Filter assembly

Abstract

A filter assembly 100 for removably locating in a vertically oriented floor drainage gully, having a housing 102 with a tapered funnel portion 104 defining a housing inlet 106, and a filter portion 108 extending downwardly from the funnel portion and defining at least one housing outlet 110, a removable filter element located in the filter portion to prevent contaminants e.g. silt exiting the housing outlet, and a handle 114 coupled to the housing for manually removing and locating the filter assembly in a vertically oriented drainage gully. The funnel may have a square cross section, whilst the filter portion may be cylindrical and narrower for receiving a cylindrical reticulated polyether foam filter element. It may include a grate 116 closing the lower end with outlet holes or perforations 118 to allow filtered fluid to flow into a sewer. The handle may be moveably slidably mounted in apertures in the funnel to allow access to the filter element below. It may be used in a car wash, having an elongate floor culvert ending in a vertical drain, to prevent debris, silt, fine suspended solids etc. clogging or blocking the sewer.

Description

The present invention relates to a filter assembly for removably locating in a vertically oriented drainage gully and including a removable filter element therein. It is known to wash vehicles, such as trains, in a jet washing facility which comprises a washing unit through which the vehicle passes as it is being washed. The washing liquid and debris falls onto a hard standing and is discharged into an open central culvert running along the length of the washing facility. Vertical gullies are located along the culvert at approximately ten metre intervals and communicate with the sewerage / drainage system. Whilst each gully should include a cast iron grill for catching relatively large solids, some grilles can be missing allowing relatively debris into the sewerage / drainage system. Smaller debris, such as silt, certainly enters the sewerage / drainage system which is contrary to outfall discharge consent standards for fine suspended solids. It is therefore an aim of certain embodiments of the present invention to provide a filter assembly for removably locating in such vertical drainage gullies to prevent large and fine solids entering the connected sewerage / drainage system which, for example, have been washed off a vehicle in a vehicle washing facility. It is an aim of certain embodiments of the present invention to provide a removable filter assembly locatable in a vertically oriented drainage gully and configured to support a removable filter element for trapping solid particles flowing through the filter assembly and towards the connected sewerage / drainage system. According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a filter assembly for removably locating in a vertically oriented drainage gully, comprising: a housing comprising a tapered funnel portion defining a housing inlet, and a filter portion extending downwardly from the funnel portion and defining at least one housing outlet; a removable filter element located in the filter portion to prevent contaminants exiting the housing outlet; and a handle coupled to the housing for manually removing and locating the filter assembly from and into a vertically oriented drainage gully. Optionally, the handle is moveable with respect to the housing to allow access to the filter element located in the filter portion. Optionally, the handle is substantially elongate and removably supported at a first end by a first socket region of the funnel portion and at a second end in an aperture of the funnel portion opposed to the first socket region such that the handle is axially slidable in the aperture to allow access to the filter element located in the filter portion. Optionally, the first and second ends of the handle are angled to correspond with an angle of the tapered funnel portion when the handle is supported at both ends and in an engaged position and orientation. Optionally, an angle of the first end of the handle corresponds with an angle of a base surface of the first socket region with which the first end of the handle abuts when in the engaged position and orientation, and wherein an angle of the second end of the handle corresponds with an angle of an outer surface of the funnel portion to continue the outer surface when the handle is in the engaged position and orientation. Optionally, the aperture is surrounded by a second socket region for supporting the second end of the handle when in the engaged position and orientation. Optionally, the handle comprises a substantially circular cross section and the aperture and at least the first socket region are correspondingly sized and shaped. Optionally, the handle has a diameter of around 5 - 35 mm, and aptly 20mm. Optionally, the handle extends substantially centrally across the funnel portion. Optionally, a grate region extends across an interior region of the filter portion and comprises a plurality of holes therein to allow liquid to pass and exit the housing. Optionally, the plurality of holes in the grate region defines the at least one housing outlet. Optionally, the grate region supports the removable filter element. Optionally, the filter portion is substantially cylindrical to accommodate a correspondingly sized and shaped cylindrical filter element. Optionally, the funnel portion is substantially square in cross section. Optionally, the filter element comprises reticulated polyether foam. Optionally, the foam comprises a porosity of around 10 pores per inch (25.4mm). According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a drainage system comprising at least one filter assembly according to the first aspect of the present invention. According to a third aspect of the present invention there is provided a vehicle washing facility comprising a drainage system according to the second aspect of the present invention. Description of the Drawings Certain embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 illustrates an isometric view of a filter assembly according to certain embodiments of the present invention wherein the handle is partially removed from the housing of the assembly; Figure 2 illustrates the filter assembly wherein the handle is completely removed from the housing of the assembly; Figure 3 illustrates a further isometric view showing the underside of the filter assembly; and Figure 4 illustrates a plan view of the filter assembly of Figure 1. Detailed Description As illustrated in the figures, a filter assembly 100 for removably locating in a vertically oriented drainage gully includes a housing 102 comprising a tapered funnel portion 104 defining a housing inlet 106, and a filter portion 108 extending downwardly from the funnel portion and defining at least one housing outlet 110, wherein the funnel portion is configured to support a removable filter element (not shown) therein for preventing contaminants, such as fine silt and hydrocarbons, exiting the housing outlet and entering the sewerage / drainage system to which the vertical gully is connected. A handle 114 is coupled to the housing 102 for manually removing and locating the filter assembly from and into the vertical gully in use, such as when the filter element requires replacing or cleaning. The funnel portion 104 is substantially square in plan cross section comprising four sides which taper from a relatively wide opening which defines the housing inlet 106 to a relatively narrow opening at the base of the funnel portion. The filter portion 108 is substantially circular and cylindrical and extends axially downwardly from the base of the funnel portion 104 and includes a base or grate region which partially closes its lower end. The grate region 116 includes a plurality of spaced apart holes 118 which defines the housing outlet through which filtered liquid passes in use and flows to the sewerage / drainage system to which the gully is connected. The plurality of holes 118 are radially arranged but may define any suitable pattern. The grate region 116 also acts to support the removable filter element in the housing 102 which is correspondingly sized and shaped to fit inside the filter portion 108. Aptly, the handle 114 is located substantially centrally across opposed sides of the funnel portion 104 and proximal its wide upper opening such that inflowing unfiltered liquid hits the curved upper surface of the handle and is displaced and directed outwardly towards the opposed tapered sides of the funnel portion 104 to be substantially equally distributed on to the filter element below instead of the inflowing liquid hitting the centre of the filter element which would undesirably compromise the service life and performance of the filter element. The handle 114 may be fixed to the housing 102 but desirably it is removably mounted to the funnel portion to allow for easier access to the filter element when cleaning or replacing. Aptly, the handle 114 has a diameter of around 5 to 35mm and preferably around 20mm. As illustrated, the funnel portion 104 includes a first socket region 120 defined by a first annular socket wall 122 extending inwardly from an inner surface of a first wall 121 of the funnel portion 104 proximal the upper opening thereof. A first end region of the handle 114 locates in the first socket region 120 when the handle is in a coupled position and orientation and both ends of the handle are coupled to the housing. A circular through hole 124 is provided in a second wall 123 of the funnel portion which is opposed to the first wall. The hole 124 is disposed proximal to the upper opening edge of the funnel portion. Surrounding the through hole 124 is a second annular socket wall 126 extending inwardly from the second wall of the funnel portion 104 and defining a second socket region 128 for supporting a second end region of the handle 114 when the handle is in the coupled position and orientation, and also when the handle is being slidably moved towards a decoupled position wherein the first end region of the handle is decoupled from the first socket region 120 to allow access to the filter element below. The join / interface between each socket region 120,128 and the funnel portion 104 is strengthened by a fillet region 125 located below each socket region. An inner diameter of the annular socket walls 122,126 corresponds to an outer diameter of the handle 114 to ensure a secure connection. The end surfaces 130,132 of the handle 114 are angled such that when the handle is correctly rotationally oriented within the socket regions, the first angled end 130 of the handle will correspondingly engage with the respective angled inner surface of the first wall of the funnel portion within the first socket region 120, and the second angled end 132 of the handle 114 will lie flush with the angled outer surface of the second wall of the funnel portion to provide a substantially continuous outer surface for correct installation of the filter assembly in the vertical gully. The angled ends of the handle provide a visual and tactile indication to a user that the handle is correctly coupled to the housing and that the filter assembly is ready for correct installation in the vertical gully. At least the first end 130 of the handle 114 is configured to slidably engage in the first socket region, but it may be configured to be rotatably threaded into the first socket region wherein the first socket wall 122 includes an internal screw thread and the outer surface of the first end region of the handle includes a corresponding screw thread. The second end of the handle may include a recess for locating a suitable drive tool for rotating the handle and engaging the screw threads at the opposed end of the handle. An end of the handle may include a projection, such as a hooked region, or the like for hooking the filter element and lifting the same out of the filter portion for cleaning or replacement. The handle may be a hollow tube, a solid bar, a partially hollow structure, e.g. honeycomb or the like, or a composite structure comprising a metal core covered by a plastic coating, for example. The filter element is aptly a cylindrical reticulated foam material having a porosity of around 10 pores per inch (25.4mm) constructed as a single layer or multi-layer filter to trap hydrocarbons and solids, such as fine silt, and prevent the same from entering the sewerage / drainage system. The housing 102 is aptly a plastics material such as a polyurethane (PU) or polyvinyl chloride (PVC), or it may be chemical resistant metal material, such as aluminium or stainless steel. Aptly, the wide opening of the funnel portion 104 is around 130 x 130mm and the funnel portion has a height of around 115mm. Aptly, the filter portion 108 has a diameter of around 95mm and a height of around 78mm. Aptly, each of the holes in the grate region 116 is around 6mm in diameter. Certain embodiments of the present invention therefore provide a filter assembly for removably locating in such vertical drainage gullies to prevent large and fine solids entering the connected sewerage / drainage system which, for example, have been washed off a vehicle in a vehicle washing facility. The removable filter assembly is configured to support a removable filter element for trapping solid particles, such as hydrocarbons and fine silt, flowing through the filter assembly and into the connected sewerage / drainage system.

Claims

1. A filter assembly for removably locating in a vertically oriented drainage gully, comprising:a housing comprising a tapered funnel portion defining a housing inlet, and a filter portion extending downwardly from the funnel portion and defining at least one housing outlet;a removable filter element located in the filter portion to prevent contaminants exiting the housing outlet; anda handle coupled to the housing for manually removing and locating the filter assembly from and into a vertically oriented drainage gully.

2. The filter assembly according to claim 1, wherein the handle is moveable with respect to the housing to allow access to the filter element located in the filter portion.

3. The filter assembly according to claim 2, wherein the handle is substantially elongate and removably supported at a first end by a first socket region of the funnel portion and at a second end in an aperture of the funnel portion opposed to the first socket region such that the handle is axially slidable in the aperture to allow access to the filter element located in the filter portion.

4. The filter assembly according to claim 3, wherein the first and second ends of the handle are angled to correspond with an angle of the tapered funnel portion when the handle is supported at both ends and in an engaged position and orientation.

5. The filter assembly according to claim 4, wherein an angle of the first end of the handle corresponds with an angle of a base surface of the first socket region with which the first end of the handle abuts when in the engaged position and orientation, and wherein an angle of the second end of the handle corresponds with an angle of an outer surface of the funnel portion to continue the outer surface when the handle is in the engaged position and orientation.

6. The filter assembly according to any of claims 3 to 5, wherein the aperture is surrounded by a second socket region for supporting the second end of the handle when in the engaged position and orientation.

7. The filter assembly according to any of claims 3 to 6, wherein the handle comprises a substantially circular cross section and the aperture and at least the first socket region are correspondingly sized and shaped.

8. The filter assembly according to claim 7, wherein the handle has a diameter of around 5 - 35 mm, and optionally 20mm.

9. The filter assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein the handle extends substantially centrally across the funnel portion.

10. The filter assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein a grate region extends across an interior region of the filter portion and comprises a plurality of holes therein to allow liquid to pass and exit the housing.

11. The filter assembly according to claim 10, wherein the plurality of holes in the grate region defines the at least one housing outlet.

12. The filter assembly according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the grate region supports the removable filter element.

13. The filter assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein the filter portion is substantially cylindrical to accommodate a correspondingly sized and shaped cylindrical filter element.

14. The filter assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein the funnel portion is substantially square in cross section.

15. The filter assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein the filter element comprises reticulated polyether foam.

16. The filter assembly according to claim 15, wherein the foam comprises a porosity of around 10 pores per inch (25.4mm).

17. A drainage system comprising at least one filter assembly according to any preceding claim.5   18. A vehicle washing facility comprising a drainage system according to claim 17.

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