Permeable paving system

Abstract

A paving block system is provided that includes a plurality of paving blocks arranged together to form a surface. Each paving block includes a recess located on a side surface and the paving blocks are arranged so that each recess abuts another recess so as to form drainage holes in the surface. The drainage holes have a top opening and a bottom opening and the bottom opening is larger in area than the top opening.

1 . A paving block comprising:
 a top surface;   a bottom surface;   a side surface extending between the top surface and the bottom surface, wherein the side surface comprises a recess extending from the top surface to the bottom surface;   wherein the recess has a top opening and a bottom opening, wherein the bottom opening is larger in area than the top opening.   
     
     
         2 . The paving block of  claim 1  wherein the bottom opening has a width that is larger than a width of the top opening. 
     
     
         3 . The paving block of  claim 2  wherein the bottom opening width is at least 2 times larger than the top opening width. 
     
     
         4 . The paving block of  claim 1  wherein the recess comprises a section that extends inwardly into the paving block. 
     
     
         5 . The paving block of  claim 4  wherein the entire recess continuously extends inwardly from the top surface to the bottom surface. 
     
     
         6 . The paving block of  claim 4  wherein the recess comprises a back surface, wherein the back surface comprises a top section and a bottom section, wherein the top section is substantially vertical and the bottom section extends inwardly into the paving block. 
     
     
         7 . The paving block of  claim 6  wherein the top section has a height and the bottom section has a height, wherein the bottom section height is larger than the top section height. 
     
     
         8 . The paving block of  claim 1  wherein the paving block is a parallelepiped having four side surfaces and each of the four side surfaces comprises a recess. 
     
     
         9 . The paving block of  claim 8  wherein each recess is substantially identical. 
     
     
         10 . The paving block of  claim 1  wherein the recess has a length “x” and the side surface has a length that is an integer multiple of the length “x.” 
     
     
         11 . The paving block of  claim 10  wherein the integer multiple is selected from the group consisting of “3x,” “6x,” “9x” and “12x.” 
     
     
         12 . The paving block of  claim 1  wherein the side surface comprises two recesses each having a length “x” and the two recesses are spaced apart by a length “2x.” 
     
     
         13 . The paving block of  claim 1  wherein the side surface comprises three recesses each having a length “x” and the three recesses are spaced apart by a length “2x.” 
     
     
         14 . The paving block of  claim 1  wherein the side surface comprises four recesses each having a length “x” and the four recesses are spaced apart by a length “2x.” 
     
     
         15 . The paving block of  claim 1  wherein the top surface comprises a channel that extends into the recess. 
     
     
         16 . A paving block system, comprising:
 a plurality of paving blocks arranged together to form a surface;   wherein each paving block in the plurality of paving blocks comprises a recess located on a side surface;   wherein the plurality of paving blocks are arranged so that each recess abuts another recess so as to form drainage holes in the surface;   wherein the drainage holes have a top opening and a bottom opening and the bottom opening is larger in area than the top opening.   
     
     
         17 . The paving system of  claim 16  wherein the bottom opening has a greater width than the bottom opening. 
     
     
         18 . The paving system of  claim 17  wherein the top opening has a dimension represented by the formula “x” by “w 1 ” and the bottom opening has a dimension represented by the formula “x” by “w 2 ”, wherein “x” is the length of the recess, “w 1 ” is the width of the top opening and “w 2 ” is the width of the bottom opening, wherein “w 2 ” is greater than “w 1 ”. 
     
     
         19 . The paving system of  claim 18  wherein w 2  is twice the width of w 1 . 
     
     
         20 . The paving system of  claim 16  wherein the recess comprises a section that extends inwardly into the paving block. 
     
     
         21 . The paving system of  claim 20  wherein the recess comprises a back surface, wherein the back surface comprises a top section and a bottom section, wherein the top section is substantially vertical and the bottom section extends inwardly into the paving block. 
     
     
         22 . The paving system of  claim 16  wherein the plurality of paving blocks comprise recesses that are substantially identical. 
     
     
         23 . The paving system of  claim 14  wherein the recess has a length “x” and the side surface has a length that is an integer multiple of the length “x.” 
     
     
         24 . The paving system of  claim 23  wherein the integer multiple is selected from the group consisting of “3x,” “6x,” “9x” and “12x.” 
     
     
         25 . The paving system of  claim 16  wherein the side surface comprises two recesses each having a length “x” and the two recesses are spaced apart by a length “2x.” 
     
     
         26 . The paving system of  claim 16  wherein the side surface comprises three recesses each having a length “x” and the three recesses are spaced apart by a length “2x.” 
     
     
         27 . The paving system of  claim 16  wherein the side surface comprises four recesses each having a length “x” and the four recesses are spaced apart by a length “2x.”