Recreational vehicle drinking water supply systems

Abstract

A drinking water supply arrangement is provided for a RV, which uses fluid conduits separate from the other fresh water supply lines of the RV, separates the pump from the living RV compartment, provides independent pump controls, and stores conventional containers of drinking water in an exteriorly accessible, temperature controlled compartment, isolated from the living compartment.

Claims

1. A drinking water supply arrangement, comprising: a recreational vehicle having a living compartment, a slide-out portion extendable from the living compartment, a storage area beneath the living compartment, a receiver, for removable connection to a container of drinking water, located in the storage area, fluid conduits connected into the living compartment and slide-out portion from the storage area, a pump connected to the receiver and the fluid conduits, for providing drinking water from the container to the living compartment and the slide-out portion, and a pump control device located in the living compartment, for selectively operating the pump.

2. The arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the living compartment includes an faucet for dispensing drinking water and the slide-put portion includes an appliance for dispensing ice, and the fluid conduits are connected to the faucet and the appliance.

3. The arrangement according to claim 2 wherein a valve assembly is connected to the fluid conduits which is adapted to allow compressed air to be blown into the fluid conduits, and the fluid conduits are removably connected to the faucet and appliance.

4. The arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the recreational vehicles has an additional water supply system for providing water to the living compartment and the fluid conduits are independent from that water supply system.

5. The arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the appliance is a refrigerator with cold drinking water and ice dispensing capacity.

6. The arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the faucet is mounted on an island in the living compartment and the pump control device is mounted on a side of that island in close proximity to the faucet.

7. The arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the storage area has a door providing access thereto from the exterior of the recreational vehicle, and door is of sufficient size as to allow placement of the container of drinking water in connection with the receiver.

8. The arrangement according to claim 7 wherein the temperature of the storage area can be selectively modified to be different from the external environment such that the temperature of the drinking water supplied by the arrangement is controlled.

9. The arrangement according to claim 7 wherein the pump is mounted in the storage area.

10. The arrangement according to claim 9 wherein sound reduction elements are connected to the pump.

11. The arrangement according to claim 9 wherein the pump is not operating when drinking water is not being drawn from the faucet.

12. The arrangement according to claim 7 wherein the storage compartment is isolated from the living compartment such that the door to the storage compartment does not provide a person with access to the living compartment.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0023] The drawing shows a cross-sectional schematic view, across the lateral sides of a RV embodying the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0024] The drawing shows schematically, and in best mode versions, embodiments of the present invention, as applied to either a travel trailer-type or a motorhome-type of RV, both generically and specifically. The drawing is not “to scale” with actual “build” embodiments, the features therein being, for example, laterally spread out for ease of viewing.

[0025] The following features are illustrated in the drawing by these numerals: [0026] 10. A recreational vehicle (“RV”), [0027] 12. An interior living compartment (of which there may be more than one arranged, for example, longitudinally from front to back within the RV), such as a kitchen/dining area, [0028] 13. The floor of the living compartment, [0029] 14. A storage area or compartment below floor 14, such as a “pass-through” storage compartment, although in alternative embodiments this compartment may be longitudinally separated from the living compartment (forward or rearward within the RV), in order to more completely isolate pump noise from the living compartment and/or in order to more conveniently locate the storage compartment according to the RV floor plan and manufacturing optimization, [0030] 16. The RV wheels, [0031] 18. A conventional “slide-out” portion, which is movable laterally in and out of the living compartment, as needed for increasing space within the living compartment or minimizing the RV footprint for travel, [0032] 20. A door between the living compartment and the exterior of the RV, which is preferably lockable and unlockable only by the user, [0033] 22. A door between the storage compartment and the exterior of the RV, which is preferably lockable and unlockable with multiple passkeys (one of which may be temporarily provided to a bottled water vendor local to the campground being used by the RV), and which is dimensioned so as to allow easy placement into and removal of drinking water containers from the arrangement of the present invention within the storage compartment, [0034] 24. A door between the storage compartment and the exterior of the RV, which is preferably lockable and unlockable only by the user. [0035] 26. A conventional central island mounted to the floor within the living compartment, [0036] 27. A faucet mounted to the island, for dispensing drinking water, [0037] 28. A conventional refrigerator disposed with the slide-out portion, and preferably having cold water and ice dispensing features, [0038] 30. A conventional drinking water bottle or jug, such as a five gallon container, disposed within the storage compartment and arranged for immediate use within the present invention, [0039] 31. Representative extra drinking water jug, empty or full, stored for use subsequent to container 30 or stored for disposal from use prior to container 30, disposed at any convenient location within the storage area, [0040] 32. A receiver or receptacle for removable connection to container 30, formed in a conventional manner or as otherwise needed in conjunction with the specific nature of the opening to container 30, to allow water to be removed from container 30 without leakage and to securely hold container 30 in place both during RV transit and stationary use, [0041] 33. A pump (preferably operable from a 12 volt electrical power supply) for moving drinking water from container 30 to the fluid conduits of the present invention, which may be integrated into the receiver (as shown, where an inverted container 30 format is used) or formed in a separate housing and positioned adjacent to the receiver (such as where an upright container 30 format is used) or remotely from container 30 (such as where manufacturing preferences dictate optimization), [0042] 34. A fluid conduit, connected to pump 33, for receiving drinking water from container 30, [0043] 36. A fluid conduit, connected to fluid conduit 34, for providing drinking water to faucet 27 though island 26, [0044] 38. A fluid conduit, also connected to fluid conduit 34, for providing drinking water to refrigerator 28 to support its cold water and ice dispensing features (although in alternative embodiments, conduits 36 and 38 can be connected directly to pump 33, without splitting out from conduit 34), [0045] 39. A slide-out fluid conduit, typically flexible in nature, or otherwise accommodating the movement of the slide-out portion, preferably in a conventional manner, connected to fluid conduit 38 for that purpose of providing water to the refrigerator, [0046] 40. A pump control device or switching assembly, preferably mounted to a side of the island adjacent to the faucet and unobtrusive to use of the island, for turning the pump on and off as needed to supply drinking water to the faucet, [0047] 42. A control line connected between the pump control device and the pump, for transmitting control signals to the pump, preferably formed from conventional electrical wire, but alternatively of a conventional IR or other wireless nature (wherein the line of the drawing would denote only a signal path), [0048] 44. A valve assembly, connected to conduit 34, adapted to allow connection to a source of compressed air (or other sanitizing fluid) to be blown into the fluid conduits to remove the drinking water therefrom (and as needed, conduits 36, 38, and 39 can be disconnectable from the faucet and refrigerator for that purpose), [0049] 46. A dampening mount receiving the pump thereon, so as to reduce vehicle vibration to and from the pump, as well as reduce pump noise, preferably formed from conventional resilient material such as rubber or flexible foam, [0050] 48. A conventional conduit take-up or tensioning device connected to conduit 39 (and disposed within or under the slide-out portion, as desired) to keep plumbing to the slide-out portion operational and properly located as the slide-out portion is moved, [0051] 50. A conventional temperature control assembly, such as a vehicular HVAC system, for selectively heating and/or cooling the storage compartment sufficiently to control temperature of the drinking water, which may be integrated with or separate from the HVAC system used for the rest of the RV, and [0052] 52. A conventional fresh water supply system for the RV, which provides clean water for uses other than drinking, such as dishwashing and hand washing, and which may include faucet 54 and sink 56 incorporated therein, but which utilizes fluid conduits for supplying water which are independent and separate from conduits 34, 36, 38, and 39.

[0053] In general, the present invention provides a separate drinking water fluid supply circuit (formed, for example, from food grade conduits) within the RV, which shares only the conventional grey water tank and disposal lines already in place for disposal of unused drinking water. The RV users can limit pump operation to only time periods when the drinking water is present in the container and being dispensed, rather than having the pump constantly turned on. Further, the pump is placed remotely within the RV and separate from its actuation switch, so as to minimize noticeable pump sound by the RV user, as well as increase convenience for RV users. Similarly, drinking water containers are conveniently placed and used so as to not take up the limited RV interior space. At the same time, since RV's are typically constructed so that there is no access between the living compartment and storage compartments therebeneath, the drinking water containers can be accessed for servicing by a person having no access to the RV living compartment or its contents (the passkey to door 22 being different from the key to door 20).

[0054] Although the present invention has been shown and described herein with respect to certain preferred embodiments and alternative configurations, those were by way of illustration and example only. For example, although only a single drinking water bottle was shown as connected to the arrangement of the present invention, where high volumes of drinking water are expected to be used, multiple drinking water containers can be so connected, such as in series. Also, while a pass-through storage compartment has been shown, in other embodiments, the drinking water containers can be instead placed within as dedicated, one-door compartment.

[0055] Accordingly, the spirit and scope of the present invention is intended to be limited only by the terms of the appended claims.