Cultivation and dispensing of bacteria

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10865374-B2
Application number	US-201715654937-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 20, 2017
Priority date	Jul 21, 2010
Publication date	Dec 15, 2020
Grant date	Dec 15, 2020

Abstract

An apparatus 100 for cultivating bacteria, comprising a conduit 101 having an upstream and a downstream section and the downstream section of the conduit 101 comprising first Venturi eductor means 111 with at least two inlet ports 117, 118 wherein one of said inlet ports 117 is in fluid communication with a supply of nutrient and another one of said inlet ports 118 is in fluid communication with a supply of bacteria such that, in use, nutrient and bacteria are drawn into said Venturi eductor means 111 by a fluid passing along said conduit 101 and said Venturi eductor means 111.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of removing grease from grease traps cultivating bacteria, comprising the steps of:
a) cultivating bacteria through the steps of:
i) providing a conduit with an upstream section and a downstream section and a mixing chamber into which the conduit discharges,

wherein the upstream section of the conduit comprises an inlet in fluid communication with a source of water and a first valve associated with the conduit, said first valve controlling a supply of water along said conduit from the inlet; the downstream section of the conduit comprising a first Venturi eductor with at least two inlet ports, wherein one of said inlet ports is in fluid communication with a supply of nutrient and another of said inlet ports is in fluid communication with a supply of dormant bacteria suspended in liquid respectively,
wherein the method further comprises the step of employing a second Venturi eductor in fluid communication with the first Venturi eductor and connected in series between the first Venturi eductor and the mixing chamber,
ii) passing water along the conduit such that a pressure drop in the first Venturi eductor draws the nutrient and the dormant bacteria suspended in liquid into said eductor to discharge into the mixing chamber and mix therein;
iii) allowing the dormant bacteria suspended in liquid in said mixing chamber to cultivate for a predetermined period of time;
iv) repeating steps (ii) and (iii) until a desired amount of the dormant bacteria suspended in liquid is cultivated; and

b) dispensing the cultivated bacteria into the drainage pipe of the commercial kitchen via an outlet port present in the mixing chamber,
wherein said second Venturi eductor having at least one inlet port, wherein the at least one inlet port of the second Venturi eductor is in fluid communication with a supply of air such that, in use, air is drawn into said second Venturi eductor by the water, nutrient and bacteria mix passing from the first Venturi educator in to the second Venturi educator and wherein the air supplied to the system is drawn from the atmosphere.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein each of the method steps are initiated automatically and governed by a battery powered timer programmed to open and close a solenoid valve at certain times throughout a 24 hour period, and
wherein opening the solenoid valve enables water to pass through the conduit and into the first and second Venturi eductors respectively, drawing bacteria, nutrient and air and then discharging this fluid mixture into a mixing chamber.

3. The method according to claim 2 , further comprising the step of employing a second valve, said second valve associated with the outlet port of the mixing chamber such that the opening and closing of the outlet port is controlled by the second valve.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the second valve is a timer operated valve programmed to operate automatically at pre-set intervals.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the first and second valves are programmed to enable the step of
a) a main fill of the mixing chamber,
b) an aeration charge of the mixing chamber, and
c) flushing of the content of the mixing chamber to the use location.

6. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the bacteria, nutrient, water and air mix in the mixing chamber to cultivate over a 24 hour period and regular aerating of the mixture occurs throughout that 24 hour period.

7. The method according to claim 2 , further comprising the step of retaining at least 1 litre of fluid in the mixing chamber.

Assignees

• Capital Formation Inc

Inventors

• Fielding David
• Dyer Chris

Classifications

• C12M1/26

  Inoculator or sampler · CPC title

• C12M29/14 Primary

  Pressurized fluid · CPC title

• C02F3/1294

  "Venturi" aeration means · CPC title