WATER DISTRIBUTION UNIT FOR WATER RECIRCULATION SYSTEM

Abstract

The present invention describes a system (1) enabling treating water from a water tank (3), which water tank (3) is arranged in a water distribution architecture also comprising one or more user units (8), said system (1) also enabling recycling of water or discarding of water not suitable to recycle, said system (1) comprising a water distribution unit (2), at least one water treating unit (6) and a sensor unit (7) arranged for measurement of at least water quality, said water distribution unit (2) comprising one common user unit inlet 9 connectable via piping to said one or more user units (8) on their used water output side; said water distribution unit (2) further comprising a contaminated water outlet (10); and said water distribution unit (2) further comprising at least one water recirculation port (1000) connectable via piping to the water tank (3) to enable flowing water between the water distribution unit (2) and the water tank (3); and wherein said at least one water treating unit (6) enables to treat water to increase the water quality thereof and where the sensor unit (7) is connected to a control unit, which, based on the measurement of the water quality, is arranged to decide if water should be recycled to the water tank (3) from the water distribution unit (2) or should be discarded via the contaminated water outlet (10) from the water distribution unit (2).

Claims

1. A system enabling treating water from a water tank, which water tank is arranged in a water distribution architecture also comprising one or more user units, said system also enabling recycling of water or discarding of water not suitable to recycle, said system comprising a water distribution unit, at least one water treating unit and a sensor unit arranged for measurement of at least water quality, said water distribution unit comprising one common user unit inlet connectable via piping to said one or more user units on their used water output side; said water distribution unit further comprising a contaminated water outlet; and said water distribution unit further comprising at least one water recirculation port connectable via piping to the water tank to enable flowing water between the water distribution unit and the water tank; and wherein said at least one water treating unit enables to treat water to increase the water quality thereof and where the sensor unit is connected to a control unit, which, based on the measurement of the water quality, is arranged to decide if water should be recycled to the water tank from the water distribution unit or should be discarded via the contaminated water outlet from the water distribution unit.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one water recirculation port is two ports being a water recirculation outlet connectable via piping to the water tank and a water feed inlet connectable via piping to the water tank and/or to a fresh water inlet of the water distribution architecture.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the system is a plug-in solution for a water distribution architecture comprising one or more user units a water tank intended for water usage, a pump, a heating source and a grey water tank by means of said water distribution unit comprising one common user unit inlet connectable via piping to said one or more user units on their used water output side; said water distribution unit further comprising a contaminated water outlet connectable via piping to the grey water tank; said water distribution unit comprising a water recirculation outlet connectable via piping to the water tank; and said water distribution unit comprising a water feed inlet connectable via piping to the water tank and/or to a fresh water inlet of the water distribution architecture; and wherein said at least one water treating unit enables to treat water to increase the water quality thereof and wherein the sensor unit is connected to a control unit, which, based on the measurement of the water quality, decides if water may be recycled to the water tank from the water distribution unit or should be discarded and sent to the grey water tank from the water distribution unit.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the heating source is a boiler connected to the water tank and enabling to heat water being flown from the water tank to the one or more user units.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the one or more user units is one shower and at least one sink.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the one or more user units is connected to the water tank via piping both on a cold water side and on a hot water side.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the contaminated water outlet connectable via piping to the grey water tank of the water distribution architecture is operated by gravitational force.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one water treating unit is arranged inside of the water distribution unit.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one water treating unit is combined with a filter.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one water treating unit comprises a light unit.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the light unit is a UV light.

12. The system according to claim 1, wherein at least one sensor of the sensor unit is arranged inside of the water distribution unit.

13. The system according to claim 1, wherein the water distribution unit comprises a pump enabling to pump treated water from the water distribution unit and out from the water recirculation outlet and to the water tank.

14. A method comprising using a system according to claim 1, for flowing water from a water tank of a water distribution architecture to the water distribution unit of the system to enable water treatment to increase the water quality.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the method also involves for a control unit to perform a decision if water should be recycled to the water tank from the water distribution unit or should be discarded and sent to the grey water tank from the water distribution unit in connection to usage of said one or more user units.

16. The method according to claim 14 or 15, wherein the water is flown from the water tank to the water distribution unit by means of gravitational force.

17. The method according to claim 14, wherein the water distribution unit operates by a pre-defined water measurement, and optionally water treating, recirculation sequence for water flowing from and to the water tank from the water distribution unit when the one or more user units are not in operation.

18. A water distribution unit intended as a plug-in solution for a water distribution architecture comprising one or more user units, a water tank intended for water usage, a pump, a heating source and a grey water tank, and intended in a water recirculation system incorporated in the water distribution architecture, wherein the water recirculation system comprises at least one water treating unit enabling treatment of water to increase the water quality thereof and a sensor unit arranged for measurement of at least water quality, by means of: said water distribution unit comprising one common user unit inlet connectable via piping to said one or more user units on their used water output side; said water distribution unit further comprising a contaminated water outlet connectable via piping to the grey water tank; said water distribution unit further comprising a water recirculation outlet connectable via piping to the water tank; and said water distribution unit further comprising a water feed inlet connectable via piping to the water tank and/or to a fresh water inlet of the water distribution architecture; wherein the sensor unit is connected to a control unit, which, based on the measurement of the water quality, is arranged to decide if water should be recycled to the water tank from the water distribution unit or should be discarded via the contaminated water outlet from the water distribution unit.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] In FIG. 1 there is shown one specific embodiment according to the present invention. This embodiment relates to a system 1 which is arranged as a part of water distribution architecture, where the water distribution architecture represent the entire overall system shown in FIG. 1. This water distribution architecture or overall system may be the water distribution architecture of a recreation vehicle (RV). In the embodiment of the system 1 according to the present, which boundaries in this case are shown by the dotted rectangle comprises the water distribution unit 2. According to this embodiment, a water treating unit 6, which may be of different type, such as a UV unit or combined UV and heater unit or something else and a sensor unit 7 are direct parts of the water distribution unit 2. It should be noted that both the water treating unit 6 and the sensor unit 7 may be arranged outside of the water distribution unit 2, however at least one sensor unit 7 is part of the system 1 according to the present invention. In this case, at least one sensor 100 of the sensor unit 7 is arranged inside of the water distribution unit 2. Furthermore, it should also be said that the system 1 according to the present invention may comprise other sensors also being part of the sensor unit 7, however arranged at different positions, e.g. a sensor located on the common user unit inlet 9. Moreover, the water treating unit 6 may in fact have several components at different positions, such as a subsequent combined UV and heater unit. Moreover, one or more filter units may also be arranged in the system.

[0028] The water distribution unit 2 also comprises one common user unit inlet 9. This common user unit inlet 9 is connectable to one or more user units 8 which may or may not be a direct part of the system 1 according to the present invention. Regardless, they are components of the overall water distribution architecture system. These user units 8 may e.g. be one or several showers and/or one or more sinks or a combination of these. Furthermore, the water distribution unit 2 also comprises a contaminated water outlet 10, which in this specific case is connectable to a grey water tank 11. This grey water tank 11 is also a component of the overall water distribution architecture system. Moreover, the water distribution unit 2 comprises at least one water recirculation port 1000 connectable a water tank 3 of the overall water distribution architecture system to enable flowing water between the water distribution unit 2 and the water tank 3. This recirculation port 1000 may be provided as only one inlet/outlet where the direction of the flow may be set based on if water should be flown from the water distribution unit 2 to the water tank 3 or the other way around. According to this specific embodiment, however, there are provided two different recirculation ports 1000, which are one water recirculation outlet 12 from where water may be fed from the water distribution unit 2 to the water tank 3 and one water feed inlet 13 from where water may be fed to the water distribution unit 2 from the water tank 3. Moreover, in this case the water feed inlet 13 is also connectable to a fresh water inlet 14 with a connected valve being part of the overall water distribution architecture.

[0029] As notable in FIG. 1, there is a pump provided inside of the water tank 3. This pump may instead be arranged at a different position in the overall water distribution architecture. Fact is that a pump may instead be part of the system 1 according to the present invention.

[0030] The system according to the present invention may be regarded as a possible plug in-unit in an overall water distribution architecture or system, e.g. in a recreation vehicle. The overall water distribution architecture or system according to the present invention may, in addition to the system according to the present invention, comprise one or several user units 8, a water tank 3 comprising a pump 4 in this case (the pump may of course be provided at other positions in the water distribution architecture), a grey water tank 11, a fresh water inlet 14 and a heating source 500, such as a water heater or boiler 500. The heating source 500 may also be of other types. Examples are such incorporating water-water heating, where the heating medium in form of water is heated from an external heating sources, such as a LPG heater or solar panels or the like.

[0031] Furthermore, the heating source 500 may also incorporate other features. One example is water treating capabilities. Therefore, according to one embodiment of the present invention this heating source 500 may be part of a water treating unit 6 according to the present invention, e.g. in a combined UV and heater unit.

[0032] It should be noted that an overall water distribution architecture according to the present invention comprises at least a water tank 3, some kind of heating source 500, at least one user unit 8 and a water driving unit, e.g. a pump. It should, however, be noted that the water tank 3 could be seen as a general water supply reservoir for some applications. Regardless, the system 1 according to the present invention may function as a plug-in in a water distribution architecture where water may be continuously treated to increase the water quality so that water may be reused and recirculated and so that only a minimal amount of water, real low water quality, is sent to a grey water tank or grey water collecting unit.