AU2003203506B2 - A filter - Google Patents

Description

P/00/0looo Regulation 3.2 COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT Name of Applicant: Actual Inventor(s): Address for Service: DAMIAN KOCH AHEARN FOX Patent Trade Mark Attorneys GPO Box 1149 Brisbane Queensland 4001 Invention Title: "A FILTER" The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me: -1- A Filter This invention relates to a filter.

This invention has particular, but not exclusive application, to a filter that is adapted to remove organic matter from water entering a stormwater drainage system, and wherein reference will be made to same. However, it will be appreciated that the invention, possibly with some modification, may be used in connection with other drainage systems and such like.

Most stormwater drainage systems include a gutter located either at the side or in the middle of a road or street. The gutter is channel like and includes an upstanding side wall and an inclined base wall that slopes downwardly in the general direction of said side wall. The gutter is adapted to collect water that has run off either an adjacent footpath or the surface of the aforesaid road or street, and to convey water contained therein into a drain inlet that is in fluid communication with one or more drain pipes located underground.

The drain inlet typically includes a downwardly inclined ramp that lies generally in the same plane as the base wall of the adjacent gutter, and a kerb section having an upstanding side wall that extends upwardly from said ramp and which lies generally in the same plane as the side wall of the adjacent gutter. The drain inlet further includes an -2elongate opening formed in the side wall, the elongate opening being bounded on one elongate side by the ramp.

Existing stormwater drainage systems are designed to remove water from roadways and to reduce the impact of flooding. They are not designed or equipped to remove gross pollutants from the stormwater passing there through. Storm water drains easily become obstructed and blocked by gross pollutants. In addition, it is estimated that 80% of hard rubbish recovered from our oceans and shorelines comes from land based sources that have been washed out to sea vie stormwater drainage systems.

In the past, organic material that fell on the ground in most instances was permitted to decompose and thereby return to the soil in the form of nutrients. However, due to changes to our environment brought about by increased urbanisation, a significant amount of organic matter, including urban leaf liter, twigs and lawn clippings, and inorganic matter now falls onto hard surfaces, such as paved areas, driveways and footpaths, and are subsequently washed into stormwater drainage systems. During the decomposition of organic matter in water, odours are created and oxygen is consumed. Furthermore, excess nutrients deposited in water bodies may contribute to the excessive growth of aquatic weeds and algae blooms, such as Cyanobacteria which is toxic to animals and humans. This in turn may contribute to a -3reduction in the clarity and the quality of the water.

Cigarette butts are rich in carcinogens and can last up to twenty years. Various plastics can take over a century to decompose. Turtles and fish easily mistake drifting garbage for food and ingest cigarette butts and plastic that can be become toxic or obstruct their digestive systems. Turtles can develop gasses that become trapped under their shells which in turn prevents them from diving deep for food. It has also been observed that some marine life and birds have in the past become entangled in litter thereby restricting their ability to breath and to feed, and often resulting in death.

By stopping pollutants from entering the drainage system, it is believed that we can alleviate many of the problems referred to above.

In this regard, some drain inlets include a grate that covers an opening formed in the ramp. The grate typically includes a plurality of openings which, though small enough so as to prevent the passage there through of aluminium drink containers and the like, are too large to prevent leaves, twigs and cigarette butts from entering the drainage system.

It has also been observed that during a heavy down pour the grate will not necessarily prevent large objects, including aluminium drink containers, from being swept over any upstanding flanges associated with said grate and into -4the opening formed in the side wall.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a filter that ameliorates at least some of the deficiencies of the prior art referred to above.

With the foregoing in view, this invention relates to a filter that is adapted to remove foreign objects from fluids entering a drain inlet of the type that includes a downwardly inclined ramp which may incorporate a grate, and a kerb section having an upstanding side wall that extends upwardly from said ramp, and an elongate opening formed in the side wall, the elongate opening being bounded on one elongate side by said ramp, said filter including: a mounting portion for mounting the filter to the ramp and/or grate, and a filter wall in which there is formed one or more apertures, said filter wall extending upwardly from said mounting and being adapted to at least partially close the opening formed in the side wall, the size of each aperture being small enough so as to inhibit the passage there through of selected foreign objects.

The filter may be constructed from a variety of materials, including various metal and/or plastics materials.

In one embodiment, the mounting and the filter wall may be integrally formed. For example, the mounting and filter wall may be constructed from a single piece of sheet metal, such as a sheet of stainless steel, and may be bent into the required shape using a press or similar piece of equipment.

Alternatively, the mounting and filter wall may be cast, or if made from a plastics material, they may be formed using either a vacuum forming process or an injection forming process.

In an alternative embodiment, the mounting may be attached to the filter wall either by one or more fasteners, or by welding the mounting to the filter wall.

The mounting may include a flange that extends outwardly from a base or a lower portion of the filter wall, and wherein said flange may extend along much, if not all, of said base. Alternatively, the mounting may include a plurality of flanges that extend outwardly from the base and which are spaced along the base.

The flange or flanges may be of open or closed construction. For example, each flange may include one or more openings formed therein and wherein use, the openings may communicate with openings formed in a grate that lies below the mounting.

Each flange may also include a mounting aperture through which a fastener used to connect the flange to the ramp and/or grate may extend. Alternatively, each flange may include at least one dependent projections that may be cast -6into the ramp during construction of the ramp or fastened to part of the grate. It will also be appreciated that a suitable adhesive may be used to secure the mounting to the ramp.

The filter may be constructed from a mesh like material or a perforated material.

The filter wall in use may extend upwardly from the mounting, and thus a top surface of the ramp, at substantially a right angle, or may be inclined either forwardly or rearwardly thereto. Preferably, the filter wall forms an acute angle with the mounting, and thus the ramp, and may further lie in a plane containing the side wall of the kerb section.

The filter wall in use may cover all, or only a selected portion of the opening in the drain inlet.

Preferably, the height of the filter wall above the ramp is such that the filter wall covers a substantial portion of the opening in the drain inlet.

The filter wall may also include a lip that extends outwardly from a top edge of said filter wall in a direction away from the interior of the drain inlet, the lip being adapted to obstruct the flow of foreign objects over the top edge of the filter wall.

The lip may be integral with or attached to the filter wall, and like the filter wall, the lip may be constructed -7from a mesh like or perforated material. Further, the lip may extend along all, or only part, of the top edge of the filter wall.

It will be appreciated that the size and/or the shape of the aperture or apertures formed in the mounting, the filter wall, and the lip will depend upon the characteristics, including size and/or shape, of the foreign articles said openings are intended obstruct.

In another aspect, this invention relates to a drain, said drain including: a drain inlet of the type that includes a downwardly inclined ramp which may incorporate a grate, and a kerb section having an upstanding side wall that extends upwardly from said ramp, and an elongate opening formed in the side wall, said elongate opening being bounded on one elongate side by said ramp, and a filter including a mounting portion for mounting said filter to said ramp and/or grate, and a filter wall in which there is formed one or more apertures, said filter wall extending upwardly from said mounting and being adapted to at least partially close said opening formed in said side wall, the size of each aperture being small enough so as to inhibit the passage there through of selected foreign objects.

In order that this invention may be more easily understood and put into practical effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure 1 is a pictorial view from the front of a filter constructed in accordance with the present invention, and Figure 2 is a side cross-sectional view of the filter illustrated in figure 1.

Figures 1 and 2 show a filter 10 that is mounted to a drain inlet 11. The drain inlet 11 includes a downwardly inclined ramp 12 which may incorporate a grate, not shown, and a kerb section 13 having an upstanding side wall 14 that extends upwardly from said ramp. The drain inlet 11 also includes an elongate opening 15 formed in the side wall 14, the elongate opening 15 being bounded on one elongate side by a top surface 16 of the ramp The filter 10 is constructed from a single piece of perforated galvanised steel that is bent in to the required shape, thus alleviating the need for any welding.

The filter 10 includes a mounting portion for mounting the filter to the ramp 12 and/or grate, including a flange 17 that extends along the length of the filter. The flange 17 is secured to the ramp 12 by a plurality of threaded fasteners 18.

The filter 10 also includes an upstanding side wall or filter wall 19 having a top edge 20, and a lip 21 that extends outwardly from the top edge 20 in an upward direction away from the interior of the drain inlet. The filter wall 19 covers only about half of the opening In use, foreign objects, such as leaves, twigs and cigarette buts, that are swept by water along a gutter, not shown, and across the adjacent ramp 12, are prevented from passing with the water through the apertures formed in the filter wall 19 by the size of said apertures.

In cases where the flow of water is considerable, such as may occur during a heavy downpour, foreign objects impinged against the filter wall 19 are prevented from flowing over the top of said filter wall by the perforated lip 21.

It will be appreciated that the filter may be adapted to compliment the shape of adjacent gutters and that foreign matter lying on the filter wall and/or the mounting portion may be easily removed by rotating brushes of a passing street sweeping machine.

It will be appreciated that the above example has been given as an illustration only of the present invention and that all such modifications and variations thereto as would be apparent to persons skilled in the art are deemed to fall within the broad scope and ambit of this invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims (28)

1. A filter that is adapted to remove foreign objects from fluids entering a drain inlet of the type that includes a downwardly inclined ramp which may incorporate a grate, and a kerb section having an upstanding side wall that extends upwardly from said ramp, and an elongate opening formed in the side wall, the elongate opening being bounded on one side by said ramp, said filter including: a mounting portion for mounting the filter to the ramp and/or grate, and a filter wall in which there is formed one or more apertures, said filter wall extending upwardly from said mounting and being adapted to at least partially close the opening formed in the side wall, the size of each aperture being small enough so as to inhibit the passage there through of selected foreign objects.

2. A filter as claimed in claim 1, wherein said filter wall extends upwardly from a top surface of said mounting at substantially a right angle.

A filter as claimed in claim 1, wherein said filter -11- wall extends upwardly from a top surface of said mounting at an acute angle.

4. A filter as claimed in anyone of the preceding claims, wherein the height that said filter wall extends upwardly from said mounting is such that said filter wall covers a substantial portion of the opening in the drain inlet.

A filter as claimed in claim 4, wherein said filter wall covers substantially a lower half of the opening in the drain inlet.

6. A filter as claimed in anyone of the preceding claims, wherein said mounting includes a flange that extends outwardly from a base portion of said filter wall.

7. A filter as claimed in claim 6, wherein said flange extends along much, if not all, of said base portion.

8. A filter as claimed in claim 5 or 6, wherein said flange is of open construction and includes at least one aperture formed therein. -12-

9. A filter as claimed in anyone of claims 5 to 7, wherein said flange includes a mounting aperture formed therein through which a fastener adapted to engage the drain inlet may in use extend.

10. A filter as claimed in anyone of the preceding claims, wherein said filter further includes a lip that extends outwardly from a top edge of said filter wall in a general direction away from an interior of' the drain inlet.

11. A filter as claimed in claim 10, wherein said lip includes at least one aperture formed therein.

12. A filter as claimed in claim 10 or 11, wherein said lip extends along at least part of said top edge of said filter wall.

13. A filter as claimed in claim 12, wherein said filter wall, mounting and lip are constructed from a perforated sheet of metal.

14. A drain, said drain including: a drain inlet of the type that includes a downwardly inclined ramp which may incorporate a grate, -13- and a kerb section having an upstanding side wall that extends upwardly from said ramp, and an elongate opening formed in the side wall, said elongate opening being bounded on one elongate side by said ramp, and a filter including a mounting portion for mounting S said filter to said ramp and/or grate, and a filter wall in which there is formed on or more apertures, said filter wall extending upwardly from said mounting and being adapted to at least partially close said opening formed in said side wall, the size of each aperture being small enough so as to inhibit the passage there through of selected foreign objects.

A drain as claimed in claim 14, wherein said filter wall extends upwardly from a top surface of said ramp at substantially a right angle.

16. A drain as claimed in claim 15, wherein said filter wall extends upwardly from a top surface of said ramp at an acute angle.

17. A drain as claimed in anyone of claims 14 to 16, wherein the height that said filter wall extends upwardly from said ramp is such that said filter wall covers a substantial portion of said opening in said -14- drain inlet.

18. A drain as claimed in claim 17, wherein said filter wall covers substantially a lower half of said opening in said drain inlet.

19. A drain as claimed in anyone of claims 14 to 18, wherein said mounting includes a flange that extends outwardly from a base portion of said filter wall.

20. A drain as claimed in claim 19, wherein said flange extends along much, if not all, of said base portion.

21. A drain as claimed in claim 19 or 20, wherein said flange is of open construction and includes at least one aperture formed therein.

22. A drain as claimed in anyone of claims 19 o 21, wherein said flange includes a mounting aperture formed therein through which a fastener adapted to engage said ramp or said grate may in use extend.

23. A drain as claimed in anyone of claims 14 to 22, wherein said filter further includes a lip that extends outwardly from a top edge of said filter wall in a general direction away from an interior of said drain inlet.

24. A drain as claimed in claim 23, wherein said lip includes at least one aperture formed therein.

A drain as claimed in claim 23 or 24, wherein said lip extends along at least part of said top edge of said filter wall.

26. A drain as claimed in claim 25, wherein said filter wall, mounting and lip are constructed from a perforated sheet of metal.

27. A filter substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

28. A drain substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Dated this 4th Day of April 2003 Damian Koch By his Patent Attorney AHEARN FOX