Configurable Storm Inlet Filter with Adjustable Frame
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing storm inlet filters have fixed dimensions, making them expensive to produce, complex to install, and difficult to maintain, as they require a large inventory of various sizes to accommodate different drainage structures, and often involve labor-intensive fabrication and high costs due to their rigid frameworks.
Innovation Solution
A configurable inlet filter system with adjustable and modular frame rail components made of stamped steel, allowing for easy assembly to fit various inlet sizes and shapes, including a sediment bag with a securing mechanism and overflow bypass, enabling quick adaptation to different drainage structures without the need for welding or specialized tools.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If fixed dimension plastic inlet protection devices are used, then they provide structural stability and filtration capability, but they are expensive to tool and overly complex to install and maintain
Solution Approach 1:
The inlet protection device is divided into separate modular components: a frame structure and a sediment bag. This segmentation allows the frame to be a simple support structure while the sediment bag provides the filtration function, simplifying installation and maintenance while maintaining reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The filtration function is extracted from the rigid plastic housing and placed into a separate sediment bag that can be easily removed and replaced. This allows the frame to be simplified while the filtration capability is maintained through the removable bag
2Strength
If welded steel angle inlet filters are used, then they provide structural strength, but they are tedious and labor intensive to fabricate resulting in higher costs and long lead times
Solution Approach 1:
The device is segmented into a simple frame structure and a separate sediment bag. The frame can be made from pre-fabricated steel components rather than welded angles, dramatically reducing fabrication time and labor while maintaining structural strength
Solution Approach 2:
The sediment bag is designed as a replaceable component that can be easily removed and replaced when full, eliminating the need for complex cleaning mechanisms and reducing maintenance time and costs
3Manufacturing precision
If fixed dimension inlet filters are manufactured for specific drainage structures, then they provide precise fit, but contractors need to stock a large inventory of varying shapes and dimensions
Solution Approach 1:
The frame is designed with universal features that allow it to accommodate multiple inlet shapes and sizes. The modular design with adjustable components enables a single frame type to serve multiple drainage structures, reducing the variety of inventory needed while maintaining precise fit
Solution Approach 2:
The frame incorporates adjustable and reconfigurable elements that can be modified in the field to fit different inlet dimensions. This dynamic adaptability allows contractors to use a standardized frame design for various applications without needing multiple fixed-dimension variants
4Device complexity
If fabric-only sediment bag inlet protectors are used, then they simplify the structure, but they are more difficult to install and maintain than rigid frame supporting sediment bag
Solution Approach 1:
A rigid frame is introduced as an intermediary support structure between the inlet and the sediment bag. This frame provides stable attachment points and structural support, making installation and maintenance easier while the sediment bag remains the primary filtration component
Data Source
AI summary
System and apparatus for filtering drainage which includes a configurable and adjustable rigid frame, hanger support structures adapted to contact a surface of a drainage structure, and a sediment bag. The frame may be adjusted or configured by modifying the location of connecting fasteners and/or by altering the orientation of frame components. Additional embodiments provide for an overflow gap comprising a vertical distance between an above grade surface of a drainage structure and the rigid frame, wherein the overflow gap is capable of allowing runoff to bypass the sediment bag when the sediment bag is obstructed. A configurable lifting tool device adapted to lift inlet grates and inlet filter devices includes a lifting bar, a plurality of connectors, a plurality of lifting arms, and a plurality of lifting hooks adapted to contact a grate and/or an inlet filter device lifting bar.