AU776320B2 - Waste water treatment apparatus - Google Patents

Description

S&F Ref: 556975

.AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COM' LETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

Name and Address of Applicant Actual Inventor(s): Address for Service: Trident Trade Waste Treatment Pty. Ltd.

93-95 Military Road Neutral Bay New South Wales 2089 Australia Douglas Ronald Paton Campbell Spruson Ferguson St Martins Tower,Level 31 Market Street Sydney NSW 2000 Waste Water Treatment Apparatus oooo ooooo ooooo Invention Title: ASSOCIATED PROVISIONAL APPLICATION DETAILS ;33] Country [31] Applic. No(s) [32] Application Date AU PQ7437 11 May 2000 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us:- IP Australia Documents received on: II MAT LUUI Batch NO: 5815c WASTE WATER TREATMENT APPARATUS Technical Field The present invention relates to waste water treatment apparatus.

Background of the Invention In hairdressing establishments, hair treatment chemical and colour solutions after use are generally disposed of by being directly delivered to the sewage system. For example, dye and perm solutions when rinsed from a client's hair are ducted from basins to the sewage system.

The above-mentioned hair treatment solutions are pollutants and therefore their current o system of disposal is undesirable.

Object of the Invention 0: :i It is the object of the present invention to overcome or substantially ameliorate the above disadvantage.

Summary of the Invention 15 There is disclosed herein a waste water treatment apparatus including: a hollow housing generally enclosing a path along which water to be treated flows under the influence of gravity; a first filter including an absorption medium on said path through which the water passes to be treated thereby, said absorption medium being carbon or synthetic carbon; and a second filter including an oxidation medium on said path through which the water passes to be treated thereby, said oxidation medium including strands of brass and copper.

Preferably, the absorption medium is upstream of the oxidation medium.

Preferably, said filter treatment apparatus includes a first and a second tray removably mounted in said housing, said first tray containing said first filter medium and said second tray containing said second filter medium.

[R:\LIBTr]O24 Sspcci.doc:tyb Preferably, said water treatment apparatus includes an initial filter to remove hair prior to said first and second filter mediums. Preferably the initial filter is a filter sock.

Preferably, the water treatment apparatus includes a diffuser which distributes the water over the first filter medium from where the water flows to said second filter medium. Preferably the diffuser is a perforated sheet of conical configuration.

Preferably, said water treatment apparatus includes a reservoir to which incoming water is delivered, and a pump which delivers the water from said reservoir to said diffuser wherefrom water flows through the first and second filter mediums under the influence of gravity.

Preferably, the strands of brass and copper are interwoven. Preferably at least some of 1o the strands are barbed.

Brief Description of the Drawings A preferred form of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure 1 is a schematic side elevation of a waste water treatment apparatus applied to basins employed in a hairdressing establishment; Figure 2 is a schematic part section perspective view of the main housing employed in the water treatment apparatus of Figure 1; S-Figure 3 is a schematic perspective view of a filter employed in the apparatus of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a schematic perspective view of portion of the filter surface of the filter of Figure 3; Figure 5 is a schematic parts exploded perspective view of a modification of the filter apparatus described in Figures 1 to 4; and Figure 6 is a schematic parts exploded perspective view of a modification of a filter employed in the water treatment apparatus of Figures 1 to 4.

[R:LIBLL]J 15858.doc:KEH Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments In the accompanying drawings there is schematically depicted a water filtration apparatus 10. The apparatus 10 as shown in Figure 1 is associated with a plurality of basins 11, which may be basins of a hairdressing establishment. Typically the basins 11 would be located in a bench 12 from which there extends a plurality of pipes 13 which deliver water to the apparatus 10. As would be typical in a hairdressing establishment, chemicals used in treating clients' hair would be rinsed from their hair and delivered to the basins 11 to be treated by the apparatus Also associated with the apparatus 10 are air freshening apparatus 14 which would to draw air in from above the bench 12, treat that air and return it to the surrounding S•atmosphere. Typically the apparatus 14 would have an electrically driven fan.

The apparatus 10 includes an inlet pipe 15 which directly communicates with a oneway valve 16 restricting water to flow in the direction of the arrow 17. The one-way valve 16 delivers the water to a "hair" filter 18 more fully illustrated in Figures 3 and 4.

s15 Water leaving the filter 18 passes a second one-way valve 19 which again restricts water .:ee.i to flow in the direction of the arrow 17.

The water filtration apparatus 10 includes a hollow housing 20 which encloses a path along which water to be treated flows under the influence of gravity so as to be treated by the apparatus 10. The interior of the housing 20 communicates with the •20 surrounding atmosphere and therefore is under atmospheric pressure.

oeoee S"The housing 20 includes a lower portion 21 providing a reservoir 22 to which water leaving the valve 19 is delivered and stored. Located in the reservoir 22 is an electrically driven pump 23 which delivers the water to a stainless steel diffuser 24 at the top of the hollow housing 20. The pump 23 would have a water level detector which determines when the level of water in the reservoir 22 is sufficient for the pump 23 to operate.

Extending from the pump 23 is a pipe 25 terminating with an outlet 26 which delivers water to the diffuser 24. The diffuser 24 is a perforated sheet of conical configuration.

Located below the diffuser 24 is a removable cassette 27 containing a first filter having an absorption medium. The absorption medium is carbon or synthetic carbon.

[R:LIBT]O024I Sspeci.doc:tyb Located below the cassette 27 is a second cassette 28 containing a second filter including an oxidation medium. The oxidation medium is strands of interwoven brass and copper (KDF filter). Preferably about 30% of the strands are barbed.

The cassettes 27 and 28 are contained in a compartment 29 having a floor 30 which delivers the treated water to outlet 31 communicating with the sewer.

Typically an upper portion of the housing 20 would include a displaceable front panel 32 which a service person would remove to gain access to the cassettes 27 and 28 for replacement purposes and/or servicing.

The filter 18 includes an elongated hollow body 33 through which the water passes.

to Located within the body 33 is a filter member 34 which has a generally cylindrical side wall 35 extending from an open end 36 to a transverse base attached to the wall 35 and being located adjacent the valve 19.

Water enters the open end 36 and flows through the interior of the filter member 34 by passing through the sidewall 35 and base. The sidewall 35 and base have a plurality of 5s apertures 37 through which the water passes. The sidewall 35 and base have projecting from them, barbs or spikes 38 which are located internally of the filter member 34 and project upstream relative to the flow of water. The spikes 37 collect hair being conveyed by the water.

Typically the filter 18 would have a removable cover 39 so that a service person 20 may gain access to the filter member 34 for cleaning purposes.

The reservoir 22 has an overflow outlet 40 connected to the sewage system.

In Figure 5 a modification of the water filter apparatus 10 is depicted. In this embodiment there is provided a hollow housing 50 that receives a filter assembly 51. The filter assembly 51 includes a basket member 52 that receives a stack consisting of fabric screens 53 (typically 5 micron) together with a KDF mesh 54 and synthetic carbon layer There is also inserted in the stack a separating panel 56. Located above the stack is a concave distribution member 57 to which incoming water is delivered from the inlet 58.

Treated/filtered water leaves the basket 52 and exits the housing 50 via an outlet 59. In respect of this embodiment it should be appreciated that water to be treated passes through the above-mentioned stack under the influence of gravity.

[R\LIBT]0241 Sspccidoc:tyb A bypass pipe 60 provides for the ducting of overflow to the outlet 59. The pipe extends between an upper portion of the housing 50 and a lower portion of the housing adjacent to the outlet 59. Still further, the housing 50 is provided with an opening 61 to be connected to a vent.

The upper opening 62 of the housing 50 is closed by means of a lid 63 and gasket 64.

Associated with the basket 52 is a removable handle 65 which service personnel can employ to grip the basket 52 and remove it from within the housing 50 together with the stack associated therewith.

0 There is further provided a mounting bracket 66 which is to be mounted beneath a bench by means of a mounting plate 67. The bracket 66 includes a hoop 68 within which the circular portion 69 of the housing 50 is to be received so that the housing 50 is supported by the hoop 68.

In Figure 6 there is schematically depicted a modification of the filter 18 of the SIs embodiment of Figure 1. In the embodiment of Figure 6 the filter 70 includes a hollow body 71 providing an outlet pipe 72 and an inlet pipe 73. The inlet pipe 73 would communicate with the one-way valve 16 while the outlet pipe 72 would communicate with the inlet 58 of the above-described embodiment.

The hollow body 71 has an upper flange 74 that receives a gasket 75 and lid 76 to close a chamber 77 provided by the hollow body 71.

The body 71 has a pair of recesses 78 that receive anti-bypass spring plates 79. The plates 79 are each provided with a mounting flange 80 through which threaded fasteners 81 pass to mount the plates 79 on mounting ridges 82. Each plate 79 has a groove 83 that is adapted to engage the mounting ring 84 of a filter sock 85. The filter sock 85 is to be located within the chamber 77 so that water passing through the filter 70 is filtered by the filter sock 85. The filter sock 85 has an inlet flange 86 and connecting seal 87 to engage the -the, hollow bo. 71 aljrent thi inlet nine 73 o that water is restricted to pass from the pipe 73 to the interior of the filter sock Each plate 79 is provided with a spring flange 88, so that the plates 79 are urged into contact with the mounting ring 84 so as to retain the filter sock 85 in position.

[R:\LIBT]J0241 Sspcci.doc:tyb In addition to providing a mounting for the filter sock 85, the plates 79 also inhibit use of the filter 18 without the sock 85. If the sock 85 is not in position, the plates 79 are urged inwardly to a position at which they project above the flange 74, thereby preventing engagement of the lid 76 on the body 71. When the filter sock 85 is inserted the plates 79 s are pivoted outwardly and are located below the flange 74 so that the lid 76 can be correctly mounted on the body 71. This arrangement prevents use of the filter 18 without a filter sock In respect of the plates 79 so as to be resumably moveable as discussed above.

o [RALIBTl0241 Sspcci.doc:tyb

Claims (11)

1. A waste water treatment apparatus including: a hollow housing generally enclosing a path along which water to be treated flows under the influence of gravity; a first filter including an absorption medium on said path through which the water passes to be treated thereby, said absorption medium being carbon or synthetic carbon; and a second filter including an oxidation medium on said path through which the water passes to be treated thereby, said oxidation medium including strands of brass and copper.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the absorption medium is upstream of the oxidation medium.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 or 2 wherein said filter treatment apparatus includes a first and a second tray removably mounted in said housing, said first tray 15 containing said first filter medium and said second tray containing said second filter :medium.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein said water treatment apparatus 0" includes an initial filter to remove hair prior to said first and second filter mediums.

The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the initial filter is a filter sock. 20

6. The apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein the water treatment apparatus includes a diffuser which distributes the water over the first filter medium from where the water flows to said second filter medium.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the diffuser is a perforated sheet of conical configuration.

8. The nnnapparatus according tn rlaim nr 7 wherein said water treatment apparatus includes a reservoir to which incoming water is delivered, and a pump which delivers the water from said reservoir to said diffuser wherefrom water flows through the first and second filter mediums under the influence of gravity. [R:\LIBLL] I 5858.doc:KEH 8

9. The apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 8 wherein the strands of brass and copper are interwoven.

The apparatus of claim 9 wherein at least some of the strands are barbed.

11. A water treatment apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 4, or Figures 1 to 4 as modified by Figures 5 and 6. Dated 14 July 2004 Trident Trade Waste Pty. Ltd. Patent Attorneys for the Applicant/Nominated Person 1o SPRUSON FERGUSON [R:\LIBLL] I 5858.doc:KEH