Remote Air Gap Assembly With Check Valve for Plumbing Backflow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing plumbing fixtures face challenges in preventing fluid backflow, particularly the mixing of wastewater or gray water with potable water, which poses safety and health risks.
Innovation Solution
An air gap assembly with a check valve and weep hole configuration that allows unidirectional fluid flow, preventing backflow by routing contaminated water through a weep hole or blocking it when backpressure occurs, thus isolating clean water sources.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a check valve with air gap is installed to prevent backflow, then backflow prevention is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the air gap functionality from the traditional faucet body and places it in a separate, dedicated air gap assembly that can be installed remotely. This allows the faucet design to be simplified while maintaining backflow prevention, as the air gap assembly handles the complex air gap requirements independently.
Solution Approach 2:
The backflow prevention system is segmented into separate functional components: the check valve assembly, the air gap assembly, and the faucet body. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently and facilitates easier installation and maintenance while reducing overall system complexity.
2Reliability
If traditional air gap devices are installed upstream of the drain, then backflow prevention is improved, but fixture design flexibility is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a horizontal air gap configuration (upstream of the drain) to a vertical air gap configuration (below the sink surface). This dimensional change allows the air gap to be positioned in the vertical space beneath the sink, providing design flexibility and allowing sleeker fixture aesthetics while maintaining backflow prevention.
Solution Approach 2:
The air gap assembly acts as an intermediary component between the drain line and the sink basin. It provides the necessary air gap for backflow prevention while serving as a mediator that allows for flexible fixture design, as it can be installed in the vertical space below the sink without interfering with the faucet or sink basin design.
3Reliability
If a check valve is used to allow unidirectional flow, then backflow prevention is improved, but ease of maintenance is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The check valve is extracted from the faucet body and placed in a separate, accessible air gap assembly. This allows the check valve to be easily accessed, removed, and replaced without disassembling the entire faucet or sink installation, significantly improving maintenance ease while maintaining backflow prevention functionality.
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
Effectively prevents backflow and contamination by ensuring unidirectional fluid flow, allowing for sleeker fixture designs, reduced manufacturing costs, and easier maintenance, while maintaining aesthetic appeal and functionality.
Implementation Method 1
a check valve positioned in the outlet. The check valve may be shiftable between a first position such that an exit of the outlet and the housing cavity are in fluid communication, and a second position such that the exit of the outlet and the housing cavity are not in fluid communication
Implementation Method 2
a weep hole extending from the outlet and in fluid communication with the outlet cavity. When the check valve is in the second position, fluid may be routed through the weep hole
Implementation Method 3
An air gap device may be installed upstream of a drain and may prevent backflow by utilizing the pressure differential between the unpressurized air gap and the pressurized fluid flowing through a hose leading to the sink drain
Data Source
AI summary
A fluid backflow prevention system for use with common household plumbing fixtures. A remote air gap assembly may be installed in a new or existing plumbing system to prevent fluid backflow and subsequent contamination. The remote air gap assembly includes an air gap housing, with an inlet, an outlet, a weep hole, a check valve, and an outlet cap. In an exemplary use, such a remote air gap assembly may operate in conjunction with a filtration faucet and may be installed under a counter, for example.