Emergency water storage device

• US 5,778,471 A
• Filed: 11/14/1996
• Issued: 07/14/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Timothy J. Collison
• Original Assignee: Timothy J. Collison
• Inventors: Collison, Timothy J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vanatta, Amy B.
• Application Number:
  US08/747,796
• Time in Patent Office: 607 Days
• Field of Search: 68/3 R, 68/207, 68/902, 68/208, 68/17 R, 8/158, 137/590, 137/899, 137/359, 137/592, 137/599
• US Class Current: 8/158
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/12 Casings; Tubs
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/6855 Vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/6977 Escutcheon type support
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86348 Tank with internally extending flow guide, pipe or conduit

Abstract

A device for storing a supply of emergency potable water includes a tank member which is especially configured to store unobtrusively in the home. The tank member is configured to connect into the domestic fresh cold water supply to an automatic clothes washer, and to sit alongside of the clothes washer, possibly in a gap defined between this washing machine and an adjacent clothes dryer machine. The tank member is configured to insure that a circulation of water occurs each time the washing machine draws fresh cold water during operation to wash clothing, and to insure that sediment does not collect in the tank member. Thus, a self-refreshing supply of potable water is provided which is of no significant inconvenience to store in the home. Further, the tank member, or a tray-like member nested atop this tank member, is configured to form a convenient adjunct and continuation of horizontal utility surfaces provided commonly at the top of clothes washers and dryers. A version of the tank member is can also be provided with temporary wheels allowing it to be tipped and rolled about for dispensing of the stored water, if desired.

Claims

1. A device for storing an emergency supply of fresh water in association with an automatic washing machine while also providing an adjunct to the horizontal utility surface provided at the top of the automatic washing machine, said device comprising:

a tank member configured to have the form of a thin upright prismatic body defining a chamber therein for holding a supply of fresh water, said tank member including a generally horizontal top wall portion inwardly bounding said chamber and outwardly defining an upper surface oriented to substantially provide an adjunct continuation of the top surface of the washing machine when said tank member is located alongside of the washing machine, said tank member including inflow and outflow means for allowing fresh domestic water to flow from a supply thereof into said tank member chamber and from said tank member chamber to the washing machine;

said tank member defining also a bottom wall portion, a front wall portion, a rear wall portion, and a pair of opposite side wall portions all cooperatively bounding said chamber;

each of said pair of side wall portions being of an area much greater than any other wall portion, and at least one reinforcement bridging said chamber and extending between said side wall portions, said reinforcement being stressed in tension by water pressure within said tank portion and supporting said opposite side wall portions against bulging.

2. The device of claim 1 further including a tray-like member configured to nest atop of said tank member and to span a gap defined between the washing machine and an adjacent clothes dryer machine, said tray-like member having an upper surface which forms a continuation of top utility surfaces defined by each of the washing machine and clothes dryer machine, and a pair of spaced apart ridges depending therefrom each to interpose between said tank member and one of the adjacent washing machine and clothes dryer machine.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein said bottom wall portion is configured to form a basin within said chamber, said outflow means including a tube member extending from an inlet thereto adjacent this basin and outwardly of said tank member, whereby out-flowing water sucks any sediment collected in said basin into said tube member and flushes such sediment from said tank.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein said basin is formed by a down sloping portion of said bottom wall extending from said rear wall toward said basin, and a forwardly extending up-curved portion of said bottom wall extending from said basin to said front wall.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein said at least one reinforcement is disposed adjacent to and above said up-curved portion of said bottom wall, said reinforcement having a tubular configuration and providing an aperture extending through said tank member from one opposite side wall to the other.

6. The device of claim 5 further including an axle, bushing, and wheel kit, said kit including a pair of bushing members adapted to be received into said aperture and to journal an axle member of said kit, said axle member being configured to provide opposite end portions disposed on each side of said tank member and to there receive a respective one of a pair of wheels of said kit.

7. The device of claim 6 wherein said wheels are selected to be of a size not touching a floor when said tank member rests upon the floor at said bottom wall, but allowing said tank member to be tipped off said bottom wall so that said forward up-curved portion thereof confronts and is spaced from said floor by engagement therewith of said pair of wheels.

8. The device of claim 1 wherein said tank member further includes a truncated wall portion connecting said top wall portion and said rear wall portion, said inflow and outflow means including said truncated wall portion carrying a pair of nipples one providing for water flow into said chamber and the other providing for water flow from said chamber.

9. The device of claim 8 wherein said bottom wall portion is configured to form a basin within said chamber, said outflow means including a tube member extending from an inlet thereto adjacent this basin and outwardly of said tank member, whereby out-flowing water sucks any sediment collected in said basin into said tube member and flushes such sediment from said tank;

and wherein said other nipple is angulated to align along an axis thereof with said basin, said tube member including a tubular body and a flange portion at one end of said tubular body, said tubular body being sized to slip through said other nipple into said tank member chamber with said flange portion engaging onto said other nipple.

10. The device of claim 1 wherein said at least one reinforcement bridging said chamber and extending between said side wall portions includes plural such reinforcements.

11. The device of claim 10 wherein said plural reinforcements includes at least one upper reinforcement which is generally sized and configured to allow manual grasping of the tank member at this location.

12. The device of claim 11 wherein said at least one upper reinforcement has a shape selected from the group consisting of:

trapezoidal, round, triangular, oval, and equivalents allowing manual grasping of said tank member at this location.

13. The device of claim 11 wherein said at least one upper reinforcement is located adjacent to a forward side of said tank member.

14. A method of unobtrusively storing an emergency supply of fresh water in a dwelling, said method comprising steps of:

providing a tank member configured to have the form of a thin upright prismatic body defining a chamber therein for holding a supply of fresh water, providing said tank member with inflow and outflow means for allowing fresh domestic water to flow from a supply thereof into said tank member chamber and from said tank member chamber to a washing machine;

providing said tank member also with a bottom wall portion, a front wall portion, a rear wall portion, and a pair of opposite side wall portions all cooperatively bounding said chamber;

configuring each of said pair of side wall portions to be of an area much greater than any other wall portion, and providing at least one reinforcement bridging said chamber and extending between said side wall portions, stressing said at least one reinforcement in tension by water pressure within said tank portion, and supporting said opposite side wall portions against bulging with said at least one reinforcement.

15. The method of claim 14 further including the step of positioning said tank member along side of a washing machine, and using said top wall of said tank member to provide a continuation of a horizontal utility surface provided by the top of said washing machine.

16. The method of claim 14 further including providing a tray-like member, nesting said tray-like member atop of said tank member and spanning a gap defined between a washing machine and an adjacent clothes dryer machine, providing said tray-like member with an upper surface forming a continuation of top utility surfaces defined by each of the washing machine and clothes dryer machine, and also providing said tray-like member with means for spacing said tank member away from the machines in said gap.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein said step of providing said tray-like member with means for spacing said tank member away from the machines in said gap includes the step of configuring said tray-like member to include a pair of spaced apart ridges depending therefrom each to interpose between said tank member and one of the adjacent washing machine and clothes dryer machine.

18. A device for storing an emergency supply of fresh water in the dwelling while also providing an adjunct to a horizontal utility surface provided at the top of an automatic washing machine, said device comprising:

a tank member configured to have the form of a thin upright prismatic body defining a chamber therein for holding a supply of fresh water, said tank member including a generally horizontal top wall portion inwardly bounding said chamber and outwardly defining an upper surface oriented to provide a continuation of the top surface of the washing machine when said tank member is located along side of the washing machine, said tank member including inflow and outflow means for allowing fresh domestic water to flow from a supply thereof into said tank member chamber and from said tank member chamber to the washing machine;

said tank member defining also a bottom wall portion, a front wall portion, a rear wall portion, and a pair of opposite side wall portions all cooperatively bounding said chamber;

each of said pair of side wall portions being of an area much greater than any other wall portion, and at least one reinforcement bridging said chamber and extending between said side wall portions, said reinforcement being stressed in tension by water pressure within said tank portion and supporting said opposite side wall portions against bulging;

said bottom wall portion being configured to form a basin within said chamber, said outflow means including a tube member extending from an inlet thereto adjacent this basin and outwardly of said tank member, whereby out-flowing water sucks any sediment collected in said basin into said tube member and flushes such sediment from said tank.

19. The device of claim 18 further including a tray-like member configured to nest atop of said tank member and to span a gap defined between the washing machine and an adjacent clothes dryer machine, said tray-like member having an upper surface which forms a continuation of top utility surfaces defined by each of the washing machine and clothes dryer machine, and a pair of spaced apart ridges depending therefrom each to interpose between said tank member and one of the adjacent washing machine and clothes dryer machine.

20. The device of claim 18 wherein said tank member further includes a wall portion carrying a pair of nipples, one of said pair of nipples providing for water flow into said chamber and the other providing for water flow from said chamber and carrying said tube member, and a pair of check valve assemblies one connecting respectively to each of said pair of nipples, one of said pair of check valve assemblies providing for water flow only inwardly of said chamber, and the other of said pair of check valve assemblies providing for water flow only outwardly of said chamber.