Mobile, replaceable, and regenerable cartridge for treatment of water

Abstract

The mobile water treatment cartridge is connectable into a water treatment circuit and includes fluid connectors and power and data connection ports. The cartridge includes an outer shell having an upper opening that can be hermetically sealed by a lid, and an inner shell having an opening at the top and delimiting an internal volume of the cartridge, in which all the technical equipment for operation of the cartridge is placed. The inner shell is secured to at least one structure that can be inserted into the interior volume through the opening. There is a device for handling the cartridge secured to the outer shell and a device for rendering the cartridge mobile.

Claims

1. A mobile, replaceable and regenerable water treatment cartridge, comprising: an outer shell having a first side, a second side opposite said first side, an outer shell top and an outer shell bottom opposite said outer shell top, said outer shell being comprised of an upper outer shell opening and a lid in removable sealing engagement with said upper outer shell opening so as to define an outer shell internal volume; an inner shell having an inner shell top and an inner shell bottom opposite said inner shell top, said inner shell being comprised of an upper inner shell opening so as to define an inner shell internal volume; a chassis being in removable sliding engagement with said inner shell through said upper inner shell opening and being comprised of a connector plate, and means for guiding placement of said chassis in said inner shell internal volume; a membrane filter attached to said chassis; means for handling on said second side of said outer shell; means for rendering mobile on said outer shell bottom of said outer shell; a first connector being in fluid connection with said outer shell internal volume and being positioned on said second side of said outer shell; a second connector being in fluid connection with said inner shell internal volume and being positioned on said connector plate so as to be accessible on said first side of said outer shell; and a connection port being connected to said equipment and being positioned on said connector plate so as to be accessible on said first side of said outer shell.

2. The cartridge, according to claim 1, wherein said chassis has a position set by said means for guiding placement of said chassis in said inner shell internal volume so as to define an internal water treatment reservoir within said inner shell internal volume, said equipment in fluid connection with said internal water treatment reservoir.

3. The cartridge, according to claim 2, further comprising: an equipment attached to said chassis, said equipment being comprised of sensors and measuring instruments.

4. The cartridge, according to claim 1, wherein said inner shell is made integral with said outer shell.

5. The cartridge, according to claim 1, wherein said outer shell is comprised of composite material, and wherein said inner shell is comprised of said composite material.

6. The cartridge, according to claim 1, further comprising: an insulating intermediate layer between said inner shell and said outer shell.

7. The cartridge, according to claim 1, wherein said means for rendering mobile on said outer shell bottom of said outer shell is comprised of an axle and a rolling member.

8. The cartridge, according to claim 7, wherein said means for rendering mobile on said outer shell bottom of said outer shell is in removable sliding engagement with said outer shell bottom.

9. The cartridge, according to claim 1, wherein said chassis comprises a vertical plate, and wherein said chassis has a position set by said means for guiding placement of said chassis in said inner shell internal volume so as to define adjacent columns as an internal water treatment reservoir within said inner shell internal volume, said membrane filter being in fluid connection with each adjacent column.

10. The cartridge, according to claim 9, further comprising: an equipment attached to said chassis, said equipment being comprised of at least one air diffuser for each adjacent column, sensors and measuring instruments, wherein said second connector is in fluid connection with at least one adjacent column as an effluent intake pipe, wherein the cartridge further comprises a third connector being in fluid connection with said inner shell internal volume and being positioned on said connector plate so as to be accessible on said first side of said outer shell, and wherein said third connector is in fluid connection with said at least one adjacent column as an emptying pipe.

11. The cartridge, according to claim 10, wherein said sensors are comprised of at least two level alert sensors.

12. The cartridge, according to claim 10, wherein said measuring instruments are comprised of a temperature measuring instrument, and an oxygen measuring instrument, and wherein said sensors are comprised of a pH sensor, a turbidity sensor, and a conductivity sensor.

13. The cartridge, according to claim 12, wherein said outer shell is parallelepiped.

14. A device for treatment of water, comprising: a cartridge, according to claim 1; and a host station in removable engagement with said cartridge, wherein said host station is comprised of an internal compartment with outside connectors, outside connecting ports, and a means for guiding placement of said cartridge within said internal compartment to a locked position, wherein at least one outside connector is in fluid connection with said second connector in said locked position, and wherein at least one outside connecting port is connected with said connection port in said locked position.

15. The device, according to claim 14, further comprising: a connection locking lever being positioned on said host station so as to hold said cartridge in said locked position.

16. The device, according to claim 14, wherein said host station further comprises a data processing means being connected to said equipment through said connection port.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention will now be described in more detail, in the preferred example of the biological treatment of effluents generated by toilets, in reference to the appended figures.

(2) FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a cartridge according to the present invention.

(3) FIG. 2 shows an exploded perspective view of the assembly of the inner and outer shells.

(4) FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the chassis able to be inserted into said assembled shells.

(5) FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the cartridge seen from the opposite side.

(6) FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of an enlargement of the upper corner of the cartridge provided with connecting means.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(7) In reference to FIG. 1, the cartridge (1) is made up, from the outside, essentially of an outer shell (2) and an upper lid or lid (3). More specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the outer shell (2), having a first side 101, a second side 102 opposite the first side, an outer shell top 2A and an outer shell bottom 2B opposite the outer shell top, houses an inner shell (4), having an inner shell top 4A and an inner shell bottom 4B opposite that inner shell top, that in fact adjusts in an insulating intermediate layer 30. A means for rendering mobile or rolling support (5) fastened to the outer shell (2) removably makes it possible to allow the movement of the cartridge (1). The latter has a substantially parallelepiped shape, this shape making it possible to optimize its storage during maintenance operations and its use in combination with a host station for example on a train, the parallelepiped compartments being particularly advantageous for guiding/housing the cartridges.

(8) A connector (6) allows the connection to a supply pipe coming from the outside circuit conveying the fluid to be treated. The chassis (10) appears in FIG. 3, being in removable sliding engagement with the inner shell through the upper inner shell opening and being comprised of a membrane filter 10A, a connector plate 9, and means 10B for guiding placement of the chassis in an inner shell internal volume 4D. It is on this part that the equipment is concentrated in a cluster, such that for any maintenance operation, it suffices to remove the internal shell (4) to be able to perform a complete technical treatment. This chassis (10) is primarily based on a vertical plate (11), which, in the case at hand, defines, with the internal volume of the shell (4) delimiting a reservoir as an internal water treatment reservoir, two parallel vertical treatment columns as adjacent columns to form the internal water treatment reservoir within the inner shell internal volume 4D, the membrane filter 10A being in fluid connection with each adjacent column. There can be additional equipment being comprised of at least one air diffuser for each adjacent column, sensors and measuring instruments. The second connector 14 can be in fluid connection with at least one adjacent column as an effluent intake pipe, and the cartridge can further comprise a third connector 14A being in fluid connection with the inner shell internal volume 4D and being positioned on the connector plate so as to be accessible on the first side of said outer shell as in FIG. 5. The third connector can be in fluid connection with the at least one adjacent column as an emptying pipe.

(9) A certain number of sensors and measuring instruments can be equipment alone with the membrane filter 10A arranged on this plate (11), regarding which no details are necessary at this time.

(10) In reference to FIG. 3, the assembly of the different elements of the cartridge (1) according to the invention is well illustrated. Thus, the inner shell (4) being comprised of an upper inner shell opening 4C so as to define the inner shell internal volume 4D, is inserted into the outer shell (2) being comprised of an upper outer shell opening 2C and the lid 3 in removable sealing engagement with the upper outer shell opening so as to define an outer shell internal volume 2D until the inner shell abuts by gravity at the outer shell bottom 2B of the latter. Then, the chassis (10) itself is slid and guided by gravity in the inner shell (4) with said means 10B for guiding placement of the chassis in an inner shell internal volume 4D as a rail or vertical plate 11 in a shoulder groove of FIG. 3.

(11) In reference to FIG. 1, the pipe (8) that appears on the left side of the cartridge (1) is assigned to emptying during maintenance operations, for example when it involves a wastewater biological treatment cartridge, for which the bacterial medium is regenerated before reconditioning a new cartridge. This hose (8) is accessible from outside the lid (3).

(12) A connector plate (9), for example secured to the chassis (10), includes both fluid connectors (14) and power and data transport input/output ports, as will be seen in detail below. This connector plate (9) is also accessible from outside the cartridge (1), as in particular shown in the enlarged detail appearing in FIG. 5. It may in particular include a connector connected to an internal discharge tube for fluid treated by the cartridge (1), and an air intake connector connected to an external pump sending pressurized air therein (not shown, belonging to the external circuit in which the cartridge (1) is connected).

(13) An air discharge stopper (12) is also provided near the connector plate (9) (see FIGS. 4 and 5). On the lateral sides of said plate (9), power and data transport input/output ports (13) are provided for the connection for example to a power source, and/or electronic means for processing signals from the sensors and/or measuring instruments, making up the useful data from which the proper operation of the cartridge (1) can be evaluated.

(14) When the cartridge (1) according to the invention is for example used for the biological treatment of wastewater generated by toilets on a train, the cartridge (1) is inserted into a host station located in the train, which includes electronic data processing means. The connection of the various connectors (14) and ports (13) is done automatically when the cartridge abuts in its host station, in particular guided by a means for guiding placement of the cartridge within the internal compartment to a locked position as the complementary shapes of the cartridge and the compartment of the host station. The connection between the power or data transport input/output ports (13) and a control unit is in particular done automatically.

(15) The connection of such a cartridge (1) in a wastewater treatment circuit assumes the connection of the connector (6) with an intake pipe for effluents coming from a toilet basin. The treated water can be returned, directly or via other treatment steps, to the toilets in order to fill the flush tank. These fluid connections are also implemented automatically when the cartridge (1) abuts at the bottom of its housing, and automatically closed off in case of removal of the cartridge (1).

(16) FIG. 2 shows, in a simplified manner, the rolling support (5) of the cartridge (1), in the form of a profile for example including a plurality of rollers that can be situated at the ends of said profile.

(17) The example embodiment resulting from the figures is of course not exhaustive with respect to the invention. The latter on the contrary encompasses all alternative shapes and configurations resulting from the claims, the parallelepiped shape in particular not being restrictive, although it is practical. Furthermore, the allocation of a cartridge (1) to a function other than the biological treatment of effluents may lead to a substantially different chassis, or the placement in the inner shell of several chasses and/or structures supporting components and equipment capable of performing the function of the cartridge, without there necessarily being a reservoir, etc.