Modular electrical appliance which reuses greywater

Abstract

Modular electrical appliance for recycling greywater, connected to: a drainage pipe (S1) via which greywater enters into the greywater reservoir (1) thereof; a sanitary water supply (S) via which sanitary water enters into the auxiliary reservoir (7) thereof; and a flush pipe (D) which connects to the standard opening of the tank (WC) of a toilet. The electrical appliance has a built-in three-way valve (4) which opens the outlet of said greywater reservoir (1) if it contains a sufficient amount for a full flush. If not, the outlet of said auxiliary reservoir (7) is opened. A hydraulic pump (3) connected to the electrovalve (4) pumps the flush water, grey or sanitary, through the flush pipe (D).

Claims

1. A modular electrical appliance for recycling greywater, connected to a greywater drainage pipe (S1) and connected to a flush pipe (D) of a tank (WC) of a toilet, the modular electrical appliance comprising: a greywater reservoir (1) connected to said greywater flush pipe (S1), wherein the greywater flush pipe is connected to one or more greywater sources selected from a group comprising of sinks, bathtubs, washing machines, and showers, said greywater flushpipe (S1) being connected to the greywater reservoir (1) via a first aerator threaded elbow (14), and an independent auxiliary reservoir (7), said auxiliary reservoir (7) being connected to a sanitary water supply (S), said auxiliary reservoir (7) comprising a second aerator elbow (14) in its upper part, wherein no water enters the second aerator elbow (14) and a hydraulic pump (3) comprising a pressure switch, and said hydraulic pump (3) being connected to said flush pipe (D), and characterized in that it further comprises a three-way electrovalve (4), this three-way electrovalve (4) comprising: a first inlet connected to said greywater reservoir (1), a second inlet connected to said auxiliary reservoir (7), and an outlet connected to said hydraulic pump (3), and in that said flush pipe (D) is connected to a standard inlet opening of sanitary water from said tank (WC), wherein the greywater reservoir (1), the independent auxiliary reservoir (7), and the hydraulic pump (3) of the modular electrical appliance are external to the tank (WC) and said three-way electrovalve (4) is, by default, open towards the greywater reservoir (1).

2. Electrical appliance according to claim 1, characterized in that the auxiliary reservoir (7) is connected to the sanitary water supply (S).

3. Electrical appliance according to claim 2, characterized in that the auxiliary reservoir (7) is connected to the sanitary water supply (S) via a two-way electrovalve (17).

4. Electrical appliance according to claim 1, characterized in that the first aerator threaded elbow (14) comprises a prefilter (5).

5. Electrical appliance according to claim 1, characterized in that the greywater reservoir comprises a vent.

6. Electrical appliance according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a sensor located in the greywater reservoir, said sensor being capable of detecting a predetermined minimum level of volume of greywater stored in said tank.

7. Electrical appliance according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises an auxiliary sensor located in the auxiliary reservoir, said auxiliary sensor being capable of detecting a predetermined minimum level of a volume of water stored in the auxiliary reservoir.

8. Electrical appliance according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises an electrical box connected, at least, to the hydraulic pump, to the electrovalves and to a sensor.

9. Electrical appliance according to claim 8, characterized in that said electrical box (13) is further connected to a sanitary two-way electrovalve (17) and to the auxiliary sensor (10).

10. Electrical appliance according to claim 1, characterized in that said greywater reservoir comprises a UVA lamp.

11. Electrical appliance according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a protective outer housing.

12. Electrical appliance according to claim 11, characterized in that said protective outer housing (2) comprises a lock with a locking key.

13. Electrical appliance according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a structural body for securing to a wall.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1: hydraulic diagram of the modular electrical appliance for greywater recycling of the present invention.

(2) FIG. 2: perspective view of the inner or functional part of the device of the present invention.

(3) FIG. 3: perspective view of the outer housing covering the inner or functional part of FIG. 1.

(4) FIG. 4: lateral view of the inner or functional part of the device of the present invention.

(5) FIG. 5: plan and elevation views of the inner or functional part of the device of the present invention.

(6) FIG. 6: perspective view of a second alternative of the electrical appliance device.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

(7) FIG. 1, the hydraulic diagram of the present invention, illustrates a modular electrical appliance for recycling greywater. The water used in the sink would exits from it through a drain that ends in a T with two outlets, a first outlet being a drainpipe of greywater (S1) to a greywater reservoir (1) contained in the electrical appliance (or recycling device), and a second outlet (not shown) to the sink drain itself.

(8) As shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, the greywater drainpipe (S1) is connected to the greywater reservoir (1) of the recycling device through a threaded elbow aerator (14). A prefilter (5) is located (see FIG. 2) at the connection between the elbow (14) and the tank (1) to retain the largest particles in accordance, for example, with the rules of Royal Decree 314/2006. A second additional filter (not shown) can be placed upstream of the aerator. In a second alternative (FIG. 6), the aeration function can be performed by a vent (200) independent from the drain (S1)-greywater reservoir (1) connection.

(9) The recycling device also incorporates an independent auxiliary reservoir (7), i.e., not connected to the greywater reservoir (1). In the alternative of FIGS. 2, 4 and 5, said auxiliary reservoir (7) has in its upper part an additional aerator elbow (14) through which no water enters. This aerator elbow is covered and protected by an outer housing (2), as shown in FIG. 3. In the alternative of FIG. 6, the additional aerator (14) is omitted.

(10) The recycling modular electrical appliance incorporates a hydraulic pump (3) having sufficient pressure to fill the tank of a toilet (WC) in the time stipulated by the applicable regulations, for example, the technical building code. This pump (3) is connected by a pipe (e.g. multilayer, crosslinked polyethylene or copper), at its output to the tank (WC), and at its input to the output of a three-way electrovalve (4). In the second alternative of FIG. 6, a pre-exit filter is incorporated (300) at the pump outlet (3).

(11) FIGS. 1, 2 and 5 show that the electrical appliance incorporates a three-way electrovalve (4) with a first water inlet connected to the greywater reservoir (1), and a second water inlet connected to the auxiliary reservoir (7). This electrovalve (4) gives way, by default, to the water from the greywater reservoir (1) when the tank (WC) needs a water discharge.

(12) The three-way electrovalve (4) closes the passage of greywater and allows the passage of sanitary water (7) when the greywater reservoir does not have enough water for a discharge. For this purpose, a sensor (10) located in the greywater reservoir (1) detects a predetermined minimum volume level of greywater stored in said reservoir.

(13) In both cases, the hydraulic pump (3) (see FIG. 1) pushes the water discharge (grey or sanitary) to the tank (WC) of the toilet through a flush pipe (D).

(14) FIG. 5 illustrates the flush pipe (D) of the recycling device to the toilet tank (WC), and the inlet pipe of sanitary water (S) to the auxiliary reservoir (7).

(15) The three-way valve (4) is connected by a polyethylene pipe, or other approved types according to UNE 1717 standard, to the two tanks (1, 7) and to the hydraulic pump (3) by, for example, a multilayer pipe.

(16) On the other hand, FIGS. 2 and 4 illustrate an alternative in which a sanitary two-way electrovalve (17) having an inlet connected to the public or sanitary water network, and an outlet connected to the public or sanitary water tank (7). This sanitary electrovalve (17) is normally closed and only opens when the auxiliary sensor (10) located in the auxiliary reservoir (7) indicates that there is a sufficient predetermined level of water in said reservoir (7).

(17) FIGS. 2 and 5 illustrate a threaded maintenance lid (8) for the opening to clean the greywater reservoir (1) and, in case of breakdown, to repair it.

(18) FIGS. 2 and 5 illustrate a sealed electrical box (13) which regulates: the hydraulic pump (3), the three-way electrovalve (4) and sensor (10), and the sanitary two-way electrovalve (17) and auxiliary sensor (10). FIG. 6 illustrates an alternative in which the electrical box (13) only connects the hydraulic pump (3), the three-way electrovalve (4) and the sensor (10).

(19) As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, the aerator elbow (14) of the greywater reservoir (1) can be placed on top of either sides of the greywater reservoir (1). To do this, two threading points for the aerator (14) are provided on top of the tank (1), the free point being covered by a screw cap (16) so as not to lose water (see FIGS. 2 and 5). Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 6, a point for placement of a vent (200) is provided.

(20) FIG. 4 illustrates a UVA lamp (11) installed in said greywater reservoir (1).

(21) FIGS. 2 and 4 illustrate the electrical appliance which has a structural body (6) for attachment to an external structure such as walls, furniture, interior parts of furniture, etc.

(22) FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate the outer housing (2) that protects the internal or operating elements of the recycling device. The outer housing (2) is fixed via a guide (12) on the outer side surface of the reservoirs (1, 7).

(23) FIG. 2 shows that the device incorporates, in addition, an anti-vandalism lock (19) which fastens the outer housing (2) to the inside of the recycling electrical appliance.

(24) FIG. 2 shows a rear protection (15) in the form of a metal sheet fixed to the structural body (6) which completely encloses, next to the outer housing (2), the inside of the modular electrical appliance for recycling greywater.

(25) When the water level decreases in the toilet tank (WC), the pressure switch (not shown and located in said hydraulic pump) is activated due to the pressure change and powers said hydraulic pump (3). Thus, the recycling device automatically sends to the toilet tank (WC), and through the hydraulic pump (3), the recycled greywater, which is located in the greywater reservoir, or sanitary water stored in the auxiliary reservoir (2), all depending on the state of opening of the three-way electrovalve (4).