Pit assembly with removable cartridge

• US 10,385,552 B2
• Filed: 01/05/2018
• Issued: 08/20/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mueller International LLC (Mueller Water Products Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Mueller International LLC (Mueller Water Products Incorporated)
• Inventors: Mosley, Harold Thomas, Mitchell, Timothy J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Kevin L
• Application Number:
  US15/862,941
• Publication Number:
  US 20180171605A1
• Time in Patent Office: 592 Days
• CPC Class Codes: E03B 7/08 Arrangement of draining devices, e.g. manual shut-off valvesdraining devices in general F16K, F16L
• CPC Class Codes: E03B 7/09 Component parts or accessories tools for cleaning pipes B08B9/02; devices for preventing contamination of drinking water pipes for domestic use E03C1/10; devices for preventing damage in case of bursts of pipes F16L; heating or cooling of pipes or pipe systems F16L53/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/6011 Assembling, disassembling, or removing cartridge type valve [e.g., insertable and removable as a unit, etc.]

Abstract

A removable cartridge configured for installation in a pit including a pit connector, the removable cartridge including a cartridge connector configured to operatively couple in fluid communication to the pit connector; a locking mechanism mounted to the cartridge connector and selectively movable about and between a locked position and an unlocked position, the locked position configured to securely couple the cartridge connector to the pit connector, the unlocked position configured to release the cartridge connector from the pit connector; and a piping system connected in fluid communication with the cartridge connector.

Claims

1. A cartridge connector comprising:

a coupling;

a locking mechanism attached to the coupling, the locking mechanism comprising a camming lever; and

a locking mechanism actuator configured to selectively position the locking mechanism about and between a locked position and an unlocked position by a selectable movement, the locking mechanism actuator comprising;

a rod connected to the camming lever; and

a handle assembly connected to the rod.

2. The cartridge connector of claim 1, wherein:

the coupling defines a bore; and

a rounded lobe of the camming lever extends into the bore when the locking mechanism actuator is in the locked position.

3. The cartridge connector of claim 1, wherein:

the camming lever is a first camming lever;

the locking mechanism further comprises a second camming lever disposed on the coupling opposite from the first camming lever;

the rod is a first rod; and

the locking mechanism actuator further comprises a second rod connected to the second camming lever and to the handle assembly.

4. The cartridge connector of claim 3, wherein the first rod and the second rod are configured to deflect outwards and away from the coupling when the locking mechanism actuator is selectively moved about and between the locked position and the unlocked position.

5. The cartridge connector of claim 1, wherein the locking mechanism actuator exerts a biasing force on the locking mechanism which biases against the selectable movement between the locked position and the unlocked position.

6. The cartridge connector of claim 5, wherein:

the locking mechanism actuator further comprises a spring connected between the handle and the rod; and

the spring is configured to exert the biasing force on the camming lever through the rod.

7. The cartridge connector of claim 1, wherein:

the rod is connected to the handle assembly by a pin; and

the rod is configured to pivot about the pin relative to the handle assembly.

8. A method of securely coupling a pit connector to a cartridge connector, the method comprising:

inserting the pit connector into the cartridge connector; and

selectively positioning a locking mechanism of the cartridge connector from an unlocked position to a locked position, selectively positioning the locking mechanism comprising;

pulling on a locking mechanism actuator attached to the locking mechanism; and

rotating a camming lever of the locking mechanism to the locked position to engage the pit connector.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein rotating the camming lever to the locked position comprises engaging a rounded lobe of the camming lever with a groove of the pit connector.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein pulling on a locking mechanism actuator comprises deflecting a pair of rods of the locking mechanism actuator outwards and away from the cartridge connector.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein deflecting the pair of rods outwards comprises producing a biasing force which resists movement of the locking mechanism about and between the locked position and the unlocked position.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein deflecting the pair of rods outwards comprises stretching a spring attached to at least a one of the pair of rods of the locking mechanism actuator.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein each rod of the pair of rods extends through a different bore defined by a handle assembly, and wherein deflecting the pair of rods comprises bending the pair of rods.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising inserting a removable cartridge into the pit, the removable cartridge comprising the cartridge connector, the locking mechanism, and the locking mechanism actuator.

15. A removable cartridge configured for installation in a pit comprising a pit connector, the removable cartridge comprising:

a cartridge connector configured to operatively couple in fluid communication to the pit connector;

a locking mechanism mounted to the cartridge connector and selectively movable about and between a locked position and an unlocked position, the locked position configured to securely couple the cartridge connector to the pit connector, the unlocked position configured to release the cartridge connector from the pit connector; and

a piping system connected in fluid communication with the cartridge connector.

16. The removable cartridge of claim 15, wherein the piping system is connected in fluid communication with the pit connector when the cartridge connector is securely coupled to the pit connector with the locking mechanism in the locked position.

17. The removable cartridge of claim 15, wherein the locking mechanism is a cam lock coupler.

18. The removable cartridge of claim 15, wherein the piping system and the cartridge connector are mounted on a chassis.

19. The removable cartridge of claim 18, wherein a locking mechanism actuator is connected to the locking mechanism, and the locking mechanism actuator extends upwards above the chassis.

20. The removable cartridge of claim 19, wherein:

the locking mechanism comprises a pair of camming levers;

the locking mechanism actuator comprises a pair of rods; and

each rod of the pair of rods is attached to a different camming lever of the pair of camming levers.