Patent Publication Number: US-11655625-B2

Title: Floodwater redistribution assembly

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Not Applicable 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
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     THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT 
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     INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC OR AS A TEXT FILE VIA THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM 
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     STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR JOINT INVENTOR 
     Not Applicable 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     (1) Field of the Invention 
     The disclosure relates to floodwater devices and more particularly pertains to a new floodwater device for routing floodwaters to a predetermined location for the purposes of irrigation and municipal water service. 
     (2) Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98 
     The prior art relates to floodwater devices including an underground water channel system that includes vertical shafts and a pumping station for pumping rain water into a municipal water service system. The prior art discloses a variety of flood water repository systems for storing flood waters for subsequent distribution to a predetermined location. Additionally, the prior art discloses a variety of rainwater collection systems for collecting and subsequently directing rain water to a predetermined location. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a subterranean vault that is positioned adjacent to a body of water known for periodic flooding. An inlet pipe is integrated into the subterranean vault to direct the water from the body of water into the subterranean vault. An outlet pipe is integrated into the subterranean vault to direct the water outwardly to a predetermined location for the purposes of irrigation and municipal water service. A ball valve is positioned within the subterranean vault to facilitate the water to flow into the outlet pipe. A ball valve control unit is coupled to the ball valve. The ball valve control unit is in remote communication with a remote control source and the ball valve control unit actuates the ball valve between an open position and a closed position. 
     There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
     The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S) 
       The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein: 
         FIG.  1    is a schematic view of a floodwater redistribution assembly according to an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG.  2    is a cutaway view of subterranean vault and ball valve of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG.  3    is a logic tree view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to  FIGS.  1  through  3    thereof, a new floodwater device embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral  10  will be described. 
     As best illustrated in  FIGS.  1  through  3   , the floodwater redistribution assembly  10  generally comprises a subterranean vault  12  that is positioned adjacent to a body of water  14  known to periodic flooding. The body of water  14  may be a river such as the Mississippi River, the Red River or any other river that is known to periodically flood and which has been known to cause a high degree of economic devastation. The subterranean vault  12  has an inlet  16  to direct water from the body of water  14  into the subterranean vault  12 . Additionally, the subterranean vault  12  has an outlet  18  to direct the water from the body of water  14  outwardly from the subterranean vault  12 . 
     The subterranean vault  12  has a lower wall  20 , an upper wall  22  and an outer wall  24  extending therebetween, and the outer wall  24  has a front side  26  and a back side  28 . The inlet  16  extends through the front side  26  and the outlet  18  extends through the back side  28 . The upper wall  22  has an entrance  30  extending into an interior of the subterranean vault  12  to facilitate a service worker to enter the subterranean vault  12 . The subterranean vault  12  includes a retaining wall  32  that is spaced from the front side  26  of the outer wall  24  to block water from the body of water  14 . Moreover, the retaining wall  32  has a height that is greater than the distance between the lower wall  20  and the upper wall  22  of the subterranean vault  12 . The subterranean vault  12  may be constructed of concrete, steel or other fluid impermeable material commonly employed in the construction of existing subterranean vaults. Additionally, the subterranean vault  12  may include structural features that are common to existing subterranean vaults, including a man hole, a man hole cover, a light, a ladder and other conventional structural elements. 
     An inlet pipe  34  is provided and the inlet pipe  34  is integrated into the subterranean vault  12 . Moreover, the inlet pipe  34  is in fluid communication with the body of water  14  to direct the water from the body of water  14  into the subterranean vault  12 . The inlet pipe  34  has an outlet end  36  that is positioned within the subterranean vault  12 . An outlet pipe  38  is provided and the outlet pipe  38  is integrated into the subterranean vault  12  to direct the water from the inlet pipe  34  outwardly from the subterranean vault  12 . 
     The outlet pipe  38  is in fluid communication with a predetermined location to direct the water to the predetermined location for the purposes of irrigation and municipal water service. Additionally, the outlet pipe  38  has an input end  40  that is positioned within the subterranean vault  12 . The predetermined location may be the desert southwest of the continental United States or other geographic location that is commonly arid and subject to regular drought. Each of the inlet pipe  34  and the outlet pipe  38  may be water pipes with a diameter ranging between approximately 48.0 inches and 144.0 inches. Additionally, the outlet pipe  38  may be in fluid communication with a network of distribution pipes that are strategically oriented for delivering the flood waters to a variety of different destinations that are situated within the predetermined location. 
     A ball valve  42  is provided and the ball valve  42  is positioned within the subterranean vault  12 . The ball valve  42  is in fluid communication with the inlet pipe  34  and the outlet pipe  38  such that the ball valve  42  receives the water from the inlet pipe  34 . The ball valve  42  is positionable in a closed position to inhibit the water from flowing into the outlet pipe  38 . Conversely, the ball valve  42  is positionable in an open position to facilitate the water to flow into the outlet pipe  38 . The ball valve  42  has an inlet  44  and an outlet  46 . The inlet  44  of the ball valve  42  is fluidly coupled to the outlet end  36  of the inlet pipe  34  and the outlet  46  of the ball valve  42  is fluidly coupled to the input end  40  of the outlet pipe  38 . 
     The ball valve  42  includes an actuation mechanism  48  that is integrated therein such that the actuation mechanism  48  is accessible to the service worker. The actuation mechanism  48  manipulates the ball valve  42  between the open position and the closed position. In this way the actuation mechanism  48  facilitates the service worker to manually manipulate the ball valve  42  between the open position and the closed position. The actuation mechanism  48  may include a lever, a gear box and a drive shaft or other mechanical elements that are common to manually operated ball valves. Additionally, the ball valve  42  may be a fluid ball valve that is commonly employed in the control of fluid flow. 
     A ball valve control unit  50  provided and the ball valve control unit  50  is coupled to the ball valve  42 . The ball valve control unit  50  is in mechanical communication with the ball valve  42  to control operation of the ball valve  42 . Additionally, the ball valve control unit  50  is in remote communication with a remote control source  52 . The remote control source  52  may be a centralized water control station that is occupied by a staff of water service personnel, such as a municipal water service facility or the like. The ball valve control unit  50  actuates the ball valve  42  between the open position and the closed position. 
     The ball valve control unit  50  comprises a control circuit  54  that is integrated into the ball valve control unit  50 . The control circuit  54  receives an open input and a close input. Additionally, the control circuit  54  is electrically coupled to a power source  56 . The power source  56  may comprise a municipal electrical grid or other type of extrinsic power supply system. As is most clearly shown in  FIG.  3   , the control circuit  54  may include an analog-digital converter, an electronic flash memory, a power control protector, a security authorization protolocation device, an EEPROM, a gate driver and any other electronic circuitry deemed necessary by electrical engineers to facilitate desired functionality of the control circuit  54 . 
     The ball valve control unit  50  includes a motor  58  that is integrated into the ball valve  42  such that the motor  58  is in mechanical communication with the ball valve  42 . The motor  58  rotates in a first direction for urging the ball valve  42  into the open position. Additionally, the motor  58  rotates in a second direction for urging the ball valve  42  into the closed position. The motor  58  is electrically coupled to the control circuit  54 . Moreover, the motor  58  rotates in the first direction when the control circuit  54  receives the open input and the motor  58  rotates in the second direction when the control circuit  54  receives the close input. The motor  58  may comprise an electric motor or other similar type of motor that is capable of manipulating the ball valve  42 . 
     The ball valve control unit  50  includes a transceiver  60  that is coupled to the entrance  30  of the subterranean vault  12  thereby facilitating the transceiver  60  to broadcast and receive an electromagnetic signal. The transceiver  60  is electrically coupled to the control circuit  54  and the transceiver  60  is in wireless communication with the remote control source  52 . In this way the transceiver  60  can receive operational commands from the remote control source  52 . The control circuit  54  receives the open input when the transceiver  60  receives an open command from the remote control source  52 . Additionally, the control circuit  54  receives the close input when the transceiver  60  receives a close command from the remote control source  52 . The transceiver  60  may comprise a radio frequency transceiver or the like. Moreover, the transceiver  60  may employ a WPAN signal and Bluetooth communication protocols. 
     The ball valve control unit  50  includes a pressure sensor  62  that is integrated into the inlet pipe  34  to sense pressure of the water in the inlet pipe  34 . The pressure sensor  62  is electrically coupled to the control circuit  54  and the control circuit  54  receives the open input when the pressure sensor  62  senses pressure that exceeds a predetermined threshold. In this way the pressure sensor  62  facilitates flood waters to flow through the ball valve  42 . Additionally, the control circuit  54  receives the close input when the pressure sensor  62  senses pressure that is below the predetermined threshold. In this way the pressure sensor  62  facilitates the ball valve  42  to inhibit normal water levels from flowing through the ball valve  42 . The pressure sensor  62  may comprise an electronic fluid pressure sensor or the like and the predetermined threshold may be a water pressure that is calibrated to correlate with water pressure associated with water levels in the body of water  14  that exceed known and established flood levels. 
     The ball valve control unit  50  includes a flow sensor  64  that is integrated into the outlet pipe  38  to sense the flow of water through the outlet pipe  38 . Additionally, the flow sensor  64  is electrically coupled to the control circuit  54 . The transceiver  60  communicates a flow verification signal to the remote control source  52  to alert service workers that the ball valve  42  is functioning normally. The flow sensor  64  may be an electronic fluid flow sensor or the like. 
     The ball valve control unit  50  includes a data port  66  that is integrated into the ball valve control unit  50  and the data port  66  is electrically coupled to the control circuit  54 . The data port  66  is electrically coupled to a data transmission conductor  68  thereby facilitating the control circuit  54  to receive data from the data transmission conductor  68 . The data port  66  may comprise an RS-232 port, an RS-485 port or any other data port commonly associated with data transmission systems that are integrated with computer systems. 
     The ball valve control unit  50  includes at least one battery  70  that is positioned within the subterranean vault  12  and the at least one battery  70  is electrically coupled to the control circuit  54 . The at least one battery  70  facilitates the control circuit  54  to receive operational voltage in the event of failure of the power source  56  to which the control circuit  54  is electrically coupled. In this way the at least one battery  70  facilitates continuous operation of the control circuit  54  in an emergency situation.  FIG.  1    shows all of the possible components of circuitry and function of the ball valve control unit  50 .  FIG.  3    displays a logic tree that explains the functionality of the ball valve control unit  50  and the various decision making processes that are associated with opening and closing the ball valve  42  for controlling the flood waters. 
     In use, a plurality of the subterranean vault  12 , the ball valve  42  and the ball valve control unit  50  may be provided and be located at strategic locations along an entire length of the body of water  14 . The ball valve  42  is opened when the pressure sensor  62  senses that the water pressure in the inlet pipe  34  has exceeded the pressure associated with flood levels of water in the body of water  14 . In this way the flood waters are directed into the output pipe for subsequent distribution to the predetermined location. In this way the desert southwest of the United States can benefit from an overabundance of water in the Midwest of the United States in the event that the Mississippi river is flooding, for example. Moreover, the Midwest of the United States is protected from economic devastation and property damage that is associated with flooding. The ball valve  42  is closed when the pressure sensor  62  no longer senses that the water pressure in the inlet pipe  34  exceeds the pressure associated with flood levels of water in the body of water  14 . In this way the water level in the body of water  14  is continuously maintained at a level that is most beneficial for the health of the body of water  14  and the for the health and safety of communities that are located near the body of water  14 . 
     With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.