FI126293B

FI126293B - Device for a liquid conduit network

Info

Publication number: FI126293B
Application number: FI20155485A
Authority: FI
Inventors: Tony Äijö; Teemu Ikonen
Original assignee: Wavin Bv
Priority date: 2015-06-23
Filing date: 2015-06-23
Publication date: 2016-09-15
Also published as: FI20155485A

Description

An Apparatus for a Fluid Conduit System Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an apparatus for a fluid conduit system, which comprises a fluid inlet conduit; a fluid outlet conduit; and a ball check valve in connection with the fluid inlet conduit.

Background of the Invention

Sewage systems usually comprise a network of sewage conduits and other parts which collect sewage from households, schools, industrial sites and other locations. Conduits lead the sewage to reservoirs and other collecting locations. The reservoirs can be emptied e.g. via a municipal sewage conduit network to a sewage treatment plant.

Sewage from reservoirs should not flow in a reverse direction i.e. upstream the conduits to prevent sewage flowing back to where it was collected from. For that purpose the reservoirs may comprise a ball check valve which blocks a fluid inlet of the reservoir if the fluid level inside the reservoir rises to the substantially same level or above the fluid inlet. Such ball check valve may comprise a floatable ball, which is able to freely move in a cage. Flence, when the level of the fluid approaches the ball in the cage and continues to rise, the ball floats on the surface of the fluid and rises accordingly. If the level of the fluid rises to a certain level, which may be the level of the fluid inlet, the ball blocks the fluid inlet. Hence, the ball prevents fluid entering the fluid inlet from the reservoir.

Raise of the fluid level in the reservoir may happen because, for example, the fluid outlet and/or conduits from the fluid outlet may get obstructed preventing proper flow of fluid in the conduits.

The ball needs to be able to float on the surface of the fluid which the system is adapted to collect. Therefore, the ball may not be solid but may need to be hollow inside. Thus, the ball is usually formed from two pieces which are fixed with each other with some adhesive, for example. Due to the manufacturing process of the ball the outer circumference is not totally smooth but there may be a seam 17 between the two pieces which forms a kind of bulge on the surface of the ball. This kind of bulge may cause that the ball may not totally block the fluid inlet, wherein part of the fluid may be able to flow into the fluid inlet.

Similar disadvantages may also cause problems in rain water collection systems which may be used to collect rain water from streets, courtyards, etc. and conduct collected rain water further to locations where rain water may be led to nature or to a purification station.

Rain water collection systems may comprise rain water wells on the locations where rain water is to be collected. The rain water wells comprise an outlet conduit for exiting rain water from the rain water well into a conduit network. The rain water well may also comprise similar check valve to prevent rain water flowing in a reverse direction.

The patent US-462,305 discloses a trap for bath-tubs. The trap comprises a ball-valve which, when resting on its seat, preserves a water seal in the trap. The stem enables the ball to rise and fall vertically. When a cover is screwed at the bottom of the bath-tub, the ball blocks the fluid inlet. When the cover is released, the pressure of the water flowing downwards keeps the ball at the fluid inlet and prevents water flowing towards the fluid inlet,

The patent US-2,915,083 discloses a ball-valve for a fluid conduit system. The ball hangs from a chain. When water level in a tank rises near the fluid inlet, the ball blocks the fluid inlet and prevents backflow of the fluid to the fluid inlet.

The patent FI 76399 discloses an apparatus for a fluid conduit system. The system comprises a fluid inlet, fluid outlet and a ball check valve. The ball check valve operates as a backflow trap. The ball can move vertically and follow the level of water in a well. The ball has been made of two pieces so that weighs of the halves differ from each other. Hence, the ball will always float the same side upwards.

The patent application EP 1 308 567 discloses an apparatus for a fluid conduit system. The system comprises a fluid inlet, fluid outlet and a ball check valve. The ball is in a basket which restricts the movement of the ball so that the ball cannot escape the basket. The apparatus as a fitting for a flush pipe so that flush water can be inserted into the fluid outlet.

Summary of the Invention

One aim of the present invention is to obtain an improved apparatus for preventing reverse flow of fluid from a fluid container (fluid reservoir). The invention is based on the idea that the ball of the ball check valve is provided with a guiding element, which keeps the ball in a correct position with respect to the fluid inlet. The guiding element may be formed of a rod or a rope, for example.

To put it more precisely, the apparatus is primarily characterised in that at least one of the fluid inlet conduit and the fluid outlet conduit comprises a guide for a cleaning hose, wherein the guiding element is attached with the guide.

Some advantageous embodiments are defined in the dependent claims.

Some advantages may be achieved by the present invention. The guide makes it easier to direct the hose from the cleaning inlet conduit into the outlet conduit, wherein the water stream from the hose may be more effective compared to situations in which the hose remains in incorrect direction compared to the direction of a conduit leading sewage or other liquid away via the sewage outlet.

Description of the Drawings

In the following the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the appended drawings, in which

Figure 1 illustrates a part of a sewage system, in accordance with an embodiment;

Figure 2 illustrates a cross section of a reservoir which may be used in the sewage system of Figure 1, in accordance with an embodiment;

Figure 3a illustrates as a simplified, cross sectional view of the reservoir, in accordance with a first embodiment;

Figure 3b illustrates as a simplified, cross sectional view of the reservoir, in accordance with a second embodiment;

Figure 3c illustrates as a simplified, cross sectional view of the reservoir, in accordance with a third embodiment;

Figure 3d illustrates as a simplified, cross sectional view of the reservoir, in accordance with a fourth embodiment;

Figures 4a and 4b illustrate the operation of the ball check valve in the reservoir of Figure 3a; and

Figures 4c and 4d illustrate the operation of the ball check valve in the reservoir of Figure 3b.

Detailed Description of the Invention

Figure 1 illustrates an example of a part of a fluid conduit system 1. The fluid conduit system comprises a network of conduits 2, which may be used to collect fluid such as sewage, rain water etc. and lead it to further processing. The system 1 may also comprise reservoirs 3 such as inspection wells for temporally collecting fluid. Fluid may flow from the network of conduits into the reservoir 3 via a fluid inlet conduit 3a and when the level of fluid in the reservoir 3 rises above a certain level i.e. the level of a fluid outlet conduit 3b, fluid begins to flow to the fluid outlet conduit 3b. Fluid from the fluid outlet conduit 3b may be led e.g. via a municipal fluid conduit network to a fluid treatment plan (not shown). Arrows in Figure 1 illustrate the direction of flows of fluids in the fluid conduit system 1, in accordance with an embodiment.

The reservoir 3 of the example of Figure 2a comprises inspection inlets 4a, 4b which may be used to inspect the reservoir 3 and to provide cleaning water or other fluid into the fluid inlet conduit 3a and/or the fluid outlet conduit 3b. In accordance with this example, both the inspection inlets 4a, 4b comprise a guide 5a, 5b for directing a cleaning hose into the fluid inlet conduit 3a or the fluid outlet conduit 3b. The reservoir may also comprise a lid 3c.

In accordance with an embodiment, the reservoir 3 may not have any inspection inlets 4a, 4b.

The reservoir 3 also comprises a ball check valve 11, which may also be called as a ball non-return valve. The ball check valve 11 comprises a ball 12, which is adapted for preventing fluid in the reservoir 3 flowing back into the fluid inlet conduit 3a. backwards flow of fluid. The ball check valve 11 may also comprise a cage 13, in which the ball 12 may move, substantially in vertical direction, as is illustrated with arrow 14 in Figures 2a and 3a—3d. The ball 12 is attached with a guiding element 15, which is adapted to keep the ball 15 in the same horizontal alignment with respect to the walls of the fluid inlet 3d above the ball 12. In other words, the guiding element 15 should prevent the ball 12 from rotating in vertical direction i.e. around a virtual horizontal axle of the ball 12. This will be explained in more detail later in this specification.

Figures 3a—4e illustrate some example implementations of the guiding element 15. In the examples of Figures 3a and 3b the fluid inlet conduit 3a is not provided with an inspection inlet 4b, but the fluid inlet conduit 3a has a curved fluid inlet 3d. In the examples of Figures 3c and 3d the fluid inlet conduit 3a is provided with an inspection inlet 4b so that the inspection inlet 4b comes up from the fluid inlet 3d.

In Figure 3a the guiding element 15 comprises a cord which is attached at the top of the ball 12. The other end of the cord is attached with a wall of the fluid inlet conduit 3a so that the cord is substantially vertical when the ball 12 is in the cage 13.

In Figure 3c the guiding element 15 comprises a rod which is attached at the top of the ball 12. The rod is directed through a hole 16 in the wall of the fluid inlet conduit 3a so that the rod is substantially vertical when the ball 12 is located in the cage 13 and the rod is able to move upwards and downwards when the ball 12 moves upwards or downwards, respectively. The clearance between the through-hole 16 and the rod need not be sealed because in normal usage situations the level of fluid in the reservoir 3 should not rise above the through-hole 16, and if that would happen, the leakage through the clearance to the fluid inlet conduit 3a would not be very significant.

The rod may have a stopper 15a to prevent the rod falling too low especially when the ball check valve 11 does not have the cage 13 to limit movements of the ball 12. It may also be possible to provide another support (not shown) for the rod so that the rod has at least two support points which prevent the rod from tilting in a vertical direction. This arrangement may also assure that the ball 12 does not substantially move horizontally but only vertically, wherein the cage 13 may not be needed.

The example embodiments of Figures 3b and 3d mainly correspond with the example embodiments of Figures 3a and 3c, respectively, with the exception that the fluid inlet conduit 3a also has a guide 5b for guiding a cleaning hose (not shown) into the fluid inlet conduit 3a when the fluid inlet conduit 3a is to be cleaned. In the example of Figure 3c the cord is not attached with the wall of the fluid inlet conduit 3a but with the guide 5b. In the example of Figure 3c the rod is only directed through the guide 5b. However, the guide 5b and/or the location of the through-hole in the guide 5b would be selected so that the rod shall not prevent using the guide 5b to direct a cleaning hose into the fluid inlet conduit 3a.

In the following the operation of the ball check valve 11 is described in more detail with reference to Figures 4a and 4b. Sewage, rain water and/or other fluids flowing in the fluid inlet conduit 3a exits the fluid inlet conduit 3a via the fluid inlet 3d and enters the reservoir 3. This is illustrated with arrows 19a in Figure 4a. When the level 18 of fluid in the reservoir 3 rises above the level of a fluid outlet conduit 3b, fluid should begin to flow to the fluid outlet conduit 3b. This is illustrated with the arrow 19b. However, it may happen that the fluid outlet conduit 3b or some other part of the fluid conduit system 1 becomes more or less blocked decreasing a flow rate or even totally preventing fluid flowing in the fluid outlet conduit 3b. The reason for such blockage may be, for example, impurities flowing within fluid and attaching to the walls of the fluid outlet conduit 3b. Hence, the fluid level in the reservoir 3 may rise and reach the level where the ball 12 of the ball check valve 11 is normally laying. The density of the ball 12 is smaller than the density of the fluid, wherein the ball 12 begins to rise in the cage 13. The guiding element 15 maintains the position of the ball 12 such that the seam 17 of the ball 12 remains substantially in the same horizontal position with respect to the fluid level. Therefore, if the fluid level 18 in the reservoir 3 rises so high that the ball 12 reaches the fluid inlet 3d, the seam 17 is in a correct position and does not weaken the sealing between the ball 12 and the fluid inlet 3d (Figure 4b). This means that the ball 12 closes the fluid inlet 3d totally or almost totally, wherein flow of fluid from the fluid inlet conduit 3a to the reservoir 3 is totally or almost totally prevented until the fluid level 18 drops below the level where the ball 12 again begins to move downwards.

In the example embodiment of Figures 3a and 3c the guiding element 15 is a rope which may not be very stiff, wherein the ball 12 may be able to slightly rotate vertically. However, the length of the movement of the ball 12 in the cage 13 may be quite small with respect to the length of the rope, wherein the rope would be able to restrict the vertical rotation of the ball 12 within such limits which are sufficient to prevent the seam 17 of the ball 12 from moving to an unfavourable position with respect to the fluid inlet 3d.

In the example embodiment of Figures 3b and 3d the guiding element 15 is a rod which is quite stiff. Hence, the ball 12 may not be able to rotate vertically at all thus the ball 12 should maintain the position in which the seam 17 of the ball 12 is in a favourable position with respect to the fluid inlet 3d.

The present invention is not solely limited to the above described embodiments but may be adapted within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

An apparatus for a fluid conduit network (1) comprising a fluid inlet (3a), a fluid outlet (3b), a ball valve in connection with a fluid inlet (3a), and a control element (15) mounted on a ball of a ball valve (11) Vertical rotation (12), characterized in that at least either the fluid inlet valve (3a) or the fluid outlet valve (3b) comprises a guide (5a, 5b) for the cleaning hose, to which the control element (15) is mounted.

Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the control element (15) comprises one of the following: rope; rail.

Apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that the ball (12) comprises a connecting seam (17).