Abstract:
A showering system comprising a first tank, a first and second pump, a water heater, a shower head, a shower base and a valve; wherein water for a shower is stored in the first tank from which it is pumped via the first pump through the water heater to the shower head whence from the water falls to the shower base and passes to the valve from which the water is either discharged to a sewer or pumped via the second pump back to the first tank.

Description:
CROSS-RELATED PATENT APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of an Australian Patent Application No. AU2010902354, filed May 28, 2010. The entire disclosure of this prior application is hereby incorporated by reference. 
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    This invention relates to a showering system, in particular a showering system in which the amount of water used can be limited to a pre-set maximum. 
       BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Water is becoming an increasingly scarce and valuable commodity. Unfortunately most domestic infrastructure and practices have evolved during times when water conservation was not a major issue and are often very wasteful of water. This is particularly the case with showering 
         [0004]    In a conventional showering scenario a person would first turn on the taps and wait until the water is at the correct temperature before entering. Then they would wash and rinse and then finally stand and luxuriate in the running water. Each of these stages, particularly the last, has the potential to wastefully consume vast amounts of water and also the energy required to heat it. 
         [0005]    The object of this invention is to provide a showering system that alleviates the above problems, or at least provides the public with a useful alternative. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    Therefore in one form of the invention there is proposed a showering system comprising a first tank, a first and second pump, a water heater, a shower head, a shower base and a valve; wherein water for a shower is stored in the first tank from which it is pumped via the first pump through the water heater to the shower head whence from the water falls to the shower base and passes to the valve from which the water is either discharged to a sewer or pumped via the second pump back to the first tank. 
         [0007]    Preferably the showering system further comprises a third pump and a second tank wherein the third pump can pump water from the first tank to the second tank. 
         [0008]    Advantageously a shower is conducted in a first, second and third stage; wherein during the first stage the water is returned from the valve to the first tank via the second pump; during the second stage the water is discharged from the valve to the sewer; and during the third stage the water is returned from the valve to the first tank via the second pump. 
         [0009]    Preferably the shower transitions from the second stage to the third stage when a preset volume of water has been pumped from the first tank. 
         [0010]    In preference the shower transitions from the first stage to the second stage: in response to an action from a user of the shower; when the water temperature reaches a preset level or when a preset time has elapsed 
         [0011]    Preferably at the completion of the shower the remaining water in the first tank is pumped to the second tank via the third pump. 
         [0012]    In a further embodiment the showering system further comprises a third tank in which water for the shower is stored; wherein water to the first pump can come from either the first tank or the third tank. 
         [0013]    Advantageously water may be taken simultaneously from the first tank by the third pump and from the third tank by the first pump 
         [0014]    Preferably the water returned from the valve to the first tank is sterilized. 
         [0015]    It should be noted that any one of the aspects mentioned above may include any of the features of any of the other aspects mentioned above and may include any of the features of any of the embodiments described below as appropriate. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0016]    The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate various implementations of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the advantages and principles of the invention. In the drawings: 
           [0017]      FIG. 1  is a schematic representation of a showering system according to a first embodiment of the invention; and 
           [0018]      FIG. 2  is a schematic representation of a showering system according to a second embodiment of the invention. 
         LIST OF COMPONENTS 
         [0000]    
         
           
             
                 10  showering system 
                 12  controller 
                 14  start/stop mechanism 
                 15  mode indicia 
                 16  shower head 
                 18  shower base 
                 20  water supply input 
                 21  main input valve 
                 22  reuse valve 
                 23  auxiliary input valve 
                 24  main output valve 
                 25  auxiliary output valve 
                 26  drain valve 
                 27  sewer output 
                 28  reuse output 
                 30  shower pump 
                 32  recycling pump 
                 34  reuse pump 
                 36  output pump 
                 40  main tank (first embodiment) 
                 41  main tank (second embodiment) 
                 42  auxilliary tank 
                 44  reuse tank 
                 50  instant hot water service 
                 52  recycling filter 
                 54  UV steriliser 
             
           
         
       
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0045]    The following detailed description of the invention refers to the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings and the following description to refer to the same and like parts. Dimensions of certain parts shown in the drawings may have been modified and/or exaggerated for the purposes of clarity or illustration. 
         [0046]    The showering system is designed to both reduce the amount of water consumed and reuse water where possible. This is done within the confines of a settable absolute maximum of water consumed whilst still allowing a person to enjoy an unlimited shower. 
         [0047]    Three separate strategies are combined to reduce the amount of water consumed. The first strategy is to recycle the start up water until it has reached the desired temperature and the person enters the shower. The second strategy is to limit the amount of water available during the wash and rinse stage and the final strategy is to recycle the water that is used during the ‘luxuriate’ stage, that is once a person is clean and are simply in the shower for the pleasure of it. By recycling water during the luxuriate stage the total amount of water used is finite, regardless of how long a person spends in the shower. 
         [0048]    A further strategy is employed to reduce the total amount of water used by a household; after the shower has been completed the water used in the luxuriate stage is pumped to a storage tank to be reused for purposes such as flushing a toilet, watering a garden or washing clothes. 
         [0049]    Referring now to the drawings,  FIG. 1  shows the general arrangement of the showering system  10  according to a first embodiment of the invention. 
         [0050]    As seen in  FIG. 1  the main components of the showering system  10  are controller  12 , main tank  40 , instant hot water service  50 , shower head  16 , shower base  18 , drain valve  26 , shower pump  30  for supplying water to the shower head  14  and recycling pump  32  for recycling the water back to the main tank  40 . 
         [0051]    The controller  12 , as its name implies, controls the operation of the showering system  10  via the pumps  30 ,  32 ,  34   36 , and valves  21 ,  22 ,  23 ,  24 ,  25  and  26  (connections not shown). The controller also monitors the levels of the tanks  40 ,  42  and  44  in order to change the state of the pumps and valves as appropriate. The controller  12  is implemented in a commercial Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) but could readily be implemented by other means. 
         [0052]    In preparation for use the main tank  40  is filled with fresh water from the water supply input  20  via the main input valve  21 . The main tank  40  initially holds 36 litres of water and this will be the maximum used during a shower. This amount is in line with government guidelines, but could readily be set to a different value. 
         [0053]    When a shower is initiated shower pump  30  pumps water from the main tank  40 , through the instant hot water service  50  and to the shower head  16 . The water reaching the shower base  18  is then diverted by the drain valve  26  away from sewer output  27  towards recycling pump  32  which returns the water to the main tank  40 . This recycling of water allows the water to reach the desired temperature without any wastage before a person begins washing. 
         [0054]    The next stage of the shower is initiated when a person enters the shower to wash and can be signaled to the controller  12  by a stop/start mechanism  14  which can be implemented by any suitable means such as a switch or breaking a light beam across the entrance to the shower. Alternatively, the next stage could be initiated in response to the water reaching a preset temperature or after a fixed time has elapsed. In this washing stage the drain valve  26  is set to allow the water reaching the shower base  18  to go to the sewer output  27 . This stage continues for up to 4 minutes, equating to 24 litres of water with the shower pump  30  running at 6 liters per minute. Towards the end of the 4 minute wash stage a timed countdown is used to alert the user via a mode indicia  15 , typically a buzzer, that the wash stage is about to finish 
         [0055]    The last stage of the shower is the luxuriating stage in which the user may simply stand and enjoy the shower. During this stage the drain valve  26  is set to return the water reaching the shower base  18  to the main tank  40  via recycling pump  3  and filter  52 . The remaining 12 litres of the original 36 litres of water in the main tank  40  will continue to recycle through the system as long as the user remains in the shower. No further water is used. The water being recycled will maintain approximately 40% of its heat, thus reducing the amount of energy required by the hot water service  50  to bring the water to the desired temperature. 
         [0056]    When a user has finished the shower, the remaining 12 litres of water is pumped by the reuse pump  34  from the main tank  40  via reuse valve  22  to the reuse tank  44 . Water from the reuse tank  44  can then be pumped out by output pump  36  when desired to be reused for purposes such as flushing a toilet, watering a garden or first wash in a washing machine. 
         [0057]    If a user finishes the shower before the luxuriating stage the shower pump  30  is stopped and the main tank  40  is filled from the water supply input  20  in preparation for the next shower. 
         [0058]    During the recycling stages the water is sterilized by an ultraviolet sterilizer  54  before returning to the main tank  40  to ensure hygiene and compliance with water storage regulations. 
         [0059]    In a second embodiment of the invention shown in  FIG. 2  the main tank T 1  is replaced by a smaller main tank  41  and an auxiliary tank  42 . This configuration allows a quicker turnaround time between two users. At the end of a shower utilizing the first embodiment a subsequent user could not begin their shower until the recycled water was pumped from the main tank  40  to the reuse tank  44 . 
         [0060]    Prior to showering the main tank  41  and the auxiliary tank  42  are both filled with 12 litres of fresh water from the water supply input  20  via solenoid main input valve  21  and auxiliary input valve  23 . During the startup and wash phases water is first used from the main tank  41  via main output valve  24 . When the main tank  41  is almost empty main output valve  24  is closed and auxiliary output valve  25  is opened so that water is used from the auxiliary tank  42 . Whilst the auxiliary tank  42  is being emptied, the main tank  41  is refilled. When the auxiliary tank  42  is emptied the luxuriating stage will commence with water being used from and recycled to the main tank  41  whilst the auxiliary tank  42  is refilled ready for the next user. At the completion of the first shower the recycled water is pumped from main tank  41  to the reuse tank  44 , meanwhile a second shower can be commenced using water from the auxiliary tank  42 . 
         [0061]    The reader will now appreciate the advantages of the present invention. A user is able to have a shower of any duration and only use a finite amount of water, some of which is made available for reuse. Energy is also saved in comparison to a conventional shower. 
         [0062]    Further advantages and improvements may very well be made to the present invention without deviating from its scope. Although the invention has been shown and described in what is conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope and spirit of the invention, which is not to be limited to the details disclosed herein but is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent devices and apparatus. Any discussion of the prior art throughout the specification should in no way be considered as an admission that such prior art is widely known or forms part of the common general knowledge in this field. 
         [0063]    In the summary of the invention, except where the context requires otherwise due to express language or necessary implication, the word “comprising” is used in the sense of “including”, i.e. the features specified may be associated with further features in various embodiments of the invention.