Patent Publication Number: US-2017350099-A1

Title: Underground Plumbing System

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     Field of the Disclosure 
     The disclosure relates to plumbing devices and more particularly pertains to a new plumbing device for inhibiting debris from entering an underground valve box. 
     SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a valve box that may be buried in ground. Thus, an underground plumbing fitting may be housed within the valve box. A lid is removably positioned on the valve box and the lid is positioned to close the top side. A shield is removably positioned within the valve box. The shield inhibits debris from entering the valve box when the valve box is buried. Thus, the shield inhibits the underground plumbing fitting from being covered by the debris. 
     There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
     The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view of an underground plumbing system according to an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is a top view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  is a bottom view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 4  is a cut-away in-use view taken along line of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 5  is a top perspective view of a shield of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to  FIGS. 1 through 5  thereof, a new plumbing device embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral  10  will be described. 
     As best illustrated in  FIGS. 1 through 5 , the underground plumbing system  10  generally comprises a valve box  12  that has bottom side  14 , a top side  16  and an outer wall  18  extending therebetween. Each of the top side  16  and the bottom side  14  is open. The valve box  12  may be buried in ground  20  having the top side  16  being exposed. Thus, an underground plumbing fitting  22  may be housed within the valve box  12 . The outer wall  18  has an inner surface  24 . 
     The valve box  12  may comprise an underground valve box of any conventional design. The underground plumbing fitting  22  may comprise a sprinkler system valve or the like. The valve box  12  includes a lid  26 . The lid  26  is removably positioned on the valve box  12  and the lid  26  is positioned to close the top side  16 . 
     A shield  28  is removably positioned within the valve box  12 . The shield  28  inhibits debris  30  from entering the valve box  12  when the valve box  12  is buried. Thus, the shield  28  inhibits the underground plumbing fitting  22  being covered by the debris  30 . The debris  30  may comprise dirt, rocks or other earthen material. 
     The shield  28  comprises a frame  32  that has a pair of lateral walls  34  extending between a pair of longitudinal walls  36 . The lateral walls  34  are spaced apart from each other such that the frame  32  has a rectangular shape. The frame  32  has an inside surface  38  and an outside surface  40 . The frame  32  is removably positioned in the valve box  12 . Thus, the outside surface  40  of the frame  32  frictionally engages the inner surface  24  of the valve box  12 . 
     The frame  32  is coextensive with the outer wall  18  of the valve box  12  when the frame  32  is positioned in the valve box  12 . Moreover, the frame  32  is aligned with the bottom side  14  of the valve box  12  when the frame  32  is positioned in the valve box  12 . Thus, the frame  32  is positioned beneath the underground plumbing fitting  22 . The frame  32  may be manufactured with a variety of dimensions. Thus, the frame  32  may fit in a variety of valve box  12  sizes. 
     A screen  42  is provided and the screen  42  is coupled to the inside surface  38  of the frame  32 . The screen  42  extends between each of the lateral walls  34  and each of the longitudinal walls  36 . Thus, the screen  42  inhibits the debris  30  from passing through the frame  32  when the valve box  12  is buried. The screen  42  comprises a mesh material. The mesh material may have openings ranging between three mm and six mm. 
     In use, a hole  36  is dug in ground  20  and the frame  32  is positioned in the hole  36 . The valve box  12  is positioned on the hole  36  such that the frame  32  is positioned in the valve box  12 . Thus, the screen  42  inhibits the debris  30  from being urged upwardly in the valve box  12 . The underground plumbing fitting  22  is positioned to extend through the valve box  12  in the convention of underground sprinkler systems and the like. The underground plumbing fitting  22  is positioned above the frame  32 . The screen  42  inhibits the underground plumbing fitting  22  from becoming buried by the debris  30 . Thus, the underground plumbing fitting  22  may be serviced without having to expose the underground plumbing fitting  22  with respect to the debris  30 . 
     With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, system and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.