AU2004203586A1

AU2004203586A1 - An Outlet Fitting

Info

Publication number: AU2004203586A1
Application number: AU2004203586A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Rodney George Wade
Original assignee: RODNEY WADE
Current assignee: Rain Harvesting Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2004-08-05
Filing date: 2004-08-05
Publication date: 2006-02-23

Description

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AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT Rodney George Wade Rodney George Wade CULLEN CO Patent Trade Mark Attorneys, 239 George Street Brisbane Qld 4000 Australian An Outlet Fitting Name of Applicant: Actual Inventor: Address for Service: Invention Title: Details of Associated Provisional Applications The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it, known to us: AN OUTLET FITTING BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to an outlet fitting and in particular is concerned with an outlet fitting for water storage tanks. The invention will be described by way of example with reference to overflow outlets for water storage tanks. It should be appreciated that this description is by way of example only and that the outlet fitting of the invention may be used other than for overflow outlets for water storage tanks.

There are a number of problems with conventional overflow outlets for water storage tanks and also in the way in which they are installed. There are two main methods for installation which depend on the design of the storage tank. For a typical cylindrical walled tank, a hole is drilled in the side wall of the tank approximately 50 mm from the top of the tank and an appropriately sized 450 bend is inserted into the hole so that the outer end of the bend is hard up against the side wall of the tank. Silicone is then smeared around the fitting on the inside of the tank to form a seal to prevent the fitting from becoming dislodged.

One problem with this installation is that the flange on the exteriorally projecting female end of the fitting has only a one or two millimetre step and if the hole is not accurately drilled the fitting can end up inside the tank when any pressure is applied to it as for instance, when an overflow pipe or other attachment is being installed.

Another problem with the conventional installation is for "one piece" storage tank fitting is that it is time consuming and awkward as the installer must enter the tank by way of an access hole to apply the silicone seal. A still further problem is that for the majority of water storage tanks which are manufactured from polyethylene silicone does not adhere very well to the polyethylene and leakage will eventually occur around the fitting.

The other main method of installation is that which occurs in the place of manufacture rather than the place where the water storage tank is to be used. These are the so called "one piece" tanks. Here the outlets typically comprise a flat flanged fitting that -3is installed relative to the wall of the tank on the outside using screws or other fasteners. Such outlets protrude to such an extent that they impede the transportation of the tank and are often broken off or damaged during transport.

A further disadvantage of all such installations is that the maximum capacity of the storage tank cannot be utilised as no matter how close to the top of the side wall the outlet fitting is installed, there will also be a region equivalent to that occupied by the diameter of the outlet fitting, and the space under the domed top, which the water cannot occupy. This can be quite a significant volume. For instance, for a standard 20,000L tank having a 90mm outlet and a 120mm riser, the holding capacity which cannot be utilised amounts to approximately 1400L of water.

My earlier Australian patent 740793 proposed an overflow outlet which addressed the above problems. That overflow outlet consisted of a 90* bend having a male end and a female end where offset from the female end of the exterior circumference thereof a plurality of wedge shaped lugs were provided. The fitting also had an exterior circumferential flange between the lugs and the female end of the fitting. A region was defined between the lugs and the flange in which a wall of the storage tank could be captured when the fitting was inserted into an opening in the wall of the tank to allow the male end to locate within the tank.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an outlet fitting which at least minimises the disadvantages referred to above and which provides an alternative to the overflow outlet fitting the subject of my earlier Australian patent 740793.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to one aspect of the invention there is provided an outlet fitting having a female part consisting of a tubular body with a flange extending around and projecting outwardly of the body and at one end of the body and a male part consisting of a tubular body projecting into the female part and having a connector portion extending beyond the flange at the outer end of the body of the female part whereby the connector portion is adapted to receive an outlet component for directing water from a storage tank to which the outlet fitting may be attached.

It is preferred that an inner end of the tubular body of the female part be provided with a plurality of inwardly directed lugs for limiting the extent to which the male part may project into the tubular body of the female part. Preferably these lugs are located spaced circumferentially around the inner end of the tubular body of the female part.

In this way, if the male part is of a predetermined length and is inserted into the female part, a certain proportion of the predetermined length of the male part will always project beyond the flanged end of the female part of the outlet fitting.

In one embodiment, there are four lugs of the type mentioned above. It is particularly preferred that these lugs be frangible so that when the male part is inserted into the female part and a predetermined force is employed, the lugs may break off to allow the male part to project through and beyond the inner end of the female part of the outlet fitting should this prove necessary.

As mentioned above, an outlet component may be secured or mounted to the connector portion of the male part which projects beyond the flanged end of the female part of the outlet fitting. Any suitable or desired outlet component may be attached to the connector portion. For example, an extension tube or pipe may be mounted to the connector portion of the male part. In another alternative, an elbow which may form an overflow outlet from a tank to which the outlet fitting is attached may be mounted to the connector portion of the male part.

In another alternative, a vector proof flap valve may be mounted to the connector portion of the male part of the outlet fitting.

Where the male part extends beyond the inner end of the female part of the outlet fitting, that portion of the male part which extends beyond the inner end may be adapted to receive an elbow or bend with its inlet directed upwardly or alternatively with its outlet end directed downwardly. When such an elbow is fitted to the projecting end of the male part and is directed upwardly, this will assist in increasing the storage capacity of the tank to which the outlet fitting is attached. When the elbow is fitted to the projecting end of the male part and has its inlet directed downwardly, that outlet may be coupled to a pipe which may form part of a tank vacuum system of the type disclosed in Australian Patent 763562.

If desired, the male and female parts of the outlet fitting may be glued to one another using suitable adhesive.

The flange which extends around the outer end of the body of the female part may be provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced apertures for receiving fasteners which allow the flange to be securely attached to the periphery of an opening provided in a storage tank. If desired, a suitable sealant such as silicone may be placed between the flange and the periphery of the aperture in the storage tank prior to the positioning of fasteners through the apertures provided in the flange and prior to securely fastening the flange to the periphery of an aperture in the storage tank.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a sectional view of an outlet fitting according to an embodiment of the invention; and Figure 2 is a sectional view of an outlet fitting according to another embodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the drawings, in both of which like numerals refer to like parts.

The outlet fitting shown in Figure 1 has a female part 2 shown projecting through an aperture formed in a wall 1 of a storage tank. The female part has an outer end provided with a flange 9. Indicated generally at 10, the flange 9 may be provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced apertures for receiving fasteners to attach the female part to the periphery of the opening formed in the wall 1 of a tank. A suitable sealant may be placed at 11 between the flange and the periphery just mentioned. The inner end of the female part 2 is provided with a plurality of frangible lugs 12.

The outlet fitting has a male part 3 which, in Figure 1, is shown projecting into the -6female part 2. The lugs 12 limit the extent to which the male part may project into the female part and act as stops. That part of the male part 3 which projects beyond the flange 9 acts as a connector portion to which a component such as an elbow 4 may be mounted. The male part 3 may be adhered to the female part 2 by any suitable adhesive.

Figure 2 of the drawing shows another embodiment of the invention. In Figure 2, the outlet fitting has a female part 2 which has a flange 9 extending around an outer end thereof. In this embodiment, the male part 3 is longer than the male part illustrated in Figure 1. When the male part 3 of Figure 2 is inserted into.the female part 2 with commensurate force, the lugs 12 illustrated in Figure 1 are broken off and the male part 3 may then extend beyond the inner end of the female part 2 to provide a inner connector portion as well as an outer connector portion. In the embodiment of Figure 2, a vector proof flap valve 5 is shown mounted to the outer connector portion. An elbow 6 is shown mounted to the inner connector portion and the elbow 6 in turn is mounted to a suction tube 8. As an alternative to mounting an elbow 6 to the inner connector portion, and upwardly directed elbow 6a shown in broken outline may be mounted to the inner connector portion to provide extra water storage capacity 13.

The upwardly directed elbow 6a functions as an overflow outlet fitting to increase the capacity of water storage in the tank to which the outlet fitting is secured in much the same way as the fitting the subject of patent 740793.

It is important for storage tank manufacturers to fit tank overflow outlets at the factory prior to dispatch of the storage tank and standard external male fittings are usually damaged or broken off in transit. The outlet fitting of the invention allows the storage tank manufacturer to install and seal an overflow fitting in a tank without any part of it protruding out from the tank thus eliminating the possibility of breakage and guaranteeing the delivery of the storage tank with the manufacturer's guarantee that the overflow is sealed thus meeting government regulations.

Once the storage tank is positioned in situ it is then possible for the tank installer to position the male part 3 within the female part 2 to allow other outlet components to be attached in the manner discussed above.

-7- For sealed interconnection of one compartment to another such as in water treatment systems, the flanged female part 2 allows pipes connecting one cavity to another to be completely sealed by gluing the male part 3 into the female part 2 and fastening part 3 to a wall of the storage tank using fixing bolts or screws which extend through the flange 9 as indicated through by the numeral 10 at intervals around the flange. The flange 9 may be sealed to the wall by placing silicone between the surfaces at 11.

Claims

1. An outlet fitting having a female part consisting of a tubular body with a flange extending around and projecting outwardly of the body and at one end of the body and a male part consisting of a tubular body projecting into the female part and having a connector portion extending beyond the flange at the outer end of the body of the female part whereby the connector portion is adapted to receive an outlet component for directing water from a storage tank to which the outlet fitting may be attached.

2. The outlet fitting of claim 1 wherein an inner end of the tubular body of the female part has a plurality of inwardly directed lugs for limiting the extent to which the male part may project into the tubular body of the female part.

3. The outlet fitting of claim 2 wherein the lugs are circumferentially spaced around the inner end of the tubular body of the female part.

4. The outlet fitting of claim 2 or 3 wherein there are four said lugs.

5. The outlet fitting of claim 2, 3 or 4 wherein the lugs are frangible so that when the male part is inserted into the female part and a predetermined force is employed the lugs break off to allow the male part to project through and beyond the inner end of the female part.

6. The outlet fitting of claim 5 wherein the portion of the male part which projects beyond the inner end of the female part provides a connector portion to which an outlet component may be fitted.

7. The outlet fitting of claim 6 wherein an outlet component consisting of an elbow is coupled to the projecting inner portion of the male part.

8. The outlet fitting of claim 7 wherein the elbow has an inlet directed upwardly to increase storage capacity with the tank to which the outlet fitting is attached.

9. The outlet fitting of claim 7 wherein the elbow has an inlet directed downwardly to which a pipe is attached.

The outlet fitting of any one of claims 1 to 9 including an outlet component attached to the connector portion extending beyond the outer end of the female part.

11. The outlet fitting of claim 10 wherein the outlet component attached to the outer connector portion is an elbow.

12. The outlet fitting of claim 10 wherein the outlet component attached to the outer connector portion is a vector proof flap valve.

13. The outlet fitting of any one of claims 1 to 12 wherein the flange has a plurality of circumferentially spaced apertures for receiving fasteners for attaching the flange to the periphery of an aperture in a tank.

14. An outlet fitting substantially as herein described with reference to Figure 1 or 2 of the drawings. DATED this 5 th day of August 2004 Rodney George Wade By his Patent Attorneys CULLEN CO.