Patent Application
20190106863
The following includes information that may be useful in understanding the present disclosure. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art nor material to the presently described or claimed inventions, nor that any publication or document that is specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.
The present invention relates generally to the field of fluid receptacles and more specifically relates to a water storage receptacle.
An important element in any water collection system is the fluid tank used to store the collected water for later use. Conventional fluid tanks may be bulky, heavy, and cumbersome to handle. Additionally, fluid tanks may have fixed volumes, which may cause users to replace fluid tanks depending on changing needs. Finally, fluid tanks may not be aesthetically pleasing, increasing the difficulty of incorporating fluid tanks positioned within outdoor landscapes. Among the more commonly cited shortcomings of such units are that their large size wastes useful living space and that they disrupt the aesthetic harmony of their immediate surroundings. A suitable solution is desired.
U.S. Pub. No. 2010/0212755 to Scott A. Gear relates to water collection and dispersion system and functional landscape architecture. The described water collection and dispersion system and functional landscape architecture includes a water collection and dispersion system having one or a series of units including structures that can be assembled for holding a leak proof liner. The liner collects water, such as, rainwater from a downspout or grey water from a building. The units can be constructed to resemble outdoor furniture such as patio walls, seating, tables, and the like. The units can also be constructed to function as framework for structures such as garden sheds, garages, pergolas, and the like.
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known fluid receptacles art, the present disclosure provides a novel rain gathering and storing system. The general purpose of the present disclosure, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide an adaptable installation for multiple applications.
A rain gathering and storing system is disclosed herein. The rain gathering and storing system includes a housing having a top-portion, a bottom-portion, an inner volume, a first-drain, and a second-drain, and a water proof liner configured to contain water within the inner volume of the housing. The first-drain is proximate to the top-portion and the second-drain is proximate to the bottom-portion. In a preferred embodiment, bottom-portion may be sloped to direct the water to the second-drain. The water proof liner is able to be built-in to a form of the housing of the rain gathering and storing system which is configured for use in collecting the water. The water proof liner may be used for multiple applications with adaptable installation.
According to another embodiment, a method for collecting rain water is also disclosed herein. The method for collecting rain water includes providing a water proof liner, installing the water proof liner within a housing, collecting the rain water, and storing the rain water for use.
A kit is also disclosed herein including a set of instructions and a water proof liner to be applied to a housing per user preference.
For purposes of summarizing the invention, certain aspects, advantages, and novel features of the invention have been described herein. It is to be understood that not necessarily all such advantages may be achieved in accordance with any one particular embodiment of the invention. Thus, the invention may be embodied or carried out in a manner that achieves or optimizes one advantage or group of advantages as taught herein without necessarily achieving other advantages as may be taught or suggested herein. The features of the invention which are believed to be novel are particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of the specification. These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings and detailed description.
The figures which accompany the written portion of this specification illustrate embodiments and methods of use for the present disclosure, a rain gathering and storing system, constructed and operative according to the teachings of the present disclosure.
The various embodiments of the present invention will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the appended drawings, wherein like designations denote like elements.
As discussed above, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to fluid receptacles and more particularly to a rain gathering and storing system as used to improve the efficiency of water storage receptacles.
Generally, the present invention is a plastic or rubberized fabric tank liner that may be built in to planters, railings or standalone. A drain on bottom will allow a garden hose to be hooked up for watering. The adaptable design is adaptable to fit any house or garden while being a feature not an eye sore. The device may be made in varying sizes to fit all applications to collect rain water from down spout and store it until needed. The device may be built into planters, railings, gardens, under decks or under deck bench seats providing efficient use of space in a yard while remaining functional; the present invention provides functional aesthetics.
Referring now more specifically to the drawings by numerals of reference, there is shown in
The housing 110 may include a rigid, generally three-dimensional rectangular profile. The housing 110 is built around the water proof liner 130. The housing 110 may be elevated off a planar surface via a plurality of legs. The rain gathering and storing system 100 further comprises an overflow point located at the top-portion 112 of the device. The first-drain 118 is configured to drain water and prevent overflow when the water contained within the water proof liner 130 reaches the overflow point.
It should also be noted that the steps described in the method of use can be carried out in many different orders according to user preference. The use of “step of” should not be interpreted as “step for”, in the claims herein and is not intended to invoke the provisions of 35 U.S.C. § 112(f). It should also be noted that, under appropriate circumstances, considering such issues as design preference, user preferences, marketing preferences, cost, structural requirements, available materials, technological advances, etc., other methods for collecting rain water [NOTE: e.g., different step orders within above-mentioned list, elimination or addition of certain steps, including or excluding certain maintenance steps, etc.], are taught herein.
The embodiments of the invention described herein are exemplary and numerous modifications, variations and rearrangements can be readily envisioned to achieve substantially equivalent results, all of which are intended to be embraced within the spirit and scope of the invention. Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientist, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application.
