PERMEABLE SURFACE COVERING UNITS AND PERMEABLE SURFACE COVERING
A permeable surface covering unit comprises a top surface and at least two pairs of irregularly shaped mating sides, one or more passageways extending downwardly from the top surface, and at least one under channel connected to the passageways for retaining liquid, such as storm water. The sides of the unit preferably define an irregular rotational tessellation element. The passageways may comprise gaps or side cavities between units and/or core cavities or other passageways within the unit. Optional undercuts may be provided in the core cavities. Pervious material plugs are cast into the cavities extending into the channel or undercut. Thereby the plug is locked into the cavity like a rivet and resists being dislodged by mechanical or hydraulic forces. A permeable surface embodiment comprises a combination of pervious and impervious units, wherein the ratio of permeable to impermeable units and resulting surface absorption rate may be adjusted.
1 . A permeable surface covering unit comprising
a top surface and at least two pairs of irregularly shaped mating sides,
at least one channel for retaining liquid, and
at least one passageway for conveying liquid from the top surface to the channel.
2 . A permeable surface covering unit as in claim 1 wherein the channel comprises an under channel extending from one the sides through to an opposite one of sides.
3 . A permeable surface covering unit as in claim 2 wherein the channel is defined by planar lower walls and a semi-arched top wall.
4 . A permeable surface covering unit as in claim 1 further comprising a plurality of spacers on the sides of the unit and the passageway comprises gaps on the sides of the units between spacers.
5 . A permeable surface covering unit as in claim 1 wherein the passageway comprises a core cavity in the unit intersecting the channel.
6 . A permeable surface covering unit as in claim 1 wherein the passageway is at least partially filled with pervious material.
7 . A permeable surface covering unit as in claim 6 , wherein the pervious material comprises an aggregate and binder.
8 . A permeable surface covering unit as in claim 1 wherein
one pair of the sides extend from a first common vertex, have substantially the same configuration and are rotationally spaced from one another by a first angle, and
a second pair of the sides extend from a second common vertex, have substantially the same configuration and are rotationally spaced from one another by a second angle.
9 . A permeable surface covering unit as in claim 8 wherein all of the sides have substantially the same configuration and the first and second angles are the same.
10 . A permeable surface covering unit as in claim 1 wherein the top surface includes a plurality of stone shaped elements separated by false joints.
11 . A permeable surface covering unit as in claim 10 , wherein the passageway includes one or more passageways extending through the unit from the false joints to the channel.
12 . A permeable surface covering unit comprising
a top surface, a bottom surface and at least two pairs of sides,
at least one core cavity in the unit extending from the top surface to the bottom surface and having side walls,
at least one undercut formed in at least one of the side walls of the cavity, and
a pervious material plug at least partially filling the cavity and lower portion of the plug extending into the undercut.
13 . A permeable surface covering unit as in claim 12 , wherein the undercut comprises at least two undercuts on opposite side walls of the core cavity adjacent the bottom surface of the unit.
14 . A permeable surface covering unit as in claim 12 , wherein the undercut comprises a bottom channel, the core cavity intersecting the bottom channel and the pervious material plug at least partially extending into the bottom channel.
15 . A permeable surface covering unit as in claim 12 , wherein the top surface of the unit comprises stone shaped elements separated by false joints.
16 . A permeable surface covering unit as in claim 15 wherein the false joints are in communication with the pervious material plug.
17 . A permeable surface covering unit comprising
a top surface, a bottom surface, at least two pairs of irregularly shaped sides and a bottom channel,
wherein a portion of said unit consists of a substantially impervious material, and
wherein another portion of said unit consists of a pervious material matrix, the pervious material matrix extending from the top surface to the bottom channel.
18 . A permeable surface covering unit as in claim 17 , wherein the top surface of the unit comprises stone shaped elements separated by false joints, and wherein the false joints are in communication with the pervious material matrix.
19 . A permeable surface covering comprising
a plurality of units, each unit having top surface and at least two pairs of irregularly shaped sides, and wherein the irregularly shaped sides of adjacent units in the surface covering are engaged and interlocked with each other,
wherein at least a portion of the units have at least one cavity, such that the surface covering includes a plurality of cavities, and
wherein pervious material plugs are secured within at least a portion of the cavities in the surface covering.
20 . A permeable surface covering as in claim 19 , wherein a plurality of the units have a plural of the cavities in the unit sides, and wherein side cavities of adjacent units align with each other in the surface covering.
21 . A permeable surface covering as in claim 19 , wherein at least a portion of the units comprise a bottom channel extending from at least one of the sides and a plurality of the cavities intersect with a plurality of the channels, respectively.
22 . A permeable surface covering as in claim 21 , wherein the bottom channels in a plurality of adjacent units align with one another such that liquid can be conveyed through the aligned channels below the surface.
23 . A permeable surface covering as in claim 19 wherein the surface covering includes a plurality of second units, said second units having substantially the same configuration as the first said units, the second units being substantially impervious.
24 . A permeable surface covering comprising
a plurality of units, each unit having top surface and a plurality of irregularly shaped sides, each of said sides having ends, at least two sides of each unit having a side cavity intermediate the ends,
wherein the irregularly shaped sides of adjacent units in the surface covering are engaged and interlocked with each other at the respective ends of the sides, and the side cavities of adjacent units align with one another in the surface covering.
25 . A permeable surface covering as in claim 24 , wherein the surface covering includes permeable plugs cast into the side cavities.
26 . A permeable surface covering as in claim 24 wherein the side cavities include locking slots, and further comprising a plurality of stakes engaged in the slots.
27 . A permeable surface covering as in claim 24 wherein at least a portion of the units include bottom channels, the bottom channels being in liquid communication with the side cavities.
28 . A permeable surface covering as in claim 24 further comprising permeable material plugs cast into at least a plurality of the side cavities and extending to the bottom channels.
29 . A permeable surface covering as in claim 24 wherein the top surfaces of adjacent units are separated by a gap, and the side cavities are positioned on a lower portion of the sides beneath the top surface, the gaps being comparatively narrow in dimension as compared to the side cavities and being in communication with the side cavities, wherein liquid can be conveyed through the gaps into the side cavities for retention beneath the surface.
30 . A permeable surface covering as in claim 24 wherein the surface covering includes a plurality of second units, said second units having substantially the same configuration and are configured to mate with the first said units, the second units lacking side cavities.