Pliable Rainwater Collection System with Gravity Feed Drainage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Obtaining clean drinking water in remote or wilderness areas is challenging due to the unsanitary nature of natural water sources, and existing water purification methods often involve chemical additives that users may not prefer.
Innovation Solution
A rainwater collection system comprising a pliable waterproof material with a collector pocket and a storage container that can be easily set up and storable, utilizing gravity feed drainage to collect and store rainwater or melted snow/ice for convenient use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If water purification tablets are used to purify natural water sources, then clean drinking water can be obtained, but chemical additives are introduced into the water supply
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts only the beneficial aspect of rainwater collection (providing clean water) while eliminating the harmful aspect of chemical purification. By collecting rainwater directly through the waterproof material, the system obtains clean water without needing chemical purification tablets, thus removing harmful chemicals from the water supply while maintaining reliability of clean water availability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention converts the potential harm of relying on natural water sources (which may be unsanitary) into benefit by collecting rainwater that naturally falls clean. Instead of purifying contaminated water with chemicals, the system captures precipitation directly, transforming the problem of water purification into a solution of direct collection, thereby eliminating chemical additives while ensuring clean water supply.
2Ease of operation
If a rainwater collection system is designed to be easily set up and storable, then convenience is improved, but the system must be portable and compact
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses a flexible waterproof material that can be folded and stored compactly when not in use. This thin film approach allows the collection system to be lightweight and portable while maintaining its functionality during setup and operation, resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and portability requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The collection system is designed as a segmented, modular structure where the waterproof material can be divided into manageable sections. This segmentation allows the system to be easily folded, stored, and transported in a compact form while remaining simple to set up and assemble when needed, addressing both convenience and portability concerns.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Provides a reliable and chemical-free source of clean water by collecting and storing rainwater or melted snow/ice, addressing the challenge of accessing clean drinking water in remote areas without introducing harmful chemicals.
Implementation Method 1
a pliable material positioned to create a gravity feed drainage so that at least a liquid and a solid that melts into a liquid travels downward with respect to gravity to a collector pocket
Data Source
AI summary
A system comprising a pliable material positioned to create a gravity feed drainage so that at least a liquid and a solid that melts into a liquid travels downward with respect to gravity to a collector pocket located on at least one of a top surface, between a top surface and a bottom surface of the pliable material and at the bottom surface of the pliable material to hold the at least liquid and solid that melts into the liquid, a plug extends from the collector pocket and opens further downward to which at least a part of an enclosable storage container is secured to a backside of the pliable material to collect the liquid.