GB2285474A

GB2285474A - Water storage container

Info

Publication number: GB2285474A
Application number: GB9425285A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Robert Stephen Rhodes; William Taylor Mcdonald
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1994-01-05
Filing date: 1994-12-15
Publication date: 1995-07-12
Also published as: GB9425285D0; GB9400094D0

Abstract

A portable water storage system suitable for a caravan, etc. comprises a container (2) including a valve 9A, the inlet of which is connectable to a water supply. Means (26) is included to open and close the valve in response to the rise and fall of water in the storage container. Water is removed for use by a submerged pump (11). <IMAGE>

Description

WATER STORAGE MEANS FOR TOURING CARAVANS AND THE LIKE This invention relates to the provision of a permanent supply of water to touring caravans, caravanettes, tents and like mobile homes.

Provision of water to caravans, tents, etc. on caravan or camp sites has usually been via portable water carriers which are taken to a central point, filled and carried back. With the advent of showers in caravans, water consumption has risen and carrying large containers when full has become too much for all but the strongest of people. One solution is a barrel-shaped carrier which can be filled and rolled back.

To overcome this problem, caravan sites started to provide a ring main so that caravanners could take their water supply directly adjacent to their caravan. The intention was that the water carriers could be filled up using a length of flexible tube.

However, sometimes the caravan was connected directly to the main.

This had two types of problems. Firstly, when every caravan was using water, the supply was inadecuate and many users received little, or no, water at all. Secondly, when people had stopped using water, full mains pressure was applied to the caravan plumbing and this often led to leaks and flooding inside the van.

There is thus a need for a means to provide water storage to caravans and the like on a site, which can include a buffer supply for times of high demand and replenish this supply when demand falls.

The means must be capable of ,ithstanding full mains water pressure.

According to the invention, there is disclosed apparatus to provide ate storage, from a fixed supply to a mobile home, comprising: i) a storage container; ii) a valve to control the flow of water from the filed supply into said storage container; iii) means to connect said valve in ssid storage container to said fixed supply: and iv) means to remove pater from said storage container; characterised in that: i) said apparatus is readily moveable from one location to another; and ii) means is provided to operate said valve causing it to close when the water level rises to a predetermined level and open it when the water level falls below a predetermined level.

In a preferred form, the apparatus of the invention consists of a polythene container of suitable size with a handle for ease of transportation. The supply of water would be a ring main and the means to connect it to the storage container would be a flexible, pressure-resistant hose with simple hand-operated connectors at each end. One preferred form of valve is the ballcock type, e.g.

as used in toilet cisterns, and the hose would be connected to the input to the valve. The means to remove the water would be via a submerged pump, preferably electrically powered, discharging into the caravan plumbing system.

In use, the caravanner would park on his pitch and place his/ her container in the appropriate place beside the caravan.

she could then connect the site water rine main to the input to the valve using a length of flenble pressure hose. After rinsing the ipe and container and checking the water quality, the container could be left to fill until the action of the ballcock closed the valve. The pump would be lowered into the container through the filling aperture and ater pumped to the caravan as and when required. The hose connections could be left in position to supply water, via the container, until leaving the site.

All components used in the apparatus of the invention are made of hygienic materials so that the water which has passed through the apparatus may be drunk or used in cooking.

When on a site with no ring main, the container is carried to the central water tap, filled and carried back to the caravan.

According to a first variation of the invention, a housing is provided within the structure of a caravan into which said storage container is located and provision is made in said housing to attach said means to connect said valve in said storage container to the supply of water.

According to one aspect of the first variation of the invention, the storage container is removably located in said housing.

This variation and the aspect of it are more suitable to new builds of caravan than existing ones. It is preferred that the container is positively located, yet easily removable if it has to be taken away for manual filling. Access is provided, e.g. via a small access port, for the flexible hose to @ be connected to the valve.

Preferably an overflo ar: drain are provided to cater for failure of the valve an emptying the contaIner, prior to leaving the site.

According to the invention, there is 2isclssed a method of providing ready-use water store for 2 mobile home, comprising:- i) a supply of water; ii) a storage container having a valve capable of admitting water to sail storage container; iii) a means to connect said supply of water to said valve; iv) a means to control the opening and closing of said valve in accordance with the level of the water in said storage container; and v) a means to remove the water from said storage container for use; characterised in that said storage container is readily moveable from one location to another.

In a preferred design, the supply of water is from a main, the storage container has a handle and incorporates a valve having an exterral inlet pipe and a flexible pressure hose is used to connect the main to the inlet of the valve. The means to operate the opening and closing of the valve is controlled by the level of water in the container with the valve closinr as the water reaches a pre-determined level and opening as the level falls below this level. The preferred means of water removed is via a submerged pump. A pump is used as the container is mounted low in the caravan structure to improve stability and the effectiveness of utilising the available space.

For a clearer description of the invention and to show how the same may be put into effect, reference will now be made, bg way of example only, to the following drawings in which:- Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a touring caravan fitted with the apparatus of the invention; Figure 2 is a sectional elevation of the apparatus of the invention; and Figure 3 is a sectional elevation of a variation of the apparatus of the invention.

In the following description, the same reference numeral is used for equivalent components fulfilling the same function(s).

Referring to Figure 1, a touring caravan 1 is fitted with a water container 2 located in a compartment 3. This arrangement is a variation of the basic invention (Fig. 2) and is more suitable for new builds of caravan rather than as additions to existing ones which do not have a suitable compartment 3. The arrangement shown in Fig. 1 is used to describe the whole system before considering the detail of the invention.

A flexible, high pressure pipe 7 is connected 6 to water main 4 at one end and, at the other, to the inlet to valve 9. Pipe 7 is long enough 8 to join pipe 4 and valve 9 and connectors 6 are any suitable hand-opera ted type. Water 10 fills container 2 to a predetermined level under the control of valve 9.

Mizen there is a demand for vaster, e.g. by opening valve 14 or 15, the pressure in piping 19 drops and pump 11 co=sences operation transferring water 10 via pipe 20 into piping 19. Container 2 holds sufficient water, e.g. 20 - 25 litres, for a shower 13 or washing 12. As water 10 is drawn from container 2, and the level 22 (Fig.2) falls, valve 9 opens to allow it to be replenished either immediately, or as supplies are available, from main ,.

An overflow 16 is provided in the event that there is a fault in valve 9. Drain valve 17 is provided to empty container 2 via drain 18 to reduce towed weight prior to driving the caravan 1 away.

Pump 11 would probably be driven by electricity using either a battery (not shown) or a mains hook up from the site.

In some designs of touring caravan 1, a water storage container 2A is built in as a permanent fItting and is filled via an access port 2B using either a hose from a tap, or a portable container 2.

Container 2A and access port 2B are Shown dashed in Fig. I, to indicate this alternative. In this case, valve 9 would be an integral part of fixed container 2A and the connection with hose 7 would be made via access port 23. Pump 11 would be located permanently in fixed container 2A (not shown). Clearly though caravan 1 is moveable between sites, container 2A is fixed in position and, if a ring main is not available, it must be filled In a conventional manner, as descnbel above.

Referring to Fig. 2, which shows the detail of the invention, a hole (not s?ecificafly shovn) is cut in the upper part of one face of container 2 and a valve 9A inserted and secured in position via washer 23 arA nut 24. A portable container 2 having a reasonable capacity, e.g. 20 - 25 litres, and a handle 21 is preferred. If a supply of water 4 could always be guaranteed, only a small buffer volume of water 10 would be needed. However, as this is rarely the case, a reasonable volune 10 is necessary. Water mains 4 are not available on every site and consequently on such sites, water must be collected from a central tap. Thus a handle 21 and reasonable portability are recuired - 20 1 of water weigh 20 kg.

Another important feature of container 2 is the size of the filling aperture 25. This must be large enough to allow the passage of pump 11, valve 9A and a means to assist location and fitting of valve 9A in position. An aperture 25 with a diameter of about 60 mm is adequate. Valve 9A is of conventional 'ballcock' design with a ball 26 which floats on the water surface 22 and closes valve 9A when the water rises to a predetermined level. As this example of the apparatus of the invention is intended to be used outside the caravan, no overflow or drain are provided. In the event of valve 9A failing to stop the inflow of water, it would overflow via aperture 25. Vilien container 2 is to be emptied, it is merely tipped on to a side other than that containing valve 9A.

Fig. 3 shows the Si. 1 embodiment in greater detail; this is a variation o the apparatus of the invention intended to be incorporated into new build caravans. Two options are shown in Fig. 1. In one, container 2 is removably located in a housing 3 and, in the other, container 2A is located in a fixed position.

The advantage of having a removable container 2 is that it is portable, for use on sites without piped mains 4, hence handle 21.

The valve 93 in this case is operated by an electronic sensor 27 powdered by mains or battery (not shown) via an electrical lead 28.

A connector 29 is provided to allow container 2 to be removed from compartment 3. Pipe 20 is flexible and alloys pump 11 to be withdrawn via aperture 25. The lead to power pump 11 is attached to pipe 20 and not shown separately. It is preferred that valve 9B is of the type which fails in the closed position when power 28 is disconnected. Overflow 16 is provided as a normal precaution.

Preferably the diameter of overflow pipe 16 is greater than that of inlet pipe 7 to minimise the risk of accidental flooding.

Fig. 1 shows one possible location for container 2 from which it may be readily removable but others are equally possible. Another possible location is underneath the chassis of caravan 1; in this case the storage container could be long, but of shallow depth and be slid into position on runners fast with the chassis. Another option is to place wheels on the storage container, or mount it on a low trolley and roll it under the caravan. In both these alternatives, the storage container is emptied and stored in the caravsn prior to leavir.g the site.

Two examples of different types of valves 9 have been given but any type of valve which is responsive, either directly indirectly, to the movement of water level 22 is applicable.

Another type of valve directly responsive to water level movement could be a float valve such as that in snorkels used by swimmers.

An example of an indirect response could be the use cf a pressure sensitive means in the bottom of container 2 which would cause the valve 9 to close when the water level 22 reached a riven height above the mean and thus generated a particular pressure on it. The pressure-sensitive means could be connected to valve 9 by either an electrical or pneumatic connection.

"Torbeck" is a trade name for a particular type of ballcock valve.

Though pump 11 is preferably of the submerged, electrically powered type, a foot pump could be used where electricity is not available, e.g. in a tent. In this case the pump could be on the ground alongside container 2 with an inlet pipe passing through aperture 25 and into water 10.

Claims

Claims:

What we claim is: 1. Apparatus to provide water storage from a fixed supply to a mobile home comprising: - a storage container; - a valve to control the flow of water from the fixed supply into said storage contain-r; - means to connect said valve in said storage container to said fixed supply; and - means to remove water from said storage container; characterised in that:

i) said apparatus is readily moveable from one location to another; and

ii) means is provided to operate said valve causing it to close when the water level rises to a predetermined level and open it when the water level falls below a pre determined level.
2. Apparatus to provide water storage as claimed in claim 1, in which all components are made of hygienic materials conpatible with potable water supply.
3. Apparatus to provide water storage as claimed in claim 2 in which said storage container is portable and has a carrying handle.
4. Apparatus to provide water storage, as claimed in claim 3, in which said valve is incorporated into said storage container.
5. Apparatus to provide water storage, as claimed in claim 4, in which saim means to overate sal valve incorporates 2 flotation element.
6. Apparatus to provide water storage, as claimed in claim 4, in which said means to operate said valve incorporates a pressure sensitive elenent.
7. Apparatus to provide water storage, as claimed in clal 4, in which said means to operate said valve incorporates an electric/electronic element.
8. Apparatus to provide water storage, as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the means to connect said valve to said fixed supply is a flexible, pressure-resisting, hose.
9. Apparatus to provide water storage as claimed in claim 8 in which quickly operable connectors are used for connecting said fixed supply and said valve to the hose.
10. Apparatus to provide water storage as claimed in claim 9 in which the means to remove water from said storage container is a submerged pump.
11. Apparatus to provide water storage as claimed in claim 9 in which the means to remove water from said storage container is a foot pump.
12. Apparatus to provide water storage, as claimed in any pre- ceding claim in which a housing Is provided wi thin the structure of a mobile home into which said storage container is removably located.
13. Apparatus to provide water storage in any of claims 1 - 11, in which a housing is provided underneath the structure of the mobile home into which said storage container is removably located.
14. Apparatus to provide water storage in any of claims 1,2,4-11 in which said storage container is provided within the structure of the mobile home.
15. Apparatus to provide water storage, as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the inlet to said valve is accessible from outside the structure of the caravan.
16. Apparatus to provide water storage, as claimed in any preceding claim in which an overflow is included in said storage container.
17. Apparatus to provide water storage, as claimed in any preceding claim, in which a valved drain is included in said storage container.
18. A method of providing ready-use water storage for a mobile home comprising: -

i) a supply of water;

ii) a storage container having a valve capable of admitting water to said storage container;

iii) a means to connect said sutly of water to said valve; iv) a neans to control the opening ana closing of said valve in response to the level of water in said storage container; and

v) a means to remove the water from said storage container for use; characterised in that said storage container is readily movable from one location to another