Concrete washout container with leakproof sealing lid

Abstract

A concrete washout container with leakproof sealing lid. The device has a lid portion with a base and lip structures extending around the base, each lip structure having a first contour, which first contour extends from an upper end of a generally vertical lid portion wall, which generally vertical lid portion wall extends from the base, wherein the lip structures are flexible along the generally vertical lid portion wall. The device also includes a bin portion, the bin portion having an open mouth, the mouth defined by a rim structure located around a perimeter of the open mouth, the rim structure having a second contour which second contour extends above a top end of a generally vertical bin portion wall section, which generally vertical bin portion wall section connects at a bottom end to a generally horizontal bin portion wall section, and which generally horizontal bin portion wall section connects to sides walls of the bin portion, which side walls extend upwardly from a bottom of the bin portion. The first contour, the generally vertical lid portion wall, and an outer perimeter of the base of the lid portion are complementary to and detachably and sealably contact and engage with the second contour, the generally vertical bin portion wall section, and the generally horizontal bin portion wall section of the bin portion.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]The present invention relates generally to containers with lids, and more specifically to concrete washout containers with leakproof sealing lids that allow waste concrete and liquid to be transported, stored, and used to evaporate water from the container, thereby leaving dried concrete residue, which can be more easily recycled or repurposed.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]Concrete is composed of aggregate (generally a coarse aggregate such as gravel, limestone, or granite, plus a fine aggregate such as sand), cement (commonly Portland cement) and can also include other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement (with the cement and cementitious materials acting to hold the aggregate together, water, and can also include other chemical admixtures. Depending on the intended use, fiberglass, chemicals and other additives can be added. Concrete is commonly transported to a construction site in concrete mixture delivery vehicles, typically conc...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The invention provides two embodiments of a concrete washout container that have a leakproof sealing lid. The lid has flexible lip structures that fit into a rim structure on the bin portion, creating a tight seal. The lid can be easily detached and replaced. The bin portion has side walls and forklift channels for easy handling. These embodiments are suitable for washing out concrete and keeping it out of the environment.

Problems solved by technology

After substantially all of the concrete mixture is unloaded from the delivery transport truck, a considerable amount of wet concrete continues to adhere to the pour chutes.

However, the rinse water used to clean the pour chutes is considered a potential groundwater contaminant and is quite damaging to storm drain systems.

However, the construction of a prefabricated evaporation pit at smaller commercial and residential construction sites is impractical and not cost effective.

Moreover, there is still the problem of transporting the rinse water mixtures.

Many systems require the use of expensive and bulky hydraulic, pneumatic or electrical components which must be carried on the delivery vehicle.

Such hydraulic or electrical components are expensive to purchase and maintain and awkward to carry on the delivery vehicle.

Also, such hydraulic, pneumatic or electrical components leave the driver of the delivery vehicle vulnerable to hydraulic, pneumatic and electrical system failures which would prevent use of the equipment at the construction site.

Still further, proposed equipment in the prior art can suffer from leakage of contaminated water during the normal operation.

Storing such rinse water mixture in the mixing drum can adversely affect the integrity of the next load of concrete mixture prepared and transported within the mixing drum, unless the rinse water mixture is thoroughly drained from the mixing drum prior to the preparation of the next batch of concrete mixture.

From a practical standpoint, this is a major disadvantage of such proposed equipment because there is a strong temptation among individual concrete mixture preparation personnel to reuse the rinse water mixture (already in the mixing drum) rather than to take the time to thoroughly drain and reconstitute the rinse water mixture and to replace it in the mixing drum with fresh water.

For high volume worksites, often times, these bins—filled with rinse water mixture—are transported back to the concrete mixing facility, but with great difficulty, e.g., tarps are used to cover the open mouth thereof, and spillage is common.

Moreover, once filled with rinse water mixture, these prior art bins are not stackable, which can potentially take up more room at a work site.

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