Float drain

• US 10,451,307 B2
• Filed: 04/17/2017
• Issued: 10/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hoffman Enclosures Incorporated (Pentair Plc (Ireland))
• Original Assignee: Hoffman Enclosures Incorporated (Pentair Plc (Ireland))
• Inventors: Stammer, Scott D., Her, La, Livgard, Jamie, Koehler, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): McManmon, Mary E
• Assistant Examiner(s): Durden, Richard K.
• Application Number:
  US15/489,543
• Publication Number:
  US 20170299078A1
• Time in Patent Office: 918 Days
• Field of Search: 210119, 210164, 2851401, 285209
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 21/04 with bayonet catch
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 24/046 the assembly of float and valve element being a single spherical element
• CPC Class Codes: F16T 1/20 with valves controlled by floats
• CPC Class Codes: F16T 1/22 of closed-hollow-body type
• CPC Class Codes: F16T 1/383 Valve closing members or valve seats
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 13/222 for evacuating condensate

Abstract

A float drain for an enclosure can include a basket to collect liquid from the enclosure, a sealing structure surrounding an outlet of the basket, and a float configured to seat against the sealing surface to prevent fluid flow out of the outlet and to rise off of the sealing surface due to buoyancy forces as the liquid collects in the basket. The float drain can include other features, including: ribs or other protrusions extending into an interior are of the basket to space the float apart from an inner wall of the basket; an angled orientation of the sealing surface; and a trough, at least partly defined by the sealing structure, to collect debris.

Claims

1. A float drain and enclosure assembly comprising:

a panel forming a portion of an enclosure, the panel defining a punch having radially extending lobes circumferentially separated by respective teeth, wherein one or more struts extend from between at least one of the lobes and at least one of the teeth to support a grating with a plurality of drainage holes;

a basket to collect liquid from the enclosure, the basket including a bottom wall and including a locking arrangement configured to engage the teeth to secure the basket in alignment with the punch;

a sealing structure that extends away from the bottom wall, the sealing structure including a sealing surface that surrounds an outlet of the basket; and

a float configured to;

in a sealing configuration, seat against the sealing surface to prevent fluid flow out of the outlet; and

rise off of the sealing surface, due to buoyancy forces from the liquid as the liquid collects in the basket, to allow the liquid to flow out of the outlet;

the basket having a plurality of ribs extending at least partly radially inwardly into an interior area of the basket to at least partly separate the float from an inner wall of the basket.

2. The float drain and enclosure assembly of claim 1, wherein a lower portion of the basket includes a trough to collect debris carried by the liquid, the trough at least partly surrounding the sealing structure.

3. The float drain and enclosure assembly of claim 2, wherein the one or more struts and the grating are integrally formed with the panel of the enclosure.

4. The float drain and enclosure assembly of claim 1, wherein the plurality of ribs extend inwardly of the teeth.

5. The float drain and enclosure assembly of claim 1, wherein the sealing surface includes a frustoconical wall surrounding the outlet of the basket, the frustoconical wall angling downwardly along a radially inward direction.

6. The float drain and enclosure assembly of claim 5, wherein the float exhibits a characteristic diameter;

and

wherein the sealing surface is configured to contact the float at sealing locations that are separated from each other in a radial direction by between 10 % and 25 % of the characteristic diameter of the float.

7. The float drain and enclosure assembly of claim 1, further comprising:

a flange extending outwardly around the perimeter of the basket, the flange defining an upward-opening recess extending axially into the flange and configured to maintain a seal therein between the flange and a bottom side of the panel of the enclosure.

8. The float drain and enclosure assembly of claim 1, wherein the locking arrangement includes:

a plurality of locking tabs spaced around a perimeter of the basket, each of the locking tabs being spaced apart from at least an adjacent one of the locking tabs in a circumferential direction; and

a flange extending around the perimeter of the basket to define at least one gap between the flange and the locking tabs;

wherein the at least one gap is configured to receive at least one of the teeth of the panel of the enclosure, with the locking tabs on an opposite side of the panel of the enclosure from the flange, to secure the float drain to the panel of the enclosure.

9. The float drain and enclosure assembly of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of a boundary of the grating is separated from the radially extending lobes and the teeth by a gap and the plurality of ribs are disposed below the gap in an axial direction, the plurality of ribs terminating axially above at least a portion of a flange extending around the perimeter of an upper portion of the basket.

10. The float drain and enclosure assembly of claim 1, further comprising:

an anti-rotation feature formed integrally with the panel; and

a locking tab extending from a perimeter of the basket, the locking tab being configured to engage with the anti-rotation feature to secure the basket against rotation relative to the panel.

11. A float drain and enclosure assembly comprising:

a panel forming a portion of an enclosure, the panel defining a punch having at least one lobe, and one or more integrally formed struts supporting a grating with a plurality of drainage holes;

a basket to collect liquid from the enclosure, the basket including an inner wall and a bottom wall;

a sealing structure that includes a sealing surface, the sealing surface surrounding an outlet of the basket; and

a float configured to;

seat against the sealing surface to prevent fluid flow out of the outlet; and

rise under buoyancy forces from the liquid to allow the liquid to flow out of the outlet;

the sealing structure including a projecting wall that extends away from the bottom wall of the basket to support the sealing surface;

the projecting wall defining, in cooperation with the inner wall of the basket, a trough to collect debris carried by the liquid; and

the basket including a locking arrangement that includes;

at least one locking tab opposite the bottom wall; and

a flange that extends around the basket to define at least one gap between the flange and the at least one locking tab;

the at least one locking tab being configured to extend through the at least one lobe so that the at least one gap receives the panel of the enclosure to secure the float drain to the panel.

12. The float drain and enclosure assembly of claim 11, wherein the sealing surface extends at least partly towards the bottom wall of the basket, from a perspective moving radially inwardly from the projecting wall of the sealing structure.

13. The float drain and enclosure assembly of claim 12, wherein the float seats against the sealing surface at a sealing location that is radially inward of the projecting wall.

14. The float drain and enclosure assembly of claim 13, wherein the punch further defines teeth, the struts extending inwardly of the teeth.

15. The float drain and enclosure assembly of claim 14, further comprising:

a plurality of structures extending at least partly radially inwardly into an interior area of the basket to at least partly space the float apart from the inner wall of the basket, the plurality of structures extending axially above and below the float.

16. The float drain and enclosure assembly of claim 13, wherein the float seats against the sealing surface at multiple sealing locations that are radially inward of the projecting wall, with the sealing locations being separated from each other in a radial direction by between 10% and 25% of a maximum diameter of the float.

17. The float drain and enclosure assembly of claim 11, wherein the float is configured to be retained within the basket by the grating.