Abstract:
A trap seal primer distribution unit capable of providing charges of water to two, three, or four sewer trap lines depending on the initial setting of the unit. The distribution unit comprises two main components. A lid for splitting the water from the trap seal primer valve removably attaches to a distribution body such that rotation of the lid into three alternate positions enables the distribution unit to alternately serve two, three, or four sewer trap lines.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a divisional application based on U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/397,596 filed Sep. 16, 1999, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,142,178 entitled “Trap Seal Primer Distribution Unit” which claims priority based on Provisional Application No. 60/132,211 filed May 3, 1999, and entitled “Trap Seal Primer Distribution Unit,” both of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a distribution unit to enable a single trap seal primer valve to serve several sewer line water traps. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Trap seal primer valves are used for charging water into sewer line water traps to prevent the escape of sewer gases. Under normal conditions, the level of water in sewer line traps decreases through evaporation by about one-eighth of an inch for each twenty-four hour period. Accordingly, most municipal plumbing and sanitary codes require that means be provided for supplying water to the traps automatically or periodically to assure that the trap water level will be sufficiently high to render the trap operative and functional at all times. 
     To supply water to the traps automatically, it is usual to connect the trap to the house water line through a priming valve that is actuated by variations in pressure in the house line and acts to charge the trap with water upon each fluctuation of pressure in the house line. 
     A single trap seal primer can serve multiple sewer trap lines. There have been systems that include manifolds that require precise leveling in order to uniformly distribute water to a plurality of water conduits plumbed, for example, to floor drain traps. These systems include channeled water stream splitters that attempt to divide a water stream exiting from a trap seal primer. There have been problems with maintaining flow to all of the conduits because of the shape of the water stream exiting the trap seal primer valve, the amount of leveling needed in some of the prior systems, and from irregular shaped components of the prior systems. What is needed is a distribution system that will uniformly divide water from a trap seal primer valve into two, three, or four equal parts independent of leveling or line pressure fluctuations. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention meets the above-described need by providing a distribution unit capable of providing charges of water to two, three, or four sewer trap lines depending on the initial setting of the unit. The distribution unit comprises two main components. First, a lid for splitting the water from the trap seal primer valve has a cylindrical chamber having male pipe thread connections on the outside for attachment to a trap seal primer valve. The chamber is disposed substantially perpendicular from a disc-shaped member at the opposite end. The end of the chamber includes a first opening disposed inside an end surface having a seal ring formed therein. Inside the chamber, the first opening leads to four uniform inlet orifices that flow into four gravity channels inside the chamber that are directed at ninety degree opposite downward directions. The gravity channels terminate in exit orifices positioned at the opposite end of the lid. 
     The lid also has four apertures disposed about the perimeter of the disc-shaped member to prevent the backflow from reaching the potable water supply. Also, the lid has three apertures for removably attaching the lid to the distribution body by inserting fasteners that connect the lid to the distribution body in three alternate positions. 
     The distribution body is the second main component of the distribution unit, and the distribution body is preferably molded from plastic with four insert-molded brass nipple plumbing connections. Each of the plumbing connections can be connected to a separate sewer trap line for distribution of the water charges to the trap lines. The distribution body is substantially cylindrical and preferably has four openings on one end for attachment of the nipples. 
     The opposite end of the body is open and forms a cylindrical open chamber. A set of dividing walls divide the open chamber into quadrants. The dividing walls are capable of aligning with the exit orifices on the lid such that individual dividing walls can prevent the flow of water from the exit orifices into the body of the distribution unit. An indicator mark on the top rim of the body provides a guide for positioning the lid on the distribution body in one of three positions. The settings for the distribution unit indicate whether the lid is set up for two, three, or four trap lines. The position of the lid determines the number of quadrants that can be fed with water. When the lid is rotated, the dividing walls move in an out of alignment with the exit orifices on the lid such that at some points of rotation some of the orifices are open and some are blocked. 
     In operation, when water is received by the distribution unit from the trap seal primer valve, a momentary pressure rise occurs in the opening in the chamber. The water is uniformly divided into the four gravity channels due to the highly uniform inlet orifices at the top of the chamber. If a channel is positioned over a dividing wall, the flow is prevented from entering the distribution body through that channel. 
     The present invention offers several advantages including eliminating the need for conduit systems that require precise leveling in order for a single trap primer valve to serve several sewer trap lines. Also, the distribution unit is compact and therefore easier to install. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention is illustrated in the drawings in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the figures of which: 
     FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the manner of installation of the trap seal primer distribution unit of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective exploded view of the top of the trap seal primer distribution unit; 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective exploded view of the bottom of the trap seal primer distribution unit; 
     FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the distribution unit of the present invention; 
     FIG. 5 is a bottom plan view of the bottom of the distribution unit; 
     FIG. 6 is a sectional side elevational view of the distribution unit taken along lines  6 — 6  in FIG. 4; and, 
     FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the body of the distribution unit. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     As shown in FIG. 1, the seal trap primer distribution unit  10  of the present invention is adapted for insertion into a pressurized water line  13  that interconnects the house water line  16  to a trap seal primer valve  19  and sewer trap lines  22 . The function of the trap seal primer valve  19  is to keep the sewer trap charged with water so that there is no possibility of the escape of sewer gas. As known to those of ordinary skill in the art, the trap seal primer valve  19  responds to pressure fluctuations in the house water line  16  to provide a charge of water to the sewer trap lines  22 . 
     Turning to FIG. 2, the distribution unit  10  comprises two main components. First, a lid  25  for splitting the water from the trap seal primer valve  19  has a cylindrical chamber  28  having male pipe thread connections  31  on the outside for attachment to the trap seal primer valve  19 . The end  29  of the chamber  28  includes a first opening  37  disposed inside an end surface  38  having a seal ring  40  formed thereon. The first opening  37  leads to a cylindrical pressure cavity  41  with inlet orifices  79  disposed at the bottom. The chamber  28  is disposed substantially perpendicular from a disc-shaped member  34  at the opposite end. The lid  25  is preferably constructed of a molded transparent plastic material. 
     The disc-shaped member  34  has four apertures  43  disposed about the perimeter of the disc-shaped member  34  to prevent backflow from reaching the potable water supply. Also, the lid  25  has three apertures  46  for inserting fasteners  49  that connect the lid  25  to a distribution body  52  in three positions. Each of the apertures  46  has an indicia  53  disposed adjacent thereto. The purpose of the indicia  53  will become apparent hereafter. The distribution body  52  is the second main component of the distribution unit  10 . 
     The distribution body  52  is preferably molded from plastic with four insert-molded brass nipple plumbing connections  55 . Each of the plumbing connections  55  can be connected to separate sewer trap lines  22  for distribution of the water charges to the trap lines  22 . The distribution body  52  is substantially cylindrical and has four openings  58  on one end for attachment of the nipple plumbing connections  55 . 
     The opposite end of the body is open and forms a cylindrical open chamber  61 . A set of dividing walls  64  divide the open chamber  61  into quadrants  67 . The dividing walls  64  are capable of aligning with exit orifices  70  (shown in FIG. 3) on the lid  25  such that individual dividing walls  64  can prevent the flow of water from the exit orifices  70  into the body of the distribution unit  10 . A guide marker  73  on the top rim of the body provides a guide for positioning the lid  25  on the distribution body  52  in one of three positions. The settings for the distribution unit  10  indicate whether the lid  25  is set up for two, three, or four trap lines. The position of the lid  25  determines the number of quadrants  67  that can be fed with water. When the lid  25  is rotated, the dividing walls  64  move in an out of alignment with the exit orifices  70  such that some of the orifices  70  are open and some are blocked. 
     Turning to FIG. 3, the exit orifices  70  are oriented at approximately ninety degree intervals from each other on the inside of the lid  25 . Each quadrant  67  is identified by a numerical designation  71  adjacent to the plumbing connection  55 . 
     As shown in FIG. 4, a set of inlet orifices  79  are disposed at the bottom of the cylindrical pressure cavity  41  bordered by the opening  37 . A plurality of gravity channels  82  extend through the chamber  28  between the inlet orifices  79  and the outlet orifices  70 . The channels  82  are substantially rectangular, however, the walls of the cylindrical pressure cavity cover a portion of the top opening of the channels  82 . The channels  82  are directed at ninety degree opposite downward directions. 
     In FIG. 5, the bottom of the distribution body  52  is shown. The insert-molded nipple plumbing connections  55  are preferably constructed of brass. Numerical designations  71  mark the position of the quadrants  67 . 
     Turning to FIG. 6, the lid  25  fits inside the distribution body  52  and rests on a ledge  90  formed inside the opening. The open chamber  61  is divided by the dividing walls  64  to form compartments which in this case are named quadrants  67 . The chamber  28  has a threaded outer surface for engaging with the trap seal primer valve  19 . 
     In FIG. 7, a plurality of threaded openings  99  engage with the fasteners  49  that removably attach the lid  25  to the distribution body  52 . 
     In operation, by rotating the lid  25  in approximately one-hundred twenty degree intervals, the configuration of the lid  25  can be changed between three settings. In the first setting the dividing walls block two of the exit orifices  70  such that two of the quadrants  67  are provided with a charge of water. This configuration is suitable for providing charges of water to two trap lines. In order to switch to another configuration, the fasteners  49  would be removed from the openings  99  and the lid would be rotated approximately sixty degrees. In the next configuration, the exit orifices  70  would align with the dividing walls  64  in a different manner such as to permit water flow to three or four quadrants  67 . The correct position of the lid  25  is determined by matching up the indicia  53  (FIG. 2) with the guide marker  73  (FIG.  2 ). In a preferred embodiment and by way of example only, when the letter A and the guide marker  73  are aligned, only the ports marked  1  and  3  will distribute water equally. When the letter B and the guide marker  73  are aligned, only the ports marked  1 , 2 , and  3  will distribute water equally. When the letter C and the guide marker  73  are aligned all of the ports will distribute water equally. 
     When water is received by the distribution unit  10  from the trap seal primer valve  19 , a momentary pressure rise occurs in the opening  37  in the chamber. Due to the pressure increase, calcium and other deposits do not have the opportunity of accumulating, and thus, do not affect the functioning of the distribution unit  10 . The water is uniformly divided into the four gravity channels  82  due to the highly uniform inlet orifices  79  at the top of the chamber  28 . If a channel  82  is positioned such that the exit orifice  70  is positioned over a dividing wall  64 , the flow is prevented from entering the distribution body  52 . In this manner the distribution unit  10  can be set up to provide charges of water to between two and four sewer trap lines. 
     While the invention has been described in connection with certain preferred embodiments, it is not intended to limit the scope of the invention to the particular forms set forth, but, on the contrary, it is intended to cover such alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.