AU2009100473A4

AU2009100473A4 - Waterless odour control valve

Info

Publication number: AU2009100473A4
Application number: AU2009100473A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Zane Terone Wood
Original assignee: ZANE WOOD
Current assignee: ZANE WOOD
Priority date: 2008-10-23
Filing date: 2009-05-20
Publication date: 2009-06-25
Anticipated expiration: 2017-05-20

Description

AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1990 2 MAY 2009 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION INNOVATION PATENT ODOUR CONTROL FLOOR DRAIN VALVE The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me: 3 Description (1) Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a valve for use in a floor drain connected to a drain system to prevent gases escaping from the septic drain system. In particular, the present invention relates to a valve for use in a floor drain which has a flexible valve component that allows the flow of liquid to enter through the floor drain but provides a uni-directional seal to prevent gases and liquids escaping from the drain system. (2) In Australia, the current plumbing & drainage standards often result in odours from the sanitary plumbing pipes being emitted through the floor drain grate. At present, other products exist which have been designed to prevent the backflow of gases up through the floor drain grate. These products work on the basis of a liquid trap providing a barrier to odours backflowing through the floor drain. These products are restricted in the following or a combination of the following: - Reliant on there being water/barrier liquid in the pipe or trap. If water were to evaporate or drop below required volume, the trap would not operate. - The seal is incomplete in that the liquid which provides for the seal is not sanitary. - May require full replacement of the floor drain grate by a trained professional. (3) This Odour Control Valve involves an innovative step in that it's structure provides for a complete seal from the drain system via a waterless odour barrier for a floor drain system. It is the purpose of the invention to provide a simple odour barrier which prevents the backflow of sewer gaseous emissions from the drain system back through the floor drain grate. The Odour control Valve is self sustaining and operates without the need for a water/liquid trap. The Innovative structure of the proposed Odour control Valve is such that it operates by creating a uni-directional seal that provides a complete barrier between the unsanitary sewer system and the air that we are exposed to via the floor drain. It is easy to install into an existing floor drain and reduces unwanted flushing of barrier liquid into the sewer system. The Odour control valve is inserted inside the pipe leading to the floor drain grate. The grate needs to be lifted, the valve is pushed into place and the grate can be replaced as before. The structure and shape of the valve exerts sufficient outward pressure on the wall of the pipe to allow it to remain in place even when liquid flows through it. The structure of the valve also allows it to be capable of fitting pipe of varied diameter (ranging from 40 - 100mm diameter). The Odour control Valve can be made from any suitable rubber, silicone or elastomeric material.

4 The Valve consists of two parts. Part A (As shown in FIGURE 1) is a one piece rubber moulding consisting of a structured rubber collar on the top end and a smaller open ended raised rubber collar at its base. Part B is a separate flat lying elastomeric/rubber hose (As shown in FIGURE 1). The hose has been designed with a thin wall and high elastomeric qualities to ensure that it offers minimal resistance to liquid flowing through the floor drain.In the normal position, the hose is designed to lay flat in the closed position (see FIGURE 5). On assembly of the valve, the Lay flat hose (Part B, FIGURE 1) is extended over the lower collar of Part A (FIGURE 1). The top section of the hose takes the shape of a manufactured duckbill structure (SEE FIGURES 1 & 2). The remaining lower section of the tube remains in the layflat position. The nature of this structure provides for a uni directional air tight seal via the resultant duckbill structure and the lay flat nature of the flexible hose. When a preset amount of fluid pressure is provided through the collar to the top end of the valve, the hose flexes to form an inner passageway between the ends of the valve. This allows any liquid to pass through the valve into the drain with minimal resistance. Once the water was passed, the hose returns to its closed stationery position as described above and prevent odours returning through the valve and out the floor drain.

Description of the drawings Figure 1 Front views of the complete valve showing the valve in its stationery closed position. The one end of the lay flat hose is extended over the bottom collar and the other end remains in its stationery closed position. The stretching of the hose over the lower collar has resulted in a manufactured duckbill structure which works to ensure that the seal is complete. Figure 2 Side views of the valve with the raised bottom collar and attached lay flat tube, showing duckbill shape in tube. Figure 3 Top view of valve in closed position Figure 4 Shows the valve position within the floor drain system Figure 5 Front, Side & top views of lay flat tube/hose.

Claims

1. A drain insert to be used as a valve to prevent the backflow of gases and liquids in a floor drain system. The valve consists of a two part construction, including a semi-rigid rubber structure for mounting in one end of the floor drain pipe and a lay flat elastomeric hose which is extended over the lower collar of the rigid insert. The resultant shape of the hose as a consequence of its nature and position on the collar, results in the formation of a uni-directional seal.

2. The valve as claimed in (1) is mounted in the centre bore of the floor drain to prevent fluids and odours in the drain system from escaping the drain system through the floor drain,

3. The valve, as prescribed in (1) and (2) includes: (a) a semi-rigid moulded structure having a top end and a bottom end with an inner passageway extending between the ends and having an upper portion and a lower portion, (b) wherein the outer diameter of the upper portion is greater than the outer diameter of the lower portion to allow for the moulding to be retrofit to both 100mm and 80mm PVC pipe. (c) The lower portion has a structured, raised collar on the outer diameter of the base. (c) The second part of the valve consists of a flexible lay flat hose, having a first end and a second end with a flexible sidewall extending between the ends and forming an inner passageway, wherein the first end of the hose is mounted over the semi-rigid collar (see (c) above) of the lower portion of the semi-rigid moulded structure; and (c) wherein in a normal position, the inner passageway of the valve tapers in cross section from the first end toward the second end of the valve and the upper flexible sidewall of the attached hose is moulded into a manufactured duckbill structure which forces the flexible sidewalls of the lower end together to form a seal. (d) Wherein when fluid is introduced into the inner passageway of the valve at the first end, the flexible sidewalls separate and the inner passageway of the hose expands such as to allow fluid to exit the valve through the bottom end. 2. The drain insert of claim (1) and (2) has a shape and size such as to closely fit within the centre bore of the drain pipe. The outer diameter of the upper portion is greater than the outer diameter of the lower portion to allow for the moulding to be retrofit to two sizes of floor drain pipe (via removal of the top half by cutting away of valve material). 3. The drain insert of claim (1) an (2) is cylindrical and the outer diameter of the semi rigid moulding is slightly more than the diameter of the centre bore of the drain insert to allow for an air tight seal between insert and floor drain pipe. 7

4. The drain insert of claim (1) and (2) has a first portion wherein the lower collar is positioned completely within the second lay flat hose portion of the drain insert.

5. The drain insert of claim (1) and (2) wherein the passageway formed via the flexible sidewall of the lay flat hose portion at the lower end lies completely closed in normal position.

6. The lay flat hose portion of the drain insert of claim (1) and (2) is constructed of a resilient material having a memory such that when the fluid is removed from the inner passageway of the valve, it returns to the normal position with the flexible sidewall at the second end of the hose returning to a lay flat, closed position.

7. The drain insert of claim (1) and (2) when in the normal position, the second end of the valve member is closed to prevent the gases and fluids in the drain system from entering the inner passageway of the valve through the bottom end of the valve.

8. A method for preventing gases in a drain system from escaping through the entrance of the drain system while allowing fluids to enter the drain system through the entrance, which comprises the steps of: (a) Providing a drain insert having a centre passageway from top to bottom. (b) providing a valve including a collar having a top end and a bottom end with an inner passageway extending between the ends and having a first portion and a second portion, wherein an outer diameter of the top portion is greater than an outer diameter of the bottom portion; and a second section of the valve, consisting of flexible lay flat hose, having a first end and a second end with a flexible sidewall extending between the ends and forming an inner passageway, wherein the first end of the lay flat hose is mounted over the second portion of the collar, wherein in a normal position, the inner passageway of the lay flat hose tapers in cross-section from the first end to the second end the flexible sidewall adjacent to the second end is forced into close position to form a air seal. (c) Connecting the floor drain to the drain system; (d) Positioning the valve in the centre bore of the floor drain such that the valve extends through the centre bore of the floor drain and into the drain system wherein the lower lay flat portion of the valve forms a seal. (e) Once positioning the drain insert into the floor drain wherein in the normal position, the bottom end of the valve is closed and prevents gases from exiting the drain system through the floor drain and wherein when fluid passes into the top end of the valve, it passes through the semi-rigid passageway into the flexible lay flat hose. The flexible sidewall separates and the inner passageway of the hose expands to allow fluid to exit the valve member at the second end and enter the drain system. ZANE TERONE WOOD 7 * May 2009