GB2310683A - Boundary box with pressure-regulating valve - Google Patents

Abstract

A boundary box (1) comprises a box-like cylindrical housing (2), an inlet (8) for receiving water from a water supply and an outlet (9) for supplying water out of the boundary box (1). A pressure-regulating valve (43) is connected between the inlet (8) and the outlet (9) for regulating the pressure of water flowing out of the outlet (9).

Description

BOUNDARY BOX The present invention relates to a boundary box, and particularly a boundary box which includes a pressureregulating valve.

A boundary box is used between a water mains and a property being supplied with water. The mains water pressure is usually about 16 Bar and has to be reduced to a pressure usually of about 3 to 4 Bar for domestic use at the property.

Accordingly, it is necessary to provide a pressure-reducing valve between the mains water supply and the property.

Conventionally, this has been done by providing the pressurereducing valve in the property itself or in a second trench generally adjacent a first trench in which the boundary box is installed. If the pressure-reducing valve is in the property, this means that a service engineer has to gain access to the property in order to be able to adjust the valve, which is often inconvenient or not possible. If the valve is in its own trench, this necessarily increases the time and effort required to install the system as a second trench has to be dug and filled in after installation of the pressure-reducing valve.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a boundary box for a water supply, the boundary box comprising: an inlet for receiving water from a water supply; an outlet for supplying water out of the boundary box; and, a pressure-regulating valve connected between the inlet and the outlet for regulating the pressure of water flowing out of the outlet.

Thus, the pressure-regulating valve is contained within the boundary box. This means that a service engineer can adjust the pressure-regulating valve without having to gain access to the property supplied with water from the boundary box. It also obviates the need to dig a second trench specifically to contain the pressure-regulating valve.

The pressure-regulating valve is preferably a diaphragm pressure-reducing valve.

There is preferably a manifold between the inlet and the pressure-regulating valve. The manifold preferably has a connection for releasably connecting the pressure-regulating valve to the manifold. The manifold may have a connection for allowing a water meter to be connected to the manifold. A water meter may be connected between the manifold and the pressure-regulating valve. The manifold may include a nonreturn valve connected downstream of the water meter.

Where a water meter is fitted in this manner, measuring equipment can be fitted to the manifold downstream of the water meter, which means that it is not necessary to cut off the water being supplied to a property from the boundary box.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a boundary box for a water supply, the boundary box comprising: an inlet for receiving water from a water supply; an outlet for supplying water out of the boundary box; a manifold connected between the inlet and the outlet, the manifold having a connection point for connection of measuring equipment thereto.

A water meter may be fitted to the manifold between the inlet and said connection point. Thus, measuring equipment can be fitted to the manifold downstream of the water meter, which means that it is not necessary to cut off the water being supplied to a property from the boundary box.

A pressure-regulating valve may be fitted to the manifold between the inlet and the outlet for regulating the pressure of water passing to the outlet. The pressure-regulating valve is preferably a diaphragm pressure-reducing valve.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a water supply installation for a property, the installation comprising: a property to be supplied with water; a boundary box installed in a trench outside the property for connection to a supply of water; and, a pressure-regulating valve contained within the boundary box for regulating the pressure of water through the boundary box from a supply of water to the property.

In any of the aspects of the invention described above, the boundary box preferably includes a control valve for allowing the water supplied from the inlet to be shut off.

The control valve may be a ball valve.

An example of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a partial cross-sectional view of a boundary box; Fig. 2 is a further cross-sectional view of a portion of the boundary box; Fig. 3 is an exploded view of the principal components in the boundary box; Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a pressure-reducing valve; and, Fig. 5 is an exploded partially sectioned view of the pressure-reducing valve.

A boundary box 1 has a box-like cylindrical housing 2 which is embedded in a pit dug into the ground usually outside a property to be supplied with mains water. An upper cylindrical housing tube 3 fits over the top of the main housing 2. The upper housing 3 is movable up and down on the main housing 2 so that the overall height of the box 1 is adjustable. A removable watertight lid 4 closes the upper end of the main housing 2 and upper housing 3. A layer 5 of insulating material is provided in the main housing 2 just below the lid 4 to provide protection against frost.

The lower end of the main housing 2 has two opposed openings 6,7. A plastics water inlet pipe 8 passes into the housing 2 through the first opening 6. A plastics water outlet pipe 9 passes out of the housing 2 through the other opening 7. The openings 6,7 are sealed around the inlet pipe 8 and outlet pipe 9 so as to prevent ingress of water and other contaminants from the environment. Similarly, the bottom of the main housing 2 is sealed by a base 10.

A plastics manifold 11 is provided within the housing 2 and is supported by a mounting bracket 12 within the housing 2. The manifold 11 is tubular and very generally in the shape of an inverted U. The water inlet pipe 8 is a push fit into a first downward leg 13 of the manifold 11. A moulded plastics nut 14 on the inlet pipe 8 is screwed onto a screw thread 15 of the first downward leg 13 of the manifold 11 in order to secure the inlet pipe 8 to the manifold 11.

At the upper end of the downward leg 13 of the manifold 11, there is a relatively enlarged portion 16 which contains a stop valve 17. The stop valve 17 includes a ball valve 18 which is moulded from mineral-loaded plastics in order to allow it to rotate more easily. The ball valve 18 has a central through hole 19 which also opens through the lower part of the ball valve 18 so that water can flow from the inlet pipe 8, through the downward leg 13 of the manifold 11, and through the ball valve 18 when the ball valve 18 is appropriately aligned. The ball valve 18 has a recess 20 on its upper surface opposite the water inlet pipe 8. A key 21 fits into the recess 20 through an opening 22 in an upper part of the manifold 11 opposite the downward leg 13 so that the ball valve 20 can be rotated about a vertical axis X which passes through the centre of the downward leg 13 of the manifold 11. As will readily be appreciated from, for example, Fig.3, successive rotation of the ball valve 18 through 900 respectively opens and closes the ball valve 18 so as to respectively allow and prevent flow of water through the manifold 11 from the water inlet pipe 8. The opened or closed position of the ball valve 18 can be visually inspected by the position of the key 21, the key 21 having a rectangular finger grip 23 which provides a ready visual indication of the rotational position of the ball valve 18. The ball valve 18 is fitted into the enlarged portion 16 of the manifold 11 between two annular rubber seats 24. Access to the ball valve 18 is provided through an opening 25 to the relatively enlarged portion 16 of the manifold 11. The opening 25 is closable by a cap 26 which is screw-fitted onto the manifold 11.

Having flowed from the inlet pipe 8, and through the first leg 13 of the manifold 11 and the ball valve 18, water flows through the upper horizontal leg 27 of the manifold 11 into the second downward leg 28. The second leg 28 has a large flared upper portion 29 which has an opening 30 at its uppermost end. The opening 30 has an internal screw thread 31. A water meter 32 can be screw fitted into the opening 30 by means of the screw thread 31. If a water meter 32 is fitted, water flows into the water meter 32 from the horizontal arm 27 of the manifold 11, the water then passing down through a non-return valve 33 fitted in the downward leg 28 of the manifold 11. The non-return valve 33 is known in itself and will not be described further herein. The nonreturn valve 33 prevents back flow of water into the water meter 32 from the property being supplied with water.If a water meter is not fitted, the opening 30 can be closed by a cap screw-fitted into the opening 30.

The downward leg 28 of the manifold 11 has an opening 34 in its side wall. A connection flange 35 is integrally moulded around the opening 34 in the second downward leg 28.

The lower end of the downward leg 28 is sealed by a supporting flange 36 which seats on the mounting bracket 12.

A vertically orientated pipe 37 has an opening in its side wall, there being a connection flange 38 around the opening which corresponds with the connection flange 35 on the second downward leg 28 of the manifold 11. The pipe 37 can be connected to the second downward leg 28 by nut and bolt connection of the respective flanges 35,38. The pipe 37 has an internal screw thread 39 in its upper opening 40. An external screw thread 41 is provided around the lower opening 42 of the pipe 37. A pressure-reducing valve 43 is secured in the pipe 37 by means of a screw thread 44 which engages with the upper internal screw thread 39 of the pipe 37. The pressure-reducing valve 43 operates by known principles.

Briefly, water flows into the pressure-reducing valve 43 through an opening 45 in its side wall 46. Water flows up to a rubber diaphragm 47 which is biased against the incoming water pressure by a coiled spring 48. The amount of bias of the coiled spring 48 can be adjusted by means of a screw 49 which bears down on the spring 48 and which is accessible from the uppermost portion of the main housing 2. As water flows into the pressure-reducing valve 43, the pressure of the water is reduced by the action of the spring-biased diaphragm 47.

The pressure-reducing valve 43 can operate to a maximum inlet pressure of 16 Bar and is adjustable to provide an outlet pressure between 1.5 to 5.5 Bar by means of the adjusting screw 49.

The outlet pipe 9 is a push fit into the lower opening 42 of the pipe 37 and can be secured thereto by a nut 60 which fits on to the external screw thread 41 of the pipe 37.

Because the pressure-reducing valve 43 is fitted in the boundary box 1, this removes the need to dig a separate pit solely for a pressure-reducing valve. It also means that the pressure-reducing valve does not have to be fitted in the property itself. This means that a service engineer can readily access the pressure-reducing valve 43 as necessary without requiring access to the property being supplied with water. Thus, the present invention provides for very simple installation and ready serviceability. In addition, the pressure-reducing valve 43 can easily be removed by unscrewing it from the pipe 37. The pipe 37 can then be closed by a cap 61 which is screw-fitted into the opening 40.The opening 40 also provides a very convenient point of connection for allowing sampling of the water, or measurement of the water flow and pressure, by connecting suitable equipment to the upper opening 40 of the pipe 37. Thus, sampling and flow and pressure measurements can be taken downstream from the water meter 32 which allows such sampling and flow and pressure measurements to be carried out without removable of the installed water meter 32 and without having to cut off water supply to the property. If necessary, a bypass tube can be fitted into the opening 40 of the pipe 37 to divert the full flow of water to the sampling point and thereby isolate the property from the water supply. The ball valve 18 can be used to shut off the water supply whenever the pressure-reducing valve 43 is being removed or installed or other equipment is being fitted to the test and sampling pipe 37.

The present invention has been described with particular reference to the example illustrated. However, it will be appreciated that variations and modifications may be made to the example described within the scope of the present invention.

Claims (17)

1. A boundary box for a water supply, the boundary box comprising: an inlet for receiving water from a water supply; an outlet for supplying water out of the boundary box; and, a pressure-regulating valve connected between the inlet and the outlet for regulating the pressure of water flowing out of the outlet.

2. A boundary box according to claim 1, wherein the pressure-regulating valve is a diaphragm pressure-reducing valve.

3. A boundary box according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein a manifold is provided between the inlet and the pressureregulating valve.

4. A boundary box according to claim 3, wherein the manifold has a connection for releasably connecting the pressureregulating valve to the manifold.

5. A boundary box according to claim 3 or claim 4, wherein the manifold has a connection for allowing a water meter to be connected to the manifold.

6. A boundary box according to claim 5, further comprising a water meter connected between the manifold and the pressureregulating valve.

7. A boundary box according to claim 6, wherein the manifold includes a non-return valve connected downstream of the water meter.

8. A boundary box for a water supply, the boundary box comprising: an inlet for receiving water from a water supply; an outlet for supplying water out of the boundary box; a manifold connected between the inlet and the outlet, the manifold having a connection point for connection of measuring equipment thereto.

9. A boundary box according to claim 8, wherein a water meter is fitted to the manifold between the inlet and said connection point.

10. A boundary box according to claim 8 or claim 9, including a pressure-regulating valve fitted to the manifold between the inlet and the outlet for regulating the pressure of water passing to the outlet.

11. A boundary box according to claim 10, wherein the pressure-regulating valve is a diaphragm pressure-reducing valve.

12. A boundary box according to any of claims 1 to 11, including a control valve for allowing water supplied from the inlet to be shut off.

13. A boundary box according to claim 12, wherein the control valve is a ball valve.

14. A water supply installation for a property, the installation comprising: a property to be supplied with water; a boundary box installed in a trench outside the property for connection to a supply of water; and, a pressure-regulating valve contained within the boundary box for regulating the pressure of water through the boundary box from a supply of water to the property.

15. An installation according to claim 14, wherein the boundary box includes a control valve for allowing water supplied from the inlet to be shut off.

16. An installation according to claim 15, wherein the control valve is a ball valve.

17. A boundary box, substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.