Abstract:
A wastewater effluents orifice shield. The shield has a roof section with a wall section. The wall section is configured to straddle and attached to a wastewater or effluents dispersion line. The dispersion line is configured with a plurality of discharge port&#39;s. The discharge port&#39;s jettison the effluents. The orifice shield diverts the effluents jettisoned from the dispersion line into a soil bed.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   This application claims priority benefit of Canadian Application Number 112433, filed Aug. 26, 2005. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a plan view of the wastewater dispersion system; 
       FIG. 2  is a plan detail view of the orifice shield; 
       FIG. 3  is an elevational detail view of the orifice shield; 
       FIG. 4  is a perspective detail view of the orifice shield; 
       FIG. 4A  is in elevational detail view of an alternative embodiment of the orifice shield; 
       FIG. 4B  is a plan detail view of an alternative embodiment of the orifice shield; 
       FIG. 5  is an elevational detail view of the through port; 
       FIG. 6  is an elevational detail view of an alternative embodiment of the through port; 
       FIG. 7  is an elevational detail view of an alternative embodiment of the orifice shield; 
       FIG. 8  is a plan detail view of an alternative embodiment of the orifice shield; 
       FIG. 9  is an elevational detail view of an alternative embodiment of the orifice shield; 
       FIG. 10  is a plan detail view of an alternative embodiment of the orifice shield; 
       FIG. 11  is an elevational sectional view of an assembly of the present embodiments. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
   The first embodiment as seen in  FIG. 1  discloses a wastewater dispersion system  10  which in one form can be a leach field, a septic tank drainage field or a gray water field among others. The general purpose of the wastewater dispersion system  10  includes the periodic dispersion of effluent or used water which needs to be treated or disposed of into fields where more large scale standard municipal water treatment facilities are not used. 
   The first embodiment of the wastewater dispersion system  10  includes (as seen in  FIG. 1 ), a centrifugal pump  14  which is attached to a main line  24 . Stemming from the main line  24  are feeder lines  22  which then supply the wastewater into dispersion lines  12 . These dispersion lines are arranged above soil beds  11 . The dispersion lines  12  have effluent orifice ports  16  (as seen in  FIG. 2 ), which are spaced at a predetermined orifice spacing  18  as desired for adequate effluent dispersion. The centrifugal pump in this particular embodiment has various wastewater or effluent pumping periods which provide for the increase and decrease of the dispersion line  12  interior pressure. Pressure can range from between 0-60 lbs. psi depending on the periodic use of the dispersion line  12 . To help disperse the effluent into the soil bed  11 , an aggregate topping layer  46  is placed above the dispersion lines  12  to reduce the jet-like spray of the effluent escaping from the effluent orifice  16  when the interior pressure of the dispersion lines  12  reaches its high outflow level. The aggregate topping  46  also provides for catching of larger particulate matter which is contained within the wastewater. 
   During long-term usage of the dispersion lines  12 , the pressure and outflow from the effluent orifices  16  will tend to force the aggregate topping  46  away from the general range of the effluent orifices  16 . To keep the effluent orifice and effluent from pushing away the aggregate topping  46  and creating a void space above the effluent orifice  16 , orifice shields  20  are provided for covering the orifices  16  thus keeping the effluent within, for example, the leach field or wastewater dispersion system  10 . The orifice shield helps disperse or filter the effluent into the soil bed  11  for proper treatment. 
   Referring to  FIG. 2 , an orifice shield  20  is provided in the first embodiment over a standard effluent orifice  16 , allowing the effluent in the dispersion line  12  to filter into the soil bed  11 . The orifice shield  20  has a plurality of line through ports  28  which are semicircular and range in size from 1-2 inches in diameter. The orifice shield  20  is arranged so that the line through ports  28  straddle the dispersion line  12  which is arranged along a longitudinally aligned axis  26 . The orifice shield through parts themselves are arranged along radially aligned diametrically opposed axis which can be aligned with the longitudinal axis  26  when the particular through port size is straddled over the dispersion line. Depending on the size of the dispersion line  12 , the particular line through port  28  will be chosen to operably attach to the dispersion line  12  as will be discussed below. The first embodiment of the orifice shield  20  is provided with three line through port sizes to provide for varying dispersion line size attachment. The line through ports  28  are arranged on a radially aligned axis  30 , which bisects the orifice shield  20  in the first embodiment along the diameter of the particular orifice shield. Thus, for example, the dispersion line  12  may have a nominal outer diameter of 1½ inches. The orifice shield  20  has available line through port  28  sizes of 1 inch, 1½ inch, and 2 inch diameter through ports. The user chooses the 1½ inch diameter line through port  28 , which is sized to straddle and lock onto the nominal 1½ inch diameter dispersion line  12 . The user arranges the orifice shield above the effluent orifice  16  to provide for containment of the wastewater as it shoots out of the effluent orifice  16 . 
   Referring to  FIG. 3 , the first embodiment of the orifice shield  20  includes a roof section  32  and a wall section  34  which combine to create a semispherical orifice shield arrangement. As previously mentioned, the dispersion line  12  has a nominal outer dimension which usually ranges between 1-2 inches, but could be larger or smaller in diameter depending on the design of the particular wastewater dispersion system. The orifice shield is sized to meet these dispersion line sizes as required. The orifice  16  in this particular arrangement is arranged at the topmost tangent of the dispersion line  12 . The dispersion line as previously discussed, experiences large periodic internal pressures which direct the effluent dispersion flow  54  substantially vertical and may range depending on the amount of pressure within the dispersion line  12  to a vertical height of approximately 6 feet. The orifice shield  20  provides for redirection and containment of the effluent dispersion flow  54  down into the base soil bed  11  by allowing the effluent dispersion flow  54  to filter down into the bottom region of the orifice shield  20  as well as out into the top aggregate  46  through the unused dispersion line through ports  28 . Other effluent filter ports may be provided as needed to adequately disperse the effluent. 
   To provide for adequate effluent dispersion flow  54  out of the orifice  16 , the orifice shield  20  has a roof height  52 , which is greater than the dispersion line diameter. This provides a ceiling space above the orifice  16  where the effluent can project vertically, hit the roof section  32  and then transition downward to filter out of the orifice shield  20  into the soil bed  11 . The aggregate top covering  46  is placed at a depth greater than the overall height of the orifice shield roof  52  thus providing a certain amount of anchoring deadweight above the orifice shield  20  which provides for some resistance of the periodic effluent dispersion flow  54  out of the dispersion line  12  acting on the orifice shield. Additionally, the orifice shield  20  is held in place on the dispersion line  12  through the use of a locking mechanism or line impinging section  57  as seen in  FIG. 5 . Referring to both  FIGS. 3 and 5 , the line through ports  28  are configured to accept the chosen dispersion line diameters  44  through a reduced through port line opening  42 . The through port  28  has a thickened section which is configured as a port collar  66 . The port collar  66  has an increased radial collar depth  74  (as seen in  FIG. 4 ), and an increased circumferential wall thickness  75  to provide for strengthening of the impinging action  56  which will be discussed further below. 
   The port collar  66  as well as the rest of the orifice shield  20  is constructed of a rigid but elastic material such as a polyvinyl chloride or even a nonyielding elastic composite material or metal/alloy material. The through port  28  having the line impinging section  57  locks onto the dispersion line  12  when the orifice shield  20  is pressed downward through an installation force  100  xxxxxxxx by the installer over the dispersion line outer diameter  44 . The port collar  66  flexes circumferentially outwards a flex distance  102 , which is the difference between the impinging section edge  59  and the outer diameter edge  61  of the dispersion line  12 . After the orifice shield  20  has been installed over the dispersion line  12 , the port collar  66  will apply a tangential pinching force action  56  (as seen in  FIG. 3 ) against the outer surface of the line. The elastic spring force of the port collar  66  working to return to its original position is one way to provide a secure locking mechanism onto the dispersion line and acts to hold the orifice shield  20  longitudinally in line with the dispersion line  12 . 
   Although the first embodiment of the orifice shield  20  uses a flexible port collar  66  within reduced through port line opening  42  to hold the orifice shield  20  in longitudinal position along the dispersion line  12 , other locking mechanisms can be used. These include apparatuses such as set screws which can be screwed through the orifice shield  20  into the dispersion line  12  as well as through the use of tabular claws and the like which provide for grabbing onto the dispersion line  12 . 
   Furthermore, referring to  FIG. 6 , the locking/clamping action  56  of the impinging section  57  which provides for the tangential locking force of the through port  28  of the dispersion line  12 , can be located at or below the horizontal midline diameter  104  of the dispersion line  12  and acts on the bottom semicircular section  106  of the line  12 . 
   Referring back to  FIG. 3 , the orifice shield  20  in the first embodiment as previously mentioned has a closed upper roof section  32  and a semispherical wall section  34  with a plurality of line through ports  28  for varying dispersion line sizes  12 . The wall section  34  has, in the first embodiment, an open bottom  35  with a perimeter wall section base circumference edge  36  or spread footing  64  as seen in  FIG. 4 . The first embodiment of the orifice shield  20  has an outer spread footing base diameter or shield stance  40  which is substantially greater than the dispersion line diameter. The shield stance  40  provides for stability of the orifice shield  20  in resisting overturning forces which may occur through shifting of the top aggregate  46  during the life of the wastewater dispersion system  10 . Additionally, with large loads, the shield stance  40  or the spread footing width  64  provides for uniform load transfer  50  of the aggregate deadload onto the ground engaging location. This uniform deadload operates to resist as, previously mentioned, effluent dispersion upward forces  54  tending to raise the orifice shield  20  and provide for shifting in a radial manner about the longitudinal axis  26  of the dispersion line  12 . 
   Referring to  FIG. 4 , the first embodiment of the orifice shield  20  seen in the semispherical configuration, as previously mentioned, has a semispherical roof section  78  which has a roof radius  60 . The orifice shield  20  also has a semispherical perimeter wall section  76  and the shield membrane  77 , as previously discussed in the first embodiment, is provided as an elastic polyvinyl chloride. The shield membrane  77  is of a thin-wall construction to provide for flexibility of wall membranes or wall section during installation of the orifice shield  20  over the dispersion line or dispersion line  12 . The first embodiment also has a wall section buttress or wall stiffener  62 , which provides for additional rigidity during forging of the thin-walled shield membrane  77  in this first embodiment. 
   While the first embodiment shows the use of a semispherical orifice shield  20  (as seen in  FIGS. 1-4 ), additional or alternative orifice shield configurations are also provided. These include the use of (as seen in the second embodiment,  FIGS. 7 and 8 ), a hexagonal volume-type configuration  110  which has a flat hexagonal roof  112  with a six-sided hexagonal wall section  114 . This second embodiment provides for a total of three alternative line through port sizes  116  which can range between, as previously discussed in the current embodiment, 1-2 inches in diameter depending on the desired dispersion line configuration. The second hexagonal embodiment  110  has a wide stance base  118  which is substantially wider than the dispersion line  12  diameter and is also wider than the flat roof width  120 . 
   A third alternative embodiment of the orifice shield  20  is shown in  FIG. 9 and 10  as a truncated conical shield  130  with a four through port arrangement. This alternative embodiment discloses the use of a large number of through ports  28  for a wider range of dispersion line adaptability. The truncated conical shield  130  has in this current alternative embodiment a flat circular roof  132  with a conical wall section  134 . The outer circumferential perimeter  136  of the truncated conical shield  130  is great enough to provide for arrangement of four varying port sizes. In this alternative embodiment, these port sizes range from the largest of a 2 inch diameter through port  138  to the next largest through port of a 1¾ inch diameter through port  140 , to medium-sized through port at 1¼ inch diameter through port  142  to the currently smallest diameter through port at 1 inch diameter  144 . As previously mentioned, these through port diameters will vary depending on the desired adaptability to the various dispersion lines  12  within the wastewater dispersion system  10  such as the leach field or gray water field. 
   In an additional alternative embodiment, a cylindrical orifice shield  80  (as seen in  FIGS. 4A and 4B ) is provided. This cylindrical orifice shield  80  has a cylindrical perimeter wall section  84  with a cylindrical or circular roof section  82 . The cylindrical orifice shield  80  in this alternative embodiment has two preconfigured dispersion line through ports,  86  and  88 . Both are arranged radially to provide for alignment with the dispersion line longitudinal axis  26  as previously discussed. 
   Prior to use, the orifice shields can be stacked or stored in a nested position  150  as seen in  FIG. 11 . Because the orifice shields have a larger diameter perimeter edge  36  than the roof  32  and thus are arranged in somewhat of a conical or semispherical configuration, and since the bottom perimeter edge  36  has an opening  35 , the shields can be stacked or placed one on top of the other into a nested type assembly or storage configuration  150 .