Balcony egde drainage system

Abstract

The present invention relates in general to a linear drain system for terminating installed tiles at the edges of balconies or terraces and redirecting water away from the walls below. The assembly has an elongate channel section forming a longitudinally extending trough, the trough having a floor with a first interior surface shape and a pair of wall sections extending substantially vertically upward from opposing longitudinal edges of the floor. An insert is releasably disposed in the elongate channel section to overlie the trough floor. At least one outlet assembly having a central mounting portion with a surface shape that is the same as the first interior surface shape of the floor and is connected to the floor. The at least one outlet assembly is coupleable to a plumbing system. An elongate edge assembly extends longitudinally from one of the pair of wall sections of the elongate channel section. A flange extends orthogonally from an upper edge of the wall section with a leg portion extending downwardly from a longitudinal edge of the flange. The leg portion has a lip extending outwardly at an angle from a distal end of the leg portion. The floor drain assembly is positioned adjacent to a free edge of the balcony with the leg portion and lip of the elongate edge assembly positioned to direct fluids away from a vertical face of the free edge of the balcony.

1 . A balcony and like outwardly extending external aspects of a building structure floor drain assembly, the floor drain assembly comprising:
 an elongate channel section forming a longitudinally extending trough, the trough having a floor with a first interior surface shape and a pair of wall sections extending substantially vertically upward from opposing longitudinal edges of the floor;   an insert releasably disposed in the elongate channel section to overlie the trough floor, the insert having a planar top wall with a pair of side walls extending orthogonally from opposing longitudinal edges of the top wall;   at least one outlet assembly having a central mounting portion with a surface shape that is the same as the first interior surface shape of the floor, the at least one outlet assembly including a conduit extending from a bottom surface of the central mounting portion that is coupleable to a plumbing system; and   an elongate edge assembly extending longitudinally from one of the pair of wall sections of the elongate channel section, the edge assembly comprising:
 a flange extending orthogonally from an upper edge of the wall section; and 
 a leg portion extending downwardly from a longitudinal edge of the flange, the leg portion having a lip extending outwardly at an angle from a distal end of the leg portion; 
   wherein the floor drain assembly is positioned adjacent to a free edge of the balcony and like outwardly extending external aspects of the building structure, with the leg portion and lip of the elongate edge assembly positioned to direct fluids away from a vertical face of the free edge.   
     
     
         2 . A floor drain assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the first interior surface shape is formed as any one of a substantially planar flat floor, a V-shaped floor, or any shape which allows the fluid to drain from the elongate channel section and into the at least one outlet assembly. 
     
     
         3 . A floor drain assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the pair of wall sections further comprises a longitudinal slot located within each wall section and positioned on the floor side of each wall section, the longitudinal slot extends along the length of each wall section and is spaced apart a distance from the opposing longitudinal edges of the floor. 
     
     
         4 . A floor drain assembly as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the floor drain assembly further comprises an endcap that is sized to substantially enclose an end of the trough of the elongate channel section, the endcap has a recess extending around a peripheral edge of the endcap, the recess is shaped to correspond to a cross-sectional shape of the elongate channel section. 
     
     
         5 . A floor drain assembly as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the endcap has a pair of apertures located adjacent to opposing end portions of the endcap, when the endcap is located to enclose an end of the trough of the elongate channel section each aperture is aligned with an end of the longitudinal slot located within the wall sections and adapted to receive a fastener therein, the endcap is affixed to the elongate channel section by an adhesive disposed in the recess and the fastener. 
     
     
         6 . A floor drain assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the planar top wall of the insert further comprises a plurality of slots configured to allow a flow of fluids and debris into the elongate channel section, and the pair of side walls of the insert have a height substantially equal to a height of the pair of wall sections of the elongate channel, wherein the planar top wall of the insert is aligned to sit flush with a top edge of the pair of wall sections of the elongate channel when the insert is disposed in the elongate channel section. 
     
     
         7 . A floor drain assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the insert further comprises a pair of tile-tray flanges extending upwardly from the top planar wall of the insert between which a finish flooring material is disposed. 
     
     
         8 . A floor drain assembly as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein a top surface of the finish flooring material is aligned to sit flush with a top edge of the pair of wall sections of the elongate channel when the finish flooring material is disposed in the pair of tile-tray flanges of the insert and the insert is disposed within the elongate channel section, and a plurality of slots are located adjacent the opposing longitudinal edges of the planar top wall of the insert, the plurality of slots allow a flow of fluids and debris into the elongate channel section, the plurality of slots are positioned between each one of the pair of tile-tray flanges of the insert and each longitudinal edge of the planar top wall on opposing sides of the insert. 
     
     
         9 . A floor drain assembly as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein the plurality of slots are aligned to run parallel to and adjacent each opposing longitudinal edge of the insert, and the insert has a width sufficient to provide a space between each of the pair of side walls and respective adjacent ones of the pair of wall sections of the trough and a length substantially equal to the longitudinal extent of the trough. 
     
     
         10 . A floor drain assembly as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the finish flooring material is a tile. 
     
     
         11 . A floor drain assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the elongate edge assembly extends longitudinally from one of the pair of wall sections of the elongate channel section and on the other one of the pair of wall sections is adapted to abut against a finish flooring material. 
     
     
         12 . A floor drain assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the flange and the leg portion of the elongate edge assembly form a void with one of the pair of wall sections of the elongate channel section for receiving a finish flooring material mounted on the vertical face of the free edge of the balcony and like outwardly extending external aspects of the building structure. 
     
     
         13 . A floor drain assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the lip extends outwardly at an obtuse angle with respect to the distal end of the leg portion, and the obtuse angle is in the range of 120 to 160 degrees with respect to the distal end of the leg portion, the angle the lip extends outwardly facilitates the fluid runoff. 
     
     
         14 . A floor drain assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the elongate channel section, the elongate edge assembly and the insert are manufactured from a metal material and formed as a single section by extrusion or bending processes. 
     
     
         15 . A floor drain assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the endcap is manufactured from a metal material and formed as a single section by extrusion. 
     
     
         16 . A floor drain assembly comprising:
 a plurality of elongate channel sections connected together in an end-to-end fashion, each elongate channel section having a longitudinally extending trough, the trough having a floor with a first interior surface shape and a pair of wall sections extending substantially vertically upward from opposing longitudinal edges of the floor;   a plurality of connector members forming a sealable connection between adjacent ends of the elongate channel sections;   a plurality of inserts releasably disposed in the elongate channel sections to overlie the trough floor, each insert having a planar top wall with a pair of side walls extending orthogonally from opposing longitudinal edges of the top wall;   an endcap sized to substantially enclose a distal end of the trough of each elongate channel section that is positioned on opposing ends of the floor drain assembly;   at least one outlet assembly having a central mounting portion with a surface shape that is the same as the first interior surface shape of the floor, the at least one outlet assembly including a conduit extending from a bottom surface of the central mounting portion that is coupleable to a plumbing system; and   an elongate edge assembly extending longitudinally from one of the pair of wall sections of each elongate channel section, the edge assembly comprising:
 a flange extending orthogonally from an upper edge of the wall section; and 
 a leg portion extending downwardly from a longitudinal edge of the flange, the leg portion having a lip extending outwardly at an angle from a distal end of the leg portion; 
   wherein the floor drain assembly is positioned adjacent to a free edge of a balcony and extending longitudinally for the length of the balcony, the leg portion and lip of the elongate edge assembly positioned to direct fluids away from a vertical face of the free edge of the balcony.   
     
     
         17 . A floor drain assembly as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein each connector member comprises a base with a surface shape that is the same as the first interior surface shape of the floor of the elongate channel sections, the base having a pair of wall flanges extending substantially vertically upward from opposing longitudinal edges of the base, wherein a height of each wall flange is less than a height of the pair of wall sections extending substantially vertically upward from opposing longitudinal edges of the floor of each elongate channel section, and the connector member is coupled to an outer surface of each elongate channel section by an adhesive. 
     
     
         18 . A floor drain assembly as claimed in  claim 16 , further comprising a corner connector to allow a further floor drain assembly to be placed at an angle with respect to an end of the floor drain assembly formed by the plurality of elongate channel sections connected together in an end-to-end fashion, the corner connector comprises an open ended L-shaped channel with a first leg and a second leg, the first and second legs having a surface shape that is the same as the first interior surface shape of the floor of each elongate channel section, and wherein the corner connector has a pair of wall sections extending substantially vertically upward from opposing longitudinal edges of the first and second legs and a height of each wall section is less than a height of the pair of wall sections extending substantially vertically upward from opposing longitudinal edges of the floor of each elongate channel section. 
     
     
         19 . A floor drain assembly as claimed in  claim 18 , wherein adjacent ends of the further floor drain assembly and the floor drain assembly formed by the plurality of elongate channel sections are mitre cut at their adjacent ends to form the angle of the corner connector, wherein the angle the further floor drain assembly is placed with respect to the end of the floor drain assembly is in the range of 25 to 150 degrees, and preferably the angle is 90 degrees. 
     
     
         20 . A floor drain assembly as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein the connector member and the corner connector are manufactured from a metal material and formed as a single section by extrusion or by bending processes.