Apparatus for Rehabilitating an Underground Water Conduit and Detecting and Drilling a Service Entrance in the Conduit

• US 20150069060A1
• Filed: 09/18/2014
• Published: 03/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sanexen Environmental Services Inc. (Logistec Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sanexen Environmental Services Inc. (Logistec Corporation)
• Inventors: GAGNON, Gilles, Gervais-Dumont, Charles, Duff, Jason, Lanneville-Vezina, Pierre-Hugues
• Granted Patent: US 9,410,654 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 220/212
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 55/11 Plugs F16L55/128 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 55/179 specially adapted for bends, branch units, branching pipes or the like
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 55/18 Appliances for use in repairing pipes F16L55/10 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 33/006 General building constructions or finishing work for buildings, e.g. roofs, gutters, stairs or floors; Garden equipment; Sunshades or parasols
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2131/40 Lighting for industrial, commercial, recreational or military use

Abstract

An apparatus for rehabilitating an underground water conduit having at least one service entrance including a plug having a light emitter which is responsive to the presence of an electromagnetic field, wherein the at least one service entrance is plugged with the plug and a semi-transparent membrane lining the internal surface of the underground water conduit thereby covering the plug. A drilling head is disposed on a body moveable within the underground water conduit, the drill head having a drill bit and a coil inductor concentric with the drill bit. The coil inductor is adapted to generate an electromagnetic field near the drilling head, wherein the light emitter of the plug is adapted to be turned on by the electromagnetic field emitted by the coil inductor to allow visual alignment of the drill bit with the light emitted by the light emitter through the semi-transparent membrane. The plug is drilled with the drill bit through the semi-transparent membrane in order to reopen the at least one service entrance.

Claims

1. A method for rehabilitating an underground water conduit having at least one service entrance, the method comprising:

plugging the at least one service entrance with a plug having a light, emitter which is responsive to the presence of an electromagnetic field;

lining the internal surface of the underground water conduit with a semi-transparent membrane thereby covering the plug;

generating an electromagnetic field with a coil inductor disposed on a drilling head having a drill bit, wherein the coil inductor is adapted to generate an electromagnetic field near the drilling head;

moving the drilling head inside the underground water conduit until the light emitter of the plug is turned on by the electromagnetic field emitted by the coil inductor;

aligning the drill bit with the light emitted by the light emitter through the semi-transparent membrane; and

drilling the plug with the drill bit through the semi-transparent membrane in order to reopen the at least one service entrance.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of aligning the drill bit utilizes a camera connected to a television monitor aboveground and positioned in front of the drilling head for visually detecting the light emitted by the light emitter through the semi-transparent membrane and for aligning the drill bit with the light emitted by the light emitter.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of drilling includes remotely operating the drilling head by a technician aboveground looking at the television monitor relaying live images captured by the camera.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of drilling further includes moving the drilling head rotatably and back and forth along a horizontal axis of the underground water conduit.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the light emitter is located in the center of the plug.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the coil inductor is wound in an oval shape.

7. A system for rehabilitating an underground water conduit having at least one service entrance, the system comprising:

a plug having a light emitter which is responsive to the presence of an electromagnetic field, wherein the at least one service entrance is plugged with the plug;

a semi-transparent membrane lining the internal surface of the underground water conduit thereby covering the plug;

a drilling head disposed on a body moveable within the underground water conduit, the drill head having a drill bit and a coil inductor concentric with the drill bit, the coil inductor being adapted to generate an electromagnetic field near the drilling head, wherein the light emitter of the plug is adapted to be turned on by the electromagnetic field emitted by the coil inductor to allow visual alignment of the drill bit with the light emitted by the light emitter through the semi-transparent membrane.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising a camera connected to a television monitor aboveground and positioned in front of the drilling head for visually detecting the light emitted by the light emitter through the semi-transparent membrane and for aligning the drill bit with the light emitted by the light emitter.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the drilling head is remotely operable by a technician aboveground looking at the television monitor relaying live images captured by the camera.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the drilling head is rotatable about an axis extending in a horizontal direction of the underground water conduit and movable back and forth along the horizontal axis.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the light emitter is located in the center of the plug.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the coil inductor is wound in an oval shape.

13. A service entrance plug for use in rehabilitating an underground water conduit as defined comprising:

a body having first and second ends, wherein the first end is adapted for insertion into a service entrance and the second end is adapted to be visually seen within the underground water conduit;

a light emitter disposed on the second end;

at least one antenna coil connected to the light emitter, the antenna coil being adapted to generate an electrical current when subjected to an electromagnetic field that will turn on the light emitter.

14. The service entrance plug of claim 13 further wherein the body is a conical hollowed body surrounded by a plurality of spaced flexible winglets.

15. The service entrance plug of claim 14, wherein the light emitter is located in the center of the second end of the plug.

16. The service entrance plug of claim 15, wherein a first one of said plurality of spaced flexible winglets is disposed at the second end of the plug, and wherein the first one of the plurality of spaced flexible winglets has a larger diameter than other spaced flexible winglets.

17. The service entrance plug of claim 16, wherein the first one of the plurality of spaced flexible winglets is thicker than other spaced flexible winglets.

18. The service entrance plug of claim 14, further comprising a cap into which is embedded the antenna coil connected to the light emitter.

19. The service entrance plug of claim 18, wherein the second end of the body comprises a receptacle winglet including an internal groove adapted to hold the cap

20. The service entrance plug of claim 19, wherein the cap is snapped into the internal groove of the receptacle winglet.