Patent ID: 6793813
Filing Date: 2004-09-21
Classification: A01K,B01D,C02F,Y02W

Abstract:
A filter unit system comprising:a) a sealed housing which can be submerged includes (1) a first end wall having an inner surface and an outer surface, a bottom rim and a top rim, (2) a second end wall having an inner surface and an outer surface, a bottom rim and a top rim, (3) a longitudinal axis extending between the first end wall and the second end wall, (4) a first side wall having an inner surface and an outer surface, a bottom rim and a top rim, (5) a second side wall having an inner surface and an outer surface, a bottom rim and a top rim, (6) a transverse axis extending between the first side wall and the second side wall, (7) the top rims of the first end wall, the second end wall, the first side wall and the second side wall all being coplanar with each other and together defining a housing top rim, (8) the bottom rims of the first end wall, the second end wall, the first side wall and the second side wall all being coplanar with each other and together defining a housing bottom rim, (9) a height dimension extending between the housing top rim and the housing bottom rim, (10) a housing top having an inner surface and an outer surface and supported on the housing top rim when covering said housing, (11) a lock on the outside surface of the first side wall and on the housing top which locks the housing top to the first side wall when in position on said housing, the lock attaching the housing top to the side and end walls in a watertight manner, (12) an inlet port defined through the first end wall adjacent to the top rim of the first end wall, (13) a quick disconnect joint associated with the inlet port, (14) an outlet port defined through the second end wall adjacent to the bottom rim of the second end wall, (15) a quick disconnect joint associated with the outlet port, (16) a plurality of drain ports defined through the first side wall adjacent to the bottom rim of the first side wall, the drain ports being spaced apart from each other along the longitudinal axis of said housing, (17) a grate located adjacent to the inner surface of the bottom wall and being spaced apart from the inner surface of the bottom wall along the height dimension of said housing, the grate having a multiplicity of liquid drain holes defined therethrough, the grate being attached to the inner surface of the first end wall, to the inner surface of the second end wall, to the inner surface of the first side wall and to the inner surface of the second side wall, (18) a collection chamber defined between the grate and the inner surface of the bottom of said housing, the collection chamber being fluidically connected to each of the drain ports of said housing, (19) a first dividing wall located between the first end wall and the second end wall and being attached to the inner surface of the first side wall and to the inner surface of the second side wall, the first dividing wall having a top end coplanar with the housing top rim and a bottom end located closely adjacent to the grate and superadjacent to the collection chamber, (20) a second dividing wall located between the second end wall and the first dividing wall and being spaced apart from the first dividing wall, the second dividing wall being attached to the inner surface of the first side wall and to the inner surface of the second side wall, the second dividing wall having a bottom end fixed to the inner surface of the bottom wall of said housing and a top end spaced apart from the top rim of said housing and being located between the top rim of said housing and the bottom rim of said housing and extending through the grate, (21) a dividing wall in the collection chamber formed by the second dividing wall, the dividing wall in the collection chamber being impervious to fluid, (22) a flow chamber located between the first dividing wall and the second dividing wall and extending from the grate adjacent to the bottom end of the first dividing wall to the top of the second dividing wall, (23) a first filter chamber located between the inside surface of the first end wall and the first dividing wall and between the grate and the housing top rim, the first filter chamber including (A) a first liquid permeable filter-supporting shelf fixed to the first dividing wall and to the inside surface of the first end wall and to the inside surface of the first side wall and to the inside surface of the second side wall, the first filter-supporting shelf being spaced apart from the grate along the height dimension of said housing and extending in a direction which is parallel to the grate, (B) a first filter media containing chamber defined between the first filter supporting shelf and the grate and between the first end wall and the first dividing wall and between the first side wall and the second side wall, (C) a second liquid permeable filter-supporting shelf fixed to the first dividing wall and to the inside surface of the first end wall and to the inside surface of the first side wall and to the inside surface of the second side wall, the second filter-supporting shelf being spaced apart from the first filter-supporting shelf toward the top rim of said housing along the height dimension of said housing and extending in a direction which is parallel to the first filter-supporting shelf, the second filter-supporting shelf being located immediately subadjacent to the inlet port of said housing (D) a second filter media containing chamber defined between the first filter supporting shelf and the second filter-supporting shelf and between the first end wall and the first dividing wall and between the first side wall and the second side wall, and (E) a fluid inlet chamber defined between the second filter-supporting shelf and the top rim of said housing and being fluidically connected to the inlet port of said housing, (24) a second filter chamber located between the inside surface of the second end wall and the second dividing wall and between the grate and the housing top rim, the flow chamber fluidically connecting the first filter chamber to the second filter chamber, and (25) a drain plug removably mounted in each drain port; b) a first mechanical filter medium located in the first filter media containing chamber; c) a first biological filter medium located in the second filter media containing chamber; d) a submersible liquid pump located in the second filter chamber and supported on the grate, said liquid pump including an inlet which is fluidically connected to the second filter chamber and an outlet which is fluidically connected to the outlet port of said housing; and e) an inlet pump system which includes (1) an inlet fluidically connected to a body of liquid to be filtered, (2) an outlet fluidically connected to the inlet port of said housing, (3) a filter chamber fluidically interposed between the inlet of said inlet pump system and the outlet of said inlet pump system, (4) a filter medium in the filter chamber of said inlet pump housing, (5) a weighted base, and (6) a fluid connection element connecting the outlet of said inlet pump system to the inlet port of said housing.