Sliding Strainer Basket for Drain Waste Interceptor
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing solid waste interceptors for drains, such as grease traps, are inadequate in managing high organic loads from food waste and grease, leading to anaerobic conditions, foul odors, and infrastructure damage, with current solutions like strainers becoming clogged or requiring messy maintenance.
Innovation Solution
A solid waste interceptor with a tank and sliding strainer basket system that allows for easy collection and removal of solid waste without spillage, incorporating a waste water distribution manifold to manage flow rates and a sump with a gulley for efficient drainage, designed to intercept and trap solid waste before it enters the drainage system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If strainers are used to collect solid waste, then solid waste removal is achieved, but the strainers rapidly become clogged and require frequent maintenance
Solution Approach 1:
The interceptor divides the waste collection system into separate functional zones: a strainer basket for solid waste interception, a sump for liquid waste collection, and a grease trap for fat separation. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function efficiently without interfering with others, reducing clogging and maintenance issues.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the strainer basket as a removable component that can be easily taken out from the interceptor body. This allows operators to remove and clean the strainer basket separately without draining the entire system or dealing with messy waste water, significantly improving maintenance ease.
2Reliability
If grease traps are used to collect food waste and grease, then FOG separation is achieved, but anaerobic conditions develop causing foul odors and infrastructure damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary aeration system that supplies oxygen to the waste water in the sump. This aeration prevents anaerobic conditions by maintaining dissolved oxygen levels, thereby eliminating foul odors and preventing the harmful effects of anaerobic decomposition while still allowing effective FOG separation to occur.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the chemical parameter of dissolved oxygen concentration in the waste water by introducing aeration. This parameter change transforms the environment from anaerobic to aerobic, preventing foul odor generation and infrastructure damage while maintaining the grease trapping function.
3Productivity
If large capacity strainer devices are installed downstream of sinks, then filtration capacity is improved, but effluent overflows during high flow rates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent adds a vertical dimension to the waste management system by creating a multi-level structure: the strainer basket at the top level for solid waste, the sump in the middle for liquid collection, and the grease trap at the bottom for fat separation. This dimensional arrangement allows efficient handling of high flow rates by distributing waste processing across different levels and pathways.
Solution Approach 2:
The system segments the waste flow into different streams: solids are intercepted by the strainer, liquids collect in the sump and drain through the gulley, and grease separates in the trap. This segmentation allows each stream to be managed independently, preventing overflow even during high flow conditions.
4Ease of operation
If removable basket trays are provided for waste collection, then waste removal access is improved, but waste water spillage occurs during basket removal
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the strainer basket as a separate, removable component that can be taken out independently from the main interceptor body. The basket is designed to be removed through a dedicated opening without needing to drain the sump or disturb the waste water, eliminating spillage during maintenance operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The strainer basket is designed as a simple, easily replaceable component that can be quickly removed and cleaned. Its simple construction and easy removability make it suitable for frequent maintenance without complex procedures or risk of spillage, effectively treating it as a consumable maintenance component.
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 solution effectively reduces Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), and Suspended Solids (SS) levels, preventing anaerobic conditions and infrastructure damage, while allowing for easy maintenance without spillage, and accommodating higher flow rates from multiple kitchen sources.
Implementation Method 1
a waste interceptor adapted to be located upstream of a grease trap, the waste interceptor incorporating a strainer adapted to intercept solid material from waste water flowing into the grease trap
Implementation Method 2
a waste water distribution manifold mounted within an upper region of the tank, communicating with the waste water inlet of the tank, the manifold having a plurality of laterally spaced outlets for distributing waste water evenly across the width of the strainer basket
Implementation Method 3
the sump incorporating a central gulley at the lowermost point of the base wall, extending parallel to the side walls of the tank and terminating in a drain outlet at a rear of the tank
Implementation Method 4
a sliding tray mechanism in the form of a drawer mounted for sliding movement within the tank between a closed position, wherein the tray is located within the tank, and an open position, wherein the tray extends from the tank to provide access to the strainer basket
Data Source
AI summary
A solid waste interceptor for a drain includes a tank for collecting waste water therein, the tank having a waste water inlet and a waste water outlet, a tray housing a strainer basket being slidably mounted within the tank, in the manner of a drawer, to be moved between a closed position in which the strainer basket receives waste water from the waste water inlet, and an open position in which the tray extends from the tank to provide access to the strainer basket to facilitate emptying of collected solid waste therefrom. The tray is provided with a drain outlet for delivering waste water passing through the strainer basket into a sump of the tank, and the drain outlet spigot is adapted to abut a front wall of the tank when the tray is in its open position to delimit the open position of the tray.