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US 6,779,553 B1Granted
Emergency backflow system
OwnerMichael A. Heidgerinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An emergency backflow system includes a drain bowl and a holding tank fluidically connected to a utility sewer line. The holding tank is connected to the sewer line via a drain line, and the drain line can be fluidically separated from the drain bowl by a conduit having a float ball therein. The holding tank has a large capacity relative to the drain bowl and thus can accommodate large overflow situations which would otherwise overwhelm the drain bowl.
Claims2
An emergency backflow system comprising:
- a) a floor having a floor level located in a horizontal plane;
- b) a utility sewer line which extends in a vertical plane through said floor;
- c) a drain line having
- (1) a first end fluidically connected to said utility sewer line,
- (2) a first portion located beneath the floor level,
- (3) a second portion which extends in a vertical plane upwardly through the floor level, and
- (4) an outlet end located above the floor level;
- d) a drain bowl located beneath the floor level;
- e) a first fluid conduit fluidically connecting said drain bowl to said drain line;
- f) a second fluid conduit which is oriented in a vertical plane and which extends vertically, said second fluid conduit including
- (1) a first end fluidically connected to said drain bowl,
- (2) a second end fluidically connected to said drain bowl,
- (3) a floatable element located in said second fluid conduit and which is movable between the first end of said second fluid conduit and the second end of said second fluid conduit;
- g) a fluid holding tank supported on said floor above the floor level and being fluidically connected to the outlet end of said drain line;
- and
- h) a vent fluid conduit fluidically connecting said holding tank to said utility drain.
13 more elements
An emergency backflow system comprising:
- a) a floor having a floor level located in a horizontal plane;
- b) a utility sewer line which extends through said floor;
- c) a drain line having
- (1) a first linear portion having
- (A) a first end fluidically connected to said sewer line beneath the floor level, the first linear portion of said drain line extending beneath the floor level horizontally, and
- (B) a second end spaced apart from the first end of the first linear portion of said drain line,
- (2) a first U-shaped portion located beneath the floor level and extending in a vertically oriented plane, the first U-shaped portion having a first end fluidically connected to the second end of the first linear portion of said drain line and a second end spaced apart from the first end of the U-shaped portion, the fluid connection between the first end of the first U-shaped portion and the second end of the first linear portion of said drain line forming a first fluid junction,
- (3) a second linear portion having a first end fluidically connected to the first U-shaped portion of said drain line at a location spaced apart from the first fluid junction, the second linear portion having a second end spaced apart from the first fluid junction,
- (4) a third linear portion extending beneath the floor level in a horizontal plane, the third linear portion having
- (A) a first end fluidically connected to the second end of the first U-shaped portion, and
- (B) a second end spaced apart from the first end of the third linear portion,
- (5) a fourth linear portion which extends in a vertical plane through said floor from beneath the floor level to above the floor level, the fourth linear portion having
- (A) a first end fluidically connected to the second end of the third linear portion, and
- (B) a second end spaced above the floor level and spaced apart from the first end of the fourth linear portion, and
- (6) a second U-shaped portion located above the floor level and having
- (A) a first end fluidically connected to the second end of the fourth linear portion, and
- (B) an outlet end spaced apart from the first end, the outlet end of the second U-shaped portion being located above the floor level;
- d) a drain bowl located beneath the floor level and having
- (1) a first port fluidically connected to the second end of the second linear portion of said drain line,
- (2) a second fluid port spaced apart from the first fluid port, and
- (3) a top rim positioned in a horizontal plane and located at the floor level;
- e) a flow control conduit oriented in a vertical plane beneath the floor level and having
- (1) a first end fluidically connected to the second port of said drain bowl,
- (2) a second end fluidically connected to the first end of the third linear portion of said drain line,
- (3) a float ball movably positioned in said flow control conduit to be movable in a vertical direction between a first position occluding the first end of said flow control conduit and a second position occluding the second end of said flow control conduit;
- e) a holding tank supported on said floor and located above the floor level, said holding tank being fluidically connected to the outlet end of the second U-shaped portion of said drain line, said holding tank including
- (1) a cover, and
- (2) a vent through the cover of said holding tank;
- and
- g) a vent fluid conduit being located above the floor level and having
- (1) a first end fluidically connected to the vent of said holding tank, and
- (2) a second end fluidically connected to said utility drain.
29 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.