Patent Application
20220280988
This invention relates to hazardous material containment systems, including spill containment systems for heavy equipment.
Facilities that store hazardous materials are required to ensure that federal and state level standards are met with regards to the containment of the materials. In some instances, the hazardous materials are contained within trucks or other types of heavy equipment (e.g., fuel trucks). These trucks are typically parked for extended periods of time at facilities and precautions must be taken to ensure that hazardous liquids that may leak from such trucks are contained and do not contaminate the soil and water in the area beneath the trucks.
For example, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) both require compliance to strict regulations for such storage systems.
In these instances, containment systems may be placed beneath the trucks or heavy equipment to catch hazardous materials that may spill from the trucks. The containment systems typically comprise a base plate with side walls to contain the spilled fluids. However, the containment systems currently available are typically constructed of plastic that often spring leaks thereby allowing the hazardous materials to escape. Other types of containment systems require assembly once the truck is parked thereby increasing time and cost of use.
Accordingly, there is a need for a spill containment system that is not prone to leaks and that enables a truck or other heavy equipment to drive onto the system without the need for assembly.
Other objects, features, and characteristics of the present invention as well as the methods of operation and functions of the related elements of structure, and the combination of parts and economies of manufacture, will become more apparent upon consideration of the following description and the appended claims with reference to the accompanying drawings, all of which form a part of this specification. None of the drawings are to scale unless specifically stated otherwise.
In general, the system and method according to exemplary embodiments hereof includes a spill containment system 10. In some embodiments, the spill containment system 10 is used in conjunction with heavy equipment such as fuel trucks, oil filled equipment, truck washing decks, or any other equipment that may leak hazardous liquids. The system 10 generally includes a base plate upon which the equipment may rest, and side walls to contain any liquid that may leak from the equipment onto the base plate. In some embodiments, the system includes a novel drive-over portion allowing trucks to drive onto the system directly. The system includes other aspects and elements as will be described herein.
In one exemplary embodiment hereof as shown in
As shown in
While the perimeter of the base assembly 100 is depicted as being generally rectangular in shape (e.g., as having a rectangular footprint), it is understood that the assembly 100 may be formed in any suitable shape or any suitable combination of shapes.
In some embodiments, the base assembly 100 is formed of metal such as steel or other suitable metal(s), but it is understood that the base assembly 100 may be formed using other materials such as wood, plastic, composite materials, other materials, and any combinations thereof.
In some embodiments, the bottom 110 of the assembly 100 comprises a steel plate (e.g., 0.25″ thick steel), and the left 102, right 104, front 106, and back walls 108 may be formed using rectangular steel tubing (e.g., 2″×6″ rectangular tubing) welded or otherwise secured at the perimeter of the bottom 110 and on the topside surface 112. It is preferable that the walls extend about the bottom's entire perimeter and be attached to the topside surface 112 in a watertight configuration. In this way, the inner perimeter of the inner volume 114 is sealed. Being made of metal, any leaks that develop may be sealed using welding or other similar techniques. In this way, any liquid that spills into the inner volume 114 is held within the inner volume 114 until purposely removed. In some embodiments, the assembly 100 is designed to hold up to 100,000 lbs. without losing its physical integrity.
In some embodiments as shown in
As shown in
In some embodiments, θ1 is about 90°-170° with θ2 and θ3 equaling about 5°-45°. In a preferred embodiment, θ1 is about 150°-170° and θ2 and θ3 are each about 5°-15°, and more preferably, θ1 is about 160° and θ2 and θ3 are each about 10°. It is understood that the angles θ1, θ2, and θ3 may be formed at any suitable angles and that the scope of the system 10 is not limited in any way by the angles θ1, θ2, and θ3.
In some embodiments as shown in
In some embodiments, the drive-over device 200 is integrated with (e.g., formed over) the front 106 wall of the base assembly 100. For example, the top edge of the front ramp 202 may be secured to the top of the base's front wall 106 (e.g., to the forward top corner of the front wall 106) with the ramp 202 extending downward and outward from the front wall 106 in a forward direction (away from the base assembly 100). Similarly, the top edge of the back ramp 204 may be secured to the base's front wall 106 (e.g., to the inner top corner of the front wall 106) with the ramp 204 extending downward and backward from the front wall 106 and into the inner volume 114. It may be preferable that the bottom edges of the front and back ramps 202, 204 terminate at horizontal levels generally equal to the level of the base assembly's bottom 110. In this way, the system 10 as a whole may include a generally flat bottom 110 from end-to-end and side-to-side.
In some embodiments, the front ramp 202 and the back ramp 204 of
In other embodiments, the front ramp 202, the top 210, and the back ramp 204 of
In any of the embodiments of the drive-over device 200, the front ramp 202 may be referred to as an upward extending ramp given that it generally extends upward from left to right as shown in
In any of the embodiments, the left side wall 102 and the right side wall 104 towards the front 106 of the system 10 are formed to correspond to the downward angle θ3 of the back ramp 204 such that the forward portions of the side walls 102, 104 may mate (e.g., abut) with the back ramp 204 as shown in
In some embodiments, the drive-over device 200 includes vertical supports 212 that provide vertical support to the front and back ramps 202, 204, and/or the top 210 (when included). In some embodiments, the supports 212 include metal plates (e.g., 0.25″ thick metal plates) formed to generally match the side cross-sectional shape of the drive-over device 200. For example, as shown in
In some embodiments as shown in
In some embodiments as shown in
It is understood that the examples described above are meant for demonstration and that the drive-over device 200 may include other types of vertical supports to support the front and back ramps 202, 204, and the top 210 (when included), such as, without limitation, vertical beams, and other types of supports. It also is understood that while the vertical supports 212 are shows as generally aligned parallel with one another, the supports 212 may be arranged in any orientations. It also is understood that any number of supports 212 may be used at any spacings and/or locations.
In some embodiments, the vertical supports 212 are secured to the underneath sides of the front and back ramps 202, 204, and to the underneath side of the top 210 (when included) by welding, bolts, other attachment mechanisms and/or methods, and any combinations thereof.
In some embodiments as shown in
In some embodiments as shown in
In other embodiments as shown in
In some embodiments, the system 10 may include a second drive-over device 200 configured with its back 108. It is understood that all of the descriptions of all of the embodiments provided herein pertaining to a drive-over device 200 configured with the front 106 of the base assembly 200 also may pertain to a drive-over device 200 configured with the back 108 of the base assembly 200, and to avoid duplicity, the descriptions need not be repeated here.
In some embodiments as shown in
In some embodiments, the containment system 10 may be about 20′ long and about 8′ wide. In other embodiments, the containment system 10 may be about 48′ long. It is understood that the system 10 may be designed using any dimensions as necessary to provide the functionalities described herein to any type of equipment or fluid storage devices.
In Use
In one example, the spill containment system 10 is used to contain possible leakage of hazardous materials from fuel trucks. In this example, a fuel truck may drive onto and over the drive-over device 200 from the front and enter into the system's inner volume 114. Once entirely positioned within the system's inner volume 114, the truck may be parked and left. Because the truck may be positioned completely within the inner volume 114 of the containment system 10, any fluid or other debris that spills from the truck will be caught by the system 10 and held until purposely removed. In this way, the system 10 prevent the hazardous liquid from reaching the ground and polluting the soil and water beneath the truck.
In a second example, if the intent is to store a trailer within the containment system 10 while removing the towing vehicle, the truck may enter the containment system as described above, disconnect itself from the trailer portion (with the trailer portion fully contained within the inner volume 114), and drive out the back 108 of the system 10. In this example, it may be preferable that the back 108 also be configured with a drive-over device 200 so that the truck may drive over the device 200 when exiting the containment system 10.
It is understood that the examples provided above are meant for demonstration and are non-limiting.
It is understood that any aspect or element of any embodiment of the system 10 described herein may be combined with any other aspect or element of any other embodiment to form additional embodiments all of which are within the scope of the system 10.
Where a process is described herein, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the process may operate without any user intervention. In another embodiment, the process includes some human intervention (e.g., a step is performed by or with the assistance of a human).
As used in this description, the term “portion” means some or all. So, for example, “A portion of X” may include some of “X” or all of “X”. In the context of a conversation, the term “portion” means some or all of the conversation.
As used herein, including in the claims, the phrase “at least some” means “one or more,” and includes the case of only one. Thus, e.g., the phrase “at least some ABCs” means “one or more ABCs,” and includes the case of only one ABC.
As used herein, including in the claims, the phrase “based on” means “based in part on” or “based, at least in part, on,” and is not exclusive. Thus, e.g., the phrase “based on factor X” means “based in part on factor X” or “based, at least in part, on factor X.” Unless specifically stated by use of the word “only,” the phrase “based on X” does not mean “based only on X.”
As used herein, including in the claims, the phrase “using” means “using at least,” and is not exclusive. Thus, e.g., the phrase “using X” means “using at least X.” Unless specifically stated by use of the word “only”, the phrase “using X” does not mean “using only X.”
In general, as used herein, including in the claims, unless the word “only” is specifically used in a phrase, it should not be read into that phrase.
As used herein, including in the claims, the phrase “distinct” means “at least partially distinct.” Unless specifically stated, distinct does not mean fully distinct. Thus, e.g., the phrase, “X is distinct from Y” means that “X is at least partially distinct from Y,” and does not mean that “X is fully distinct from Y.” Thus, as used herein, including in the claims, the phrase “X is distinct from Y” means that X differs from Y in at least some way.
As used herein, including in the claims, a list may include only one item, and, unless otherwise stated, a list of multiple items need not be ordered in any particular manner. A list may include duplicate items. For example, as used herein, the phrase “a list of XYZs” may include one or more “XYZs”.
It should be appreciated that the words “first” and “second” in the description and claims are used to distinguish or identify, and not to show a serial or numerical limitation. Similarly, the use of letter or numerical labels (such as “(a)”, “(b)”, and the like) are used to help distinguish and/or identify, and not to show any serial or numerical limitation or ordering.
No ordering is implied by any of the labeled boxes in any of the flow diagrams unless specifically shown and stated. When disconnected boxes are shown in a diagram, the activities associated with those boxes may be performed in any order, including fully or partially in parallel.
While the invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiments, but on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63158287 | Mar 2021 | US |
