Trench Drain With Overmolded Frame

Abstract

A trench drain includes an open-faced channel that is polymeric with one or more integral metal frames molded into the sidewall(s) of the open-faced channel.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A trench drain comprising:
 an open-faced channel having spaced-apart sidewalls connected to a bottom wall and extending between a pair of opposing axial ends, wherein the open-faced channel comprises a polymeric material; and   an integral metal frame having an upper lip portion adapted to support a grate and further having a lower embedded portion which is molded into at least one of the spaced-apart sidewalls to secure the integral metal frame to the open-faced channel.   
     
     
         2 . The trench drain of  claim 1 , wherein the integral metal frame includes a pair of opposing axial ends and further includes an anchor feature disposed proximate one of the pair of opposing axial ends in which the anchor feature is molded into the polymeric material of the open-faced channel to positionally fix only the one of the pair of the opposing axial ends of the integral metal frame on which the anchor feature is positioned relative to a respective one of the pair of opposing axial ends of the open-faced channel. 
     
     
         3 . The trench drain of  claim 2 , wherein, during molding, the polymeric material flows into and engages the anchor feature and, upon cooling, the anchor feature serves as an anchor point for the integral metal frame relative to the sidewall, such that, as the integral metal frame and the open-faced channel differentially shrink during cooling, a dimensional shrinkage difference in an axial direction between the integral metal frame and the open-faced channel is expressed only on the respective axial ends not having the anchor feature. 
     
     
         4 . The trench drain of  claim 2 , wherein the anchor feature is a frame aperture and wherein, during molding, the polymeric material flows into and fills the frame aperture creating a sidewall protrusion. 
     
     
         5 . The trench drain of  claim 2 , wherein the anchor feature is a frame notch having an axially-facing wall that is embedded in the polymeric material of the open-faced channel. 
     
     
         6 . The trench drain of  claim 2 , wherein the anchor feature includes multiple features. 
     
     
         7 . The trench drain of  claim 6 , wherein the multiple features include a frame aperture and a frame notch each having a surface that is at least partially facing an axial direction to anchor the end of the integral metal frame having the multiple features relative to the sidewall. 
     
     
         8 . The trench drain of  claim 1 , wherein the integral metal frame further includes an intermediate section connecting the upper lip portion to the lower embedded portion in which the intermediate section has at least one exposed surface which is not at an axial end of the integral metal frame and that is not covered by the polymeric material of the open-faced channel. 
     
     
         9 . The trench drain of  claim 8 , wherein the upper lip portion, the intermediate section, and an upper edge of each sidewall collectively form an outer recess. 
     
     
         10 . The trench drain of  claim 9 , wherein the outer recess is further defined by vertically extending side ribs on the outside of the open-faced channel. 
     
     
         11 . The trench drain of  claim 9 , wherein the outer recess is configured to receive concrete. 
     
     
         12 . The trench drain of  claim 1 , wherein the lower embedded portion is an embedded angle including both a horizontal and vertical section molded into the sidewall. 
     
     
         13 . The trench drain of  claim 12 , wherein the embedded angle forms a right angle. 
     
     
         14 . The trench drain of  claim 12 , wherein an upper extent of each sidewall is thickened relative to a lower extend of each sidewall to provide a sufficient thickness of polymeric material to hold the embedded angle of the integral metal frame within the corresponding sidewall. 
     
     
         15 . The trench drain of  claim 1 , wherein the polymeric material is a resin containing at least one of a fiberglass, nylon, and a polyethylene. 
     
     
         16 . The trench drain of  claim 1 , wherein the polymeric material is at least one of polyethylene and polypropylene. 
     
     
         17 . The trench drain of  claim 1 , wherein an integral metal frame is each molded into a respective one of the spaced-apart sidewalls.