Liquid purification or separation – Flow – fluid pressure or material level – responsive – Float
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-04
2001-07-24
Drodge, Joseph W. (Department: 1723)
Liquid purification or separation
Flow, fluid pressure or material level, responsive
Float
C210S123000, C210S104000, C210S128000, C210S202000, C210S205000, C210S257100, C210S256000, C210S262000, C210S335000, C210S533000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06264832
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
a) Field of the Invention
The present invention belongs to the field of water treatment, and more particularly concerns an apparatus for receiving rain water from a water collecting means and treating this water according to a treatment cycle.
b) Brief Description of Prior Art
Rain water is an inexhaustible source of drinking water. However, when it reaches the ground, it becomes contaminated by a large quantity of polluting agents. It therefore becomes necessary to treat this water with a multitude of techniques and apparatus, using a variety of chemical substances to eliminate each of the polluting agents present. It can thus be highly advantageous to collect rain water directly as it falls down, since at this stage it requires only basic treatments such as the addition of disinfecting and mineralising solutions.
An apparatus to treat rain water is disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,317,733 (XHONNEUX). This patent concerns an apparatus to make water drinkable, especially rain water. The apparatus is easy to set up, for example on a house roof, and is operable without necessitating special technical skills. It operates completely mechanically, and does not require any external source of power, electrical or otherwise. On the other hand, in this patent, the mixing of the non-treated water with the sterilizing products is controlled through a complex relationship by the water flow rate and the size of the water compartments, making the efficiency of the apparatus dependent on the precise adjustment of its various components. There is therefore a need for a simpler mechanical apparatus to collect and treat rain water.
OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for the treatment of rain water which does not require an external source of power, such as electrical power.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such an apparatus which allows to keep the treated water apart from the water to be treated all through the treatment cycle.
A further object of the invention is to provide such an apparatus which is easy to install and requires little maintenance.
In accordance with the invention, these objects are achieved with an apparatus for receiving rain water from a water collecting means, treating said rain water according to a treatment cycle and supplying treated water into a storage tank, the apparatus comprising:
a stop tank located underneath the water collecting means, having an inlet for receiving water coming from the water collecting means, and a bottom outlet controlled by an outlet valve;
a main tank located underneath the stop tank, having an inlet for receiving water from the bottom outlet of the stop tank, an upper outlet located in an upper portion of the main tank, and a bottom outlet controlled by an outlet valve for emptying the main tank into the storage tank;
an upper reservoir having an inlet for receiving water from the upper outlet of the main tank, an upper outlet located in an upper portion of the upper reservoir, and a bottom outlet controlled by an outlet valve for emptying the upper reservoir;
a lower reservoir located underneath the upper reservoir, having a first inlet for receiving water from the upper outlet of the upper reservoir, a second inlet for receiving water from the bottom outlet of the upper reservoir, and a bottom outlet for emptying the lower reservoir into a lower portion of the main tank;
at least one solution reservoir for containing a water treating solution, having an outlet valve for supplying a predetermined amount of water treating solution into the main tank, said outlet valve of the solution reservoir being momentarily open during the treatment cycle to supply the predetermined amount of water treating solution into the main tank;
a first buoyant element located in the lower portion of the main tank for controlling the bottom outlet of the lower reservoir, the first buoyant element being movable along a vertical course between lower and higher positions within the main tank depending upon a volume of water therein, the first buoyant element blocking the bottom outlet of the lower reservoir when said first buoyant element is in its upper position; and
a second buoyant element located in the lower reservoir and movable along a vertical course between lower and higher positions within the lower reservoir depending upon a volume of water therein, the second buoyant element being for controlling respectively the outlet valves of the main tank, the upper reservoir, the stop tank and the solution reservoir; at the beginning of the treatment cycle, the first buoyant element is in its lower position to set the outlet valve of the lower reservoir in an open position and the second buoyant element is also in its lower position to set the outlet valves of the main tank, the upper reservoir and the solution reservoir in closed positions and set the outlet valve of the stop tank in open position thus allowing water to flow:
first, from the stop tank into the main tank so that the first buoyant element moves to its upper position to close the bottom outlet of the lower reservoir,
second, from the upper outlet of the main tank into the upper reservoir, and
third, from the upper outlet of the upper reservoir into the lower reservoir so that the second buoyant element:
first, starts an upward movement toward its higher position to open the outlet valve of the main tank thus allowing flow of water from the main tank into the storage tank, to open the outlet valve of the upper reservoir thus allowing a complete filling of the lower reservoir, and to close the outlet valve of the stop tank thus stopping flow of water from the stop tank into the main tank, and
second, reaches its higher position as the lower reservoir is completely filled;
as water flows from the main tank into the storage tank and water level in the main tank reaches a certain level, the first buoyant element moves downwardly toward its lower position to open the bottom outlet of the lower reservoir thus allowing flow of water from the lower reservoir into the main tank so that the second buoyant element starts a downward movement toward its lower position, a new treatment cycle beginning when the second buoyant element reaches its lower position.
The objects, advantages and other features of the present invention will become more apparent upon reading of the following non restrictive description of preferred embodiments thereof, given with the purpose of exemplification only with reference to the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: Re. 30793 (1981-11-01), Dunkers
patent: 3730120 (1973-05-01), Dobell
patent: 3962084 (1976-06-01), Nussbaum
patent: 4144170 (1979-03-01), Dunkers
patent: 4149970 (1979-04-01), Atkins et al.
patent: 4317733 (1982-03-01), Xhonneux
patent: 5301474 (1994-04-01), Carey, II et al.
patent: 5351847 (1994-10-01), Greenbaum
patent: 5396745 (1995-03-01), Klein
patent: 5536403 (1996-07-01), Sugimoto
patent: 5611926 (1997-03-01), Nishida
patent: 5980736 (1999-11-01), Putz et al.
patent: 4409124 (1995-09-01), None
patent: 296 13 280 U (1996-09-01), None
patent: 11080 (1909-12-01), None
patent: 178092A (1922-03-01), None
patent: 2099319 (1982-12-01), None
Cecil Terry K.
Drodge Joseph W.
Merchant & Gould P.C.
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