Method and apparatus for collecting and distributing household greywater to landscape irrigation   

Abstract: A method and apparatus for collecting greywater from greywater sources such as bathtubs and showers before the greywater can enter the existing plumbing through a drain, without altering the plumbing, and communicating the greywater to a storage reservoir for use with irrigation landscaping, the apparatus including a drain cover and water inlet, and a pump providing a vacuum force for communicating the greywater through a communication conduit to the storage reservoir.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to greywater collection and distribution systems. More particularly the disclosure herein relates to an improved system which is employable without modification of existing household plumbing and can also be utilized in residences with a concrete slab foundation.

2. Prior Art

Water conservation in today\'s world is especially important with ever increasing population and decreasing sources of fresh water. Although the benefits of modern plumbing have allowed for the instantaneous acquisition of fresh water into the household, and safe distribution of sewage to be properly treated, the common consumer pays little to no attention to the amounts of water wasted on a daily basis through toilets, showers, sink, laundry, and irrigation.

Greywater which is specific to wastewater generated from showers, bathroom sinks, and laundry has the benefit of being able to be legally recycled for landscape irrigation after limited treatment. Treatment generally involves filtration and removal of health hazardous micro-organism and chemicals from washing/cleaning products and the like. However, some greywater may be legally applied directly to landscapes given limited levels of contaminants such as from bathroom sinks, washing machines, showers and baths when a homeowner is actively aware of household products being used and public safety practices. Greywater differs from water from toilets which is designated sewage or ‘blackwater’, which contains human waste and must be treated at a municipal sewage treatment plant. Prior art devices have shown many attempts to capture and recycle greywater for use as irrigation in efforts of overall water conservation.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,635,176 to Lorente teaches a water conservation apparatus for collecting and recycling water run off from sidewalks, streets, and gardens. The device generally includes a shovel like handle with a scoop for collecting water. However, Lorente is bulky and cumbersome and would be undesirable for in-home use such as in showers or bathtubs.

U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,192,426 to DeCoster et. al., 5,217,323 to Bilson, 5,465,434 to Coe, and 6,132,138 to Haese all teach devices and methods for greywater capture and recycling to landscape irrigation systems. However, and to much disadvantage, these as well as other prior art devices disclose capturing greywater through direct communication with the existing household plumbing systems, which requires permanent modification. Furthermore they employ vast amounts of communication conduits and large storage reservoirs which are bulky and require further permanent modification of existing structures.

In order to properly employ these as other systems it would require a complete overhaul and alteration of existing plumbing. This must be performed by a licensed plumber to conform to the many laws and restrictions, and one must often tear into walls and floors to access the greywater specific plumbing. As you can imagine this can be time consuming and extremely costly and is overall undesirable to the average consumer. In many cases homes have concrete slab foundations making it cost ineffective to apply in these homes. As such, concrete slab foundation homes have been all but abandoned for the practice of reusing greywater from baths and showers.

Furthermore, such overhauls tend to capture greywater from all greywater sources in the house, including but not limited to sinks, showers, and laundry. As such, many prior art greywater recycling methods must employ substantial filtration systems for removal of chemicals and other hazards commonly associated with harsh cleaning and washing products, as well as debris and the like. This can further add to the maintenance and upkeep required to use these systems. Consequently, and unfortunately, the practice of recycling greywater in residential homes has been minimal.

As such there is a continuing and unmet need for a greywater recycling device and method which is low maintenance, cost effective, and easily installed. The device not require any modification of existing plumbing and should be customizable to a wide variety of households including homes with a concrete slab foundation. The device should provide a user with an ‘on demand’ means for selectively collecting greywater when desired. The device should further be compact and portable for convenience.

SUMMARY

The device herein disclosed and described provides a solution to the shortcomings noted in prior art and achieves the above noted goals through the provision of a household greywater capture and recycling system for employment in showers, bathtubs, and the like. The system generally employs a means to capture water from showers and bathtubs before reaching the drain and therefore without altering any existing plumbing.

As a result of this novel capturing aspect, the system can be employed by any user anywhere with no overhaul or alterations of existing plumbing structures to begin the process of water conservation and greywater recycling in their own home or wherever a shower or tub is located. This is of great advantage over prior art in that because it is a do-it-yourself system requiring no plumbing modifications, it may be employed without building and regulatory rules and restrictions normally related to plumbing systems which require restructuring by professional contractors. Further, the device can be employed in any region of the world or climate.

The captured water is communicated through fluidly sealed conduits to a temporary storage means such as a tank or reservoir preferably located outside the residence. However, applications in an apartment setting may be achieved through the provision of smaller, more compact temporary storage vessel indoors as desired.

A pump generally drives the flow of water through the conduits of the system and is of sufficient power to communicate water through the variable elevation changes as required. Details of the routing of the fluid communication conduits will become apparent in the detailed description below. Once within the storage vessel, gravity or an alternate pump may provide a means to communicate the greywater to the desired irrigation distribution. Such irrigation distribution systems may be, but are not limited to, subsurface irrigation.

The device further provides ‘on demand’ water capture when dictated by the user. Given the absence or presence of hazardous chemicals used in the bathtub or shower, a user may choose to capture the water and divert it to the storage vessel of the present invention or allow it to continue through the conventional drain to a municipal sewage treatment facility. The flexibility of the system providing the user with such ‘on demand’ characteristics is not seen in prior art and provides advantages of selective water conservation and reuse. However, the system may also employ a filtration means in case of accidental capture of chemicals or debris.

In addition, fresh water is often wasted while waiting for a shower to warm up. This fresh water may be selectively captured and communicated to the holding tank of toilet for toilet flushing purposes.

With respect to the above description, before explaining at least one preferred embodiment of the herein disclosed invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangement of the components in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention herein described is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways which will be obvious to those skilled in the art. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.

As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception upon which this disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basis for designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present disclosed device. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent construction and methodology insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

It is an object of the invention to provide a greywater recycling system which can be easily installed within any household without need for modifying or altering existing plumbing.

It is an object of the invention to provide a greywater recycling system that can be easily installed within any household that is constructed with a concrete slab foundation without reconstruction requirements or modification of existing plumbing.

It is another object of the invention to provide a grey water recycling system that can be selectively turned on and off by a user.

It is still another object of the invention to provide a greywater recycling system that is compact and portable and non permanent.

It is yet another object of the invention to provide a greywater recycling system that can capture clean water being generated while waiting for the water to heat up to be safely used for toilet flushing.

It is yet another object of the invention to provide a greywater recycling system that is cost effective, low maintenance, and customizable to a variety of architectures.

A further object of the invention to provide a greywater recycling system that promotes environmental consciousness and water conservation to consumers.

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a preferred mode of the device depicting a conventional shower stall with the communication line extending through a window located within the bathroom.

FIG. 2 is a diagram representation of the greywater collection and recycling method employed by the disclosed invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a conventional shower pan detailing the water pickup means disengaged from the shower drain.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a conventional shower pan detailing the water pickup means in the as used position covering the shower drain.

FIG. 5 is an elevated view of a preferred mode of the water pickup means.

FIG. 5a shows an elevated view of mode of the water inlet employing a slidably engaged planar member as means to vary the size of the inlet aperture.

FIG. 5b is a view of the mode of the water inlet of FIG. 5a showing the planar member in a partially closed position.

FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view of the water pickup of FIG. 5 along line AA.

FIG. 7 is an elevated view of another preferred mode of the water pickup means.

FIG. 8 is a cross sectional view of the water pickup of FIG. 7 along line BB.

FIG. 9 is a top view of another mode of the drain cover employing a rotatably engaged secondary planar member that can be rotated to allow water to flow through apertures formed in the cover to access the conventional drain, shown in a partially open mode.

FIG. 10 is a top view of the water pickup means of FIG. 9 in the closed mode.

FIG. 11 is another mode of the drain cover employing perforations or ‘cut-along’ lines to allow the user to vary the size of the cover to accommodate varying drains

FIG. 12 is a top view of yet another mode of the drain cover wherein the cover is a substantially large floor mat with top surface angled or concave towards the water intake.

FIG. 13 is an elevated view of another mode of the water intake employing a substantial half cylindrical tube with cut out portions on the longitudinal length as water inlets, there is also included a coupler to allow for communication with a conduit.

FIG. 14 is a side view of the water intake of FIG. 13.

FIG. 15 is a bottom view of the water intake of FIG. 13.

FIG. 16 is a side view of a partial diagram representation of another particularly preferred mode of the device where the communication line is passed through a homes exterior wall.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Now referring to drawings in FIGS. 1-16, wherein similar components are identified by like reference numerals, there is seen in FIG. 1 a perspective view of a particularly preferred mode of the device 10. A conventional shower stall 12 is depicted including a shower pan 14 for water collection. It must be noted that the preferred modes of the device may similarly be employed within a conventional bathtub (not shown), while the depictions set forth were shown using a conventional shower for descriptive purposes only and should not be considered limiting. The general scope of the invention will become apparent upon further description of the preferred modes.

It is of great importance in the present invention to capture greywater before it reaches the conventional drain and sewer system plumbing. To capture greywater before reaching the existing plumbing, the drain 16 (FIG. 3) is covered to allow water to temporarily pool, since it is common for the floor of the shower pan 14 or bathtub to angle towards the drain 16. A water pickup and capturing means 20 is positioned within the shower pan 14 over the drain that further engages to a communication conduit 24. The water is then communicated through the conduit 24, such as a hose or pipe, to a location preferable outside the residence.

To reduce the need for altering the existing structure of the residence it is particularly preferred that the communication conduit 24 be adapted for an extension through a nearby window 70, which are commonly located near showers and bathtubs in most domestic bathrooms. However additional means of employment of the device 10 is described later in FIG. 16, may be used.

An on/off switch 26 is preferably located at or near the shower stall 12 to provide the user with an ‘on demand’ means to activate the system and begin greywater capture while showering or after bathing in a tub. It must be noted that various modifications and arrangements may be necessary to extend the communication conduit 24 from the pickup 20 to an adjacent window given the architecture of the bathroom at hand. Therefore the depiction set forth should not be considered limiting in the intended scope of the device as described.

A diagram representation of the greywater capture and recycling system can be seen in FIG. 2. In general, a pump 32 provides a means to communicate the captured water from the pooled greywater at the pickup 20 to a storage means 38 via the communication conduit 24. The storage means 38 is preferably a tank or reservoir located outside the residence. The device 10 may further optionally include a filtering means 36 for chemicals, debris, or the like. However, given the ‘on demand’ nature of the device, a user can selectively capture only greywater that is substantially free of contaminants and a filter 36 may not be necessary. As such, without an optional filter, the maintenance of the device 10 will be greatly reduced and is further desirable over prior art.

The pump 32 is preferably self priming in that in can handle air and water mixtures that may be encountered in a shower setting without losing prime, or draw. The pump 32 is operatively powered by a power source 34, such as AC power, battery, battery pack, or battery/solar panel combination (not shown). It is particularly preferred that a solar panel is used along with a battery to eliminate the chance of electric shock commonly encountered through AC power plugs. Furthermore the use of solar power further instills within the user the concept of conservation, not only of water but of energy as well.

However, in another particularly preferred mode the power source 34 may be rechargeable battery (not shown) such as those used in typical power drill or other equipment. This will provide a compact power source and means of employment such as to allow a user to simply charge additionally battery packs (not shown) and replace fully charged packs as needed to power the pump 32.

As mentioned an on/off switch 26 allows a user to selectively capture greywater. The switch 26 is electrically connected to the power source 34 and preferably located at or near the shower stall 12. The location and arrangement of the switch 26 however, may vary depending on user preference, as well as other factors. As is shown and described in more detail shortly in FIG. 12, the switch may alternatively be a foot activated depression switch located at the water pickup 20. Still further, the pump 32 may turn on and off based on resistance and sensing air moving inside the conduit by employing pressure sensors (not shown). As greywater is fed by a pool into the conduit, it displaces air to the reservoir that might be detected by the pressure sensor to turn on the pump 32. Alternatively, the user may add pressure to the reservoir via a manually activated pump located at or near the pickup 20 which is detected by the sensor and turns on the pump 32.

FIG. 3 shows an elevated perspective view of a shower stall 12 with the water pickup 20 disengaged from the drain 16. As noted previously, the invention is capable of employment in a bathtub including a drain while a shower stall is shown merely for demonstrative purposes and should not be considered limiting. It is particularly preferred that the water pickup 20 consist of a water intake 30 and drain cover 21 made of a rubber or soft plastic and which may be formed unitary in structure. However, in another mode the intake 30 and cover 21 may be manufactured as separate components for cooperative engagement as such. Further, it must be noted that the drain cover 21 can be sized larger or smaller as needed to accommodate varying sizes of drains and is anticipated in this disclosure. Additionally, the cover 21 may be formed substantially larger, similar to a floor mat, wherein the cover 21 communicates substantially over the entire shower pan 14 or bathtub floor. FIG. 4 shows the pickup 20 in the as used mode operatively covering the drain 16.

The pickup means 20 generally includes a drain cover 21 and intake 30. The intake 30 additionally includes at least one inlet aperture 22 and a means to removable engaged to the communication line or may alternatively be permanently engaged to the communication line 24, as is shown and described in more detail shortly. The intake 30 may further include a screen or grate as a pre-filter for debris, hair, and the like.

FIG. 5 shows an elevated view of a particularly preferred mode of the pickup means 20 of the device 10. In this mode the pickup 20 includes a drain cover 21 sized for engagement over a shower or bathtub drain. However, as mentioned previously, the cover 21 may be sized substantially larger as to resemble a shower mat for covering a substantial floor area of the shower or tub.

It is additionally preferred that the cover 21 be concave or otherwise angled 27 towards the intake 30. As is shown the intake 30 is elongated to be substantially low profile as a user may be required to stand in the area around the cover 21 due to the location of the drain within the shower stall or tub. The intake 30 includes an inlet 22 that communicates to a distal end 25 wherein the distal end 25 may be coupled to the communication line 24 such as via circumferential fictional engagement or other engagement means known in the art. Alternatively, the distal end 25 may be permanently engaged to the communication line 24.

A still further preferred mode of the device 10 shown in FIG. 5a depicts the water inlet 22 of the intake 30 employing means to adjust the flow rate of greywater into the intake 30 such as by varying the size of the inlet aperture 22. This allows the user to match the flow rate drawn in at the inlet 22 with the fluid flow requirements of the pump 32 as may be needed when the pool of greywater around the pickup 20 is substantially high or low. As shown in the figure, the intake 30, employs a slot 33 at or near the inlet 22 that is intended to receive a slidably engageable planar member 35.

Shown further in FIG. 5b in the as used mode, the planar member 35 is slidably engaged within the slot 33 in a partially closed mode such that the inlet aperture 22 is substantially reduced. Still further, the planar member 35 employs a substantially large foot engageable tab member 37 to allow the user to slide the planar member 35 to vary the inlet aperture 22 size as needed. It is intended that the tab member 37 be substantially large as to allow the user to engaged the tab 37 with their foot in the event that their eyes are closed such as may be encountered when washing their face or shampooing their hair. It must be noted that those skilled in the art will appreciate various other means to adjust the flow rate of greywater into the intake 30. As such the depictions and descriptions set forth should not be considered limiting in the means to adjust the flow rate of greywater into the intake 30. It must further be noted that those skilled in the are will appreciate that the provision of a means to adjust the flow rate of greywater into the intake 30 may be employed on any of the modes of the device 10 described in this application and should not be considered limited to the mode shown in FIG. 5.

As is shown in the cross section of the device of FIG. 5 along line AA, it is depicted in FIG. 6 that the water intake 30 may be formed in unitary to the cover 21 such as injection molding or other forming means known in the art. However, the cover 21 and intake 30 may be formed separately and engaged during manufacturing operations for example. There is further shown an optional water sensor switch 40 engaged at or near the intake 30. This may be used separately or in combination with the on/off switch 26 mentioned previously and may be wired or wirelessly connected to the power source 34 as needed for powering the power source 34 given the presence or absence of water.

It is within the scope of the present invention that the inlet 22 of the intake 30 be formed or sized to receive a water volume concurrent with the flow rate dictated by the pump 32 and fluidly engaged communication line 24. As such it must be noted that the figure is not shown to scale as it may be required that the inlet 22 be sized larger or smaller to accommodate the correct flow rate and volume of water.

Another particularly preferred mode of the water pickup 20 is shown in an elevated view of FIG. 7. This mode includes a right angled coupling intake 30 such as a right angled PVC coupler or the like. In this mode the intake 30 includes at least two inlets 22 separated by standoff portions 29 extending from the sidewall of the intake 31 to a recess 31 formed in the drain cover 21. The standoffs 29 may be removable or permanently engaged within the recess 31 such as biased frictional engagement or adhesives. Research as shown that having at least two inlets 22 as depicted in this mode provides the best communication of water into the intake 30, however the device 10 may employ more or less as needed.

It is again preferred that the cover 21 be concave or otherwise angled 27 towards the intake 30 as is shown in the cross sectional view of FIG. 8. Further shown is a registering protrusion 23 employed on the bottom side of the cover 21 providing a means for registered engagement of the cover 21 over a drain 16.

The protrusion 23 is preferably shaped to substantially exactly the size of the drain as to sit or rest in the a lip often present on a drain when placed operatively over it to provide secure engagement of the pickup 20 over the drain. In this manner the cover 21 will not accidentally slip or otherwise disengage from the drain during use. It must be noted that the provision of a registering protrusion 23 may be employed in any of the preferred modes of the pickup 20 of the device 10 and is not limited to the mode of FIG. 7 only.

Further, those skilled in the art will appreciate various other means to provide registered engagement of the drain cover 21 over a drain and are anticipated in this disclosure. As such the present invention should not be considered limited to a protrusion 23 as shown as means to provide registered engagement of the cover 21 over a drain as is within the intended scope of the device 10. Other means may be locating tabs, slots, ribs, etc.

Further shown in FIG. 9 is another preferred mode of the pickup 20 employing means to allow water to bypass the drain cover 21 and enter the conventional drain without having to remove the cover 21 from the drain. In this mode the cover 21 includes one or a plurality of apertures 46 communicating therethrough. There is further shown a substantially circular secondary planar member 48 coaxially aligned and rotatably engaged to the cover 21. The secondary member 48, shown currently in a partially open mode, can be rotated about a pin 50 as to be positioned to block or close off the apertures as shown further in FIG. 10. As such the secondary member 48 may be formed in any shape as needed to close the plurality of apertures 46 formed in the cover 21 and should not be considered limited to four such apertures 46 as depicted in the figure.

The secondary member 48 additionally includes a foot engageable tab 52 for rotating the member 48 as needed. It is particularly preferred that a user may engaged the tab 52 with their foot or toe for closing or opening the apertures 46 as needed. This may be advantageous in that the user does not have to bend over to remove the cover 21 from the drain when greywater collection is no longer desired. In this mode the cover 21 and secondary member 48 may be of a rigid plastic or similarly rubber to allow for easy rotation of the secondary member 48. Further, it must be noted that this mode may be employed in combination with any of the preferred modes of the pickup 20 described in this application.

A still further particularly preferred mode of the pickup 20 is shown in FIG. 11 wherein the cover 21 employs a plurality of substantially circular perforations 52 that allow a user to vary the size of the cover 21. This provides additional utility in that not all drains are the same size and will allow the user to reduce the diameter as needed to conform as such. The perforations 52 however, may alternatively be printed lines merely providing a visual guide to allow a user to cut the cover 21 to size as needed.

Further shown in FIG. 12, the drain cover of the disclosed pickup means 20 may be operatively sized to cover the entire shower pan 14, such as to resemble a substantially large slip resistant shower mat 21′. This may be advantageous when a drain 16 is centrally located within the shower pan 14 which would normally require a user to heed caution when stepping around the pickup 20. In this mode the mat 21′ may have a top surface that is angled 54 toward the intake 30. Further, it must be noted that this mode may be used in combination with any of the preferred modes of the pickup 20 disclosed, such as but not limited to employing means for registered engagement (FIG. 7) or means to bypass the cover (FIG. 9).

In a particularly preferred mode the mat 21′ employs a substantially large foot depression activation switch 26′. The switch 26′ is preferably within a water proof casing or housing and may be electrically or wirelessly connected to the power source 34. Further, the switch 26′ is preferably large enough to allow the user to locate the switch 26′ with their foot even if their eyes are closed as may be encountered when shampooing their hair or washing their face. This provides added utility in the case where the user may have left the device 10 on before applying chemicals to their hair, and the foot switch 26′ provides a means to safety and effectively shut off the power source 34 before the chemicals can be drawn into the intake 30.

It must be noted that the provision of a foot depression activation switch 26′ can be employed with any of the preferred modes of the water pickup 20 and is not limited to the mat 21′ as shown in the figure. As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the size and location of the switch 26′ may be varied and should not be considered limiting by the figure.

Still further shown in FIGS. 13, 14, and 15 are views of an additional mode of the water intake 30. This mode includes a substantially half cylindrical pipe 55 with capped ends 56 and partially capped bottom portions 57. There is included water inlets 58 extending along a substantial portion of the longitudinal edge of the pipe 55. The inlets 58 are preferably cut at a height of ⅛th inch from the bottom surface 57 of the pipe 55. There is further a fluidly engaged coupler 59 providing means to communicate water from the inlets 58 to operatively engaged fluid conduit 24 (not shown).

As previously described, the greywater communication conduit 24 can extend from the water pickup 20 to the storage means 38 in a plurality of ways depending on the individual household. Since it is common for bathrooms, where there is a shower stall or bathtub, to include a window, in a particularly preferred mode the communication means 24 such as a hose, pipe, or conduit extends from the pickup 20 and through the window 70 to the storage means 38 preferably located near the intended window as described in FIG. 1. A portion of the greywater communication conduit 24 may be specially adapted to allow the window to substantially close yet still allow the sufficient fluid flow, if desired so by the user. The hose, pipe, or conduit 24 may be removably engaged to portions of the bathroom wall in order to keep them in an orderly fashion by removable engagement means such as hooks, hook and loop fasteners, or fasteners of the like.

If a window is not readily available and/or the bathroom shares a wall adjacent to the outside of the residence, in another particularly preferred mode depicted in FIG. 16 the water communication conduit 24 may be passed through the wall 72 by means of forming a hole 60 of operative size relative to the communication conduit 24, such as by drilling. The hole 60 is preferred to be substantially near the bathtub or floor of the shower stall and extend directly to the pickup 20. Quick release couplings 62 may further be employed between the pickup 20 and communication conduit 24 for easy removability when desired by the user. Since no existing plumbing is affected, anyone may perform this aspect and does not require a licensed plumber.

Aspects of the device 10 depicted and described in FIG. 16 may similarly be employed in the description set for in FIG. 1, such as the use of quick release couplings 62.

The device 10 may also be employed to selectively capture fresh water such as when a user waits for the running water to heat up. This fresh water can then be communicated to the holding tank of a toilet (not shown) for safe use for toilet flushing means.

While all of the fundamental characteristics and features of the invention have been shown and described herein, with reference to particular embodiments thereof, a latitude of modification, various changes and substitutions are intended in the foregoing disclosure and it will be apparent that in some instances, some features of the invention may be employed without a corresponding use of other features without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth. It should also be understood that various substitutions, modifications, and variations may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Consequently, all such modifications and variations and substitutions are included within the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.