Liquid purification or separation – With means to add treating material
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-18
2001-09-25
Drodge, Joseph W. (Department: 1723)
Liquid purification or separation
With means to add treating material
C210S091000, C422S264000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06294086
ABSTRACT:
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
Not applicable.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of Invention
This invention is generally aimed at chlorinators. More specifically, this invention is a chlorinator for fluid in an aerobic waste treatment system, swimming pool, or similar system having a contained flowing fluid requiring chlorination. The invention allows the associated fluid flow to contact all sides of at least one of the chlorine tablets held by the chlorinator, that includes a chlorine supply mechanism which ensures that the chlorine tablets slide and do not become lodged therein even after substantial use. The chlorinator has a sensor that detects and activates an alarm when the chlorine supply reaches below a pre-determined level.
2. Related Art
Chlorinators are known to the prior art. Illustrative of such chlorinators are U.S. Pat. No. 4,100,073 issued to Hopcroft on Jul. 11, 1978; U.S. Pat. No. 4,210,624 issued to Price on Jul. 1, 1980; U.S. Pat. No. 4,584,106 issued to Held on Apr. 22, 1986; U.S. Pat. No. 5,207,896 issued to Graves on May 4, 1993; U.S. Pat. No. 5,350,512 issued to Tang on Sep. 27, 1994; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,405,540 issued to Tang on Apr. 11, 1995.
Typical prior art chlorinators include a cylinder portion that holds a plurality of chlorine tablets. Normally, the lowermost chlorine tablet is the chlorine tablet that primarily actively treats the wastewater. The lowermost tablet usually rests on the lowermost end of the cylinder portion, which lowermost end typically has no openings therethrough. Because the lowermost end of the cylinder portion of a prior art chlorinator typically has no openings therethrough, the lowermost tablet does not come into contact with the water flow on its underside, namely the surface of the chlorine tablet that abuts the lowermost end of the cylinder portion. The treatment and chlorination of the water flow would be enhanced and increased if the water flow would come into contact with all sides of at least one of the chlorine tablets, namely the lowermost chlorine tablet. Therefore, it would be beneficial to the prior art to provide a chlorinator that allows the associated water flow to contact all sides of at least one of the chlorine tablets held by the chlorinator.
In many prior art chlorinators, the chlorine tablets become lodged to the inside surface of the cylinder portion, preventing the proper operation of the chlorinator. It is important that the chlorine tablets slide and do not stick inside the cylinder portion of the chlorinator. This is important not only when the chlorine tablets are initially inserted, but also as the lowermost tablet dissolves allowing the other tablets to slide down by gravity towards the lowermost end of the cylinder portion. The prior art would therefore benefit from a chlorinator that includes a mechanism that ensures that the chlorine tablets slide and do not get stuck to the inside surface of the cylinder portion even after substantial use. It would be further beneficial to the prior art if such mechanism does not react with the chlorine tablets thereby enabling the chlorine tablets to retain their relevant treatment properties.
Prior art chlorinators for wastewater treatment typically also treat all of the waste that flows through the attached waste stream. However, under current laws and regulations, not all of the waste flowing through waste streams needs to be chlorinated. Generally speaking, the waste transported within waste streams typically comprises septic wastewater and gray wastewater. Septic wastewater is defined as waste that originates from toilet systems and as a result of toilet flushes. Gray wastewater comprises all other wastes originating somewhere other than from toilet systems. Under current laws and regulations, only septic wastewater needs to be treated by a chlorinator and chlorine tablets. Therefore, in order to conserve resources and increase the life of the chlorine tablets, it would be beneficial to the prior art to provide a chlorinator that is selective as to which type of wastewater is chlorinated. Furthermore, the prior art would benefit from a chlorinator that selectively treats septic wastewater but does not treat gray wastewater.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the objects of my invention is to provide, inter alia, a chlorinator for liquid fluid treatment systems that:
allows the associated fluid flow to contact all sides of at least one of the chlorine tablets held by the chlorinator;
includes a sensor for detecting when the chlorine supply drops below a pre-determined level, thus activating an alarm upon such detection;
includes a mechanism which ensures that the chlorine tablets slide and do not get lodged to the inside surface of the cylinder portion even after substantial use;
includes a mechanism that does not react with the chlorine tablets thereby enabling the chlorine tablets to retain their relevant treatment properties;
is selective as to which type of wastewater is chlorinated; and
selectively treats septic wastewater but does not treat gray wastewater.
Other objects of my invention will become evident throughout the reading of this application.
My invention is a chlorinator for water and wastewater, including aerobic waste treatment systems, that is in functional attachment with a waste stream and that includes a plurality of chlorine tablets therein. The chlorinator includes a cylinder portion that has a plurality of openings therethrough providing fluid communication between the water stream and the plurality of chlorine tablets so that the water stream comes into contact with all surfaces of at least one of the chlorine tablets. The cylinder portion of the chlorinator also includes an inner surface which has a coating that is non-reactive with the chlorine tablets and that enables the chlorine tablets to slide thereon.
For wastewater treatment, the waste stream comprises septic wastewater, which originates from toilet systems, and gray wastewater, which originates from somewhere other than toilet systems. The chlorinator also includes a means for selectively treating the septic wastewater with the chlorine tablets and not treating the gray wastewater with the chlorine tablets. In the preferred embodiment, means for selectively treating comprises a passageway that provides fluid communication between the upstream side of the waste stream and the base portion of the chlorinator without directing any of the relevant fluid through the cylinder portion.
For treatment of water such as for a swimming pool, all water passing through the inventive device is treated by chlorination.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3411981 (1968-11-01), Thomas
patent: 3474817 (1969-10-01), Bates et al.
patent: 4100073 (1978-07-01), Hopcroft
patent: 4210624 (1980-07-01), Price
patent: 4584106 (1986-04-01), Held
patent: 4759907 (1988-07-01), Kawolics et al.
patent: 5089127 (1992-02-01), Junker et al.
patent: 5207896 (1993-05-01), Graves
patent: 5350512 (1994-09-01), Tang
patent: 5405540 (1995-04-01), Tang
patent: 5885446 (1999-03-01), McGrew
patent: 5932093 (1999-08-01), Chulick
patent: 6066252 (2000-05-01), Reeves
patent: 6077484 (2000-06-01), Graves
patent: 6183630 (2001-02-01), Reeves
Drodge Joseph W.
Keeling Law Firm
LandOfFree
Chlorinator for aerobic waste treatment systems does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Chlorinator for aerobic waste treatment systems, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Chlorinator for aerobic waste treatment systems will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2453281