DE29624315U1 - Drainage trap with horizontal flow containing oil sealant - Google Patents

Abstract

An order trap apparatus is provided for conveying wastewater to an external drain. The order trap comprises a liquid container 14 having an entry opening 16d. A baffle 16a, 16b device the container into an entry compartment and a disc charge compartment. A portion to the liquid sealant 20 is located in the entry compartment and forms a sealant layer floating on the top of the wastewater. A passage point is defined by the baffle, such that liquid sealant 20 drawn beneath the sealant layer is buoyed upwards and can rise back to the sealant layer. The baffle comprises one or more non-vertical segment 16b and the link of a liquid flow path along the baffle is sufficient that a substantial portion of liquid sealant rises back to the sealant layer. <IMAGE>

Description

Version of the description and claims to be registered

OIL SEALANT PRESERVING DRAIN ODOR TRAPS WITH

. ■ ' - ■ ■ ■■&mdash; ■ &mdash;

HORIZONTAL FLOW

The present invention application is a continuation-in-part of both U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 08/548,2581, filed October 25, 1995, and PCT Application No. PCT/US95/16064, filed December 11, 1995, both entitled: Horizontal Flow Oil Sealant Retaining Drain Trap

Technical area

The present invention relates to sealed traps for waterless urinals, anti-evaporation floor drain traps and the like, and is particularly concerned with improvements in the internal construction of oil-sealed traps to extend sealant retention and protect it against high pressure water flushing.

Background of the invention

With increasing emphasis on water conservation, there is renewed interest in toilets and urinals designed to minimize the amount of water used during the flushing process, 'to reduce excessive demands on water supply and sewage disposal systems, both of which tend to become overloaded as the population increases.'

Hygiene regulations require urinals to be provided with a trap to contain gases and odours that develop in the drainage system. This function is traditionally performed by the well-known P-trap or S-trap, in which the sealing is provided by a residual portion of the flush water. This seal securely traps sewage odours from the drain overflow pipe behind the trap, but the upwardly facing liquid surface is free to communicate with the

user environment, the closure must be kept free of residual urine by a generous flush to avoid unacceptable odor levels from the liquid in the closure. Therefore, a large amount of water is used in flushing these conventional urinals. In the U.S. in particular, conventional flush urinals and water-wasting toilets held an unchallenged monopoly for many years when water was cheap and plentiful. Recently, however, shortages of treated and natural water have given rise to new environmental concerns and an increased awareness of conservation, as evidenced by the introduction of low-flush toilets.

With rising water costs and tightening budgets, the prospect of a viable waterless urinal system for a wide range of public offices, cities, states, schools, defense facilities, recreation and park areas, and the like is becoming extremely attractive. Waterless urinals using oil-sealed traps are becoming viable. However, the present inventor has discovered that a key factor in their potential is the achievement of low maintenance, and that this depends to a large extent on the longevity of the liquid sealant, which in turn depends on the internal construction of the trap. Thus, the present inventor has

^; 25 The present inventors have recognized that improvements lie both in the reduction rate under normal operating conditions and in protection against catastrophic sealant loss due to high pressure water flushing, which is not required but may occur accidentally.

It is a primary object of the present invention to provide an improved oil-sealed trap for a flush-free urinal or anti-evaporation floor drain that not only meets the conventional objectives of eliminating the need for a P-trap in the drain line while meeting U.S. sanitary regulations, but is economical and easy to manufacture and install.

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and functions reliably and efficiently with low maintenance, but in particular with regard to the loss of substance of the oily liquid sealant, a primary object is to construct the closure in such a way as to prevent, to a large extent, the escape of sealant by causing stray droplets of sealant floating in the flow path to return to the main sealing area.

It is a further object to configure the trap so that it can be easily installed and removed from a mounting device of a permanent drain connection. It is a further object that the trap be constructed and arranged so that loss of sealant is prevented in the event of a high pressure water flush.

Reference list

Patent No.

303,822 1,050,290 3,829,909 4,026,317 4,028,747 4,045,346 4/244,061 4,263,934 4,411,286 4,432,384 4,773,441 5,159,724 5,203,369 318264 Germany 2816597.1 Germany 606,646 Switzerland

Patent holder

D’Heureuse Posson Rod, et al.

Ekstrom Newton Swaskey Webster, et al.

Redden, et al.

ball

Guiboro Biba

Vosper Hwang Zeigler Ernst Ernst

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State of the art

U.S. Patent 303,822 (D'Heureuse) disclosed a sewer S-trap into which a disinfectant or deodorant is introduced.

The use of an oil as a recycled flushing agent in a toilet system was disclosed in U.S. Patent Number 3,829,909 (Rod, et al.).

The use of oil in toilets to form an odor trap has already been described in the German patent number 121356 (Beck, et al.) and in the U.S. patent numbers

1,050,290 (Posson) and 4,028,747 ()

been revealed.

Bell traps, essentially a coaxial form of an S-trap, have been known for over a century: a popular form is disclosed in German Patent No. 318264 (Zeigler) as an example. A multiple baffle design is disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 4,026,317 (Ekstrom). Center-entry coaxial trap configurations are shown in U.S. Patent Nos. 4,045,346 (Swaskey) and 5,203,369 (Hwang).

Beetz introduced an oily liquid floating in the trap as an odor barrier through which urine and water can pass downward. Beetz taught the preparation of an oil mixture with disinfectant properties and an "innate adhesive power to attach itself to the trap parts so that the latter cannot be attacked by urine." Beetz taught daily maintenance, including cleaning and coating the cast iron parts of the urinal including the trap housing with the oil mixture, stating that "the oil has the property that these parts absorb so much of it that the oil film everywhere repels urine." Beetz's requirement for daily cleaning and maintenance dictated an easily dismantled three-part structure with a leak-prone lower interface and his requirement for sealing.

&Lgr;
&bull; -L· ,.

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The inability of the sealant to act as a disinfectant is now thought to be the reason for the excessive loss of substance in the sealant.

Further examples of oil-tight closures can be found in the German patent number 2816597.1, and in the Swiss patent number 606,646 (Ernst) put into practice under the trademark SYSTEM-ERNST.

The above examples of closures found limited use in Europe. Typically they were used in a "low flush" mode rather than a "waterless" mode. For example, the Beetz patent was classified under water piping, and its description refers to "water and urine." The trap was mounted below floor level and set in a concrete depression, and functioned as an occasionally flushed tub type or pedestal urinal, which is no longer recognized in U.S. building and sanitation codes.

A flushless urinal disclosed in U.S. Patent Number 4,244,061 (Webster, et al.) does not use oil, but relies on a small "plug flow" inlet opening in conjunction with a P-closure, and is based on the premise that "the urine in the closure is fresh during normal use, and therefore without offensive odor."

A unitary cylindrical cartridge odor seal for a waterless urinal was disclosed by the present inventor as a co-inventor in U.S. patent application 08/052,668 filed April 27, 1993, and in its continuation-in-part application 08/512,453 filed August 8, 1995," in the category of an oil-sealed coaxial edge entry closure having a cap portion with an attached downwardly extending tubular septum.

A key parameter for oil-sealed traps for waterless urinals is the amount of sealant substance loss that occurs under normal operating conditions over periods of time and frequency of use

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takes place. Related to this is the possible partial or total loss of sealant due to the 'abnormal' condition of unnecessary but unavoidable high pressure water flushing. Although some modern oil sealed traps are significantly improved over earlier versions, there remains an unmet need for further improvements in the aspects of sealant retention described above. Such improvements are provided by the present invention.

Summary of the invention

The foregoing and other objects have been achieved in the present invention of a unitized plastic oil-sealed trap which departs from the conventional practice of predominantly vertical fluid flow through the trap by instead constructing and arranging the trap in a special manner such that a substantial portion of the total flow path is substantially horizontal and is located in an area where stray droplets of sealant float upwardly toward the main seal body either directly or guided by an inclined partition. Thus, leakage of sealant downward into the drain is largely prevented. ■

The trap is designed so that it can be economically constructed from two molded plastic parts, i.e., a main chamber part and a cap/divider part, which can be molded from plastic and heat bonded together to form a unit configured as a replaceable cylindrical cartridge which can be filled with the sealant and sealed with a sticker for shipping so that during installation only the cartridge needs to be inserted and the sticker removed.

During operation, the required maintenance, i.e., sealant testing and refilling, if necessary, can be carried out

-T-

ly, easily carried out on the unit in place.

The cartridge is shaped so that it can be easily pushed in by hand and is held by friction in a suitable recess provided by a housing which can be installed as part of the domestic plumbing in either a urinal or a floor drain. For drain cleaning or replacement purposes the trap can be removed using a special simple hand tool.

The shape of the inlet tank provides a protective zone in which the sealant is temporarily displaced in the event of a high pressure water flush, thus avoiding catastrophic sealant loss.

Short description of the drawings

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more fully understood from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an oil-sealed coaxial odor trap of known art;

Fig. IA is a functional sketch showing the left half of Fig. 1;

Fig. 2 is a functional diagram illustrating the principles of the present invention using a predominantly horizontal flow; \

3 and 4 are functional diagrams illustrating two different septum configurations in edge entry coaxial closure structures according to the present invention;

5 to 8 are functional diagrams illustrating different septum configurations in center-entry coaxial closure structures according to the present invention;

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Fig. 9 is a three-dimensional view of a cylindrical trap cartridge with center entry;

Figure 10 is a three-dimensional sectional view of an embodiment of a horizontal flow trap cartridge of the present invention having a cylindrical container and a non-coaxial internal configuration with vertical and horizontal partition sections and a displaced tubular drain overflow tube;

Fig. 11 is an illustration of an alternative embodiment derived from Fig. 10 with a flat divided drain overflow pipe;

Fig. 12 is a cross-sectional view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, similar to Fig. 10 or 11, but with an inclined lower partition section for additional recovery of scattered sealant;

Fig. 13 is a cross-sectional view of another preferred embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 14 an example of a wall-mounted urinal in which a trap can be installed;

15 to 18 illustrate a preferred construction of the preferred embodiment of FIG. 13; FIG. 15 is a bottom view of an upper member thereof; FIG. 16 is a side perspective view of a middle member thereof; FIG. 17 is a side perspective view of a lower portion thereof (with the upper and middle portions shown partially in phantom); and FIG. 18 is a perspective view of a stopper handle member which may be included in this embodiment.

Detailed description of the invention

Fig. 1 is a center cross-sectional view of a trap 10A of the edge entry trap configuration of the known type as described above, configured as a cylindrical cartridge.

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The trap 10A has a main liquid container 14 extending from an outer wall to an inner wall which forms a drain overflow pipe 14A which defines with its upper edge the overflow level of the liquid into the container 14. An overlying cap portion 16 is designed to provide a vertical partition 16A which extends downwardly into the container 14 and divides it into an inner drain chamber and a surrounding inlet chamber. A body of residual urine 18 extends to the overflow level at the top of the overflow pipe 14A and in connection with the discharge pipe 14A formed by the cap portion 16.

>, pen section 16 formed. The residual urine body 18 in the overlying collection area serves to contain sewage gases from the external drain line in accordance with the sanitary installation regulations.

A body of oily liquid sealant 20, lighter than water or urine, floating in the entrance chamber on top of the enclosed urine body 18, serves to prevent the escape of odors from the urine 18 from the closure 1OA by enclosing

In operation of the urinal, urine from the top near the outer edge separates into droplets which migrate through the layer of sealant 20 and then enter the main body of the urinal 18. As additional urine enters the body of the urinal 18, it overflows into the overflow pipe 14A and the overflow portion moves downward in the drain under gravity.

Known oil-sealed traps are configured as shown in Fig. 1, with a vertical partition wall 16A. From current experience, traces of the sealant can escape during use. Such loss of substance occurs as follows: in a form of turbulence or emulsification during each use event, despite the inherent buoyancy of the sealant due to its density and non-existent

-�IΩ-affinity
to water/urine, some droplets of sealant will separate from the main body and be swept downwards along with the main flow of urine in the outer chamber. These stray droplets will tend to slow down due to their inherent buoyancy and depending on downward urine flow velocity and path depth, a portion of them may come to a standstill and then turn around and then rise again against the flow and so return to the aforesaid main sealant body above and thus be recovered. However, any droplets drawn by the urine flow behind the underside of the partition 16A _will then accelerate upwards into the inner chamber 18 due to their buoyancy and then escape along the drainage channel into the overflow pipe 14A.

The present invention, which operates on a modified form of the basic principle described above and teaches a new internal structure, can be implemented with the same generally cylindrical external shape as that of the trap shown in Figure 1, and can be adapted for receipt in a cavity forming part of a urinal system having a central bowl portion 12A at the top leading to sloping upper edges of the external wall of the main liquid container of the trap 1OA, and extending downwards around the trap 1OA to a reduction portion 12B which is connected to the external drainage system by means of normal plumbing fittings.

Fig. 1A is a simplified schematic representation of the left half of the symmetrical configuration of Fig. 1, which is coaxial about a central axis C-C, and once again illustrates the relationship of the sealant 20, the urine 18 and a flow path 22 in the urine in the entry chamber. It will be appreciated that in this configuration, due to the vertical location of the partition 16A, the flow path 22 is predominantly vertical: directed downwards

· ·
· ■

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in the outer chamber as shown and upwards in the inner chamber with only relatively small horizontal components around the lower portion of the partition 16A and around the upper portion of the overflow tube 14A. The flow path 22 with the sealant 20 above it is the only portion of the entire flow path in which sealant recovery can occur, and a corresponding parameter can be estimated as shown by the dimension X which represents the effective horizontal flow path length for sealant recovery. In a typical trap of the category of Fig. 1 and IA, where the main liquid container 14 has an inner radius R as shown of 5.4 cm and the partition 16A has an outer radius of 4 cm, the horizontal recovery dimension X is about 0.8 cm, from which we can derive a unitless ratio X/R = 14.8% which characterizes this specific internal structure.

The component X indicated in the figures is an approximate average of the horizontal vector components X of the wastewater flow extending from the center of the inlet opening (e.g., the point of average entry of the wastewater into the sealant) to a furthest point along a flow path (e.g., around the partition wall) in which sealant recovery can occur.

Although the invention considers a value X based on the approximate mean, preferably in general all wastewater follows a flow path having a component X, i.e., any wastewater not following such a flow path is insignificant enough to cause the invention to function correctly - as if additional openings were provided which allow a minimum volume flow rate therethrough.

A vertical vector component of the flow path can be approximately defined as the vertical distance from the top of the overflow tube 14A to the bottom of the partition wall 16A. Accordingly, an alternative feature on

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a ratio &KHgr;/&Ugr; which can be used to define an effective slope in the flow path - for example, X/Y < 1, indicating a predominantly vertical flow path, and X/Y > 1, indicating a predominantly horizontal flow path.

This category of trap is susceptible to total loss of sealant when subjected to a high pressure water flush because of the relatively narrow width of the outer chamber and the absence of any measurable protective chamber around the entry area to which the sealant can be temporarily displaced by the flush water rather than being forced into the drain. ¹ }

Figs. 2 to 8 are simplified cross-sectional functional diagrams showing various trap configurations for illustrating the principles of the present invention aimed at retaining the sealant. For simplicity, as in Fig. 1A, only one half of the symmetrical cross sections are shown along with a central axis. The shapes shown generally apply to a structure that is coaxial about the axis shown, but the invention can be adapted by applying such cross sections to other non-coaxial and/or non-symmetrical configurations, such as rectangular containers or cylindrical containers with non-coaxial

'25 len internal structure, could be put into practice.

Fig. 2 is a conceptual diagram illustrating the basic principles of the present invention, wherein a trap 10B is constructed in a new manner: instead of making the partition vertical as in Figs. 1 and 1A, at least a portion of the partition is shaped in a non-vertical manner to provide a predominantly horizontal liquid flow path as a major departure from overall vertical partitions and hence predominantly vertical liquid flow, which was generally present in the prior art as described above.

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The partition in Fig. 2 comprises a vertical section 16A which faces the vertical edge of a drain overflow pipe 14A and an inclined but substantially horizontal section 16B which rises towards the cover 16C which has an inlet opening 16D on the left hand side. The contour of the lower section 14B of the main liquid container 14 is shown for simplicity as forming a flow path of substantially constant depth, but in practice there may be a much greater variation in depth along the flow path. From the inlet opening 16D on the left hand side the flow is to the right. The flow path comprises two recovery sections 22A and 22B as shown. In the section 22A beginning at the inlet inlet, the flow is horizontal, passing beneath the main body of the sealant 20. Then in the section 22B, the flow path slopes downward, but remains predominantly horizontal as it is guided by the sloping baffle section 16B. The flow path then turns abruptly upward at the plane of the vertical baffle section 16A to overflow the overflow pipe 14A and then exits down the drain in the same manner as in Figs. 1 and 1A.

It is obvious that in both flow path sections 22A and 22B the flow path is predominantly horizontal in contrast to the predominantly vertical flow paths in Fig. 1 and 1A.

In Fig. 2, within the indicated path length X, since virtually all of the scattered sealant droplets migrate to the top of the flow path, they are recovered and returned to the main body of the sealant 20. In the flow path section 22A, the body of the sealant 20 is located directly above, and along section 22B, the slope of the partition wall 16B redirects upwardly migrating scattered sealant back to the main body of the sealant 20, as shown by the curved arrows.

It <: i *"

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Since sealant recovery occurs along these two sections, the recovery dimension X is shown as the sum of the horizontal components of the two sections.

The cross section of Fig. 2 may be applied to a coaxial cylindrical structure having a central axis about the line C-C and the outer wall of the cylindrical container at D-D', such as wall 14 as shown. Alternatively, the cross section of Fig. 2 may be applied in a reverse manner to provide a coaxial cylindrical trap structure of a center-entry type having a central axis at D-D' and the outer wall of the cylindrical container at C-C.

As a further alternative, the cross-section of Figure 2 may represent that of a closure other than cylindrical, for example rectangular. In addition, the container may alternatively be constructed with side walls at both D-D' and C-C so as to form a non-symmetrical, non-axial device.

A coaxial structure based directly on Fig. 2 would tend to be flatter and larger in diameter than cartridges shaped as shown in Fig. 1. As a practical limitation, a minimum liquid depth in the closure is required to meet regulations regarding retention of sewage gas pressure in the drainage system: e.g., two inches (50.8 mm) in the United States and 50 mm in Europe. Due to existing limitations of the urinal space, cylindrical closures are typically limited to a maximum diameter of about 150 mm (5.9") and a maximum height of about 90 mm (3.54"). To function properly in such a compact size, the concept example shown in Fig. 2 is preferably reconfigured in shape, making more favorable use of the wasted space between the partition sections 16A, 16B and the cover 16C.

The principles and advantages of the sealant retention illustrated in Figure 2 can be realized in various trap configurations according to the invention constructed and arranged to meet specific practical requirements as shown in the following examples.

Fig. 3 illustrates the construction of an edge entry IOC trap having a partition wall configured with a vertical upper portion 16A and a sloped portion 16B as shown, which creates a flow path 22 corresponding to the horizontal recycle

&bull; voltage dimension X as shown and extending from an average entry point to the end of the inclined partition section 16B.

In Figs. 2 and 3, usable partition shape variations could be to position the vertical portion 16A anywhere along the inclined portion 16B between the extremes shown in these two figures, while maintaining the inclined portion 16B as shown, the basic function and the dimension X would remain substantially unaffected.

Fig. 4 shows an odor trap IOD as a variant of Fig. 3 with a partition wall 16B inclined in its entirety. The flow path 22 and the dimension X are approximately the same as in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 illustrates a center entry trap 1OE, wherein the partition is configured with a vertical upper portion 16A and a horizontal lower portion 16B flanged outwardly. This creates a folded fluid path as shown with an upper portion 22A above and a lower portion 22B. Only the upper portion 22A is effective in recirculating scatter sealant since the partition 16B is _not sloped. Thus, the scatter sealant in the portion 22B tends to be swept to the right and escapes along with the waste water in the drain.

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flow. The horizontal recovery dimension X is derived from the upper flow path 22A as shown.

Fig. 6 illustrates a trap 10F as a variation of Fig. 5, wherein the lower partition wall portion 16B is inclined as shown so as to recapture stray sealant from the lower horizontal flow path and thus adds to the upper path 22A to produce the much larger horizontal recovery dimension X as shown.

Fig. 7 shows a trap 1OG as a variant of Fig. 6, wherein the inclined flange portion 16B is designed to have an oppositely rising upper surface which serves to prevent the accumulation of dirt on the upper surface of the flange which might otherwise occur in this area in the structure of Fig. 6. The dimension X is practically the same as in Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 illustrates a trap 10H as an inverted version of the above coaxial center-entry configurations, which achieves the shape of a predominantly horizontal flow path with a simple vertical, typically dividing wall 16A surrounded by an overflow wall 14A' which defines the overflow level. The wall 14A' surrounded by an outer wall extending downwardly from the periphery of the cover 16C is secured to the periphery of the base 14B so as to form a simple cylindrical main container pan 14 which can be retained by the surrounding cover 16C or the drain housing 12B by radial fins (not shown). The center-entry causes a radially outward distribution of the liquid in an inclined but substantially horizontal flow path 22 which leads to the lower edge of the dividing wall 16A as shown, corresponding to the recovery dimension X as shown.

■ »· · · &bull; · &bull; 4 # &bull; &bull;
&bull; &bull; &bull; &bull; &bull; ·· &diams; ·
&bull; < I · · · ·· · &bull; &bull; · · &bull; ·· · · · · ·· · &bull; * &bull; &bull; · · · &bull;
·· ·
· · ·

I ta · ·· ··

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In Figs. 5 to 8, a triangular shaped void area can be seen in cross section above the sealant formed by the slope of the cover. This triangular area serves an important function as a sealant protection area into which the sealant tends to be displaced in the event of a high pressure water flush, rather than being forced to drain ahead of the flush water as might be the case with a closure structure of the prior art, such as in Figs. 1 and 1A, having the conventional vertical baffle 16A and the conventional predominantly vertical flow paths.

Fig. 9 is a three-dimensional view of a cylindrical trap cartridge 101 having a central entrance 16D in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The upper surface slopes in a shallow inverted cone toward the center where the entrance opening D is provided with a filter screen or a fine perforation pattern formed in the lid material.

The housing may, for example, be sized AW (11.4 cm) in diameter and 2H" (7.0 cm) in height. As noted, due to existing industry limitations, the size of the closure must be limited. For example, the diameter of the closure is between 2 and 2W . It is preferably made of molded polyethylene or other suitable plastic material such as polypropylene, ABS or polystyrene to provide a smooth, contamination-resistant surface. The material may also include fiberglass reinforced polyester. Other suitable materials may also be used. Typically, the main container 14 and the cap/chamber portion 16 are molded as separate parts and then joined together to form a one-piece housing since access to the interior is not normally required. The entry configuration of the closure 101 makes it possible to use the entry opening 16D for transporting a product already filled with the sealant.

.* I". . &iacgr;&idigr;&idigr; · &iacgr;

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to seal the ready-to-use filled cartridge for transport (the lower outlet opening, not visible in Fig. 9, being sealed in a similar or different manner). For example, a sticker may be attached to seal the opening 16D, such sticker further comprising a label, etc., such as installation instructions and a product label.

Fig. 10 is a three-dimensional sectional view of a center-entry cylindrical trap 10J having a non-coaxial internal configuration, shown without liquid for clarity. The

--■ Partition has two flat sections: a vertical section 16A extending downwards from the upper surface, shifted to the right from the inlet opening. At the bottom of the vertical partition section 16A, a horizontal section 16B extends completely to the left wall of the trap 10J. A round opening 16E of approximately the same size as the opening 16D is formed in the horizontal partition section 1B at the edge furthest from the vertical partition section 16A. The opening 16 leads into a lower chamber which is formed with a flat bottom 14B, a section of which extends upwards on the right side to form a tubular drain overflow pipe 14C.

.25 the upper edge of which defines the overflow level of the vessel as in the figures described above. The two liquid flow paths 22A and 22B are shown and the corresponding recovery path dimension X derived from the path 22A is shown.

Fig. 11 shows a trap 1OK which is a variant with a partition wall configured as in Fig. 10, but the drain overflow area 14D is here designed as a flat vertical overflow wall 14D which is fixed in one piece to the bottom 14B and to the inner wall of the main housing 14 of the trap 1OL.

I &diams; ·

»

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st igt, which is preferably formed together in one piece.

Fig. 12 is a center cross-section showing a trap which is an important variation applicable to both Fig. 10 and Fig. 11. The horizontal partition wall portion 16B is inclined in a manner that the scattered sealant is recovered and returned to the main body of the sealant 10. The resulting horizontal recovery dimension X is substantially longer than in Fig. 10 due to the additional recovery provided by the inclined partition wall portion 16B.

: ^: and 11. . t

It will be seen that the cross-sections of Figs. 10 and 11 generally assume that of Fig. 5, and the cross-section of Fig. 12 generally assumes that of Fig. 6. However, preferred structures according to Figs. 5 and 6 as shown include an internal and external configuration that is completely coaxial about an axis C-C, whereas the internal structure in Figs. 10 to 12 is distinctly non-coaxial, with the outlet being offset rather than central, and the partitions being flat rather than cylindrical.

The relative sealant recovery efficiency of the above configurations, approximated by the recovery effective length of the horizontal flow paths X with respect to the vessel radius R, can be compared in the estimation table below. Table 1 below lists examples of estimated values that can be achieved for X/R in the illustrated embodiments, but the illustrated embodiments are not limited thereto.

IA Table 1 ·· · ···· ·
· · · * X/R Fig 15% 1, 4, 76% 2 50% 3, 5 .... a a
* ·

7 11 -20- 105% 6, 56% 8th 71% 10, 165% 12

Alternatively, the relative sealant recovery efficiency of the above configurations can be expressed as a function of the flow path slope X/Y, for example. Table 2 below lists estimated examples of values that can be obtained for X/Y in the illustrated embodiments, but the illustrated embodiments are not limited thereto.

Table 2

Fig. X/R

1, IA 0.12

4.64

3.50

5.50 5.75 7 8.60

3.67

3.08

5.82

According to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, the inlet and outlet locations of the partition wall configuration, etc., result in a predominantly horizontal flow. For example, in some preferred embodiments, the present invention provides preferred values of X/R greater than 30% as opposed to, for example, the predominantly vertical flow of the prior art in the table above. As can be seen in Table 1, the present invention can even provide values greater than 50%, which range widely over the values specified for the

1, IA 11 2 3, 4 5 6 7
Q O
10, 12

As another example, the present invention may provide preferred values of X/Y greater than 1.0, with the prior art estimate given above achieving a value substantially less than 1.0. Although significantly less preferred, it is contemplated that values less than the preferred examples of X/R and/or X/Y may be used in some cases in accordance with the principles of the invention.

It is known that a one-dimensional parameter such as X/R is only a first approximation of efficiency: a more refined two-dimensional parameter could take into account the effective horizontal recovery area located above the flow path. A still more refined three-dimensional parameter could take into account the fluid viscosity, width, depth and length and the resulting flow velocities at various incremental points in the flow paths.

The relative efficiency indicated by the above tables applies to normal operation and does not necessarily include the additional improvement provided by the present invention by protecting against catastrophic loss of sealant under high pressure water flush conditions as described above. In this regard, according to a further aspect of the invention, a protection area for the sealant is provided, such a protection area being able to be provided in any embodiment of the invention. The configurations of, for example, the embodiments of Figures 10-12 include entry chambers with protection areas (e.g., area T shown in Figure 12) with high pressure flush water tending to take a direct path from the entry opening 16D to the bulkhead opening 16E, separating and momentarily forcing a large portion of the sealant into the protection areas on either side. Among other things, the angled top wall and wide entry chamber contribute to providing such protection areas.

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The protection zone is preferably formed by an air space above the normal sealant level, for example as shown within T in Fig. 12. To allow the sealant to enter the protection zone quickly, the device may include one or more vent openings to allow air within the protection zone to escape to the outside thereof. For example, the embodiment shown in Fig. 12 includes at least one vent opening 16F at an upper end of the closure. The vent opening 16F is preferably sized to allow air to pass therethrough while substantially preventing fluid flow therethrough and preferably has a diameter of 1 to 2 mm. As shown, the vent opening is preferably located in the top wall of the device. In this way, in the event that some sealant is forced through the vent opening, the sealant can be guided back along the top and into the upper opening 16D so that it returns to the body of the sealant.

Fig. 13 shows another preferred embodiment of the invention. The device shown in Fig. 13 uses a number of features similar to certain features shown in Figs. 10 to 12. Fig. 13 is a three-dimensional sectional view of a trap 10M having a non-coaxial internal configuration. The partition has a generally vertical section 16A extending downwardly from the upper surface of the inlet opening 16D, offset to the right, and a horizontal section 16B extending completely to the left wall of the trap 10M at the bottom of the vertical partition section 16A. The horizontal partition only extends partially across the trap so that it leaves an opening 16E open at the edge furthest from the vertical partition section 16A. The opening 16E leads into a lower chamber which is provided with a bottom

the 14β. A drain overflow pipe 14C is provided which extends upwardly on the right hand side of the bottom 14B. The upper edge of the drain overflow pipe 14C defines the overflow level of the tank. The two illustrated liquid flow paths 22A and 22B represent a respective recovery path dimension X similar to that shown in Fig. 12 - i.e., the sum X1 + X2 of the paths 22A and 22B respectively. As shown in Fig. 13, a body of waste water 18 has a layer of sealant 20 floating thereon. The waste water 18 follows the flow path a) 221 into the inlet opening 16D, b) 22A above the partition wall, c) 22B below the partition wall 16B, d) 22C upwards and over the upper edge of the drain overflow pipe 14C, and e) 22D down into the drain overflow pipe 14C.

15 to 18 illustrate a preferred construction of the embodiment shown in Fig. 13. This preferred construction includes an upper member 150 (Fig. 15), a middle member 160 (Fig. 16) and a lower member 170 (Fig. 17) and a plug member 180 (Fig. 18). The upper member 150 includes a generally cylindrical peripheral wall 151, a downwardly inclined upper wall 152 and an entry opening 153 in the center of the upper wall. The upper wall 152 is inclined in a manner as in Fig. 13. As shown, the entry opening preferably includes three holes 154 in the

:25 central region of the upper wall. The upper wall preferably further includes two sealing webs 155 for receiving and sealing the partition wall 165 (discussed below).

The central member 160 includes a peripheral wall 161\ and a partition having a generally vertical portion 165 and an upwardly inclined portion 166. The portion 166 has a generally straight upper edge 167 which allows fluid passage 168 around the partition.

The lower element 170 includes a peripheral wall 171, a bottom wall 172 and an upwardly extending drainage

·

overflow pipe 173. The drain overflow pipe is preferably a cylindrical pipe extending beyond the wall 171 and having an upper opening 175 and a lower opening 176. The lower edge of the base element may include a conical wall 174, for example as shown.

The device is assembled by installing the middle member so that the peripheral wall 161 fits snugly against the peripheral wall 151 and the partition wall portion 165 snaps between the webs 155. The wall 151 extends downward only part of the height of the wall 161. The lower member 170 fits the drain overflow pipe 173 within the area to the right of the partition wall portion 165 and the lower portion of the cylindrical wall 161 fits snugly against the cylindrical wall 171. Thus, a sealed container with separately isolated inlet and outlet chambers can be constructed.

Fig. 18 illustrates a plug handle member 180 which may be included in this latter embodiment. The plug handle member 180 preferably includes a tubular member 181, handle projections 182 and L-shaped projections 183 on the top wall 184. The plug is preferably shaped and sized to fit snugly within the drain overflow tube 172. With this construction, the trap can be transported with a body of sealant within the assembled structure when the plug 180 is inserted into the opening 176 and a seal (such as a backed adhesive coated label) is applied over the opening 173. As shown, the L-shaped projections are sized and shaped to fit into the holes 154 so that the assembled device can be transported by simply inserting the projections into the holes 154 and rotating the plug 180 in the direction L in Fig. 18 such that the L-shaped projections engage under the top wall 152. Thus, the element 180 provides a tool that can be used to seal a new, unused unit,

and to remove a dirty sewage-filled unit. Although the plug and handle functions are preferably combined in the one tool 180, it is also contemplated that separate devices embodying these features may be included and/or either the plug or the handle may be eliminated depending on the desired handling.

The sealant 20 is preferably a biodegradable oily liquid. A preferred composition of the liquid 20 comprises aliphatic alcohol having 9 to 11 carbons in the chemical chain, with a specific gravity of 0.84 at ^20° C (68 ^° F). Since the operation of the urinal relies on the difference between the specific gravity of the oily liquid and that of the urine, typically near 1.0, the specific gravity of the oily liquid should be made as low as possible, preferably not above 0.9, and more preferably well below 0.9. The sealant 20 is chosen to have a very low affinity for water in such a way that the sealant and urine strongly physically repel each other so that no chemical or other interaction occurs other than a purely physical separation which allows a fine partition of urine/water from above and passage downward through the sealant layer. The sealing agent 20 is preferably colored blue, for example, for maintenance and identification purposes.

Fig. 14 illustrates an example of a type of urinal in which the various traps may be housed, shown generally as 10. The urinal shown is a wall-mounted unit secured above a floor surface (not shown). The urinal shown is for illustrative purposes only; a trap of the present invention may be used in any type of urinal. It is particularly noted that the use of the invention, although directed in some aspects to waterless urinals as shown above,

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is not limited thereto. The present trap is also applicable to other surfaces with drainage and the like. Since the preferred sealant used is considerably more stable than water with respect to evaporation, the present invention finds widespread application as a floor drain, for example, and thus solves the problems of exhaust gas release from conventional S-type floor drains, for example, which results from a total loss of sealing due to the evaporation of the residual water and lack of replenishment thereof, particularly in hot and dry climates.

The invention may be embodied and practiced in other specific forms without departing from the spirit and essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments, therefore, are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, since the scope of the invention will be determined by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. Furthermore, all variations, substitutions and changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalence of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

Claims (6)

1. Odour trap device for the discharge of waste water, comprising:
a main liquid container ( 14 ) with at least one inlet opening ( 16D ) through which waste water enters the container;
a partition wall ( 16A , 16B ) in the container, which divides the container into an inlet chamber which receives the waste water via the at least one upper inlet opening, and an outlet chamber which receives the waste water from the inlet chamber;
a quantity of a liquid sealing agent ( 20 ) having a density lower than that of the waste water contained in the inlet chamber and adapted to form a sealing layer floating on the waste water body;
a passage point at one end of the partition wall at a distance from the at least one inlet opening ( 16D ), and through which the waste water, on its way from the inlet chamber to the outlet chamber, flows in such a way that, before reaching the passage point, liquid sealing agent ( 20 ) which is drawn by the waste water under the sealing agent layer and then floats up can rise back to the sealing agent layer, and that after flowing around the passage point, the liquid sealing agent ( 20 ) cannot rise back to the sealing agent layer;
a liquid flow path ( 22A , 22B ) defined by the partition wall along which the waste water travels through the inlet chamber and the outlet chamber; and
an outlet connecting the outlet chamber to an external drain;
wherein the partition wall comprises one or more non-vertical segments ( 16B ), and the length of the liquid flow path ( 22A , 22B ) along the partition wall ( 16A , 16B ) is sufficient for a substantial portion of the total liquid sealant drawn by the wastewater beneath the sealant layer to rise back to the sealant layer. 2. Odor trap device according to claim 1, wherein a flow path distance (x), measured from the at least one inlet opening ( 16 D) and extending along the liquid flow path ( 22 A, 22 B) to the passage point, is greater than a vertical distance (y), measured from the at least one inlet opening ( 16 D) to the passage point. 3. The odor trap device of claim 1 or 2, wherein the length of the liquid flow path ( 22A , 22B ) along the one or more non-vertical segments is sufficient to minimize at least turbulence in the sealant layer. 4. A trap system comprising a trap device for placement in and removal from a drainage device, such as waterless urinals and evaporation-free floor drains, and for discharging waste water into a drain, comprising:
the odor trap device according to one of claims 1 to 3,
wherein the inlet opening in the upper cover of the container comprises a plurality of openings through which the waste water enters the container; and
the system further comprises a tool having at least one hook-shaped projection for engaging the openings to enable insertion and removal of the container into and from the drainage device. 5. The odor trap system of claim 4, wherein the at least one hook-shaped projection is provided with at least one hook for engagement with the underside of the top cover adjacent the openings. 6. Odor trap system according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the at least one hook-shaped projection has at least one vertical portion and at least one horizontal portion.