Abstract:
There is disclosed a waste prevention system which avoids the discharge, inadvertent or otherwise, of laboratory waste, into a public sewage system and subsequently into the natural environment. The system employs, in combination, a laboratory sink having cooperatively connect thereto a carboy for collecting pollutants. The carboy is provided with elements to permit removal of samples of materials delivered thereto from the sink for testing of the same to determine the presence of pollutants. In the event no pollutants are present, the carboy may simply be opened and any wash or rinse water from the sink can be delivered into a public sewage system and then to the environment. In the event testing indicates the presence of pollutants, the carboy then can be filled to the required level, which is indicated by a sensing device connected electrically to signaling devices, such as a horn and/or light and which is also connected to the source of washing water and automatically will stop the flow of such washing water into the sink. The carboy can then be removed from the system and stored and/or disposed of, as desired.

Description:
This invention relates to a pollution prevention system. More particularly, it relates to a pollution prevention system which avoids the discharge, inadvertent or otherwise, of laboratory waste, and, particularly hazardous laboratory waste, into a public sewage system and subsequently into the natural environment. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     A wide variety of waste delivery systems are known in the art. Some of such systems may include steps to remove and/or isolate pollutants, such as hazardous laboratory waste, from waste materials to be delivered to a public sewage system and then into the natural environment, or steps for the treatment of such pollutants within the system to neutralize the same before delivery into a public sewage system and then into the natural environment. Thus, many of the known systems involve relatively sophisticated and complex operational steps and, as well, sophisticated and complex apparatus for accomplishing the same. Moreover, in recent years, the necessity of cleaning up the natural environment has resulted in the enactment of environmental legislation on the part of State and Federal Governments to enhance the quality of the environment by reducing and/or eliminating adverse environmental activities and has resulted in the exertion of pressures on industrial operators in order to not only protect the natural environment but also to protect the public against the adverse effects of industrial pollution and, thus, increase the quality of life for the public in general. 
     The enactment of environmentally protective laws, including the enforcement of the same by the imposition of severe penalties, has brought about the development of a substantial body of environment enhancing and protecting technology. Some typical examples of recent, relatively simple devices of such technology include U.S. Pat. No. 5,438,713 of Aug. 8, 1995, which discloses a prefabricated bathroom module for installation onto a deck of a marine vessel; U.S. Pat. No. 5,413,705 of May 5, 1995, for a filterless drain separator which discloses structure, such as a centripetal separator, which allows separation of liquid and solids or particulate matter and permits the liquid to pass through and out of the drain while retaining the solids or particulate matter for removal and disposal; U.S. Pat. No. 5,388,288 of Feb. 14, 1995, which discloses a plumbing fitting which serves both as a test closure and a trap bushing for a T-fitting; U.S. Pat. No. 5,333,327 of Aug. 2, 1994, dealing with an apparatus for opening and closing a drain and showing a mechanism for remotely opening and closing a drain of a basin with a flexible rod moving through a non-linear tube; U.S. Pat. No. 5,325,549 of Jul. 5, 1994, which discloses a trap fitting assembly for mounting in flammable floors which prevents the spread of smoke and fire through a floor and ceiling; U.S. Pat. No. 5,267,361 of Dec. 7, 1993, which discloses a drain trap having an L-shaped inlet tube, a cap, a vertical discharge tube and a garbage blocking member; U.S. Pat. No. 5,255,402 of Oct. 26, 1993, which discloses a trap for a sink, or the like, having an easily removable bottom portion which permits the trap to be cleaned and lost articles removed; U.S. Pat. No. 5,249,398 of Oct. 5, 1993, which discloses a cesspool for handling waste water and which is provided with a drainage system having two separate odor locks which prevent the escape of odorless gas from the system through the cesspool; U.S. Pat. No. 5,236,137 of Aug. 17, 1993, which discloses an apparatus and method for garbage disposal cleaning; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,203,369 of Apr. 20, 1993, which discloses a sink trap having a generally semi-global main chamber, a shallow water chamber, a plurality of baffles for supporting the water chamber in the main chamber in an inwardly spaced relation and defining a plurality of volute passageways between the main and water chambers, and a cap detachably secured to the upper edge of the main chamber and an inlet pipe extending axially downwardly through the cap into the water chamber to lead drainage into the water chamber and discharging the drainage by overflowing the water chamber to flow through the volute passageways forming a turbulent liquid flow along a drainage pipe line to prevent the drainage pipe line from becoming choked with impassable matter. 
     While the above-mentioned Patents are exemplative of a variety of technological developments in some of the simpler and more fundamental areas of developments of environmentally beneficial systems, methods and apparatus and appear to provide answers to the various problems they were developed to overcome, they simply do not recognize the problem of the disposition of waste from research laboratory operations. This is especially so when the disposition, whether it be inadvertent or otherwise, of such laboratory wastes is encountered when cleaning laboratory equipment for further use during normal laboratory research operations. 
     In many chemical research laboratories in use today, a wide variety of hazardous materials are employed as initial reactants, or such hazardous material are generated as a result of experimental processes undertaken in connection with research activities. Moreover, many such materials may not only be hazardous to the environment and to humans from a health viewpoint, but even highly toxic to the extent that they cause death in humans, animals and plant life. Furthermore, while established operating standards of safety result in the disposition of most of such materials, the possibility of the existence of residues thereof in the laboratory equipment employed therewith during research activities must be taken into consideration when cleaning such equipment in the laboratory sinks, since introduction of such materials into the public sewage system, inadvertently or otherwise, may easily occur with consequent contamination of the public sewage system and the exterior environment. There exists, therefore, a need for providing a system and an apparatus which overcomes this problem. The present invention fulfills this need. 
     BRIEF STATEMENT OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with the invention, there is provided a pollution prevention system which avoids the discharge, inadvertently and otherwise, of laboratory waste, hazardous and benign, into a public sewage system and then into the exterior environment, the system, comprising in combination a laboratory sink provided with a drain and means for collecting waste material from the sink connected to the drain and provided with at least a pair of valved outlets, one outlet leading to the exterior of the means for collecting waste material and the other outlet connected to a public sewage system. 
     Still further, in accordance with the invention, there is provided apparatus for carrying out a pollution prevention system which avoids the discharge, inadvertent and otherwise, of laboratory waste, hazardous and benign, into a public sewage system and then into the exterior environment, the apparatus comprising in combination a laboratory sink provided with a drain and means for collecting waste material from the sink connected to the drain and provided with at least a pair of valved outlets, one outlet leading to the exterior of the means for collecting waste material and the other outlet connected to a public sewage system. 
    
    
     THE DRAWINGS 
     In order to understand the present invention more fully, reference is directed to the attached Drawings which are to be taken in conjunction with the following description of the inventive system and apparatus for accomplishing the same, and wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view in elevation, and partially in section, of apparatus for carrying out the pollution prevention system of the invention, and 
     FIG. 2 is a view in elevation, and partially in section, of a laboratory work bench arrangement for achieving the system of the invention. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring now to FIG. 1, a pollution prevention system according to the invention comprises in combination a laboratory sink  10  provided with a drain  12  connected to a means  14  for collecting waste material from the sink. 
     The sink  10  may be made of a wide variety of suitable materials which are substantially inert, strong and resistant to destruction by contact therewith of destructive materials over long periods of time, such as strong acidic, basic and radio-active chemicals and the like. For example, the sink may be made from substantially inert heavy stoneware which has been appropriately shaped, or such stoneware which has been provided with a protective surface, such as by grinding and polishing to provide a hard, smooth surface and/or by providing a hard, smooth surface thereto by a glass or inert plastic coating, or the like, such as, for example, of polyethylene, polypropylene, polyhexamethylene adipamide, polyvinylchloride, or polycarbonate and the like. The drain  12 , as well as the means for collecting waste material  14 , may also be made of glass or of such plastic materials. 
     Still further, if desirable, the sink, waste collection means and drain may be made of metal, such as steel and the like, or other metallic materials which are resistant to the activity of destructive materials and/or which may be coated with the materials mentioned above. 
     The collection means for the waste material  14  is also provided with at least one pair of valved outlets  16  and  18 . Valved outlet  16  opens directly to the exterior atmosphere of the collection means for the waste material to allow withdrawal of samples of the waste material for testing to determine the presence of undesirable waste materials therein. On the other hand, valved outlet  18  is connected to a public sewage system  20  and will normally remain in a closed position until testing is completed and then opened to permit any waste material collected in the collection means  14  for delivery to the public sewage system and then to the exterior environment. 
     In addition, the pollution prevention system of this invention includes also a source of wash water, preferably by way of a faucet  22 , located in the vicinity of the sink to deliver water thereto and which in turn is connected to an appropriate plumbing system (not shown). It is to be understood, however, that is within the purview of this invention that wash water can be supplied by any convenient arrangement, such as, for example, by way of a hose arrangement, or even by a pail whose contents simply may be emptied into the sink. 
     While the above brief detailed description of the pollution prevention system of this invention as described sets forth the fundamental operative elements thereof, as a practical matter, the inventive system also is preferably provided with a level sensor  24  located on the exterior surface of the collection means  14  and near the top thereof. The level sensor  24  is connected to an appropriate electrical circuit  26 , which in turn, is connected to an alarm  28 . Alarm  28  is also preferably connected to faucet  22  in a convenient manner to shut off the flow of washing water when the level of waste material in the collection means has activated the sensor. 
     Still further, the pollution prevention system, according to the invention, includes the utilization of a drip pan or catch basin  30  which is disposed under the waste collection means  14  and which serves the purpose of collecting any spillage which may occur when taking test samples through valved outlet  16 . Drip pan  30  may be made from the same materials as waste collection means  14 . 
     Waste collection means  14  is preferably in the form of a container and may be round, rectangular, or any other desirable and convenient shape. Moreover, while it is preferably provided with an integral top  32 , such as shown in FIG. 1, and with an upwardly extending portion  34 , the upwardly extending portion is adapted to be connected to the drain  12  by a substantially liquid and air tight collar  36  to prevent leakage of any waste material passing down the drain and into the interior of the container. The collar  36  may be screw threaded or friction fitted to the drain  12  and to the waste collection means, as desired, and collar  36  may be made of the same materials, metallic or plastic, as mentioned above. 
     Referring now more particularly to FIG. 2, the pollution prevention system of the invention is shown there as incorporated into a working laboratory cabinet or bench arrangement in which the bench or cabinet, generally referred to by numeral  38 , is provided with a rear panel  39 , side panels  40  and  42  and a front panel  44  resting on a supporting member  46  which in turn is in contact with the laboratory floor  48 . Supporting member  46  also includes inwardly extending supports (not visible) to ensure a solid foundation for the system. 
     The cabinet panels, including rear panel  39 , support a counter top  50  provided with a pair of openings to support a pair of laboratory sinks  10  and  10 ′. The sinks are provided with drains  12  and  12 ′ connected to an additional T-shaped drain member  52 . In turn, the T-shaped drain member extends downwardly towards the waste collection means  14  which, in the version illustrated, is a circularly shaped carboy of polypropylene which is provided with an intregally formed cover member  54  having a central opening  56  through which there extends an integrally formed drain pipe  58  which is connected at its upper extremity to the T-shaped drain member  52  by a collar  36  which is preferably a Triclover sanitary connector. As with the system shown in FIG. 1, in the system of FIG. 2, the waste collection means  14 , that is the polypropylene carboy, is provided with a pair of valved outlets, one,  16 , which in this modification of the system is preferably a needle style sample valve  60  and the other,  18 , is a spring type poppet type outlet valve  62 . Both of these valves are connected to the carboy through nozzles or lines  64  and  66 , respectively. Just downstream from the outlet valve  18 , a collar  68 , which is preferably a Triclover sanitary connector, couples the outlet valve to a public sewage system  20  and from which a vent hose  70 , provided with appropriate barbed nipples  72  and  74  connect the hose to the public sewage systems and to the waste collection means  14 , respectively. 
     The modification of the pollution prevention system shown in FIG. 2 also includes a mixed water spout or faucet  22  provided with a “goose-neck” with vacuum breaker. The water spout on faucet  22  is connected through tubing  76  which extends downwardly towards the supporting member of the cabinet  38 . A normally closed solenoid valve  78  is located in the lower portion of the tubing  76  and connected to a spring closed foot pedal  80  which, in turn, is connected through a hot and cold water mixing valve  82  to hot and cold water sources  84  and  86 . 
     The solenoid valve  78  is provided with an activator  88  which is connected to a vacuum source  90  of preferably  120  pounds located in the interior of cabinet  38  behind the front panel  44 . 
     In the modification of the inventive pollution prevention system shown in FIG. 2, the waste collection means  14 , that is, the carboy, has, as does the system illustrated in FIG. 1, a level sensor  24  located on the exterior surface of the carboy. The sensor  24  is preferably a non-contact sensor and it is connected through appropriate circuitry  26  to a level alarm controller  92  located just behind the front wall of cabinet  38 . The controller  92  is in turn connected to an alarm light  94  and to a horn  96 , preferably a piezoelectric horn, both of which elements are located in the front panel of the cabinet  38 . 
     It is to be understood that it is within the purview of this invention to employ a wide variety of readily available elements in constructing a system according to the invention. For example, any of a wide variety of non-contact level sensors which are available in the market place may be utilized so long as they can appropriately be attached to and later removed from the waste collection means, so that the waste collection is means may be removed from the system and appropriately stored and/or disposed of, as desirable. Still further, any of a wide variety of readily available valve elements can also be employed in place of the needle style sample valve  60 , as well as in place of the spring type poppet outlet valve. Moreover, any of a wide variety of collars and sanitary connectors readily available in the market place may also be employed in place of the described collars and triclover sanitary connectors, so long as they are capable of functioning without leakage and thus obviate possible pollution problems which would occur by such leakage. 
     In addition, it is within the purview of this invention to employ any of a wide variety of signaling and alarm devices which are readily available in the market place, that is, either sound emitting horns or various colored lights which may be noticeable by their intensity or intermittent flashing. 
     Referring now once again to FIG. 1, a pollution prevention system according to the invention generally operates as follows. 
     Laboratory flasks and the like which have been employed in carrying out experiments and the like and which now must be cleaned for re-use and which may contain pollutants which must be washed away are introduced into the sink  10  and washed and rinsed to remove any such pollutants therefrom. At this stage, valves  16  and  18  are in their closed positions. Thus, any wash and rinsing water passes through the drain  12  and into the waste collection means  14 . Should it be desired at any time during with washing and rinsing stage to check for the presence of pollutants in the wash and rinsing water delivered to the waste collection means, valve  16  is simply opened to drain off a portion of the contents which is then appropriately tested for the presence of pollutants by appropriate testing procedures. If no pollutants are detected, valve  18  can then be opened and the contents of the waste collection means can be drained into the public sewage system  20  and subsequently into the general outside environment. 
     On the other hand, if pollutants are detected, washing and rinsing is continued until the sensor means  24 , due to the level of material in the waste collection means, is activated and thus initiates, by way of the electrical circuit  26 , a signal by the piezoelectric horn  94  and/or the light  96  and which, at the same time, shuts off the flow of wash water through the faucet  27 . When the last event has occurred, the waste collection means  14 , such as a carboy, for example, is removed simply by opening collar  36  to separate the waste collection means from the drain  12 . The waste collection means can then be removed and closed by disposition of an appropriate air tight and liquid tight cap on the upwardly extending portion  34  thereof. After such sealing, the waste collection means is then simply removed for storage and/or disposition. This procedure is then repeated, as needed. 
     The present invention presents many advantages. For example, it provides a system which is easily operated, and which, at the same time, employs a wide variety of elements which are readily available in the market place and which can be assembled and utilized in a relatively simple manner. Moreover, the various elements employed and which must be disposed of after utilization of the system, are relatively inexpensive and those parts of the system which are reusable can be salvaged for such further reuse, thus obviating the need to replace them after each use. 
     Consequently, that portion of the system, once initial costs have been undertaken and due to the fact that such elements can be reused, holds down future costs of operation of the system. 
     Numerous other advantages of the invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. 
     Accordingly, this invention is not to be limited to the embodiments disclosed and illustrated herein, except as defined in the appended claims.