ES2682843A1 - Rainwater collection system with incorporated first water tank (Machine-translation by Google Translate, not legally binding) - Google Patents

Abstract

Rainwater collection system with built-in first water tank, consisting of a main tank for the storage of clean water (suitable for consumption) and a first (contaminated) water tank inside the main tank. The system is connected to a downpipe pipe of the roof or building that acts as a rainwater collection surface, allowing to separate the first collected water, normally contaminated by the dirt present in the roof after a period of low water, so that the contaminated water collects in the first water tank, not allowing it to mix with clean water (suitable for consumption). The separation of the first (contaminated) waters is entrusted to a floating element or buoy that acts as a shutter at the entrance of the first water tank so that, when it is full, the clean water is transferred to the main tank . The whole system is carried out through standardized, commercial elements of the plumbing sector, resulting in very low cost and therefore suitable for countries with scarce economic and water resources. (Machine-translation by Google Translate, not legally binding)

Description

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PLUVIAL WATER COLLECTION SYSTEM WITH FIRST DEPOSIT

WATERS INCORPORATED

TECHNICAL SECTOR

The invention referred to in this document falls within the sector of the design and search for viable, low-cost solutions for the collection of rainwater intended for human consumption, due to the shortage of drinking water in low-resource areas Hydraulic and economic.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

From the origins of the human being, rainwater has been used as a source of supply and consumption. In addition, and since the first men began the activity of agriculture, rainwater was a vital tool for advancing the species.

Throughout history, and in civilizations far apart both temporarily and geographically, both architectural constructions and devices oriented to this end have appeared. Although large cities were built from the beginning in the basins of large rivers, there were other towns that settled in arid or semi-arid areas of the world, it was in these last ecosystems where ingenuity and technology were able to solve drought problems.

From the Middle Ages, and thanks to the advances in construction that were achieved, the rainwater collection systems went to a second piano, the use and transportation of underground water through the construction of wells or aqueducts.

However, at present, and despite the great technological progress that is being lived, there are still large areas of the planet where the population lives at risk of not having enough drinking water for consumption. In developed countries that suffer from this problem, there are specialized companies that carry out expensive housing adaptation works for the collection and purification of rainwater; However, in areas of low economic resources, the problem is exacerbated and deaths from dehydration or consumption of contaminated water are a reality.

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In addition to the lack of infrastructure, the main difficulty found in these areas is the seasonality of rainfall. In climates near the equator, typical of Latin America, the sub-Saharan zone or many other areas of Asia, the climate is dry throughout the year and, in the summer months, all annual rainfall is concentrated, sometimes becoming torrential .

For all this, it is necessary to develop rainwater harvesting systems, suitable for human consumption, and that can be stored and used throughout the drought months.

As for the state of the art, the following documents of protection of inventive activity are noteworthy, but not limited to:

- ES2011324 - "Two-way valve for the collection of clean rainwater from the roofs with waste from the first dirty waters".

- ES2618371 - “System of equitable distribution of rainwater in apartment houses”.

- ES2416581 - “Automatic rainwater selection system”.

- ES2185673 - “Wastewater well with at least one well ring”.

- ES2361890 - “Sump for rainwater collection and rainwater collection and management procedure used by said sump”.

In addition, it is known the existence of other projects and commercial solutions where the differentiation between the first rainwater (contaminated), and the rest of precipitation suitable for consumption is used. However, all of them have a very high development and manufacturing cost, not acceptable for areas of low economic resources, underdeveloped or developing.

For this reason, in this document, a new system is developed that provides a viable and economical solution to the problem of water scarcity in regions with low economic and water resources, also trying to offer clean and safe water for consumption.

EXPLANATION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention aims to take advantage of the rainwater that is collected on the downspouts of the roofs of homes or buildings and store it for later consumption in the best hygiene conditions. In addition, it intends to separate the first liters of rainwater collected, generally contaminated by dragging impurities and organic remains that may be present on the rooftops, from the rest of

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precipitated water once the roof is clean.

To store the precipitated water and, to make the proper separation of the first contaminated waters described above, a device with the following characteristics will be available:

There is a main tank (clean water tank) and, within this, a secondary tank of smaller volume (first water tank). The pipe downstream of the roof feeds, in the first place, the deposit of first waters (contaminated) and has, in its interior, a floating element or buoy that, by hydrostatic thrust, blocks the passage of water to the reservoir of first waters when it is completely full, drifting clean water to the main tank.

To achieve this effect of separation of the first waters, a pipe system with a “T” bypass is arranged above the top of the main tank, so that once the first water tank (contaminated) is filled, its feeding is sealed by a floating element or buoy, so that the rest of the water that reaches the system and that is already suitable for (clean) consumption, will be diverted to the clean water tank. In this way, the contaminated water is confined in the first water tank that is inside the main clean water tank suitable for human consumption. The tightness of the first water tank guarantees that at no time can the mixture of contaminated water with clean water be produced.

The volumes of both tanks can be variable depending on the needs of the user and roof sizes, although it has been shown that to clean the roof correctly you need between 0.5 and 1 liter of water precipitated by each m? Of surface area. roof plant, which allows the calculation of the volume of the first water tank.

In addition, and because the system of this document is oriented to areas with low economic resources, the parts that constitute the downspout, pipeline and first water deposit system, will be made with commercial, standardized and commercial PVC elements in the plumbing sector; which means a lower cost than the design and manufacture of a specific system.

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To complement the description that is being made and, in order to help a better understanding of the characteristics of the invention, a set of drawings is accompanied as an integral part of said description where, with an illustrative and non-limiting nature, represented the following:

Figure 1. Shows a front view of the complete system

Figure 2. Shows an exploded perspective view of the entire system

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

In view of the aforementioned figures, it can be seen how the system is constituted by four sets of main elements: the main tank (clean water tank), the secondary tank (first water tank), the pipeline diversion system and the downpipe of the roof of the house or building.

The main tank (1), in charge of the storage of clean water, is composed of a helmet (2), preferably made of reinforced composite material, and a cover (3) that fits ensuring the tightness of the helmet (2).

The lid (3) of the main tank (1) has two through circular holes (4), one centered on the geometric center of the lid (3) and the other radially displaced from the geometric center of the lid (3) a determined distance These through circular holes (4) will have in its perturbation some circular grommets or rubber seals (5) that will allow a better adjustment and sealing of the downspouts (11) that will cross them.

The secondary tank (2) is housed inside the main tank (1) resting on the bottom of it in its geometric center.

The preferred embodiment of the secondary tank (6) is conferred to the sealed assembly, by means of adhesive, of a set of commercially standardized parts, preferably of PVC. The central body of the secondary tank (6) is constituted by a tube (8) flared at one of its ends, of total length less than the interior height of the main tank (1), whose lower base turns out to be a blind plug (7) which is attached, tightly, by adhesive to the flared end of the tube

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(8). In the upper part of the tube (8) a second blind plug (7) will be arranged by means of a coupling sleeve (9) that allows the tight connection by means of the three pieces of adhesive: tube (8), blind plug (7) and coupler sleeve (9). The top blind plug (7) will have a circular through hole in its geometric center where a small blind plug (10) of smaller diameter will be fitted, adjusted, in an inverted position and attached by adhesive. The connected set of blind plugs (7) and (10) will have a circular through hole so that it configures the upper filling mouth of the secondary tank (6).

To the upper filling mouth of the secondary tank (6), a section of vertical tube (11), which will pass through the cover (3) through the central through hole (4), will be attached by adhesive, adjusting it thanks to the rubber bushings (5). This section of vertical tube (11), will house inside a floating element or buoy (12), preferably made of expanded polystyrene with spherical geometry. At the upper end of the vertical pipe section (11), a diameter reducing piece (13) will be housed. In this way, the floating element or buoy (12), will be confined and free in its vertical displacement by the action of the hydrostatic thrust within the vertical tube section (11), allowing the blockage of the entry of water to the secondary tank (6) when it is full and, in this way, allowing the subsequent derivation of the collected water, already clean, to the main tank (1).

The pipe bypass system (15) is made based on commercial standardized elements of the plumbing sector, pipes and connections that will be duly attached by means of watertight adhesive joints with the exception of the coupling sleeve type elements that will allow the system to be disconnected from the roof downpipe (18) as well as disassemble the entire system for maintenance and cleaning

The derivative element of this branch by pipes (15) is a “T” connection (16) that connects three branches or lines: The water line that comes from the roof downpipe (18), the contaminated water line or first waters that go to the secondary tank (6) and the clean water line, suitable for consumption, which goes to the main tank (1).

The contaminated water line is made based on a section of vertical tube (11) that joins, through a tight adhesive joint, the “T” connection (16) with the upper end of the vertical tube (11) where the diameter reduction part (13)

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by means of a coupling sleeve (14). This ensures a removable joint between the complete secondary deposit system (6) and the pipe bypass system (15).

The water line that comes from the vertical roof downpipe (18) is made by means of a coupling sleeve (14), a small section of vertical tube (11) with a flared end to join by adhesive to a 90 ° elbow (17 ) which, in turn, connects with a section of horizontal tube (11) that is coupled to a second section of horizontal tube (11) by means of a coupling sleeve (14) that allows to uncouple the entire system of its union with the pipe of roof downpipe (18). This second section of horizontal tube (11) is connected, by union with airtight adhesive, with the branch piece in "T" (16), whose mission is to divert water to the main tank (1) when the secondary tank or First waters (6) is full.

The clean water line will start operating once the secondary tank (6) or first water is full. To do this, the "T" branch piece (16) is connected to a horizontal tube section (11) that joins a vertical tube section (11) by means of an elbow at 90 ° (17). All joints will be tight and made by bonding with adhesive. The vertical pipe section (11) will enter the main tank (1) through the circular through hole (5) made in the cover (3) adjusting to it thanks to the wall (5).

All the watertight joints, described for the pipe bypass system (15), except those made by attachable sleeves (14), will be made by adhesive bonding and arranged by commercial male-female parts in the plumbing sector. The coupling sleeves (14) will allow the assembly to be divided into sections for maintenance and cleaning operations.

Finally, and to facilitate knowledge at all times of the amount of water present in both tanks, two transparent flexible tubes (19), one for each tank, will be placed on the outside of the hull (2). In this way and, using the principle of communicating vessels, they will act as an titrator, allowing to know the water level of both tanks at each moment, without opening them. In addition, by freeing the upper end of any of them, it will allow emptying the deposits, without the need to move them.

Claims (1)

5 10 fifteen twenty 25 30 35 1st. Rainwater collection system with built-in first water tank characterized by comprising: - A main tank (1), in charge of storing clean water suitable for human consumption. - A secondary deposit (6), which allows the storage of the first rainwater, contaminated by the dragging of the possible waste or impurities present in the roofs. This secondary deposit (6) is fully contained inside the main deposit (1). - A water bypass system for pipes (15), consisting of several standardized and commercial parts in the plumbing sector that, connected in the form of a pipe circuit with their corresponding connections, allows the differentiated derivation of contaminated water (first waters) and clean water (suitable for consumption). 2nd. Rainwater collection system with built-in first water tank, according to claim 1a, characterized in that the main tank (1) is formed by the following components: - A helmet (2), whose shape, in terms of diameter and height, adapts to the needs of the user and local rainfall, which will preferably be made of reinforced composite material. - A cover (3), which will guarantee the tight connection with the helmet (2) and that will have two through circular holes (4). One of these through circular holes (4) will coincide with the geometric center of the lid (3) and the other will be radially displaced a certain distance from the geometric center of the lid (3). These two circular through holes (4), will present in its perimeter, two grommets or cylindrical rubber gaskets (5) responsible, in turn, to adjust on each of the pipes (11) that subsequently pass through them, with in order to allow greater support and proper tightness. 3rd. Rainwater collection system with built-in first water tank, according to claim 1a, characterized in that the secondary tank (6) is 5 10 fifteen twenty 25 30 35 formed by a series of standardized components, commercial in the plumbing sector, which are the following: - A tube (8), which will form the walls of the secondary tank (6), presenting a flare at its lower end. Its length will be less than the height of the main deposit (1). - A blind plug (7), which will be attached by adhesive, to the flared area of the tube (8), forming the base of the secondary tank (6). - A second blind plug (7), which acts as the upper cover of the secondary tank (6), and which has a circular through hole of smaller diameter in its geometric center. The union between the upper end of the tube (8) and this blind plug (7) is carried out through a coupling sleeve (9). - In the blind through hole of the blind plug (7), a second blind plug of smaller diameter, which is called a small blind plug (10), which is also made of a small blind plug (10), is inserted in an inverted position, in an inverted position. a through circular hole to allow the passage of water into the secondary tank (6). - At the end of the small blind plug (10) that protrudes, a section of vertical tube (11) will be joined by adhesive, using its lower flare end for said joint. - Inside the vertical tube (11), a floating element or buoy (12) of preferably spherical geometry will be housed and, at its upper end, a diameter reducer (13) will be fixed by adhesive. In this way, the path of the floating element or buoy (12) is blocked, which will remain at all times confined within the tube section (11). 4th. Rainwater collection system with incorporated first water tank, according to the preceding claims, characterized in that the water bypass system (15) is formed by a series of standardized components, commercial in the plumbing sector and, in the form of pipes and connections thereof that are the following: - A “T” branch piece (16) that joins the three water lines: Water line received from the roof downpipe (18), contaminated water line that is derived to the secondary tank (6) and water line clean suitable for consumption that is derived to the main tank (1). 5 10 fifteen twenty 25 30 35 5th. Rainwater collection system with incorporated first water tank, according to claim 4, characterized in that the water line received from the roof downpipe (18) is formed by a series of standardized components, commercial in the plumbing sector and, in the form of pipes and connections thereof, which are the following: - The connection of the vertical downpipe of the roof (18) is carried out by means of a coupling sleeve (14) and a small section of pipe (11) that will be connected, by its flared end, to a 90 ° elbow connection (17) . - A small section of horizontal tube (11), which will be connected, at one end to the 90 ° elbow connection (17) and, on the other, to another small section of horizontal tube (11) by means of a coupling sleeve ( 14). This second section of horizontal tube (11) will be connected to the “T” branch connection (16). - Except for the connection of the coupling sleeves (14), all the umons between components will be sealed and by adhesive bonding. 6a. Rainwater collection system with built-in first water tank, according to claims 4a, characterized in that the line of contaminated water that is derived to the secondary tank (6) is constituted by a series of standardized, commercial components in the plumbing sector and , in the form of pipes and connections thereof, which are the following: - A small section of vertical tube (11), which will be connected, at its upper end, to the "T" branch connection (16) and, at its lower end, will be connected to the upper end of the vertical tube (11) where the diameter reduction piece (13) is located by means of a coupling sleeve (14). - Except for the connection of the coupling sleeve (14), all the connections between components will be sealed and by adhesive bonding. 7a. Rainwater collection system with built-in first water tank, according to claim 4a, characterized in that the clean water line that is derived to the main tank (1) is constituted by a series of standardized, commercial components in the plumbing sector and , in the form of pipes and connections thereof, which are the following: - A small section of horizontal tube (11) that connects, at one of its ends, with the branch connection in “T (16) and, at the other end, with a 90 ° elbow (17) which, at its once, it connects with a section of vertical tube (11) that enters the main tank (1) through the circular through hole (4) made to the cover (3) guaranteeing its adjustment 5 through the bushing or cylindrical joint of gonna (5). - All joints between components will be sealed and by adhesive bonding. 8a. Rainwater collection system with a built-in first water tank, 10 characterized in that, both the main tank (1) and the secondary tank (6) incorporate transparent flexible tubes (19) in their lower tank bottoms that allow , by way of gauges and, using the principle of communicating vessels, to know the level of filling volume of both tanks and turn, in turn, into separate water outlets for emptying. fifteen