Inflatable Fluid Conduit Plug

• US 20100152906A1
• Filed: 06/30/2008
• Published: 06/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CHEMIGREEN INC.
• Original Assignee: CHEMIGREEN INC.
• Inventors: D'Souza, Savio, Reem, Gad, Parran, Shachar
• Granted Patent: US 8,353,308 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/282
• CPC Class Codes: E03F 1/00 Methods, systems, or installations for draining-off sewage or storm water
• CPC Class Codes: E03F 5/0404 with a permanent or temporary filtering device; Filtering devices specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 7/10 with inflatable member
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 55/134 by means of an inflatable packing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/25 using a mesh network, e.g. a public urban network such as public lighting, bus stops or traffic lights
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/40 using a wireless architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/823 where the data is sent when the measured values exceed a threshold, e.g. sending an alarm
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/6988 Floor installation

Abstract

An inflatable conduit plug is used to seal a conduit such as a floor drain or an air vent. The conduit plug includes a shroud that is removably sealed within the conduit so that fluids pass through the shroud opening. Axially disposed within the shroud is an inflatable bladder adapted for closing the shroud opening. The inflatable bladder is inflated by an inflation signal generated by a controller upon receipt of a contamination signal received from a remote contamination detector. The plug operates in a wireless environment and can be controlled remotely. The plug can also be adapted for diverting contamination away from sensitive lands and storm drains.

Claims

1. (canceled)

2. A conduit plug comprising:

a shroud having an opening for sealed insertion into a conduit having an inner wall;

an inflatable bladder disposed within said shroud for closing said shroud opening upon an inflation signal;

bladder inflation means integral to the plug and in fluid communication with said bladder;

contaminant detectors for generating a contaminant signal; and

a controller for receiving said contaminant signal and transmitting said inflation signal,

wherein the shroud has a top and a bottom, an inner surface and an outer surface, said outer surface congruent with and adapted to complement the shape of said inner wall of said conduit, said inner surface adapted to bear the full force of bladder inflation thereby protection the inner wall of the conduit from damage.

3. The plug of claim 2, wherein the shroud is adapted to extend a predetermined distance into the conduit.

4. The plug of claim 3, wherein the shroud is disposed axially within the conduit.

5. The plug of claim 4, wherein said shroud outer surface is in such positional agreement with the inner wall of the conduit that there is a narrow annulus formed there between.

6. The plug of claim 5, wherein said annulus is sealed fluid tight with sealing means at said shroud top thereby achieving said sealed insertion and fixing the plug removably within the conduit.

7. The plug of claim 6, further comprising:

a flange extending radially from the top of the shroud, said flange adapted to suspend the plug from a surface.

8. The plug of claim 6 further comprising:

a rigid member depending axially from the plug and adapted to support the plug from a lower conduit surface.

9-10. -10. (canceled)

11. A conduit plug comprising:

a shroud having an opening for sealed insertion into a conduit having an inner wall;

an inflatable bladder disposed within said shroud for closing said shroud opening upon an inflation signal;

bladder inflation means integral to the plug and in fluid communication with said bladder;

contaminant detectors for generating a contaminant signal; and

a controller for receiving said contaminant signal and transmitting said inflation signal,

wherein the bladder is fabricated from a suitable chemically resistant material,

wherein the bladder is disposed axially within the shroud, and

wherein the bladder has a top and a bottom and wherein the bladder is fixed axially within the shroud at said bladder top and at said bladder bottom by a plurality of bracing rods extending from said shroud top inner surface and said shroud bottom inner surface.

12. The plug of claim 11, wherein the bladder is connected to said inflation means by a threaded connection.

13. The plug of claim 12, wherein the bladder comprises:

an accelerometer for detecting inflation speed; and

an alarm for alerting an operator when said inflation speed is sub-optimum.

14-19. -19. (canceled)

20. A conduit plug comprising:

a shroud having an opening for sealed insertion into a conduit having an inner wall;

an inflatable bladder disposed within said shroud for closing said shroud opening upon an inflation signal;

bladder inflation means integral to the plug and in fluid communication with said bladder;

contaminant detectors for generating a contaminant signal; and

a controller for receiving said contaminant signal and transmitting said inflation signal,

wherein said contaminant detectors are sensors adapted to permit an uncontaminated fluid flow into the shroud opening and generate a contaminant signal when a contaminated fluid flow is detected, and

wherein the contaminant detectors are disposed remote from the conduit so that the contaminant signal is generated prior to the contaminant entering the shroud opening.

21. The plug of claim 20, wherein the contaminant detectors comprise an RF emitter adapted to generate an RF contaminant signal upon detection of a contaminant.

22. The plug of claim 21, wherein said RF signal is wirelessly transmitted to an RF receiver integral to the controller.

23. The plug of claim 22, wherein said bladder inflation means further comprises:

an electrical circuit comprising a battery for powering a micro-processor including said RF receiver adapted to receive said contaminant signal.

24. The plug of claim 23, wherein said bladder inflation means comprises a reservoir containing a suitable inflation fluid, said reservoir integral to the plug, and wherein said electrical circuit further comprises:

a low voltage sensor for monitoring said battery voltage in communication with said micro-processor;

a low pressure sensor in communication with the reservoir for monitoring pressure within the reservoir;

a second low pressure sensor within the bladder for monitoring post-inflation bladder pressure in communication with the micro-processor; and

an accelerometer within the bladder to measure inflation speed in communication with the micro-processor.

25. The plug of claim 24, wherein said reservoir is connected to said bladder via an electrically actuated inflation valve, and wherein said micro-processor is adapted to receive the contaminant signal from the contaminant detectors and transmit an inflation signal to said electrically actuated inflation valve.

26. The plug of claim 25, wherein the contaminant detectors are programmable for detection of a variety of contaminants.

27. The plug of claim 26, wherein the micro-processor is adapted to receive a signal from said accelerometer and transmit an alarm to an operator when said signal indicates sub-optimal acceleration.

28. The plug of claim 27, wherein the micro-processor is programmable for a variety of contaminant threshold values. 29-30. (canceled)

31. A method of operating a plurality of inflatable conduit plugs within an industrial facility, said method comprising the steps of:

a) installing a plurality of conduit plugs in a plurality of fluid conduits within said industrial facility;

b) installing a suitable number of contaminant detectors within the industrial facility, said contaminant detectors in RF communication with each conduit plug of said plurality of conduit plugs;

c) networking a predetermined number of the plurality of conduit plugs into a plurality of operational zones;

d) connecting said predetermined number of conduit plugs in each operational zone of said plurality of operational zones by way of RF communications to an operational zone repeater;

e) repeating step “

d”

for all of the plurality of operational zones so that each operational zone includes an operational zone repeater;

f) connecting each of said operational zone repeaters by way of RF communications to a network controller; and

,

g) providing said network controller with a user interface for monitoring and control wherein said monitoring a control is facilitated by software means.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

connecting each of said operational zone repeaters to at least one other operational zone repeater for redundancy in communications to the network controller.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein said user interface is comprised in a computer, and wherein said computer is programmed to identify the location and operational status of each inflatable conduit plug, operational zone repeater and contaminant detector for monitoring and control.

34. The method of claim 31, including the step of:

h) providing RF remote communication between the user and the network controller by way of a portable computer device programmed with said software means.

35. The method of claim 31 wherein the network controller can communicate by communication means to remote controllers for remote control of the network.