Patent Application
20230313505
The invention is related to rain barrels and the monitoring of water levels in rain barrels.
Rain barrels are generally used to collect rainwater that has fallen on a roof or other surface. Many homeowners like the idea of conserving fresh water and using rainwater for irrigation to place less demand on wells (or other water supplies) during drier periods. It is an environmentally friendly choice.
The following is a list of the benefits of rain barrels:
Save Money. A typical gardener can save as much as 1,300 gallons of water during the growing season. Landscape watering typically accounts for up to 40% of a homeowner's water use during the summer. Using a rain barrel for landscape and garden water needs can significantly reduce a user's water bill.
Reduce Runoff Pollution & Erosion. Runoff from rain picks up soil, oil, pesticides, fertilizers and other contaminates and pushes them to other areas. When these pollutants accumulate, they contribute to algae growth in lakes and alter habitats for fish and other aquatic wildlife which can also make lakes and oceans dangerous for humans and other mammals.
Promote Plant & Soil Health. Rainwater is better for landscaping because it's highly oxygenated and free of salts, fluoride, and inorganic ions. Use of rainwater in a garden also makes plants more drought tolerant.
Conserve Water. Storing rainwater can do a world of good for the environment. A rain barrel can provide an independent source of water in times of mild drought or watering restrictions. The average rainfall of one inch within a 24-hour period can produce more than 700 gallons of water that run off a typical home.
Rain barrels are a widely utilized strategy to mitigate stormwater at homes and in urban centers and towns across the United States. While rain barrels are a very cost effective and feasible option for most homes, they rely on property owners to properly operate and empty the rain barrel to ensure continuous water quality and quantity benefits.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,950,428 by Sly, “Automatic rain barrel” discloses an automatic rain barrel providing the ability to easily use a mix of rainwater and water from another source for tasks such as watering landscaping.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,739,817 by Griffin, et al., “Diverter and lid assembly for use with a rain barrel device and system” discloses a diverter for a rain barrel includes a scoop portion configured to fit within a gutter downspout, a rain barrel fitting portion configured to fluidly attach the scoop portion to the rain barrel, and a wing extending outwardly from the scoop portion to direct a flow of water in the gutter downspout towards the scoop portion.
U.S. Pat. No. 10,285,345 by Gong et al., Irrigation device and system, and method for using the same” discloses an irrigation device, including: a rain barrel; a water pump; a humidity detector; a permeable pipe; a control unit; a first valve; a second valve; a cleaning unit. The permeable pipe includes a plurality of circumferentially distributed bores. The rain barrel, the water pump, the first valve and the permeable pipe are connected sequentially. The humidity detector is adapted to detect a humidity of a green land.
This application discloses an autonomous Internet of Things (IoT) system to track the water level in the rain barrels; an automated smart release system to release water a) when the barrel is full; b) at preprogramed times or intervals; c) based on the time interval since rain collection, indicating a dry spell, and the need for plants to be watered; and/or d) based on weather forecasts. The system may also receive commands for the release of water remotely through a web page or mobile app.
The system may be powered by a small commercially available solar panel, or other compact power source, is highly portable and quickly assembled, installed, and connected. The invention allows users to develop a working knowledge of their water catchment and exert control over its release. The direct control over the device empowers users to take an active role in the controlled release of stormwater and the connectivity allows for convenient and time effective remote monitoring and control.
While the invention is described herein in the context of home use, the invention may be easily scaled for large scale farm and other commercial uses.
Accordingly, there is provided according to the invention a rain barrel water level monitor and control device comprising: a microcontroller, a power source connected to said microcontroller; a vertically oriented bar configured to extend into the interior of a rain barrel, a plurality of water level sensors arranged along said vertical oriented bar in electronic communication with said microcontroller, a solenoid-controlled drain valve in electronic communication with said microcontroller; a wireless communication module in electronic communication with said microcontroller and configured to communicate with a remote software client, said remote software client configured to present water level date to a user on a mobile app or web page and to receive user instructions via said mobile app or web page concerning water release from solenoid-controlled drain valve. According to various alternative embodiment the power source may be a solar cell, the plurality of water level sensors may be magnet activated reed switches, the solenoid-controlled drain valve may be in wireless communication with the microcontroller, and/or the microcontroller may be situated within a housing and the vertically oriented bar may be suspended from the housing.
According to further embodiments in combination with any one or more of the above embodiments, the microcontroller may be programmed or commanded to direct the solenoid-controlled drain valve to dispense water from the rain barrel according to a preset schedule, according to predetermined water levels, according to user command via said mobile app or web page, and/or according to weather forecasts.
The system as disclosed herein may be utilized in the manufacture of new rain barrels or be provided as retrofits for existing rain barrels to enhance water optimization and ensure effective stormwater utilization.
For a system to mitigate stormwater runoff, there must be sufficient room available in the tank to store future runoff events. A smart rain barrel monitor is presented here that provides an autonomous Internet of Things (IoT) system to track the water level in the rain barrels and make certain they have sufficient storage capacity either via automated alerts to remind the property owner/facility manager to drain the barrel(s) and/or via a fully automated smart release system. The cost effective and replicable devices according to the invention, provided as original equipment with new rain barrels or as retrofits for existing rain barrels, enhance water optimization and ensure effective stormwater utilization.
Referring to
According to a preferred embodiment illustrated in
While the detailed description above has been expressed in terms of specific examples, those skilled in the art will appreciate that many other configurations could be used. Accordingly, it will be appreciated that various equivalent modifications of the above-described embodiments may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63326888 | Apr 2022 | US |
