Static structures (e.g. – buildings) – Wall – ceiling – floor – or roof designed for ventilation or... – With the vent or drain entirely along at least one...
Reexamination Certificate
1997-04-06
2001-05-08
Kent, Christopher T. (Department: 3635)
Static structures (e.g., buildings)
Wall, ceiling, floor, or roof designed for ventilation or...
With the vent or drain entirely along at least one...
C052S533000, C052S537000, C052S650300, C052S745130, C052S748100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06226941
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to cover systems for spaces and more particularly to undercover systems for use in connection with decks to prevent water passing through the deck entering the space under the deck.
Decks enjoy widespread use today. One of the primary drawbacks in the use of decks is that the space under the deck is not maintained dry because the deck floor members are spaced apart to allow water to pass through the deck. This severely limits the use of the space under the decks. A number of different drainage systems have been suggested for use in keeping the water passing through the deck from wetting the space under the deck. Examples of these prior art systems are set forth in the following patents:
U.S. Pat. No.
Inventor
Issue Date
4,065,883
L. T. Thibodeau
January 3, 1978
4,663,894
A. R. LaRoche et al.
May 12, 1987
4,860,502
M. M. Mickelsen
August 29, 1989
5,511,351
G. M. Moore
April 30, 1996
All of these prior art attempts to provide an undercover system for decks have a common problem. That is, all require that the undercover system be permanently attached to the deck structure itself. This creates several problems. One problem is that the systems are difficult to locate on the deck structure in that they require that different sections of the system be individually aligned and attached. Another problem is that the undercover systems makes replacement of deteriorated members of the deck structure difficult and most times require at least partial disassembly of the undercover system for the repair of the deck structure. Yet another problem with these prior art undercover systems is that the spacing between the deck floor members allow debris to pass therethrough as well as water so that the undercover system becomes clogged with the debris. The prior art undercover systems do not provide a way to easily clean the accumulated debris off of the undercover system since there is insufficient clearance to gain access to the top of the undercover system and the undercover system or deck structure has to be at least partly disassembled to clean this debris off of the undercover system.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
These and other problems and disadvantages associated with the prior art are overcome by the invention disclosed herein by providing an undercover system which can be easily assembled or disassembled, which is not supported to the basic deck framework so that the deck structure can be easily repaired without having to remove and reinstall the undercover system, which can be easily cleared of accumulated debris without having to disassemble either the undercover system or the deck structure, which can be simply and easily properly pitched to achieve water runoff, and which requires a minimum of fasteners to install the undercover system so that assembly or disassembly can be quickly achieved even with relatively unskilled labor.
The apparatus of the invention is directed to an undercover system adapted to drain water therefrom for covering a prescribed area associated with a prescribed structure such as an outdoor deck comprising a pair of elongate support assemblies operatively connected to the prescribed structure so that the support assemblies are generally horizontally oriented and spaced apart a prescribed span distance; and at least one elongate self-supporting cover member having opposed ends and a prescribed cover length greater than the span distance adapted to be supported on the support assemblies and span the prescribed span distance between the support assemblies. The invention may also include arresting means operatively associated with the support assemblies and the cover member to maintain the cover member in registration with the support assemblies so that the cover member will be supported on the support means without having to be attached to the support assemblies.
The apparatus of the invention may comprise a plurality of the cover members and interconnect means for selectively interconnecting the cover members in a side-by-side relationship to form a continuous substantially watertight cover over the prescribed space. The arresting means of the invention may include end arresting means operatively associated with the opposed ends of the cover members to maintain the cover members in supporting registration with the support assemblies along a path generally normal to the longitudinal axes of the support assemblies; side arresting means operatively associated with the cover members to maintain the cover members in supporting registration with the support assemblies along a path generally parallel to the longitudinal axes of the support assemblies; and/or top arresting means operatively associated with the cover members to maintain the interconnecting means interconnecting the cover members together in a watertight condition yet allowing the cover members to move vertically a prescribed clearance distance with respect to the support assemblies so that the cover members rest on but are not attached to the support assemblies.
The support assemblies of the invention may further comprise an elongate support element extending along the length of the support assembly and defining an upwardly facing support surface thereon adapted to be engaged by and support one of the opposed ends of the cover member thereon, and spacing support means operatively associated with the prescribed structure and supporting the support element with respect to the prescribed structure so that the support element is generally horizontally oriented generally parallel to the support element of the other support assembly and spaced from the support element of the other support assembly the prescribed span distance. The support element is spaced from the supporting structure mounting the support assembly so that the cover member projects thereover to discharge water through the space between the support element and the supporting structure. The support assemblies of the invention may also include reinforcing support means operatively connected to the support element and operatively associated with the prescribed structure to further support the support element while the cover member is supported on the support element.
The apparatus of the invention may likewise include water collection means operatively associated with at least one of the opposed ends of the cover member to collect the water draining therefrom which may be integrally incorporated in the support assembly. The water collection means may be an upwardly opening water collection gutter channel defined in the spacing support means of the support assembly so that water flowing off of the cover member will flow into and be collected in the gutter channel. Likewise, the apparatus of the invention may include drainage means operatively associated with the gutter channel in the spacing support means to discharge the water collected in the gutter channel therefrom.
The method of the invention is directed to a method of building an undercover system for an elevated deck structure having a horizontal platform exposed to rainfall and upright supports supporting the horizontal platform where the undercover system provides the combined functions of a ceiling and a drainage system for the horizontal platform and a roof for the space located beneath the horizontal platform. The method comprising the steps of attaching at least two gutter members to the upright supports of the ground structure at spaced apart positions below the horizontal platform; and supporting elongate cover members on the gutter members solely by gravity so that the cover members will drain into at least one of the gutter members. The method also contemplates using cover members with complementary nesting configurations along opposite sides thereof and further comprising the step of sequentially placing the cover members on the gutter members while overlapping the nesting configuration along one side of the cover member already supported on the gutter members with the complementary nesting configuration of the next cover me
Kent Christopher T.
Thomas Kayden Horstemeyer & Risley
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