EP-4737659-A1 - A SEWER RELIEF SYSTEM

EP4737659A1EP 4737659 A1EP4737659 A1EP 4737659A1EP-4737659-A1

Abstract

This disclosure relates to a sewer relief system. The sewer relief system comprises a chamber. The chamber comprises, at a bottom part of the chamber, a connection opening for connecting the chamber to a sewer system and, at a top part of the chamber, a relief opening for discharging water from the chamber. The sewer relief system further comprises a floater element at least part of which is positioned in the chamber. The floater element is configured to move relative to the chamber back and forth between an odor sealing position and a sewer relief position. Further, the floater element is configured to form an airtight connection when it is in the odor sealing position for preventing odors from the sewer system from escaping through the relief opening and configured to allow passage of sewage liquids when it is in the sewer relief position for allowing discharge of sewage liquids from the sewer system through the relief opening. The floater element has a height extending in a vertical direction. Further, the floater element is configured to not extend below the airtight connection for more than 30% of its height when it is in the odor sealing position.

Inventors

Hilberding, Johannes Hendrik Jacobus
Borsboom, Gilbert Ronald
Merencia, Myron Ildefonso

Assignees

Oiosystems B.V.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260506
Application Date: 20251023

Claims (15)

A sewer relief system comprising a chamber comprising, at a bottom part of the chamber, a connection opening for connecting the chamber to a sewer system and, at a top part of the chamber, a relief opening for discharging water from the chamber, and a floater element at least part of which is positioned in the chamber, wherein the floater element is configured to move relative to the chamber back and forth between an odor sealing position and a sewer relief position, wherein the floater element is configured to form an airtight connection when it is in the odor sealing position for preventing odors from the sewer system from escaping through the relief opening and configured to allow passage of sewage liquids when it is in the sewer relief position for allowing discharge of sewage liquids from the sewer system through the relief opening, wherein the floater element has a height extending in a vertical direction, wherein the floater element is configured to not extend below the airtight connection for more than 30% of its height when it is in the odor sealing position.
The sewer relief system according to claim 1, wherein the floater element is configured to not extend below the airtight connection for more than 10% of its height when it is in the odor sealing position.
The sewer relief system according to claim 2, wherein the floater element is configured to not extend below the airtight connection for more than 5% of its height when it is in the odor sealing position.
The sewer relief system according to claim 3, wherein the floater element is configured to not extend below the airtight connection when it is in the odor sealing position.
The sewer relief system according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the floater element is configured to not extend through the relief opening to a position outside of the chamber when it is in the sewer relief position.
The sewer relief system according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the floater element and/or the chamber comprises one or more spacers that are configured to maintain one or more gaps between an inner surface of the chamber and an outer surface of the floater element for allowing passage of the sewage liquids when the floater element is in the sewer relief position, wherein the one or more spacers are configured to cause the floater element to have an orientation suitable for forming the airtight connection when it moves from the sewer relief position to the odor sealing position.
The sewer relief system according to claim 6, wherein the one or more spacers are configured to slidably engage the outer surface of the floater element and/or, respectively, the inner surface of the chamber.
The sewer relief system according to claim 6 or 7, wherein each of the one or more spacers has a height that is at least 35% of the floater element's height, preferably at least 40% of the floater element's height.
The sewer relief system according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the floater element comprises a hollow element.
The sewer relief system according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising a sealing ring provided in the chamber for forming the airtight connection between the floater element and an inner surface of the chamber.
The sewer relief system according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the floater element is configured to form the airtight connection along a closed curve, the airtight connection defining a mathematical cylindrical surface consisting of all points on all lines that pass through the closed curve and are parallel to the vertical direction, wherein along at least 60%, preferably along at least 70%, more preferably along at least 75%, of the floater element's height, the floater element has a horizontal cross section that extends through the cylindrical surface.
The sewer relief system according to claims 10 and 11, wherein the sealing ring is circular, and wherein the closed curve is a circle having a first diameter, along at least 60%, preferably along at least 70%, more preferably along at least 75%, of the floater element's height, the floater element has a horizontal cross section that spans a horizontal distance greater than the first diameter.
The sewer relief system according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising a cover element that is configured to cover the relief opening, wherein the cover element comprises one or more openings for allowing water to pass through the cover element and the cover element comprising one or more reinforcement ribs.
The sewer relief system according to claim 13, wherein each reinforcement rib out of the one or more reinforcement ribs is a raised section that runs along a bottom surface of the cover element.
The sewer relief system according to claim 14, wherein the one or more reinforcement ribs are configured to sit close to an inner surface of the chamber when the cover element covers the relief opening so that the one or more reinforcement ribs prevent that the cover element tilts out of position when it covers the relief opening.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION This disclosure relates to a sewer relief system, in particular to such systems wherein a floater element is configured to not extend below an airtight connection for more than 30% of its height when it is in an odor sealing position BACKGROUND Sewer relief systems, for example as disclosed by US5,209,257, function to protect sewers from overflowing in buildings when the pressure in the sewers becomes too high. Without a sewer relief system, if the pressure in the sewers becomes too high, sewage liquid may for example exit through a toilet that is positioned in a building at ground level, which is of course problematic and unhygienic. Typically, sewer relief systems comprise a floater element, also referred to as a float, that will rise due to increased pressure in the sewer system and herewith create a passageway through which sewage liquids can be discharged on the street. When the pressure in the sewer system returns to normal values again, the float will move downwards and will typically form an airtight seal to prevent gases from the sewer system from escaping through the sewer relief system. An important aspect of such float is that its weight is sufficiently high for forming the airtight connection. The buoyancy of the float must be sufficiently high to compensate for this weight so that the float experiences a net upward force when sewage liquids rise. Preferably, sewer relief systems are flexible in that they can be used in a variety of circumstances. This is especially important if a sewer relief system is added to an existing sewer system. In that case, the properties of the already present sewer system may vary greatly, for example in terms of how far the sewer system is installed below ground. There is a need in the art for an improved sewer relief system that better meets at least some of the above requirements. SUMMARY Therefore, one aspect of this disclosure relates to a sewer relief system. The sewer relief system comprises a chamber. The chamber comprises, at a bottom part of the chamber, a connection opening for connecting the chamber to a sewer system and, at a top part of the chamber, a relief opening for discharging water from the chamber. The sewer relief system further comprises a floater element at least part of which is positioned in the chamber. The floater element is configured to move relative to the chamber back and forth between an odor sealing position and a sewer relief position. Further, the floater element is configured to form an airtight connection when it is in the odor sealing position for preventing odors from the sewer system from escaping through the relief opening and configured to allow passage of sewage liquids when it is in the sewer relief position for allowing discharge of sewage liquids from the sewer system through the relief opening. The floater element has a height extending in a vertical direction. Further, the floater element is configured to not extend below the airtight connection for more than 30% of its height when it is in the odor sealing position. Thus, in this sewer relief system, when the floater element is in the odor sealing position, the floater element only extends below the airtight connection for a relatively small distance or does not extend below the airtight connection at all. This is highly advantageous as this aids to reduce the total height of the sewer relief system. A small total height of the sewer relief system is advantageous because that allows to install the system also when the sewer system sits relatively close to the ground level. Understandably, the distance between the pipe of the sewer system to which pipe the sewer relief system is to be attached, and ground level is larger than the total height of the sewer relief system. If that is not the case, then the sewer relief system will stick out of the ground to a position above ground level, which increases the risk of persons tripping over the system and/or of for example a car driving into the system and damaging it. In the disclosed sewer relief system, the airtight connection is thus somewhere positioned at a bottom part of the floater element. This is advantageous as it allows the floater element to have a large diameter over a substantial part of its height, which is beneficial for its buoyancy. Typically, the chamber comprises some protruding element, such as a sealing ring and/or a shoulder on its inner surface to enable the formation of the airtight connection. The part of the floater element that sits below the airtight connection when the floater element is in the odor sealing position, should fit through the opening that is defined by the protruding element, else the floater element cannot move upwards towards the sewer relief position. Hence, the lower part of the floater element must be relatively thin with respect to the part of the floater element that sits above the airtight connection when the floater element is in the odor sealing p