Synthetic material filter and associated method of use

• US 20040074841A1
• Filed: 10/22/2002
• Published: 04/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wabtec Corporation (Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Wabtec Corporation (Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Natalizia, Mark L.
• Granted Patent: US 6,875,353 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 210/631
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 29/44 Edge filtering elements, i.e. using contiguous impervious surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 15/04 Toilet facilities in railway vehicles B61D35/005
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 10/10 Biological treatment of water, waste water, or sewage

Abstract

A filter for a vehicular sewage system that includes an elongated body having a plurality of longitudinal vanes and slots. The body is made from a material able to support the growth of biological agents. The slots sized to resist the passage of particles larger than about 0.04 inches. The filters are structured for use with a vehicular sewage system having a treatment tank divided into an upper chamber and a lower chamber by a membrane. The membrane has a plurality of filter openings in which the filters are disposed. The filters allow fluid waste and solid particles smaller than about 0.04 inch flow into the lower chamber. Larger particles of solid waste are exposed to air in the upper chamber thereby allowing aerobic biological agents to process the solid waste. In use, the filter allows the liquid portion of wastewater to pass from an upper chamber of the treatment tank into a lower chamber. The solid waste particles are then consumed by an aerobic bacteria in the upper chamber.

Claims

1. A filter for a vehicular sewage system, said vehicular sewage system having a treatment tank divided into an upper chamber and a lower chamber by a membrane, said membrane having a plurality of filter openings, said filter comprising:

an elongated body having a plurality of longitudinal vanes and slots;

said body made from a material able to support the growth of biological agents; and

said slots sized to resist the passage of particles larger than about 0.04 inches.

2. The filter of claim 1 wherein, said filter is made from a material selected from the group consisting of:

thermoplastic rubber or thermoplastic elastomers.

3. The filter of claim I wherein, said vanes and slots are disposed in a comb-like configuration.

4. The filter of claim 3 wherein, there are two sets of comb-like vanes and slots, said sets extending in generally opposite directions.

5. The filter of claim 4 wherein, said elongated body is generally cylindrical and said sets of comb-like vanes and slots extend in directions that are about 180°

apart.

6. The filter of claim 5 wherein, said body has a maximum diameter between about 1.4 and 1.8 inches.

7. The filter of claim 5 wherein, said body has a maximum diameter of about 1.6 inches.

8. The filter of claim 5 wherein, said set of vanes and slots includes three vanes and five slots.

9. The filter of claim 8 wherein:

said body has a diameter that is larger than said filter openings;

said slots are between about 0.03 and 0.10 inch wide; and

said slots structured to be compressed when said body is inserted into said filter opening.

10. The filter of claim 8 wherein:

said body has a diameter that is larger than said filter openings;

said slots are about 0.09 inch wide; and

said slots structured to be compressed when said body is inserted into said filter opening.

11. A vehicular sewage treatment system comprising:

a toilet assembly;

a wastewater conduit coupled to, and in fluid communication with, said toilet assembly;

a treatment tank assembly coupled to, and in fluid communication with, said wastewater conduit;

said treatment tank assembly including an enclosure having a wastewater inlet and an outlet, and at least one filter disposed within said treatment tank between said inlet and outlet;

said filter comprising;

an elongated body having a plurality of longitudinal vanes and slots;

said body made from a material able to support the growth of biological agents; and

said slots sized to resist the passage of particles larger than about 0.04 inches.

12. The filter of claim 11 wherein, said filter is made from a material selected from the group consisting of:

thermoplastic rubber or thermoplastic elastomers.

13. The filter of claim 11 wherein, said vanes and slots are disposed in a comb-lie configuration.

14. The filter of claim 13 wherein, there are two sets of comb-like vanes and slots, said sets extending in generally opposite directions.

15. The filter of claim 14 wherein, said elongated body is generally cylindrical and said sets of comb-like vanes and slots extend in directions that are about 180°

apart.

16. The filter of claim 15 wherein, said body has a maximum diameter between about 1.4 and 1.8 inches.

17. The filter of claim 15 wherein, said body has a maximum diameter of about 1.5 inches.

18. The filter of claim 15 wherein, said set of vanes and slots includes three vanes and five slots.

19. The filter of claim 18 wherein:

said body has a diameter that is larger than said filter openings;

said slots are between about 0.03 and 0.10 inch wide; and

said slots structured to be compressed when said body is inserted into said filter opening.

20. The filter of claim 18 wherein:

said body has a diameter that is larger than said filter openings;

said slots are about 0.09 inch wide; and

said slots structured to be compressed when said body is inserted into said filter opening.

21. A method of using a vehicular sewage treatment system comprising the steps of:

providing a toilet assembly, a treatment tank assembly, a wastewater conduit disposed between and coupled to, and in fluid communication with, said toilet assembly and said treatment tank assembly, said treatment tank assembly including an enclosure having an upper chamber and a lower chamber, said upper chamber an lower chamber separated by a membrane having one or more filter openings, said treatment tank assembly further including a wastewater inlet and an outlet;

b) providing filter having an elongated body having a plurality of longitudinal vanes and slots, said body made from a material able to support the growth of biological agents, and said slots sized to resist the passage of particles larger than about 0.04 inches;

c) installing a said filter in each said filter opening within said treatment tank;

d) utilizing said toilet assembly and flushing wastewater into said treatment tank;

e) filtering said wastewater through said filters so that solid waste particles remain in said upper chamber while liquid waste moves into said lower chamber; and

f) allowing a biological agent to process said solid waste particles into gases and liquids.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein said step of providing a filter includes the step of providing a filter made from a material selected from the group consisting of:

thermoplastic rubber or thermoplastic elastomers.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein said step of providing a filter includes the step of providing a filter with said vanes and slots disposed in a comb-lie configuration.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein, there are two sets of comb-like vanes and slots, said sets extending in generally opposite directions.

25. The method of claim 23 wherein:

said step of providing a treatment tank assembly with a membrane having filter openings includes providing filter openings that are about 1.5 inches in diameter or less;

said step of providing a filter includes the step of providing a filter having a diameter that is larger than said filter openings; and

said step of installing a said filter in each said filter opening further includes the step of compressing said filter into said filter opening so that the width of said slots is reduced.