COUPLING STRUCTURE FOR A LEACHING CHAMBER

• US 20040042855A1
• Filed: 08/27/2002
• Published: 03/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ISI Polyethylene Solutions, LLC (Infiltrator Water Technologies, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Hancor Incorporated (Advanced Drainage Systems Incorporated)
• Inventors: Benecke, Arnold G.
• Granted Patent: US 6,698,975 B1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 405/43
• CPC Class Codes: E03F 1/003 via underground elongated vaulted elements

Abstract

A leaching chamber is configured to be coupled in series to another such leaching chamber located forward of the chamber and to yet another such leaching chamber located rearward of said leaching chamber. The leaching chamber comprises a conduit extending about an axis to define an axially extending cavity. The conduit includes an axially front section having an overlying wall and a rear section having an underlying wall. The overlying wall is configured to overlie the underlying wall of the forward chamber when the chambers are coupled together. The underlying wall is configured to underlie an overlying wall of the rearward chamber when said chambers are coupled together. A projection extends from the front section of the conduit. A pocket is located at the rear section of the conduit. The projection is configured to be received by the pocket of the front chamber, and the pocket is configured to receive the projection of the rear chamber. A notched structure extends radially inward from the front section and has a notch that is spaced from the front edge of the front section. The notched structure is configured to capture in the notch the underlying wall of the forward chamber when the chambers are coupled together.

Claims

1. A leaching chamber configured to be coupled in series to another like leaching chamber located forward of said chamber and to yet another like leaching chamber located rearward of said leaching chamber comprising:

a conduit defining a cavity, said conduit including a front section having an overlying wall and a rear section having an underlying wall, said overlying wall being configured to overlie the underlying wall of a like forward chamber when said chambers are coupled together, and said underlying wall being configured to underlie an overlying wall of a like rearward chamber when said chambers are coupled together;

a projection extending from said front section of said conduit; and

a pocket formed in said rear section of said conduit, said projection being configured to be received by a like pocket of a like front chamber and said pocket being configured to receive a like projection of a like rear chamber;

a notched structure defining a notch that is spaced from the front edge of said front section, said notched structure being configured to capture in said notch the underlying wall of a like forward chamber when said chambers are coupled together.

2. The leaching chamber of claim 1 wherein said overlying wall has an arched cross-section, with an open bottom end and an opposite top end, said projection being located at said top end, and said conduit is a corrugated structure comprising an axially extending alternating series of crowns and valleys separated from each other by radially-extending walls, the frontmost crown including said front section.

3. The leaching chamber of claim 1 wherein said pocket is configured to enable a projection of a like forward chamber to pivot relative to said pocket when said projection is received by said pocket, so as to enable the like forward chamber to pivot into and out of a coupled position.

4. The leaching chamber of claim 1 wherein said pocket has a radially outer wall that limits radially outward movement of a projection of a like forward chamber when the projection is received by said pocket, and said pocket lacks a radially inner wall that would prevent pivoting of the projection in the pocket.

5. The leaching chamber of claim 1 wherein said notched structure is configured to enable said notch to swing into a position in which said notch captures the underlying wall of a like forward chamber.

6. The leaching chamber of claim 1 wherein said notched structure is part of an axially-extending reinforcement rib that reinforces said overlying wall.

7. The leaching chamber of claim 1 further comprising a hole defined in said overlying wall and a post extending radially outward from said underlying wall, said hole being configured to receive a post of a like forward chamber when said chambers are coupled together, and said post being configured to be received by a hole of a like rearward chamber when said chambers are coupled together.

8. The leaching chamber of claim 1 wherein said rear section includes a rearward-facing shoulder bordering said underlying wall, and the radially-extending height of said shoulder equals the wall thickness of the overlying wall.

9. A leaching chamber configured to be coupled in series to a like leaching chamber having a projection, said leaching chamber comprising:

a conduit extending about an axis to define an axially extending cavity, said conduit having a rear section and being configured to be coupled at said rear section to a like leaching chamber; and

a pocket located at said rear section and configured to receive a projection of a like leaching chamber when said leaching chamber is coupled to the like chamber;

said pocket being configured to enable a projection and a like leaching chamber to pivot relative to the pocket when the projection of the like leaching chamber is received by the pocket.

10. The leaching chamber of claim 9 wherein said pocket has a radially outer wall that limits radially outward movement of a projection when a projection is received by said pocket, and lacks a radially inner wall that would prevent pivoting of a projection.

11. The leaching chamber of claim 9 wherein said rear section includes an underlying wall configured to underlie an overlying wall of a like leaching chamber when said leaching chamber is coupled to the like leaching chamber.

12. The leaching chamber of claim 11 further comprising a post extending radially outward from said underlying wall and configured to be received by a hole in an overlying wall of a like leaching chamber when said leaching chambers are coupled together.

13. A leaching chamber configured to be coupled in series to another leaching chamber, said leaching chamber comprising:

a conduit extending about an axis to define an axially extending cavity, said conduit having a rear section and a front section, the rear section being configured to be coupled at said rear section to another leaching chamber, said rear section having a rearward-facing shoulder; and

a pocket comprising an opening in said shoulder and configured to receive a projection of another leaching chamber when said leaching chamber is coupled to the other leaching chamber.

14. The leaching chamber of claim 13 wherein the radially-extending height of said shoulder equals a wall thickness of the front section of the leaching chamber.

15. The leaching chamber of claim 13 wherein said pocket has a radially outer wall that limits radial outward movement of the projection when a projection is received by said pocket, and lacks a radially inner wall that would prevent radially inward pivoting of a projection.

16. A set of leaching chambers comprising:

a first leaching chamber comprising a first conduit extending about a first axis to define a first cavity, said first conduit having a front section and a rear section, said front section including an overlying wall; and

a second leaching chamber comprising a second conduit extending about a second axis to define a second cavity, said second conduit having a front section and a rear section and being configured to be coupled at said rear section to the front section of the first leaching chamber;

said first and second chambers including coupling structures at the front and rear sections that deter the uncoupling of said chambers solely through translational movement of said chambers, and enable and require the uncoupling to be achieved through a pivoting motion of said first chamber relative to said second chamber.

17. The set of claim 16 wherein said coupling structures include a projection extending axially from said front section and a pocket defined at said rear section, said projection of the first chamber is configured to be received by the pocket of the second chamber, thereby preventing radial movement of said first chamber away from said second chamber when coupled, and said coupling structures further include a post extending radially from one of said front and rear sections and a hole in the other of said front and rear sections, said post being configured to be received by said hole when said first and second chambers are coupled together, thereby limiting axial movement of said first chamber away from said second chamber.

18. The set of claim 16 wherein said coupling structures include a projection extending from each front section and a pocket defined in each rear section, each pocket being configured to receive the projection of another chamber when said chambers are coupled together, said pocket having a radially outer wall that limits radially outward movement of the projection when said projection is received by said pocket, and said pocket lacking a radially inner wall that would prevent redially-inward pivoting of the projection.

19. The set of claim 16 wherein said coupling structure includes a notched structure extending radially inward from said front section and defining a notch that is axially spaced from a front edge of said front section, said notched structure being configured to capture in said notch, in a capturing position, a portion of the rear section of the adjoining chamber when said chambers are coupled together to limit radially-inward and radially-outward translational movement of said rear section relative to said front section, and said notched structure being further configured to allow pivotal movement of the rear section into said capturing position.

24. A method of coupling a first leaching chamber to a second leaching chamber lying horizontally on the ground, said first and second chambers extending about respective first and second axes to define respective first and second axially extending cavities, said method comprising:

providing a set of leaching chambers according to claim 17;

orienting said first chamber such that the projection of said first chamber is directed obliquely downward toward the pocket in said second chamber, and said first axis is directed obliquely upward away from said second chamber;

translationally moving said projection axially toward and into said pocket of said second leaching chamber until an edge of said first chamber abuts a shoulder of said second chamber, thereby defining a point of abutment; and

pivoting said first chamber downward about said point of abutment until the first and second axes coincide and such that, during said pivoting, the hole in one of the chambers receives the post of the other chamber.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein, during said pivoting, a notched structure defined on the first chamber swings into a position in which a notch of the notched structure captures a wall of the second chamber.

20. A leaching chamber configured to be coupled in series to another leaching chamber, said leaching chamber comprising:

a conduit having a wall defining a cavity, said conduit having a front section and a rear section, with the front and rear sections being configured to be coupled to another leaching chamber;

a projection extending from the wall of the conduit at the front section, said projection being coplanar with the wall; and

a pocket defined in the wall of the conduit at the rear section, said pocket being sized to receive the projection therein.

21. A leaching chamber configured to be coupled in series to another such leaching chamber located forward of said chamber and yet another such leaching chamber located rearward of said leaching chamber comprising:

a conduit extending about an axis to define an axially extending cavity, said conduit including a front section having a front edge and an overlying wall and a rear section having an underlying wall, said overlying wall being configured to overlie the underlying wall of a forward chamber when said chambers are coupled together, and said underlying wall being configured to underlie an overlying wall of a rearward chamber when said chambers are coupled together; and

a notched structure extending radially inward from said front section, said notched structure having a notch axially spaced from the front edge of said front section, and said notched structure being configured to capture in said notch, in a capturing position, the underlying wall of the rearward chamber when said chambers are coupled together to limit radially-inward and radially-outward translational movement of the underlying wall to said overlying wall of said chamber, said notched structure being configured to pivotally swing into said capturing position.

22. The leaching chamber of claim 21 wherein said notched structure is part of an axially-extending reinforcement rib that reinforces said overlying wall.

23. The leaching chamber of claim 21, further comprising at least one post extending radially outwardly from the underlying wall and at least one hole defined in the overlying wall, said post and hole being axially aligned and said hole being shaped to receive the size of the post.