Methods and Systems to Maintain Accessibility and Integrity of Equipment Contained in Underground Housings

Abstract

Disclosed herein are methods, devices and systems to maintain the accessibility and integrity of equipment contained in underground housings. The methods, devices and systems and methods of the present invention maintain the accessibility and integrity of equipment contained in underground housings by providing at least one barrier that prevents burrowing animals from off-loading displaced ground dirt or other debris into the space created by the underground housing.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 maintaining the integrity of space within an underground housing that contains equipment by   providing at least one barrier which prevents ground dirt or other debris displaced by a burrowing animal from entering said underground housing.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said at least one barrier is provided at the
 bottom of said underground housing.   
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said at least one barrier is provided around a point where a pipe or a cable enters or exits said underground housing. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said at least one barrier is provided at the bottom of said underground housing and around one or more points where a pipe or cable enters or exits said underground housing. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said underground space houses equipment relating to one or more of the group selected from an irrigation system, a backflow assembly, a water meter, a manual shut off for a natural gas line, a manual shut off for a drinking fountain, a manual shut off for a sprinkler system, a manual shut off for a hose faucet, a cable company splice, a broad band splice, and a low voltage lighting splice. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said burrowing animal is one or more of the group selected from a mole, a shrew, a gopher, a prairie dog, a fox, a rabbit, a muskrat, a weasel, a skunk, a badger, a platypus, a bilbie, a meerkat, an owl, a frog, a spider, a rat, a mouse and an earthworm. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said at least one barrier is impermeable to said ground dirt or other debris. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein said at least one barrier is further impermeable to water. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said at least one barrier further prevents roots from growing into said space within said underground housing. 
     
     
         10 . A system comprising an underground housing that contains equipment and at least one barrier which prevents ground dirt or other debris displaced by a burrowing animal from entering said underground housing. 
     
     
         11 . The system according to  claim 10 , wherein said at least one barrier is provided at the bottom of said underground housing. 
     
     
         12 . The system according to  claim 10 , wherein said at least one barrier is provided around a point where a pipe or a cable enters or exits said underground housing. 
     
     
         13 . The system according to  claim 10 , wherein said at least one barrier is provided at the bottom of said underground housing and around one or more points where a pipe or cable enters or exits said underground housing. 
     
     
         14 . The system according to  claim 10 , wherein said underground housing contains equipment relating to one or more of the group selected from an irrigation system, a backflow assembly, a water meter, a manual shut off for a natural gas line, a manual shut off for a drinking fountain, a manual shut off for a sprinkler system, a manual shut off for a hose faucet, a cable company splice, a broad band splice, and a low voltage lighting splice. 
     
     
         15 . The system according to  claim 10 , wherein said burrowing animal is one or more of the group selected from a mole, a shrew, a gopher, a prairie dog, a fox, a rabbit, a muskrat, a weasel, a skunk, a badger, a platypus, a bilbie, a meerkat, an owl, a frog, a spider, a rat, a mouse and an earthworm. 
     
     
         16 . The system according to  claim 10 , wherein said barrier is impermeable to said ground dirt or other debris. 
     
     
         17 . The system according to  claim 16 , wherein said barrier is further impermeable to water. 
     
     
         18 . The system according to  claim 10 , wherein said barrier further prevents roots from growing into said space within said underground housing.