Leak free semi-stackable drain pan

Abstract

The present invention relates to drain pans and the process of making the same, and more particularly to a leak proof drain pan that is semi-stackable during storage and can be manufactured from a single piece of steel without the use of a press, die or tooling. The drain pan includes corner sections created from a unique folding system which eliminates seams and thus the need for any sealing of the seams.

1 . A seamless drain pan for collecting and storing a liquid such as condensate and the like, said drain pan comprising:
 a bottom wall;   a front wall having a top edge portion, said front wall being integral with and substantially perpendicular to said bottom wall;   a rear wall having a top edge portion, said rear wall being integral with and substantially perpendicular to said bottom wall;   a first side wall having a top edge portion, said first side wall being integral with and substantially perpendicular to said bottom wall, said first side wall being connected to said front wall at a first leak proof front intersection and said first side wall being connected to said rear wall at a first leak proof rear intersection;   a second side wall having a top edge portion, said second side wall being integral with and substantially perpendicular to said bottom wall, said second side wall being connected to said front wall at a second leak proof front intersection and said first side wall being connected to said rear wall at a second leak proof rear intersection;   said front wall, said rear wall, said first side wall and said second sidewall having a cross section in the shape of a rectangle; and   a corner section disposed at each of said leak proof front intersections and each of said leak proof rear intersections, each corner section having an outside corner and an inside corner, said outside corner and said inside corner being disposed wherein a fictitious bisecting line connecting said outside corner and said inside corner bisects each of said corner sections, wherein each corner section further comprises:
 a top corner section integral with one of said first side wall and said second side wall; 
 a bottom corner section integral with one of said front wall and said rear wall; 
 said top corner section and said bottom corner section intersecting at said fictitious bisecting line of each said corner section; 
 wherein each corner section comprises said top corner section and said bottom corner section folded one over the other along said fictitious bisecting line, said top corner section and said bottom corner section being substantially coplanar and lying parallel to a selected one of said first side wall, said second side wall, said front wall and said rear wall. 
   
   
   
       2 . A seamless drain pan for collecting and storing a liquid such as condensate and the like, said drain pan comprising:
 a bottom wall;   a front wall having a top edge portion, said front wall being integral with and substantially perpendicular to said bottom wall;   a rear wall having a top edge portion, said rear wall being integral with and substantially perpendicular to said bottom wall;   at least one side wall having a top edge portion, said at least one side wall being integral with and substantially perpendicular to said bottom wall, said at least one side wall being connected to one of said front wall and said rear wall at a leak proof intersection; and   a corner section disposed at said leak proof intersection, said corner section having an outside corner and an inside corner, said outside corner and said inside corner being disposed wherein a fictitious bisecting line connecting said outside corner and said inside corner bisects said corner section, wherein said corner section further comprises:
 a top corner section integral with said at least one side wall; 
 a bottom corner section integral with one of said front wall and said rear wall; 
 said top corner section and said bottom corner section intersecting at said fictitious bisecting line of said corner section; 
 wherein said corner section comprises said top corner section and said bottom corner section folded one over the other along said fictitious bisecting line, said top corner section and said bottom corner section being substantially coplanar and lying parallel to a selected one of said at least one side wall or one of said front wall and said rear wall. 
   
   
   
       3 . A seamless drain pan according to  claim 2 , wherein said respective top edge portions of said walls are folded over the respective corner sections to prevent unfolding of the respective corner sections. 
   
   
       4 . A seamless drain pan according to  claim 2 , wherein said drain pan has a cross section extending through said front wall, said rear wall and said at least one side wall, said cross section being in the shape of a rectangle. 
   
   
       5 . A seamless drain pan according to  claim 2 , wherein said drain pan is manufactured from sheet metal. 
   
   
       6 . A seamless drain pan according to  claim 5 , wherein said sheet metal has a thickness of approximately 0.0193 inches. 
   
   
       7 . A seamless drain pan according to  claim 2 , further comprising a drain fitting located on the outside of at least one of said front wall, rear wall or at least one side wall to drain liquid from said drain pan. 
   
   
       8 . A seamless drain pan according to  claim 7 , each of said walls having an inside surface and an outside surface, said drain fitting comprising:
 a nut portion having an externally threaded tubular portion extending through one of said walls;   a male adaptor extending from said nut portion;   a gasket located between said nut portion and the external surface of said one of said walls; and   a fastener screwed on said nut portion for abutting the inside surface of said one of said walls.   
   
   
       9 . A seamless drain pan for collecting and storing a liquid such as condensate and the like, said drain pan comprising:
 a bottom wall;   a front wall having a top edge portion, said front wall being operatively connected to said bottom wall at a leak proof front intersection;   at least one side wall having a top edge portion, said at least one side wall being operatively connected to said bottom wall at at least one leak proof side intersection, said at least one side wall being connected to said front wall at a respective juncture of said leak proof front intersection and said at least one leak proof side intersection; and   at least one corner section disposed at said respective juncture, each corner section having an outside corner and an inside corner, said outside corner and said inside corner being disposed wherein a fictitious bisecting line connecting said outside corner and said inside corner, bisects said respective corner sections, said at least one corner section further including:
 a top corner section operatively connected to said at least one side wall; 
 a bottom corner section operatively connected to said front wall; and 
 said top corner section and said bottom corner section intersecting at said fictitious bisecting line of said at least one corner section; 
 wherein said at least one corner section comprises said top corner section and said bottom corner section at least partially folded one over the other along said fictitious bisecting line. 
   
   
   
       10 . A process of making a seamless drain pan for collecting liquid, the drain pan having a front wall, a rear wall, opposing side walls connecting the front wall and the rear wall, and a bottom wall connected to a corresponding edge of each of said walls, said process comprising the following steps:
 cutting a metal sheet in a generally flat rectangular form, with each side having a top edge portion extending from the respective side and being shorter than the respective side, each top edge portion having opposing ends transverse to the respective side and intersecting the respective side at a juncture, and adjacent sides forming outside corners, fictitious first and second lines extending from the respective junctures of the adjacent edges to an inside corner point to form a first angle, with a fictitious third line extending from the respective outside corners of the rectangular sheet to the respective inside corner points to bisect the first angle;   folding the respective outside corners using the respective inside corner point as the respective pivots, and further commencing the folding of the respective opposing side walls, the front wall and the rear wall about lines extending between adjacent inside corner points, until the respective side walls, front wall and rear wall are generally perpendicular to the unfolded part of the metal sheet, the unfolded part being the bottom wall, the respective halves of the respective outside corners being doubled over to form a doubled over corner section with the first and second fictitious lines being adjacent each other with the confines of the adjacent side wall and the adjacent front or rear wall; and   folding the respective doubled over corner sections against the adjacent side wall or adjacent front or rear wall.   
   
   
       11 . The process of making a seamless drain pan according to  claim 10 , and further including the step of folding the respective top edge portions so that they are adjacent to the respective side walls, front wall and rear wall.