Valves and valve actuation – With material guide or restrictor
Reexamination Certificate
2000-08-14
2001-09-04
Fox, John (Department: 3753)
Valves and valve actuation
With material guide or restrictor
C137S861000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06283442
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF INVENTION
The present invention relates to a distribution unit to enable a single trap seal primer valve to serve several sewer line water traps.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Trap seal primer valves are used for charging water into sewer line water traps to prevent the escape of sewer gases. Under normal conditions, the level of water in sewer line traps decreases through evaporation by about one-eighth of an inch for each twenty-four hour period. Accordingly, most municipal plumbing and sanitary codes require that means be provided for supplying water to the traps automatically or periodically to assure that the trap water level will be sufficiently high to render the trap operative and functional at all times.
To supply water to the traps automatically, it is usual to connect the trap to the house water line through a priming valve that is actuated by variations in pressure in the house line and acts to charge the trap with water upon each fluctuation of pressure in the house line.
A single trap seal primer can serve multiple sewer trap lines. There have been systems that include manifolds that require precise leveling in order to uniformly distribute water to a plurality of water conduits plumbed, for example, to floor drain traps. These systems include channeled water stream splitters that attempt to divide a water stream exiting from a trap seal primer. There have been problems with maintaining flow to all of the conduits because of the shape of the water stream exiting the trap seal primer valve, the amount of leveling needed in some of the prior systems, and from irregular shaped components of the prior systems. What is needed is a distribution system that will uniformly divide water from a trap seal primer valve into two, three, or four equal parts independent of leveling or line pressure fluctuations.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention meets the above-described need by providing a distribution unit capable of providing charges of water to two, three, or four sewer trap lines depending on the initial setting of the unit. The distribution unit comprises two main components. First, a lid for splitting the water from the trap seal primer valve has a cylindrical chamber having male pipe thread connections on the outside for attachment to a trap seal primer valve. The chamber is disposed substantially perpendicular from a disc-shaped member at the opposite end. The end of the chamber includes a first opening disposed inside an end surface having a seal ring formed therein. Inside the chamber, the first opening leads to four uniform inlet orifices that flow into four gravity channels inside the chamber that are directed at ninety degree opposite downward directions. The gravity channels terminate in exit orifices positioned at the opposite end of the lid.
The lid also has four apertures disposed about the perimeter of the disc-shaped member to prevent the backflow from reaching the potable water supply. Also, the lid has three apertures for removably attaching the lid to the distribution body by inserting fasteners that connect the lid to the distribution body in three alternate positions.
The distribution body is the second main component of the distribution unit, and the distribution body is preferably molded from plastic with four insert-molded brass nipple plumbing connections. Each of the plumbing connections can be connected to a separate sewer trap line for distribution of the water charges to the trap lines. The distribution body is substantially cylindrical and preferably has four openings on one end for attachment of the nipples.
The opposite end of the body is open and forms a cylindrical open chamber. A set of dividing walls divide the open chamber into quadrants. The dividing walls are capable of aligning with the exit orifices on the lid such that individual dividing walls can prevent the flow of water from the exit orifices into the body of the distribution unit. An indicator mark on the top rim of the body provides a guide for positioning the lid on the distribution body in one of three positions. The settings for the distribution unit indicate whether the lid is set up for two, three, or four trap lines. The position of the lid determines the number of quadrants that can be fed with water. When the lid is rotated, the dividing walls move in an out of alignment with the exit orifices on the lid such that at some points of rotation some of the orifices are open and some are blocked.
In operation, when water is received by the distribution unit from the trap seal primer valve, a momentary pressure rise occurs in the opening in the chamber. The water is uniformly divided into the four gravity channels due to the highly uniform inlet orifices at the top of the chamber. If a channel is positioned over a dividing wall, the flow is prevented from entering the distribution body through that channel.
The present invention offers several advantages including eliminating the need for conduit systems that require precise leveling in order for a single trap primer valve to serve several sewer trap lines. Also, the distribution unit is compact and therefore easier to install.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3323540 (1967-06-01), Holton
patent: 3863675 (1975-02-01), Wiltshire
patent: 4549567 (1985-10-01), Horton
Fox John
Hodgson & Russ LLP
MIFAB, Inc.
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