GB2480130A

GB2480130A - Water treatment and distribution installation

Info

Publication number: GB2480130A
Application number: GB201105887A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Jean-Paul Augereau
Original assignee: OPUNTIAS
Current assignee: OPUNTIAS
Priority date: 2010-05-07
Filing date: 2011-04-07
Publication date: 2011-11-09
Anticipated expiration: 2031-04-07
Also published as: FR2959762B1; FR2959762A1; BE1018990A4; GB201105887D0; GB2480130B; DE202011004813U1

Abstract

The invention relates to a water treatment installation comprising a tank 1 equipped with a water supply inlet 2 that can be isolated and is connected to a water system 3, an overflow 5, a bladder/accumulator 8, a pumping means 9 that can be connected to a water distribution circuit 10a,b and a water treatment means 11 arranged between the tank 1 and the bladder/accumulator 8. The bladder/accumulator is supplied with rainwater via a fluid circuit 14 connected at the outlet to the bladder/accumulator 8 and comprises a standby inlet that can be connected to a rainwater storage tank 20. The treatment means 11 and the pumping means 9 are arranged on the fluid circulation circuit 14 and the installation is housed inside a cabinet-type chamber 17 that can be connected to the water system 3, to the rainwater storage tank 20 and to the water distribution circuit 10a,b.

Description

Water treatment and distribution installation The present invention relates to a water treatment and distribution installation.

It relates more particularly to an installation of the type comprising a disconnecting tank equipped with a water supply inlet that can be blocked off and that can be connected to the water system and an overflow, the outlet of said water supply inlet being arranged above the overflow and being separated from the maximum water level of the disconnecting tank defined by the overflow by a distance at least equal to 5 cm, preferably at least equal to 8 cm, so as to avoid any contamination of the water system by the content of the disconnecting tank, at least one bladder recipient supplied at the inlet from the disconnecting tank via pumping means arranged between bladder recipient and disconnecting tank and that can be connected at the outlet to a water distribution circuit, water treatment means, means of supplying the at least one bladder recipient with rainwater from at least one storage tank, said rainwater supply means comprising a fluid circulation circuit connected at the outlet to the at least one bladder recipient and comprising a standby inlet that can be connected to said storage tank.

More and more installations are tending to allow a water distribution system to be supplied both from rainwater and from water from the system when the quantity of rainwater collected is insufficient. However, until now, these installations have been complex and bulky, as illustrated by the patent DE 10133468 in which the water treatment means are each time arranged immediately at the inlet of the installation's water intake circuit so that, for example, it is necessary to have two treatment means, one for each water intake.

One aim of the present invention is therefore to propose an installation whose design makes it possible to obtain a simple and compact installation.

Another aim of the present invention is to propose an installation whose design makes it possible to obtain a reliable installation.

Another aim of the present invention is to propose an installation whose design makes it possible to optimize the treatment means.

To this end, the subject of the invention is a water treatment and distribution installation of the type comprising a disconnecting tank equipped with a water supply inlet that can be blocked off and that can be connected to the water system and an overflow, the outlet of said water supply inlet being arranged above the overflow and being separated from the maximum water level of the disconnecting tank defined by the overflow by a distance at least equal to 5 cm so as to avoid any contamination of the water system by the content of the disconnecting tank, at least one bladder recipient supplied at the inlet from the disconnecting tank via pumping means arranged between bladder recipient and disconnecting tank and that can be connected at the outlet to a water distribution circuit, water treatment means, means of supplying the at least one bladder recipient with rainwater from at least one storage tank, said rainwater supply means comprising a fluid circulation circuit connected at the outlet to at least one bladder recipient and comprising a standby inlet that can be connected to said storage tank, characterized in that the water treatment means are arranged between the disconnecting tank and the or at least one bladder recipient, in that at least the treatment means and the pumping means in the disconnecting tank are arranged on the fluid circulation circuit of the rainwater supply means of the or at least one of the bladder recipient(s) and in that the at least one bladder recipient, the pumping means, the treatment means, the fluid circulation circuit, the rainwater supply means of the at least one bladder recipient and the disconnecting tank, of which the means of blocking off the inlet for supplying said tank with water from the system comprise at least one float-operated blocking-off member that is able to open or close said inlet according to the water level in the disconnecting tank, are housed inside a cabinet-type chamber provided with at least one through orifice for connecting the chamber to the water system and to at least one rainwater storage tank on the one hand, and to the water distribution circuit on the other hand.

The use of pumping means and of water treatment means that are common to the bladder recipient and to the disconnecting tank makes it possible to obtain a simple installation. The housing of all of the elements inside a cabinet makes it possible to obtain a compact installation.

Preferably, the installation also comprises a unit for controlling and monitoring the installation housed at least partially inside the chamber and provided with signal transmission-reception means, said signal transmission means being able to transmit, on the one hand, command signals, and on the other hand, alarm signals, in particular towards at least one receiver situated outside the chamber and the disconnecting tank is equipped, upstream of the float-operated blocking-off member, with a member for blocking off the inlet for supplying water from the system to the disconnecting tank that can be controlled by said control unit and, at the level of the overflow, means of detecting water in said overflow, said means of detecting water in said overflow being able, in the state activated by the presence of water, to transmit a warning signal towards the control and monitoring unit, which is in turn configured to transmit, upon reception of said warning signal, on the one hand, a command signal to close the controllable member for blocking off the inlet for supplying the disconnecting tank with water from the system and, on the other hand, an alarm signal preferably towards the receiver situated outside the chamber.

By virtue of this arrangement, should the float-operated blocking-off member of the disconnecting tank fail, an endless flow of water from the system into the disconnecting tank resulting in significant water wastage contrary to the efforts to economize on water is avoided.

The invention will be clearly understood on reading the following description of exemplary embodiments, with reference to the appended drawings in which: Figure 1 represents a schematic view of a first embodiment of an installation conforming to the invention; Figure 2 represents a schematic view of a second embodiment of an installation conforming to the invention; Figure 3 represents a perspective view of the interior of an installation conforming to the invention, the doors of the cabinet-type chamber having been removed; Figure 4 represents a front view of the chamber represented in Figure 3.

As mentioned above, the installation that is the subject of the invention is more particularly intended for the treatment and distribution of rainwater and system water using a water distribution circuit 1OA, lOB to which said installation can be connected.

This installation comprises: -a disconnecting tank 1 equipped with a water supply inlet 2 that can be blocked off and that can be connected to the water system 3 and an overflow 5, the outlet of said water supply inlet 2 being arranged above the overflow 5 and being separated from the maximum water level of the disconnecting tank defined by the overflow 5 by a distance at least equal to 5 cm so as to avoid any contamination of the water system 3 by the content of the disconnecting tank 1, -at least one bladder recipient 8, supplied at the inlet from the disconnecting tank 1 via pumping means 9 arranged between bladder recipient 8 and disconnecting tank 1 and that can be connected at the outlet to a water distribution circuit, -water treatment means 11 arranged between the disconnecting tank 1 and the or at least one bladder recipient 8, -means of supplying rainwater to the at least one bladder recipient 8 from at least one storage tank 20, said rainwater supply means comprising a fluid circulation circuit 14 connected at the outlet to at least one bladder recipient 8 and comprising a standby inlet that can be connected at the inlet to said storage tank 20.

In a manner characteristic of the invention, at least the treatment means 11 and the pumping means 9 in the disconnecting tank 1 are arranged on the fluid circulation circuit 14 of the means of supplying rainwater to the at least one bladder recipient 8 and the at least one bladder recipient 8, the pumping means 9, the treatment means 11, the fluid circulation circuit 14, the means of supplying rainwater to the at least one bladder recipient 8 and the disconnecting tank 1, of which the means of blocking off the inlet for supplying water from the system to said tank comprise at least one float-operated blocking-off member 6 that is able to open or close said inlet 2 according to the water level in the disconnecting tank 1, are housed inside a cabinet-type chamber 17 provided with at least one through orifice 18A, 18B, 18C for the connection of the chamber 17 to the water system 3 and to at least one rainwater storage tank 20 on the one hand, and to the water distribution circuit on the other hand.

In the examples represented, this cabinet-type chamber 17 is formed by a rack of generally parallelepipedal shape that has an open front sealed by two French-style opening doors. The lateral faces or sides of the rack are provided with through orifices for the connection of the installation to the water system 3, to the storage tank 20 and to the water distribution circuit.

In the examples represented, each through orifice is equipped with a connector. The through orifice 18A for the connection of the chamber to the water system and the through orifice 18C for the connection of the chamber to the water distribution circuit are arranged on the same side of the chamber, the through orifice 18B for connecting to the rainwater storage tank 20 being arranged on the opposite side of the chamber 17.

The installation may include one or more bladder recipients 8 as illustrated by Figure 1 in which the installation includes two bladder recipients 8.

In the case where the installation includes at least two bladder recipients 8 each equipped at the outlet with means for connecting to a water distribution circuit, said connection means of one of the bladder recipients 8 are independent of the connection means of the other bladder recipient 8 so as to allow said bladder recipients 8 to be connected to a separate water distribution circuit.

Thus, one of the distribution systems iDA may be used to supply water to a garden and the other system lOB to supply water to a dwelling. In this embodiment, the water supply circuit for the bladder recipient that can be connected to the garden water distribution system 1OA bypasses the treatment means 11.

To guarantee the reliability of the installation, the installation also includes a control and monitoring unit housed at least partially inside the chamber 17. This control and monitoring unit is provided with signal transmission means that are able to transmit, on the one hand, command signals, and on the other hand, alarm signals, in particular towards at least one receiver situated outside the chamber 17. This control and monitoring unit is also equipped with signal reception means, in particular means of receiving warning signals transmitted by the various members housed inside the chamber.

Generally, this control and monitoring unit is incorporated in a door of the chamber and includes display screens or adjustment members that can be accessed on the visible side of said door, while the rest of the control and monitoring unit extends on the hidden side of said door when the doors are in the closed position.

This control and monitoring unit includes control means that include an electronic and/or computer processing system. This processing system may be produced in the form of a microprocessor or an electronic chip configured to receive and transmit signals. This processing system communicates in particular with the display means, the command or measurement and/or detection members of the installation.

The disconnecting tank 1 is equipped, upstream of the float-operated blocking-off member 6, with a member 7 for blocking off the inlet 2 for supplying system water to the disconnecting tank 1, this blocking-off member 7 being able to be controlled by said control unit and, at the level of the overflow 5, means 19 of detecting water in said overflow 5. Said means 19 of detecting water in said overflow 5 are able, in the state activated by the presence of water, to transmit a warning signal towards the control and monitoring unit, which is itself configured to transmit, upon reception of said warning signal, on the one hand, a command signal to close the controllable member 7 for blocking off the inlet 2 for supplying water from the system to the disconnecting tank 1, and on the other hand, an alarm signal, preferably towards the receiver situated outside the chamber 17.

In the examples represented, the member 7 for blocking off the inlet 2 for supplying system water to the disconnecting tank 1, arranged upstream of the float-operated blocking-off member 6, consists of a solenoid valve. The disconnecting tank 1 is emptied through a drain orifice 4 formed in the vicinity of the bottom wall of the tank 1.

The receiver situated outside the chamber may be a telephone, the alarm signals being sent by the control and monitoring unit in the form of telephone calls and/or SMS.

Two embodiments can be envisaged.

In a first embodiment of the invention, conforming to Figure 1, the fluid circulation circuit 14 of the means of supplying rainwater to the at least one bladder recipient is divided at the inlet and comprises two branches 15, 16, one of them, 15, able to be connected to the storage tank 20, and the other, 16, connected to the disconnecting tank 1 for a draining of the latter and comprises, at the junction of said branches 15, 16, said junction being arranged upstream of the pumping means 9 in the disconnecting tank 1, means 22 of switching between said branches 15, 16 of the fluid circulation circuit 14 by said control and monitoring unit for a selective water supply to the pumping means 9 by one or other of the branches 15, 16 according to the water level measured by the level detector 21 intended to equip the storage tank 20.

In this embodiment, the means 22 of switching between said branches 15, 16 of the fluid circulation Circuit 14 comprise at least one three-way valve.

In this embodiment, the pumping means 9 pump the water in the storage tank 20 until the level detected in the storage tank 20 is insufficient. The three-way valve is then switched to close the branch 15 of the fluid circulation circuit 14 arranged between storage tank 20 and valve, and open the branch 16 of the fluid circulation circuit 14 arranged between disconnecting tank 1 and pumping means 9 to enable the bladder recipient 8 to be supplied with water from the system instead of rainwater.

In a second embodiment, conforming to Figure 2, the disconnecting tank 1 is arranged on the fluid circulation circuit 14 of the means of supplying rainwater to the at least one bladder recipient 8 between the inlet 14A of said circuit 14 that can be connected to the storage tank 20 and the pumping means 9.

In this embodiment, the disconnecting tank 1 comprises means 24 of measuring a so-called high water level and a so-called low water level inside the disconnecting tank, said measurement means being able to transmit signals towards the control and monitoring unit according to the level detected, said control and monitoring unit being configured to transmit a command signal to close the controllable member for blocking off the disconnecting tank when the high level is reached. The high level sensor is therefore arranged to detect a high level corresponding to the closure of the controllable member for blocking off the disconnecting tank.

In this embodiment, the pumping means 9 pump the water in the disconnecting tank 1 supplied with rainwater or system water depending on the water level in the storage tank 20. The storage tank 20 supplies rainwater to the disconnecting tank 1 by virtue of pumping means 25 with which the tank is equipped. When the water level is insufficient in the storage tank 20, the pumping means 25 are stopped and the water system takes over supplying the disconnecting tank 1.

To increase the reliability of the installation, said installation comprises, between disconnecting tank 1 and area for connecting the at least one bladder recipient 8 to the water distribution circuit and/or between inlet 14A of the fluid circulation circuit 14 of the means of supplying rainwater to the at least one bladder recipient 8 and area for connecting the at least one bladder recipient 8 to the water distribution circuit, means 23 of measuring the pressure of the water circuit 14 linked with the control and monitoring unit, said measurement means 23 being able to transmit a warning signal towards the control and monitoring unit in predetermined pressure conditions.

In the examples represented, the pressure measurement means 23 are formed by a pressure switch arranged downstream of the bladder recipient 8.

Preferably, the water treatment means 11 comprise at least water filtration means 12 and UV ray emission means 13 such as a UV lamp.

To increase the reliability of the installation, the water treatment means 11 also comprise means of measuring the electric voltage of the UV lamp, said measurement means being configured to transmit a warning signal towards the control and monitoring unit according to the voltage measured.

Generally, the signal transmission means of the control and monitoring unit are configured to, each time a warning signal is received by said control and monitoring unit, transmit an alarm signal towards a receiver, preferably mobile, external to the chamber, such as a telephone.

The operation of an installation as described hereinabove is as follows: The pumping means 9 controlled in operation by the control and monitoring unit are invoked in operation when the water level in the bladder recipient(s) 8 reaches the predetermined low level following a demand on the water distribution circuit.

In the first embodiment of the invention, these pumping means 9 proceed to fill the bladder recipient(s) 8 either by pumping in the storage tank 20 when the water level of the latter so permits, or by pumping in the disconnecting tank 1 which is itself supplied with water, depending on its level, by the water system by virtue of its float-operated blocking-off member. The switchover from pumping from the storage tank 20 to pumping in the disconnecting tank 1 is achieved using switching means controlled by the control and monitoring unit.

In the second embodiment of the invention, the pumping means 9 proceed to fill the bladder recipient(s) 8 by pumping in the disconnecting tank 1 which is itself supplied with water either by the storage tank 20, when the level of the latter so permits, or by the water system via the float-operated blocking-off member. When the water level of the bladder recipient 8 is reached, the pumping means 9 are stopped.

In both embodiments, when the float-operated blocking-off member 6 of the disconnecting tank 1 is defective, the sensor of the overflow 5 of the disconnecting tank 1 is activated and the control and monitoring unit commands the closure of the controllable blocking-off member 7 generally formed by a solenoid valve of said inlet 2 of the disconnecting tank 1.

Claims

CLAIMS1. Water treatment and distribution installation of the type comprising a disconnecting tank (1) equipped with a water supply inlet (2) that can be blocked off and that can be connected to the water system (3) and an overflow (5), the outlet of said water supply inlet (2) being arranged above the overflow (5) and being separated from the maximum water level of the disconnecting tank (1) defined by the overflow (5) by a distance at least equal to 5 cm so as to avoid any contamination of the water system io (3) by the content of the disconnecting tank (1), at least one bladder recipient (8) supplied at the inlet from the disconnecting tank (1) via pumping means (9) arranged between bladder recipient (8) and disconnecting tank (1) and that can be connected at the outlet to a water distribution circuit (bA, lOB), water treatment means (11), means of supplying the at least one bladder recipient (8) with rainwater from at least one storage tank (20), said rainwater supply means comprising a fluid circulation circuit (14) connected at the outlet to at least one bladder recipient (8) and comprising a standby inlet that can be connected to said storage tank (20), characterized in that the water treatment means (11) are arranged between the disconnecting tank (1) and the or at least one bladder recipient (8), in that at least the treatment means (11) and the pumping means (9) in the disconnecting tank (1) are arranged on the fluid circulation circuit (14) of the rainwater supply means of the or at least one of the bladder recipient(s) (8) and in that the at least one bladder recipient (8), the pumping means (9), the treatment means (11), the fluid circulation circuit (14), the rainwater supply means of the at least one bladder recipient (8) and the disconnecting tank (1), of which the means of blocking off the inlet (2) for supplying said tank with water from the system comprise at least one float-operated blocking-off member (6) that is able to open or close said inlet (2) according to the water level in the disconnecting tank (1), are housed inside a cabinet-type chamber (17) provided with at least one through orifice (18A, 18B, 18C) for connecting the chamber (17) to the water system (3) and to at least one rainwater storage tank (20) on the one hand, and to the water distribution circuit (bA, lOB) on the other hand.
2. Water treatment and distribution installation according to Claim 1, characterized in that the installation also comprises a unit for controlling and monitoring the installation housed at least partially inside the chamber (17) and provided with signal transmission-reception means, said signal transmission means being able to transmit, on the one hand, command signals, and on the other hand, alarm signals, in particular towards at least one receiver situated outside the chamber (17) and in that the disconnecting tank (1) is equipped, upstream of the float-operated blocking-off member (6), with a member (7) for blocking off the inlet (2) for supplying water from the system to the disconnecting tank (1) that can be controlled by said control unit and, at the level of the overflow (5), means (19) of detecting water in said overflow (5), said means (19) of detecting water in said overflow (5) being able, in the state activated by the presence of water, to transmit a warning signal towards the control and monitoring unit, which is in turn configured to transmit, upon reception of said warning signal, on the one hand, a command signal to close the controllable member (7) for blocking off the inlet (2) for supplying the disconnecting tank (1) with water from the system and, on the other hand, an alarm signal preferably towards the receiver situated outside the chamber (17).
3. Water treatment and distribution installation according to Claim 2, of the type also comprising a level detector (21) intended to equip the storage tank (20), characterized in that the fluid circulation circuit (14) of the rainwater supply means of the at least one bladder recipient is divided at the inlet and comprises two branches (15, 16), one (15) on standby that can be connected to the storage tank (20), the other (16) connected to the disconnecting tank (1) for a draining of the latter and comprises, at the junction of said branches (15, 16), said junction being arranged upstream of the pumping means (9) in the disconnecting tank (1), means (22) of switching between said branches (15, 16) of the fluid circulation circuit (14) that can be controlled by said control and monitoring unit for a selective water supply to the pumping means (9) by one or other of the branches (15, 16) according to the water level measured by the level detector (21) intended to equip the storage tank (20).
4. Water treatment and distribution installation according to Claim 3, characterized in that the means (22) of switching between said branches (15, 16) of the fluid circulation circuit (14) comprise at least one three-way valve.
5. Water treatment and distribution installation according to Claim 2, characterized in that the disconnecting tank (1) is arranged on the fluid circulation circuit (14) of the rainwater supply means of the at least one bladder recipient (8) between the inlet (14A) of said circuit (14) that can be connected to the storage tank (20) and the pumping means (9).
6. Water treatment and distribution installation according to Claim 5, of the type also comprising a water level sensor (21) intended to equip the storage tank (20), characterized in that the disconnecting tank (1) comprises means (24) of measuring a so-called high water level and a so-called low water level inside the disconnecting tank, said measurement means being able to transmit signals towards the control and monitoring unit according to the level detected, said control and monitoring unit being configured to transmit a command signal to close the controllable blocking-off member (7) of the disconnecting tank when the high level is reached.
7. Water treatment and distribution installation according to Claims 2 to 6, characterized in that the installation comprises between the disconnecting tank (1) and the area of connection of the at least one bladder recipient (8) to the water distribution circuit and/or between the inlet (14A) of the fluid circulation circuit (14) of the rainwater supply means of the at least one bladder recipient (8) and the area of connection of the at least one bladder recipient (8) to the water distribution circuit, means (23) of measuring the pressure of the water circuit (14) linked with the control and monitoring unit, said measurement means (23) being able to transmit a warning signal towards the control and monitoring unit in predetermined pressure conditions.
8. Water treatment and distribution installation according to one of Claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the water treatment means (11) comprise at least water filtration means (12) and UV ray emission means (13) such as a UV lamp.
9. Water treatment and distribution installation according to Claim 8, taken in combination with Claim 2, characterized in that the water treatment means (11) also comprise means of measuring the electric voltage of the UV lamp, said measurement means being configured to transmit a warning signal towards the control and monitoring unit according to the voltage measured.
10. Water treatment and distribution installation according to Claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the installation comprises at least two bladder recipients (8) each equipped at the outlet with means of connecting to a water distribution circuit, said means of connecting one of the bladder recipients (8) being independent of the means of connecting the other bladder recipient (8) so as to allow for a connection of said bladder recipients (8) to a separate water distribution circuit (bA, lOB).