|Publication number||US7384212 B2|
|Application number||US 11/235,405|
|Publication date||Jun 10, 2008|
|Filing date||Sep 26, 2005|
|Priority date||Sep 26, 2005|
|Also published as||US20070071555|
|Publication number||11235405, 235405, US 7384212 B2, US 7384212B2, US-B2-7384212, US7384212 B2, US7384212B2|
|Original Assignee||Frank Currivan|
|Export Citation||BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan|
|Patent Citations (27), Referenced by (8), Classifications (11), Legal Events (4)|
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet|
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a septic system for handling household waste water. More particularly, the present invention relates to a septic system that can expand the amount of filtering material around or adjacent to a conventional new or existing septic gallery to expand a septic gallery capacity.
2. Description of the Related Art
Septic systems are well known in the art. One such septic system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,759,661 to Nichols, et al. (hereinafter “Nichols”). Nichols discloses a leaching system conduit made from a thermoplastic member having lateral sidewalls with a number of apertures. The thermoplastic member is an arch shaped member in cross section and has the apertures for the passage of liquid therethrough. The lateral sidewalls also have a number of corrugations formed in a rectangular shaped manner.
Such septic systems are deficient in their operation. First of all, zoning ordinances for certain sized homes require larger septic systems. Such larger septic systems may not fit on the desired building lot. A large number of bedrooms in a new home construction require according to some zoning laws that a certain sized septic system be used or that the certain sized septic system have a predetermined volume. This can be problematic under certain circumstances because the desired septic system may not fit in a certain lot and the new home owner may be limited to only a second sized septic system that is less than desired. With this smaller septic system, the new home builder thus must reduced the size of the new home. Secondly, in other circumstances homeowners may wish to expand the capacity of the septic system in a retrofit manner from a first size to another second size to accommodate a larger home.
However, a known problem in the art is that the under this arrangement, the second sized larger septic system like Nichols' leaching system will require the homeowner to excavate the leaching system and remove the leaching system. Thereafter, the homeowner will have to remove additional soil and dirt and then insert a new second sized larger septic system. Thereafter, the homeowner may have to perform additional work to the home to accommodate the home with this replacement and further obtain all of the requisite permits and variances to the zoning laws.
Accordingly, there is a need for a septic system that increases an amount of filtering medium so smaller septic systems may be used with larger homes thus maintaining an amount of effluent entering the septic system. There is also a need for a septic system that does not require replacement of the entire septic system for an upgrade. There is also a need for a septic system that has a more productive filtering. There is a further need for a septic system that has an attachment that can expand a complementary filtering area of the septic system.
There is also a need for such a system that eliminates one or more of the aforementioned drawbacks and deficiencies of the prior art.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a septic system for a residential home or commercial building.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a septic system that can be connected in a modular fashion to an existing septic system.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a septic system that increases a surface area on a lateral side of an existing septic system.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a device that adds capacity to an existing septic system.
It is still yet another object of the present invention to provide a septic system that has a large capacity in a smaller footprint or space underneath ground.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a septic system that has a baffling arrangement on a lateral side for an improved interface with ground.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a septic system that has a triangular baffling arrangement on a lateral side of an existing system for an improved interface with sand.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention are achieved by a septic system of the present invention. The system has a modular appendage for a septic gallery and the appendage has a first modular section for connection to a lateral side of the gallery with the first modular section having a apertures thereon. The first modular section has a first area, and the lateral side of the septic gallery has a second area, with the first area greater than the second area of the gallery.
Known pipes carry the effluent discharge and release the material into a chamber, or vault such as the septic gallery 5. The gallery 5 as is known will have a number of perforation or holes leading from the septic gallery 5. The gallery 5 is usually buried in a trench to facilitate dispersion of the effluent into the soil. All of the solid effluent stays in the septic tank, and only the liquid and liquid effluent diffuses into the sand.
In some systems, the gallery 5 is defined by a large diameter perforated conduit. In other systems, the gallery 5 is perforated to provide direct dispersion into the sand. The effluent is then dispersed into the soil either through the soil serving as the floor of the gallery 5 or, when effluent accumulates in the gallery, through passages in side walls thereof.
One known problem in the art is that the interface between the gallery 5 and the ground only allows for a finite flow or dispersion rate of liquid waste from the gallery to the soil or sand on the other side. The inventor of the present invention has recognized this known problem and has solved the problem with the present invention that has a number of unexpected benefits that increase a capacity for liquid waste of the gallery 5, and allows an increased amount of liquid and liquid waste to diffuse into the ground.
A prior art septic gallery 5 is commonly concrete or formed of plastic resin material and corrugated for strength. This septic gallery 5 is formed in sections that are mated to vary the effective length of the leach field. Sometimes multiple septic galleries 5 are connected to one another to increase the length and capacity of the leaching field, for example a home.
Referring now to
What is desirable is a device that may increase a capacity of the septic gallery while liquid effluent is not be stored therein. Instead, the liquid effluent is diffused to the surrounding environment to percolate through ground for filtering thereof. Most preferably, the present invention achieves this need in an unexpected manner.
The gallery 10 has a first appendage 20 on the first lateral side 14 of the gallery 10. Preferably, the first appendage 20 contacts the ground or sand in the ground contacting side, and also communicates with the first conduit 12 on the first side 14 of the gallery opposite the ground contacting side. The surrounding earth or sand presses appendage 20 to gallery 10. Alternatively, the appendage 20 and the gallery 10 may be formed as one integrated structure or as separate discrete pieces. The first appendage 20, in one embodiment, may be permanently connected to the septic gallery 10 by a connector. Alternatively, the first appendage 20 may be a modular member that is removably connected to the septic gallery 10, for easier replacement thereof.
Preferably, the first appendage 20 has a number of shaped members to permit enhanced diffusion of the effluent into the ground. The first appendage 20 has any acceptable shape to permit diffusion into the ground from the gallery 10 in a rapid manner. Preferably, the first appendage 20 has a number of three-sided or triangular shaped members generally represented by reference numeral 22 with each having an apex 24 and a base portion 26. Alternatively, the three-sided members could have a rounded tip instead of an apex. The triangular shaped members 22 collectively preferably form a baffle. Each member 22 is preferably a triangular member having two equal sides to form a substantially isosceles triangle. However, each member 22 can be a substantially equilateral triangle in which each angle includes approximately 60 degrees. Still further, each member 22 may be any three side polygonal member. Each member 22 is made from a material capable of withstanding the environment of the septic tank and gallery, such as, for example, a plastic resin material that would include resilient thermoplastic, polycarbonate, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), achrilonitride-butadiene-styrene (ABS), polyurethane, or acrylic resin.
In one non-limiting embodiment, the base portion 26 has a width of about one foot. A diffusion space 28 is formed between a first triangular member 30 and a second triangular 32 member of the baffle 22. The diffusion space 28 is also triangular shaped and is preferably allowed to fill in with an acceptable ground contacting material such as sand, gravel, or any combination thereof, for diffusion. Likewise, a second diffusion space 28 is formed between the second triangular member 32 and a third triangular member 34. This structure continues along the length of the septic gallery 10.
Preferably, the septic gallery 10 also has a second appendage 38 located on a second side 16 of the septic gallery 10 as shown in
It should be understood that the foregoing description is only illustrative of the present invention. Various alternatives and modifications can be devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention. Accordingly, the present invention is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variances.
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|Citing Patent||Filing date||Publication date||Applicant||Title|
|US8007201 *||Nov 6, 2008||Aug 30, 2011||Frank Currivan||Septic system|
|US8636444||Aug 29, 2011||Jan 28, 2014||Frank Currivan||Fluid distribution system|
|US8783298 *||Jul 29, 2009||Jul 22, 2014||Kast Silicone Ltd.||Breathing hose|
|US9273456||Sep 18, 2014||Mar 1, 2016||Winferd R. Miles||Leaching tube|
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|U.S. Classification||405/43, 405/46, 405/49, 405/45|
|International Classification||E02B11/00, E02B13/00|
|Cooperative Classification||C02F3/286, E03F11/00, E03F1/002|
|European Classification||E03F1/00B, E03F11/00|
|Dec 12, 2011||FPAY||Fee payment|
Year of fee payment: 4
|Jan 22, 2016||REMI||Maintenance fee reminder mailed|
|Feb 25, 2016||FPAY||Fee payment|
Year of fee payment: 8
|Feb 25, 2016||SULP||Surcharge for late payment|
Year of fee payment: 7