Patent Application
20160273666
The present invention relates to waterless urinals and, more particularly, to a mechanical duckbill valve for a waterless urinal cartridges that provides for improved thud flux through the valve when it is open as well as to a mechanical duckbill valve and mechanisms for ensuring proper valve seal.
(2) Description of Related Art
Water is a scarce and diminishing resource in many areas of the world. It is widely recognized that more has to be done to conserve its usage as populations grow and climates change. Water conserving products are becoming more and more important not only for quality of human life but also for sanitary and subsistence reasons.
There have been many water conserving measures taken all over the world in an effort to deal with limited and diminishing resources. Many municipalities have developed rationing plans. Others have invested in waste water recycling treatment and re-use. There have also been many water-conserving products introduced into the marketplace. These products are being more widely used by industry and homeowners as regulations become stricter and the costs of water usage rise.
Non-flushing urinal designs use far less water than traditional urinals, saving up to 40,000 gallons of water per year from a single urinal. Non-flushing urinals are made of three major components: a porcelain urinal, a housing, and a cartridge. The porcelain urinal component is very similar to a traditional urinal. The housing replaces a traditional P-trap which normally would connect a urinal to the building's plumbing. Thus, the housing sits in-line between the building's plumbing and the bottom of the urinal where the drain pipe would normally connect. The cartridge operates as the P-trap and fits in the housing in a sealed air-tight manner, and can be removed for servicing and replacement.
A mechanical trap acts as a seal against gas and odor emanating from the building's waste pipes. Human urine is an aqueous solution of greater than 95% water, with the remaining constituents, in order of decreasing concentration being urea 9.3 g/L, chloride 1.87 g/L, sodium 1.17 g/L, potassium 0.750 creatinine 0.670 g/L, and other dissolved ions, inorganic and organic compounds according to the NASA Contractor Report No. NASA CR-1802, D. F. Putnam, July 1971. The mechanical valve system works in a similar fashion to a duckbill valve—which is a well-known type of elastomeric one way valve—allowing flow of fluid in one direction, while sealing against back flow of both fluid and low pressure gas.
Waterless urinals have a unique requirement that most duckbill valves are not designed to handle; very low pressure back flow of gas. Back pressure is a key part of the mechanism that closes a traditional duckbill valve. Without it, the duckbill may not close. In order to deal with this very low pressure environment, waterless urinal valves, unlike traditional duckbill valves, are equipped with an elongated sealing area. As a user urinates into the urinal, fresh urine enters the valve and forcing the valve to open draining the urine into the building's plumbing, the valve then reseals. It is critical for the valve to both open under this low pressure of flowing urine, and then reseal against gas and odor residing in the building's waste pipes just below.
As the market changes and more and more building owners, maintenance personnel, and other decision makers look to save water, mechanical valves may be installed in existing urinals that still have a flushing mechanism. The flushing mechanism—like a “flushometer” manufactured by Sloan Valve Company (located at 10500 Seymour Avenue, Franklin Park, Ill. 60131, USA)—can then be set to flush on a timed interval basis (rather than for every user)—thus preventing water from being flushed with each time the urinal is used. The mechanical valve provides for sealing of sewer gas, while an occasional flush from the flushometer or cistern helps keep the bowl clean and rinse the pipes. However, this poses a new challenge; the valve must also accommodate the more significant flow of fluid that occurs when a flush occurs—as compared to just urination. Finally, as most of the valves today are made of an elastomer (e.g., molded silicone), over time the valves tend to stiffen and work less efficiently due to repeated exposure to harsh chemicals and liquids from urine to chlorine-based cleaners.
Waterless urinal valve performance is critical for safety and pleasant experience by the end user. Small subtleties in design can have a large effect on functionality. The present invention brings new geometries as well as combines new recipes in creating a better more reliable waterless urinal valve. For the reasons above, a need exists for an improved mechanical valve for a waterless urinal. Such a valve would open easily to allow slow flowing urine through, close with little or no hack pressure, and also handle a higher volume of flow when it is flushed with traditional means or a bucket of water is dumped into the urinal. It is the focus of the present invention to solve these problems and provide the end user an improved mechanical valve for a waterless urinal.
The present invention relates to waterless urinals and, more particularly, to a mechanical duckbill valve for a waterless urinal cartridges that provides for improved fluid flux through the valve when it is open as well as to a mechanical duckbill valve and mechanisms for ensuring proper valve seal.
In a first aspect, the present invention teaches duckbill valve comprising a throat area connected with two substantially parallel sheets forming a sealing area, where at least one of the substantially parallel sheets further comprises a side pleat. When the parallel sheets separate as the valve opens, the side pleat expands, increasing the opening cross-sectional area over that afforded by the parallel sheets alone.
In another aspect, a portion of at least one of the parallel sheets extends beyond the side pleats.
In still another aspect, the side pleat has a profile selected from a group consisting of a convex profile, a concave profile, and a tapered profile.
In yet another aspect, the sheets have ends and where the end of at least one of the sheets is formed convexly with respect to the end of the other sheet.
In a further aspect, the present invention teaches an assembly for containing a duckbill valve, where the assembly comprises a fin for fitting between parallel sheets of a valve and a sleeve portion for connecting with a portion of the fin for retaining the valve therebetween.
In a still further aspect, the fin has a profile selected from a group consisting of a convex profile, a concave profile, and a tapered profile.
In a yet further aspect, the fin further comprises a side extension for attaching with the sleeve portion.
In another aspect, the side extension of the fin has a profile selected from a group consisting of a convex profile, a concave profile, and a tapered profile.
In still another aspect, the assembly further comprises a cap for connecting with the sleeve to retain a portion of a duckbill valve therebetween.
In a further aspect, the assembly further comprises a filter for preventing particulates from entering the valve. The filter may be formed as part of the cap.
In a yet further aspect, the present invention teaches a valve/fin assembly comprising a duckbill valve comprising a throat area connected with two substantially parallel sheets forming a sealing area and a fin for conformingly fitting between the parallel sheets of the valve to provide an improved seal between the sheets and the fin.
In a still further aspect, the sheets have ends and where the end of at least one of the sheets is formed convexly with respect to the end of the other sheet, whereby a middle portion of the convexly formed sheet connects tightly with the fin.
In another aspect, the fin has an end with sides and where the end of the fin is proximate the ends of the sheets, and where at least one of the sides of the end of the fin is formed to conform with the end of the sheet that is formed convexly.
In still another aspect, the valve further comprises a side pleat, whereby when the parallel sheets separate as the valve opens, the side pleat expands, increasing the opening cross-sectional area over that afforded by the parallel sheets alone.
In yet another aspect, the fin further comprises a side extension for fitting with the side pleat of the valve.
In a further aspect, the side pleat of the valve and the side extension of the fin have matching profiles selected from a group consisting of convex profiles, concave profiles, and tapered profiles.
Finally, as can be appreciated by one in the art, the present invention also comprises a method for forming and using the invention described herein.
The objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed descriptions of the various aspects of the invention in conjunction with reference to the following drawings, where:
The present invention relates to waterless urinals and, more particularly, to a mechanical duckbill valve for a waterless urinal cartridges that provides for improved fluid flux through the valve when it is open as well as to a mechanical duckbill valve and mechanisms for ensuring proper valve seal. The following description is presented to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the invention and to incorporate it in the context of particular applications. Various modifications, as well as a variety of uses in different applications will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to a wide range of embodiments. Thus, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments presented, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.
In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a more thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without necessarily being limited to these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form, rather than in detail, in order to avoid obscuring the present invention.
The reader's attention is directed to all papers and documents which are filed concurrently with this specification and which are open to public inspection with this specification, and the contents of all such papers and documents are incorporated herein by reference. All the features disclosed in this specification, (including any accompanying claims, abstract, and drawings) may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is only one example of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.
Furthermore, any element in a claim that does not explicitly state “means for” performing a specified function, or “step for” performing a specific function, is not to be interpreted as a “means” or “step” clause as specified in 35 U.S.C., Section 112, Paragraph 6. In particular, the use of “step of” or “act of” in the claims herein is not intended to invoke the provisions of 35 U.S.C. 112, Paragraph 6.
Please note, if used, the labels left, right, front, back, top, bottom, forward, reverse, clockwise and counter clockwise have been used for convenience purposes only and are not intended to imply any particular fixed direction. Instead, they are used to reflect relative locations and/or directions between various portions of an object.
Before describing the invention in detail, an introduction is provided to provide the reader with a general understanding of the present invention. Finally, specific details of the present invention are provided to give an understanding of the specific aspects.
(1) Introduction
Non-flushing urinals use the least amount of water of any urinal systems, relying on one of two types of a trap to seal out gas and odor, the first is a mechanical trap and the second is a liquid trap with a lighter than wastewater liquid barrier. An example of a prior art mechanical trap is shown in
Thus, the present invention is intended to overcome many of the shortcomings of the mechanical valve or the “valve” trap non-flushing urinal systems whose challenge is to balance sealing, ease of opening, and over-all flow rate. It accomplishes this by adding pleats and a central concentrating area to a waterless urinal valve, and shaping these components in an optimized fashion. The ultimate goal is to allow low “crack pressure” or ease of initial opening, while also having superior sealing. Finally it is also a goal of the present invention to increase flow rate over existing valve technology. Thus, users can, for example, dump a bucket of water or utilize the valve in combination with a traditional flush urinal—set to flush on a timed basis—without fear of slow flow, or sticking valve; both of which would cause flooding when flushed. Specific details of the waterless urinal valve according to the principles of the present invention are provided below.
(2) Specific Details
As noted above, the present invention is directed to an improved duckbill valve for a waterless urinal.
As shown in the side-view illustration of
It should be understood that the side pleats 108 can be formed in any suitable shape. As a non-limiting example, the side pleat 108 has a profile selected from a group consisting, of a convex profile, a concave profile, and a tapered profile. Further, it should be understood that the sheets 110 can be formed in any desired shape. As a non-limiting example, the sheets 110 have ends and the end of at least one of the sheets 110 is formed convexly with respect to the end of the other sheet 110. In another aspect, the sheets 110 are formed to have a convex profile, a concave profile, and a tapered profile.
In use, the side pleats 108 allow the valve 100 to open to a larger overall aperture without the walls of the valve—normally made of a compliant material like silicone or other elastomers—having to stretch. This is important as the act of stretching the material creates resistance to fluid passing through. Thus, the side pleats 108 allow the opening of the valve 100 with less fluid slowing resistance than traditional valves. Additionally, the trough 104 creates a narrow column of fluid—even when only a small amount of fluid is introduced. This works through a simple principle of fluid head pressure—which is increased by allowing the fluid to centralize in a column. The trough 104 comes to a point at its lowest downstream region, creating a point load or concentrating force. This head pressure is focused in a tapering manner to a point creates the ability for the valve to open with only a small amount of liquid present. This is a key for providing low “crack” or opening pressure for the valve.
For further understanding,
As noted above and as illustrated in
As noted herein, the fin 114 and sheets 110 can be formed in any desired shape. As a non-limiting example, the sheets 110 have ends and the end of at least one of the sheets 110 is formed convexly with respect to the end of the other sheet 110, whereby a middle portion 116 of the convexly formed sheet connects tightly with the fin 114. In another aspect, the fin 114 has an end with sides and where the end of the fin 114 is proximate the ends of the sheets 110, and where at least one of the sides of the end of the fin 114 is formed to conform with the end of the sheet 114 that is formed convexly.
In another aspect, an advantage to adding the wedge shaped fin 114 is provided by the adjacent focusing troughs 118 that are formed by the tip 120 of the wedge shaped fin 114. In other words, the tip 120 of the wedge shaped fin 114 extends through the gap 112 and into the trough 104. In doing so, adjacent focusing troughs 118 are formed on each side of the tip 120. The adjacent focusing troughs 118 create a tapered volume inside of the valve 100, its point focusing on the point at which the wedge shaped fin 114 seals the gap 112. By focusing the pressure of the fluid on the focusing troughs 118, the valve 100 has both a low crack pressure and high resistance to as and fluid flowing, backwards through the valve 100 (due to the presence of the wedge shaped fin 114).
For further understanding,
In another aspect, the fin 114 can be formed such that the sides 115 of the fin 114 include, a side extension for fitting within a side pleat of a duckbill valve with a side pleat. The side extension of the fin has a profile selected from a group consisting of a convex profile, a concave profile, and a tapered profile. These side extensions are configured to conform to the shape of the side pleat of the valve. In yet another aspect, the side pleat of the valve and the side extension of the fin 114 have matching profiles selected from a group consisting of convex profiles, concave profiles, and tapered profiles.
As noted above, the wedge shaped fin 114 is formed to be positioned within a duckbill valve 100, such as that depicted in
As described below, the sleeve 124 and valve 100 collectively operate as a waterless urinal cartridge that can be easily positioned within a waterless urinal and replaced. A housing is used to assist attaching the waterless urinal cartridge in place with the waterless urinal. The housing is any suitable mechanism or device that allows a user to easily attach the waterless urinal cartridge with said waterless urinal, a non-limiting example of which is described below.
For example,
For further understanding,
As shown in
A side view of a valve 100 having sheets 110 with tapered pleats 108 is shown in
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/929,131, filed Jan. 20, 2014, titled “Mechanical Valve for Waterless Urinal” and U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/004,152, filed on May 28, 2014, entitled, “Mechanical Valve for a Waterless Urinal.”
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/US2015/012100 | 1/20/2015 | WO | 00 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61929131 | Jan 2014 | US | |
| 62004152 | May 2014 | US |
