DRAINAGE MAT APPARATUS

Abstract

A drainage mat apparatus for draining effluent produced by washing an automobile includes a planar member with a lip coupled to a peripheral edge of the planar member and defining a recess above the planar member. The planar member supports the automobile while it is being washed. Effluent produced from washing the automobile flows through a drain tube in the lip to a drain hose and remotely from the planar member.

Claims

1. A drainage mat apparatus comprising: a planar member having a top surface and a bottom surface, the top surface being configured for supporting an automobile, the planar member having a size such that a peripheral edge of the planar member is configured to horizontally surround the automobile; a lip being coupled to and extending upwardly from the peripheral edge of the planar member, the lip bounding a recess above the planar member; a drainage tube being coupled to and extending through the lip to the recess, the drainage tube having an open distal end with respect to the lip, the drainage tube being configured for facilitating drainage of an effluent out of the recess through the drainage tube; and a drainage hose being selectively couplable to the drainage tube, the drainage hose being configured for facilitating drainage of the effluent remotely from the recess through the drainage tube.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the planar member has a rectangular shape.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the planar member has a length of between 15.0 feet and 19.0 feet, the planar member having a width of between 9.0 feet and 11.0 feet.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the drainage tube is parallel to the top surface of the planar member.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a lower side of the drainage tube is coplanar with the top surface of the planar member.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the drainage tube is one of a plurality of drainage tubes being coupled to and extending through the lip to the recess, each drainage tube of the plurality of drainage tubes having an open distal end with respect to the lip, each drainage tube of the plurality of drainage tubes being configured for facilitating drainage of an effluent out of the recess through the drainage tube.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein each drainage tube of the plurality of drainage tubes is positioned adjacent to one of a plurality of corners of the planar member.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein each drainage tube of the plurality of drainage tubes is positioned on an associated one of a pair of longitudinal portions of the lip.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the drainage hose has interior threads which are complementary in shape to exterior threads of the drainage tube.

10. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising a plurality of caps, each cap of the plurality of caps being couplable to each drainage tube of the plurality of drainage tubes to close the drainage tube.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein each cap of the plurality of caps has internal threads which are complementary in shape to exterior threads of each drainage tube of the plurality of drainage tubes.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the planar member and the lip comprises a flexible material wherein the planar member and the lip are rollable into a storage condition.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of nodules being coupled to the top surface of the planar member, the plurality of nodules being configured for spacing the automobile above the top surface of the planar member to facilitate flow of the effluent between the automobile and the top surface.

14. A drainage mat apparatus comprising: a planar member having a top surface and a bottom surface, the top surface being configured for supporting an automobile, the planar member having a size such that a peripheral edge of the planar member is configured to horizontally surround the automobile, the planar member having a rectangular shape, the planar member having a length of between 15.0 feet and 19.0 feet, the planar member having a width of between 9.0 feet and 11.0 feet; a lip being coupled to and extending upwardly from the peripheral edge of the planar member, the lip bounding a recess above the planar member; a plurality of drainage tubes being coupled to and extending through the lip to the recess, each drainage tube of the plurality of drainage tubes having an open distal end with respect to the lip, each drainage tube of the plurality of drainage tubes being configured for facilitating drainage of an effluent out of the recess through the drainage tube, each drainage tube of the plurality of drainage tubes being parallel to the top surface of the planar member, a lower side of each drainage tube of the plurality of drainage tubes being coplanar with the top surface of the planar member, each drainage tube of the plurality of drainage tubes being positioned adjacent to one of a plurality of corners of the planar member, each drainage tube of the plurality of drainage tubes being positioned on an associated one of a pair of longitudinal portions of the lip; a drainage hose being selectively couplable to each drainage tube of the plurality of drainage tubes, the drainage hose being configured for facilitating drainage of the effluent remotely from the recess through a selected one of the plurality of drainage tubes, the drainage hose having interior threads which are complementary in shape to exterior threads of each drainage tube of the plurality of drainage tubes; a plurality of caps, each cap of the plurality of caps being couplable to each drainage tube of the plurality of drainage tubes to close the drainage tube, each cap of the plurality of caps having internal threads which are complementary in shape to the exterior threads of each drainage tube of the plurality of drainage tubes; wherein each of the planar member and the lip comprises a flexible material wherein the planar member and the lip are rollable into a storage condition; and a plurality of nodules being coupled to the top surface of the planar member, the plurality of nodules being configured for spacing the automobile above the top surface of the planar member to facilitate flow of the effluent between the automobile and the top surface.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

[0011] The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:

[0012] FIG. 1 is a top view of a drainage mat apparatus according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0013] FIG. 2 is a bottom view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0014] FIG. 3 is a front view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0015] FIG. 4 is a side view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0016] FIG. 5 is a cross-section view of an embodiment of the disclosure taken from Arrows 5-5 in FIG. 1.

[0017] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0018] FIG. 7 is a detail perspective view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0019] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the disclosure in a storage condition.

[0020] FIG. 9 is an in-use view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 through 9 thereof, a new drainage apparatus embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral 10 will be described.

[0022] As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 9, the drainage mat apparatus 10 generally comprises a planar member 12 with a top surface 14 and a bottom surface 16. The top surface 14 is configured for supporting an automobile 46, and the planar member 12 has a size such that a peripheral edge 18 of the planar member 12 is configured to horizontally surround the automobile 46. The planar member 12 has a rectangular shape with a length of between 15.0 feet and 19.0 feet and a width of between 9.0 feet and 11.0 feet. A lip 20 is coupled to and extends upwardly from the peripheral edge 18 of the planar member 12. The lip 20 bounds a recess 22 above the planar member 12.

[0023] A plurality of drainage tubes 24 is coupled to and extending through the lip 20 to the recess 22. Each drainage tube 24 of the plurality of drainage tubes 24 has an open distal end 26 with respect to the lip 20 such that the drainage tube 24 is configured for facilitating drainage of an effluent out of the recess 22 through the drainage tube 24. Each drainage tube 24 of the plurality of drainage tubes 24 is parallel to the top surface 14 of the planar member 12, and a lower side 26 of each drainage tube 24 of the plurality of drainage tubes 24 is coplanar with the top surface 14 of the planar member 12. Each drainage tube 24 of the plurality of drainage tubes 24 is positioned adjacent to one of a plurality of corners 28 of the planar member 12 and on an associated one of a pair of longitudinal portions 30 of the lip 20.

[0024] A drainage hose 32 is selectively couplable to each drainage tube 24 of the plurality of drainage tubes 24. The drainage hose 32 is configured for facilitating drainage of the effluent remotely from the recess 22 through a selected one of the plurality of drainage tubes 24. The drainage hose 32 has interior threads 34 which are complementary in shape to exterior threads 36 of each drainage tube 24 of the plurality of drainage tubes 24. Each one of a plurality of caps 38 is couplable to each drainage tube 24 of the plurality of drainage tubes 24 to close the drainage tube 24. Each cap 38 of the plurality of caps 38 has internal threads 40 which are complementary in shape to the exterior threads 36 of each drainage tube 24 of the plurality of drainage tubes 24.

[0025] Each of the planar member 12 and the lip 20 comprises a flexible material wherein the planar member 12 and the lip 20 are rollable into a storage condition 42. The flexible material is polyvinyl chloride but may be rubber, polyethylene, or the like. A plurality of nodules 44 is coupled to the top surface 14 of the planar member 12 to space the automobile 46 above the top surface 14 of the planar member 12 and facilitate flow of the effluent between the automobile 46 and the top surface 14.

[0026] In use, the automobile 46 is positioned over the top surface 14 of the planar member 12 and surrounded by the peripheral edge 18 of the planar member 12. The drainage hose 32 is attached to the selected drainage tube 24 and the plurality of caps 38 are used to cover a remaining set of drainage tubes 24 of the plurality of drainage tubes 24. The selected drainage tube 24 may be chosen based on proximity to a drainage destination 48, an incline of the planar member 12 causing the effluent to flow toward one of the plurality of drainage tubes 24, or other criteria. The automobile 46 is washed, causing the formation of the effluent including any detergent and water used to wash the automobile 46 and any dirt and other debris which was covering the automobile 46. The effluent flows off the automobile 46 and into the recess 22, then through the drainage hose 32 away from the planar member 12 to the drainage destination 48, which may be defined by a drain, a container, a portion of a ground surface, or the like.

[0027] With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0028] Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word comprising is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article a does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.