Cleaning conduit valve assemblies and devices

Abstract

A cleaning enclosure having an interior and for placement in a cleaning conduit aperture with at least one cleaning conduit extending into the cleaning enclosure interior. A cleaning enclosure door can be disposed in a cleaning enclosure opening. At least one cleaning conduit valve assembly can be disposed in fluid communication with the at least one cleaning conduit of the cleaning enclosure interior. The at least one cleaning conduit valve assembly includes a valve housing for mounting on the cleaning conduit. A valve mounting seat can be carried by the valve housing and includes a valve arm pivotally carried by the valve mounting seat. A valve stop can extend from the valve arm. A valve body can be carried by the valve arm and between a closed position and an open position. The valve stop engages the valve body in the open position.

Description

Cleaning pipe valve assembly and device

[0001] Related application citation

[0002] This application claims the benefit of U.S. non-provisional patent application No. 17 / 172,889, entitled “Cleaning Conduit Valve Assembly and Apparatus,” filed February 10, 2021, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] Exemplary embodiments of this disclosure generally relate to cleaning conduits for sewage inlet lines. More specifically, exemplary embodiments of this disclosure relate to a cleaning conduit valve assembly and apparatus for reliably preventing rainwater and other precipitation and runoff from entering a cleaning conduit connected to a sewage inlet line. Background Technology

[0004] The background description provided herein is merely to present the general context of exemplary embodiments of this disclosure. Various aspects of this background description should not be construed, explicitly or implicitly, as prior art concerning the claimed subject matter.

[0005] Residential, commercial, and other buildings typically include a sewage inlet line that connects the building's wastewater system to the municipal sewer system. A cleaning conduit can extend from the sewage inlet line to facilitate the cleaning and removal of blockages and debris from it. The cleaning conduit may include a vent valve with a valve body. The valve body is typically spring-loaded in a closed position to prevent rainwater and other precipitation and runoff from entering the cleaning conduit, and can be deployed to an open position. In the event of a blockage in the sewage inlet line between the cleaning conduit and the municipal sewer system, the open vent valve facilitates the overflow of wastewater from the cleaning conduit, preventing backflow of wastewater through the cleaning conduit and the sewage inlet line into the building's wastewater system.

[0006] Standard or conventional vent valves in wastewater inlet lines have a discharge end oriented in the horizontal plane. The valve body is spring-loaded in the closed position to seal the discharge end. In response to overflow wastewater flowing from the cleaning conduit into the vent valve, the valve body opens to allow the overflow wastewater to drain. When the wastewater overflow ceases, the valve body returns to the closed position to prevent rainwater and runoff from entering the vent valve and cleaning conduit.

[0007] One limitation of standard or conventional bleed valves is that the horizontal orientation of the discharge end often causes paper and other debris to accumulate around it. Therefore, the valve body cannot close completely and the discharge port at the discharge end cannot be adequately sealed. This can allow rainwater and runoff to enter the bleed valve, potentially causing overflow onto the ground, and overflowing wastewater may enter buildings, especially under heavy rainfall conditions.

[0008] Therefore, for some applications, it may be necessary to reliably prevent rainwater and other precipitation and runoff from entering the cleaning conduit valve assembly and device connected to the sewage inlet line. Summary of the Invention

[0009] Exemplary embodiments of this disclosure generally relate to a cleaning conduit valve assembly and apparatus for at least one cleaning conduit extending into an underground cleaning conduit bore and connected to a sewage inlet line. An exemplary embodiment of the cleaning conduit valve apparatus may include at least one cleaning housing having a cleaning housing interior and configured to be placed within the cleaning conduit bore, the at least one cleaning conduit extending into the cleaning housing interior. A cleaning housing opening may be provided at the top of the cleaning housing interior. An openable cleaning housing door may be provided in the cleaning housing opening.

[0010] At least one cleaning conduit valve assembly may be arranged in fluid communication with the at least one cleaning conduit within the cleaning housing of the at least one cleaning housing. The at least one cleaning conduit valve assembly may include a valve housing configured to be mounted on the at least one cleaning conduit. A valve mount may be carried by the valve housing. The valve may include a valve arm pivotally carried by the valve mount. A valve stop may extend from the valve arm. A valve body may be carried by the valve arm. The valve body may have a sealing surface. The valve may be located between a closed valve position configured to seal the valve housing and a fully open valve position configured to open the valve housing. The valve stop may engage with the valve body in the fully open valve position. Attached Figure Description

[0011] Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0012] Figure 1 is a top front perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the cleaning conduit valve assembly;

[0013] Figure 2 is a top rear perspective view of a typical valve mount for a cleaning conduit valve assembly;

[0014] Figure 3 is a right view of an exemplary cleaning conduit valve assembly;

[0015] Figure 4 is a front view of a typical valve mounting rod of a valve mounting seat;

[0016] Figure 5 is a side view of a typical hinge plate of a valve mounting base;

[0017] Figure 6 is a front view of a typical clamping rod of a valve mounting seat;

[0018] Figure 7 is a front view of the valve mounting base;

[0019] Figure 8 is a right view of an exemplary cleaning conduit valve assembly mounted on a valve housing connected to a cleaning conduit (shown in dashed lines) in a typical installation and application of the cleaning conduit valve assembly.

[0020] Figure 9 is a top front perspective view of a typical valve in an exemplary cleaning conduit valve assembly;

[0021] Figure 10 is a bottom rear perspective view of the valve;

[0022] Figure 11 is a typical left view of the valve;

[0023] Figure 12 is a typical right view of the valve;

[0024] Figure 13 is a typical top view or external view of the valve;

[0025] Figure 14 is a typical bottom view or internal view of the valve;

[0026] Figure 15 is a typical front view of the valve;

[0027] Figure 16 is a typical rear view of the valve;

[0028] Figure 17 is a cross-sectional view of the valve in the closed valve position on the valve body;

[0029] Figure 18 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the section line indicated by the number 18 in Figure 17, which shows more specifically the typical convex or smooth sealing surface on the valve that engages with the typical convex or smooth valve engagement surface on the valve body wall.

[0030] Figure 19 is a cross-sectional view of the valve in the partially open position on the valve body.

[0031] Figure 20 is a cross-sectional view of the valve and valve body when the valve stop surface on the valve body arm flange engages with the valve body wall, and the valve is forced into the fully open valve position by applying regulating pressure and partial deformation of the valve body.

[0032] Figure 21 is a cross-sectional view of the valve and valve body when the valve remains in the fully open position after the regulating pressure is released from the valve.

[0033] Figure 22 is a right view of an exemplary cleaning conduit valve assembly mounted on a valve housing via an alternative valve mount in a typical installation and application of the cleaning conduit valve assembly.

[0034] Figure 23 is a rear view of the valve body, valve mounting base, and valve shown in Figure 22;

[0035] Figure 24 is a top view of an exemplary embodiment of the cleaning conduit valve device;

[0036] Figure 25 is an internal view of the exemplary cleaning conduit valve device shown in Figure 24, wherein the valve of the cleaning conduit valve assembly is in the open valve position on the valve housing in the cleaning housing of the cleaning conduit valve device.

[0037] Figure 26 is an internal view of an exemplary cleaning conduit valve assembly, wherein the valve of the cleaning conduit valve assembly is in the closed valve position on the valve housing;

[0038] Figure 27 is an internal view of an alternative exemplary cleaning conduit valve assembly; and

[0039] Figure 28 is a top view of the cleaning conduit valve device shown in Figure 27. Detailed Implementation

[0040] The detailed description below is exemplary only and is not intended to limit the embodiments described or the application, or to limit the use of the embodiments described. As used herein, the term “exemplary” means “as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any embodiment described herein as “exemplary” is not necessarily preferred or advantageous compared to other embodiments. All embodiments described below are exemplary embodiments provided to enable those skilled in the art to create or use embodiments of this disclosure, and not to limit the scope of this disclosure as defined by the claims. For the purposes of description herein, the terms “upper,” “lower,” “left,” “rear,” “right,” “front,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” and their derivatives refer to the invention in the orientation shown in FIG1. ​​Furthermore, one should not be bound by any express or implied theories set forth in the foregoing technical field, background art, summary of the invention, or the detailed description below. It should also be understood that the specific apparatus and processes shown in the drawings and described in the following description are merely exemplary embodiments of the inventive concept defined in the appended claims. Therefore, specific dimensions and other physical features associated with the embodiments disclosed herein should not be considered limiting unless expressly stated otherwise in the claims.

[0041] Referring first to Figures 24 and 25 in the accompanying drawings, an exemplary embodiment of the cleaning conduit valve assembly (hereinafter referred to as the valve assembly) is generally indicated by reference numeral 1. As will be further explained below, in a typical application, the valve assembly 1 may be installed in a cleaning conduit valve device 50, which is in fluid communication with a cleaning conduit 60 (Figure 25) connected to a sewage inlet line 51 (Figure 24). The valve assembly 1 is capable of preventing rainwater and other precipitation and runoff from the ground surface 54 from entering the cleaning conduit 60. The sewage inlet line 51 can connect the sewage piping system (not shown) of a home, office, or other building (not shown) to a municipal sewage line 152 (Figure 27). As shown in Figure 25, in some applications, the cleaning conduit 60 may be vertically oriented within a cleaning housing 74 located in an underground cleaning conduit bore 56 descending from the ground surface 54. The cleaning conduit 60 is capable of facilitating the periodic cleaning and removal of blockages and debris from the sewage inlet line 51, which is typically done in a routine manner.

[0042] In the event of a blockage (not shown) in the sewage inlet line 51 between the cleaning conduit 60 and the municipal sewage line 52, the valve assembly 1 facilitates the overflow of sewage from the cleaning conduit 60, typically flowing into the housing 74 of the cleaning housing 70. Therefore, the valve assembly 1 prevents sewage from flowing back into the building's sewage system via the sewage inlet line 51. The valve assembly 1 also maintains a liquid-tight seal on the cleaning conduit 60 to reliably prevent precipitation and runoff from the ground surface 54 from entering the cleaning conduit 60, and to prevent sewage from subsequently overflowing from the cleaning conduit 60 and the cleaning housing 70 onto the ground surface 54, especially under heavy rainfall conditions. The valve assembly 1 also prevents rodents, snakes, and other pests from entering the cleaning conduit 60.

[0043] Referring now to Figures 8 and 17-21 in the accompanying drawings, valve assembly 1 can be configured to be mounted on a vertically oriented valve housing 42, which is coupled to cleaning conduit 60. In a typical application of valve assembly 1, valve housing 42 may be oriented generally along a vertical axis 49 in the housing interior 74 (Figure 25) of cleaning housing 70. Valve housing 42 may include a valve housing wall 43 having a valve inlet end 44 and a valve outlet end 45, which is opposite to and generally above the valve inlet end 44. To the knowledge of those skilled in the art, valve inlet end 44 may be configured to typically be in fluid communication with cleaning conduit 60 by thread, molding, and / or other means. As shown in Figures 17-21, in some embodiments, valve outlet end 45 of valve housing 42 may have an internal valve engagement surface 46, which may be a smooth or convex cross-section, as shown in Figure 18, the function of which will be described below.

[0044] As further shown in Figure 8, in some applications or embodiments, the valve inlet end 44 of the valve housing 42 may be arranged within a horizontal valve inlet plane 86. The valve outlet end 45 of the valve housing 42 may have an upper outlet opening side 67 and a lower outlet opening side 68 that slopes downward from the upper outlet opening side 67.

[0045] The valve discharge end 45 of the valve housing 42 may be located within a valve discharge plane 90, which may be arranged relative to a horizontal plane 92 at a discharge angle 91. The discharge angle 91 of the valve discharge end 45 may be any angle greater than 0 degrees. Preferably, the discharge angle 91 is at least about 10 degrees. More preferably, the discharge angle 91 is from about 35 degrees to about 55 degrees. Most preferably, the discharge angle 91 is 45 degrees, but may be as large as 90 degrees or greater.

[0046] The valve housing 42 may include an inlet housing section 63. An outlet housing section 64 may be arranged at an obtuse angle 65 to the inlet housing section 63. Therefore, the valve inlet end 44 may terminate the inlet housing section 63, and the valve outlet end 45 may terminate the outlet housing section 64 of the valve housing 42. An interior of the valve (not shown) may extend from the valve inlet end 44 to the valve outlet end 45. In some embodiments, the valve housing wall 43 may be composed of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), although other materials may be used additionally or alternatively.

[0047] Referring now to Figures 1-21 in the accompanying drawings, valve assembly 1 may include valve mount 2. Typically, as shown in Figure 8, valve mount 2 may be suitably configured to mount valve assembly 1 onto valve housing 42. Valve 21 may be pivotally supported by valve mount 2. As shown in Figures 17-21, valve 21 may be located between a closed valve position (Figure 17) and an open valve position (Figure 21) on valve housing 42. As shown in Figure 18, in the closed valve position, valve 21 may rest on valve engagement surface 46 at valve discharge end 45 of valve housing 42, which is typically achieved entirely or solely by the weight of valve 21. Valve 21 may be sealingly engaged with valve discharge end 45 of valve housing 42 to prevent rainwater and other precipitation and runoff from the ground 54 (Figure 25) from entering the cleaning conduit 60, typically as described below.

[0048] In some cases, such as when the sewage inlet line 51 (FIG. 24) is blocked, typically in response to the overflow of sewage 98 from the cleaning conduit 60 through the valve housing 42 (FIG. 19), valve 21 can be deployed from the closed valve position to the open valve position. The overflowing sewage 98 typically overcomes gravity to open valve body 22 to the open valve position, where valve 21 exits and opens from the valve outlet 45 of valve housing 42, typically as described below. In some embodiments, a spring or other closing aid (not shown) may also facilitate or assist the closing of valve 21 against the valve outlet 45.

[0049] The valve mount 2 can have any design suitable for facilitating the mounting of the valve assembly 1 to the valve housing 42 at the valve discharge end 45. Therefore, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, in some embodiments, the valve mount 2 may include a generally circular open clamping collar 3. A pair of spaced-apart clamping flanges 4 may terminate opposite ends of the clamping collar 3. The clamping flanges 4 may be arranged in a parallel relationship spaced apart from each other. The clamping collar 3 may include, but is not limited to, a flexible and at least partially deformable material, such as, suitable metals, plastics, and / or composite materials.

[0050] The valve mounting base 2 of the valve assembly 1 may include a pair of spaced-apart hinge plates 8, which are supported by corresponding clamping flanges 4 of clamping collars 3. Any technique suitable for this purpose can be used to attach the hinge plates 8 to the clamping flanges 4. Thus, as shown in FIG. 5, in some embodiments, collar mounting orifices 10 may extend through each hinge plate 8. Each end of an elongated clamping mounting rod 18 may extend through a flange opening 5 (FIG. 2) in each corresponding clamping flange 4 and through a registration collar mounting orifice 10 (FIG. 5) in each corresponding hinge plate 8. As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 7, valve mounting rod fasteners 20 may engage each corresponding end of the clamping mounting rod 18 to secure the clamping mounting rod 18 between the hinge plates 8.

[0051] Any technique suitable for this purpose can be used to pivotally attach valve 21 to the hinge plate 8 of valve mounting base 2. Thus, as further shown in FIG5, in some embodiments, a typical slotted valve mounting orifice 9 may extend through each hinge plate 8, typically above the collar mounting orifice 10. A stud 15 on each end of the elongated valve mounting rod 14 may extend through a matching valve mounting orifice in each corresponding hinge plate 8. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 7, valve mounting rod fasteners 16 may engage each corresponding stud 15 on the valve mounting rod 14 to secure the valve mounting rod 14 between the hinge plates 8. In some embodiments, each valve mounting rod fastener 16 may include, for example, a flange nut, but is not limited thereto. The stud 15 on the valve mounting rod 14 prevents the valve mounting rod fasteners 16 on the valve mounting rod from becoming overtight.

[0052] Valve 21 can be pivotally interfaced with valve mounting rod 14 using any technology suitable for this purpose. Therefore, as shown in Figures 9-12, rod opening 37 can extend through valve 21. Valve mounting rod 14 can extend through rod opening 37 to pivotally mount valve 21 relative to valve mounting rod 14. Thus, valve mounting rod 14 can define the pivot point of valve 21 relative to the hinge plate 8 of valve mount 2.

[0053] As further shown in Figures 3 and 5, in some embodiments, the valve mounting holes 9 in each hinge plate 8 may be slotted or elongated. Therefore, in some applications, the vertical position of the valve 21 relative to the hinge plate 8 can be adjusted as needed to accommodate the valve body 22 (Figure 8). This can be achieved by loosening the valve mounting rod fasteners 16, adjusting the position of each rod stud 15 in each corresponding valve mounting hole 9, and tightening the valve mounting rod fasteners 16.

[0054] As shown in Figures 8-16 of the accompanying drawings, the valve 21 of the valve assembly 1 may include a valve body 22. The valve body 22 may be circular and has an inner surface 23 and an outer surface 24, each surface may be flat or planar. As shown in Figure 8, in the closed valve position of the valve 21 on the valve housing 42, the inner surface 23 of the valve body may face the interior of the valve housing 42.

[0055] The width or diameter of the inner surface 23 of the valve body can be smaller than the width or diameter of the outer surface 24 of the valve body 22. Therefore, the inclined sealing surface 25 can extend from the inner surface 23 to the outer surface 24. As shown in Figures 11 and 12, in some embodiments, the side profile or cross-section of the sealing surface 25 can be rounded or convex, the purpose of which will be explained below. In some embodiments, the cross-section of the outer surface 24 of the valve body can be rounded or convex, typically for demolding and stretching purposes.

[0056] Valve arm 28 can extend from valve body 22. As shown in Figures 9 and 13, valve arm 28 may have a forearm edge 29 extending along the outer surface 24 of valve body 22. As shown in Figure 9, a pair of parallel, spaced-apart side arm edges 30 (one shown) can extend from forearm edge 29. A pair of flat or planar side arm surfaces 32 can extend from the respective side arm edges 30. Upper arm surface 31 may be inclined from forearm edge 29 along side arm surface 32. Upper arm surface 31 may be convex, typically for demolding and stretching purposes. Rear arm surface 33 can extend downward from upper arm surface 31.

[0057] A flanged valve stop 40 may extend from the rear arm surface 33 of the valve arm 28. The valve stop 40 may have a flat or planar valve stop surface 41. As shown in FIG8, in some embodiments, the valve stop surface 41 may be arranged at an acute angle 47 relative to the valve body plane 27 of the valve body 22, typically for purposes described below. The stop angle 47 may be, for example, 45 degrees, but is not limited thereto.

[0058] The valve hinge portion 36 can typically extend from the valve arm 28 on the opposite side of the valve stop 40. The valve hinge portion 36 can be a generally elongated cylinder and can substantially span the width of the valve arm 28. The rear arm surface 33 can extend from the upper arm surface 31 to the valve hinge portion 36. A rod opening 37 can pass through the valve hinge portion 36. Therefore, the valve mounting rod 14 of the valve mount 2 (FIG. 2) can extend through the rod opening 37 to pivotally mount the valve 21 onto the valve mount 2. The diameter of the rod opening 37 relative to the valve mounting rod 14 can be selected to ensure minimal resistance between the valve hinge portion 36 and the valve mounting rod 14 when the valve 21 typically pivots relative to the valve mounting rod 14.

[0059] The valve 21 of valve assembly 1 may be made of rubber, plastic and / or other elastic materials known to those skilled in the art, and may have a Shore hardness of approximately 60 Duro. In some embodiments, the valve body 22 may have a weight of at least approximately 1.0 pound.

[0060] Referring now to Figures 8 and 17-21 in the accompanying drawings, in a typical installation of valve assembly 1, valve mount 2 can be fitted onto the valve discharge end 45 of valve housing 42, with hinge plate 8 located on the upper discharge opening side 67 of valve discharge end 45 of valve housing 42, as shown in Figure 8. This can be achieved, for example, by first loosening the clamping rod fasteners 20 on the respective ends of the clamping rods 18 (Figure 2) so that the clamping flanges 4 on the clamping collars 3 of valve mount 2 can spread outwards away from each other, but is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, each clamping rod fastener 20 may include, for example, a flange nut, but is not limited thereto. The clamping collars 3 can then be fitted onto valve housing 42, after which the clamping rod fasteners 20 can be retightened onto the clamping rods 18 so that the clamping flanges 4 can move toward each other, and the clamping collars 3 can be secured around valve housing 42. Therefore, as shown in Figure 17, when the sealing surface 25 on the valve body 22 engages with the valve engagement surface 46 on the valve housing wall 43 of the valve housing 42, the valve body 22 of the valve 21 can typically rest on the valve discharge end 45 of the valve housing 42 under gravity, as shown in Figure 18. In some embodiments, the convex sealing surface 25 of the valve body 22 can engage with the convex valve engagement surface 46 on the valve housing wall 43 to ensure a uniform seal around the circumference of the valve body 22 in the event that the valve body 22 may be accidentally misaligned with the valve discharge end 45 of the valve housing 42.

[0061] As shown in Figure 21, in the fully open valve position, the valve stop surface 41 on the valve stop 40 of valve 21 can engage with the outer surface of the valve housing wall 43 of valve housing 42 to prevent valve 21 from falling back from the valve discharge end 45 of valve housing 42. Therefore, the valve body plane 27 of valve body 22 can be in a substantially vertical orientation. Those skilled in the art will understand that valve body 22 can have a valve center of mass 48 with its pivot point relative to valve 21 externally or towards valve arm 28. This allows valve 21 to stand upright in a typically vertical fully open valve position and prevents valve 21 from accidentally or prematurely falling back to the closed valve position on valve housing 42 (Figure 17).

[0062] As shown in Figure 20, in some applications, valve 21 can be regulated by applying a regulating pressure 26 to the inner surface 23 of valve body 22. For example, in some applications, the regulating pressure 26 may be 3 Newtons (0.67 pounds), but is not limited thereto. When the regulating pressure 26 is released, valve 21 may spring back and fall back to the closed valve position shown in Figure 17.

[0063] Referring to Figures 17-21 and 24-26 in the accompanying drawings, in a typical application, the cleaning conduit valve assembly 50 can be installed below the ground 54, as shown in Figure 25. Therefore, the cleaning housing 70 can be installed in the cleaning conduit bore 56. The valve housing 42 can be installed on the cleaning conduit 60 within the cleaning housing interior 74 of the cleaning housing 70, for example, by a threaded connection, but is not limited thereto. The valve mount 2 of the valve assembly 1 can be installed on the valve discharge end 45 of the valve housing 42, typically as previously described with reference to Figure 8.

[0064] As shown in Figure 25, in some applications, the cleaning conduit 60 can extend vertically or in an orientation from the wastewater inlet line 51 (Figure 24) into the cleaning housing interior 74 of the cleaning housing 70. The cleaning housing 70 can descend from ground level 54 to the front, rear, side, or vicinity of a building (not shown) served by the wastewater inlet line 51. The wastewater inlet line 51 can connect the building's wastewater system (not shown) to the municipal wastewater line 52 (Figure 25). Therefore, as shown in Figure 27, raw wastewater 162 can typically flow from the building's wastewater system through the wastewater inlet line 151 to the municipal wastewater line 152. The municipal wastewater line 152 typically transports raw wastewater 162 to a wastewater treatment plant (not shown) in a conventional manner.

[0065] As further shown in Figure 25, the cleaning housing 70 may include a cleaning housing sidewall 71 and a cleaning housing top plate 72, thereby forming a cleaning housing interior 74. A cleaning housing opening 73 disposed at the top of the cleaning housing interior 74 may penetrate the cleaning housing top plate 72. An openable cleaning housing door 75 may be pivotally attached to the cleaning housing top plate 72 for opening and closing the cleaning housing opening 73. When the cleaning housing 70 is installed in the cleaning conduit hole 56, the cleaning housing top plate 72 and the closed cleaning housing door 75 may be substantially flush with or coplanar with the ground 54. This means that lawnmowers and other mowing equipment (not shown) can easily cross or pass over the cleaning conduit valve device 50.

[0066] In some embodiments, the cleaning housing 70 may be an elongated rectangular flap valve box available from www.sewersentry.com. The depth of the valve assembly 1 within the cleaning housing interior 74 can be selected to require or ensure that the cleaning housing door 75 in the cleaning housing opening 73 can only be closed after the valve 21 has closed on the valve housing 42. Thus, when the valve 21 is in the closed valve position, as shown in FIG. 26, the cleaning housing door 75 (FIG. 25) can be deployed to close the cleaning housing opening 73 of the cleaning housing 70. Conversely, as shown in FIG. 25, when the valve 21 is in the fully open valve position, the cleaning housing door 75 can be opened, and the valve body 22 of the valve 21 typically extends through the cleaning housing opening 73. Therefore, typically the valve 21 must be returned to the closed valve position on the valve body 22, as shown in FIG. 26, to facilitate closing the cleaning housing door 75 of the cleaning housing 70.

[0067] As further shown in Figure 26, in some embodiments of the cleaning conduit valve assembly 50, the cleaning housing 70 may have a housing length 78 of 22.50 inches. The upper discharge opening side 67 of the valve discharge end 45 on the valve housing 42 may be positioned at a center point distance 80 of approximately 11.25 inches from the corresponding end of the cleaning housing 70. The upper discharge opening side 67 may be positioned at a valve depth 82 typically approximately 2 inches to approximately 3.50 inches from the ground 54. In other embodiments, these dimensions may vary.

[0068] As shown in Figures 17 and 18, gravity typically holds the valve body 22 in a closed position, positioned and sealed against the valve engagement surface 46 at the valve discharge end 45 of the valve housing 42. Therefore, in the event of precipitation (not shown) or precipitation runoff from the ground 54, the valve body 22 typically prevents precipitation and / or runoff from entering the cleaning conduit 60 through the valve housing 42; instead, the precipitation and / or runoff falls into the cleaning housing interior 74 of the cleaning housing 70. Under heavy precipitation conditions, precipitation may fill and overflow the cleaning housing interior 74 and spill onto the ground 54. However, the valve body 22 typically remains closed in a sealed position against the valve discharge end 45 of the valve housing 42, continuing to prevent rising precipitation from entering the cleaning conduit 60 through the valve housing 42. This prevents overflowing wastewater 98 (Figure 19) from rising in the cleaning conduit 60 due to precipitation and potentially overflowing the valve assembly 1, filling the cleaning housing 70, and potentially flooding the ground 54.

[0069] In the event of a blockage or obstruction (not shown) clogging the sewage inlet line 51 between the cleaning conduit 60 and the municipal sewage line 52, raw sewage 62 may backflow into the sewage inlet line 51. Therefore, overflowing sewage may flow from the sewage inlet line 51 into the cleaning conduit 60, through the valve housing 42, lift and remove the valve body 22 from the valve outlet 45 of the valve housing 42, as shown in Figure 19, and typically flow into the cleaning housing interior 74. The raw sewage 62 can then be pumped out of the cleaning housing interior 74 or otherwise removed. Blockages or obstructions can be removed from the sewage inlet line 51 using conventional methods and techniques.

[0070] As shown in Figure 25, the valve depth 82 (Figure 26) of the valve assembly 1 within the cleaning housing interior 74 of the cleaning housing 70 can be selected such that the valve 21, in the fully open position, extends through the open cleaning housing opening 73 in the cleaning housing top plate 72 of the cleaning housing 70. This facilitates easy removal of the valve mount 2 from the valve housing 42 for repair, maintenance, or replacement. Furthermore, the valve depth 82 ensures that the valve assembly 1 is positioned at a sufficient height within the cleaning housing interior 74 to minimize the possibility of overflowing wastewater 98 flooding the valve assembly 1 within the cleaning housing interior 74.

[0071] As shown in Figures 17 and 18, after the original sewage 62 has reformed through the sewage inlet line 51, the valve body 22 can subsequently close and abut against the valve outlet 45, thereby sealing the valve housing 42 and continuing to prevent precipitation and runoff from flowing into the cleaning conduit 60 and the sewage inlet line 51. Under heavy precipitation conditions, water may fill the interior 74 of the cleaning housing, and the weight of the water may exert a downward force on the valve body 22. Therefore, because the valve body 22 is angled or inclined on the valve housing 42, the overflow sewage 98 in the cleaning conduit 60 requires only a smaller flow pressure 66 (Figure 17) to open the valve body 22 compared to the case of a standard or conventional cleaning conduit drain valve with a horizontally oriented valve body.

[0072] Those skilled in the art will understand that valve assembly 1 reliably prevents rainwater and other precipitation and runoff on the ground 54, as well as rodents, snakes, and other pests, from entering the cleaning conduit 60. This prevents precipitation and runoff from entering the sewage inlet line 51 and rising through the cleaning conduit 60, overflowing the valve assembly 1, and potentially flooding the interior of the cleaning housing 74 and the ground 54.

[0073] Referring again to Figure 8, it has been found that positioning the valve discharge end 45 of the valve body 42 at a discharge angle 91 relative to the horizontal plane 92 and closing the valve body 22 under gravity prevents paper and other debris from accumulating around the valve discharge end 45 and clogging it, thus interfering with the valve mounting seat 2. Otherwise, this would prevent the valve body 22 from completely closing and uniformly sealing the valve discharge end 45. Conversely, any paper tends to accumulate towards the lower discharge opening side 68 of the valve discharge end 45 under gravity, allowing the inclined sealing surface 25 of the valve body 22 to uniformly engage with the valve discharge end 45 and form a liquid-tight seal. Furthermore, it has been found that the weight of the valve body 22, combined with the inclined orientation of the valve discharge end 45 and the weight of the water pressure acting on the valve body 22, often allows the valve body 22 to penetrate the accumulated paper and form and maintain a uniform seal. This ensures the consistent integrity of the liquid-tight seal between the sealing surface 25 and the valve discharge end 45, prevents rainwater and runoff from entering the cleaning conduit 60, and prevents overflowing sewage from rising in the cleaning conduit 60 and potentially overflowing into the cleaning housing interior 74 and the ground 54.

[0074] Those skilled in the art will also understand that, due to the design of the valve mount 2, the virtually only resistance preventing the valve 21 on the valve housing 42 from opening is the weight of the valve 21. Therefore, because of this and the angled or inclined curvature of the valve body 22 on the valve housing 42, the overflow sewage in the cleaning conduit 60 requires only a smaller flow pressure 66 (Fig. 17) to open the valve body 22 compared to a standard or conventional cleaning conduit drain valve with a horizontally oriented valve body. Thus, the valve body 22 can open over the weight of water that may fill the cleaning conduit orifice 56 under heavy rainfall conditions, and the flow pressure 66 of the overflow sewage in the cleaning conduit 60 easily overcomes the weight of the water to open the valve body 22. Therefore, the overflowing sewage can be discharged from the valve discharge end 45, thereby preventing the overflowing sewage from flowing back into the building in the sewage inlet line 51.

[0075] Those skilled in the art will also understand that, due to the typically slotted valve mounting orifices 9 in each of the hinge plates 8, each end of the valve mounting rod 14 of the valve mount 2 can move vertically within the corresponding valve mounting orifice 9 to tilt the orientation of the valve mounting rod 14 and the valve 21. This means, combined with the typically convex cross-sectional profile of the sealing surface 25 on the valve body 22 and the valve engagement surface 46 on the valve housing 42, enables the sealing surface 25 on the valve body 22 of the valve 21 to engage and maintain a uniform seal around the entire valve engagement surface 46 (FIG. 18) at the valve discharge end 45 of the valve housing 42, regardless of the position of the valve body 22 on the valve housing 42. This can be advantageous in cases where debris (not shown) accumulates on one side of the valve discharge end 45 rather than the other, or is retained between the valve housing wall 43 and the valve body 22. In this configuration, the valve mounting rod 14 can be tilted relative to the hinge plate 8, such that the valve body 22 engages unevenly with the valve mating surface 46 on the opposite side of the valve discharge end 45, while the sealing surface 25 maintains a uniform and consistent seal with the valve mating surface 46 around the entire circumference of the valve discharge end 45.

[0076] Referring now to Figures 27 and 28 in the accompanying drawings, an exemplary embodiment of an alternative to a bidirectional cleaning duct valve device is generally indicated by reference numeral 150 and includes a valve element 121. In the bidirectional cleaning duct valve device 150, elements similar to those in the cleaning duct valve device 50 previously described with reference to Figures 24-26 are indicated in Figures 27 and 28 by the same corresponding numerals in the 150-200 series. For example, the bidirectional cleaning duct valve device may include a cleaning housing 170 having cleaning housing sidewalls 171 and a cleaning housing top plate 172 positioned relative to the ground 154. The bidirectional cleaning duct valve device 150 is suitable for installation, for example, in non-traffic areas, but is not limited thereto.

[0077] As shown in Figure 28, a pair of inlet branch pipes 158 can branch off from the main sewage inlet pipe 151 extending from the municipal sewage pipe 152. As shown in Figure 27, at least one (typically two) cleaning conduit 160 can extend successively from each inlet branch pipe 158 in a parallel and adjacent relationship. As shown in Figure 28, the bidirectional cleaning conduit valve device 150 may include a pair of cleaning housings 170, with the cleaning conduit 160 extending from each inlet branch pipe 158 into the cleaning housing interior 174 of each corresponding cleaning housing 170.

[0078] As shown in Figure 27, a pair of valve housings 142 may be arranged on corresponding cleaning conduits 160 within the cleaning housing interior 174 of each cleaning housing 170, typically as previously described relative to the valve housings in Figure 8. The valve housings 142 may be angled away from each other, and the valve assemblies 101 are typically opposite to each other within the cleaning housing interior 174.

[0079] The application of the bidirectional cleaning conduit valve device 150 can be as previously described with respect to the cleaning conduit valve device 50 in Figures 25 and 26. In the event of a blockage in the sewage inlet line 151 or one or both inlet branch lines 158, overflowing sewage 98 (Figure 19) can overflow from one or both inlet branch lines 158, flow through the valve assembly 101, and enter the cleaning housing interior 174 of the corresponding cleaning housing 170 in the opposite direction. Corrective measures can be taken to repair or remove the blockage, and the overflowing sewage 98 can be pumped out from the cleaning housing interior 174.

[0080] Referring now to Figures 22 and 23 in the accompanying drawings, an alternative valve mount 202 suitable for mounting valve 21 onto the valve housing 42 of valve assembly 1 is shown. The valve mount 202 may include a pair of valve mounting brackets 203. The valve mounting brackets 203 may be attached to the valve housing wall 43 of valve housing 42 in a spaced-apart relationship at the upper discharge opening side 67 of valve discharge end 45. The valve hinge portion 36 (Figure 23) of the valve arm 28 on valve 21 may be pivotally mounted between the valve mounting brackets 203, typically as described below.

[0081] Each valve mounting bracket 203 may include a bracket base plate 204. The bracket base plate 204 may be attached to the valve housing wall 43 of the valve housing 42 using any suitable technique known to those skilled in the art. In some embodiments, at least one bracket fastener 206 may be used for this purpose. In other embodiments, straps, clips, brackets, and / or other suitable techniques may be used for this purpose. As shown in FIG23, in some embodiments, the bracket base plate 204 of each valve mounting bracket 203 may be curved to match the curvature of the outer surface of the valve housing wall 43.

[0082] The hinge plate 208 can extend from the bracket base plate 204. As shown in FIG23, the hinge plates 208 of the corresponding valve mounting bracket 203 can extend in a parallel and spaced-apart relationship.

[0083] At least one pair of typically slotted valve mounting holes 209 can penetrate the corresponding hinge plates 208 of the valve mounting bracket 203. The valve hinge portion 36 on the valve arm 28 of the valve 21 can be pivotally mounted between the hinge plates 208 of the valve mounting bracket 203, typically achieved by passing the valve mounting rod 14 (FIG. 4) through rod openings 37 (FIG. 9-12) in the valve hinge portion 36 and through a pair of typically slotted matching valve mounting holes 209 (FIG. 22) in the corresponding hinge plates 208. A pair of valve mounting rod fasteners 216 can be tightened onto corresponding rod studs 15 (FIG. 4) on the valve mounting rod 14 and abut against the hinge plates 208 to secure the valve hinge portion 36 to the valve mounting rod 14 between the hinge plates 208. Thus, the valve 21 can be positioned between a closed valve position (FIG. 22) and a fully open valve position (FIG. 21), typically as previously described with reference to FIG. 17-21. In the closed valve position, valve 21 can be fully or solely placed on and sealed to the valve engagement surface 46 at the valve discharge end 45 of valve housing 42 by its own weight.

[0084] In some embodiments, the two pairs of valve mounting holes 209 can penetrate the corresponding hinge plates 208. Therefore, when the valve 21 is mounted on the valve mounting bracket 203, either valve mounting bracket 203 can be used as a left valve mounting bracket or a right valve mounting bracket.

[0085] In typical applications, in the cleaning conduit valve assembly 50 previously described with respect to Figures 24-26, or in the bidirectional cleaning conduit valve assembly 150 previously described with respect to Figures 27 and 28, the valve assembly 1 with valve mount 202 can be installed and operated within the cleaning housing interior 74 (Figure 25) of the cleaning housing 70. Those skilled in the art will understand that, typically, the valve assembly 1 can be easily accessed through the cleaning conduit opening 73 of the cleaning housing 70 by opening the cleaning housing door 75 for replacement, repair, and / or maintenance.

[0086] While certain exemplary embodiments of this disclosure have been described above, it should be recognized and understood that various modifications can be made to these embodiments, and the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications that may fall within the spirit and scope of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A cleaning conduit valve device for at least one cleaning conduit extending into an underground cleaning conduit bore and connected to a sewage inlet pipeline, comprising: At least one cleaning housing having a cleaning housing interior and configured to be placed in a cleaning conduit hole, the at least one cleaning conduit extending into the cleaning housing interior, a cleaning housing opening being provided at the top of the cleaning housing interior, and an openable cleaning housing door being arranged in the cleaning housing opening; At least one cleaning conduit valve assembly configured to be in fluid communication with at least one cleaning conduit within the interior of at least one cleaning housing, the at least one cleaning conduit valve assembly comprising: a valve housing configured to be mounted on the at least one cleaning conduit; a valve mount carried by the valve housing; and a valve comprising: a valve arm pivotally carried by the valve mount at a pivot point; a valve stop extending from the valve arm; and a valve body carried by the valve arm, the valve body having a sealing surface; and the valve being located between a closed valve position configured to seal the valve housing and a fully open valve position configured to open the valve housing; and the valve stop engaging the valve body in the fully open valve position; and wherein the valve body has a valve center of mass outside the pivot point, thereby allowing the valve to stand independently in the fully open valve position.

2. The cleaning conduit valve device of claim 1, wherein the valve mount includes a pair of spaced-apart hinge plates carried by the valve housing, and wherein the valve arm is pivotally carried by the hinge plates.

3. The cleaning conduit valve device of claim 2, further comprising a valve mounting rod extending between the hinge plates, wherein the valve arm of the valve is pivotally engaged with the valve mounting rod.

4. The cleaning conduit valve device of claim 3, further comprising a pair of valve mounting holes respectively located in the hinge plate, wherein the valve mounting rod extends through the valve mounting holes.

5. The cleaning conduit valve device of claim 4, wherein the pair of valve mounting orifices comprises a pair of elongated slotted valve mounting orifices, and the valve mounting rod is tiltable between the hinge plates by passing through the slotted valve mounting orifices.

6. The cleaning conduit valve device of claim 4, further comprising a valve hinge portion extending from the valve arm and a rod opening through the valve hinge portion, wherein the valve mounting rod extends through the rod opening.

7. The cleaning conduit valve device as described in claim 1, wherein, In the fully open position of the valve, the valve body extends through the cleaning housing opening of the at least one cleaning housing.

8. The cleaning conduit valve device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cross-section of the sealing surface of the valve body is convex.

9. The cleaning conduit valve device of claim 8, wherein the valve housing includes a valve engagement surface with a convex cross-section, and wherein the sealing surface of the valve body engages with the valve engagement surface in the closed valve position.

10. The cleaning conduit valve device as described in claim 1, wherein, The valve stop includes a flat valve stop surface arranged at an acute stop angle relative to the valve body plane.

11. The cleaning conduit valve device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the stop angle is 45 degrees.

12. The cleaning conduit valve device of claim 1, wherein the valve body includes an inner valve body surface and an outer valve body surface, the sealing surface extends between the inner valve body surface and the outer valve body surface, wherein the valve arm includes a forearm edge extending along the outer valve body surface of the valve body, a pair of flat side arm surfaces extending from the forearm edge and the outer valve body surface, a convex upper arm surface extending from the forearm edge along the side arm surfaces, and a rear arm surface extending from the upper arm surface, and the valve stop extends from the rear arm surface.

13. A cleaning conduit valve device for at least one cleaning conduit extending into an underground cleaning conduit bore and connected to a sewage inlet pipeline, comprising: At least one cleaning housing having a cleaning housing interior and configured to be placed in a cleaning conduit hole, the at least one cleaning conduit extending into the cleaning housing interior, a cleaning housing opening being provided at the top of the cleaning housing interior, and an openable cleaning housing door being arranged in the cleaning housing opening; At least one cleaning conduit valve assembly configured to be in fluid communication with the at least one cleaning conduit, the at least one cleaning conduit valve assembly comprising: a vertically oriented valve housing configured to be coupled to the at least one cleaning conduit, the valve housing having: a valve inlet end; and a valve outlet end opposite to and substantially above the valve inlet end, the valve outlet end being in a valve outlet plane arranged at an outlet angle relative to a horizontal plane, and having an upper outlet opening side and a lower outlet opening side sloping downward from the upper outlet opening side; a valve mounting seat carried by the valve housing on the upper outlet opening side of the valve outlet end of the valve housing; and a valve, the valve being pivotable. The valve is pivotally supported at a pivot point by a valve mounting seat and is configurable between a closed valve position (sealing the valve housing) and a fully open valve position (opening the valve housing). The valve includes: a valve arm pivotally supported by the valve mounting seat; a valve stop extending from the valve arm, which engages with the valve housing in the fully open valve position; and a valve body extending from the valve arm, comprising: an inner valve body surface; an outer valve body surface; and a sealing surface extending from the inner valve body surface to the outer valve body surface, which engages with the valve housing in the closed valve position; wherein the valve body has a valve center of mass outside the pivot point, thereby allowing the valve to stand independently in the fully open valve position.

14. The cleaning conduit valve device of claim 13, wherein the valve mount includes a pair of spaced-apart hinge plates and a valve mounting rod extending between the hinge plates, and wherein the valve arm of the valve is pivotally engaged with the valve mounting rod.

15. The cleaning conduit valve device of claim 14, further comprising a valve hinge portion extending from the valve arm of the valve and a rod opening through the valve hinge portion, wherein a valve mounting rod of the valve hinge extends through the rod opening.

16. The cleaning conduit valve device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the cross-section of the sealing surface of the valve body is convex.

17. The cleaning conduit valve device of claim 13, wherein the valve stop comprises a flat valve stop surface arranged at a stop angle of approximately 45 degrees relative to the valve body plane.

18. The cleaning conduit valve device as described in claim 13, wherein, In the fully open position of the valve, the valve body extends through the cleaning housing opening of the at least one cleaning housing.

19. A cleaning conduit valve device for at least one cleaning conduit extending into an underground cleaning conduit bore and connected to a sewage inlet pipeline, comprising: At least one cleaning housing having a cleaning housing interior and configured to be placed in a cleaning conduit hole, the at least one cleaning conduit extending into the cleaning housing interior, a cleaning housing opening being provided at the top of the cleaning housing interior, and an openable cleaning housing door being arranged in the cleaning housing opening; At least one cleaning conduit valve assembly configured to be in fluid communication with the at least one cleaning conduit includes: a valve housing configured to be coupled to the at least one cleaning conduit, the valve housing having a valve engagement surface with a convex cross-section, the valve housing having: a valve inlet end; and a valve outlet end opposite to and substantially above the valve inlet end, the valve outlet end being located in a valve outlet plane arranged at a discharge angle of approximately 45 degrees relative to a horizontal plane, and having an upper outlet opening side and a lower outlet opening side sloping downward from the upper outlet opening side; a valve mounting seat carried by the valve housing on the upper outlet opening side of the valve outlet end of the valve housing, the valve mounting seat including: a pair of spaced-apart hinge plates carried by the valve housing; a pair of elongated slotted valve mounting orifices respectively located in the hinge plates; and a valve mounting rod extending through the slotted valve mounting orifices and located between the hinge plates, the valve mounting rod being tiltable between the hinge plates by passing through the slotted valve mounting orifices; and a valve, the valve being mounted at a pivot point by a valve mounting plate. A valve mounting rod is pivotally supported and can be configured between a closed valve position sealing the valve housing and a fully open valve position opening the valve housing. The valve includes: a valve arm pivotally supported by the valve mounting rod at a pivot point; a valve stop extending from the valve arm, the valve stop having a flat valve stop surface engaging with the valve housing in the fully open valve position; and a valve body extending from the valve arm, the valve body including: an inner valve body surface; an outer valve body surface; and a sealing surface extending from the inner valve body surface to the outer valve body surface, the sealing surface having a convex cross-section and sealingly engaging with a valve engagement surface of the valve housing in the closed valve position; wherein the valve stop surface is arranged at a stop angle of approximately 45 degrees relative to the valve body plane of the valve body; wherein the valve body has a valve center of mass outside the pivot point, thereby allowing the valve to stand upright in the fully open valve position; and wherein, in the fully open valve position, the valve body extends through a cleaning housing opening of the at least one cleaning housing.

20. A cleaning conduit valve device for at least one cleaning conduit extending into an underground cleaning conduit bore and connected to a sewage inlet pipeline, comprising: At least one cleaning housing having a cleaning housing interior and configured to be placed in a cleaning conduit hole, the at least one cleaning conduit extending into the cleaning housing interior, a cleaning housing opening being provided at the top of the cleaning housing interior, and an openable cleaning housing door being arranged in the cleaning housing opening; At least one cleaning conduit valve assembly configured to be in fluid communication with at least one cleaning conduit within the interior of at least one cleaning housing, the at least one cleaning conduit valve assembly comprising: a valve housing configured to be mounted on the at least one cleaning conduit; a valve mounting seat carried by the valve housing, the valve mounting seat comprising: a pair of spaced-apart hinge plates carried by the valve housing; a pair of vertically elongated valve mounting orifices respectively located in the hinge plates; a valve mounting rod extending through the valve mounting orifices; and a valve comprising: a valve arm pivotally carried by the valve mounting rod of the valve mounting seat; a valve stop extending from the valve arm; and a valve body carried by the valve arm, the valve body having a sealing surface; and the valve being located between a closed valve position configured to seal the valve housing and a fully open valve position configured to open the valve housing; and the valve stop engaging the valve body in the fully open valve position; and thereby the valve mounting rod of the valve mounting seat is vertically movable within the valve mounting orifices of the hinge plates respectively to vertically tilt the valve mounting rod and the valve.

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