RAINWATER HARVESTING ROOF FOR WATER STORAGE TANK
A rainwater harvesting roof for a water storage tank has a roof of relatively water-impermeable material substantially covering the tank. The roof has a central support supporting the roof, forming a peak, and the roof further has a substantially circumferential band of relatively water-permeable material located in the roof near the outer edge of the roof. The rainwater harvesting roof preferably also has a circumferential gutter of relatively water impermeable material depending downward from the interior surface of the roof and located beneath the substantially circumferential band of relatively water-permeable material. The circumferential gutter further has slits allowing the passage of water therethrough.
This application claims the priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application, Ser. No. 62/128,282 and filing date Mar. 4, 2015, which application is incorporated in its entirety by reference into the present application.
BACKGROUND1. Technical Field
This application relates to apparatus and methods for collecting and saving rainwater or snow melt for later consumption or use.
2. Background
Rain water may be collected for various purposes, such as drinking water, irrigation, cleaning, washing, household use, industrial use, agricultural use, and the like. Systems for collecting rain water can range from simple rain barrels to complex systems including filtration systems, pumps, cisterns, tanks, and the like. Conventional systems may collect rainwater from downspouts, for example, or may collect runoff from roofs adjacent to collection tanks. Several design issues with the collecting rainwater from roofs include providing for positive drainage of debris, filtering the rainwater, and providing a self-cleaning design for the roof. To provide water of acceptable quality with low public health risks, common design issues revolve around keeping out debris, sunlight, and insects. Also, the problems of the cost to build, transport and erect the water storage tank must be dealt with.
Some conventional rainwater-collection systems use a tent apparatus for a roof, but all of these known to applicant are uneconomical to erect and do not provide for filtering and debris removal from rainwater falling on the tent roof What is needed is a roof system that sheds debris, protects the water from sunlight, and filters rainwater falling on the roof into a tank below, while the roof itself is self-cleaning and will not allow vermin and insects, particularly mosquitoes, to enter or breed in the tank.
In this specification, the term “above” refers to the direction toward the top of the drawing figures, and the terms “below” or “beneath” refer to the direction toward the bottom of the drawing figures.
A rainwater harvesting roof for a water storage tank has a roof of relatively water-impermeable material substantially covering the tank. The roof has a central support supporting the roof, forming a peak, and the roof further has a substantially circumferential band of relatively water-permeable material located in the roof near the outer edge of the roof. The rainwater harvesting roof preferably also has a circumferential gutter of relatively water-impermeable material depending downward from the interior surface of the roof and located beneath the substantially circumferential band of relatively water-permeable material for the purpose of blocking sunlight from entering the tank. The circumferential gutter further has slits allowing the passage of water therethrough.
The relatively impermeable material 120 can be a canvas or cloth, such as the woven laminated polyethylene fabric sold under the trade name Canvacon 7000 and manufactured by Gale Pacific USA, Inc. of Altamonte Springs, Fla. The relatively permeable material 130 can be, for example, a monofilament knotted polyethylene “shadecloth” fabric sold by the same company. The latter fabric has openings large enough to allow relatively free flow of water through it, while blocking the passage of contaminants such as leaves, insects, or bird droppings. Preferably, both the impermeable material 120 and the permeable material 130 are ultraviolet (UV) resistant. Further, the impermeable material 120 should be relatively opaque, so as to prevent the passage of sunlight through it. Sunlight falling in to the collected water in the tank 100 can promote undesirable algae growth. In all cases, if the collected water is to be used directly for human consumption, the materials for the roof 110 should meet food-safety standards.
None of the description in this application should be read as implying that any particular element, step, or function is an essential element which must be included in the claim scope; the scope of patented subject matter is defined only by the allowed claims. Moreover, none of these claims are intended to invoke paragraph six of 35 U.S.C. Section 112 unless the exact words “means for” are used, followed by a gerund. The claims as filed are intended to be as comprehensive as possible, and no subject matter is intentionally relinquished, dedicated, or abandoned.
Claims
1. A rainwater harvesting roof for a water storage tank; the rainwater harvesting roof comprising:
- a roof substantially covering the tank;
- a central support supporting the roof; whereby the roof has a peak at the central support;
- the roof further comprising: a relatively water-impermeable material; a substantially circumferential band of relatively water-permeable material located in the roof; the substantially circumferential band of relatively water-permeable material situated lower on the roof than the peak of the roof.
2. The rainwater harvesting roof of claim 1, where the roof is constructed in gores.
3. The rainwater harvesting roof of claim 1, where the roof has an outer edge, and where the substantially circumferential band of relatively water-permeable material is located near the outer edge of the roof.
4. The rainwater harvesting roof of claim 1, where the roof further comprises:
- an opening for admitting rainwater in addition to the substantially circumferential band of relatively water-permeable material; the opening further comprising: an area of relatively water-permeable material.
5. The rainwater harvesting roof of claim 1, where the roof further comprises:
- an interior surface; and,
- a circumferential gutter of relatively water-impermeable material depending downward from the interior surface of the roof and located beneath the substantially circumferential band of relatively water-permeable material.
7. The rainwater harvesting roof of claim 5, where the circumferential gutter further comprises slits allowing the passage of water therethrough.
8. The rainwater harvesting roof of claim 1, further comprising an access hatch in the roof for manned access to the interior of the tank.
9. A rainwater harvesting roof for a water storage tank; the rainwater harvesting roof comprising:
- a roof substantially covering the tank;
- a central support supporting the roof; whereby the roof has a peak at the central support;
- the roof further comprising:
- a relatively water-impermeable material;
- a substantially circumferential band of relatively water-permeable material located in the roof near the outer edge of the roof;
- the substantially circumferential band of relatively water-permeable material situated lower on the roof than the peak of the roof; and, the roof further comprises:
- an outer edge;
- an interior surface; and, a circumferential gutter of relatively water-impermeable material depending downward from the interior surface of the roof and located beneath the substantially circumferential band of relatively water-permeable material; and, the circumferential gutter further comprises slits allowing the passage of water therethrough.
Type: Application
Filed: Mar 4, 2016
Publication Date: Sep 8, 2016
Applicant: U.S. Rain Group, Inc. (Argyle, TX)
Inventor: Jeremy Delost (Denton, TX)
Application Number: 15/060,774