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.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to the general art of fluid systems, and to the particular field of emergency drain systems. 
     2. Discussion of the Related Art 
     Sewer water backing up into a building can be a great disaster. The water can do serious damage and may require total remodeling if an area used for living is damaged. Sewer backup can be the result of a variety of causes, but whatever the cause, the results can be devastating. 
     Accordingly, the art includes several systems for controlling such backflow. For example, some system include a drain bowl fluidically connected to a utility sewage conduit. While helpful, a drain bowl may have a very small capacity. As such, overflow may be quickly transferred, via the drain bowl, into a larger area. Thus, even if the backup is only limited, the drain bowl may not have capacity sufficient to accommodate even a limited backup. As such, the drain bowls may have limited usefulness. However, since drain bowls are generally built into a floor, such drain bowls cannot be overly large. 
     Therefore, there is a need for an emergency backflow system which has capacity sufficient to accommodate large backflows. 
     Still further, even though many presently-installed backflow systems are inadequate for large backflow volumes, these systems still have some capacity and should be utilized whenever possible. This will not only permit utilizing the advantages associated with presently-installed systems, it will save money and time by avoiding the need to remove such installed systems to upgrade the capacity of an emergency backflow system. 
     Therefore, there is a need for an emergency backflow system which can utilize a backflow system existing in a building. 
     Still further, there is a need for an emergency backflow system which will work in conjunction with an existing backflow system in order to enhance the effects of both systems. 
     PRINCIPAL OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
     It is a main object of the present invention to provide an emergency backflow system which has capacity sufficient to accommodate large backflows. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide an emergency backflow system which can utilize a backflow system existing in a building. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide an emergency backflow system which will work in conjunction with an existing backflow system. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     These, and other, objects are achieved by an emergency backflow system which comprises a floor having a floor level located in a substantially horizontal plane; a utility sewer line which extends in a vertical plane through the floor; a drain line having a first end fluidically connected to the utility sewer line, a first portion located beneath the floor level, a second portion which extends in a vertical plane upwardly through the floor level, and an outlet end located above the floor level; a drain bowl located beneath the floor level; a first fluid conduit fluidically connecting the drain bowl to the drain line; a second fluid conduit which is oriented in a vertical plane and which extends vertically, the second fluid conduit including a first end fluidically connected to the drain bowl, a second end fluidically connected to the drain bowl, a floatable element located in the second fluid conduit and which is movable between the first end of the second fluid conduit and the second end of the second fluid conduit; a fluid holding tank supported on the floor above the floor level and which is fluidically connected to the outlet end of the drain line; and a vent fluid conduit fluidically connecting the holding tank to the utility drain. 
     The holding tank is thus fluidically inserted into the system and is capable of holding as much as thirty to fifty gallons or more of liquid. This holding tank thus holds overflow from the sewer line that might otherwise undesirably spill into a surrounding area, such as a residential basement. The flow control line between the drain bowl and the drain line allows the drain bowl to hold fluid in a normal manner, but will block off the drain bowl from overflow that is moving through the sewer line and from the sewer line to the drain line. Thus, fluid moving through the drain line will not spill upwardly into the drain bowl. 
     The emergency backflow system of the present invention is easily installed and can be easily retrofit into an existing system. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one form of the emergency backflow system embodying the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is an elevational view taken along line  2 — 2  of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 3 is an elevational view showing a form of the emergency backflow system embodying the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings. 
     As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the invention is embodied in an emergency backflow system  10 . System  10  comprises a floor  12  having a floor level  14  located in a horizontal plane. A utility sewer line  16  extends through floor  12 . 
     As best shown in FIG. 3, a drain line  20  includes a first linear portion  22  having a first end  24  fluidically connected to sewer line  16  beneath floor level  14 . First linear portion  22  extends beneath the floor level  14  horizontally. A second end  26  of the first linear portion  22  is spaced apart from the first end  24  of the first linear portion  22  of the drain line  20 . A first U-shaped portion  30  is located beneath the floor level  14  and extends in a vertically oriented plane. First U-shaped portion  30  has a first end  32  fluidically connected to the second end  26  of the first linear portion  22  of the drain line  20  and a second end  34  spaced apart from the first end  32  of the U-shaped portion  30 . The fluid connection between the first end  32  of the first U-shaped portion  30  and the second end  34  of the first linear portion  22  of the drain line  20  forms a first fluid junction  36 . 
     A second linear portion  38  of the drain line  20  has a first end  40  fluidically connected to the first U-shaped portion  30  of the drain line  20  at a location spaced apart from first fluid junction  36 . The second linear portion  38  has a second end  42  spaced apart from the first fluid junction  36 . 
     A third linear portion  50  of the drain line  20  extends beneath floor level  14  in a horizontal plane. Third linear portion  50  has a first end  52  fluidically connected to second end  34  of the first U-shaped portion  30  and a second end  54  spaced apart from first end  52  of the third linear portion  50 . 
     A fourth linear portion  60  of the drain line  20  extends in a vertical plane through floor  12  from beneath floor level  14  to above the floor level  14 . Fourth linear portion  60  has a first end  62  fluidically connected to second end  54  of the third linear portion  50  and a second end  64  spaced above the floor level  14  and spaced apart from the first end  62  of the fourth linear portion  60 . 
     A second U-shaped portion  66  of the drain line  20  is located above the floor level  14  and has a first end  68  fluidically connected to second end  64  of fourth linear portion  60  and an outlet end  70  spaced apart from the first end  68 . Outlet end  70  of the second U-shaped portion  66  is located above the floor level  14 . 
     A drain bowl  80  is located beneath the floor level  14  and has a first fluid port  82  fluidically connected to second end  42  of second linear portion  38  of the drain line  20 . The drain bowl  80  further includes a second fluid port  84  which is spaced apart from the first fluid port  82 . The drain bowl  80  includes a top rim  86  which is positioned in a is horizontal plane and is located at the floor level  14 . Drain bowl  80  has a one-half gallon capacity and is considered for the purposes of this disclosure as being pre-existing. 
     A flow control conduit  90  is oriented in a vertical plane beneath the floor level  14  and has a first end  92  fluidically connected to second fluid port  84  of the drain bowl  80  and a second end  94  fluidically connected to first end  52  of third linear portion  50  of the drain line  20 . A float ball  96  is movably positioned in the flow control conduit  90  and is movable in a vertical direction between a first position (not shown in FIG. 3) occluding first end  92  of flow control conduit  90  and a second position (shown in FIG. 3 in solid lines) occluding second end  94  of the flow control conduit  90 . The float ball  96  prevents fluid flowing in the drain line  20  from flowing into the drain bowl  80  and prevents fluid in the drain bowl  80  from flowing into the drain line  20 . Thus, if there is a sudden surge of flow volume in the sewer line  16 , the fluid will flow into drain line  20  and through U-shaped portion  30 . The fluid will then push float ball  96  upwards closing off second fluid port  84 , which then forces fluid through third linear portion  50  and up through fourth linear portion  60 , then out through the outlet end  70  and into holding tank  100 . The float ball  96  can also be connected to an alarm system that will alert a property owner or manager that fluid is flowing through the drain system and bypassing the drain bowl  80 . The alarm can be visible or audible and can be local or remote. 
     System  10  further includes a holding tank  100  supported on the floor  12 , such as by legs  102  or the like, and is located above the floor level  14 . Holding tank  100  is fluidically connected to outlet end  70  of second U-shaped portion  66  of the drain line  20  and receives fluid therefrom. Holding tank  100  includes a cover  104  which is supported on a top rim  106  of the tank  100 . A vent  108  extends through cover  104 . A vent fluid conduit  110  is located above the floor level  14  and has a first end  112  fluidically connected to the vent  108  of the holding tank  100  and a second end  114  fluidically connected to the utility drain. 
     Holding tank  100  generally has a thirty to fifty gallon capacity and thus adds that capacity to the overflow accommodating feature of the drain bowl  80 . This capacity will accommodate slight overflow of the sewer line  16 . 
     An additional fluid conduit  120  is used in the form of the invention shown in FIG.  1 . Fluid conduit  120  includes a first end  122  fluidically connected to sewer line  16  and a second end  124  fluidically connected to the holding tank  100 . A shutoff valve  126  is located in conduit  120 . A drain line  20 ′ includes a first linear portion  130  fluidically connected to sewer line  16  and a first U-shaped portion  132  fluidically connected to first linear portion  130 . First U-shaped portion  132  is also fluidically connected to drain bowl  80 . First port  82  of the drain bowl  80  is fluidically connected to a linear portion  136  which is fluidically connected to first linear portion  130 . A vertically-oriented portion  140  of the drain line  20  is fluidically connected to third linear portion  50  and a second U-shaped conduit  142  is fluidically connected to portion  140 . An outlet end  144  of conduit  142  is fluidically connected to the inside of the holding tank  100  through cover  104 . System  20 ′ has fluid flowing from drain line  20 ′, to the holding tank  100  via the drain bowl  80  rather than bypassing the drain bowl  80  as occurs in system  20  shown in FIG.  3 . 
     It is understood that while certain forms of the present invention have been illustrated and described herein, it is not to be limited to the specific forms or arrangements of parts described and shown.