Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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WATER RECYCLING DEVICE
Background
This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application S/N
60/763,838. filed on January 31, 2006, which is hereby incorporated herein by
reference. The present invention relates to a water recycling system. More
particularly, it relates to a water recycling system that uses gray water from
a
bathroom sink or some other household source to fill a toilet tank.
U.S. Patent Number 6,276,005, which is hereby incorporated herein by
reference, describes a water recycliiig system that uses gray water from a
bathroom
sink to fill a toilet tank. That system collects water from the sink into a
reservoir, and
the gray water in the reservoir is pumped to thc toilet tank whenever the
systcm
senses that the toilet tank is empty, thus conserving fresh water. The toilet
tank is
supplemented with normal potable water when the gray water does not supply all
its
requirements.
Summary
One embodiment of a device made in accordance with the present invention
provides several improvements to the water recycling system described in the
`005
patent. The improvements include incorporating a disinfecting tablet
dispenser, using
hollow tank bolts to make it easier to route the gray water into the toilet
tank, and
having an electrical control system connected to the reservoir pump to control
water
flow.
Brief Description of the Drawings
Figure 1 is a scllernatic view of an example of a water recycling system made
in
accordance with the present invention;
Figure 2 is a side view of the gray water reservoir and disinfecting tablet
dispenser of
the water recycling system of Figure 1:
Figure 2A is a sectional view of the tee in Figure 2;
Figure 3 is a side view of one of the hollow bolts used in the water recycling
system
ofFigure 1;
Figure 4 is a broken away sectional view through the toilet showing the hollow
bolt of
Figure 3 connecting a toilet tarnk and toilet bowl together;
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Figure 5 is a sectional view of the toilet tank of Figure 1:
Figure 6 is a front elevation view of one embodiment of a fill control unit
used in the
water recycling system of Figure 1;
Figure 6A is rear elevation view of the fill control unit of Figure 6;
Figure 6B is a detailed view of the portion 6B circled in Figure 6A;
Figure 7 is a broken away plan view of the fill control unit of Figure 6;
Figure 7A is a view taken along line 7A-7A of Figure 6;
Figure 8 is a plan view of the fill control unit of Figure 6 in the process of
being
installed in a toilet tank;
Figure 9 is a plan view of the fill control unit of Figure 6 installed in a
toilet tank;
Figure 10 is a view taken along line 10-10 of Figure 7;
Figure 11 is a view taken along line 11-11 of Figure 8;
Figure 12 is a schematic view of a toilet tank with a first embodiment of the
water
recycling system installed, and with the toilet in the default position
awaiting a toilet
flush;
Figure 13 is a schematic view of a first embodiment of a control system_
including a
circuit board, made in accordance with the present invention as it is in the
default
position awaiting a toilet flush as in Figure 12;
Figure 14 is a schematic view of the toilet tank and water recycling system of
Figure
12 just after the toilet has been flushed;
Figure 15 is a schematic view of the control system of Figure 13 just after
the toilet
has been flushed;
Figure 16 is a schematic view of the toilet tank and water recycling system of
Figure
12 during the initial stage of filling the toilet tank with gray water;
Figure 17 is a schematic view of the control system of Figure 13 during the
initial
stage of filling the toilet tank with gray water:
Figure 18 is a schematic view of the toilet tank and water recycling system of
Figure
12 as it moves from the initial to the secondary tank filling stage;
Figure 19 is a schematic view of the control system of Figure 13 as it moves
from the
initial to the secondary tank filling stage:
Figure 20 is a schematic view of the toilet tank and water recycling system of
Figure
12 during the secondary tank fillitlg stage;
Figure 21 is a schematic view of the control system of Figure 13 during the
secondary
tank filling stage;
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Figure 22 is a schematic view of the toilet tank and water recycling system of
Figure
12 after the secondary tank filling stage. with the toilet tank and water
recycling
system back in the default position:
Figure 23 is a schematic view of the control system of Figure 13 after the
secondary
tank filling stage, with the toilet tank and water recycling system back in
the default
position;
Figure 24 is a schematic view of the toilet tank and water recycling system of
Figure
12 after the toilet has been flushed when there is no gray water in the
reservoir to fill
the tank;
Figure 25 is a schematic view of the control system of Figure 13 corresponding
to the
situation of Figure 24;
Figure 26 is a schematic view of a second embodiment of a control system,
including
aii infrared switch, made in accordance w-itli the present invention as it is
in the
default position av`raiting a toilet flush as in Figure 12;
Figure 27 is a schematic view of the control system of Figure 26 just after
the toilet
has been flushed; and
Figure 28 is a perspective view of the infrared switch of Figure 26.
Detailed Description
Figure 1 shows a water recycling system 10 installed in a bathroom with a sink
12 and toilet 14. The system 10 includes a gray water reservoir 16, a pump 13
inside
the reservoir 16, a control unit 20 inside the toilet tank 14A, a tablet
dispenser 30 for
disinfecting the gray water as it goes into the reservoir 16, and hoses and
piping to
connect the parts together.
The system 10 collects water from the sink 12 into a gray water reservoir 16
and pumps the gray water into ilie toilet tank 14A, where it is used for
flushing.
Inside the toilet tank 14A, the control unit 20 includes a seesaw mechanism 11
(best
shown in Figures 6 and 6A) that interacts with the existing toilet float 21
and toilet
float valve 31. The toilet float 21 and toilet float valve 31 are standard
parts of the
toilet that control the flow of fresh, potable water that enters the tank from
the fresh
water supply line 18. When the float 21 is lowered, the float valve 31 is
open, and
fresh water enters the tank. When the float 21 is raised, the float valve 31
is closed.
and the flow of fresh water stops. By having a seesaw mechanism l 1 that
interacts
with the toilet float 21, the system 10 not only pumps gray water collected
froni the
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sink 12 to the toilet 14; it simultaneously controls the flow of fresh,
potable water
entering the toilet tank 14A through the fresh water supply line 18. Thus, the
system
conserves fresh. potable water. Of course, the water recycling system
alternatively
could be used with other gray water sources besides a bathroom sink, such as a
shower, washing machine, or the like.
As best shown in Figure 2, the system 10 shown in this embodiment is
retrofitted to the existing sewage pipe 33 of the sink 12 via a tee 35. The
majority of
the water from the sink 12 flows through the tee 35, then through a drainage
pipe 32,
a tablet dispenser 30, and into the gray water reservoir 16. However, some of
the
water is diverted into the sewage pipe 33 by means of a baffle 35A on the
interior of
the tee 35. The baffle 35A (shotivn in Figures 2 and 2A) is angled downwardly
toward
the sewage pipe 33 in order to divert some of the water coming from the sink
to the
sewage pipe 33 to keep the P-trap 33A in the sewage pipe 33 primed with water.
If
no water flowed into the sewage pipe 33, the water in the P-trap 33A could
eventually
evaporate over time, allowing sewage gases to back up into the bathroom
through the
sink. The baffle ensures that the water in the P-trap 33A is replenislied.
Although not sllown, other means for diverting water into the sewage pipe
could be used. For instance, a valve could be used in place of the baffle 35A,
or the
pipes could be angled or otherwise configured to ensure that some water flows
to the
sewage pipe 33, while most of the water flows to the reservoir 16_
If the gray water reservoir 16 completely fills up with water, the water fills
up
to the tee 35 and overflows into the se,,vage pipe 33. As a result, the sewage
pipe 33
is available as an alternate passageway to drain surplus gray water,
preventing gray
water from backing up into the sink 12.
Behveen the sink drainage pipe 32 and the gray water reservoir 16 is a
disinfecting tablet dispeiiser 30. The tablet dispenser 30 is used to
disinfect the gray
water as it flows into the reservoir 16. The dispenser 30 has a threaded,
removable
cap 34, and disinfecting tablets 36 are placed inside the dispenser 30 by
removing the
cap 34, inserting the tablets 36, and then replacing the cap 34. The
disinfecting tablets
36 in this case are tablets that are typically used in swimming pools and
spas, and the
tablets contain chlorine. Of course, other known sanitizing ingredients
alternatively
could be used.
In this case. the dispenser 30 is shown holding three disc-shaped tablets 36
stacked directly on top of each other. As water travels from the sink 12.
through the
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dispenser 30, to the gray water reservoir 16. it washes over the tablets 36.
washing
some chlorine into the reservoir 16 to disinfect the gray water in the
reservoir 16. The
tablets 36 do not remain submerged as is normally the case for disinfecting
tablets
iiiside a toilet tank but rather remain dry until water from the sink 12
passes over
tliem. As a result, the tablets 36 last a long tinie while still providing
sufficient
disinfectant to the reservoir 16. Three tablets typically last over a year
when used for
a bathroom sink under typical use by two people.
As shown in Figure 1, the resenroir 16 includes a screen or tilter 15 that
separates the reservoir into two sections. In this embodiment, water from the
sink 12
enters on the riglit side of the filter 15, and there is a puinp 13 on the
left side of the
filter. The pump 13 pumps water from the reservoir 16 to the tank 14A of the
toilet
14 via a primary gray water supply hose 50, and hollow bolts 40A, 40B provide
passageways for the water into the toilet tank 14A. Inside the tank 14A, gray
water is
routed to the toilet overflow tube 60 of the toilet 14 and to the fill control
unit 20. The
fill control unit 20 controls the tlow of gray water by activating or
deactivating the
pump 13 (as will be explained in detail later), and it controls the flow of
fresh water
by raising or lowering the regular toilet float 21 on the toilet float valve
31 (as will
also be explained in detail later). A control module 73, mounted to the top of
the gray
water reservoir 16, houses a circuit board 74 (sliown in Figures 13-27) that
controls
the activity of the punlp 13, as will also be explained in greater detail
later.
Figures 3 - 5 show the hollow threaded bolts 40 (40A, 40B) used in the water
recycling system 10. The threaded bolts 40 (40A, 40B) replace the regular
bolts used
to connect the toilet tank 14A to the toilet bowl 14B, and as previously
mentioned,
they provide gray water inlet passageways into the toilet tank 14A from the
reservoir
16. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, each hollow bolt 40 includes an inside end 41
with
a head 42 on the inside of the toilet tank 14A and an outside end 43 with a
nut 44 on
the outside of the toilet bowl 14B. Each bolt 40 is threaded through its
central portion
and has barbs on its ends 41, 43. As shown in Figure 4, the nut 44 is threaded
onto
the bolt 40 for tightening the tank 14A and toilet bowl 14B together. In this
case, a
rubber washer 46 is used inside the toilet tank 14A between the head 42 and
bottom
wall of the toilet tank 14A to create awatertight seal, and a nietal washer 48
is used
on the outside of the toilet tank 14A between the nut 44 and the wall of the
toilet bowl
14B. The inside and outside ends 41, 43 of the hollow bolts 40 have barbed
fittings
for engaging with flexible hosing, as will be explained in detail shortly.
Thus, as used
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in this system, the hollow bolts 40 both secure the tank 14A to the bowl 14B
and
provide passageways for gray water to enter the tank 14A.
Figures I and 5 show a pair of the hollow threaded bolts 40A, 40B installed on
the toilet 14 as part of the water recycling system 10. As shown in Figure 1,
a
primary gray water supply hose 50 extends from the pump 13 in the gray water
reservoir 16 to the toilet tank 14. Near the toilet 14. the primary gray water
supply
hose 50 splits into left and right gray water supply hose legs 50A, 50B via a
tee
connection 52. As best shown in Figure 5, the left gray water supply hose leg
50A is
secured to the outside end 43A of the left hollow bolt 40A, and the right gray
water
supply hose leg 50B is secured to thc outside end 43B of the right hollow bolt
40B.
On the inside of the toilet tank 14A, an extension 50B' of the right gray
water
supply hose 50B is secured to the inside end 41B of the right hollow bolt 40B.
The
right extension 50B' extends upwardly to an inlet port 26B (shovvn in Figure
6) on the
fill control unit 20. The gray water flows from the inlet port 26B to a
balance cup 23
on one side of the seesaw mechanism I 1 of the fill control unit 20, which
will be
explained in greater detail later. The inside end 41 A of left hollow bolt 40A
is
connected to an extension 50A' of the left gray water supply hose 50A, which,
in tum,
is connected to a tee 55. The tee 55 splits the water flow between a first
path 54A
going to an inlet port 26A of the fill control unit 20 and a second path 54B
going to
the toilet overflow tube 60. (The toilet overflow tube 60 is a standard part
of the toilet
which allows water to flow into the toilet bowl 14B, and water typically fills
the bowl
14B through the overflow tube 60 at the same time that the tank 14A is filled,
as is
well known in the art).
Like the ends 41, 43 of the hollow bolts 40, the tee 55 and the inlet ports
26A,
26B have barbed fittings for engaging the respective hoses. Alternatively, the
hoses
could be clamped in place, or threaded connections or other knokvn types of
connections could be used. In the case of the hollow bolts 40, the supply
hoses
alternatively could pass through the inside of the bolts. In that case, there
would be a
seal between the hose and the bolt to prevent leakage.
As best shown in Figure 1, the pump 13 pumps gray water from the reservoir
16, through the common gray water supply hose 50. through the hoses 50A, 50B,
through the liollow bolts 40A, 40B, through the hose extensions 50A'. 50B',
and into
the tank 14A. Inside the tank 14A. the gray water is routed to the balance cup
23 on
one side of the seesaw mechanism I I of the fill control unit 20, as well as
to the toilet
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overflow tube 60. Using the hollow bolts 40A, 40B to provide an inlet to the
toilet
tank allows the toilet tank lid 14C to rest normally on the toilet tank 14A,
without
requiring hoses to enter the tank between the lid and the tank.
Although not shown, it would also be possible to replace just one of the
existing regular toilet bolts with a hollow bolt. leaving the other regular
toilet bolt in
place. In that case, the gray water supply hose would be routed through the
single
hollow bolt, and it would be configured on the inside of the toilet tank 14A
to supply
gray water to the balance cup 23 and to the overflow pipe 60.
Figures 6, 6A. 6B. 7. and 7A show the fill control unit 20 of the water
recycling system 10 in greater detail. The fill control unit 20 is part of a
control
system that controls the flow of gray water and fresh water to the toilet
tank. The fill
control unit 20 includes four rnain parts:
1. A bracket 22. which hangs on the back of the toilet tank.
2_ A frame 17, which hangs from the bracket 22 and includes a top plate
19 and legs 19A, 19A', I9A", 19B. 19C projecting downwardly from the top plate
19.
The legs 19A" support the inlet ports 26A, 26B.
3. A seesaw mechanism 11, which pivots relative to the frame 17 about a
pivot point 25 on the legs 19A, 19A' of the frame 17 and includes a control
arnl 24 on
one side of the pivot 25 and a fill cup 23 on the other side of the pivot 25.
4. A track bar 90, wliich mounts on top of the top plate 19.
The legs 19B. 19C of the frame 17 wrap around the back of the bracket 22. as
shown in Figure 6A. and restrict the relative movement between the frame 17
and the
bracket 22 to the vertical direction. The left side of the bracket 22 has
teeth 22A, and
the leg 19B has an upwardly-projecting arm 28B with a head 28 that engages
between
two of the teeth 22A to fix the vertical position of the frame 17 relative to
the bracket
22. To adjust the vertical position of the frame 17 relative to the bracket
22, the
horizontal arm 28A, which is attached to the head 28, is pushed downwardly,
causing
the vertical arm 28B to flex, thereby allowing the head 28 to move out of the
space
between the teeth 28A, as shown in phantom in Figure 6B. The frame 17 is then
moved in the vertical direction relative to the bracket 22, and then the
horizontal arm
28A is released, allowing the 11ead 28 to move back into one of the spaces
between
the teeth 28A and agaiii fix the vertical position of the frame 17 relative to
the bracket
22.
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Figures 6 and 6A each show two positions of the seesaw mechanism 11. In
the first (empty) position, the balance cup 23 is up and the control arm 24 is
down. In
the second (full) position, shown in phantom, the control arm 24 and balance
cup 24
have pivoted in a clockwise direction about the pivot point 25, so the balance
cup 23
is down and the control arni 24 is up. When the fill control unit 20 is
installed in the
toilet tank and the seesaw mechanism i 1 is in this second (full) position,
the control
arm 24 is raising the float 21 on the toilet float valve 31, preventing fresh,
potable
water from flow-ing into the tank.
In order for the fill control unit 20 to function properly, it needs to be
installed
correctly in the toilet tank. The elongated track bar 90 is used to facilitate
proper
installation of the fill control unit 20 in the toilet tank 14A.
As best shown in Figure 7, the elongated track bar 90 is essentially a thin,
flat,
elongated member with elongated openings 98 along its central axis. The track
bar 90
has thicker, upwardly-projecting edges 96, which functioii as tracks, and it
has
upwardly-projecting stops 97, located closer to one end. (The stops 97 can be
seen in
Figures 7, 8, 10, and 11.) The track bar 90 is received by a pair of upwardly
projecting guides 27 on the top plate 19 of the frame 17.
Figure 7 depicts the typical configuration of the track bar 90 and fill
control
unit 20 as it is shipped to a customer. The track bar 90 fills the space
between the
guides 27 and slides within the guides 27 on the top plate 19, and it is
secured to the
top plate 19 by means of a screw 91. The track bar 90 has a top side 92, a
bottom side
93 (shown in Figure 9). a first end 94. and a second end 95. The track bar 90
is
shipped with the top side 92 facing up and the bottom side 93 facing down. The
stops
97 are positioned closer to the first end 9=1 of the track bar 90 than to the
second end
95, and the elongated slots 98 allow the screw 91 to pass through the track
bar 90 and
secure the track bar 90 to the top plate 19 of the frame 17. As shipped to the
customer, the first end 94 of the track bar 90 is to the left and the second
end 95 is to
the right.
The track bar 90 serves a dual purpose, functioning both as a positioning
guide
and as a brace. As a positioning guide, the track bar 90 serves as a measuring
stick to
help the installer position the bracket 22 in the correct horizontal position
so that,
when the control arm 24 of the fill control unit 20 pivots upwardly, it
properly
interacts with the toilet float 21. Once the bracket 22 is properly located.
the track bar
90 is secured to the top plate 19 of the frame 17 in a position in which it is
braced
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against the right side of the toilet tank 14A to prevent the bracket 22 from
sliding
horizontally as the fill control unit 20 operates.
As shown in Figure S. in order to use the track bar 90 as a positioning guide,
the installer first reinoves the screw 91, and then flips and rotates the
track bar 90 so
that the top side 92 of the track bar 90 is facing down (and the bottotn side
93 is
facing up), the second end 95 of the track bar 90 is to the left, and the
first end 94 is to
the right. The second end 95 of the track bar 90 is set against the right side
of the fill
control valve 31, and the frame 17 and bracket 22 are slid to the left until
the left side
of the top plate 19 abuts the stops 97 of the track bar 90. which are now
projecting
downwardly. This sets the proper horizontal position of the fill control unit
20. In
other words, the distance between the second end 95 of the track bar 90 and
the stops
97 of the track bar 90 is equal to the desired distance between the fill
control valve 31
and the left side of the top plate 19 of the fill control unit 20.
Now that the proper position of the fill control unit 20 is set, this position
is
marked or visually noted along the back of the toilet tank 14A, such as
denoted by the
dashed line 99 in Figure 8_ As sho-vvn in Figure 9, the fill control unit 20
is then hung
along the back of the toilet tank 14A with the left end of the mounting
bracket 22 at
the position denoted by the dashed line 99. With the fill control unit 20
hanging on
the rear wall of the toilet tank 14A in the proper horizontal position, the
arm 24
properly contacts the float 21 wh.en it is raised.
As shown in Figure 9_ once the fill control unit 20 is hung in the proper
position on the toilet tank, the track bar 90 is repositioned for use as a
right side brace
to prevent the fill control unit 20 from gradually "crawling" to the right
along the
back of the toilet tank 14A as it operates. For use as a brace, the track bar
90 is
flipped back over so that the top side 92 is again facing up and the bottom
side 93 is
facing down. Then, the first end 94 is slid to the riglit until it abuts the
right side wall
of the toilet tank 14A. Then, the screw 91 is screwed through one of the slots
98 and
into the top plate 19 of the franle 17 to lock the track bar 90 in place
relative to the
frame 17. In some instances, the slots 98 of the track bar 90 may not align
with the
screw hole in the top plate 19 when the first end 94 abuts the toilet tank
I4A. In such
cases, the track bar 90 can be removed, rotated 180 degrees (putting the first
end 94
on the left and the second end 95 on the right), and replaced so that the
second end 95
abuts the right side wall of the toilet tank 14A. After rotating the track bar
90, one of
the slots 98 will align with the screw hole. because the spacing of the slots
98 in the
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track bar 90 is not symmetrical, as best shown in Figure 7. The slots 98 are
located a
different distance from the first end 94 than from the second end 95 of the
track bar.
so, if the screw hole in the top plate 19 does not align with a slot 98 when
the first end
94 is against the right side wall of the toilet tank 14A, it will align with a
slot 98 when
the second end 95 is against the right side wall of the toilet tank 14A.
Thus. the slide bar 90 ftinctions both as a measuring stick, to properly
position
the fill control uiiit 20 liorizontally in relation to the toilet float 21.
and as a brace to
brace the fill control unit 20 against the right side wall of the toilet tank
14A in order
to prevent horizontal movement of the fill control unit 20 during operation.
The fill control unit 20 also should be adjusted vertically once it is hung
inside
the toilet tank 14A. More specifically, the frame 17 should be adjusted
vertically
relative to the bracket 22 so that the control arm 24 is under the float 21
and parallel
to the water line when the balance cup 23 is in the "up" position as shown in
solid
lines in Figures 6 and 6A, which is the position when the balance cup 23 is
empty.
The water recycling systeni 10 now is properly installed.
Operation of the systenl:
The water recycliiig system 10 incorporates a control system that fills the
toilet
tank 14A with gray water when gray water is available in the gray water
reservoir 16
and fills the tank 14A with fresh, potable water when gray water is not
available. The
control system includes a control nlodule 73 (shown in Figures 1 and 2) that
houses a
circuit board 74 (shown schematically in Figures 12 - 27). The control module
73 is
electrically connected to a power supply 82, to the pump 13, and to a snap-
action
switch 70.
The snap-action switch 70 is secured to the fill control unit 20 with a screw
71,
as best shown in Figure 7. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the snap-action switch
70 is
mounted such that it is switched on or off by a cain 72 which pivots with the
seesaw
mechanism 11 on the pivot point 25 of the fill controI unit 20. When the
balance cup
23 is full, it causes the seesaw mechanism 11 to pivot clockwise due to the
weight of
the water in the cup 23, causing the cam 72 to rotate clockwise away from the
switch
70 (and deactivating the switch 70). When the balance cup 23 is empty, the
weight of
the control arm 24 causes the seesaw mechanism 1 1 to pivot counterclockwise,
causing the cam 72 to rotate counterclockwise and contact the switch 70
(activating
the switch).
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As shown schematically in Figures 12-25, the switch 70 is electrically
connected to the circuit board 74, pump 13 and power supply 82. The power
supply
82 in this embodiment is a 120 V Volt AC to 12 Volt DC transformer plugged
into a
bathroom electrical outlet as shown in Figure 1. Of course, a different power
supply,
such as a battery, could be used. The switch 70, circuit board 74. fill
control unit 20
and pump 13 control the flow of water as will be explained in greater detail
with
reference to Figures 12-27.
Figures 12-25 are schematics of the toilet tank 14A and circuit board 74 at
various stages of operation. Figures 12 and 13 show the toilet tank 14A and
circuit
board 74 in the default position (i.e. awaitinQ toilet flush). The circuit
board 74
includes a pair of relay/timers 84_ 86. The first relay/timer 84 includes a
switcli 84A
and a coil 84B, and the second relay/timer also includes a switch 86A and a
coil 86B.
The relay/timers 84, 86 facilitate the flow of gray water to the toilet tank
in two
separate stages, but at this point, neither relay/timer lias been activated.
The balance
cup 23 and toilet tank 14A are full of water, and the cam 72 and switch 70 are
in a
first position 76 (see Figure 13) which yields an open circuit and means that
the pump
13 is deactivated.
Figures 14 and 15 show the toilet tank 14A and circuit board 74 immediately
after the toilet is flushed. The toilet tank 14A has emptied, aiid the balance
cup 23 has
also emptied. because the balance cup 23 has at least one drain hole 29. With
the
balance cup 23 empty, the seesaw mechanism 11 has pivoted counterclockwise.
lowering the control arm 24 , which allows the regular toilet float 21 to
lower as well,
and the cam 72 has rotated counterclocktitise, causing the switch 70 to move
to a
second (activated) position 78 (see Figure 15), which completes a circuit to
the coil
84B of the first relay/timer 84 on the circuit board 74.
When the coil 84B is activated, it switches the relay 84A to complete a
circuit
to the pump 13, as shown in Figure 17. The pump 13 is activated, and it starts
to
pump gray water to the balance cup 23 and toilet tank 14A. (This is assuming
there is
water in the reservoir 16. The scenario where there is no gray water in the
reservoir
16 is discussed later.)
Figure 16 shows the cup 23 and tank 14A in the process of being filled, and
Figure 17 shows the relay/timer 84A activated to cotnplete the circuit to the
pump 13.
The first relay/timer 84 will remain in this position for a set time period
that allows
the balance cup 23 to fill with gray water (typically about 15 seconds).
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In Figures 18 and 19, the balance cup 23 has been filled, wllich pivots the
seesaw mechanism 11 clockwise. causing the cam 72 to pivot back to the initial
position in which the switch 70 is inactivated and-raising the control arm 24.
As the
control arni 24 is raised, it raises the regular toilet float 21. Of course,
the regular
toilet float 21 is mounted on the toilet fill valve 31 and controls the flow
of fresh
water to the tank 14A (according to the normal operating mechanism of the
toilet).
When the toilet float 21 is raised, the flow of fresh water to the toilet tank
is shut off.
When the switch 70 moves to the first (inactivated) position 76 and the first
relay/timer 84 has not yet timed out, a circuit is completed th.t-ough the
switch 70 and
through the first relay/timer 84 to the coil 86B of the second relay/timer 86
as
depicted in dash-dot lines in Figure 19.
This causes the coil 86B of the second relay/timer 86 to activate the switch
86A on the second relay/timer 86, wllich completes another circuit to the pump
13, as
shown in Figure 21. This, in turn, keeps the pump activated (after the first
relay/timer
84 has timed out) for the duration of a second set time period. The second set
time
period is set to finish filling the tank 14A ivith water. In this embodiment,
the second
time period is manually adjustable from 1 minute to 4 minutes, with the
specific time
period depending primarily on the size and configuration of the toilet tank
14A.
Thus, the tank 14A is filled in two stages: an initial stage for a short
period of
time to fill the balance cup 23 (aild rotate the seesaw mechanism 11 and the
cam 72
and activate the switch 70); and a secondary stage for a longer period of time
to fill
the toilet tank 14A. Once the tank is filled, the system returns to the
default position
as shown in Figures 22 and 23, which are identical to Figures 12 and 13. and
the
system awaits another toilet flush.
Figures 24 and 25 represent the situation in which there is no gray water in
the
reservoir 16 when the toilet is tluslied. In that case, after the toilet is
flushed, the
seesaw meehanism 11 pivots counterclockwise, causing the cam 72 to pivot with
it,
and moving the switch 70 to the activated position 78, activating the first
relay/timer
84, which activates the pump 13, but this time there is no water in the
reservoir 16 to
pump into the balance cup 23.
As a result, the balance cup 23 remains empty, which means the switch 70
remains in the activated position 78. Now, since the switch 70 does not change
positions in order to close the circuit that activates the second coil of the
second
relay/timer 86, the first relay/tiiner 84 simply times out without the second
relay/timer
12
CA 02638030 2008-07-22
WO 2007/090039 PCT/US2007/061093
86 being activated. Thus, the secondary stage of filling is never started. As
a result,
the control system ensures that the pump 13 does not operate for an extended
period
of time without water in the reservoir (which could damage the pump). The pump
13
operates only during the sliort initial stage, but it does not run during the
longer
secondary stage.
Since the balance cup 23 does not fill with water, the seesaw mechanism 11
does not pivot, and the coiitrol arm 24 does not rise to lift the regular
toilet float 21.
With the toilet float 21 lowered, the tank 14A fills with fresh. potable water
through
the normal toilet fill valve 31 (according to the norinal operating mechanism
of the
toilet) until the float 21 is raised by the incoming water. Once the tank 14A
is full, the
flow of fresh water is stopped by the toilet float 21 and toilet fill valve 31
in
accordance with the norinal operating mechanism of the toilet. As water fills
the tank,
it also fills the balance cup 23 through the drain hole(s) 29 until the
balance cup is full
causing the seesaw meclianism 1 i to pivot clockwise. and raising the control
arm 24
to the position sho ~n in Figures 12 and 13.
Figures 26 and 27 are scheinatics showing another embodiment of a water
recycling system made in accordance with the present invention. In this case,
the
cam-action switch 72 is replaced with an infrared switch 172. Figure 28 is an
illustration of the infrared switch 172, which is an off-the-shelf item. The
infrared
switch 172 has an emitter 172A and a detector 172B, which are separated by a
gap.
The emitter 172A transmits a light beam 172C toward the detector 172B to
establish a
first switch position 176. The infrared switch 172 switches from the first
switch
position 176 to a second switch position 178 whenever an opaque object is
inserted
into the gap between the emitter 172A and detector 172B and interrupts the
light
beam 172C.
Figure 26 scheniatically shows the infrared switch in the first position 176,
which is similar to the first position 76 of the cam-action switch of Figures
12-25.
The balance cup 123 is in the lowered position (full of water) and does not
interfere
with the light beam of the infrared switch 172.
Figure 27 schematically shows the infrared switch in the second position 178,
which is similar to the second position 78 of the cam-action switch of Figures
12-25.
Here, the balance cup is in the raised position (empty), aizd part of the
balance cup
123 has broken the light beam 172C between the emitter 172A and detector 172B,
switching the infrared switch 172 to the second position 178. Of course, the
13
CA 02638030 2008-07-22
WO 2007/090039 PCT/US2007/061093
representations of the balance cup 123 and infrared switch 172 in Figures 26
and 27
are not to scale. In actual use, only a very small portion of the balance cup,
such as a
projection or a bar, is used to interact with the gap of the infrared switch.
The sequence of events described in the control systein for the cam-action
switch, including the activation of the first and second relay/tiiners, are
the same for
the system using the infrared switch. It is also possible to use other types
of switches
that are activated and deactivated by the movement of the flow control unit.
It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that modifications niay be made
to
the embodiments described above without departing from the scope of the
invention
as claimed.
14
