Subassembly for a water storage tank and having an integrated leak-free interface with the water storage tank

Abstract

A subassembly (200) for and combined with a water storage tank (202). The subassembly (200) includes a barrel-shaped portion (206), a seal (214), and a pump device (32). The barrel-shaped portion (206) defines an inner cavity (212) and an outer wall (208), and extends through a hole in the top of the water storage tank (202). The seal (214) is provided at the top of the barrel-shaped portion (202) and enables a leak-free seal between the outer wall (208) of the barrel-shaped portion (206) and the water storage tank (202). The pump device (32) is located at the lowest part of the barrel-shaped portion (206).

Description

[0001] Cross - reference to related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to U.S. Patent Application No. 63 / 043,285, filed on June 24, 2020, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure generally relates to water storage tanks, for example, for recreational vehicles and trailers. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a sub - assembly for a water storage tank that is adapted to cooperate with a water storage tank at a leak - free interface. The present disclosure also more specifically relates to a water storage tank having such a sub - assembly. Background Art

[0004] The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and do not constitute prior art.

[0005] The co - assigned U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 15 / 968,132 relates to a wastewater management system for a recreational vehicle (RV) or a trailer. For example, the wastewater management system may include a "blackwater" tank for containing semi - solid human excreta, a "grey water" tank for containing wastewater from sinks and showers, and a "flushwater" tank. The wastewater management system of U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 15 / 968,132 may be applicable to boats and other vehicles.

[0006] The water storage tanks of wastewater management systems (including but not limited to those shown and described in U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 15 / 968,132) are typically constructed, for example, by blow - molding or rotational molding. It is highly desirable that the pumps and other sub - components of such water storage tanks be connected to the water storage tank in a leak - free manner.

[0007] Although known water storage tanks may have proven successful for their intended purposes, there is still a continuing need for improvement in the relevant art. Summary of the Invention

[0008] According to a particular aspect, the present teachings provide a sub - assembly for and in combination with a water storage tank. The sub - assembly includes a barrel portion, a seal, and a pump assembly. The barrel portion defines an inner cavity and an outer wall and extends through an aperture in the top of the water storage tank. The seal is disposed at the top of the barrel portion and enables a leak - free seal between the outer wall of the barrel portion and the water storage tank. The pump assembly is located at the lowest part of the barrel portion.

[0009] Regarding another specific aspect, the present teachings provide a storage tank for a wastewater management system. The storage tank includes an internal space for containing fluid, an opening at the top of the storage tank, a barrel portion, an inflow pipe, an outflow pipe, a seal, and a pump assembly. The barrel portion extends through the opening at the top of the storage tank. The inflow pipe disperses the incoming fluid into the internal space of the storage tank. The outflow pipe discharges the outgoing fluid from the storage tank. The seal is provided at the top of the barrel portion and enables a leak-free seal between the outer wall of the barrel portion and the storage tank. The pump assembly is located at the lowest part of the barrel portion for pumping the fluid out of the storage tank. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way.

[0011] Figure 1 is a partial exploded view of a storage tank assembly that includes a subassembly having a leak-free interface with the storage tank according to the present teachings.

[0012] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the long side of the storage tank with the subassembly shown as assembled and integrated within the storage tank.

[0013] Figure 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view further showing the top of the subassembly and the seal that defines the leak-free interface, where the tank interface of the present teachings is in the assembled position.

[0014] Figure 4 is a top view of a storage tank assembly incorporating the subassembly of the present teachings.

[0015] Figure 5 is an exploded view of the subassembly of the present teachings.

[0016] Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of the long side of the subassembly of the present teachings.

[0017] Figure 7 is another cross-sectional view of the subassembly of the present teachings that details the pump assembly.

[0018] Figure 8 is a top view of the subassembly of the present teachings.

[0019] Figure 9 is a top view of another version of the subassembly according to the present teachings having a leak-free interface between the subassembly and the storage tank.

[0020] Figure 10 is Figure 8 a cross-sectional view of the subassembly of

[0021] Figure 11is a high-level block diagram of an exemplary system incorporating one or more storage tanks having sub-assemblies with leak-free interfaces to the storage tanks in accordance with the present teachings. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] The following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure, application, or uses. It should be understood that throughout the drawings, corresponding reference numerals indicate like or corresponding parts and features.

[0023] Generally referring to the drawings, a sub-assembly of a storage tank adapted to provide a leak-free interface to a storage tank in accordance with the present teachings is shown and generally identified by reference numeral 200. An exemplary storage tank is shown and generally identified by reference numeral 202.

[0024] Before detailing the sub-assembly 200 of the present teachings, it is necessary to understand the exemplary usage environment. Referring to Figure 11 a high-level block diagram, the sub-assembly 200 can be used with storage tanks 12, 14, 16 of a wastewater management system 10, for example, as shown and described in co-assigned U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 15 / 968,132. When an RV equipped with a wastewater management system such as system 10 begins to travel, the fresh water tank 16 may be substantially or completely full. The black water tank 12 and the gray water tank 14 may be substantially or completely empty. The system 10 can include level sensors 30 (as shown as 30A, 30B, and 30C in Figure 11 for sensing the levels in the storage tanks 12, 14, and 16), as well as various pumps 32 for pumping liquid out of the respective storage tanks and various valves for directing the liquid flow through various pipes. Additionally, the system 10 includes a control unit 36 for controlling the management of wastewater and liquid flow within the system 10 and for emptying the wastewater tanks 18 and 20, as well as for other functions.

[0025] For example, kitchen wastewater 18 from a kitchen sink and bathroom wastewater 20 can be collected and stored in the gray water tank 14. The gray water in the gray water tank 14 can be used to flush the toilet 22 in response to a user's flush request. The gray flush water is delivered through a pipe 64 to a filter 62. The filter 62 filters solids from the gray water to produce toilet flush water that is visually acceptable to the user. The filtered gray flush water is delivered through a pipe 65 to the toilet 22 for flushing.

[0026] The solids collected by the filter 62 can be periodically delivered to the black water tank 12 through a pipe 66. The filter 62 is also capable of implementing a gray water mixing cycle through a gray water mixing nozzle 80 to more evenly distribute the gray water and an additive from an additive subsystem 54 to treat the gray water while flushing the filter media of the filter 62. In this regard, another pipe 69 extends from the filter 62 to the gray water tank 14.

[0027] A hose or pipe 72 may extend between the black water tank 12 and the sewage system. The pipe 72 may be associated with a valve 26 and a pump 32. The valve 26 of the black water storage tank 12 may have a closed mixing circuit through the black water mixing pipe 71 and the black water mixing nozzle 82. Mixing of the black water is preferred to avoid sedimentation of the black water in the tank.

[0028] The black water tank 12 and the gray water tank 14 may be emptied periodically. For example, such emptying of the black water tank 12 may be required when the black water tank 12 has reached its capacity or when the RV journey has been completed. In response to a user input, the controller 38 may operate to open the valve 26 associated with the pipe 72, thereby providing fluid communication between the black water and the sewage system. After the black water tank 12 is emptied, the gray water pump 32 on the pipe 64 pumps the gray water through the cleaning nozzle 204 into the black water tank 12 to flush the inner wall of the black water tank 12 and empty the gray water tank 14. Then the gray water will flow from the black water tank 12 through the pipe 72 to the sewage system.

[0029] Another example of RV wastewater management is more general and can be much simpler. An RV wastewater management system typically should include a first water storage structure defined by the black water storage tank 12, a second water storage structure defined by the fresh water storage tank 16, and optionally a third water storage structure defined by the gray water storage tank 14. Additionally, an RV wastewater management system may include manually or electrically operated valves, pipes for conveying various fluids, and pumps or drain fittings for emptying the storage tanks. The subassembly 200 may be included in such an exemplary RV wastewater system. The subassembly 200 is typically connected to a storage tank 202, where the storage tank 202 may be, for example Figure 11 the black water tank 12 depicted in

[0030] In connection with the storage tank 202 and with specific reference to Figure 6 and Figure 1 the subassembly 200 is further described. The subassembly 200 generally may include: a generally barrel-shaped portion 206 having an outer wall 208 and an inner wall 210 that defines a cavity 212 having an open top; a seal 214 located at the top of the barrel-shaped portion 206 that surrounds the open top of the cavity 212; and one or more openings that allow connection to other storage tank-related components such as the pump 32, the level sensor 30, the additive nozzle 216, the cleaning nozzle 204, the main inlet nozzle 218, the outlet nozzle 220, the drain fitting 222, and the pump cup 224, etc. This list should be understood to be non-exhaustive, as the subassembly 200 may more generally include only a subset of these components and may also provide an interface for other components not listed here.

[0031] Seal 214 provides a leak-free interface between subassembly 200 and water storage tank 202 to contain fluid within water storage tank 202. Seal 214 may preferably be made of an elastomeric polymer and may be manufactured in the form of an O-ring as shown in Figure 3 and Figure 6 . The leak-free interface prevents fluid from leaking out of water storage tank 202 due to overfill or due to fluid sloshing within water storage tank 202. Sloshing may be caused by, for example, vibrations or sudden changes in speed and / or acceleration due to driving conditions while the RV is in motion. Fluid leakage from the water storage tank is generally unpleasant, malodorous, and can typically damage other systems of the RV.

[0032] It should also be generally understood that water storage tanks of an RV wastewater management system (such as water storage tank 202 generally shown in the figures) have a large number of connectors and interfaces on each water storage tank structure to appropriately distribute the various wastewater system fluids. Since all components need to be separately assembled onto the water storage tank structure on the production line, and these water storage tanks typically have a large volume (possibly over 200 L), traditional wastewater water storage tank designs with numerous openings often present manufacturing and assembly difficulties. Therefore, it is desirable to increase production efficiency by pre-assembling components on smaller, common interface parts (such as subassembly 200 described in this teaching). For example, the volume of subassembly 200 of this teaching may be approximately 5 L, which makes it easier and more efficient to connect subassembly 200 to other wastewater system components on the production line than to assemble water storage tank 202 on the same production line. Thus, it is advantageous that the smaller-sized subassembly 200 can act as an intermediate interface part between the necessary wastewater component system with a large number of interfaces and water storage tank 202.

[0033] Subassembly 200 exhibits additional manufacturing advantages by minimizing processing steps during the production process. Wastewater water storage tanks are typically made of plastic and are produced by blow molding or rotational molding. Blow molding and rotational molding are not particularly suitable for the integration of connectors because they generally require, for example, one or more secondary production steps to open holes, manufacture threads, and perform smoothing. Therefore, for traditional techniques, it is desirable to minimize the number of water storage tank connectors to correspondingly reduce the number of secondary production steps. For traditional water storage tanks, there may be at least 8 - 10 parts that need to be installed on the water storage tank structure through several different connectors. Subassembly 200 of this teaching has a single connector to water storage tank 202, which significantly reduces the production steps required.

[0034] Water storage tanks made by blow molding or rotational molding usually have large dimensional tolerances, which creates a risk of leakage between the water storage tank and the installed components. Each opening in the water storage tank creates a potential leakage path, so it is desirable to minimize the number of openings to prevent possible leakage at the connection points. Factors such as high operating temperature, long service time, and severe vibrations caused by driving increase the risk of wastewater leakage. The pump and the associated output pipe are usually located at the lowest point of the water storage tank so that the water storage tank can be completely emptied during discharge. The connection between the pump and the water storage tank and other connections between the water storage tank and other sub-components are known in the art to have a high risk of leakage. When leakage occurs at the lowest point of the water storage tank, a water storage tank that may be filled with approximately 200 liters of wastewater may be emptied due to the leakage of wastewater into the vehicle. This leakage effect can cause irreparable damage to the RV.

[0035] This teaching provides a device that keeps the pump 32 and the outflow pipe 228 at the lowest point in the water storage tank 202 so that the water storage tank can be completely emptied during discharge, while keeping the seal 214 between the water storage tank 202 and the sub-assembly 200, at the highest point of the water storage tank 202. In the case of wastewater leakage between the sub-assembly 200 and the pump 32 or the outflow pipe 228, the wastewater in the water storage tank 202 will leak into the inner cavity 212 of the barrel portion 206. Since the seal 214 is at the highest part of the barrel portion 202 (see specifically Figure 3 ), the wastewater will never leak outside the wastewater assembly of the water storage tank 202 and the sub-assembly 200. Therefore, this teaching prevents the RV from suffering irreparable damage due to wastewater leakage.

[0036] Repair of any component of the water storage tank assembly due to damage or loss of function is very common in the RV industry and in most cases must be performed by a trained repair engineer. Therefore, the associated service costs are high, so it is preferable to design the water storage tank assembly for easy repair. Since these water storage tank assemblies are usually located under the RV floor, it is difficult to access the water storage tank and all its sub-components. In most cases, there is a hatch on the floor to access the water storage tank assembly from the top. Nevertheless, these components are not installed vertically; instead, most of them are installed horizontally, which makes repair particularly difficult. In some cases, the water storage tank is also filled with wastewater, which is even more inconvenient. All these reasons result in an increase in the man-hours associated with repair. This teaching provides a significant improvement in terms of applicability. The sub-assembly 200 is assembled along the Figure 1 vertical direction of the sub-assembly installation direction arrow 230 in Figure 4In [the figure], the sub-assembly 200 is shown as being fully installed into the water storage tank 202 from the top. Even when the water storage tank is still full of waste water, the sub-assembly 200 can still be removed because there will be no path for the waste water to leak out of the water storage tank 202. The sub-assembly 200 is sealed to the water storage tank 202 by a single large seal 214 installed in the vertical direction and a plurality of screws 232.

[0037] In an emergency, or before long-term storage, it may be necessary to completely empty the various water storage tanks of the RV. Currently known water storage tanks in the art have manually operable valves on the outside of the water storage tank. Opening this valve can be a messy job because waste will immediately flow out of the water storage tank. As Figure 10 shown, the sub-assembly 200 of the present teaching has a manual drain 222 that opens a drain path 234 outside the water storage tank 202. The drain can be operated from the inside of the sub-assembly 200 by rotating a drain knob 236. The drain knob is sealed to the barrel portion 206 by a radial seal 238, which can be an O-ring. The drain knob 236 is equipped with an internal screw thread 240 corresponding to the external screw thread 242 of a drain piston 244. The drain piston is equipped with a drain seal 246 that seals between the drain piston 244 and the drain path 234. Rotating the drain knob 236 clockwise or counterclockwise forces the piston 232 to move vertically between an open position 244A and a closed position 244B. In the closed position 244B, the emergency drain 222 is shut off from the water storage tank 202.

[0038] The pump used in the waste water management system of the RV can be, for example, a centrifugal pump, a diaphragm pump, or an impeller pump. In this particular embodiment of the present invention, a centrifugal pump is shown, but other pump types are not excluded from the present teaching. In a traditional waste water storage tank assembly, the pump is connected to the internal space of the water storage tank by a short pipe. Another advantage of the leak-free integrated water storage tank interface as shown in this embodiment is the integration of the pump 32 and the outflow pipe 228 into the barrel portion 206, which is specifically depicted in the Figure 7 cross-sectional view. Exemplary outflow arrows 248 show the direction of the outflow fluid driven by the motor 32 upward through the outflow pipe 228. The pump 32 has means including a motor 250 for driving a rotor 252, a motor housing 254 for protecting the motor, a rotor 252 for moving the liquid, a pump cup 224 for guiding the moving liquid from the pump inlet 256 to the outflow pipe 228, and a pump seal 258. Integrating these functions in the barrel portion 206 reduces the materials, required parts, and built-in space. It also eliminates the use of separate coupling parts that are known to reduce the flow diameter and thus reduce the pump efficiency.

[0039] Wastewater management systems, such as system 10, and its simplified versions have very different sizes of storage tanks. Since the storage tank is located under the vehicle floor, the shape of the storage tank depends to a large extent on the chassis and layout of the RV. Different layouts usually mean different shapes of the storage tank. The leak-free interface of the subassembly 200 of the present teachings provides an integrated overall solution for all sub-components that can be easily installed in any type of storage tank shape. Additionally, the barrel portion 202, generally shown in the figures, is designed such that the same parts can be used for the black water tank 12 and the gray water tank 14 of system 10. This improves the efficiency of engineering and manufacturing different RV layouts. It should be generally understood that in alternative embodiments, the storage tank 202 can have different shapes and still fall within the scope of the present teachings.

[0040] Reference will now be made specifically to Figure 5 and its general interface with Figure 11 wastewater management system 10 to further describe subassembly 200 and its respective openings. Subassembly 200 has three different fluid inlets and one fluid outlet. The first fluid inlet is the main inflow pipe 260, which receives black water from the toilet 22 through pipe 72 of the wastewater management system 10 and then disperses the black water into the storage tank 202 through the main inlet nozzle 218. The second fluid inlet is the cleaning nozzle 204, which receives gray water from the gray water tank 14 through pipe 66 and sprays the gray water around the inner wall of the storage tank 202. The third fluid inlet is the optional additive nozzle 216, which receives an additive from the additive subsystem 54 via a pump 32 (shown in Figure 11 by an optional dashed line) for treating the black water in the black water tank. One fluid outlet is the outlet nozzle 216, which receives the outflow fluid from the pump device 32 through the outflow pipe 228. It should be understood that subassembly 200 can be used in other wastewater management systems in addition to the exemplary wastewater management system 10. For example of variations, the fluid types, nozzle styles, and pipe orientations may be different in other wastewater management systems or in different storage tanks within a single wastewater management system.

[0041] Subassembly 200 is generally made of plastic (e.g., injection molded plastic). To further improve manufacturing and reduce the number of parts in the system, the parts of subassembly 200 can be molded as one piece. As generally depicted in the figures, the barrel portion 206, the main inflow pipe 260, and the outflow pipe 228 are preferably formed as one-piece plastic moldings.

[0042] The sub-component 200 is further described. The sub-component may include a liquid level sensor 30, which may be connected to a float arm 262 for sensing the fluid level in the storage tank 202. The liquid level sensor 30 can thus transfer the liquid level to the control unit for display on the display 50 to assist the operator in planning when to empty the storage tank 202. In a conventional storage tank, the float arm and the liquid level sensor require separate interfaces with the storage tank, but the sub-component 200 allows for simplified manufacturing and eliminates the need for a separate interface for the liquid level sensor 30.

[0043] Turning Figure 9 , a variant of the sub-component 200 is shown and is generally referred to as the sub-component 300. Given the similarity between the sub-component 200 and the sub-component 300, like reference numerals are used to identify like elements. The main difference between the sub-component 300 and the sub-component 200 is the incorporation of a filter 62 at the end of the outflow pipe 228 for filtering solids from the outflow fluid of the storage tank 202. The filter 62 of the sub-component 300 has two outlets, namely an outlet nozzle 220 and a smaller secondary outlet nozzle 302 for diverting the filtered fluid. The sub-component 300 also differs in that the inlet fluid nozzles do not have hose barb fittings, as they were described as having hose barb fittings in the sub-component 200. Thus, the sub-component 300 can support different attachments than the sub-component 200 for piping fluid into and out of the sub-component 300. The sub-component 300 is an exemplary alternative embodiment of the present teachings.

[0044] Thus, it can now be understood that the present teachings provide a sub-component 200 for a wastewater management system 10, where the sub-component 200 includes a number of interfaces and connectors for connecting to the storage tank structures 12, 14, and 16. Each storage tank can be equipped, for example, with all or a portion of a liquid level sensor 30, a main inlet nozzle 218, a cleaning nozzle 204, an additive nozzle 216, a pump 32, a filter 62, and an emergency drain 208. In a conventional storage tank, all components are individually mounted on the storage tank structure, resulting in low production efficiency, a high risk of leakage, a large impact from leakage, and difficult maintenance. The leak-free integrated storage tank interface provides a solution to all of these problems that occur in conventional storage tanks.

[0045] While specific details have been described, those skilled in the art will recognize that various modifications or variations can be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. One or more examples provided herein are for illustrative purposes only of various embodiments and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. While the sub-component 200 has been specifically described with respect to a wastewater management system, it should be understood that the present teachings are fully applicable to other applications. The specification and any claims should be interpreted liberally, except for the limitations necessary to account for the relevant prior art.

Claims

1. A water storage tank sub - assembly combined with a water storage tank, comprising: A barrel - shaped portion that extends through a hole in the top of the water storage tank and fills a part of the internal space of the water storage tank. The barrel - shaped portion has an outer wall that defines an inner cavity; A seal located at the top of the barrel - shaped portion, which provides a leak - free interface between the outer wall of the barrel - shaped portion and the hole of the water storage tank; And A pump device disposed in the inner cavity of the water storage tank and at the bottom of the inner cavity of the barrel - shaped portion; Wherein, the outer wall of the barrel - shaped portion has an inflow opening for inflowing fluid to enter the water storage tank and an outflow opening for outflowing fluid to flow out of the water storage tank; Wherein, the sub - assembly further includes an outflow pipe located in the barrel - shaped portion. The first end of the outflow pipe is configured to receive the outflow fluid pumped by the pump device from the outflow opening, and the second end of the outflow pipe is used to discharge the outflow fluid from the sub - assembly; and Wherein, the sub - assembly further includes an inflow pipe located in the barrel - shaped portion. The first end of the inflow pipe is connected to the inflow opening of the barrel - shaped portion and is configured to disperse the inflowing fluid into the internal space of the water storage tank, and the second end of the inflow pipe receives the inflowing fluid from outside the sub - assembly.

2. The water storage tank sub - assembly combined with the water storage tank according to claim 1, wherein, The seal is made of an elastic polymer.

3. The water storage tank sub-assembly according to claim 2, wherein, The seal is an O - ring.

4. The water storage tank subassembly according to claim 1, wherein, The second ends of the inflow pipe and the outflow pipe are within the inner cavity of the barrel - shaped portion.

5. The water storage tank subassembly according to claim 1, wherein, The barrel - shaped portion further includes a connector connected to an emergency drain, and the connector can be operated from the inside of the barrel - shaped portion.

6. The water storage tank subassembly according to claim 5, wherein, The connector is a stud that can be rotated to an open position to drain fluid.

7. The water storage tank subassembly according to claim 1, wherein, The barrel - shaped portion is made of an injection - molded polymer.

8. The water storage tank subassembly according to claim 7, wherein, The barrel - shaped portion, the outflow pipe, and the inflow pipe are manufactured as an integral plastic molded part.

9. The water storage tank subassembly according to claim 1, wherein, The sub - assembly further includes a cleaning nozzle for spraying a second inflowing fluid on the inner wall of the water storage tank.

10. The water storage tank sub-assembly according to claim 9, wherein, The sub - assembly further includes a mixing nozzle for dispersing a third inflowing fluid into the water storage tank.

11. The water storage tank subassembly according to claim 10, wherein, The second inflowing fluid is grey - water fluid, which is waste water fluid from sinks and showers, and the third inflowing fluid is a water treatment additive fluid.

12. The water storage tank sub - assembly according to claim 9, further comprising a floating arm. The outer wall of the barrel - shaped portion has a hole for connecting the floating arm to sense the liquid level in the water storage tank.

13. The water storage tank sub-assembly according to claim 12, wherein, The floating arm is connected to a liquid - level sensor, and the liquid - level sensor notifies a control unit about the liquid level of the liquid in the water storage tank. The liquid - level sensor is located in the inner cavity of the barrel - shaped portion.

14. The water storage tank subassembly according to claim 1, wherein, The sub - assembly further includes a filter for filtering solids from the outflow fluid of the water storage tank.

15. The water storage tank sub - assembly according to claim 1, wherein the pump device includes a pump for pumping fluid from the water storage tank and a pump cup for guiding water from the pump to the outflow pipe.

16. A water storage tank for a waste - water management system, comprising: An internal space mainly for containing fluid; A hole at the top of the water storage tank; A barrel-shaped portion that extends through a hole in the top of the water storage tank and fills a part of the internal space of the water storage tank, the barrel-shaped portion defining a lumen with an open top and an outer wall; An inflow pipe that extends through the open top of the barrel-shaped portion and is connected to an inflow nozzle for dispersing inflow fluid into the internal space of the water storage tank, An outflow pipe for discharging outflow fluid from the water storage tank, A seal located at the top of the barrel-shaped portion that provides a leak-free interface between the outer wall of the barrel-shaped portion and the hole in the water storage tank; And A pump device located at the bottom of the lumen of the barrel-shaped portion for pumping fluid out of the water storage tank, the pump device including an outflow pipe that extends through the open top of the barrel-shaped portion.

17. The water storage tank according to claim 16, wherein, The barrel-shaped portion, the outflow pipe, and the inflow pipe are manufactured as an integral plastic molded part.

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