Patent ID: 7931046
Filing Date: 2011-04-26
Classification: F16T,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A steam trap device comprising: an inverted bucket having a generally cylindrical shaped outer portion extending along a bucket axis, the inverted bucket having a first vent hole formed in an upper portion thereof, the first vent hole being formed along a first vent hole axis; a bucket chamber having an outlet orifice formed in a sidewall thereof, such that there is a spaced vertical distance between the outlet orifice and an upper interior surface of the bucket chamber, wherein the inverted bucket includes a flat upper surface, wherein the inverted bucket is located within the bucket chamber so that the inverted bucket is free to move along the bucket axis within a vertical range of motion limited by the inverted bucket coming into contact with at least one interior surface of the bucket chamber, wherein at least part of interior sidewalls of the bucket chamber are generally cylindrical shaped, such that the inverted bucket is free to pivot about the bucket axis within the bucket chamber, and such that the inverted bucket can move along a horizontal axis within a horizontal range of motion limited by the inverted bucket coming into contact with at least one sidewall interior surface of the bucket chamber, and wherein the inverted bucket and the interior sidewalls of the bucket chamber are configured so that the inverted bucket is adapted to at least partially cover the outlet orifice when the inverted bucket is pulled against the interior sidewall of the bucket chamber at the location of the outlet orifice by a flow of fluid out of the outlet orifice; and the bucket chamber having an inlet orifice formed in a lower portion thereof.