Anti-entrapment drain

A drain apparatus useable in a swimming pool, a spa or a whirlpool bath of cementitious material and mountable in a wall or bottom thereof for preventing entanglement of hair or body parts, said drain apparatus comprising in combination:

• a) a ring fixedly lodged in the wall or bottom;
• b) a plate secured to said ring for lodgement adjacent a surface of the pool, spa or bath and defining a central aperture adapted for fluid communication with a suction line;
• c) a cover secured to said plate, said cover including:
• 1) a central impervious member;
• 2) a plurality of first orifices extending radially from said member;
• 3) a plurality of walls extending downwardly to said plate for defining a plurality of generally radially oriented passageways coincident with said first orifices;
• 4) an outlet orifice generally coincident with the radially interior end of each of said passageways and in fluid communication with said first orifices;
• 5) a plurality of second orifices located radially outwardly of said first orifices;
• and
• 6) a peripheral wall segregating said first orifices from said second orifices and defining a common peripheral passageway in fluid communication with each of said second orifices, said peripheral wall being spaced from said plate to provide fluid communication between said peripheral passageway and said radially oriented passageways.

A drain apparatus for conveying water from a pool, a spa or a whirlpool bath to a suction line in operative engagement with a suction pump, said drain apparatus comprising in combination:

• a) a cover having a central impervious surface;
• b) a plurality of passageways for conveying water from first orifices located in said cover outwardly of said central surface;
• c) a bulkhead fitting having a central passageway in fluid communication with the suction line;
• d) an outlet orifice associated with each of said passageways for conveying water to said central passageway;
• e) a plurality of second orifices disposed adjacent said first orifices and segregated by a wall extending from in between said first and second orifices;
• f) a peripheral passageway in fluid communication with each of said second orifices and in fluid communication with said passageways to provide a flow of water to said central passageway in said bulkhead fitting.

A method for conveying water from a pool, spa or whirlpool bath to a suction line in operative engagement with a suction pump, said method comprising the steps of:

• a) conveying water from first orifices located in a cover;
• b) directing the water through a plurality of passageways to a central passageway in a bulkhead fitting in fluid communication with the suction line;
• c) introducing a flow of water into the plurality of passageways through second orifices located adjacent the first orifices;
• d) interconnecting the flows of water through the second orifices with a peripheral passageway in fluid communication with the plurality of passageways.

A method for conveying water from a pool, spa or whirlpool bath to a suction line in operative engagement with a suction pump, said method comprising the steps of:

• a) conveying water from first orifice located in a cover;
• b) directing the water through a plurality of passageways to a central aperture in a plate in fluid communication with the suction line;
• c) introducing a flow of water into the plurality of passageways through second orifices located adjacent the first orifices;
• and
• d) interconnecting the flows of water through the second orifices with a peripheral passageway in fluid communication with the plurality of passageways.