Granted Patent B2

US 12,385,233 · App. 18/215,225 · Granted Aug 12, 2025

Inventors: Clay Evan Bowman (Ooltewah, TN); Harold Thomas Mosley (Ooltewah, TN); Timothy Bain Ervin (Apison, TN)

Assignee: Mueller International, LLC

E03B7/006B08B9/0325C02F1/008C02F1/687C02F1/70G01K1/024G01L19/0007G01L19/086B08B2209/032C02F2101/12C02F2201/005C02F2209/008C02F2209/02C02F2209/03

Abstract

Claims (41)

1. A fluid flushing system comprising:

a sampling port comprising a sampling conduit configured to dispense a sample of a fluid in the fluid flushing assembly;

a valve configurable in an open valve configuration, wherein the fluid is permitted to flow through the fluid flushing system, and a closed valve configuration, wherein the fluid is prohibited from flowing through the fluid flushing system;

a backflow preventer disposed between the sampling port and the valve, the backflow preventer configured to allow the fluid to flow in a first direction through the fluid flushing system towards the valve and to prevent the fluid from flowing in an opposite second direction through the fluid flushing system towards the sampling port;

a housing comprising a base and defining an interior cavity, wherein the sampling port, the valve, and the backflow preventer are oriented within the housing; and

an inlet pathway configured to route the fluid from a fluid system into the fluid flushing system and an outlet pathway configured to route the fluid out of the fluid flushing system;

wherein:

the sampling port is disposed between the inlet pathway and the backflow preventer;

the valve is disposed between the backflow preventer and the outlet pathway;

the inlet pathway comprises an inlet conduit extending into the interior cavity through an inlet opening in the base; and

the outlet pathway comprises an outlet conduit extending into the interior cavity through an outlet opening in the base.

2. The fluid flushing system of claim 1 , further comprising a pressure monitoring system, the pressure monitoring system comprising a pressure sensor mounted to the fluid flushing system and configured to detect a pressure of the fluid in the fluid flushing system.

3. The fluid flushing system of claim 2 , wherein the pressure monitoring system further comprises a pressure monitoring unit wired to the pressure sensor, the pressure monitoring unit comprising a processing unit and an antenna, the processing unit configured to process pressure data from the pressure sensor and to relay the pressure data to the antenna, the antenna configured to send a pressure signal representative of the pressure detected by the pressure sensor.

4. The fluid flushing system of claim 3 , wherein the antenna is further configured to wirelessly receive a control signal from a remote operation device and to actuate the valve between the open valve configuration and the closed valve configuration in response to the control signal.

5. The fluid flushing system of claim 4 , further comprising a remote operation device wirelessly connected to the valve and configured to actuate the valve between the open valve configuration and the closed valve configuration.

6. The fluid flushing system of claim 3 , further comprising a temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of the fluid in the fluid flushing system, and wherein the antenna is configured to send a temperature signal representative of the temperature detected by the temperature sensor.

7. The fluid flushing system of claim 1 , further comprising an inlet mounting bracket mounted to the inlet conduit and an outlet mounting bracket mounted to the outlet conduit, the inlet mounting bracket attached to the base to secure the inlet conduit to the housing, the outlet mounting bracket attached to the base to secure the outlet conduit to the housing.

8. The fluid flushing system of claim 1 , wherein:

the housing further comprises a sidewall enclosure and a lid:

the sidewall enclosure defines an access opening allowing access to the interior cavity; and

the lid is configurable in a closed lid configuration, wherein the lid covers the access opening, and an open lid configuration, wherein the lid is removed from the housing and the access opening is uncovered to permit access to the interior cavity.

9. The fluid flushing system of claim 8 , wherein the access opening is formed at an upper end of the sidewall enclosure, and wherein the sampling port is oriented proximate to the upper end of the sidewall enclosure to facilitate accessing the sampling port through the access opening.

10. The fluid flushing system of claim 1 , wherein:

the backflow preventer defines a backflow preventer inlet and a backflow preventer outlet;

the backflow preventer comprises an inlet shutoff valve at the backflow preventer inlet operable to prevent the fluid from flowing into the backflow preventer; and

the backflow preventer comprises an outlet shutoff valve at the backflow preventer outlet operable to prevent the fluid from flowing out of the backflow preventer.

11. The fluid flushing system of claim 10 , wherein the backflow preventer inlet is coupled to the backflow preventer outlet by a backflow connecting bracket.

12. The fluid flushing system of claim 10 , wherein the backflow preventer comprises a plurality of relief valves spaced apart along the backflow preventer and configured to relieve air buildup within the backflow preventer.

13. A method of operating a fluid flushing system comprising:

providing the fluid flushing system comprising a housing comprising a base and defining an interior cavity, an inlet conduit extending into the interior cavity through an inlet opening defined in the base, an outlet conduit extending into the interior cavity through an outlet opening defined in the base, a backflow preventer disposed between the inlet conduit and the outlet conduit, and a flow valve disposed between the backflow preventer and the outlet conduit, wherein the backflow preventer is configured to allow a fluid to flow in a first direction through the fluid flushing system towards the flow valve and to prevent the fluid from flowing in an opposite second direction through the fluid flushing system towards the inlet conduit;

actuating a shutoff valve of the backflow preventer to an open configuration to allow the fluid to flow through the backflow preventer from the inlet conduit to the flow valve; and

actuating the shutoff valve to a closed configuration to prohibit fluid from flowing through the backflow preventer.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein:

actuating the shutoff valve of the backflow preventer to the open configuration comprises manually actuating the shutoff valve to the open configuration; and

actuating the shutoff valve to the closed configuration comprises manually actuating the shutoff valve to the closed configuration.

15. The method of claim 13 , further comprising actuating the flow valve from a closed flow configuration to an open flow configuration when the shutoff valve of the backflow preventer is in the open configuration.

16. The method of claim 13 , further comprising releasing air buildup within the backflow preventer through a relief valve of the backflow preventer.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein:

the backflow preventer defines a backflow preventer inlet and a backflow preventer outlet;

the shutoff valve is an inlet shutoff valve at the backflow preventer inlet that is operable to prevent the fluid from flowing into the backflow preventer from the inlet conduit; and

the backflow preventer further comprises an outlet shutoff valve at the backflow preventer outlet operable to prevent the fluid from flowing out of the backflow preventer to the flow valve.

Continuity (2)

References Cited (400)

Cited By (1)

US 12,421,699