Water conservation apparatus

• US 6,635,176 B1
• Filed: 10/29/2001
• Issued: 10/21/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gabriel L. Lorente
• Original Assignee: Gabriel L. Lorente
• Inventors: Lorente, Gabriel L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Prince, Fred G.
• Application Number:
  US10/055,413
• Time in Patent Office: 722 Days
• Field of Search: 210/238, 210/416.1, 210/459
• US Class Current: 210/238
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 35/26 Filters with built-in pumps filters provided with a pump mounted in or on the casing aquarium pumps or filters A01K63/04

Abstract

A water conservation apparatus for recycling wasted water from spills on sidewalks or from water runoff found in street gutters. The water conservation apparatus has a shovel-like scoop component that is capable of scooping the water into the scoop and temporarily holding the water. A pump component fluidly connected to the trapped water held by the scoop is capable of removing the trapped water held by the scoop via a conduit network. The water may be discharged from the pump through a tube to any desired location that the operator chooses, such as, delivering the retrieved water to irrigate a garden or a residential lawn.

Claims

1. A water conservation apparatus comprising:

a scoop having a screen panel, a bottom panel, a top panel, a back wall, and two side walls, wherein said screen panel, said bottom panel, said top panel and said two side walls form a front end of said scoop for receiving a portion of water from a water spill zone, wherein said screen panel in said scoop front end forms a filter for preventing leaves and debris from entering through said scoop front end, and wherein said bottom panel, said back wall and said two side walls form a cavity for holding said portion of water;

an arm having a bottom end, a top end and a middle portion therebetween, wherein said arm bottom end is fixed to said scoop back wall;

a stand having a top end and a bottom end, wherein said top end of said stant is pivotably connected to said arm middle portion for pivoting said stand at an oblique angle from said arm for supporting said arm to a first position for contacting a support surface with said stand bottom end and for pivoting said stand to a second position substantially parallel to said arm for convenient storage;

a conduit having a first end and second end, wherein said conduit first end is fluidly connected to said cavity for accepting said portion of water;

a pump having an intake and an output, wherein said pump is attached to said scoop top panel and said pump intake is fluidly connected to said conduit second end for supplying a vacuum through said conduit to transfer said portion of water from said holding cavity to said pump; and

a hose having an entrance and an exit, wherein said hose entrance is fluidly connected to said pump output for transferring said portion of water from said pump to said hose exit for delivery of said portion of water to a desired location.

2. The water conservation apparatus in accordance with claim 1 further comprising a hand grip attached to said top end of said arm.

3. The water conservation apparatus in accordance with claim 1 further comprising a foot attached to said stand bottom end.

4. The water conservation apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein said screen panel is composed of material selected from the group consisting of steel grating, plastic grating or wire mesh.

5. A water conservation apparatus comprising

a scoop having a bottom, two side walls and a rear wall, wherein the front of said bottom and the front of said two side walls form an entrance for accepting an aliquot of water from a water spill zone, and wherein the back of said bottom, the back of said two sides and said rear wall form a trap for temporarily holding said aliquot of water;

a conduit having a first end and a second end, wherein said conduit first end is fluidly connected to said trap for drawing off said aliquot of water from said trap into said conduit;

a pump having an input and an output, wherein said input is fluidly connected to said conduit second end for pumping said aliquot of water through said conduit to said pump;

wherein said pump is for pumping said aliquot of water from said pump out through said pump output.

6. The water conservation apparatus in accordance with claim 5, wherein said pump is attached to said rear wall of said scoop.

7. The water conservation apparatus in accordance with claim 5, further comprising an arm having a proximate end, a distal end and a middle portion, wherein said proximate end of said arm is attached to said rear wall of said scoop for convenient manipulation and positioning of said water conservation apparatus.

8. The water conservation apparatus in accordance with claim 7 wherein said pump is attached to said middle portion of said arm.

9. The water conservation apparatus in accordance with claim 7 further comprising a handle attached to said distal end of said arm.

10. The water conservation apparatus in accordance with claim 9 wherein said handle is a D-type handle.

11. The water conservation apparatus in accordance with claim 7 further comprising a stand having a first and second end, wherein said first end of said stand is pivotably attached to said middle portion of said arm for pivoting said stand so that said second end of said stand contacts a support surface at an oblique angle to said arm for supporting said arm and for maintaining said water conservation apparatus in a stand alone position, and wherein said first end of said stand is pivotably attached to said middle portion of said arm for pivoting said stand to a second position substantially parallel to said arm for convenient storage of said water conservation apparatus.

12. The water conservation apparatus in accordance to claim 5 wherein said scoop further includes a cover attached to the tops of said side walls.

13. The water conservation apparatus in accordance to claim 12 wherein said pump is attached to the top side of said cover.

14. The water conservation apparatus in accordance to claim 5 wherein said scoop bottom, said scoop two sides and said scoop rear wall are made from a single piece of material and seamlessly connected.

15. The water conservation apparatus in accordance to claim 5 wherein said scoop further comprises a grating attached to the front end of said scoop bottom and the front ends of said two side walls of said scoop, wherein said grating is for filtering out leaves and other debris while allowing said aliquot of water to enter through said entrance of said scoop.

16. The water conservation apparatus in accordance with claim 5 further comprising

a cover attached to the tops of said side walls of said scoop, wherein said pump is attached to said cover;

a grating attached to the front end of said scoop bottom and the front ends of said two side walls of said scoop, wherein said grating is for filtering out leaves and other debris while allowing said aliquot of water to enter through said entrance of said scoop into said scoop trap;

an arm having a proximate end, a distal end and a middle portion, wherein said proximate end of said arm is attached to said rear wall of said scoop for convenient manipulation and position of said water conservation apparatus;

a handle attached to said distal end of said arm;

a stand having a first and a second end, wherein said first end of said stand is pivotably attached to said middle portion of said arm for pivoting said stand so that said second end of said stand contacts a support surface at an oblique angle to said arm for supporting said arm and for maintaining said water conservation apparatus in a stand alone position, and wherein said first end of said stand is pivotably attached to said middle portion of said arm for pivoting said stand to a second position substantially parallel to said arm for convenient storage of said water conservation apparatus; and

a hose having a inlet end and an outlet end, wherein said hose inlet end is fluidly connected to said pump for receiving said aliquot of water from said pump and for transferring said aliquot of water through said hose and out of said hose outlet to a desired location.

17. A water conservation apparatus comprising:

a scoop having a receiving means, a filter means and a holding means, wherein said receiving means for receiving water from a water spill zone, wherein said filter means for filtering leaves and debris from said received water, and wherein said holding means for holding said received water;

an arm means attached to said scoop for positioning and for manipulating said scoop;

a support means pivotally attached to said arm means for contacting a support surface, for supporting said arm means in an upright position, and for conveniently storing said water

conservation apparatus by pivoting said support means substantially parallel to said arm means;

an uptake means fluidly connected to said holding means for uptaking said received water from said holding means;

a pump means attacted to said scoop means and fluidly connected to said uptake means for pumping said received water from said holding means through said uptake means into said pump means; and

an output means fluidly connected to said pump means for outputting said received water from said pump means through said output means to a desired location.