Adjustable apparatus for water capture

• US 10,676,931 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2018
• Issued: 06/09/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alvin Parra
• Original Assignee: Alvin Parra
• Inventors: Parra, Alvin
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaw, Benjamin R
• Application Number:
  US16/206,918
• Publication Number:
  US 20190161974A1
• Time in Patent Office: 557 Days
• Field of Search: 4605
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 1/00 Wash-stands; Appurtenances therefor devices for washing the hair or scalp A45D19/00; basins used in manual washing or cleaning of crockery, table-ware, cooking-ware, or the like A47L17/02; with appurtenances for curative purposes A61H
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 3/281 Accessories for showers or bathing douches, e.g. cleaning devices for walls or floors of showers A47K3/30, A47K3/38, A47K3/40 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 31/00 Devices for introducing or retaining media, e.g. remedies, in cavities of the body A61M25/00 takes precedence ; introducing or retaining ophthalmic products into the ocular cavities A61F9/0008
• CPC Class Codes: E03B 1/048 Systems for collecting not used fresh water
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/00 Domestic plumbing installations for fresh water or waste water; Sinks work tops A47B77/022
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/0408 Water installations especially for showers E03C1/06 takes precedence; shower heads B05B1/18
• CPC Class Codes: E03D 1/003 Cisterns in combination with wash-basins, urinals, or the like domestic plumbing installations E03C
• CPC Class Codes: E04D 13/0645 Connections between gutter and down pipe
• CPC Class Codes: E04D 13/0685 in combination with hanging means
• CPC Class Codes: E04D 13/0727 situated mainly at the rear side of the gutter
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 37/48 for fastening a pipe on the end of a tap

Abstract

Apparatuses, systems, and methods are disclosed for water capture. A water collection opening is shaped to collect water from a water source. A water outlet is in fluid communication with a water collection opening to receive collected water from a water source through the water collection opening. A horizontal adjustment mechanism is configured to provide mechanical support to a water outlet and a water collection opening at any one of a plurality of user selectable positions at different horizontal offsets relative to a water source to accommodate different sizes and types of water sources.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a water collection opening shaped to collect water from a water source;

a water outlet in fluid communication with the water collection opening to receive collected water from the water source through the water collection opening;

a horizontal adjustment mechanism configured to provide mechanical support to the water outlet and the water collection opening at any one of a plurality of user selectable positions at different horizontal offsets relative to the water source to accommodate different sizes and types of water sources; and

a vertical adjustment mechanism configured to engage the water source on one end of the vertical adjustment mechanism, the horizontal adjustment mechanism extending from an opposite end of the vertical adjustment mechanism.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the vertical adjustment mechanism is configured to provide mechanical support to the water outlet, the water collection opening, and the horizontal adjustment mechanism at any one of a plurality of user selectable positions at different vertical offsets relative to the water source to accommodate the different sizes and types of water sources.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a radial adjustment mechanism configured to rotatably couple the horizontal adjustment mechanism to the opposite end of the vertical adjustment mechanism such that the horizontal adjustment mechanism is radially rotatable around an axis of the radial adjustment mechanism to place the water collection opening selectively in front of the water source and to one or more other sides of the water source.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an angle locking mechanism configured to removably couple one or more of the water collecting opening and the water outlet to any one of the plurality of user selectable positions along a length of the horizontal adjustment mechanism.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the angle locking mechanism is further configured to removably lock the water collecting opening at a user selectable angle relative to the horizontal adjustment mechanism.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the horizontal adjustment mechanism comprises one or more elongate tracks along a length of the horizontal adjustment mechanism along which the angle locking mechanism is configured to slide to the plurality of user selectable positions, the angle locking mechanism configured to removably couple the one or more of the water collecting opening and the water outlet to the one or more elongate tracks.

7. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the horizontal adjustment mechanism comprises one or more notches at each of the plurality of user selectable positions, the notches shaped to receive the angle locking mechanism and the angle locking mechanism configured to removably couple the one or more of the water collecting opening and the water outlet to the notches.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a water channel and a water storage reservoir, wherein one end of the water channel is coupled to the water outlet and another end of the water channel delivers the collected water from the water outlet to the water storage reservoir.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the water storage reservoir comprises a bucket.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the water storage reservoir comprises a toilet tank and a lid of the toilet tank comprises an inlet to which the water channel is coupled to deliver the collected water from the water source into the toilet tank.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the lid of the toilet tank comprises a second inlet shaped for a user to poor water from another water storage reservoir into the toilet tank through the second inlet.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the toilet tank has a water storage capacity multiple times larger than a flush volume of a toilet in fluid communication with the toilet tank.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the water collection opening comprises a concave chamber with an opening facing toward the water outlet when the water collection opening is installed on the horizontal adjustment mechanism.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the water source comprises a showerhead installed in a shower.

15. A system comprising:

a conical water collection opening positionable to collect water from a showerhead;

a water outlet in fluid communication with the conical water collection opening and receiving collected water from the showerhead through the conical water collection opening;

a horizontal adjustment mechanism providing mechanical support to the water outlet and the conical water collection opening at any one of a plurality of user selectable positions at different horizontal offsets relative to the showerhead;

a vertical adjustment mechanism coupled to the water source on one end of the vertical adjustment mechanism, the horizontal adjustment mechanism extending from an opposite end of the vertical adjustment mechanism; and

a radial adjustment mechanism configured to rotatably couple the horizontal adjustment mechanism to an opposite end of the vertical adjustment mechanism such that the horizontal adjustment mechanism is radially rotatable around an axis of the radial adjustment mechanism.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising an angle locking mechanism configured to removably couple one or more of the conical water collecting opening and the water outlet to any one of the plurality of user selectable positions along a length of the horizontal adjustment mechanism.

17. An apparatus comprising:

means for collecting water from a water source;

means for storing the collected water from the water source for reuse;

means for providing mechanical support to the means for collecting the water at any one of a plurality of user selectable positions at different horizontal offsets relative to the water source to accommodate different sizes and types of water sources; and

means for radially rotating the means for collecting water around the water source to place the water collection opening selectively in front of the water source and to one or more other sides of the water source.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising means for providing mechanical support to the means for collecting water at any one of a plurality of user selectable positions at different vertical offsets relative to the water source to accommodate the different sizes and types of water sources.