AU624277B2

AU624277B2 - A rainwater filter container

Info

Publication number: AU624277B2
Application number: AU65958/90A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Wayne Hinkley; Jens Schroeder
Original assignee: Essenhaven Pty Ltd
Current assignee: Essenhaven Pty Ltd
Priority date: 1989-11-10
Filing date: 1990-11-09
Publication date: 1992-06-04
Anticipated expiration: 2010-11-09
Also published as: AU6595890A

Description

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Name of Applicants Address of Applic 4* e Actual Inventors: Address for Servic 4 9*

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CC Cr" t v2 27 COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA The Patents Act 1952-1969 WAYNE HINKLEY and JENS SCHROEDER ints: 32 PINECAMP ROAD,

BEERWAH,

QUEENSLAND 4519 29 PINECAMP ROAD,

BEERWAH,

QUEENSLAND 4519 WAYNE HINKLEY and JENS SCHROEDER ce: CULLEN CO., Patent Trade Mark Attorneys, 240 Queen Street, Brisbane, Qld. 4000, Australia.

c t C c C cCc COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR'THE INVENTION ENTITLED: .^f^y A RAINWATER FILTER CONTAINER The following statement is a full description of the invention including the best method of performing it known to us: 9 99 po.

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Vr 9 90 *g 9 r 9 99 25 THIS INVENTION relates to a rainwater filter container and more particularly to a container for dividing rainwater from a catchment area into a polluted volume for disposal and a comparatively unpolluted volume for storage.

In areas where rainwater is collected for drinking purposes and stored in storage tanks it is typical for the roof of a tailding to be employed as the catchment area for collecting the rain water. The roof of the building can become contaminated in a variety of ways. For example, airborne pollutants may precipi.tate onto the roof and animal droppings such as bird droppings or the like may be deposited onto the roof or the guttering. In addition, leaves or other vegetable material may be deposited onto the roof or guttering from adjacent trees. It is desirable to separate the pollutants from the rainwater such that they are not caused to enter the storage tank employed for collecting the rainwater.

It has become the practice to provide for a rather simple mesh filter or leaf trap to be interposed between the storage tank and the water collected from the roof which is ultimately passed to the storage tank. Such filters were only adequate to pr:event large particles from finding their way into the storage tank along with rainwater collected from the roof.

Earlier Australian Patent Specification 516892 discloses an inlet cleaner for separating some of the contaminants from rainwater collected from a roof before the :a :lli 1~ ii8 -li k.

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water is directed to a storage tank. The device, the subject of this specification, consisted of a tank for introducing water collected from a roof to the bottom of the tank and had a plurality of baffles arranged within the tank for causing the water to follow a circuitous path before exiting from an outlet and into the storage tank. The device was provided with a plug at a lower location therein which could be periodically opened to enable sediment and the like to be hosed out of the device. While this device did provide some 0, measure of filtration it did not separate an initial volume of water from the water ultimately allowed to flow into the storage tank. It is well known th .t the ini'tial flow of .oo water collected from a catchment area such as the roof of a building is particularly contaminated with pollutants because .5 it is that initial flow which cleanses the roof of pollutants. This earlier device, although it was effective in some degree in separating sediments from the water before ,ci the water passed into the storage tank, was not effective in preventing the initial polluted flow of water from entering a The arrangement of Australian Patent Specification 68557/81 in many respects is similar to the device the subject of Patent 516892. The arrangement of Specification 68557/81 consisted of a tank having a floor with a door which i5 could be opened for facilitating cleaning of the tank. The tank had an opening or inlet at one location near the top thereof and an outlet at another location at the top thereof "'ti 1 4 with two partitions between the inlet and outlet such that the water entering the tank could not directly exit through the outlet but would first need to progress to the bottom of the tank. In this way, the device provided for some degree of settling of contaminants in the water and the sediment thus produced could be periodically removed by opening the door in the floor of the container and periodically hosing out the container. Once again, this device did not provide for the separation of the initial flow of contaminated water r from the rainwater collected after that.

Doe Australian Patent Specification 581211 discloses an ~earlier attempt at a device for dividing rainwater from a 0 a.

'a roof catchment area into a polluted portion and a comparatively unpolluted portion. This earlier device consisted of a cylindrical body having an inlet at one end *ar.

and a drain orifice at the other end. Two outlets were c normally in communication with the inlet and a partition divided the lower part of the cylindrical chamber from the upper part into which the two outlets projected. The lower oq chamber acted as a float chamber for operating a float valve.

D The partition was provided with a passage and a breather tube outlet. The operation of the device was such that the C initial flow of water which cleaned the roof catchment area of pollutants was split into two paths. One path enabled the float chamber to fill with water and the other path enabled some of the initial flow of water to exit from a first outlet and be drained away as waste. If the rain was Si 1,1 I i sufficiently heavy the float chamber would fill and the float valve would operate to prevent further water from entering the float chamber and from exiting from the first outlet and the water which then entered the device would exit from the second outlet and into the storage tank. As the float chamber was provided with a drainage orifice which progressively bleed water from the float chamber, the float valve would oscillate between its two positions and thus, as oo water was bleed from the float chamber the float valve would Poo open, water would then no longer flow through the second outlet and into the storage tank but would be split between a' the first outlet and the passage into the float chamber and thus the float valve would once again be operated provided the rain continued. With such an arrangement, the initial flow of polluted water would not find its way into the ooa storage tank and would either flow out the first outlet or accumulate in the float chamber and be bled away. However, the very nature of this arrangement meant that once the initial polluted flow of water had been diverted the float Q valve would oscillate and unpolluted water would ]r caused to e o exit through the first outlet or the drainage orifice rather than flow into the storage tank through the second outlet.

Thus, with such an arrangement there was an extreme waste of the unpolluted volume of water after the initial polluted flow of water had been diverted.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a filter container which at least minimises the disadvantages

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6 referred to above.

According to one aspect, the present invention provides a filter container for separating an initial flow of polluted water collected from a catchment area from a subsequent flow of unpolluted water collected from the catchment area, the container including a partition dividing the container into an upper and a lower chamber, said partition having an aperture defining a valve seat, an inlet into the upper chamber through which water collected by the catchment area may enter the container, a level sensitive valve with a float member movable from a position below the valve seat into engagement with the valve seat, a bleed valve for bleeding water from the lower chamber and an outlet in the upper chamber and from which water collected in the container may exit, in use, the initial flow of water collected from the catchment area accumulates in the lower chamber and operates the level sensitive valve once a predetermined level is achieved in the lower chamber to thereby enable further water collected in the container to collect in the upper chamber and exit through the outlet.

An upstanding baffle may be present in the upper chamber for shielding the outlet and ensuring that water presented to the outlet is not unduly agitated. The baffle may be an upstanding tube extending from the partition and having one or more apertures adjacent the partition through which water may enter the tube. The outlet is in communication with the interior of the baffle tube.

<11 7 Preferably the baffle tube has a closed upper end. The baffle tube may have any suitable transverse cross section but preferably is circular.

It is preferred that the inlet be provided with a filter such that large particulate material may be prevented from entering through the inlet with the water collected from the catchment area. A mesh filter may be employed for this reason. It is preferred that the filter consist of a domed Ii fine gauge aluminum mesh. The mesh filter is preferably self clearing of particulate material.

rCe tct ~The container may include a baffle located adjacent ei the inlet for directing the flow of water through the inlet and onto the interior wall or walls of the container. In this way, the water which enters the container is directed away from the location where the outlet enables water to exit from the upper chamber of the container. The baffle also t S functions to redirect light and to some degree inhibit the entry of light into the container and hence minimises algae growth. The baffle also reduces agitation. The baffle facilitates settling of solids and enables them to be more 4.

readily drawn into the lower chamber. It is preferred that the baffle be of a pyramidal shape. In one embodiment, the baffle is conical in shape and is located closely adjacent the inlet.

S 25 The container may have any suitable cross sectional shape. For example, the container may be square, rectangular, oval or circular in shape. It is preferred that

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8 the container be of a substantially oval transverse cross section.

The bottom wall of the container may be dished or contoured to ensure that water and sediments which collect there are directed towards the bleed valve. Where the bypass valve is centrally located in the bottom wall it is preferred that the bottom wall be curved or dished in a uniform fashion. Alternatively, the bottom wall may simply be planar.

CT t The partition, as mentioned above, divides the t" 'o container into an upper and a lower chamber. It is not S, necessary for these chambers to be of equal volume. Thus, tt the partition need not be at a location midway along the height of container although this is preferred. The partition may either be a planar member or may be contoured.

~It is preferred that the partition extend substantially at right angles to the side walls of the container although this ,,is not essential. Those regions of the partition adjacent the side wall or walls of the container may be curved and gradually merge into the side wall or walls. In this way, there is little tendency for sediment and other contaminants to collect at the junction between the partition and the side walls. Preferably, the entire partition is dished such that, when viewed from above, it is substantially concave.

The valve seat need not be centrally located relative to the partition although this is preferred. The valve seat may have a shape or profile which conforms to the p 9 valve member which is adapted to seat against it to close off one chamber from the other.

The level sensitive valve includes a float member.

The valve preferably includes a guide member for guiding the float member between a position in engagement with the valve seat and a position out of engagement with the valve seat. The guide member may for example be a guide tube.

Where the float member is a spherical float member, it is preferred that the guide member be a tube having a substantially circular transverse cross section. The guide member is constructed to enable water which enters the lower chamber to enter into the guide member. To achieve this, the guide member may have one or more apertures or be imperforate.

Preferably, where the guide member is a tube, it may terminate short of the bottom wall of the container and water may enter the tube at this region.

The bleed valve may be a bypass valve which enables water to be constantly bled from the lower chamber. It is preferred that the bleed valve be a staged bypass valve. A ball valve may be used for this purpose. The valve may be adjustable such that either little or no water is diverted to the storage tank or such that a relatively small volume of water is collected in the lower chamber before water is diverted to the storage tank. Preferably the valve functions such that approximately twelve gallons of water is collected in the lower chamber before the valve isolates the two on 2/ 10 chambers.

[I In operation, when the container is empty of water 1 the valve member is unseated from the valve seat. When rain commences an initial flow of water from the roof catchment area is collected and caused to enter the container through Ii the inlet. The baffle directs this flow of water towards the side walls of the container and this water passes through the aperture provided by the valve seat in the partition and collects in the lower chamber. This initial flow of water is .11r. generally speaking contaminated or polluted water which is to i e*o not required and not directed to the storage tank which is N ,i o coupled to the outlet. This water which collects in the 6 'lower chamber slowly escapes through the bleed valve and provided the volume of water which enters the container is greater than the volume which exits through the bleed valve the valve member will be caused to rise. Should the rain onto the roof catchment area continue or be of a sufficient strength the valveomember ultimately comes into engagement with and seals against the valve seat. Further water which 20 enters the container then causes the upper chamber to fill.

Once the upper chamber has filled to a sufficient degree water may exit from the container through the outlet and to the storage tank.

Obviously, as water is continuously bled from the lower chamber by the bleed valve the valve member will tend to continuously seat and unseat as rain continues and the flow of water through the outlet is suitably modulated.

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11 Should the rain stop or reduce sufficiently in strength then at some stage the float member will unseat and flow from the outlet will discontinue. The lower chamber will ultimately From this it will be clear that the water withdrawn from the chamber, generally speaking, when a steady state condition has been reached, will always be withdrawn from below the level of the water within the upper chamber and a thus solids which float will not be directed from th, 4O container into the storage tank. In addition, because the 0000 D. substantially contaminated or polluted water arising from the ap a a S8 initial flow of rain is contained within the lower chamber oi and the baffle serves to ensure that the water within the upper chamber is not unduly agitated, the polluted water is effectively prevented from exiting from the outlet and into 4eeO :the storage tank.

r e o The lower chamber is substantially self cleaning.

As the water in that chamber is bled therefrom sediments are

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also removed. Any sediment which is likely to remain will be o 0 Q ~flushed out the next time rainwater enters the container.

o A particular preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the <o ~drawing in which the sole figure is a broken away perspective view of a filter container according to the invention.

With reference to the drawing, the container 10 has a domed fine gauge aluminum screen 11 which acts as a filter placed over the inlet 12 into the container 10. Immediately Iva r 12 adjacent the inlet a baffle 14 is located to ensure that water which enters through the inlet 12 is directed towards the interior walls of the container and away from the upstanding central tube 15. A partition 16 divides the interior of the container into an upper and a lower chamber 17 and 18 respectively. The partition has an opening 19 defining a valve seat. The partition 16 may be contoured where it merges with side walls of the container (not shown).

The tube 15 has scalloped apertures 21 around its lower periphery to enable water which enters the upper chamber 17 to also flow into the tube t t t A guide tube 22 ext, 's downwardly from the t 9' t partition 16 and either terminates short of the bottom wall 23 of the container or alternatively the guide tube 22 is provided with similar scalloped apertures 24 to that provided at the lower end of the tube 15. In this way, water which enters the lower chamber 18 may progressively fill the lower chamber and also fill the tube 22.

ct A floating valve member 25 is guided for movement Q into and out of seating engagement with the valve seat 19 by the guide tube and is a loose fit within tube. When tha water level within the lower chamber is at a sufficient height, the floating valve member 25 is brought into engagement with the valve seat 19 in the partition 16. When this occurs, further water entering the container is ,prevented from passing through to the lower chamber and the water which enters the container accumulates in the upper -r c6 t'1 i i'

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t :;e c ct e r r IL1 h 1 fl 13 chamber 17.

A bypass valve 26 is located in the bottom w-ll 23 of the container 10 and this valve ensures that a quantity of water is continuously bled from the lower chamber of the container.

Outlet 27 extends into the tube 15 and that tube may either have an open or a closed top. The outlet 27 is elbow shaped and has a pick-up ojcation at 28 which would _r normally be below the level of water within the upper chamber when rain is of a sufficient strength.

t From the operation of the filter container as S described above it will be evident that the container is substantially self uleaning although it may be periodically rinsed out if desired. The container effectively separates an initial volume of polluted water from an unpolluted volume and enables the unpolluted volume to be trarsferred to a storage tank with minimum or no mixing with the polluted volume of water which collects in the lower chamber.

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Claims

1. A filter container for separating an initial flow of polluted water from a catchment area from a subsequent flow of unpolluted water collected from the catchment area, the container including a partition dividing the container into an upper and a lower chamber, said partitien having an aperture defining a valve seat, an inlet into the upper chamber through which water collected by the catchment area may enter the container, a level sensitive valve with a float member movable from a position below the valve seat and into engagement with the valve seat, a bleed valve for bleeding water from the lower chamber and an outlet in the upper chamber and from which water collected in the container may exit, in use, the initial flow of water collected from the catchment area accumulates in the lower chamber and operates the level sensitive valve once a predetermined level is 0 achieved in the lower chamber to thereby enable further water 0o. collected in the container to collect in the upper chamber and exit through the outlet.

2. The container of Claim 1 including a baffle associated with the outlet ensuring that the water presented to the outlet is not unduly agitated.

3. The container of Claim 2 wherein the baffle comprises an upstanding tube extending from the partition and having at least one aperture through which water may enter the i tube.

4. The container of Claim 3 wherein the outlet i communicates with the interior of the baffle tube.

The container of any one of Claims 1 to 4 including an inlet filter associated with the inlet.

6. The container of Claim 5 wherein the inlet filter is a mesh filter of domed shape extending over the inlet.

7. The container of any one of Claims 1 to 6 including an inlet baffle inside the container and adjacent the inlet.

8. The container of Claim 7 wherein the inlet baffle is substantially conical in shape.

9. The container of any one of Claims 1 to 8 having a dished bottom wall for directing water and sediments towards the bleed valve.

The container of any one of Claims 1 to 9 wherein the partition divides the container into said upper and said lower chambers of equal volume.

11. The container of any one of Claims 1 to 10 wherein S the valve seat is provided by an aperture in the partition. S

12. The container of any one of Claims 1 to 11 wherein said float member is located within a guide member for guiding the movement of the float member.

13. The container of any one of Claims 1 to 12 wherein the bleed valve is a by-pass valve.

14. The container of Claim 13 wherein the by-pass valve is a staged by-pass valve.

15. The container of any one of Claims 1 to 14 wherein the bleed valve is located in a bleed passage extending from the lower chamber. __li.LII ._il ~iiY-l_. i-iii-i; I i i i 1Y 16

16. A container substantially as herein described with ireference to the drawings. DATED this 19 day of March, 1992. WAYNE HINKLEY and JENS SCHROEDER By their Patent Attorneys G.R. CULLEN CO. It il I I