Road Gully Filter Assembly with Antechamber for Pre-Sedimentation

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing filter arrangements in street drains struggle to maintain high water purity with minimal maintenance, as they become clogged quickly and are complex to operate, failing to meet increasing purity requirements and being costly to maintain.

Innovation Solution

A filter arrangement with an antechamber for pre-sedimentation, where incoming water is calmed and suspended matter is deposited before reaching the filter unit, reducing clogging and allowing for easy maintenance, combined with a filter unit featuring a deflection plate and multiple sedimentation chambers for enhanced cleaning performance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If fine filters are used within the filter unit to achieve high water purity, then the cleaning performance is improved, but the filters become clogged quickly, resulting in increased maintenance effort

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewater purityVSAvoidmaintenance effort
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSEase of repair

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by introducing an antechamber before the filter unit where suspended matter is pre-deposited through sedimentation. This preliminary removal of particulates prevents them from reaching and clogging the fine filters, thereby maintaining high water purity while reducing maintenance frequency. The antechamber performs the preparatory function of removing coarse contaminants before the water enters the filtration stage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Manufacturing precision

If filter units are arranged in drain shafts to clean contaminated surface water, then water purity is improved, but the device complexity increases to meet increasing purity requirements

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewater purityVSAvoidfilter arrangement complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies segmentation by dividing the water treatment process into distinct functional stages: an antechamber for pre-sedimentation of suspended matter, followed by a filter unit for fine filtration. This segmentation allows each component to specialize in a specific purification task, achieving high overall water purity while keeping individual components relatively simple and manageable.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The antechamber performs preliminary sedimentation of suspended matter before water enters the filter unit. This preliminary action removes coarse particulates that would otherwise burden the filter system, enabling the use of simpler filter configurations while still achieving high purity requirements through the combined effect of sedimentation and filtration stages.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If the filter unit is installed deep in the ground below frost protection layer, then reliability is improved by preventing freezing, but the installation complexity and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefreezing protectionVSAvoidinstallation cost
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies self-service by utilizing the natural ground temperature and frost protection layer already present at the installation site. The filter arrangement is positioned to take advantage of the earth's natural thermal properties, where the ground itself provides the protective function against freezing, eliminating the need for additional active heating or insulation systems and reducing installation costs.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The filter arrangement achieves high cleaning performance with reduced maintenance needs, ensuring effective filtration and compliance with regulatory standards for water purity, even during heavy rainfall events, by pre-sedimenting larger particles and using multiple sedimentation stages.

Implementation Method 1

an antechamber (10) for pre-sedimentation, wherein incoming water reaches the deflection plate (8) via an inlet opening (6) and from there into the antechamber (10) formed by the free space between the filter unit (2) and the shaft body (3), and from the antechamber (10) reaches an inlet (12) of the filter unit (2)

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSedimentation: Sedimentation

Implementation Method 2

the water is led from the inlet via a flow bridge into a sedimentation chamber, bypassing the filter unit, and from there it rises again through the filter unit and finally leaves the filter unit in cleaned form through an outlet

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFiltration: Filter (physical)

Implementation Method 3

The water is led from the inlet via a flow bridge into a sedimentation chamber, bypassing the filter unit, and from there it rises again through the filter unit

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectGravitational settling: Gravitation

Data Source

PatentEP2659944B1Filter assembly and method for installing the filter assembly
Publication Date: 2018.08.15 HEINRICH MEIER EISENGIESSEREI
  • EP2659944B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2659944B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2659944B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

Filter arrangement for a road gully, comprises an up-flow filter unit (2) and a shaft body (3), in which the filter assembly is accommodated. The inflowing water before reaching the filter unit is collectable in a pre-chamber (10) of the shaft body, and an inlet (12) of the filter unit is associated with the pre-chamber. An independent claim is also included for installing the above mentioned filter arrangement, comprising introducing the filter arrangement into a road down-comer such that the inlet of the filter unit is located at the same height or lower than an upper end of a frost protection layer.