vertical members 90 are spaced apart, providing a gap or slot 96 therebetween extending vertically to the horizontal member 92. As seen in Figure 6, the slot 96 is sized and shaped to provide a space to accommodate a portion, such as an edge, of the channel portion 12. Thus the support foot 88 comprises the slot 96 for a portion of the channel portion 12 to extend therein.

A pivotable latch 98 is provided, attached to one of the vertical members 90 of the support foot 88 via a rivet 100, to pivot between a deployed condition and a stowed condition in a plane parallel or substantially parallel to a vertical axis of the vertical members 90. In other words, the latch pivots perpendicularly to a longitudinal axis of the slot drain 10. The latch 98 is provided adjacent the connection between the vertical and horizontal members 90, 92. An aperture 102 is provided at an edge of the horizontal member 92 connecting the two vertical members 90, through which the pivotable latch 98 is allowed to pivot. In the depicted embodiment, the aperture 102 extends into the slot 96.

When in the deployed condition, the latch 98 extends from the support foot 88, through the aperture 102, for registering with a slot drain pre-installation support, for example an elongate wooden block. This prevents movement of the slot drain in transit, in at least one direction along the longitudinal axis of the slot drain 10. When the slot drain 10 reaches its destination and is to be installed onsite, the slot drain 10 can be lifted away from the slot drain pre-installation support and onto a support surface.

Positioning of the support foot 88 onto such a support surface automatically urges the latch 98 to pivot and retract towards the support foot 88. Thus the horizontal member 92 of the support foot 88 can rest unimpeded on the support surface, allowing the slot drain 10 to stand upright without additional support means. Rotation of the latch 98 is therefore automatic, requiring no effort from personnel installing the slot drain to operate. A cutaway portion 104 is provided on the pivotable latch 98 and is positioned to align with the slot 96 of the support foot 88. When the pivotable latch 98 is in the stowed condition, the cutaway portion 104 provides clearance for accommodating the said edge of the channel portion 12 without impeding the movement of the pivotable latch 98. In the depicted embodiment, the pivotable latch 98 is hook shaped. In transit, a plurality of slot drains 10 can be supported on a single slot drain pre- installation support side by side. A plurality of rows of such slot drains may be provided to form a plurality of columns of slot drains, each column having slot drains that are arranged in series.

The support foot 88 is preferably made of the same material as the channel portion 12 and/or channel portion 14.

Prior to the slot drain 10 being transported to its destination to be installed, the drain grate cover 56 can be applied to cover the grate opening 46 of the drain grate 24. The slot drain 10 can thus be stored and transported ready to be used without further assembly, saving storage and transportation space and preparation time prior to installation. In transit, a plurality of the slot drains 10 can be arranged on the slot drain pre-installation support as described above, the latch 98 preventing the slot drains 10 from disengaging from the slot drain pre-installation support.

When the slot drain 10 reaches its destination and is to be installed onsite, the slot drain 10 can be lifted away from the slot drain pre-installation support and onto a support surface. Positioning of the support foot 88 onto such a support surface urges the latch 98 to pivot and retract towards the support foot 88.

Multiple slot drains 10 are cast into concrete when the drainage system is installed, abutting end on with each other so that they are in series. The throat locators 74 and the channel locators 84 are used to interconnect adjacent slot drains 10. The drain grate covers 56 prevent or limit ingress of concrete into the slot drains 10 during the process. The throat locators 74 at either end of such a series of slot drains can be pivoted to the stowed condition. Once casting is complete and a surface to be drained is formed, the drain grate covers 56 can be removed and reused on other slot drains 10 yet to be installed.

It is thus possible to provide a slot drain whereby a portion of the drain grate is seated on top of the throat portion to protect the throat portion from being crushed from above. The remaining portion of the drain grate is provided inside the throat portion, providing rigidity to the throat portion to withstand forces impacted upon it in day to day use, for example by traffic. The portion of the drain grate inside the throat portion can abut against the inner surface of the throat portion, preventing the throat portion from being crushed by compression of the concrete during casting.

It is also possible to provide a slot drain that is pre-assembled with a drain grate cover prior to the slot drain being transported, without the risk of damaging the cover in transit.

The pivotable latch enables the slot drain to be transported in bulk and installed more conveniently and safely.

To maintain or enhance structural integrity of the slot drain, the throat locator may be caused to pivot from the in-use condition to the stowed condition. This causes one of the retainer arms to bend or rotate out of its original position, enhancing engagement between the spacer element and the throat portion. This thus increases the locking effect of the spacer element between the two walls of the throat portion.

It will be appreciated that the described embodiment of the invention is merely one possible embodiment. It is also possible to provide a channel portion that has a vertical cross section other than hexagonal, such as those described in British Patent No. 2311549 and are incorporated herein by reference.

Where rivets are used to attach one part to another, it will be appreciated that other suitable attachment means, such as screws, may be used to instead. The drain grate locating means may be provided in suitable forms other than a key and keyway, for example, a protrusion and corresponding indentation. It may also be dispensed with altogether to simplify and reduce cost of manufacture.

It is preferable that the drain grate cover is flush or substantially flush with the side edges of the drain grate so that the weight of slot drain stacked on top of the drain grate is spread thereacross. However, it will be appreciated that the drain grate cover may be recessed from the side edges to prevent damage to the cover in transit.

Although the depicted embodiment provides a drain grate that is made of a material harder than the throat portion, it will be appreciated that only a portion of the drain grate may be formed of such a material, for example the grate portion or the body portion. Although the depicted embodiment provides a drain grate having a body portion with a top to bottom height which is greater than that of the grate portion, it will be appreciated that the two portions may have the same or substantially the same height. Alternatively, the height of the body portion may be less than the height of the grate portion. Preferably, however, the body portion extends partway and more preferably a majority of the way towards a mid- or centre-line of the throat portion so that the walls of the throat portion are reinforced against in use inward pressure imparting potential deformation and thus constriction or blockage of the throat portion.

The retainer of the drain grate cover may be provided in a suitable form other than a spring clip having two diverging spring arms, or may be dispensed with altogether. For example, the cover portion may be wedged between the two raised side edges of the drain grate just strongly enough to retain the cover portion in the channel whilst still able to slide therealong. Although the depicted embodiment provides the retainer that is releasably and slidably engaged with the cover portion of the drain cover, it will be appreciated that it may be fixed or slidable but not releasable relative to the cover portion.

It will be appreciated that although the depicted embodiment provides the throat locator and the channel locator at the same end of the throat and channel portions respectively, such locators may be provided on different ends or both ends of the respective throat and channel portions. Furthermore, the throat and/or the channel portion may be provided with just one plate member or more than two plate members. The plate members may preferably be planar. The throat and/or the channel locator may be provided in other suitable forms, such as a latch on one slot drain and a corresponding retaining means on an adjacent slot drain. Furthermore, the channel locator may be retractable, for example by being slidable along the longitudinal axis of the slot drain, so that it can be stowed if not required.

It will be appreciated that the channel locator may be dispensed with altogether, if not required.

The spacer plate may be provided at any one of, or both, ends of the throat portion. It may also be provided shorter in length, or positioned away from ends of the throat portion, so as to not impede the movement of the pivotable shoulder locator.

Although the depicted embodiment provides four retainer arms, two on both sides of the spacer plate, it will be appreciated that fewer or more such arms may be provided. The retainer arms also need not be provided on both sides of the spacer plate. The spacer plate may be welded to the throat portion or attached to the throat portion with other attachment means, dispensing the need to provide retainer arms.

The spacer element may be provided in suitable forms other than a spacer plate, for example, a spacer strut. It may also be altogether dispensed with.

It will be appreciated that instead of an elongate gap between the two vertical members of the support foot, a through aperture may be provided instead to allow pivoting of the latch. Thus the two vertical members may simply be formed as one. Although the depicted embodiment comprises a slot drain having the drain grate, the drain grate cover, the pivotable throat locator, the pivotable latch on the support foot as described in detail above, it will be appreciated that other embodiments may be provided whereby only one or some of such features are provided. For example, one embodiment of the slot drain, in accordance with the first aspect of the invention, having the drain grate with a grate portion seated on the throat portion and the body portion provided within the throat portion, may not have raised side edges. The drain grate cover may therefore protrude above the drain grate cover.

Furthermore, such slot drain may not have a pivotable throat locator, or may have a throat locator that is fixed or is slidable but not pivotable. The support foot may be dispensed with, or may be provided without the pivotable latch. In another alternative, the support foot may be replaced by other suitable form of support, for example spaced- apart support feet. In yet another alternative, the support foot may be provided with a similar latch that is not pivotable, but simply slidable vertically into the deployed and stowed conditions.

In yet another embodiment of the slot drain, in accordance with the second aspect of the invention, having a drain grate cover flush with raised side edges of the drain grate, the drain grate may be provided to locate exteriorly of the throat portion. As previously discussed, such an embodiment may not provide a throat locator and/or a support foot, or they may be provided in different arrangements as already described above.

In yet another embodiment of the slot drain, in accordance with the third aspect of the invention, having a pivotable throat locator, the slot drain may not be provided with a drain grate or may be provided with a drain grate that is located exteriorly of the throat portion. As previously discussed, such an embodiment may not provide a drain grate cover, or a cover may be provided that may or may not protrude from the drain grate. A support foot may not be provided for such an embodiment, or if one is provided the pivotable latch may be absent or be replaced with, for example, a slidable latch.

In yet another embodiment of the slot drain, in accordance with the fourth of the invention, having a support foot with a pivotable latch, the slot drain may not be provided with a drain grate or may be provided with a drain grate that is located exteriorly of the throat portion. As previously discussed, such an embodiment may not provide a drain grate cover, or a cover may be provided that may or may not protrude from the drain grate. A pivotable shoulder locator may be provided, or a shoulder locator may be provided that is fixed or is slidable but not pivotable.

The words 'comprises/comprising' and the words 'having/including' when used herein with reference to the present invention are used to specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, components or groups thereof.

It is appreciated that certain features of the invention, which are, for clarity, described in the context of separate embodiments, may also be provided in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features of this invention which are, for brevity, described in the context of a single embodiment, may also be provided separately or in any suitable sub-combination.

The embodiments described above are provided by way of examples only, and various other modifications will be apparent to persons skilled in the field without departure from the scope of the invention as herein described.

Claims

1. A slot drain (10) comprising: a channel portion (12), a throat portion (14) having two walls (18) extending upwardly from the channel portion (12), each wall (18) of the throat portion (14) having an outer surface (42), and a drain grate (24) having a grate portion (26) seatable on the throat portion (14) and a body portion (28) extending downwardly from the grate portion (26) and into the throat portion (14), the grate portion (26) having a shoulder (40) for locating the grate portion (26) on an upper edge of (20) the throat portion (14) and an outer wall surface (32) which is flush or substantially flush with the outer surfaces (42) of the walls (18) of the throat portion (14), the drain grate (24) being at least in part made of a material harder than that of the throat portion (14).

2. A slot drain (10) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the material of the drain grate (24) is different to that of the throat portion (14).

3. A slot drain ( 10) as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the drain grate (24) is made of ductile iron.

4. A slot drain as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the throat portion (14) is made of galvanised steel.

5. A slot drain (10) as claimed in any preceding claim, further comprising a drain grate locating means for locating the drain grate (24) on the throat portion (14) such that ends of the drain grate (24) are aligned or substantially aligned with respective ends of the throat portion (14).

6. A slot drain (10) as claimed in claim 5, wherein the drain grate locating means is a key (48) on one of the drain grate (24) and the throat portion (14) and a corresponding keyway (50) on the other of the drain grate (24) and the throat portion (14).

7. A slot drain (10) as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the grate portion (26) of the drain grate (24) has two raised side edges (52) on its upper surface (35) forming a channel (54) therebetween, the slot drain (10) further comprising a drain grate cover (56) removably receivable in the channel (54) of the drain grate (24) such that the cover (56) is flush or recessed relative to the side edges (52) of the drain grate (24), the drain grate cover (56) being slidable in the channel (54) of the drain grate (24).

8. A slot drain (10) as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the body portion (28) of the drain grate (24) has a height the same as or greater than a height of the grate portion (26) of the drain grate (24).

9. A slot drain (10) as claimed in any preceding claim, further comprising a pivotable throat locator (74) being connected or connectable to the throat portion (14) and pivotable between a deployed condition and stowed condition, wherein when in the deployed condition a portion of the throat locator (74) extends beyond an end of the throat portion (14) for locating a throat portion (14) of a neighbouring slot drain (10), and when in the stowed condition the throat locator (74) is retracted.

10. A slot drain (10) as claimed in any preceding claim, further comprising a support foot (88) depending from the channel portion (12), and a pivotable latch (98) provided on the support foot (88) pivotable between a deployed condition and a stowed condition, wherein when in the deployed condition the latch (98) extends from the support foot (88) for registering with a slot drain pre-installation support, and when in the stowed condition the latch (98) is retracted.

11. A slot drain (10) comprising a channel portion (12), a throat portion (14) having two walls (18) extending upwardly from the channel portion (12), a drain grate (24) provided at an upper edge (20) of the throat portion (14) and having two raised side edges (52) on its upper surface (35) forming a channel (54) therebetween, and a drain grate cover (56) removably receivable in the channel (54) of the drain grate (24) such that the cover (56) is flush or recessed relative to the side edges (52) of the drain grate (24), the drain grate cover (56) being slidable in the channel (54) of the drain grate (24).

12. A slot drain (10) as claimed in claim 11, wherein the drain grate cover (56) is slidable along an entire longitudinal extent of the channel (54).

13. A slot drain (10) as claimed in claim 11 or claim 12, wherein the drain grate cover (56) comprises retaining means for releasable engagement with the drain grate (24).

14. A slot drain (10) as claimed in claim 13, wherein the retaining means has a spring clip (64) for extending into the in use drain grate (24), the spring clip (64) having two spring arms (66) for abutting an inner surface of the drain grate (24).

15. A slot drain (10) as claimed in claim 14, wherein the said two spring arms (66) diverge away from each other.

16. A slot drain (10) as claimed in any one of claim 13 to 15, wherein the drain grate cover (56) further comprises a cover portion (58) locatable in the channel (54) of the drain grate (24), the cover portion (58) having a planar or substantially planar upper surface (60) and a lower surface (62) from which the retaining means extends.

17. A slot drain (10) as claimed in claim 16, wherein the retaining means is releasably connected to the cover portion (58).

18. A slot drain (10) as claimed in claim 16 or claim 17, wherein the retaining means is slidable longitudinally along the cover portion (58) via a rail (70) provided on the lower surface (62) of the cover portion (58).

19. A slot drain (10) as claimed in any one of claims 11 to 18, wherein the drain grate (24) has a grate portion (26) where the two raised side edges (52) and the channel (54) are provided thereon, the grate portion (26) being seatable on the throat portion (14), and a body portion (28) extending downwardly from the grate portion (26) and into the throat portion (14), the grate portion (26) having a shoulder (40) for locating the grate portion (26) on the upper edge of (20) the throat portion (14) and an outer wall surface (32) which is flush or substantially flush with outer surfaces (42) of the walls (18) of the throat portion (14).

20. A slot drain (10) comprising a channel portion (12), a throat portion (14) having two walls (18) extending upwardly from the channel portion (12), a pivotable throat locator (74) connected or connectable to the throat portion (14) and pivotable between a deployed condition and stowed condition, wherein when in the deployed condition a portion of the throat locator (74) extends beyond an end of the throat portion (14) for locating a throat portion (14) of a neighbouring slot drain (10), and when in the stowed condition the throat locator (74) is retracted.

21. A slot drain (10) as claimed in claim 20, wherein the throat locator (74) comprises at least one plate member (76) connected to an outer surface (42) of the throat portion (14), the at least one plate member (76) being pivotable relative to the throat portion (14) and in a plane parallel to a longitudinal axis of the throat portion (14).

22. A slot drain (10) as claimed in claim 20 or claim 21, further comprising a spacer element provided at or adjacent to the said end of the throat portion (14) and extending between the two walls (18) of the throat portion (14), the spacer element having a retainer (82) extending through at least one of the two walls (18) of the throat portion (14) for retaining the spacer element thereon, wherein pivoting of the throat locator (74) to the stowed condition causes the throat locator (74) to positively engage with the retainer (82) of the spacer element.

23. A slot drain (10) as claimed in any one of claims 20 to 22, wherein the slot drain (10) further comprising a channel locator (84) connectable to the channel portion (12) for locating a channel portion (12) of a neighbouring slot drain (10).

24. A slot drain (10) as claimed in claim 23, wherein the channel locator (84) comprises at least one plate member (86) extending beyond an end of the channel portion (12).

25. A slot drain (10) comprising a channel portion (12), a throat portion (14) having two walls (18) extending upwardly from the channel portion (12), a support foot (88) depending from the channel portion (12), and a pivotable latch (98) provided on the support foot (88) pivotable between a deployed condition and a stowed condition, wherein when in the deployed condition the latch (98) extends from the support foot (88) for registering with a slot drain pre-installation support, and when in the stowed condition the latch (98) is retracted.

26. A slot drain (10) as claimed in claim 25, wherein during installation, positioning of the support foot (88) on the support surface automatically causes the latch (98) to pivot from the deployed condition to the stowed condition.

27. A slot drain (10) as claimed in claim 26, wherein the pivotable latch (98) is provided to pivot relative to the support foot (88) and in a plane perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the slot drain (10).

28. A slot drain (10) as claimed in any one of claims 25 to 27, wherein the support foot (88) has a slot (96) for a portion of the channel portion (12) to extend therein.

29. A slot drain (10) as claimed in claim 28, wherein the pivotable latch (98) has a cutaway portion (104) for aligning with the slot (96) of the support foot (88) for accommodation of the said portion of the channel portion (12) when the latch (98) is in the stowed condition.

30. A slot drain (10) as claimed in any one of claims 25 to 29, wherein an aperture (102) is provided in the support foot (88) for allowing the pivotable latch (98) to pivot away from the support foot (88) to the deployed condition.

31. A drainage system comprising a plurality of slot drains (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 30.

32. A method of improving structural rigidity of a slot drain (10) as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 30, comprising the steps of a] attaching a spacer element between two walls (18) of a throat portion (14) of the slot drain (10), a retainer (82) of the spacer element extending through at least one of the two walls (18) of the throat portion (14), b] pivotably connecting a throat locator (74) to the said one of the two walls (18) of the throat portion (14) and adjacent the spacer element, c] pivoting the throat locator (74) to engage with the retainer (82) thereby displacing the retainer (82) from its original position enhancing a locking effect of the spacer element at the said at least one of the two walls (18) of the throat portion (14).

33. A method as claimed in claim 32, wherein, in step c], the throat locator (74) abuts the retainer (82) to hold the retainer (82) in its displaced condition.