AU2005202307A1

AU2005202307A1 - A fluid waste trap assembly

Info

Publication number: AU2005202307A1
Application number: AU2005202307A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Anthony John Gray
Original assignee: ANTHONY GRAY
Current assignee: ANTHONY GRAY
Priority date: 2005-05-30
Filing date: 2005-05-30
Publication date: 2006-12-21

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patent Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT A FLUID WASTE TRAP ASSEMBLY The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me.

A FLUID WASTE TRAP ASSEMBLY FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a fluid waste trap assembly, in particular but not exclusively, to a fluid waste trap assembly for use with a urinal.

BACKGROUND ART OF THE INVENTION Conventionally urinals and the like are provided with waste traps in the form of fluid containing waste traps such as an bend. The fluid, usually waste water, caught in the trap, acts as a barrier between the waste pipe and the appliance itself preventing the escape of smells from the waste pipe back up and through the urinal or the like.

Other types of fluid waste trap exist. These are known as "waterless" waste traps, as the fluid contained therein is not water, but a liquid that has a specific gravity less than the fluid waste that is being disposed of. For example, if the fluid waste is all urine, the liquid sealant will be designed to have a specific gravity less than that of the urine, and thus the liquid sealant will float on the urine to prevent the back flow of any odour into the urinal. In such devices the sealant and urine are contained in a cartridge inserted into the bottom of the urinal bowl and connected to the waste outlet. The cartridge usually has an trap system built inside it and when either the sealant dissipates or the cartridge blocks, the cartridge is disposed of and replaced with a new one. When the cartridge is removed the vacant recess and outlet pipe is exposed to the atmosphere and allows foul air from the building's sewage/waste system to penetrate the room where the urinal is located.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to alleviate the problems thus far described, or at least to provide the public with a useful choice.

STATEMENTS OF THE INVENTION In a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a fluid waste trap assembly for use with a urinal or the like comprising; a pair of co-operating members, the first being an inner member provided with a flange towards its proximal end adapted to overlie a fluid exit rim 6 464qcapspec.o03:CW/jq -3of a urinal or the like, and the second being an outer member provided with a flange towards its proximal end adapted to underlie the rim, each co-operating member being provided with complementary engagement means to enable the members to be connected together and to allow the flanges to grip the rim securely, wherein one of the members is further provided with a non-return valve receiving member located towards the distal end of the assembly.

Such an arrangement alleviates the problem as the removal and replacement of the nonreturn valve now becomes a relatively quick and efficient process, if and when necessary.

In order to prevent the co-operating members from being over tightened it is preferable if the co-operating members are provided with a stop member to prevent them being screwed together beyond a certain point.

Preferably the receiving member is substantially concentric with respect to one or both of the co-operating members. Such an arrangement allows easy insertion/removal of a non-return valve, along the longitudinal axis of a, or the, co-operating member(s).

The diameter of the receiving member may of course, be substantially similar to the diameter of the outer member, thus allowing a non-return valve to be fitted into place prior to subsequently maintaining it in place, by screwing the inner member and outer member together.

Preferably however, the diameter of the receiving member is less than the diameter of the cooperating members, the change in diameter being caused by an intermediate tapering portion linking the receiving member to one of the co-operating members. This enables in principal, the potential insertion of, and the removal of, a non-return valve, without the need to unscrew the co-operating members.

More preferably still, the taper is in the form of a frustum.

In general, the units that fluid waste traps are connected to, for example, a urinal bowl, tend to give off noxious odours themselves. This is because some fluid waste inevitably always tends to cling to the unit even after flushing. In order to deal with this problem, antiseptic/perfumed pellets or blocks are usually placed into the unit.

106464qcapspec.o03:CW/jq However, in a lot of instances, it is impractical to place such a block, pellets or the like directly where needed (as it may cause a blockage). Therefore, with respect to the present invention, it is preferable if the opposing non screw threaded face of the first inner co-operating member is so profiled and adapted as to receive an antiseptic/perfumed odour block or pellets receiving member. Such an arrangement prevents such pellets or blocks clogging up or jamming the non-return valve when they erode or fall apart when the member is fitted into place, as they are now unable to enter the non-return valve.

More preferably still, the profiling and adapting of the face of the first inner member is in the form of one or more radially projecting seats disposed towards the distal end of the first inner member.

Even more preferably still, the seat can accommodate a single biodegradable odour block, directly. The block can be specifically designed for use with this form of the assembly and as such may be protectable in its own right.

More preferably still, the distance separating respective opposing edges of the or each seat is substantially equal to or greater than the distance defining a diameter of the receiving member, thus enabling a non-return valve fitted to the receiving member to be withdrawn from the assembly in a general direction moving from the distal end towards the proximal end of the first inner member.

Preferably the receiving member is provided with a non-return valve, the valve comprising flexible impervious wall members of complementary shapes, disposed in face to face surface contact so that there is no through passage between them in their normal state and resiliently urged into the said normal state, and means holding the said walls spaced from one another at a distal end of the valve to define an inlet for ingress of a liquid and/or gas to the interface of said members whereby in-flowing liquid and/or gas will force said members apart to permit flow between them from the inlet and to the other end of the assembly, whereas liquid and/or gas flow in the opposite direction is prevented by the close surface contact between the members, said non-return valve and non-return valve receiving member being provided with complementary fitment means to enable said members to be connected together.

Of course there are several ways in which the complementary fitment means can be arranged to enable the non-return valve to be connected to the non-return valve receiving member.

106464qcapspec.o03:CW/jq They can be in the form of a "bayonet" fitment, a friction or interference fitment, however, the complementary fitment means are preferably in the form of complementary screw threads.

Preferably the uppermost surface of the fitment means holding said walls spaced from one another are so profiled as to lie flush with the surface of the internal walls of the tapering portion, so as to act as a continuation of the internal wall of the tapering portion when the non-return valve is screwed in place. This ensures that substantially all waste liquid and/or gas entering the assembly is given an opportunity to enter the non-return valve under the action of gravity.

Preferably the receiving member is provided with a further intermediate tapered portion.

More preferably, the further intermediate tapering portion is substantially concentric with respect to the longitudinal axis of the receiving member.

Even more preferably, the further intermediate tapered portion is in the form of a frustum.

Inevitably, over time, the co-operating members may become jammed together, especially if they have been very tightly screwed together in the first place. Preferably, therefore, the first inner member is provided with a grip to aid in its connection/disconnection to the second outer member. Such an arrangement will provide purchase to hopefully overcome any such 'jam'.

In a similar vein it is also preferable if the outer surface of the second outer member is so surface finished as to provide sufficient purchase to an individual's hand to enable the outer member to be tightened or untightened relative to the first inner member.

The assembly can be made from a mixture of materials, for example, metals and plastics materials, or one material for example, a metal or metal alloy, however, preferably the entire assembly is made from plastics material.

The invention includes within its scope a urinal, incorporating an assembly as specified herein.

106464qcap_spec.o3:CW/jq BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be more particularly described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying sheets of drawings wherein: FIGURE 1 shows a sectional view of an assembly illustrating one embodiment of the present invention.

FIGURE 2 shows a sectional view of an assembly illustrating an alternative embodiment of the present invention.

FIGURE 3 shows a sectional view of a male urinal incorporating the assembly as shown in Figure 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Figure 1 illustrates a sectional view of a base portion of a male urinal incorporating one embodiment of a fluid waste trap assembly of the present invention and is generally referenced 1.

The assembly 1, formed entirely of a suitable material such as a plastics material, consists of two generally elongate cylindrical tubes, (03, 04), each having a radially extending cylindrical flange (13, 14) located at its respective proximal end. The tubes 03 and 04 have complementary engagement means and to this end the exterior surface of the inner tube 03, may be provided with a screw thread 15, running substantially the length of the exterior surface of the tube 03, whilst the interior surface towards its distal end, is provided with four inwardly projecting radial seats 12 set at ninety degree intervals from each other about the entire circumferential periphery of the interior surface. Each seat 12, has squared edges, the dimensions of the seat 12, preferably being small relative to the overall diameter of the inner tube 03.

The outer tube 04, is composed of three substantially concentric portions, the first or proximal portion incorporating the flange 14, is of one specific diameter. The last or distal portion consists of two substantially concentric tubes of differing diameters, each being smaller than the diameter of the proximal portion. The two tubes in the distal portion are linked by a tapering portion 17, in the form of a frustum. The larger diameter containing a 646 4qcapspec.o03:CW/jq -7tube, located at the proximal end of the distal portion acts as a non-return valve receiving member. The last of the three portions is an intermediate portion linking the proximal and distal portions together. This intermediate portion is a downwardly depending taper 18, which, like the taper 17, possesses a constantly changing diameter along the longitudinal axis of the tube 04.

The entire exterior surface of the proximal portion of the outer tube 04 can be provided with a knurled surface to enable an individual to establish a firm grip on the tube 04. The entire interior surface of the proximal portion of the outer tube is provided with a screw thread that is complementary to the screw thread 15, of the inner tube 03. If desired the beginning of the intermediate tapering portion 18 acts as a stop member to prevent the inner tube 03 when it is being screwed into the outer tube 04, from progressing beyond a certain point.

The dimensions of the flange 13, of the inner tube 03, are approximately the same as the dimensions of the flange 14, of the outer tube 04, meaning that when these two co-operating members are screwed together, the flange 14, of the outer tube 04, protrudes beyond the flange 13, of the inner tube 03, substantially by the thickness of the inner tube 03.

That part of the interior surface of the distal portion of the outer tube 04, located towards the narrow end of the taper 18, is provided with a screw thread 16, and acts as a non-return valve receiving member.

A non-return valve is provided, including an upper flange 05, which fits into the non-return valve receiving member. The valve 06 comprises flexible impervious walls (08, 09) of complementary shapes disposed in face 07 to face 07a. As these faces are in surface contact there is no through passage between them in their normal state, the walls (08, 09) themselves by design, being resiliently urged into their normal state. The upper flange 05 of the valve 06, that hold the walls (08, 09) apart from one another at a distal end of the valve 06, to define an inlet for ingress of a liquid and/or gas to the interface of the walls. In this particular embodiment the walls (08, 09) are integrally moulded to the outer edges of the valve 06, to form a one piece single-entity component.

The flange 05, of the valve 06, is provided with complementary screw thread 16, to that of the screw thread 16 of the non-return valve receiving member, thus enabling the flange 05 to be screwed into the receiving member. It will be noted that the uppermost surface of the 106464qcapspec.a03:CW/jq outer edges of the flange 05 are so contoured, and possess the same gradient, as the internal c uppermost surfaces of the taper 18 and when fitted into place, both of these surfaces are substantially flush and enable the uppermost surface of the flange 05 to act as a continuation Sof the uppermost internal surface of the taper 18.

Figure 2 shows an alternative embodiment to that of Figure 1, and shows a version of the Sassembly that does not possess the second taper 17.

N' Figure 3 shows the assembly 1 fitted to a urinal ready for operation.

SA single solid cylindrical odour block of material 11, for use with the assembly 1, shall now be described. The block 11 has two distinct parts to it. The first lower part is to all intents and purposes a cylindrical column of a diameter sufficiently large enough to be supported by the seat 12, but still less than the diameter of the inner tube 03. The second upper part is a convex part spherical cap 01. The height of the column is substantially equal to one measured along the longitudinal axis of the assembly 1 and which encompasses the distance separating the upper surface of the flange 13 from the upper surface of the seat 12.

In use, the upper and lower edges of a mouth of a urinal bowl 02, are typically, first smeared with a sealant such as silicone. Then the upper surface of the flange 14, of the outer tube 04, is placed so as to overlie the underside edge of the urinal bowl mouth, and the inner tube 03 is then screwed into the outer tube 04. The screwing continues until the two flanges (13, 14) contact and seal with the upper and lower edges of the urinal bowl mouth 02.

A flange 05, and non-return valve 06, are then passed through the aperture of the inner tube 03, and screwed into the non-return valve receiving member.

The single solid cylindrical odour block of material 11 is then placed onto the seats 12 to add to the assembly 01.

As urine is passed in the general direction of the urinal 02, most will enter the assembly 01 from the urinal 02 by passing through the peripheral gap generated by the difference in the diameters of the block 11 and tube 03. Some however, will strike the cap 01 which, because of its shape, will also direct the flow of urine towards the peripheral gap generated by the difference in the diameters of the block 11 and tube 03. As urine passes down the block 11, it passes through the gaps either side of each of the seats 12, and enters the main area of the 106464qcap_spec.o03 :CW/jq assembly 01. The in-flowing urine will force the walls (08, 09) apart to permit liquid and/or gas flow between them from the inlet and to the other end of the assembly 1, whereas liquid and/or gas flow in the opposite direction is prevented by the close surface contact between the walls (08, 09).

To those skilled in the art to which the invention relates, many changes in construction and widely differing embodiments and applications of the invention will suggest themselves without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. The disclosures and the description herein are purely illustrative and are not intended to be in any sense limiting.

Throughout the description and claims of this specification the word "comprise" and variations of that word, such as "comprises" and "comprising", are not intended to exclude other additives, components, integers or steps.

64 64 qcapspec.o03:CW/jq

Claims

1. A fluid waste trap assembly for use with a urinal or the like comprising; a pair of co- operating members, the first being an inner member provided with a flange towards its proximal end adapted to overlie a fluid exit rim of a urinal, or the like, and the second being an outer member provided with a flange towards its proximal end adapted to underlie the rim, each co-operating member being provided with complementary engagement means to enable the members to be connected together and to allow the flanges to grip the rim securely, wherein one of the members is further provided with a non-return valve receiving member located towards the distal end of the assembly.

2. An assembly as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the receiving member is substantially concentric with respect to one or both of the co-operating members.

3. An assembly as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the co-operating members are provided with a stop member to prevent them being screwed together beyond a certain point.

4. An assembly as claimed in any preceding claim, wheirein the diameter of the receiving member is less than the diameter of the co-operating members, the change in diameter being caused by an intermediate tapering portion linking the receiving member to one of the co-operating members. An assembly as claimed in Claim 3 or Claim 4, wherein the stop member is the start of the intermediate tapering portion.

6. An assembly as claimed in Claim 4 or Claim 5, wherein the taper is in the form of a frustum.

7. An assembly as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the opposing non-screw threaded face of the first inner receiving member is so profiled and adapted as to receive an odour block receiving member. 6 464qcapspec.o03:CW/jq -11-

8. An assembly as claimed in Claim 7, wherein the profiling and adapting of the face of the first inner member is in the form of one or more radially projecting seats disposed towards the distal end of the first inner member.

9. An assembly as claimed in Claim 8, wherein the seat can accommodate a single biodegradable odour block directly. An assembly as claimed in Claim 8, wherein the distance separating respective opposing edges of the or each seat is substantially equal to or greater than the distance defining a diameter of the receiving member, thus enabling a non-return valve fitted to the receiving member to be withdrawn from the assembly in a general -direction moving from the distal end towards the proximal end of the first inner member.

11. An assembly as claimed in any one of Claims 4 10, wherein the receiving member is provided with a non-return valve, the valve comprising flexible impervious wall members of complementary shapes disposed in face to face surface contact so that there is no through passage between them in their normal state and resiliently urged into the said normal state, and means holding the said walls spaced from one another at a distal end of the valve to define an inlet for ingress of a liquid and/or gas to the interface of said members whereby in-flowing of a liquid or gas will force said members apart to permit flow between them from the inlet and to the other end of the assembly, whereas a liquid or gas flow in the opposite direction is prevented by the close surface contact between the members, said non-return valve, and non-return valve receiving member, being provided with complementary fitment means to enable them to be connected together.

12. An assembly as claimed in Claim 11, wherein the complementary fitment means are in the form of complementary screw threads.

13. An assembly as claimed in Claim 11, wherein the uppermost surface of the fitment means holding said walls spaced from one another are so profiled as to lie flush with the surface of the internal walls of the tapering portion, when the non-return valve is screwed into place so as to act as a continuation of the internal wall of the tapering portion when the valve is screwed in place. 64 64 qcapspec.o03:CW/jq -12-

14. An assembly as claimed in any one of Claims 4 11, wherein the receiving member is provided with a further intermediate tapered portion An assembly as claimed in Claim 13, wherein the further intermediate tapering portion is substantially concentric with respect to the longitudinal axis of the receiving member.

16. An assembly as claimed in Claim 13 or Claim 14, wherein the tapered portion is in the form of a frustum.

17. An assembly as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the first inner member is provided with a grip to aid in its connection/disconnection to the second outer member.

18. An assembly as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the outer surface of the second outer member is so surface finished as to provide sufficient purchase to an individual's hand to enable the outer member to be tightened or untightened relative to the first inner member.

19. An assembly as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the entire assembly is made from plastics material. A fluid waste trap assembly substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

21. A urinal incorporating an assembly as claimed in any preceding claim.

22. A urinal incorporating a fluid waste trap assembly as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Applicant;, Anthony John Gray Date,; 17 t h May 2005 6 464qcapspec.o03 :CW/jq