DK2241689T3 - Mounting device with support bracket for mounting a water treatment unit in a water reservoir - Google Patents

Description

DESCRIPTION

Background of the invention [0001] The present invention generally relates to the field of water management and more particularly to draining water, in particular rain water, away in a controlled manner. In this context, the present invention provides a mounting assembly for mounting a water treatment unit such as a flow control means or a filter within a water reservoir such as a manhole, inspection chamber, infiltration unit or the like.

Prior art [0002] GB 2 334 791 A discloses a mounting assembly for mounting a water treatment unit, in particular a vortex valve unit in position in a water reservoir, in particular a drainage gully. This known mounting assembly comprises a first element securable to an end wall of the vortex valve unit, and a second element mountable adjacent an outlet opening of the drainage gully. The first element may define a wedge-shaped slot capable of receiving and locating a corresponding head portion of the second element. During installation, the unit is lowered onto said head portion, e.g. using a handle, so that the head portion engages and is located in the slot. This process may prove difficult, especially when the drainage gully is tall.

[0003] CA-A-1 198 964 discloses a mounting assembly according to the preamble of claim 1.

Summary of the invention [0004] The object underlying the present invention is to provide a mounting assembly for holding a water treatment unit in position in a water reservoir, so that its outlet communicates with an outlet from the reservoir, which mounting assembly is so constructed that the water treatment unit may be more easily installed into the water reservoir.

[0005] This object is solved by means of a mounting assembly according to claim 1. The mounting assembly comprises a mounting device that is mountable at an outlet of the water reservoir and that comprises a supporting bracket with a supporting portion that is shaped to support the water treatment unit from below. In other words, the bottom of the water treatment unit is supported by means of the supporting bracket.

[0006] Thanks to such supporting portion, the supporting bracket extends underneath the water treatment unit to support it and to protect it. As the water treatment unit can be simply lowered onto the supporting portion of the supporting bracket, the installation of the water treatment unit is greatly facilitated.

[0007] Furthermore, supporting the water treatment unit from below may contribute to a more favourable load distribution on said unit, as compared to prior art brackets which support the water treatment unit by engaging a side wall thereof, and hence subject the unit to a torque (generated by the unit's own weight).

[0008] The mounting device has a hollow spigot end to be fit into the outlet of the water reservoir. This provides for a simple way to secure the mounting device into the water reservoir. No need for additional fastening means such as screws or the like and no need to make any changes to the reservoir or to impair its structural integrity otherwise.

[0009] According to a further aspect, the supporting portion preferably forms the bottom of a recess in which the water treatment unit can be accommodated. Thanks to such recess, installation of the water treatment unit may be further facilitated, as the recess may act as a catch, helping to guide the unit in place. The recess may furthermore provide lateral support, thus forming a stable and protective environment for the water treatment unit.

[0010] According to a further aspect, the recess is dimensioned to support the water treatment unit sideways, in at least two directions, preferably a front side and a rear side of the unit. In this description, the side of the unit that faces the outlet is referred to as the front side, and the opposite side of the unit is referred to as the rear side. With such sideways support the water treatment unit can be readily installed. Supporting the front and rear side of the unit may also contribute to a more favourable load distribution on the unit.

[0011] According to a further aspect, the mounting device may comprise self-centring means. These means may co-operate with the general shape of the water treatment unit, so as to guide the unit to a predetermined position in the supporting bracket. The self centring means may facilitate installation and render it fool proof. It is not necessary to accurately manoeuvre the unit when lowering it into the mounting device. The water treatment unit will always achieve a correct position, wherein the outlet thereof is aligned with the outlet opening from the water reservoir.

[0012] According to a further aspect, the mounting assembly may comprise a mounting tool for mounting and demounting the water treatment unit from a position outside the water reservoir. Thanks to such tool, there is no need for an installer to descend into the water reservoir, which saves time and effort.

[0013] The mounting tool may have an adjustable length. This renders the tool universally applicable, i.e. with water reservoirs of differing heights. The length of the mounting tool can readily be adjusted, in situ, according to the installation depth of the water treatment unit.

[0014] According to a further aspect, the mounting assembly may comprise locking means, operable for locking the water treatment unit in place in at least one direction. Preferably the locking means are arranged to lock the unit in vertical direction. Thus, the unit can be kept in place, against any upward pressure that may be exerted on the unit by water collected in the reservoir.

[0015] According to an advantageous aspect, the locking means may be operable by the mounting tool, e.g. by rotating the mounting tool, e.g. around its longitudinal axis. In other embodiments, the locking means may be activated through a different movement, e.g. a rotation of the mounting tool around a different axis or an upward pull or downward push.

[0016] The locking means may be part of the mounting tool or can be formed as separate parts. In the latter case, the mounting tool may be removed from the reservoir after installation of the water treatment unit.

[0017] According to a further aspect, the mounting assembly may comprise means for pulling the water treatment unit towards the outlet opening of the water reservoir upon operating the locking means. This may reduce leakage between the water treatment unit and the mounting device.

[0018] Alternatively or in addition, the mounting assembly may comprise means for lifting the water treatment unit from the mounting device, upon unlocking the locking means. This may be advantageous because during use, the water treatment unit may be pressed or sucked against an outlet of the water reservoir due to the surrounding water and/or a pressure fall between the outlet of the water treatment unit and said outlet of the reservoir. As a result, demounting of the unit may require a rather large initial force. The lift function may assist in generating said force.

[0019] A contact area of the supporting bracket which, in use, abuts a rear side of the water treatment unit facing away from the outlet, may be slanted. This will allow the outlet of the water treatment unit to be moved way from the outlet of the water reservoir during demounting of the water treatment unit.

[0020] The mounting assembly may further comprise a collar provided on the water treatment unit around the outlet thereof. In this case, sealing means between the outlet of the water treatment unit and the supporting bracket can be dispensed with, which reduces the number of parts and also facilitates the mounting of the water treatment unit within the water reservoir.

[0021] It is noted that the mounting device and the mounting tool are independent aspects. It would be possible to use the mounting device described above with a mounting tool other than the one described above, or without any mounting tool at all. Also, the above described mounting tool could be used in order to mount a water treatment unit by means of a mounting device other than the one described above.

Brief description of the drawings [0022] FIGs. 1 and 2 show two exploded views of a water treatment unit and a mounting assembly according to the present invention; FIG. 3 shows the water treatment unit and the mounting assembly of Figures 1 and 2 installed within a water reservoir; and FIGs. 4-7 show modified embodiments of a mounting assembly according to the invention.

Detailed description of preferred embodiments [0023] Preferred mounting assemblies for mounting a water treatment unit within a water reservoir in accordance with the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0024] In this description, a water treatment unit 3, 103, 203, 303 is understood to be a unit with an inlet 31, an outlet 32 and water treatment means (not shown) arranged between said inlet 31, 331 and said outlet 32 for 'treatment' of water entering the unit. Such 'treatment' may for instance include filtering and/or control of a flow rate. The water treatment unit 3, 103, 203, 303 may for instance comprise a vortex unit, designed to generate a vortex between the inlet 31, 331 and the outlet 32 so as to cause an outlet flow of the unit to have a substantially constant flow rate. In an alternative embodiment, the water treatment unit 3, 103, 203, 303 may for instance comprise a filter, a valve, an orifice, etc.. The shape of the water treatment unit may vary accordingly. It may for instance be substantially drum shaped, as shown in Figures 1-5, or cone shaped, as shown in Figure 6. Of course, other shapes are possible.

[0025] In each case, the water treatment unit 3, 103, 203, 303 is to be mounted in a water reservoir 4 so that its outlet 32 can communicate with an outlet 5 of said water reservoir 4. The water reservoir 4 can for instance be an inspection chamber or manhole (as shown in Figure 3), a water tank, an infiltration unit, or the like. The reservoir outlet 5 may take the form of an opening in a side wall of the water reservoir 4 and may in turn communicate with another component, for instance a drainage pipe extending away from the water reservoir 4.

[0026] Referring now to Figures 1-3 showing a first embodiment of a mounting assembly 1 according to the invention for mounting a water treatment unit 3 in a water reservoir 4. The mounting assembly 1 comprises a mounting device 10, a mounting tool 20 and locking means 25. The mounting device 10 can be secured in the water reservoir 4 prior to installation of the water treatment unit 3. The mounting tool 20 can be used for installing the water treatment unit 3 in the mounting device 10. The locking means 25 can be used to lock the water treatment unit 3 in place, in at least one direction. In the illustrated embodiment, the locking means 25 are operable by the mounting tool 20 from a position outside the reservoir 4.

[0027] The mounting device 10 comprises a supporting bracket 11 for supporting the treatment unit 3, and a spigot end 12 for securing the supporting bracket 11 in an outlet 5 of the water reservoir 4 (as shown in Figure 3). The supporting bracket 11 has a supporting portion 15 arranged to support the water treatment unit 3 from beneath, and two upstanding legs 13, 14 arranged to support the unit 3 sideways, i.e. laterally. More particular, the supporting bracket 11 comprises a front leg 14 that abuts a front side of the water treatment unit 3, i.e. the side featuring the outlet 32, and a rear leg 13 that abuts a rear side. The supporting portion 15, the front leg 14, and the rear leg 13 together define a recess 16, designed to receive and support the water treatment unit 3 in at least three directions.

[0028] The mounting device 10 may further comprise self centring means to guide the water treatment unit 3 towards a predetermined position within the supporting bracket 11, i.e. a position wherein the outlet 32 of the unit 3 is aligned with the spigot end 12 and ultimately with the outlet 5 of the reservoir 4. In the embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2, the self centring means comprise two guiding profiles 18 which are provided on the rear leg 13 of the supporting bracket 11. The guiding profiles 18 can co-operate with a substantially V-shaped rim 34 on the rear side of the water treatment unit 3. The design is such that the water treatment unit 3, during insertion, will slide towards the aligned position under influence of gravity. Of course, in alternative embodiments, the self centring means may be provided on a different portion of the mounting device 10, for instance on the front leg 14, or on opposite sides of the supporting portion 15 between the front and the rear leg. Also, the self centring means may be shaped differently. For instance, the V-shaped rim 34 on the unit 3 may be reversed, having its apex pointing upward. In such case, the guiding profiles 18 may be designed to be received between the slanted portions of said rim 34.

[0029] The water treatment unit 3 may be provided with a collar 35 around its outlet 32. In mounted condition, this collar 35 may lie contiguous with the spigot end 12 of the mounting device 10. Applicant has found that thanks to such collar 35, no sealing means are needed between the unit 3 and the supporting bracket 11, which may facilitate installation and allows the unit 3 to be lowered into the bracket 11 from a remote location (i.e. outside the reservoir 4). The collar 35 may not completely prevent leakage, but does help to reduce leakage and moreover shifts the location of the leakage away from the outlet 32 of the unit 3. Applicant has found that this may have a positive effect on the water treatment unit's performance, especially where said unit comprises a vortex unit. Furthermore, note that the collar 35 does not need to be inserted in the outlet opening 5 of the water reservoir 4. This too facilitates installation of the water treatment unit 3 and allows it to be lowered into place from a position outside the water reservoir 4.

[0030] The mounting tool 20 comprises an elongated member that enables the water treatment unit 3 to be installed and removed from a remote location. According to an advantageous embodiment, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the length of the mounting tool 20 can be adjustable. To that end, the tool 20 comprises a first tubular member 21 and a second tubular member 22, which is slidably received in the first member 21. In the illustrated embodiment, the length can be adjusted stepwise by means of a latching pin 23 and matching holes 24 provided in the respective members 21, 22. In other embodiments, the length adjustment may be continuous, e.g. by replacing the pin-hole arrangement by another locking arrangement, which may for instance be based on frictional and/or clamping force. In any event, the adjustable length is advantageous because in practice the height of the water reservoir 4, e.g. a manhole, may be varied depending on its installation depth. To that end, a manhole 4 may typically be assembled from modular parts, i.e. a base 6, a shaft 7 and a cone 8 (as shown in Figure 3), wherein the shaft 7 may come in different lengths or be cut to length, in situ.

[0031] The mounting tool 20 and water treatment unit 3 further comprises cooperating coupling means 33. In the embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2, the coupling means 33 are designed to allow rotation of the mounting tool 20 around its longitudinal axis, for reasons that will become clear below. The coupling means 33 may be releasable or not.

[0032] The locking means 25, in the illustrated embodiment, comprise a locking pin 26 provided on the mounting tool 20, and a locking slot 27, provided in the mounting device 10. After positioning the water treatment unit 3 in the supporting bracket 11, the mounting tool 20 can be rotated around its longitudinal axis, thereby causing the locking pin 26 to enter the locking slot 27. This in turn will lock the water treatment unit 3 in place, in vertical direction, against the upward pressure of the water.

[0033] Of course, the locking means 25 may be provided on other components of the mounting assembly 1. For instance, the locking pin 26 could be formed as a separate part, detached from the mounting tool 20. Such locking pin 26 could for instance be mounted on the mounting device 10, in a rotatable or slidable manner, so as to be operable by the mounting tool 20 between a locking and an unlocking position. Such an embodiment provided the advantage that the mounting tool 20 can be removed after installation and locking of the unit 3.

[0034] Fig. 4 shows a slightly modified embodiment wherein the locking means 125 include a pull function causing the water treatment unit 3 to be pulled towards the outlet 5 of the water reservoir 4 upon, that is, during locking of the locking means 125. Components corresponding to the previous embodiment have been denoted with corresponding reference numerals, increased by 100. The locking pin 126 is provided with a transverse head 128 and the locking slot 127 is bordered by wedge shaped edges 129. When the locking means 125 are operated by rotating the mounting tool 120 about its longitudinal axis, the head 128 of the locking pin 126 will be guided along the wedge shaped edges 129 of the locking slot 127, causing the water treatment unit 3 to be urged towards the front leg 114 of the supporting bracket 111 and, therefore, towards the spigot end 112 and outlet 5 of the water reservoir 4.

[0035] The advantage of such a pull function is that leakage between the water treatment unit 103 and the water reservoir 104 can be reduced.

[0036] Fig. 5 shows another modified embodiment of a mounting assembly 201 in accordance with the present invention. Like components are denoted with like reference numerals, increased by 200. In this modified embodiment, the locking means 225 include a lift function. To this end the locking slot 227 has an arched or inclined shape which will cause the locking pin 226 and consequently the water treatment unit 203 to be moved upward upon, that is, during unlocking of the locking means 225.

[0037] This is advantageous because during use, the water treatment unit 3 may become pressed or sucked against the spigot end 212 of the mounting device 201 due to the surrounding water pressure and/or a pressure fall that may exist over the unit's outlet 235 and the spigot end 212. As a result, during demounting of the water treatment unit 3, a rather large initial force may be needed to separate the unit from the mounting device 210. This can be facilitated by the above lift function.

[0038] To this same effect, a contact surface of the rear leg 13, 113, 213 of the supporting bracket 11, 111, 211 that abuts the rear side of the water treatment unit 3 may have a somewhat slanted orientation. This will allow the outlet 32 of the water treatment unit 3 to be moved away from the spigot end 12, 112, 212 and outlet 5 of the water reservoir 4 during demounting of the water treatment unit 3.

[0039] Figure 6 shows another embodiment of a mounting assembly 301 according to the invention, wherein corresponding components have been denoted with corresponding reference numerals, increased by 300. In this embodiment, the locking means 325 are based on resilient snap action. To that end, the locking slot 327 is, near its closed end, provided with two resilient tongues 329 (alternatively, it could have been provided with one tongue). These tongues 329 allow the locking pin 326 to be inserted in the slot 327 with relative ease, but resist removal there from, up to a certain threshold value. To release the pin 326 from the slot 327, a force exceeding said threshold value must be applied on the pin 326.

[0040] Of course, other snap-like locking means are possible. The locking means may for instance comprise one or more resilient tongues or fingers provided on the water treatment unit, and mating ridges or recesses provided on or in the supporting bracket, or vice versa. When the unit is lowered into the bracket, these tongues or fingers will snap behind the ridges or recesses and thus lock the unit into place. An example of such embodiment will be discussed in further detail below, with reference to Figure 7.

[0041] In the embodiment of Figure 6, the locking slot 327 has a substantially vertical orientation. The locking pin 326 has been formed by bending an end portion of the mounting tool 320 over an angle of about 90 degrees. Thanks to these modifications, the locking means 325 can be operated by a translational instead of a rotational movement of the mounting tool 320. This may contribute to fool proof installation, since there is no need for an installer to rotate the mounting tool to lock, respectively unlock the locking means 325. Locking and unlocking will 'automatically' take place during translational operation of the mounting tool 320.

[0042] Of course, the locking means may have many other configurations that may be operable through other movements of the mounting tool, e.g. a rotation around a horizontal axis, or a combination of a translation and rotation.

[0043] Also, from the illustrated embodiments it will be clear that the locking means can be provided on various parts of the mounting assembly, e.g. on the mounting tool, on the supporting bracket, on some other part of the mounting device, and/or on the water treatment unit.

[0044] In the embodiment of Figure 6, the water treatment unit 303 has a substantial conical shape. The supporting bracket 311 has a supporting portion 315 and two upstanding legs 313, 314 designed to support the unit 303 from beneath and sideways respectively.

[0045] In Figure 7, another embodiment is shown, wherein the locking means 425 are based on resilient snap action. Corresponding components have been denoted with corresponding reference numerals, increased by 400. The locking means 425 comprise a resilient finger 429 which is provided on the bracket 411, more particularly on its front leg 414. In normal condition, the finger 429 extends in the recess 16 of the bracket 411, in the installation path of the water treatment unit 403. When lowering the unit 403 into place the finger 429 will be resiliently pushed out of the way by the collar 435 of the unit 403, towards the front leg 414, which may be provided with a recess to temporarily accommodate the finger 429. After the collar 435 has passed, the finger 429 will resiliently bounce back, thus blocking upward movement of the unit 403. Of course, in an alternative embodiment, two or more fingers could be provided. The fingers could be provided on another part of the bracket, e.g. on its rear leg 413 or support portion 415, where they can co-operate with other parts of the water treatment unit 403 and/or the mounting tool 420, e.g. the end portion 426 thereof. Alternatively, the or each finger could be provided on the water treatment unit 403. It is also possible to provide both the bracket 411 and the water treatment unit 403 with one or more resilient fingers. The fingers may also be oriented so as to be activated by horizontal movement of the unit 403 and/or the mounting tool 420, that is in a direction towards or away from the outlet or in a direction perpendicular thereto (i.e. in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the outlet). The resilience of the fingers may also be directed and dimensioned to bias the unit 403 towards the outlet, in mounted condition, so as to obtain a close fit between the outlet of the unit and the outlet of the water reservoir. Release means may be provided, e.g. on the mounting tool 420, with which the or each finger 429 can be pushed out of the way to allow the unit 403 to be released from the bracket 411.

[0046] The invention is not in any way limited to the exemplary embodiments presented in the description and drawing. All combinations (of parts) of the embodiments shown and described are explicitly understood to be incorporated within this description form part of the invention insofar they fall within the scope of the appended claims.

REFERENCES CITED IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of references cited by the applicant is for the reader's convenience only. It does not form part of the European patent document. Even though great care has been taken in compiling the references, errors or omissions cannot be excluded and the EPO disclaims all liability in this regard.

Patent documents cited in the description • GB2334791A [00G2] • CA1198964A [0003]

Claims (14)

A mounting device (1, 101, 201, 301, 401) for mounting a water treatment unit (3, 103, 203, 303, 403) in a water reservoir (4) such that an outlet (32) of the water treatment unit communicates with an outlet (5) ) of the water reservoir (4), wherein the mounting device comprises a mounting device (10, 110, 210, 310, 410) comprising a support bracket (11, 111, 211, 311, 411) and fasteners for securing the support bracket to the water reservoir (4) , wherein the support bracket (11, 111, 211, 311, 411) comprises a support part (15, 115, 215, 315, 415) formed to support the water treatment unit (3, 103, 203, 303, 403) from below, characterized in in that the fastening means of the mounting device (10, 110, 210, 310, 410) comprise a hollow pointed end (12, 112, 212, 312, 412) sized to fit in the outlet (5) of the water reservoir (4). The mounting device (1, 101, 201, 301, 401) of claim 1, wherein the support member (15, 115, 215, 315, 415) forms the bottom of a recess (16) formed in the support bracket, wherein the recess (16) is sized to support the water treatment unit (3, 103, 203, 303, 403) sideways, in at least two directions. The mounting device (1, 101, 201, 301, 401) according to any one of the claims, wherein the mounting device (10, 110, 210, 310, 410) comprises self-centering means (18) for guiding the water treatment unit (3, 103, 203). , 303, 403) toward a position in which its outlet (32) is aligned with the outlet (5) of the water reservoir (4). The mounting device (1, 101, 201, 301, 401) according to any one of the claims, comprising an elongate mounting tool (20, 120, 220, 320, 420) for installing the water treatment unit (3, 103, 203, 303, 403). ) in the mounting device (10, 110, 210, 310, 410) from a position outside the water reservoir (4). The mounting device (1, 101, 201, 301, 401) according to claim 4, wherein the mounting tool (20, 120, 220, 320, 420) has an adjustable length. The mounting device (1, 101, 201, 301, 401) according to any one of the claims, comprising locking means (25, 125, 225, 325, 425) operable to lock the water treatment unit (3, 103, 203, 303, 403) in place in at least one direction. The mounting device (1, 101, 201, 301, 401) of claim 6 and claim 4 or 5, wherein the mounting tool (20, 120, 220, 320, 420) is adapted to operate the locking means (25, 125, 225, 325 , 425). The mounting device (1, 101, 201) of claim 7, wherein the locking means (25, 125, 225) are actuated by a rotation of the mounting tool (20, 120, 220). The mounting device (301, 401) of claim 7, wherein the locking means (325) is operated by a translation of the mounting tool (320, 420). The mounting device (1, 101, 201, 301) of any one of claims 6-9, wherein the locking means (25, 125, 225, 325, 425) comprise a locking slot (27, 127, 227, 327) formed in the mounting device (10, 110, 210, 310) and a locking pin (26, 126, 226, 326) which cooperate with the locking slot to lock the water treatment unit in place in the at least one direction. The mounting device (1, 101, 201, 301) of claim 10 and claim 4 or 5, wherein the locking pin (26, 126, 226, 326) is provided on the mounting tool (20, 120, 220, 320). The mounting device (1, 101, 201, 301, 401) according to any one of claims 6-11, wherein the locking means (325, 425) comprise one or more robust parts (329, 429) and wherein the locking action is based on robust snap action of said one or more robust parts. The mounting device (1, 101, 201, 301, 401) according to any one of claims 6-12, comprising means for drawing the water treatment unit (3, 103, 203, 303, 403) towards the outlet (5) of the water reservoir ( 4) by locking the locking means (25, 125, 225, 325, 425). The mounting device (1, 101, 201, 301, 401) according to any one of claims 6-13, comprising means for lifting the water treatment unit (3, 103, 203, 303, 403) by locking the locking means (25, 125 , 225, 325, 425).