Rainwater tank, method of use of rainwater tank, and maintenance method of rainwater tank

Abstract

To provide a rainwater tank, a method of use of the rainwater tank, and a maintenance method of the rainwater tank, wherein the rainwater tank actively circulates water to sufficiently discharge debris, prevent stagnation of rainwater, and maintain clean rainwater in the rainwater tank.SOLUTION: A rainwater tank 1 that does not allow rainwater to stagnate includes a rainwater inlet 2 provided at an upper portion for collecting rainwater and a drain outlet 3a provided at a lower portion for discharging rainwater overflowing when the rainwater tank 1 is full together with debris. A drain pipe 5 is connected to the drain outlet 3a to drain rainwater to a downpipe 4a. A method of use of the rainwater tank 1 includes using a ball tap 7 to introduce tap water into the rainwater tank 1. A maintenance method of the rainwater tank 1 includes removing the drain pipe 5 from the downpipe 4a and using the drain pipe 5 as a downward drain hose from the drain outlet 3a to discharge water in the rainwater tank 1 together with debris.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a rainwater tank, a method for using a rainwater tank, and a method for maintaining a rainwater tank. [Background technology]

[0002] Rainwater tanks that collect rainwater from an inlet into the tank and discharge overflowing rainwater when the tank is full are well known (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 to 3).

[0003] Patent Document 1 states, "We will now explain the operation of the rainwater tank of the present invention, which is configured as described above. Rainwater that flows down from the eaves gutter 6 into the downspout 7 due to precipitation flows from the upper downspout 7a, which is divided into the upper and lower parts of the downspout 7, through the guide pipe 8, into the rainwater storage chamber 5, where it is stored. Then, when the amount of rainwater flowing into the rainwater storage chamber 5 increases and the water level rises to the position below the open end 9a of the drainage pipe 9, causing an overflow, the rainwater that has flowed into the lower chamber 5 flows into the drainage pipe 9 from the open end 9a of the drainage pipe 9, flows into the lower downspout 7b, and is drained. This flow of rainwater is repeated thereafter." (Paragraph

[0011] )

[0004] Patent Document 2 states, "Furthermore, by connecting the overflow pipe 21 directly to the same downspout 1 as the drain pipe 13 or via partway through the drain pipe 13, the rainwater 2 discharged from the overflow pipe 21 can be prevented from clogging with sediment discharged from the drain pipe 13. In other words, the water pressure of the rainwater 2 discharged from the overflow pipe 21 causes sediment in the downspout 1 or partway through the drain pipe 13 to be discharged together with the rainwater 2 discharged from the overflow pipe 21. Therefore, by connecting the overflow pipe 21 to the downspout 1 in the same way as the drain pipe 14, it is possible to more reliably discharge sediment." (Paragraph

[0033] )

[0005] Patent Document 3 states, "Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 6, the branch section 5a may be configured so that all rainwater that flows from the eaves gutter 4 into the downspout 5 flows into the rainwater channel pipe 8, and when the rainwater tank 7 reaches a predetermined water storage capacity, the stored water overflows from the end of the rainwater channel pipe 8 on the branch section 5a side and flows down to the lower end of the downspout 5." (Paragraph

[0027] ) [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-109138 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-84939 [Patent Document 3] Utility Model Registration No. 3170060 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] Conventional rainwater tanks that do not retain rainwater, such as those described above, discharge overflowing rainwater from the top, which has the problem of not being able to adequately discharge garbage, particularly from the middle and lower levels of the tank.

[0008] To provide a rainwater tank that can actively circulate water to sufficiently discharge all garbage from the entire rainwater tank, prevent rainwater from stagnating, and keep the rainwater stored in the tank clean. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention employs the following means. (1) A rainwater tank that does not allow rainwater to stagnate, having a rainwater inlet at the top to collect rainwater, and a drain outlet at the bottom to discharge overflowing rainwater together with garbage when the rainwater tank is full, and a drain pipe connected to the drain outlet to drain the rainwater into a downspout. (2) The rainwater tank of (1) above, wherein the rainwater tank is divided into a tank body for storing rainwater and a lid, and the rainwater inlet is provided at the top of the tank body. (3) A rainwater tank according to (2), in which the tank body and a ball tap including a float and a tap water supply section are integrated with a ball tap fixing member. (4) A method of using a rainwater tank according to any one of (1) to (3), in which a ball tap is used to allow tap water to flow into the rainwater tank, and the pH in the rainwater tank is brought closer to the tap water quality standard value by replenishing the tap water. (5) A rainwater tank according to any one of (1) to (3), wherein the lower part of the rainwater tank is formed in the shape of a triangular funnel having a bottom, and the drain outlet is provided at the bottom of the triangular funnel. (6) A rainwater tank as described in (5) above, in which the triangular funnel-shaped bottom is sloped so that the drain outlet side is lower. (7) A rainwater tank according to any one of (1) to (3), (5) and (6), wherein a water outlet for domestic use is provided at the bottom of the rainwater tank. (8) A method for maintaining a rainwater tank according to any one of (1) to (3) and (5) to (7), comprising removing the drain pipe detachably connected to the downspout from the downspout and using the drain pipe as a drain hose pointing downward from the drain outlet, thereby draining the water in the rainwater tank together with garbage, and then discharging the garbage adhering to the inner wall surface and bottom surface of the rainwater tank from the drain hose using tap water flowing in using a ball tap or rainwater flowing in from the rainwater inlet. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] The present invention has the effect of maintaining clean rainwater in the rainwater tank by discharging overflowing rainwater together with garbage from the bottom of the rainwater tank and actively circulating the water. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1]1 is a schematic diagram (cross-sectional view) of a rainwater tank according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1A and 1B are a side view and a front view of a rainwater tank according to one embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] A rainwater tank according to one embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as "this embodiment") will be described with reference to FIGS. This embodiment is a rainwater tank 1 that does not allow rainwater to stagnate, and has a rainwater inlet 2 at the top to collect rainwater, and a drain outlet 3a at the bottom to discharge rainwater that overflows when the rainwater tank 1 is full, along with garbage, and a drain pipe 5 connected to the drain outlet 3a to drain the rainwater into a vertical gutter 4a.

[0013] The rainwater tank 1 is preferably divided into a tank body 1a for storing rainwater and a lid 1b, with the rainwater inlet 2 provided at the top of the tank body 1a. The rainwater inlet 2 is preferably connected to a vertical gutter 4b (water collection section) via a rainwater inlet pipe 6 to collect rainwater. It is preferable to provide multiple rainwater inlets 2 on the left and right sides of the top of the tank body 1a, which allows rainwater to be collected from various directions and increases the flexibility of installation. Unused rainwater inlets 2 should be blocked. The rainwater inlet 2 and a part of the rainwater inlet pipe 6 can be built into the cover portion 1b.

[0014] It is preferable that the drain pipe 5 is connected to the drain outlet 3a almost horizontally, and is provided so as to rise upward from the middle, and is connected to the vertical gutter 4a (drainage portion) at the top of the rising drain pipe 5, so that overflowing rainwater is returned to the vertical gutter 4a for water circulation. With this configuration, rainwater can be discharged more efficiently together with garbage. The drain pipe 5 and the vertical gutter 4a are preferably connected by a pipe with a horizontal portion, which is detachable. By positioning the connection between the drain pipe 5 and the vertical gutter 4a at a position lower than the rainwater overflow position on the top surface of the tank body 1a (the position where rainwater overflows from the opening on the top surface of the tank body 1a), when the tank body 1a is full, overflowing rainwater can be discharged from the drain outlet 3a at the bottom of the tank body 1a through the drain pipe 5 into the vertical gutter 4a. Note that the upper part of the drain pipe 5 is preferably connected to the atmosphere to prevent the water in the tank body 1a from running out.

[0015] It is preferable to provide a ball tap 7 for replenishing tap water to the rainwater tank 1. In this case, the tank body 1a and the ball tap 7 including the float ball 7a and tap water supply portion 7b are integrated by connecting the tap water supply portion 7b to a ball tap fixing member 7c erected on the top surface of the tank body 1a, as shown in Figure 1, for example. When the water level in the rainwater tank 1 decreases and the float ball 7a descends to a predetermined position, the water supply valve provided in the tap water supply section 7b opens, allowing tap water to flow in through an opening on the top surface of the tank body 1a, and when the float ball 7a rises to another predetermined position, the water supply valve closes, stopping the inflow of tap water.

[0016] Cross-connection can be avoided by fixing the tank body 1a and ball tap 7 with a ball tap fixing member 7c in a position where there is sufficient space for the outlet between the tap water supply position and the rainwater overflow position on the top surface of the tank body 1a.

[0017] Another embodiment of the present invention is a method of using a rainwater tank, in which a ball tap 7 is used to replenish tap water into the rainwater tank 1, and by replenishing the tap water, the pH in the rainwater tank is brought closer to the tap water quality standard value. By bringing the pH in the rainwater tank 1 closer to the standard value for tap water quality, the rainwater becomes of a quality that is more suitable for use as domestic water.

[0018] When tap water is replenished, it is possible to raise the water quality in the rainwater tank 1 to a pH of 7, which is close to neutral. An example of this is shown in Table 1 below.

[0019] [Table 1]

[0020] As shown in Table 1, by adding tap water and raising the water quality in the rainwater tank 1 to pH 7, the Langelier index is improved and the impact on household equipment can be reduced.

[0021] In this embodiment, it is preferable that the lower part of the tank body 1a of the rainwater tank 1 is formed in the shape of a triangular funnel having a bottom 1c, and that the triangular funnel-shaped bottom 1c is provided with a drain outlet 3a. Here, "triangular funnel-shaped with a bottom" means that, like a normal triangular funnel, it has a hole (drain outlet 3a) at the bottom to allow liquid to flow down, but it also has a bottom 1c in addition to the hole. Specifically, "triangular funnel-shaped bottom" means a cone or pyramid-shaped cross section that forms a downwardly convex triangle, as shown in Figure 2, and the apex of the cone or pyramid forms a bottom 1c with a certain width. By forming the lower portion 1c of the tank body 1a in a triangular funnel shape, the settled garbage can be collected in a small area of ​​the tank body 1a, improving the drainage efficiency.

[0022] As shown in Figure 2, it is preferable to provide a drain outlet 3a at one end of the triangular funnel-shaped bottom 1c. In this case, drainage efficiency can be improved by sloping the triangular funnel-shaped bottom 1c so that the drain outlet 3a side is lower. Providing the drain outlet 3a at one end makes it easier to connect the drain pipe 5, but the drain outlet 3a need only be provided on the triangular funnel-shaped bottom 1c and is not limited to the position shown in Figure 2.

[0023] In this embodiment, a domestic water outlet 3b is provided at the bottom of the tank body 1a of the rainwater tank 1. The domestic water outlet 3b may be provided, for example, on the side of the bottom of the tank body 1a above the drain outlet 3a, and rainwater taken out from the domestic water outlet 3b passes through piping 8 and can be used as domestic water for flushing the toilet, etc. In addition to the domestic water outlet 3b, it is preferable to provide a gardening watering faucet 3c on the opposite side to the drain outlet 3a.

[0024] Yet another embodiment of the present invention is a method for maintaining a rainwater tank, in which the drain pipe 5 detachably connected to the vertical gutter 4a (drainage portion) is removed from the vertical gutter 4a (drainage portion) and the drain pipe 5 is used as a drain hose pointing downward from the drain outlet 3a, thereby draining the water inside the tank body 1a of the rainwater tank 1 together with garbage, and then discharging the garbage adhering to the inner wall surface and bottom surface of the tank body 1a from the drain hose using the ball tap 7 with tap water flowing in or rainwater flowing in from the rainwater inlet 2.

[0025] In this embodiment, the drain pipe 5 is detachably connected to the downspout 4a (drainage portion). During maintenance of the rainwater tank, the drain pipe 5, which flows from the drain outlet 3a (see FIG. 1) in the triangular funnel-shaped bottom 1c of the tank body 1a through the drain pipe 5 and into the downspout 4a, can be removed from the downspout 4a and used as a drain hose pointing downward from the drain outlet 3a. This allows all the water in the tank body 1a to be drained, along with the main debris inside the tank body 1a. However, debris often remains on the inner walls and bottom of the tank body 1a. It is preferable to collect this debris in the triangular funnel-shaped bottom 1c using the ball tap 7 or rainwater flowing in from the rainwater inlet 2 and then discharge it through the drain hose. Once the garbage has been completely discharged, the drain pipe 5 and the downspout 4a (drainage section) are reconnected, the rainwater tank 1 is returned to its normal state, and the circulation of rainwater is resumed. [Industrial Applicability]

[0026] By using the rainwater tank of the present invention, rainwater can be used as water for daily life, and therefore the industrial applicability is high. [Explanation of symbols]

[0027] 1. Rainwater tank 1a Tank body 1b Lid 1c bottom 2 Rainwater inlet 3a Drain 3b Domestic water outlet 3c Gardening watering faucet 4a Downspout (drainage part) 4b Downspout (water collection part) 5 Drain pipe 6 Rainwater inflow pipe 7 Ball Tap 7a Floating ball 7b Tap water supply section 7c Ball tap fixing member 8 Piping

Claims

1. This rainwater tank does not allow rainwater to stagnate, and is provided with a rainwater inlet at the top for collecting rainwater, and a drain outlet at the bottom for discharging rainwater that overflows when the rainwater tank is full together with garbage, and a drain pipe for discharging the rainwater into a downspout is connected to the drain outlet.

2. 2. The rainwater tank according to claim 1, wherein the rainwater tank is divided into a tank body for storing rainwater and a lid, and the rainwater inlet is provided on an upper part of the tank body.

3. 3. The rainwater tank according to claim 2, wherein the tank body and the ball tap including the float ball and the tap water supply section are integrated with a ball tap fixing member.

4. A method of using a rainwater tank as described in claim 1, comprising using a ball tap to allow tap water to flow into the rainwater tank, and replenishing the tap water to bring the pH in the rainwater tank closer to the tap water quality standard value.

5. 2. The rainwater tank according to claim 1, wherein the lower part of the rainwater tank is formed in a triangular funnel shape having a bottom, and the drain outlet is provided in the bottom of the triangular funnel shape.

6. 6. The rainwater tank according to claim 5, wherein the triangular funnel-shaped bottom is inclined so that the drain outlet side is lower.

7. 2. The rainwater tank according to claim 1, wherein a water outlet for domestic use is provided at a lower portion of the rainwater tank.

8. A maintenance method for a rainwater tank according to any one of claims 1 to 3 and 5 to 7, comprising removing the drain pipe detachably connected to the downspout from the downspout and using the drain pipe as a drain hose pointing downward from the drain outlet, thereby draining the water in the rainwater tank together with debris, and then discharging debris adhering to the inner wall and bottom surfaces of the rainwater tank from the drain hose using tap water flowing in using a ball tap or rainwater flowing in from the rainwater inlet.

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