Water recycling system

• US 5,084,920 A
• Filed: 01/19/1990
• Issued: 02/04/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: James L. Kimball
• Original Assignee: James L. Kimball
• Inventors: Kimball, James L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Recla, Henry J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fetsuga, Robert M.
• Application Number:
  US07/467,785
• Time in Patent Office: 746 Days
• Field of Search: 210/136, 210/104, 4/661, 4/65, 4/317, 4/318, 4/300, 4/600, 4/664
• US Class Current: 4/665
• CPC Class Codes: E03B 2001/045 using household water
• CPC Class Codes: E03D 5/003 Grey water flushing systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 20/30 Relating to industrial water supply, e.g. used for cooling
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 4/03 Electric flushing

Abstract

A water recycling system for re-use of gray water to flush toilet wastes is disclosed. Gray water from various sources, after filtration, is reserved in a water storage tank to be delivered to a water closet for flushing purposes. Disinfectant is periodically added to the gray water in the storage tank. Upon flushing, electrical signals are sent for replenishing of gray water from the storage tank to the water closet and supplying the toilet bowl with fresh water at a later time when the water closet is emptied and the wastes are flushed. A syphoning device is provided to further remove the gray water and wastes in the toilet bowl to the septic tank or sewage line. Filling of the water closet terminates the inflow of both gray and fresh water. At the completion of each flushing-filling cycle, the water closet is filled with gray water and the toilet bowl contains largely fresh water.

Claims

1. A system of using gray water to dispose of wastes from a toilet fixture including a water closet, a toilet bowl having a cavity in a bottom portion thereof, and a conduit interconnecting the closet and the bowl, which system comprises

means for pooling gray water,

means for supplying the stored gray water to the closet,

means for permitting flow through the conduit of gray water from the closet to the bowl,

means for preventing flow through the conduit when the gray water in the closet is nearly depleted,

means actuated when the flow through the conduit is prevented for substantially depleting gray water remaining in the cavity of the bowl, and

means for supplying fresh water to the bowl wherein a substantial majority of the contents remaining in the bowl will be fresh water.

2. The system defined in claim 1, further comprising:

first and second time delay devices,

said first delay device operating to turn on said gray water supplying means with the delay time being set so that said gray water supplying means is turned on after gray water in the closet starts flowing to the bowl,

said second delay device operating to turn on said fresh water supplying means with the delay time being set so that said fresh water supplying means is turned on after gray water in the bowl is substantially depleted, and

means for actuating said first and second time delay devices upon lowering of water level in the closet and for terminating operations induced by said delay devices upon rising of water level in the closet to a preset level.

3. The system defined in claim 2, wherein said actuating and terminating means includes a switch in connection with a float.

4. The system defined in claim 1, wherein said gray water supplying means includes a water pump in connection with water pipes.

5. The system defined in claim 1, wherein said depleting means is a syphon tube with one end disposed near the bottom of the bowl and the other end leading to an outlet below the bowl.

6. The system defined in claim 1, wherein said depleting means includes a syphon tube with one end disposed near the bottom of the bowl and the other end connected to a water suction device which leads to an outlet below the bowl.

7. The system defined in claim 6, further comprising an additional time delay device which operates to turn on and off said water suction device at preset time intervals.

8. The system defined in claim 1, further comprising a member adapted to be connected to the inside front of the bowl for partially covering the cavity disposed at the bottom of the bowl so as to conceal from view any gray water in the cavity.

9. The system defined in claim 1, further comprising means for supplying fresh water to the closet, and wherein both means for supplying fresh water to the bowl and to the closet are subject to an automatic control means.

10. The system defined in claim 9 wherein said automatic control means is powered by a stored energy source, whereby the fixture remains operative during limited electrical power outages.

11. The system defined in claim 1, further comprising means for separating solid particles from gray water before its storage.

12. The system defined in claim 1, further comprising means for dispensing disinfectant material to the stored gray water.

13. The system defined in claim 1, wherein the closet is sealed so as to prevent the escape of odors of gray water.

14. A process of using gray water to dispose of wastes from a toilet fixture including a water closet, a toilet bowl having a cavity in a bottom portion thereof, and a conduit interconnecting the closet and the bowl, which comprises the following steps:

pooling the gray water from various sources into a tank,

supplying the pooled gray water to the closet,

permitting flow through the conduit to permit flow of gray water from the closet to the bowl,

preventing flow through the conduit when gray water in the closet is nearly depleted,

substantially depleting gray water remaining in the cavity of the bowl after the flow through the conduit is prevented, and

supplying fresh water to the bowl wherein a substantial majority of the contents remaining in the bowl will be fresh water.

15. The process defined in claim 14, further comprising:

the step of actuating first and second time delay devices upon lowering of water level in the closet, and

the step of terminating operations induced by said delay devices upon rising of water level in the closet to a preset level,

wherein said first delay device operating to supply gray water to the closet after gray water in the closet starts flowing to the bowl, and said second delay device operating to supply fresh water to the bowl after gray water in the bowl is substantially depleted.

16. The process defined in claim 14, further comprising the step of separating solid particles from gray water.

17. The process defined in claim 14, further comprising the step of adding disinfectant material to gray water after the pooling step.

18. The process defined in claim 14, wherein the depleting step includes draining gray water in the bowl through a syphon tube.

19. The process defined in claim 14, further comprising the step of supplying fresh water to the closet, and wherein both said steps of supplying fresh water to the bowl and to the closet are subject to an automatic control means.

20. The process defined in claim 19, further comprising the step of powering the automatic control means by a stored energy source, whereby the fixture remains operative during limited electrical power outages.

21. The process defined in claim 14, further comprising the step of concealing from view gray water in the cavity of the bowl.