GB2306523A - Bottle trap - Google Patents

Abstract

A bottle trap comprises a chamber 52 having an inlet 54, an outlet 56 and a substantially right-angled outlet tube 58 which extends downwardly into the liquid layer 62 within the chamber 52 and then opens laterally so that liquid can flow laterally outwards.

Description

WASTE LIQUID DISPOSAL This invention relates to waste liquid disposal and more specifically but not exclusively to a method and apparatus for urine disposal. More specifically still, the invention provides a trap adapted for use in a urinal system, and a particular aspect of the invention is concerned with a method and apparatus for retro-fitting urinal traps to existing standard waterflushed urinal systems.

Existing urinal systems are generally of one or the other of two general kinds, namely the waterflushed system and the waterless system. This present invention is concerned with providing a method and apparatus whereby water-flushed urinal systems may be converted to waterless urinal systems, and of course the method and apparatus is applicable to the provision of such systems as original equipment.

Water-flushed urinal systems are currently very widely used in the United Kingdom and Fig 2 of the accompanying drawings shows a trap as commonly used in such apparatus, the trap comprising a chamber 10, an inlet connector 12, an outlet connector 14 and an inlet tube 16.

In use as a conventional water flush device, the trap of Fig 2 suffers from the shortcoming that the lower portion 18 of chamber 10 is filled with diluted urine and water 20 up to the level 22 of the "weir" 24 constituted by the lowest point of outlet connector 14, and although inlet tube 16 dips below level 22 so as to seal inlet connector 12 from outlet connector 14, nevertheless urine odours pass upwards at 26 from the column of urine and water 28 within inlet tube 16 and thus are communicated directly to the urinal bowl (not shown) and thus to the surrounding atmosphere.

In short, urinals tend to be smelly, and this is only somewhat ameliorated by the intermittent flushing of the system with water. Moreover, the water flushing arrangement is unacceptably costly in terms of water consumption and also leads to significant practical problems in terms of deposition of scale on the pipe work, arising from chemical interaction between the urine, calcium and other salts in the water used for flushing purposes. There is in fact a great need for a waterless urinal system.

Waterless urinal systems have been known (as indeed the well-known manufacture of such systems states) for 100 years. An example of a urinal trap used in such a system is shown in Fig 1, see also DE B-28 16 597. The trap 30 of Fig 1 is conventionally installed in a moulded plastic urinal bowl as the central urine outlet thereof, instead of being utilised as a separate trap of the kind shown in Fig 2 which, in the UK, is conventionally fitted below and outside the urinal bowl and connected thereto by a short length of pipe. The reason for this difference in fitting and location of the urinal trap will become apparent from the following discussion, and arises from the general construction and pipe work layout of the trap.

Thus, trap 30 in Fig 1 comprises an upwardlyopening chamber 32 (shown largely cut away for purposes of illustration) which is mounted in the base of a urinal bowl and this receives urine at 34 from all directions. The urine forms a urine layer at 36, and a barrier fluid layer 38 is provided above it, this consisting of a sweetly smelling liquid which is of a specific gravity such that it floats on and forms a discrete layer above urine.

The outlet arrangements for trap 30 of Fig 1 are as follows. There is provided a urine outlet 40 which is connected to an upwardly-tapering outlet tube 42 having an upper edge 44 which defines a "weir" over which the urine passes for downward disposal through outlet 40. It will be noted that the hydraulic arrangement is such that the urine layer 36 extends upwardly at 46 to weir 44 by virtue of a downwardlyextending outer outlet tube 48 mounted centrally of the whole assembly.

Thus, in use, urine 34 enters trap 30 and sinks through the barrier fluid layer 38 and enters and adds to the urine layer 36 and passes upwards at 46 and over weir 44 and inwardly and then downwards via urine outlet 40 for disposal to drain.

The positive aspects of the above-described prior art system include the waterless operational characteristic, the odourless (or fragrant) characteristic arising from the barrier fluid layer 38, and the ability to manufacture the trap in a moulded plastics material.

However, the negative aspects of the abovedescribed trap include its inherent large diameter arising from the co-axial arrangement of outlet tubes 42 and 48, the consequential inability of the device to meet the requirements of existing British Standards relating to pipe diameters and clearances (requiring ability to permit the passage of size-defining balls of a prescribed diameter), and the inability of this trap to meet the need for a retro-fittable construction adapted for use in existing water-flushed urinal systems, and for conversion of same to a waterless system.

An object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus adapted to meet one or more of the requirements identified above and/or to overcome one or more of the shortcomings of the prior art as likewise identified above and/or to provide improvements generally.

According to the invention there is provided a method and apparatus for urine disposal, as defined in the accompanying claims.

In an embodiment of the invention described below a urine trap comprises an outlet tube adapted to open downwards into a layer of urine in the trap so that the urine can flow upwards in the outlet tube towards the outlet. In the embodiment, the outlet is disposed so that the urine can flow outwardly to the outlet rather than inwardly thereto (as in the prior art discussed above in relation to Fig 1) whereby, for example, the outlet can be merely provided as a conventional tube connector at the side or top of the urine trap. Accordingly, the urine trap can be readily retro-fitted to existing apparatus and urinal systems.Moreover, the disclosed trap system enables the use of a barrier fluid which is retained and floats above the urine layer and communicates directly with the urinal bowl so as to seal odours therefrom while permitting its own (optionally fragrant) odour to be communicated thereto. Moreover, also, these advantages are achieved without the need for any water flushing system, so that the cost penalties of such a system, and other penalties are likewise avoided.

In its broader aspects, the invention provides a urine trap in which the feed to the "weir" at the outlet connection is via an outlet tube opening downwardly into the urine layer, so that barrier fluid floating on the urine layer never enters the outlet and is effectively maintained in a sealed condition therefrom so that it is not lost. Urine passes through the barrier layer by virtue of its higher specific gravity. Fragrance from the barrier layer passes to the urinal bowl.

The invention is also applicable to other situations in which there is a need for a more positive odour-seal with respect to a liquid disposal conduit system. Thus, for example, in a conventional drain system involving the disposal of odorous liquids, the arrangements described above in relation to the disposal of urine may be readily adapted to such other liquids according to need. A certain amount of modification of dimensions and relative volumes may be needed to accommodate differences in rates of flow of liquid into and out of the system in such a case.

It has come to the applicant's attention that a urinal trap which may be designated as the Hepworth CB 31 may have been previously used and therefore this application takes account of this possibility in accordance with the following.

The general structure and arrangement of the CB 31 trap may be seen from Figs 3 and 3A of this application, and details of the construction are described below in the portion of the specific description dealing with Figs 3 and 3A. This present portion of the general description deals with the broad questions of the technical relationship between the CB 31 trap and the present invention.

In general terms, the position is that the CB 31 trap, though having some structural similarities to the Fig 3 embodiment of the present invention is not intended to nor is it capable of operating so that barrier fluid largely remains in the chamber of the trap during use, and is not flushed out during use.

The CB 31 trap is believed to be intended for use in a conventional manner as a liquid seal not utilising barrier fluid, and merely represents a moderately convenient way of constructing a urinal trap in which a generally central divider plate in the chamber replaces the known urine inlet tube of a trap of the kind shown in Fig 2. This arrangement operates, so far as use in a non barrier-fluid utilising system, generally similarly to the Fig 2 prior art trap. In other words, the trap merely provides a barrier water seal between the urinal bowl and the waste disposal pipe, this barrier preventing the free flow of gases through the trap.

Tests have shown that if the CB 31 trap is used with barrier fluid and subjected to the normal maximum input rate of urine for a conventional trap, then the result is that substantially all the barrier fluid is lost in a relatively short time, and this is due to the manner in which the CB 31 trap is constructed, and the consequential effects on its performance in the dynamics of the situation in which urine enters the trap at the normal maximum rate and tends to cause the barrier fluid to tend to be carried downwards from its floating top layer location, into the lower layer of urine. In other words, due to dimensional configuration, the flow or droplets of urine entering the top layer of barrier fluid tend to carry down with them droplets or globules of barrier fluid simply as a result of the dynamic effect of the inflow of urine.

Clearly, this is a situation where the effect will depend upon the rate of inflow of urine and this will normally be subject to a maximum which cannot be substantially exceeded in the case where the trap is fed by a single urinal bowl.

I have established that in the above-described situation the main and most relevant factor influencing the mechanism of barrier fluid loss into the outlet tube is the tendency for the entrained globules of barrier fluid to tend to be located and to remain in the region of the walls of the chamber and the division plate in particular, both in their downward travel under the impact of incoming droplets of urine, and also in their subsequent upward travel after escape from the urine, and under the influence of their own buoyancy. In other words, the barrier fluid tends to pass up and down in the two-liquid system, in the region of the walls of the chamber and dividing plate in particular.Therefore, in the case of the CB 31 trap shown in Fig 3A there are three substantial areas within the cross-sectional profile of the trap shown in Fig 3A in which the submerging and ascending droplets of barrier fluid will run a risk of passing to the other side of the dividing partition and thus entering the outlet tube of the trap and being lost. These are the areas designated by broken lines in Fig 3A, and they represent more than half of the cross-sectional area of the inlet side of the trap, and this clearly accounts for the loss of barrier fluid encountered in the tests mentioned above.

Accordingly, and in accordance with certain aspects of the present invention, there is provided in the embodiments of the present invention described below the feature that the outlet tube is located relative to the chamber so as to have, in use, a barrier fluid return zone extending around at least a substantial proportion of the periphery of the outlet tube. This proportion may, for example, be upwardly from 60 per cent of the periphery of the outlet tube.

It will be noted that the proportion of the outlet side of the chamber cross-section seen in Fig 3A which has barrier fluid in contact with it (ie approximately the diameter of the chamber) is about 40 per cent, or slightly less.

Preferably, in the embodiments of the invention, the barrier fluid return zone wholly surrounds the outlet tube, as indeed is seen in Fig 3 and in Fig 3B.

Fig 3B also shows an option in which the outlet tube may contact the side wall of the chamber without very substantially altering the performance of the apparatus. Of course, in the embodiment of Fig 5, the inlet and outlet tubes are substantially spaced apart and no question of transfer of barrier fluid droplets or globules arises.

It will be understood that the barrier fluid return zone is the relatively narrow zone around the chamber walls in which the barrier fluid droplets or globules can effect their initial downward and subsequent upward movement notwithstanding the dynamic effect of inflowing urine. By providing for such a zone around at least a substantial proportion of the periphery of the urine outlet tube, the embodiments of the invention enable these barrier fluid droplets to execute this movement within the chamber and without a substantial risk of entering the outlet tube itself, and thus being lost to drain.

The reason for the tendency for the barrier fluid droplets or globules to remain within the so-called return zone around the chamber walls is believed to be related to surface tension effects and possibly ionic effects, but it is a matter of experimental observation likewise, which is not dependent upon theoretical explanations.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Fig 1 shows a sectioned perspective view of prior art apparatus as already described above; Fig 2 shows a vertical section through prior art apparatus, as likewise discussed above, showing a urine trap for a conventional water-flushed urinal system; Fig 3 shows, in a view similar to that of Fig 2, a first embodiment of the invention in the form of a trap for connection to a urinal bowl and to a urine disposal pipe; Figs 3A and 3B show cross-sectional views through two modifications of Fig 3, these sections being taken on the line indicated in Fig 3 at 3A, B - 3A, B.

Fig 4 shows an elevation view of a urinal bowl; and Fig 5 shows a section through the urinal bowl and related urine disposal system of Fig 4, the section being taken on the line V-V in Fig 4.

Figs 1 and 2 will not be discussed in detail further as they have already been discussed above.

As shown in Fig 3, a urinal trap 50 comprises a chamber 52, a urine inlet 54, a urine outlet 56, and an outlet tube 58.

Trap 50 is of a moulded plastics construction using conventional plastics materials corresponding very closely with those of existing traps of the kind shown in Fig 2. Thus, chamber 52 is of bottle-form, and inlet 54 and outlet 56 comprise standard threaded couplings of conventional format, so far as concerns their mode of coupling to existing pipe work. It can be seen from a comparison of Figs 2 and 3 that the traps of these two figures are directly interchangeable in a given urinal system, and thus the trap 50 of Fig 3 can be retro-fitted to such a system.

In accordance with the teaching of the present invention, in the embodiment of Fig 3, the outlet 56 for trap 50 comprises an outlet tube 58 which opens, at 60 downwardly into the layer 62 of urine therein, and below the layer 64 of barrier fluid which floats thereon.

Thus, trap 50 of Fig 3 differs from the trap of Fig 2 in that the outlet 56 is fluid-tightly sealed and coupled to outlet tube 58, instead of merely opening (as indicated at 24 in Fig 2) into the corresponding chamber 52 (or 10).

Accordingly, the barrier fluid 64 in Fig 3 is effectively trapped within chamber 52 above the urine layer 62 and cannot enter the outlet tube 58 and pass through outlet 56 because it is maintained in its indicated position by its floating relationship to the urine layer 62.

In use, the fragrant odour from barrier fluid 64 passes upwardly at 66 to urine inlet 54, and thence to the urinal bowl. The odour from urine layer 62 is trapped and can only escape downstream via the pipe void, at 68, via outlet 56. It will be understood that outlet tube 58 is full of urine up to level 70 due to the hydraulic equalisation of liquid levels within the trap, and the fact that the barrier fluid 64 is introduced into the trap via inlet 54 and thus can never reach the inner side of outlet 58.

Other details of the construction of trap 50 largely correspond to those of the prior art trap 10, including the detailed construction and threading of the coupling nuts 72, 74 and the two-part construction of chamber 52 comprising a threaded coupling construction 76, and other details which will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

In the embodiment of Figs 4 and 5, urinal bowl 80 is a similar model urinal bowl which may be connected to a visually hidden trap 50 of Fig 3, where it is acceptable to mount the trap externally of the urinal bowl. However, in this embodiment, the trap arrangement is as shown in Fig 5 and comprises a trap 82 mounted largely within a lower portion of urinal bowl 80 and connected by a coupling 84 to the urine outlet 86 of the bowl.

Trap 82 operates on the principles described above in relation to Fig 3 and is located in a space at the rear side of urinal bowl 80 where a conventional trap (operating on the principles of Fig 2) has been located, and occupies substantially the same space and couples to the system in substantially the same way.

As can be seen in Fig 5, trap 82 comprises an outlet tube 88 forming part of the outlet 90 of trap 82 and coupled by pipe work 92 to a urine disposal system.

It will be understood that the urine outlet 86 of urinal bowl 80 merely provides direct coupling between the bowl and trap 82. There is provided within trap 82 a layer 94 of barrier fluid, which floats above the urine layer 96, as in the embodiment of Fig 3.

Likewise, as in Fig 3, urine from the urine layer 96 rises within outlet tube 88 until it reaches the level of "weir" 98, and then is discharged via pipe work 92. It will be understood that barrier layer 94 rises within coupling 84 to the same level, and thus its level is close to that of urine outlet 86 of bowl 80, and thus, again, provides a fragrant (if so chosen) aroma.

In this embodiment, trap 82 is a low profile modification of the trap of Fig 3, but is of generally of similar construction. Due to its horizontal as opposed to upright attitude, the dimensions of the barrier fluid layer are somewhat larger, and the inlet and outlet connections are both on the same side of the trap, but otherwise, it operates in substantially the same way.

It will be understood from this embodiment that the particular height of the outlet and the "weir" or level at which the urine changes direction and flows outwardly instead of upwardly, is of no particular significance in relation to the construction of the trap itself. In this embodiment that level is entirely outside the trap whereas in the embodiment of Fig 3 that level is within the height of the trap.

The consequence of this difference has significance mainly in relation to the height to which the barrier fluid layer rises.

It will be understood that various modifications can be made within the above embodiments while remaining within the scope of the invention as defined by the claims. Thus, for example, the outlet tube or pipe does not need to be vertically disposed but merely needs to extend generally downwardly into the urine layer, with its opening below the surface of that layer, in use. As to the change of direction of flow of the urine when it reaches the "weir" or level at which it is discharged through the outlet into the connecting pipe work, the initial direction of flow, outwards, will generally be approximately horizontal, but departures from this can be accommodated according to the general layout of the system.

Turning now to Figs 3A and 3B of the drawings, these show sections through urinal bowl apparatus which can be conveniently described by reference to the section lines indicated at 3A, B - 3A, B in Fig 3.

Fig 3A shows a modification of the apparatus of Fig 3 which is representative of the Hepworth CB 31 trap discussed at some length above.

In accordance with this modification, the outlet tube 58 is modified so as to include as one of its main faces an approximately central divider wall 100 having a lower edge at approximately 102 and which is profiled at 104 at its upper end to join the horizontal portion 106 of the urine outlet tube.

In Fig 3A, the view from below shows the urine inlet 54 and the dotted lines 108, 110 and 112 represent the approximate extents of barrier fluid return zones which are either overlapping with or sufficiently close to the portion 114 of chamber 54 which represents the outlet tube itself, so that barrier fluid droplets run the risk of being lost.

It can now been seen that in Fig 3, the barrier fluid return zone 116 extends all around the outlet tube 58, and this arrangement is shown in Fig 3 for a practical embodiment in which the outlet tube is not concentric with the chamber 52. Fig 3B also shows the more limiting case where the outlet tube 58A is shown close to or touching the wall of chamber 52.

Claims (23)

1 A method of urine disposal comprising a) providing trap means comprising a chamber, a urine inlet and a urine outlet disposed so that fluid in said chamber provides a barrier to odour passage from said outlet to said inlet while allowing urine to pass through; b) providing fluid in said chamber, including a barrier fluid adapted to float as a layer on a layer of urine therein; c) said outlet comprising an outlet tube adapted to open downwards into said layer of urine, and located relative to said chamber, so as to have in use a barrier fluid return zone extending around at least a substantial proportion of its periphery; d) causing said urine to flow upwards in said outlet tube through said barrier fluid layer towards said outlet; characterised by e) causing said urine then to flow outwardly to said outlet and not inwardly thereto.

2 A method of urine disposal characterised by providing a trap in which an outlet tube opens downwards into a layer of urine, and causing urine to flow up said outlet tube to an outlet, characterised by causing the urine to flow outwardly to said outlet.

3 A method according to claim 1 characterised by the step of connecting said urine outlet of said trap means to the urine outlet of a urinal bowl by pipe or duct means so that said urine flows downwards through said pipe or duct into said trap from said bowl.

4 A method according to claim 3 characterised by said pipe or duct means extending downwardly into said chamber and having its outlet adapted to open into said chamber above said barrier fluid layer, said method comprising allowing odours from said barrier fluid to pass upwardly through said duct to said bowl, and allowing urine to pass downwardly therethrough to sink through said barrier layer.

5 A method of urine disposal according to any one of claims 1 to 4 characterised by providing said outlet tube at a location entirely laterally spaced (Fig 5) with respect to the direction of urine downflow into said chamber, from said urine inlet, whereby said barrier fluid return zone lies laterally between said inlet and said outlet.

6 A method of urine disposal according to any one of claims 1 to 4 characterised by providing said barrier fluid return zone so as to extend around at least about 60 per cent of the periphery of said outlet tube.

7 A method of urine disposal according to any one of claims 1 to 4 characterised by providing said barrier fluid return zone so as to wholly surround said periphery of said outlet tube.

8 A method of urine disposal according to any one of the preceding claims characterised by providing said urine inlet, in use, at a location above said outlet tube, and said barrier fluid return zone being defined between said outlet tube and the surrounding periphery of said chamber, and the ratio of areas of said chamber and said outlet tube (taken in a common plane extending transverse to said outlet tube) lies in the range of from 2 to 15 to 1, preferably between 5 and 10 to 1 and still more preferably between 7 and 9 to 1.

9 A method of urine disposal substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.

10 A method of waste liquid disposal comprising a method according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said waste liquid corresponds to said urine, and said urine inlet and urine outlet and urinal and urinal bowl correspond to inlets and outlets for said waste liquid, and supply means for same accordingly.

11 Apparatus for urine disposal comprising a) trap means comprising a chamber, a urine inlet and a urine outlet disposed so that fluid in said chamber provides a barrier to odour passage from said outlet to said inlet while allowing urine to pass through; b) said chamber being adapted to receive a barrier fluid which is itself adapted to float as a layer on a layer of urine therein; c) said outlet comprising an outlet tube adapted to open downwards into said layer of urine, said outlet tube being located relative to said chamber so as to have, in use, a barrier fluid return zone extending around at least a substantial proportion of its periphery; d) whereby said urine, in use, flows upwards in said outlet tube through said barrier fluid layer towards said outlet;; characterised by e) the arrangement being such that said urine is caused to flow outwardly to said outlet from said outlet tube, and not inwardly therefrom.

12 Apparatus for urine disposal comprising trap means in which an outlet tube is adapted to open downwardly into a layer of urine therein, the arrangement being such that urine flowing upwardly through said outlet tube passes outwardly therefrom to the outlet of said trap and not inwardly thereto.

13 Apparatus according to claim 7 or claim 8 characterised by said urine inlet of said trap being adapted to be connected to the urine outlet of a urinal bowl by pipe or duct means so that urine flows downwardly through said pipe or duct means into said trap from said bowl.

14 Apparatus according to claim 13 characterised by said pipe or duct means extending downwardly into said chamber and having its outlet therein adapted to open into said chamber above said barrier fluid layer so that odours from said barrier fluid may pass upwardly through said duct to said urinal bowl while urine passes downwardly therethrough to enter said chamber and sink through said barrier layer.

15 Apparatus according to any one of claims 11 to 14 characterised by said apparatus being in the form of a urine trap for a standard urinal and having inlet and outlet connections adapted to connect directly to standard inlet and outlet connections in a urinal system.

16 Apparatus according to any one of claims 11 to 15 characterised by providing said outlet tube at a location entirely laterally-spaced (Fig 5), with respect to the direction of urine downy low into said chamber from said urine inlet, whereby said barrier fluid return zone lies laterally between said inlet and said outlet.

17 Apparatus according to any one of claims 11 to 16 characterised by said barrier fluid return zone extending around at least about 60 per cent of the periphery of said outlet tube.

18 Apparatus for urine disposal according to any one of claims 11 to 16 characterised by said barrier fluid return zone wholly surrounding said periphery of said outlet tube.

19 Apparatus for urine disposal according to any one of claims 11 to 18 characterised by said urine inlet being located in use above said outlet tube and said barrier fluid return zone being defined between said outlet tube and the surrounding periphery of said chamber, and the ratio of the cross sectional areas of said chamber and said tube, taken in a common plane transverse to said tube lying in the range from 2 to 1 to 15 to 1 and preferably between 5 to 1 and 10 to 1, and still more preferably between 7 to 1 and 9 to 1.

20 Urinal disposal apparatus substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.

21 A urinal trap substantially as described herein and as shown in Fig 3 or Fig 3 b or Fig 5 of the accompanying drawings.

22 Apparatus for waste liquid disposal according to any one of claims 11 to 21 wherein said waste liquid corresponds to said urine and said urinal and urinal bowl corresponds to supply means for said waste liquid.

23 A urine trap comprising a downwardly opening urine outlet dip tube from which urine can escape without passing into an outlet pipe contained within said dip tube.