FR2801987A1 - PROTECTION DEVICE AGAINST THE ENTRY OF WATER IN AN APPARATUS COMPRISING A VENT AND PLACED IN A UNDERGROUND TANK - Google Patents

Abstract

Device for protection against the ingress of water into an apparatus (2) comprising a vent (15), and in particular a gas regulator, said device being intended to be buried in the ground and comprising a tank (1) containing the device (2) and its vent (15), the lower part of said tank (1) being in contact with the ground and the upper part of said tank (1) being closed by a cover (3) allowing access to the tank (1). The tank (1) comprises a duct comprising an opening (18) located inside the tank (1) at a distance from the bottom of the tank (1). If the water rises inside the tank (1), said opening (18) is blocked by water, which creates in the tank (1) a tightly closed volume of air which thwarts the rise of water to a higher level. The vent (15) of said device (2) communicating with this closed volume, the water will not be able to rise inside the vent.

Description

The invention relates to a device for protection against the ingress of water.

  in an apparatus comprising a vent, in particular a gas regulator, placed in a

  tank closed by a cover and intended to be buried.

  We already know buried tanks containing such devices. This kind of

  tank is generally equipped with an air vent.

  In addition, the bottom of these tanks has at least one drain hole so that the water which has seeped into the tank can flow into the drained area.

  0 surrounding the lower part of the tank.

  Thus, in the event of water rising through the drain hole or water infiltration by the vent, it is possible that water enters the device through its vent.

  breathing and thus affects its functioning.

  Patent application FR-2 727 773 describes gas pressure regulators

  housed in buried boxes and fitted with an anti-ventilation system

  flooding to prevent water entering the regulator. The vent thus has an extension which has an open volume downwards.

  intended to prevent the rise of water in the vent.

  However, this anti-invasion system cannot be applied to large regulators, because the volume necessary to prevent the rise of water in

  the vent would then be too great to be able to be integrated into the regulator.

  The object of the invention is to provide a device for protection against the ingress of water from an appliance fitted with a vent, which can be used for all appliances whatever their size, and which does not require equipment these devices of a

  integrated anti-invasion system.

  According to the invention, the device, intended to be buried in the ground, comprises a tank containing the apparatus and its vent, the upper part of said tank being closed by a cover allowing access to the tank, and the lower part of

  said tank being in contact with the ground.

  The tank has a duct having an opening located inside the

  tank, at a distance from the bottom of said tank.

  If the water rises inside the tank, the opening of the duct is closed by water, so as to produce in said tank a closed volume of air of

waterproof way.

  The existence of this closed air volume inside the tank counteracts the rise of water from the level of the opening of the duct thanks to the pressure exerted

io by air.

  As the vent of the appliance communicates with this closed volume, the water will not be able to rise inside the vent, if this vent is located high enough in the tank. According to a first embodiment of the invention, the conduit is a tube

passing through the tank.

  According to a second embodiment, the conduit is a channel integrated into the

structure of the tank.

  According to a third embodiment, the conduit is a bell placed at

inside the tank.

  A first variant of these different embodiments consists in closing the tank by a sealed cover mounted in a sealed manner on said tank, the venting of the tank being ensured by the conduit, which communicates

with the outside of the tank.

  This duct may include, in its upper part, an extension which

  opens to the outside of the tank.

  In order to avoid the entry into the tank of undesirable elements, the device can have the following characteristics: - the upper end of the duct or its extension can be located above the level of the cover; - the upper part of the duct or its extension can be bent

  downwards or covered by a protective cover.

  According to a second variant of these different embodiments, the duct does not communicate with the outside of the tank, but communicates with the vent

of the device.

  lo In this case, the venting of the tank is done either by the cover, which is not leaktight or is mounted on said tank in a non-leaktight manner, or by a vent tube connecting the inside and outside of the tank

  but not communicating with the conduit.

  In addition, the device described by the invention provides for providing the duct with a screen or a respiratory membrane placed at its opening towards

the bottom.

  Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear clearly on

  reading of the description which follows with reference to the drawings appended in

  which: - Figure 1 is a sectional view perpendicular to the ground surface showing the device according to the invention positioned in the ground; Figure 2a is a sectional view of a first variant of a first embodiment of the invention; - Figure 2b is a sectional view of a second variant of a first embodiment of the invention; Figure 3 is a sectional view of a third variant of a first embodiment of the invention; - Figure 4a is a sectional view of a first variant of a second embodiment of the invention; - Figure 4b is a sectional view of a second variant of a second embodiment of the invention; - Figure 5 is a sectional view of a third variant of a second embodiment of the invention; - Figure 6 is a sectional view of a first variant of a third embodiment of the invention; - Figure 7 is a sectional view of a second variant of a third embodiment of the invention; - Figure 8 is a top view of a bell can be placed at

inside the tank.

  With reference to FIG. 1, the device according to the invention comprises a sealed tank 1 containing an appliance 2 such as a gas regulator, the upper part of this tank 1 being closed by a cover 3 allowing access

  said device 2, in particular for maintenance.

  This tank 1 is placed at the bottom of a hole 4 made in the ground, closed by a pad 5 comprising at least one orifice 6 which allows inside the hole 4 to

communicate with the atmosphere.

  The tank 1 comprises means of communication with the hole 4, so that

  the interior volume of the tank 1 is at atmospheric pressure.

  The hole 4 is surrounded by a first layer 7 which can be made of earth, gravel, or any other finishing material. Under this first layer 7 can be located

a second layer 8 of concrete.

  The upper part of the tank 1 is surrounded by a channel 9 which collects the water which can infiltrate through the orifices 6 of the tampon 5. This water is evacuated by tubes 10 placed in feet 11 for holding the tank 1 and flows through openings 12 located in these feet 11 to a layer 13 of soil

drained.

  In addition, the tank 1 has on its bottom at least one drain hole 14

  allowing the evacuation of the water which could be present in the tank 1.

  The device 2 placed in the tank 1 is provided with a breathing vent 15 opening out inside the tank 1. In this way, the device 2 is connected to a volume at atmospheric pressure, which is a necessary condition of good

  operation for pressure regulators.

  We will now describe the different embodiments of the device

  to protect the device 2 against water ingress through its vent 15.

  According to a first embodiment, shown in FIGS. 2a, 2b and 3, the tank 1 comprises a tube 16, the connection between the tube 16 and the tank 1 being made in leaktight manner. This tube 16 has inside the tank 1 an opening 18, located inside the tank 1 at a certain distance D from the bottom

tank 1.

  In a first variant of this embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 2a, the tube 16 is passed through the flange 17 of the tank 1 and opens into the hole 4, outside of the tank 1. L the upper end 19 of the tube 16 is located above the level of the cover 3 in order to guarantee the venting of the interior volume of the tank 1 even in the event of sand, gravel or the like being deposited at the level of the cover 3. To achieve this same objective, it is also possible to bend downward the upper part of the tube 16 or

  cover it with a protective cover.

  The tank 1 is closed by a sealed cover 3 and mounted in a sealed manner on the said tank 1, so that the communication between the inside and the outside of the tank 1 takes place only through the tube 16, the free volume serving otherwise

  regulator 2 breathing capacity.

  If water enters through the drain hole 14 of the tank 1, the water will rise to level D corresponding to the opening 18 of the tube 16. The opening 18 will then be closed with water, so that the interior volume of the tank 1 will no longer be connected to the atmosphere. The cover 3 of the tank 1 being sealed and mounted on the tank 1 in a sealed manner, a closed volume will have been produced at

inside the tank 1.

  The pressure forces exerted by the air occupying the closed volume inside the tank 1 will counter the rise of the water to a height greater than D. We will call H the height of the tube 16 inside the tank 1, as shown in Figure 2a. When the water level reaches level D, the pressure inside the tank 1 is PH, equal to atmospheric pressure, and the volume of air closed at

the interior of the tank 1 is VH.

  The water will then continue to rise outside the tank 1, until reaching a level 41 located at a distance L above the level D of the opening 18 of the

tube 16.

  Inside the tank 1, the water will rise to a level located at a

  distance h from the opening 18 of the tube 16.

  The pressure and the volume of the air inside the tank 1 will then be respectively Ph and Vh, Ph being such that Ph = PH + L x 0.1 with the pressures

expressed in bars and L in meters.

  The conservation of the product PxV leads to Ph Vh = PH VH, hence:

(PH + L x 0.1) Vh = PH X VH.

  We call S the area of the lower surface of the volume of air closed inside the tank 1 when the water is at level D + h. If we assume that S is constant over the entire height of tank 1 (case of a cylindrical tank for example), we obtain: (PH + Lx 0.1) x S x (Hh) = PH XSXH EnsimplifierparS, undreduced: h = H [1 - PH / (PH + LX 0.1)] Using the following numerical values: - PH = 1 bar (atmospheric pressure) - H = 0.3 m (height of the tube); - L = 1 m (water height outside the tank);

we get h = 2.7 cm.

  The existence of the closed air volume inside the tank 1 will therefore very significantly limit the rise of the water inside the tank above the

  level D of the opening 18 of the tube 16.

  This device, which can be installed on a standard tank, is suitable for all regulators, including large regulators, for example of type B and C for a flow rate of 30 to 80 m3 / h. These regulators no longer need to be fitted with an anti-flooding system. In fact, it suffices that the breathing vent 15 of the regulator is situated above the level D + h. By placing the opening 18 of the tube 16 as close as possible to the bottom of the tank 1, by

  example at a distance of 10 mm, this condition is always fulfilled.

  FIG. 2b represents a second variant of this first embodiment.

  The tube 16 opens to the outside of the tank 1 above the ground level 42.

  Preferably, the upper end 19 of the tube 16 is bent downwards or

  covered with a protective cover 40.

  It is through this tube 16 that the interior volume is vented

  of tank 1 in normal operation.

  The tank 1 is closed by a tight cover 3 and mounted in a sealed manner on the said tank 1, so that when the water rises inside the tank 1, up to a level D, the opening 18 of the tube 16 being closed, there is inside the tank 1 a volume of closed air which counteracts the rise of the water to a higher level. This facade vent configuration is more particularly used in case

  location of tank 1 in an area at high risk of rising water.

  FIG. 3 represents a third variant of this first embodiment.

  In this case, the tube 16 does not communicate with the outside of the tank 1. For example, the upper end 19 of the tube 16 can be closed by a

plug 20.

  The venting of the interior volume of the tank 1 is ensured by the cover 3, which is not waterproof or which is not mounted in a sealed manner on

tank 1.

  It is also possible to add a vent tube 29 connecting

  the inside and outside of the tank 1 but not communicating with the tube 16.

  Inside the tank 1, the tube 16 communicates with the breathing vent 15 of the device 2. This can be done for example by a flexible hose 21 connecting

  the vent 15 of the device 2 to a connector 22 present on the tube 16.

  If water enters through the purge hole 14 of the tank 1, the water will rise to level D corresponding to the opening 18 of the tube 16. The opening 18 will then be closed with water, and thus the assembly formed by the apparatus 2, its

  vent 15, the hose 21 and the tube 16 will constitute a closed volume.

  The rise of the water inside the tank 1 will therefore be stopped from this level D, due to the pressure forces exerted by the air occupying the closed volume inside the assembly formed by l device 2, its vent 15, the hose

21 and tube 16.

  This device is applicable, on a standard tank, to all types of small devices not equipped with an integrated anti-invasion system, in particular to

  regulators working at flow rates between 6 and 30 m3 / h.

  A second embodiment of the invention consists in forming a channel 23 in the structure of the tank 1, as shown in FIGS. 4a, 4b and 5. This channel 23 forms an area inside the tank 1 which has at least three openings 18, 24, 25. A first opening 18 is located in the lower part of the channel 23, at a certain distance D from the bottom of the tank 1, and is generally oriented downwards. A second opening 24 is located at the upper end of the channel 23 and opens into the hole 4 outside the tank 1. A third opening 25 is made in the lateral part of the channel

23 inside the tank 1.

  Figure 4a shows a first variant of this second embodiment

of the invention.

  The tank 1 is closed by a sealed cover 3 and mounted in a sealed manner on said tank 1, so that the communication between the inside and the outside of the

  tank 1 is carried out only through channel 23.

  In this variant, the opening 24 of the channel 23 which communicates with the hole 4 outside of the tank 1 makes it possible to connect the inside of the tank 1 to atmospheric pressure. Preferably, the channel 23 is equipped at this level.

  opening 24 of an extension 26 which opens to the outside of said tank 1.

  This extension 26 can be bent downwards to prevent any

  penetration of undesirable products inside the tank 1.

  The third opening 25 is closed, for example by a plug 27.

  Thus, in the same way as in the case of FIG. 2a, when the water rises from the bottom of the tank 1 and reaches the level D, there is no longer any communication

  between the inside and the outside of the tank 1.

  The interior of the tank 1 thus constitutes a closed volume which counteracts the rise

  water at a higher level. Any device 2 whose vent 15 is located above

  above the level (D + h) will therefore be protected from water ingress.

  This variant is ideal for large devices. A second variant of this second embodiment is shown on

Figure 4b.

  The tank 1 is, in this variant, closed by a sealed cover 3 and mounted

  sealingly on said tank 1.

  The opening 24 of the channel 23 towards the outside of the tank is closed, for example

by a plug 28.

  Said channel 23 has a fourth opening 43, located on the side wall

tank 1.

  A tube 44, the lower end of which communicates with the channel 23 through the opening 43 of the said channel 23, and the upper end 45 of which opens out of the tank 1, above ground level 42, allows the update

  the atmosphere of the interior volume of the tank 1.

  The upper end 45 of the tube 44 can be bent downwards or covered by a protective cover 40, in order to prevent the entry of undesirable elements.

in tube 44.

  This configuration, used mainly in areas with a high risk of rising water, has a similar function to that of the configuration

of Figure 2b.

  FIG. 5 shows a third variant of the second embodiment of the invention. In this case, the opening 24 of the channel 23 towards the outside of the tank is closed,

for example by a plug 28.

  The venting of the interior volume of the tank 1 is ensured by the cover 3, which is not waterproof or which is not mounted in a sealed manner on

tank 1.

  A tank vent tube 29 can be added to this device, putting the interior and exterior of the tank 1 in communication but not communicating with the channel 23. If deposits, for example of sand, disturb the venting of the tank 1 by means of the cover 3, this vent tube 29

  ensures the constant atmosphere in the interior of the tank 1.

  The third opening 25 of the channel 23 is equipped with a connector 30 making it possible to put the vent 15 of the device 2 in communication with the channel 23, by

  example by means of a flexible hose 21.

  The operation of this variant of the invention is identical to that of the variant shown in FIG. 3. Once the level D reached by the water, the lower opening 18 of the channel 23 is closed, and the closed volume constituted by the assembly formed by the device 2, its vent 15, the hose 21 and the channel 23

  thwarts rising water to a higher level.

  This device is also applicable to all types of small appliances not

  equipped with an integrated anti-invasion system.

  A third embodiment of the invention is shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. An additional bell 31 is placed inside the tank 1, through the flange 17. This bell 31 is held by a nut 32, and two seals 33

  seal at the connection.

  Preferably, the shape of the bell 31 matches the inside profile of the tank 1 of

  to minimize clutter, as shown in Figure 8.

  This bell 31 has at least three openings 18, 34, 35. A first opening 18 is located in the lower part of said bell 31, at a certain distance from the bottom of the tank 1, and is oriented downwards. A second opening 34 is located at the upper end of the bell 31 and opens into the hole 4 outside of the tank 1. A third opening 35

  is made in the lateral part of the bell 31 inside the tank 1.

  The advantage of using this bell 31 is that it can be adapted to a tank 1

standard already installed.

  According to a first variant of this embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 6, the tank 1 is closed by a tight cover 3 and mounted so

watertight on said tank 1.

  The upper opening 34 of the bell 31 makes it possible to connect the interior of the tank i to atmospheric pressure. Preferably, the bell 31 is equipped at this opening 34 with an extension 26 which opens to the outside of said tank 1. This extension 26 can be bent downwards to

  prevent any unwanted products from entering the tank 1.

  The third opening 35 is closed, for example by a plug 36.

  Thus, in the same way as in the case of FIG. 2, when the water rises from the bottom of the tank 1 and reaches the level D, the interior of the tank 1 constitutes a closed volume which counteracts the rise of the at a higher level, thus protecting any device 2 whose vent 15 is located above level D. According to a second variant, shown in FIG. 7, the opening 34 of the bell 31 towards the outside of tank 1 is closed, for example by a

cap 37.

  The interior volume of the tank 1 is brought to the atmosphere by the cover 3, which is not waterproof or which is not mounted in a sealed manner on the tank 1. As previously, it is possible to add a vent tube to guarantee constant communication with the hole 4, itself at atmospheric pressure. The third opening 35 of the bell 31 is equipped with a connector 38 making it possible to put the vent 15 of the device 2 in communication with the

  bell 31, for example by means of a hose 21.

  As for the devices of FIGS. 3 and 5, once the level D has been reached by the water, the lower opening 18 of the bell 31 is closed, and the closed volume constituted by the assembly formed by the apparatus 2, its vent 15, the hose 21 and the

  bell 31 prevents the water from rising to a higher level.

  To improve the performance of the device, whatever its embodiments, the duct can be fitted with a screen or a respiratory membrane, at its opening 18 downwards, this in order to avoid any

  rise of insects in the duct.

Claims (13)

  1. Device for protection against the entry of water into an appliance (2) comprising a vent (15), and in particular in a gas regulator, said device being intended to be buried in the ground and comprising a tank (1 ) containing the device (2) and its vent (15), the lower part of said tank (1) being in contact with the ground and the upper part of said tank (1) being closed by a cover (3) allowing the access to the tank (1), characterized in that the tank (1) comprises a conduit (16, 23, 31) I0 comprising an opening (18), located inside the tank (1), at a distance from the bottom of the tank (1), said opening (18) being capable of being closed by water if the water rises inside the tank (1), so as to be produced in the tank (1) a volume of air tightly closed, the vent   (15) of said device (2) communicating with this closed volume.   2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the conduit is a   tube (16) passing through the tank (1).   3. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the conduit is a   channel (23) integrated into the structure of the tank (1).   4. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the conduit is a   bell (31) placed inside the tank (1).   5. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that   that the cover (3) is sealed and mounted in a sealed manner on the tank (1) and in that the duct (16, 23, 31) communicates in its upper part with the outside of the tank (1).   6. Device according to claim 5, characterized in that the duct (16, 23, 31) has in its upper part an extension (26) which opens out to the outside of the tank (1).   7. Device according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the upper end of the conduit (16, 23, 31) or its extension (26) is located   above the level of the cover (3).   8. Device according to any one of claims 5 to 7, characterized in that   that the upper end of the duct (16, 23, 31) or its extension   (26) is located above ground level.   9. Device according to any one of claims 5 to 8, characterized in that the upper part of the duct (16, 23, 31) or its extension (26)   is bent downwards or covered by a protective cover.   10. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that   that the duct (16, 23, 31) does not communicate with the outside of the tank (1), and in that the duct (16, 23, 31) is in communication with the vent (15) of the device (2).   11. Device according to claim 10, characterized in that the cover (3) of the tank (1) is not leaktight or is not leaktightly mounted on said tank (1).   12. Device according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that the tank (1) comprises a vent tube (29) connecting the interior and the exterior of the tank (1) but not communicating with the leads (16, 23, 31).   13. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in   that the duct (16, 23, 31) has a mesh or a membrane   respiratory placed at its opening (18) downwards.