US 12,402,576 B2
Structural cell for facilitating tree root growth
Charles Julian Ray, San Francisco, CA (US); Charles Graham Ray, Mill Valley, CA (US); John Cogger, Santa Ana, CA (US); and James Urban, Annapolis, MD (US)
Assigned to DeepRoot Green Infrastruture, LLC, San Francisco, CA (US)
Filed by DeepRoot Green Infrastructure, LLC, San Francisco, CA (US)
Filed on May 24, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/752,654.
Application 15/686,573 is a division of application No. 14/684,214, filed on Apr. 10, 2015, granted, now 9,775,303, issued on Oct. 3, 2017.
Application 17/752,654 is a continuation of application No. 16/410,916, filed on May 13, 2019, granted, now 11,369,065.
Application 16/410,916 is a continuation of application No. 15/686,573, filed on Aug. 25, 2017, granted, now 10,285,339, issued on Apr. 24, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0279734 A1, Sep. 8, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A01G 13/27 (2025.01); E01C 3/06 (2006.01); E01C 9/00 (2006.01); E03F 1/00 (2006.01)
CPC A01G 13/27 (2025.01) [E01C 3/06 (2013.01); E01C 9/005 (2013.01); E03F 1/002 (2013.01); Y02A 30/30 (2018.01)] 8 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
8. A structural cell system for supporting an underground bioretention system to collect and remove pollutants from runoff storm water, the system comprising:
a base comprising a plurality of receptacles and a plurality of support members interconnecting the receptacles;
a plurality of legs each sized and shaped to be attachable to the base within one of the receptacles so as to extend from the base, and to be attachable to another of the legs so that pairs of legs attached to each other collectively extend from the base;
a top attachable to the legs via a plurality of recesses, wherein the top comprises a honeycomb structure and comprises a plurality of stiffeners arranged in a diagonal intersecting manner between the plurality of recesses, wherein each of the stiffeners comprises a material different than a material of the honeycomb structure;
wherein the base, the top, and the legs attached thereto define a volume comprising a treatment area comprising a plurality of layers of different material to collect, filter and aerate runoff water, the plurality of layers comprising:
a first layer comprising soil;
a second layer comprising at least one of a grass strip, plant material, or an inorganic material,
wherein the plurality of layers support the growth of microorganisms which break down and thereby remove pollutants from the runoff water.