Underground Plumbing System

Abstract

An underground plumbing system for inhibiting debris from entering an underground valve box includes a valve box that may be buried in ground. Thus, an underground plumbing fitting may be housed within the valve box. A lid is removably positioned on the valve box and the lid is positioned to close the top side. A shield is removably positioned within the valve box. The shield inhibits debris from entering the valve box when the valve box is buried. Thus, the shield inhibits the underground plumbing fitting from being covered by the debris.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

Field of the Disclosure

The disclosure relates to plumbing devices and more particularly pertains to a new plumbing device for inhibiting debris from entering an underground valve box.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a valve box that may be buried in ground. Thus, an underground plumbing fitting may be housed within the valve box. A lid is removably positioned on the valve box and the lid is positioned to close the top side. A shield is removably positioned within the valve box. The shield inhibits debris from entering the valve box when the valve box is buried. Thus, the shield inhibits the underground plumbing fitting from being covered by the debris.

There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.

The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of an underground plumbing system according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a top view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a cut-away in-use view taken along line of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a top perspective view of a shield of an embodiment of the disclosure.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 through 5 thereof, a new plumbing device embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral 10 will be described.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 5, the underground plumbing system 10 generally comprises a valve box 12 that has bottom side 14, a top side 16 and an outer wall 18 extending therebetween. Each of the top side 16 and the bottom side 14 is open. The valve box 12 may be buried in ground 20 having the top side 16 being exposed. Thus, an underground plumbing fitting 22 may be housed within the valve box 12. The outer wall 18 has an inner surface 24.

The valve box 12 may comprise an underground valve box of any conventional design. The underground plumbing fitting 22 may comprise a sprinkler system valve or the like. The valve box 12 includes a lid 26. The lid 26 is removably positioned on the valve box 12 and the lid 26 is positioned to close the top side 16.

A shield 28 is removably positioned within the valve box 12. The shield 28 inhibits debris 30 from entering the valve box 12 when the valve box 12 is buried. Thus, the shield 28 inhibits the underground plumbing fitting 22 being covered by the debris 30. The debris 30 may comprise dirt, rocks or other earthen material.

The shield 28 comprises a frame 32 that has a pair of lateral walls 34 extending between a pair of longitudinal walls 36. The lateral walls 34 are spaced apart from each other such that the frame 32 has a rectangular shape. The frame 32 has an inside surface 38 and an outside surface 40. The frame 32 is removably positioned in the valve box 12. Thus, the outside surface 40 of the frame 32 frictionally engages the inner surface 24 of the valve box 12.

The frame 32 is coextensive with the outer wall 18 of the valve box 12 when the frame 32 is positioned in the valve box 12. Moreover, the frame 32 is aligned with the bottom side 14 of the valve box 12 when the frame 32 is positioned in the valve box 12. Thus, the frame 32 is positioned beneath the underground plumbing fitting 22. The frame 32 may be manufactured with a variety of dimensions. Thus, the frame 32 may fit in a variety of valve box 12 sizes.

A screen 42 is provided and the screen 42 is coupled to the inside surface 38 of the frame 32. The screen 42 extends between each of the lateral walls 34 and each of the longitudinal walls 36. Thus, the screen 42 inhibits the debris 30 from passing through the frame 32 when the valve box 12 is buried. The screen 42 comprises a mesh material. The mesh material may have openings ranging between three mm and six mm.

In use, a hole 36 is dug in ground 20 and the frame 32 is positioned in the hole 36. The valve box 12 is positioned on the hole 36 such that the frame 32 is positioned in the valve box 12. Thus, the screen 42 inhibits the debris 30 from being urged upwardly in the valve box 12. The underground plumbing fitting 22 is positioned to extend through the valve box 12 in the convention of underground sprinkler systems and the like. The underground plumbing fitting 22 is positioned above the frame 32. The screen 42 inhibits the underground plumbing fitting 22 from becoming buried by the debris 30. Thus, the underground plumbing fitting 22 may be serviced without having to expose the underground plumbing fitting 22 with respect to the debris 30.

With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, system and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.

Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.

Claims

1. An underground plumbing system being configured to inhibit debris from entering a valve box when the valve box is buried, said system comprising:

a valve box being configured to be buried in ground thereby facilitating an underground plumbing fitting to be housed within said valve box;

a lid being removably positioned on said valve box, said lid being positioned to close said top side; and

a shield being removably positioned within said valve box wherein said shield is configured to inhibit debris from entering said valve box when said valve box is buried thereby inhibiting the underground plumbing fitting from being covered by the debris, said shield comprising a frame having a pair of lateral walls extending between a pair of longitudinal walls, said lateral walls being spaced apart from each other such that said frame has a rectangular shape, said frame having an inside surface and an outside surface, said shield further comprising a screen being coupled to and extending perpendicularly from said inside surface of said frame, said screen being offset from and centrally positioned between upper and lower edges of said frame and extending between each of said lateral walls and each of said longitudinal walls wherein said screen is configured to inhibit the debris from passing through said frame when said valve box is buried.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said valve box has a bottom side, a top side and an outer wall extending therebetween, each of said top side and said bottom side being open, said outer wall having an inner surface, said top side being configured to be exposed when said valve box is buried.

3. (canceled)

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein:

said valve box has an outer wall and a bottom side, said outer wall having an inner surface; and

said frame being removably positioned in said valve box having said outside surface of said frame frictionally engaging said inner surface of said valve box having said frame being coextensive with said outer wall of said valve box, said frame being aligned with said bottom side of said valve box wherein said frame is configured to be positioned beneath the underground plumbing fitting.

5. (canceled)

6. An underground plumbing system being configured to inhibit debris from entering a valve box when the valve box is buried, said system comprising:

a valve box having bottom side, a top side and an outer wall extending therebetween, each of said top side and said bottom side being open, said valve box being configured to be buried in ground having said top side being exposed thereby facilitating an underground plumbing fitting to be housed within said valve box, said outer wall having an inner surface;

a lid being removably positioned on said valve box, said lid being positioned to close said top side; and

a shield being removably positioned within said valve box wherein said shield is configured to inhibit debris from entering said valve box when said valve box is buried thereby inhibiting the underground plumbing fitting from being covered by the debris, said shield comprising: a frame having a pair of lateral walls extending between a pair of longitudinal walls, said lateral walls being spaced apart from each other such that said frame has a rectangular shape, said frame having an inside surface and an outside surface, said frame being removably positioned in said valve box having said outside surface of said frame frictionally engaging said inner surface of said valve box having said frame being coextensive with said outer wall of said valve box, said frame being aligned with said bottom side of said valve box wherein said frame is configured to be positioned beneath the underground plumbing fitting, and a screen being coupled to and extending perpendicularly from said inside surface of said frame, said screen being offset from and centrally positioned between upper and lower edges of said frame and extending between each of said lateral walls and each of said longitudinal walls wherein said screen is configured to inhibit the debris from passing through said frame when said valve box is buried.