Patent Application
20150247299
The embodiments herein relate generally to water conservation and storage devices, and more particularly, to a connected fence for collecting, storing, and dispersing rain water.
Water shortages and droughts have been striking many areas of the country and the world recently. Conventional conservation techniques include limiting the use of water, but many conservation techniques do not include a sufficient way to collect, store, and use rain water.
Additionally, many people desire to have fences surrounding their yard or a portion of their yard. Traditionally, many fences are made from wood, which depletes the tree population.
Therefore, what is needed is a fence that is configured to collect, store, and disperse water, potentially storing thousands of gallons of water a year.
Some embodiments of the present disclosure include a water collecting fence for collecting, storing, and dispensing rain water. The fence may include a plurality of water containing fence sections, each section being connected to at least one adjacent section by a connector hose. Each section may include a water containing shell. The shell may have an interior defined by a top surface, a bottom surface, a pair of panel sides, and a pair of side surfaces; a fill hole and a vent hole each positioned on the top surface; a post extending downwardly from the shell, the post configured to secure the shell into a ground surface; a lower orifice proximate to the bottom surface; a lower plug or a hose attachment configured to engage with the lower orifice. At least one of the sections may be configured to engage with a gutter downspout from a building.
The detailed description of some embodiments of the invention is made below with reference to the accompanying figures, wherein like numerals represent corresponding parts of the figures.
In the following detailed description of the invention, numerous details, examples, and embodiments of the invention are described. However, it will be clear and apparent to one skilled in the art that the invention is not limited to the embodiments set forth and that the invention can be adapted for any of several applications.
The device of the present disclosure may be used as a fence configured to collect, store, and disperse rain water and may comprise the following elements. This list of possible constituent elements is intended to be exemplary only, and it is not intended that this list be used to limit the device of the present application to just these elements. Persons having ordinary skill in the art relevant to the present disclosure may understand there to be equivalent elements that may be substituted within the present disclosure without changing the essential function or operation of the device.
The various elements of the fence for collecting, storing, and dispersing rain water of the present disclosure may be related in the following exemplary fashion. It is not intended to limit the scope or nature of the relationships between the various elements and the following examples are presented as illustrative examples only.
By way of example, and referring to
In embodiments, the water containing shell 12 may have a bottom surface configured to be positioned proximate to the ground and a top surface configured to face upwards toward the sky, a pair of side surface extending downward from the top surface to the bottom surface, and a pair of panel sides extending downwardly from the top surface to the bottom surface, wherein the side surface of adjacent water containing shells 12 face each other and the panel sides are the surfaces of the fence visible to a user when the fence has been installed, the surfaces defining the interior of the water containing shell 12. The top surface may comprise a fill hole 48, which may be sealed with fill cap 50, and a vent hole 52, which may be sealed with vent cap 54. In embodiments, the fill hole 48 may be aligned with a gutter downspout 64 from a building, wherein the gutter downspout 64 is configured to guide rain water 60 from the roof and gutters of the building into the interior of the water containing shell 12 using the fill hole 48. As shown in
The water containing shell 12 may have a first panel side opposite a second panel side, wherein each of the panel sides extends downwardly from the top surface to the bottom surface. In some embodiments, each of the panel sides may have at least one decorative panel 26 removably attached thereto. For example, the panel sides may have a plurality of screw inserts 34, and the decorative panel 26 each comprise a panel screw recess 28 configured to align with the screw inserts 34, such that the decorative panel 26 may be removably attached to the panel sides using a panel screw 32. In some embodiments, the panel sides may further comprise a lower orifice 38 positioned proximate to the bottom surface of the water containing shell 12, wherein the lower orifice 38 may be used to disperse water 60 from the interior of the water containing shell 12. In embodiments, a hose attachment 42 may be attached to the lower orifice 38 such that a hose may be attached to the water containing shell 12. Alternatively, a lower plug 40 may be used to seal the lower orifice 38. The decorative panel 26, if used, may also comprise a lower panel cutout 36 configured to align with the lower orifice 38.
Additionally, each of the panel sides may comprise a post slot 18 configured to accept a post 16, wherein the post 16 is used to secure the water collecting fence section 10 to the ground. The post 16 may be secured into the post slot 18 using, for example, a post strap 20 and a plurality of strap bolts 22, which may engage with a plurality of bolt inserts 24 on the panel sides. Alternatively, the post 16 may be secured using any other conventional mechanism. In embodiments, the post 16 may be substantially cylindrical, wherein each water containing shell 12 is attached to a plurality, such as two, posts 16, as shown in the figures. Alternatively, the post 16 may be substantially u-shaped, such that a single post 16 would be attached to two post slots 18. In embodiments, adjacent water collecting sections 12 may share a single post 16.
The side surfaces of the water containing shell 12 may comprise a side hole 44, which may be sealed with a side plug 46. Additionally, in an area proximate to a bottom corner of the side surface and panel side may be positioned a connector hole notch 56 comprising a connector fitting 58 comprising a connector fitting hole 62, wherein a first end of the connector fitting 58 is configured to extend through the wall of the water containing shell 12 and a second end of the connector fitting 58 is configured to be removably attached to a connector hose 60, wherein the connector hose 60 is configured to similarly attach to the connector fitting 58 of the adjacent water containing shell 12. In some embodiments, the connector hole notch 56 may be protected by an access panel once the fence sections are connected.
In embodiments, the water containing shell 12 may also comprise a plurality of shell ribs 14, as shown in
In some embodiments, the water collecting fence of the present invention may further comprise a pump operatively attached to a roof sprinkler system, wherein the pump may be either automatically or manually activated when needed, such as when there is a fire.
To use the invention of the present disclosure, a user may assembly a plurality of water collecting fence sections 10 together in a desired shape or pattern, as shown in
In embodiments, the water collecting fence sections 10 may be made of any suitable materials. In some embodiments, the water containing shells may comprise high density polyethylene (HDPE), in which case, the water collecting fence may also act as a fire barrier. The connector hoses 60 may be made of any suitable material, such as silicon tubing. In embodiments, the water collecting fence may withstand up to 80 mph winds and may be seismically sound. The decorative panels may comprise any desired decorative material, such as stone, wood, bricks, imitation stone, imitation wood, or the like. Each water collecting fence section 10 may have any desired size and, in some embodiments, is about 7 feet tall and about 6 feet long, with an upper width of about 10 inches and a lower width of about 15½ inches. Additionally, each water collecting fence section 10 may hold in excess of 320 gallons of water.
Persons of ordinary skill in the art may appreciate that numerous design configurations may be possible to enjoy the functional benefits of the inventive systems. Thus, given the wide variety of configurations and arrangements of embodiments of the present invention the scope of the invention is reflected by the breadth of the claims below rather than narrowed by the embodiments described above.
This application claims priority to provisional patent application U.S. Ser. No. 61/946,526 filed on Feb. 28, 2014, the entire contents of which is herein incorporated by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61946526 | Feb 2014 | US |
