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US 7,721,491 B2Granted
Method and system for storing water inside buildings
OwnerJennifer Appelinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention provides a method, apparatus, and system to conserve resources, particularly rain water, by providing for water storage within building walls and other structural components. The building water storage allows reuse of water at that location that in the past has generally flowed to storm drains as runoff. Besides allowing reuse, another advantageous effect is that the structure may become a well insulated unit.
Claims9
A building catchment system comprising:
- a building with multiple side walls forming a parameter;
- a green roof having plants, the roof collects and filters rain water;
- an impurity filtering system for the rain water in addition to the green roof, the filtering system being the media by which the plants grow;
- a channeling system that moves the filtered rain water into the building walls;
- each of the side walls comprised of a waterproofed inner wall and a separate outer wall with a void space between, the inner and outer walls forming a wall system;
- the entire area of the void space between the inner and outer waterproofed walls is available for rain water storage;
- the void space between the walls does not include or require pipes or containers to hold the water between the walls;
- a pump system that moves the stored water, between the waterproofed inner and outer walls to provide potable water for interior and exterior applications;
- a temperature regulating device that allows the stored water to create and maintain ambient temperature within the building structure;
- an overflow device at the top of the wall system;
- exterior outlets for flushing the stored rain water out of the building walls.
8 more elements
A method of collecting and utilizing rain water stored in a building structure between an interior and an exterior waterproofed wall system, the method comprising:
- providing a building catchment system;
- the catchment system comprising a building with multiple side walls forming a parameter;
- a green roof having plants, the roof collects and filters rain water;
- an impurity filtering system for the rain water in addition to the green roof, the filtering system being the media by which the plants grow;
- a channeling system that moves the filtered rain water into the building walls;
- each of the side walls comprised of a waterproofed inner wall and a separate outer wall with a void space between, the inner and outer walls forming a wall system;
- the entire area of the void space between the inner and outer waterproofed walls is available for rain water storage;
- the void space between the walls does not include or require pipes or containers to hold the water between the walls;
- a pump system that moves the stored water, between the waterproofed inner and outer walls to provide potable water for interior and exterior applications;
- a temperature regulating device that allows the stored water to create and maintain ambient temperature within the building structure;
- an overflow device at the top of the wall system;
- exterior outlets for flushing the stored rain water out of the building walls;
- provide a flush by-pass valve to allow a pre-determined amount of water to flow into the void space.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.