Hydraulic air backflow prevention system

Abstract

Title: Hydraulic Air Backflow Prevention System The invention relates to a hydraulic air backflow prevention system, comprising: - a water collection tank (100); - a water outlet (2); - a hydraulic backflow prevention device (3) connecting the collection tank (100) to the water outlet (2), the hydraulic backflow prevention device (3) comprising a float (31) and a water collection bowl (32) incorporating a cage (4) within which the float (31) is movable according to a water level (NE) in the collection bowl (32). Figure for the abstract: Fig. 1

Description

Title of the invention: Hydraulic air backflow prevention system technical field

[0001] The field of the invention is that of the design and manufacture of water drainage systems.

[0002] The invention relates more particularly to the evacuation of wastewater collected by sanitary equipment, such as a shower. State of the art

[0003] In the field of wastewater drainage systems, collector siphons are used to allow collected water to flow out, while preventing the passage of foul air in the opposite direction to the flow of water through the siphon.

[0004] S-shaped siphons are known to maintain a water seal in a bend by means of gravity, to combat the rising of stale air.

[0005] It is also known that so-called "bottled" siphons include a dip tube extending inside a water seal within a body of larger dimensions than the dip tube, and which has, at a level higher than the open end of the dip tube, an outlet delimiting the water seal.

[0006] Siphons with an elastically deformable sealing mechanism are also known, which also allow the maintenance of a water seal and which require a minimum water pressure or water volume to open and allow water to flow towards the water outlet.

[0007] An alternative to these hydraulic filtration systems is sought.

[0008] Some of the hydraulic systems described above can be considered technically complex to produce, install, and maintain, which can also affect their purchase or maintenance costs. Technical problem

[0009] The invention aims in particular to overcome these drawbacks of the prior art.

[0010] More specifically, the invention aims to provide a hydraulic air backflow prevention system for connecting a wastewater collection tank to a water outlet, which is simple to produce, install, and maintain.

[0011] The invention also aims to provide such a system which is economical to produce and maintain. Summary of the invention

[0012] These objectives, as well as others that will appear subsequently, are achieved through the invention, which relates to a hydraulic air backflow prevention system, comprising: - a water collection tray; - a water drainage system; - a hydraulic backflow prevention device connecting the collection tank to the water drain, characterized in that the hydraulic backflow prevention device comprises: - a float stopper; - a water collection bowl having an opening allowing water to pass from the collection tray, and a bottom having an outlet leading to the water drain, the collection bowl incorporating a cage extending vertically from the bottom of the collection bowl to a ceiling, the float stopper being movable inside the cage according to a water level in the collection bowl, the float stopper having an outlet closure section with the imprint of an outlet rim.

[0013] The hydraulic air backflow prevention system according to the invention provides a simple and inexpensive solution to produce and maintain. This hydraulic system offers an alternative to siphons and does not require maintaining a water seal to prevent air backflow.

[0014] According to a preferred feature, the outlet is circular, and in that the float stopper is formed by a sphere.

[0015] Such a float plug always has a sealing section in the shape of the outlet rim. Indeed, it does not need to have a particular orientation to be able to properly seal the outlet.

[0016] Preferably, the cage includes guide rods extending in the direction of the exit.

[0017] Such guide rods make it possible to achieve adequate guidance while limiting their size in the collector bowl.

[0018] Advantageously, the guide rods are integral with a drain grid forming the ceiling of the cage.

[0019] According to a preferred feature, the drain grid is mounted removablely on the collection bowl.

[0020] Removing the drain grid also removes the guide rods, which allows for easy maintenance of the collection bowl and the float plug.

[0021] According to an advantageous design, the guide rods extend parallel to each other and allow only axial movement of the sphere forming the float plug.

[0022] Thanks to this design, the movement of the float plug is limited. This also allows the hydraulic system to be used in a mobile installation where it would be desirable to avoid noise from the float plug striking the walls of the collection bowl.

[0023] The invention also relates to a road vehicle comprising a cab mounted tilting on a chassis, characterized in that the cab incorporates a hydraulic system as defined above.

[0024] The use of the hydraulic system is particularly advantageous in that it does not implement a water seal which could spill into the cabin when the cabin is tilted.

[0025] Preferably, the road vehicle includes a wastewater drainage pipe forming the water drain, comprising a push-fit fitting including a female part carried by the chassis, and a male part carried by the cab, the male part and the female part being separated from each other in a tilted position of the cab, a passage of the cab from its tilted position to a non-tilted position resulting in the fitting of the male part into the female part.

[0026] This allows only a part of a wastewater drainage circuit in the cabin to contain no water previously collected by the collection tank of the hydraulic system. Brief description of the drawings

[0027] Other features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent upon reading the following description of various preferred embodiments of the invention, given by way of illustrative and non-limiting examples, and the accompanying drawings, among which: • [Fig.1] [Fig.1] is a schematic representation of a hydraulic air backflow prevention system according to the invention, comprising a hydraulic device connecting a collection tank to a water outlet; • [Fig.2] [Fig.2] is a schematic representation of the device hydraulic backflow preventer with a drain grid during extraction; • [Fig.3] [Fig.3] is a schematic perspective representation of the drain grate; • [Fig. 4] [Fig. 4] is a schematic representation of the anti-device discharge connected to a wastewater drainage pipe; • [Fig. 5] [Fig. 5] is a schematic representation of a switch between two positions of a cab of a road vehicle according to the invention. Detailed description

[0028] With reference to [Fig.1], a hydraulic air backflow prevention system according to the invention is shown.

[0029] The hydraulic air backflow prevention system comprises: - a 100-liter water collection tank; - a water drain 2; - a hydraulic anti-backflow device 3 connecting the collection tank 100 to the water outlet 2.

[0030] The 100 water collection tray can correspond to a shower tray, a bathtub, or, without limitation, a sink.

[0031] The hydraulic anti-backflow device 3 is designed to allow water to pass from the water collection tank 100 to the water outlet 2, and to block or at least limit a backflow of foul air from the water outlet 2 to the water collection tank 100.

[0032] As illustrated by Figures 1 and 2, the hydraulic backflow prevention device 3 comprises a water collection bowl 32.

[0033] This collection bowl 32 has an opening 321 allowing water to pass from the collection tray 100, and a base 322 having an outlet 323 leading to the water drain 2

[0034] The collecting bowl 32 further has a peripheral wall 324 extending from a perimeter of the bottom 322 to an upper end.

[0035] Preferably, the collecting bowl 32 has a symmetrical shape of revolution around a central axis.

[0036] The system also includes a drain grid positioned at the opening 321 of the collection bowl.

[0037] The opening 321 of the collection bowl 32 can be reduced by the opening presented by the collection tray 100 on which the hydraulic device is coupled.

[0038] Preferably, according to an embodiment not shown, the collecting bowl 32 also forms a drain body and has a collar extending from the upper end of the peripheral wall.

[0039] This collar is intended to rest against the upper peripheral edge of the opening presented by the collection tray 100.

[0040] The opening 321 of the collecting bowl 32 may have a section corresponding to the internal section of the collecting neck 32, the drain grid then having dimensions greater than the opening 321 of the collecting bowl 32.

[0041] For example, the opening 321 of the collecting bowl 32 has a circular shape and the drain grid has a disc shape with a diameter greater than that of the opening 321.

[0042] The hydraulic anti-backflow device 3 also includes a float plug 31. This float plug 31 is movable in the collecting bowl 32, and more specifically inside a cage 4 as described below, according to a water level NE in the collecting bowl 32.

[0043] This float stopper 31 is formed in particular by a sphere according to the present embodiment. The sphere is, for example, made of plastic and hollow.

[0044] In this case, the output 323 has a circular shape.

[0045] Indeed, the float stopper 31 has a section that closes off the outlet 323 in the shape of a rim of the outlet 323.

[0046] By obturator section, it is understood that the float plug has a complementary continuous external surface in the shape of the rim of the outlet 323.

[0047] In addition to this continuous external surface, the float stopper is designed to prevent fluid communication once coupled with the rim of the outlet 323. In this way, air located in the water outlet 2 cannot escape from the device when the float stopper 31 closes the outlet 323.

[0048] Alternatively, according to conceivable embodiments, the float stopper 31 could have an ovoid, or frustoconical, shape centered on a central axis, and the outlet 323 would also have a circular shape corresponding to a shape complementary to a section of the float stopper 31 along its central axis.

[0049] As mentioned previously, the collecting bowl 32 incorporates a cage 4.

[0050] This cage 4 extends in particular vertically from the bottom 322 of the collecting bowl up to a ceiling of 4L

[0051] The float stopper 31 is trapped in this cage 4, and constrains its movements within the collecting bowl 32.

[0052] According to the present embodiment, the cage 4 is separate from the collecting bowl 32.

[0053] However, embodiments in which cage 4 would be formed partially or totally by a constituent element of the collecting bowl 32. For example, the peripheral wall 324 of the collecting bowl could have internal protrusions to delimit the cage 4 inside the collecting bowl 32.

[0054] In general, the cage 4 is designed so as to allow fluidic communication between the water collection tray 100 and the water outlet 2 as soon as the float stopper 2 no longer hermetically seals the outlet 323, regardless of its position in the cage 4 above the position in which it hermetically seals the outlet 323.

[0055] In other words, as soon as the float stopper 31 floats in the collecting bowl 31 above its position of closing the outlet 323, then the water collected in the collecting bowl 31 can flow through the outlet 323.

[0056] As can be seen in Figures 1 to 3, the cage 4 includes guide rods 42 extending in the direction of the outlet 323.

[0057] More specifically, the cage 4 comprises three guide rods 42.

[0058] These three guide rods 42 are positioned so as to surround the float stopper and hold it between them, to guide it.

[0059] More specifically, the guide rods 42 extend parallel to each other and allow only axial movement of the sphere forming the float plug 31. The three guide rods 42 are in particular positioned at 120° to each other around a central axis of movement of the float plug in the cage 4.

[0060] According to the present embodiment, the ceiling 41 of the cage 4 is formed by the drain grid.

[0061] This drain grid has openings 410 to allow water to flow out while filtering out any debris.

[0062] The guide rods 42 are integral with the drain grid and extend from an underside face of the drain grid.

[0063] The drain grid is mounted removablely on the collection bowl 32. In this way, extraction of the drain grid from the collection bowl allows the guide rods to be removed.

[0064] This is particularly advantageous for carrying out maintenance of the drain grid, guide rods, and collection bowl.

[0065] The guidance of the float plug operated by the hydraulic anti-backflow device 3 is a guidance that operates along an axis intended to extend parallel to a gravity vector. The guidance can thus be described as gravity guidance.

[0066] With reference to [Fig.4] and 5, a road vehicle 1 according to the invention is represented.

[0067] This road vehicle 1 comprises a chassis 12 and a cab 11.

[0068] The cabin 11 is mounted tilting on the chassis 12.

[0069] According to the present embodiment, and as shown in [Fig.5], the cab 11 is mounted tilting on the chassis 12 of the road truck 1 between a tilted position (shown at the bottom of [Fig.5]) and a non-tilted position (shown at the top of [Fig.5]).

[0070] This road vehicle 1 corresponds to a heavy goods vehicle.

[0071] The cabin 11 of the road vehicle 1 includes a shower 5 and integrates the system hydraulics previously described.

[0072] The collection tray 100 thus corresponds to a shower tray, and the hydraulic anti-backflow device 3 is coupled to this shower tray.

[0073] The road vehicle 1 also includes a wastewater drainage pipe which forms the water outlet 2. The drainage pipe extends from the hydraulic backflow prevention device 3 to a water reservoir 6.

[0074] This water reservoir 6 is located in the chassis 12 of the road vehicle 1.

[0075] The drain piping comprises: - a push-fit connector 23 comprising a female part 231 carried by the chassis 12, and a male part 232 carried by the cabin 11, - a first conduit 21 coupled to the hydraulic anti-backflow device 3 using connection means 22, and extending from the hydraulic anti-backflow device 3 to the male part 232; - a second pipe 24 extending from the female part 231 to the water reservoir 6.

[0076] The push-fit fitting 23 is designed to allow coupling and uncoupling of the two pipes of the drain piping when the cabin IL is tilted

[0077] Indeed, the male part and the female part are separated from each other in a tilted position of the cabin 11, a passage of the cabin 11 from its tilted position to a non-tilted position resulting in the fitting of the male part into the female part.

[0078] The female part 231 assumes a funnel shape oriented to present an opening flared upwards, and the male part 232 has a flexible tip, for example made of silicone, suitable for being guided by the flared opening of the female part 611, during the final approach of the cabin 11 towards the chassis 12, and for fitting into the female part 611 when the cabin is completely folded down onto the chassis 12.

[0079] For the drainage piping, it is sought to avoid maintaining a water seal in at least the first pipe 21 located in the cabin 11 after the drainage of collected water. Consequently, the drainage piping tends to always have a downward slope towards the water reservoir 6.

[0080] The hydraulic anti-backflow device 3 is advantageous in that it does not include a water seal, consequently it is prevented from water spilling into the cabin 11 when the cabin 11 moves to its tilted position, or when the cabin 1 jolts during the movement of the road vehicle 1.

[0081] In addition, the guidance provided by the cage 4 of the float plug 31 prevents the float plug from moving in the collector bowl 32 and making noise when the road vehicle 1 moves.

[0082] It is clear from the preceding description that the hydraulic air backflow prevention system according to the invention forms a simple and inexpensive solution to produce, but also to maintain.

Claims

Demands

1. Hydraulic air backflow prevention system, comprising: - a water collection tank (100); - a water outlet (2); - a hydraulic backflow prevention device (3) connecting the collection tank (100) to the water outlet (2), characterized in that the hydraulic backflow prevention device (3) comprises: - a float plug (31); - a water collection bowl (32) having an opening (321) allowing water to pass from the collection tray (100), and a bottom (322) having an outlet (323) leading to the water drain (2), the collection bowl (32) incorporating a cage (4) extending vertically from the bottom (322) of the collection bowl (32) to a ceiling (41), the float stopper (31) being movable inside the cage (4) according to a water level (NE) in the collection bowl (32), the float stopper (31) having a section closing the outlet (323) to the imprint of a rim of the outlet (323).

2. Hydraulic system according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the outlet (323) is circular, and in that the float plug (31) is formed by a sphere.

3. Hydraulic system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cage (4) comprises guide rods (42) extending in the direction of the outlet (323).

4. Hydraulic system according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the guide rods (42) are integral with a drain grid forming the ceiling (41) of the cage (4).

5. Hydraulic system according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the drain grid is mounted removably on the collector bowl (32).

6. Hydraulic system according to claim 2 and any one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that the guide rods (42) extend parallel to each other and allow only axial movement of the sphere forming the float plug (31).

7. Road vehicle (1) comprising a chassis (12) and a cab (11) mounted to tilt on the chassis (12), characterized in that the cab (11) incorporates a hydraulic system according to any one of the preceding claims.

8. Road vehicle (1) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that it comprises a wastewater drainage pipe forming the water drain (2), the drainage pipe comprising a push-fit fitting (23) comprising a female part (231) carried by the chassis (12), and a male part (231) carried by the cab (11), the male part and the female part being separated from each other in a tilted position of the cab (11), a passage of the cab (11) from its tilted position to a non-tilted position resulting in the fitting of the male part into the female part.

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