Liquid purification or separation – With alarm – indicator – register – recorder – signal or... – Position or extent of motion
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-19
2001-02-06
Drodge, Joseph W. (Department: 1723)
Liquid purification or separation
With alarm, indicator, register, recorder, signal or...
Position or extent of motion
C210S137000, C210S198100, C422S264000, C422S277000, C422S278000, C137S268000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06183630
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of Invention
This invention is generally aimed at chlorinators for aerobic waste treatment systems. More specifically, this invention is a chlorinator for an aerobic waste treatment system that allows the associated wastewater flow to contact all sides of at least one of the chlorine tablets held by the chlorinator, that includes a mechanism which ensures that the chlorine tablets slide and do not become lodged therein even after substantial use, and that is selective as to which type of wastewater is chlorinated thereby saving resources.
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 which 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 wastewater 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 wastewater flow would be enhanced and increased if the wastewater 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 wastewater 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 which 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 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.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the objects of my invention is to provide, inter alia, a chlorinator for aerobic waste treatment systems that:
allows the associated wastewater flow to contact all sides of at least one of the chlorine tablets held by the chlorinator;
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 as previously noted which 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 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 waste stream and the plurality of chlorine tablets so that the waste 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. The waste stream comprises septic wastewater, which originates from toilet systems, and grey 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 grey 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.
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
Drodge Joseph W.
Keeling Law Firm
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