Methods of and apparatus for containing and evacuating fluids (II)
First Claim
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1. A fluid containment and removal system for disposing of a fluid on a surface, said system comprising:
- a. fluid containment means for trapping the fluid on said surface, the fluid containment means comprising;
i. an elongated, open bottom, vacuum plenum defining member with spaced apart front and back walls and outlet means, vacuum plenum defining member being arranged on said surface such that at least part of the vacuum plenum is directly exposed to said surface,ii. means for providing structural rigidity to the plenum defining member to maintain the member in its vacuum plenum defining shape, andiii. means for allowing ingress of fluid from the exterior of the fluid containment means to the vacuum plenum thereof; and
b. means for evacuating from the surface fluid trapped by the fluid containment means, the fluid evacuating means comprising a vacuum pump and a vacuum line so providing fluid communication between the vacuum pump and the outlet means of the fluid containment means as to enable the pump to create a negative pressure in the vacuum plenum of the fluid containment means and thereby;
i. create on the fluid containment means a pressure effective to adhere the fluid containment means to the surface in a manner that allows negative pressure to be maintained within the plenum, andii. evacuate fluid from the surface through the ingress allowing means into the vacuum plenum and discharge fluid from the vacuum plenum through the vacuum line.
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Abstract
Systems for containing fluids and for both containing a fluid and then evacuating the contained fluid to a point of treatment or disposal. These systems have a fluid containment boom and a pump for creating a vacuum in the boom and compressing a portion of the lower side of the boom against a surface on which the boom is placed to lock the boom in place and form a barrier against fluid on the surface. The compressible portion may be made of a closed cell material in which case the contained fluid can be evacuated from the surface through the boom.
54 Citations
28 Claims
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1. A fluid containment and removal system for disposing of a fluid on a surface, said system comprising:
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a. fluid containment means for trapping the fluid on said surface, the fluid containment means comprising; i. an elongated, open bottom, vacuum plenum defining member with spaced apart front and back walls and outlet means, vacuum plenum defining member being arranged on said surface such that at least part of the vacuum plenum is directly exposed to said surface, ii. means for providing structural rigidity to the plenum defining member to maintain the member in its vacuum plenum defining shape, and iii. means for allowing ingress of fluid from the exterior of the fluid containment means to the vacuum plenum thereof; and b. means for evacuating from the surface fluid trapped by the fluid containment means, the fluid evacuating means comprising a vacuum pump and a vacuum line so providing fluid communication between the vacuum pump and the outlet means of the fluid containment means as to enable the pump to create a negative pressure in the vacuum plenum of the fluid containment means and thereby; i. create on the fluid containment means a pressure effective to adhere the fluid containment means to the surface in a manner that allows negative pressure to be maintained within the plenum, and ii. evacuate fluid from the surface through the ingress allowing means into the vacuum plenum and discharge fluid from the vacuum plenum through the vacuum line. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A fluid containment means which comprises:
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an elongated, vacuum plenum defining member; the plenum defining member comprising at least a compressible portion at an open, bottom end of the plenum defining member, the compressible portion being so compressible into conformity with a surface on which the fluid containment means is placed when a vacuum is created in the vacuum plenum as to fix the fluid containment means in position on the surface, and providing a barrier against fluid on the surface; means for creating a vacuum in the vacuum plenum; the material of which the compressible portion is formed being closed cell foam; and at least one notch being so formed in the compressible portion adjacent the surface that fluid reaching the fluid containment means can be sucked through the at least one notch into the vacuum plenum for removal from the surface.
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Specification