AU2006228059A1

AU2006228059A1 - Roof water supply system

Info

Publication number: AU2006228059A1
Application number: AU2006228059A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Sydney Mark Mitchell
Original assignee: MITCHELL SYDNEY
Current assignee: Warner David Edmund
Priority date: 2006-10-13
Filing date: 2006-10-13
Publication date: 2008-06-26

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATIONS STANDARD PATENT INVENTION TITLE: ROOF WATER SUPPLY SYSTEM The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us: Roof Water Supply System Page 1 of SROOF WATER SUPPLY SYSTEM 0 TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION z This invention relates to the design and construction of a water supply system which allows rainwater, S collected on roofs and stored in tanks, to be used in lieu of town water supply to provide water to dwellings, and/or other buildings, such that there is no possible mixing of the two supplies and town water cannot enter the storage tanks.

There are systems available that allow roof water to be used for specific purposes, which involve 00 separate plumbing to specific items such as water closet cisterns or washing machines, but none that N, allows total supply in lieu of town water without separate plumbing being required.

INO

N' BACKGROUND Australia and many other countries are facing water shortages. There is a real and desperate need for technology to reduce the use of town water and maximize the use of rainwater collected on roofs.

However, council regulations generally do not allow town water to be used for purposes external to buildings, such a hosing gardens, washing cars and the like. This means town water cannot be allowed to enter storage tanks containing rainwater, which is used for these purposes. Rainwater or other sources are not allowed to back feed into the town water system.

Frequently, especially in high-rainfall coastal areas, much rainwater falling onto roofs during heavy rain is lost to storm water drains.

Research has shown that a system such as described herein is not currently available.

OBJECTIVE OF INVENTION The objective of this invention is: the provision of a system which allows rainwater, whenever available, to be used as a substitute for town water for all purposes within dwellings and/or other buildings.

Roof Water Supply System Page 2 of TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION OF THIS INVENTION o PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION z The primary difference between available systems for use of rainwater and this invention is; that this CI system allows total replacement of town water supply without infringing on council regulations.

In DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 00 1 In order that the invention may be readily understood, preferred embodiments of the invention will C now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

INO

Figure 1 shows by way of single line piping and instrument diagram the arrangement of components.

C1 A description of each component so identified is as follows: Item 10 represents a rainwater storage tank or number thereof, which receives and stores rainwater collected by roofs.

Item 2 0 is a level switch which indicates when the water level in the tank has fallen to an adjustable level.

Item 3 0 is a pump which, when operating, delivers rainwater under pressure into a super cell or similar pressurized vessel.

Item 4 0 is a super cell or similar pressurized vessel.

Item 5 0 is a three way solenoid-operated valve which operates to supply either rainwater or town water to the dwelling and/or other buildings, but never a mixture of the two.

Item 6 0 is a micro-processor controller.

When the level of water in the storage tank/s is above a level as set by the float switch adjustment, the controller changes the three-way valve (Item 5 0) from the town water supply to rainwater supply position and starts the pump (Item 3 0).

Rainwater is then transferred under pressure from the storage tank/s (Item 1 O) into the super cell or similar pressurized vessel (Item 4 0).

Once the pressure in this vessel has reached a value programmed into the micro-processor (Item 6 0) as indicated to it by the pressure sensor mounted on the pressurized vessel, the pump is switched off until the pressure has dropped to a lower setting when it is started again.

This maintains a constant supply of pressurized rainwater, until such time as the level in the tank/s has fallen below the level switch setting, at which time the system reverts to the town water supply.

Roof Water Supply System Page 3 of

Claims

2. A system as in claim in which there are a number of roofs, pumps, pressurized vessels, microprocessors and/or three-way solenoid valves. VB 3. A system as in claim in which the microprocessor/s is replaced by electro-mechanical O relays. (N CN 4. A system as in claim or claim in which either the microprocessor/s or electro- ,O mechanical relays control the pump/s and three-way solenoid valve/s. (1 5. A system as in any of the above in which the three-way control valve is omitted.
6. A system as in any of the above in which there are various numbers of different types of backflow prevention devices.
7. A system as in any of the above, which incorporates a roof-flushing function.
8. A system as in any of the above in which various types and numbers of filters are provided.
9. A system as in any of the above in which the power supply to the pump and solenoid valve is controlled by either electro-mechanical contactors or solid-state switching devices. APPLICANTS Names of Applicants: Sydney Mark Mitchell Signature: Date: p David Edmund Warner Signature: Date: o Roof Water Supply System Page 4 of