BR102018004718A2 - WATER COLLECTION AND REUSE DEVICES AND TURNS USING PASSAGE OR ACCUMULATION HEATING - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention demonstrates a device capable of capturing and reusing cold water that is wasted by showers and taps using through-flow or accumulation heating.

Description

Field of application [01] The present invention patent belongs to the field of sanitary accessories and aims to create a device to eliminate the waste of water from showers and taps that use passage heating or accumulation. The device will be supplied with water from showers and taps that use passage heating or accumulation. The water stored in the device can be used to supply a water discharge equipment of the coupled box type, or for the destination that the user desires.

State of the art [02] Showers and taps with passage heating or accumulation waste water.

[03] Waste occurs at the beginning of the operation of this equipment, which pours cold water before the heated water leaves. This is due to the water that is in the piping between the passage or accumulation heater and the shower or tap, it is not heated, nor will it be, since it is after the heating system.

[04] An average of 15 liters of water is wasted with each shower or tap operation, since cold water is not used, as the hot water that comes after the cold water comes out is expected.

[05] There are currently two devices on the market to reduce or eliminate this problem.

The. Hybrid shower - an electric shower that detects the temperature of the water that arrives from the pipe and enters it, if the water is below the pre-defined temperature in the shower, the

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Petition 870180126289, of September 4, 2018, p. 4/21 even heats the water through electrical resistance, when it detects that the water that arrives from the pipe reached the pre-defined temperature in the shower, it turns off the electrical resistance, passing the heating only to the passage or accumulation heater.

Disadvantages of this device:

- Electric power consumption;

- Often the bathrooms of buildings prepared for heating passage or accumulation do not have an electric power point near the water outlet for a shower or tap;

- It does not solve the waste of the tap, only of the shower / shower;

- Reduced water flow compared to the shower, reducing user comfort while bathing.

B. Water recirculation system - basically consisting of return piping, recirculation pump, thermostat and an electronic system controller, it constantly circulates and heats the water in the pipeline, making the heated water closer to the outlet point at the time of use. Disadvantages of this system:

- The buildings are not prepared for this type of system, they do not have the return pipe so that the water can circulate;

- Waste of energy, since the system uses mechanical energy, circulating the water, and thermal energy, heating the water, even without use;

- Needs space to be installed, making installation in buildings with space limitations difficult;

- It does not solve the problem completely, since parts of the pipe will not have the water circulating, that is, it will still have

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Petition 870180126289, of September 4, 2018, p. 5/21 cold water coming out of the shower or tap, before the hot water arrives.

[06] Due to the considerations pertinent to the state of the art, the object of this application is the development of a device for reusing water from showers and taps with passage heating or accumulation. The device consists of a closed reservoir with a lid (fig. 1 - a) that has a water inlet (fig. 1 - b). This inlet is connected via pipe, hose or other material, at the outlet of the hot water pipe where the shower (fig. 3 - a) or faucet (fig. 3 - b) was previously connected.

[07] This water inlet is connected internally in the reservoir to a 3-way directional hydraulic valve, an inlet and two outlets (fig. 1 - d). with one outlet into the reservoir (fig. 1 - j) and the other outlet out (fig. 1 - c), this second outlet will be connected via tubing, hose or other material to the shower (fig. 3 - c) , tap (fig. 3 - d) or both.

[08] Said hydraulic directional valve will be controlled by a float (fig. 1 - e) switching which outlet the water should be directed to, that is, according to the water level inside the reservoir, one outlet of the valve opens, closing the other and vice versa.

[09] When the reservoir is empty or with low water level the water flow is directed to the internal outlet of the reservoir, closing the external outlet. Upon reaching the predetermined level of water inside the reservoir, the valve closes the internal outlet of the reservoir and opens the external outlet.

[010] In summary, when the float rises, indicating that the volume of water inside the reservoir has reached the predetermined limit, the valve directs the water to the external outlet (fig. 1 - c) and when the float descends, indicating low or no volume of water inside the reservoir, the valve directs the water to the internal outlet (fig. 1 - j)

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Petition 870180126289, of September 4, 2018, p. 6/21 [011] The said directional hydraulic valve float has a manually adjustable level adjustment (fig. 1 - f).

[012] The device has a second water inlet, controlled by a closing valve of the type “universal inlet valve for box coupled with float” (fig. 1 - i), this water inlet is connected to the water outlet of the bathroom that originally gave rise to the water in the attached box (fig. 3 - e).

[013] The device also has a second water outlet, which outlet is controlled by means of a closing valve of the “float tap” type (fig. 1 - g), for use with the coupled box. The float tap in this case will be activated by the water level of the attached box (fig. 3 - f).

[014] The device also has a space for installing the discharge trigger button (fig. 1 - h).

[015] The device has two distinct operating steps, as described below

First stage - water storage [016] When opening the hot water tap in the shower or tap, the cold water that previously went into the drain will be directed through mangrove tubing or other material into the reservoir. Inside the reservoir, the hydraulic directional valve identifies that said reservoir is empty or with low water level and directs the water into it. Upon reaching the predetermined water level, the float will activate the directional hydraulic valve, which in turn will close the internal water outlet and open the external outlet, directing the water flow to the shower or tap. At that moment, the water that comes out of the shower or tap will already be heated, since the cold water that was in the pipe previously was stored in the device's reservoir.

[017] The level adjustment of the directional hydraulic valve float will be used to determine when said valve should send water to the external water outlet.

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Petition 870180126289, of September 4, 2018, p. 7/21

Second stage - water use [018] After the water is stored, it is necessary to use it so that the reservoir has its space emptied for the next storage cycle.

[019] The use will be made preferably through the supply of attached box or other purpose that is useful to the user.

[020] For use through coupled box supply, operation will be as follows.

[021] When the discharge of the coupled box is triggered, it has its water level reduced and can be totally empty. The stopcock of said device (figl. - g) identifies the low level of water in the coupled box and opens the water outlet of the device, thus supplying the coupled box and reducing the water in the reservoir of the device. After one or N flushing strokes, the device will be emptied partially or completely due to the supply of water to the coupled box, being ready for the next water inlet flow.

State of the art problems:

[022] Waste of water when using a shower or tap that uses passage heating or accumulation

Advantages of the invention [023] Eliminates water waste in showers and taps that use passage or accumulation heating [024] Simple installation, does not require building works [025] Does not consume energy

Brief description of the Figures [026] Figure -1 device for reusing water from showers and taps that use passage or accumulation heating, frontal view

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Petition 870180126289, of September 4, 2018, p. 8/21 [027] Figure 2 - example of the device installed on a coupled box [028] Figure 3 - example of the device installed in a bathroom, connected to the shower and the hot water tap

Detailed Technology Description [029] A water tank with a lid that can be constructed of ceramic, plastic, metal or other material that can be used for water storage. This reservoir has two water inlets and two outlets, it can also have an external space to install the flush button.

[030] A 3-way directional hydraulic valve, one inlet and two outlets, activated by float is connected internally in the reservoir (fig.1 - b) and (fig.1 - c) [031] A shut-off valve of the “ float switch ”is connected externally to one of the reservoir outlets (fig1. - g) [032] A“ universal inlet valve for box coupled with float ”or similar is connected internally to the water inlet of the reservoir (fig. 1 - i )

Claims (7)

1. DEVICE FOR THE CAPTURE AND REUSE OF WATER FROM SHOWERS AND TAPS THAT USE PASSAGE OR ACCUMULATION HEATING, characterized by a closed reservoir with a lid, containing two water inlets and two outlets, a 3-way hydraulic valve activated by an internally connected float in the reservoir the water inlet (fig. 1 - b) and water outlet (fig. 1 - c). 2. DEVICE AS DESCRIBED IN CLAIM 1 characterized by said reservoir having a space external to the water contact for installing the discharge button. 3. DEVICE AS DESCRIBED IN CLAIM 1 characterized by the said water outlet (fig-1 - g) is connected to a shut-off valve of the “float tap” type. 4. DEVICE AS DESCRIBED IN CLAIM 1 characterized by the said water inlet (fig-1 - i) is connected to a closing valve of the type “universal inlet valve for box coupled with float”. 5. 3-WAY DIRECTIONAL HYDRAULIC VALVE ACTIVATED BY FLOAT, characterized by a 3-way directional hydraulic valve, one inlet and two outlets, activated by float. 6. METHOD FOR CAPTING WATER IN A DEVICE FOR WATER REUSE FROM SHOWERS AND TAPS THAT USE PASSAGE HEATING OR ACCUMULATION, characterized by, A) when receiving water through the entrance of the directional hydraulic valve (fig-1 - b) the float of said valve identifies the water level of the reservoir of said device (fig.1 -a) B) being low or empty, the directional hydraulic valve directs the water into the reservoir until it reaches the pre-defined level C) the float of the said hydraulic directional valve identifies the water level inside the reservoir and changes the water flow to the outlet external to the reservoir. 1/2 Petition 870180126289, of September 4, 2018, p. 19/21 7. WATER REUSE METHOD USING THE DEVICE FOR WATER REUSE IN SHOWERS AND TAPS THAT USE PASSAGE HEATING OR ACCUMULATION, characterized by, A) identify the water level in the attached box (fig.3 - f), through a “float tap” (fig. 1 - g) B) if the level is at a predetermined level for opening, or even if the coupled box is empty, said device releases water from the reservoir through the “float tap” (fig. 1 - g) to complete the water level of the coupled box (fig.3 - f) C) the “float tap” (fig. 1 - g) of said device when identifying that the water in the coupled box (fig.3 - f) has reached the pre-determined level for closing, closes the water outlet of the reservoir (fig 1 - g).