Apparatus for capturing drainage waste for disposal

Abstract

Apparatus for location within a sewage conduit of a building comprises an open-topped chamber which includes entry and discharge openings and a removable cover for access to the contents of the chamber. The discharge opening is partially covered with a perforated plate to prevent the discharge from the chamber of relatively untreatable matter, this being subsequently removed through the access cover.

Description

APPARATUS FOR CAPTURING DRAINAGE WASTE FOR DISPOSALFIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] This invention relates to apparatus for location within a sewage conduit of a building which is designed to retain for subsequent disposal relatively non-degradable items such as nappies, sanitary towels, baby wipes and heavy paper to prevent such items creating blockages within the conduit and enabling fluids and other treatable material to pass without hindrance to a septic tank or mains sewer connected to receive effluent from the building.BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

[0002] Presently, a significant number of waterways, sea fronts and residential areas are being regularly polluted with effluent discharged legally or otherwise from partially or fully blocked sewers. Such pollution clearly represents a health risk to the general public and the present invention sets out to provide a solution to this problem.

[0003] Trap boxes suitable for sewage interception and collection are known in various forms, examples of which are shown in CN19450980, CN210597537 and CN222716181. In each case filter mechanisms are employed to capture matter that is not capable of travelling through the filters.

[0004] The present invention is though only concerned with capturing non-degradable items that enter the drainage systems, usually through being flushed down toilets. Degradable matter, such as toilet paper for example is not captured, rather it broken up to speed up its degradation as it flows through. The collection of such degradable matter would lead constant blockages requiring maintenance.STATEMENT OF THE INVENTION

[0005] In one aspect the invention provides apparatus for location in a sewage conduit of a building which, in use, retains for subsequent disposal relatively non-degradable items passing through said conduit, the apparatus comprising an open-topped chamber including a floor, side walls and a removable cover, the chamber further including entry and discharge openings positioned in opposed side walls of the chamber at locations above the floor level of said chamber for respectively receiving sewage passing through the conduit and discharging the fluid content of such sewage to a septic tank for subsequent treatment, the discharge opening being at least partially closed by an apertured plate to inhibit the discharge from the chamber of relatively untreatable matter other than through the removeable cover, and wherein the discharge opening of the chamber is bordered by a plurality of projections extending inwardly into the opening.

[0006] The discharge opening is preferably bordered by a plurality of inwardly projecting barbs to assist retention of untreatable items within the apparatus.

[0007] Each opening is preferably bordered by a relatively short duct connectable to adjoining sewer pipes.

[0001] In a second aspect the invention, there is provided apparatus for location in a sewage conduit of a building which, in use, retains for subsequent disposal relatively non-degradable items passing through said conduit, the apparatus comprising an open-topped chamber including a floor, side walls and a removable cover, the chamber further including an entry opening positioned in a first side wall of the chamber and a discharge opening positioned in a second side wall of the chamber, both opening s being located above the floor level of said chamber for respectively receiving sewage passing through the conduit, the discharge opening being at least partially closed by an apertured plate to inhibit the discharge from the chamber of relatively untreatable matter other than through the removeable cover; the apparatus further including at least two vertically orientated rod members located generally centrally within the chamber.

[0002] Preferably, the rod members extend upwardly from the floor of the chamber.

[0003] Preferably, the rod members are generally cylindrical.

[0004] Preferably, the rod members are located in the direct path of flow of sewage from the entry opening and the discharge opening.

[0005] Preferably, the periphery of the entry opening has a rough profile.

[0006] Preferably, the periphery is formed with an array fingers or teeth.

[0007] Preferably, an inlet and an outlet collar are located over the entry opening and discharge openings respectively, the collars extending generally perpendicularly from the outside surface of its respective side wall.

[0008] Preferably, one or both inlet and outlet collar are tapered inwardly towards the distal end.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0009] The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:-

[0010] Figure 1 is a perspective view of apparatus in accordance with the invention;

[0011] Figure 2 is a perspective view showingthe apparatus illustrated in Figure 1 taken from one side of the apparatus with its lid removed;

[0012] Figure 3 is a perspective view of the apparatus taken from the other side of the apparatus;

[0013] Figure 4 is a perspective view of apparatus in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention;

[0014] Figures 5 and 6 are is perspective views showing the apparatus illustrated in figure 4 taken from one side of the apparatus with its lid in place and the lid removed respectively;

[0015] Figure 7 is a perspective view of the apparatus of figure 5 from the other side;

[0016] Figure 8 shows the apparatus in situ within a drain;

[0017] Figure 9 is a perspective view of apparatus in accordance with a third embodiment of the invention;

[0018] Figure 10 is a perspective view of the apparatus of figure 8 with the lid removed;

[0019] Figure 11 shows the apparatus of figure 8 in situ with a drain; and

[0020] Figure 12 shows the apparatus located in situ connectable to drain pipework of a building.DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] The illustrated apparatus essentially comprises a box-like receptacle 10 closable by a removable lid 12 and including opposed walls 14, 16 each including an opening 18, 20 located at a position above the base 22 of the receptacle.

[0022] Typically, the receptacle 10 is produced from a relatively non-degradable material such as aluminium or stainless steel.

[0023] In use, the receptacle 10 forms part of underground pipework operable to transfer sewage from a building to a septic tank remote from the building.

[0024] When installed, access to the lid 12 can readily be accomplished through a suitably positioned ground level removable cover positioned immediately above the receptacle. The lid 12 is provided with a handle 24 to assist opening and closing of the lid.

[0025] The receptacle 10 includes on one side an inlet collar 26 connectable to a sewage pipe (not shown) leading from a property, and on its opposite side an outlet collar 28 connectable to a pipe for transferring sewage to a mains sewer or septic tank facility.

[0026] As will be seen from Figure 1 , the outlet collar 28 includes a perforated plate 30 which covers a significant proportion of the collar. Typically, the perforated plate extends to between 60% and 70% of the area of the collar 28.

[0027] The periphery of the collar 28 includes an array of inwardly projecting barbs 32 to assist retention of items such as sanitary towels and nappies within the receptacle 10.

[0028] The function of the perforated plate 30 is to retain within the body of the receptacle all relatively non- degradable items such as gloves, baby wipes, sanitary towels and heavy paper. Upon evidence of a possibleblockage, the receptacle can readily be accessed by opening the lid 12 to facilitate removal of the retained items.

[0029] Thus, the shape, dimensions and locations of the perforations of the plate 30 are selected to ensure that all or a significant proportion of non-degradable items are retained within the receptacle.

[0030] Figures 4 to 12 illustrate a second embodiment of the invention. The same reference numerals have been used for features that are common to the first embodiment. The apparatus comprises a box-like receptacle 10 closable by a removable lid 12 and including opposed walls 14, 16, each having an opening 18, 20 located at a position above the floor 22 of the receptacle.

[0031] Typically, the receptacle 10 is produced from a relatively non-degradable material such as aluminium or stainless steel.

[0032] When installed, access to the lid 12 can readily be accomplished through a suitably positioned ground level removable cover positioned immediately above the receptacle. The lid 12 is provided with a handle 24 to assist opening and closing of the lid.

[0033] As can be seen in figure 8, in use, the receptacle 10 can be placed in the drainage channel to form part of an underground pipework operable to transfer sewage from a building to a septic tank remote from the building.

[0034] The receptacle 10 includes on one side an inlet collar 26 extending generally perpendicularly from the outer surface of the wall 16 and being connectable to a sewage pipe (not shown) leading from a property.

[0035] On its opposite side, an outlet collar 28, similarly extending generally perpendicularly from the outer surface of its respective wall 14, is connectable to a pipe for transferring sewage to a mains sewer or septic tank facility.

[0036] As will be seen from Figure 4, the distal end of the outlet collar 28 includes a perforated plate 30 which covers a significant proportion of the collar 28. Typically, the perforated plate extends to between 60% and 70% of the area of the collar 28.

[0037] The function of the perforated plate 30 is to retain within the body of the receptacle all relatively non- degradable items such as gloves, baby wipes, sanitary towels and heavy paper. Upon evidence of a possible blockage, the receptacle can readily be accessed by opening the lid 12 to facilitate removal of the retained items.

[0038] Thus, the shape, dimensions and locations of the perforations of the plate 30 are selected to ensure that all or a significant proportion of non-degradable items are retained within the receptacle.

[0039] The periphery of the opening in the side wall 14, leading to the collar 28, has an array of elongate recesses forming teeth or fingers 34 around the periphery to catch items such as sanitary towels andnappies, in a similar way to the barbs 32, preventing them from exiting through the outlet and, at the same time to assist tearing and break up of water degradable matter such as toilet paper, so that fragments are too small to cause a blockage once it has exited the outlet into the mains sewer.

[0040] It will be appreciated that the fingers recesses 34 could replace the barbs 34 of the first embodiment.

[0041] The inlet opening is not rough to allow matter to flow into chamber to avoid it building up outside the opening providing a blockage before the chamber.

[0042] To further assist the breakup of degradable matter within the chamber, two spaced rod members 36 upstand from the floor 22 of the receptacle 10 in a generally vertical orientation. The rod members 36 are located generally centrally within the chamber in the direct path of flow between the inlet and outlet. The rod members 36 act to catch degradable matter, such as, for example toilet roll, and prevent it moving and circulatingwith the liquid flow within the chamber.

[0043] The rods are not designed to act as a filter to collect degradable matter such as toiler roll within the chamber; rather, they act to speeds up the degradation process as liquid flow impacts the toilet roll.

[0044] To this end, the rods are preferably cylindrical to cause the toilet paper to wrap around them rods 36 to hold it in place in the middle of the flow. Other non-degradable matter will pass by the rods 36 to be caught by the perforated plate 30.

[0045] Figures 6 and 7 illustrate a further embodiment of the invention. The difference between this version and the first or second embodiments is that the outlet opening 18 is located on an adjacent side wall 38 to that of the inlet opening 20.

[0046] As can be seen in figure 9, this allows the receptacle 10 to be discretely connected within the pipework of buildings above ground to capture non-degradable matter prior to in entering the sewer system.

[0047] One or both of the inlet and outlet collars 26, 28 may be tapered inwardly towards the distal end. This allows the collars 26, 28 to be inserted at variable depth into conduit apertures of varying diameters.

[0048] It will be appreciated that the foregoing is merely exemplary of apparatus in accordance with the invention and that modifications can readily be made thereto without departing from the true scope of the invention as set out in the appended claims.

Claims

CLAIMS1 . Apparatus for location in a sewage conduit of a building which, in use, retains for subsequent disposal relatively non-degradable items passing through said conduit, the apparatus comprising an open-topped walled chamber including a floor, side walls and a removable access cover, the chamber further including entry and discharge openings positioned in opposed side walls of the chamber at locations above the floor of the chamber for respectively receiving sewage passing through the conduit and discharging the fluid content of said sewage to a septic tank for treatment, the discharge opening being at least partially closed by an apertured plate to prevent the discharge from the chamber of relatively untreatable matter other than through the removable cover, and wherein the discharge opening of the chamber is bordered by a plurality of projections extending inwardly into the opening.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the entry and discharge openings are each bordered by ducting for connection to said conduit.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein one or both inlet and outlet collar are tapered inwardly towards the distal end.

4. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the periphery of the entry opening has a rough profile.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the projections of the discharge opening are barbs6. Apparatus according to anyone of claims 1 to 4, wherein the periphery is formed with an array fingers or teeth.

7. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the apparatus further includes at least two vertically orientated rod members located generally centrally within the chamber.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the rod members extend upwardly from the floor of the chamber.

9. Apparatus according to claim 7 or claim 8, wherein the rod members are generally cylindrical.

10. Apparatus according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the rod members are located in the direct path of flow of sewage from the entry opening and the discharge opening.

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