JPH108508A - Rainwater storage - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a storage wherein a simple-structure drainage to drain contaminated rainwater in the early stage of rainfall is realized. SOLUTION: When rain begins to fall, a generator 14 generates electricity which is stored by a capacitor 16, and the developed-across voltage of the capacitor 16 increases gradually. When the rainfall is still small, that is, the developed-across voltage of the capacitor 16 is below the reference voltage, a storage valve 11 remain closed and a drain valve 12 is open. Thus contaminated rainwater at the early stage of rainfall does not flow to the storage tank side and is drained outside through a drain pipe. When rainfall increases to a certain extent and the developed-across voltage of the capacitor 16 reaches the reference voltage, the storage valve 11 opens and the drain valve 12 closes. Thus, relatively clean rainwater containing less contaminants is stored in the storage tank.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a rainwater storage device that collects rainwater using a rain gutter or the like during rainfall and stores the rainwater in a tank in order to utilize the rainwater.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in this type of rainwater storage device, when rainwater is stored from the start of rainfall, the rainwater at the start of rainfall contains a lot of garbage deposited on a roof or a gutter or dust in the atmosphere. Therefore, there is a problem that rainwater in the water storage tank becomes dirty.

For this reason, there is a type in which dirty rainwater which has begun to descend is discharged to the outside of the water storage tank, and thereafter relatively clean rainwater is stored in the water storage tank.

For example, Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 3-46047 (E)
03B3 / 03) is equipped with a rainwater detector and a turbidity meter. After detecting rainwater, the turbidity of the rainwater is measured. If the turbidity is higher than a set value, the storage in the water storage tank is stopped. , And throw away the rainwater.

Also, Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 1-75177 (E0
In 3B3 / 03), an auxiliary tank is provided separately from the water storage tank. Dirty rainwater that begins to descend is poured into the auxiliary tank, and when the auxiliary tank is filled and the rainwater is relatively clean, the rainwater is stored. It flows to the tank.

[0006]

However, in the former device, a device for detecting the start of rain (rainwater detector) and a device for detecting the degree of purification of rainwater (turbidity meter) are separately provided. In addition, in order to determine the subsequent operation using the plurality of outputs, the arithmetic unit becomes complicated, and as a result, the device configuration becomes complicated. In addition, a tank (regulation tank) for storing rainwater is required to monitor turbidity, and this tank needs to store a certain amount of rainwater. Requires a large installation space.

[0007] In the latter device, since dirty rainwater is stored in the auxiliary tank, contaminants such as dust are inevitably accumulated in the tank. Therefore, regular maintenance for removing the contaminants is required. Further, since it is necessary to store a certain amount of rainwater in the auxiliary tank, the auxiliary tank becomes large to some extent, and the apparatus is correspondingly enlarged to require a large installation space.

The present invention relates to a rainwater storage device, and an object of the present invention is to configure a device for removing dirty rainwater at the beginning of rainfall in a simple and small space.

[0009]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a rainwater collecting device for collecting rainfall, provided below the collecting portion, and storing rainwater collected by the collecting portion. A water storage tank, provided in a path from the water collecting section to the water storage tank, drains rainwater collected in the water collecting section outside the water storage tank in an early stage of rainfall, and thereafter collects in the water collecting section A drainage device for guiding the collected rainwater to the water storage tank, wherein the drainage device is provided with a detecting unit for detecting a flow rate of rainwater flowing to the drainage device side, and a rainwater from the start of rainfall detected by the detecting unit. Until the total flow reaches the specified amount, drains the rainwater coming from the water collecting unit to the outside of the water storage tank, and when the total flow reaches the specified amount, the rainwater coming from the water collecting unit is discharged into the water storage tank. And a water channel switching means for guiding to the water channel.

In this configuration, when rain starts to fall, the rainwater is collected in a water collecting part such as a rain gutter. Rainwater collected at the catchment passes through a drainage device on the way to the water storage tank.
The drainage device detects the flow rate of rainwater flowing into the drainage device, and monitors the total flow rate from the start of rainfall.

While the amount of rainfall is small, that is, while the rainwater is dirty, the total flow rate of the rainwater is less than the specified amount, so that the drainage device discharges the flowing rainwater out of the water storage tank. Thereafter, when the amount of precipitation increases to a certain extent and the rainwater becomes relatively clean and the total flow rate of the rainwater reaches the specified amount, the drainage device switches the rainwater path (water channel) and guides the rainwater to the water storage tank.

Therefore, in this configuration, there is no need to actually store dirty rainwater, so that maintenance for cleaning the inside of the tank is not required and the rainwater storage device itself can be downsized.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a rainwater storage device, comprising: a water collecting portion for collecting rainfall; a water storage tank provided below the water collecting portion for storing rainwater collected by the water collecting portion; Provided in the path from the water section to the water storage tank, drains rainwater collected in the water collection section outside the water storage tank in the early rainy season, and thereafter collects the rainwater collected in the water collection section into the water storage tank. A drainage device that guides the drainage device to a tank, wherein the drainage device generates electricity by rainwater flowing from the water collecting unit to the drainage device, a power storage unit that stores electricity, and stores the electricity extracted from the power generator in the power storage unit. Until the power storage means to accumulate in the body, until the amount of power stored in the power storage unit reaches a specified amount, drain the rainwater coming from the water collection unit out of the water storage tank, and when the amount of stored power reaches the specified amount, Rain water coming from the water collecting section is stored in the water storage tank Which is constituted by a waterway change-over means for guiding.

With this configuration, when the rain starts to fall, the rainwater is collected in a collecting part such as a rain gutter. Rainwater collected at the catchment passes through a drainage device on the way to the water storage tank.
In the drainage device, there is a generator that generates power by the flow of rainwater, and when the rainwater starts flowing, it starts generating power. For example, a generator is connected to a turbine arranged in a path toward a drainage device, and generates power by rotating the turbine. The electricity generated by the generator is stored in the storage,
As the amount of precipitation increases, the amount of power stored in the power storage unit increases.

While the amount of stored electricity is less than the prescribed amount while the amount of precipitation is small, that is, while the rainwater is dirty, the drainage device discharges the flowing rainwater out of the water storage tank. Thereafter, when the rainfall increases to a certain extent and the rainwater becomes relatively clean and the charged amount reaches the specified amount, the drainage device switches the rainwater path (water channel) and guides the rainwater to the water storage tank.

In this configuration, the start of rainfall is detected by the start of power generation (start of power storage), and the degree of purification of rainwater is detected by the magnitude of the amount of stored power, and a device for detecting the start of rainfall And one device for detecting the degree of purification of rainwater. In addition, there is no need for complicated calculations because there are no multiple outputs. Therefore, a drainage device for draining dirty rainwater at the beginning of rainfall can be easily configured.

Further, instead of actually storing dirty rainwater, electricity is stored, and a power storage unit is used instead of the water storage tank. Therefore, it is not necessary to perform maintenance for cleaning the inside of the tank, and the rainwater storage device itself can be downsized.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a rainwater storage device according to the second aspect, wherein the drainage device discharges the electricity stored in the power storage unit when power generation by the generator is stopped. Is provided.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the amount of rainwater discarded outside the water storage tank is always constant, but the amount of rainfall until the rainwater becomes clear is not always constant. That is, the amount of precipitation from when rain begins to fall until the rainwater becomes relatively clear differs between a case where it rains after a long period of fine weather and a case where it rains intermittently for a long time. If the rain has not fallen for a long time, there is a lot of debris accumulated in the water collection area such as rain gutters and the atmosphere, so it is difficult to clean the rainwater. There is less rainwater and it will be clear immediately. Therefore, when a certain amount of rainwater is constantly discharged, the rainwater is incomplete or unnecessarily discarded.

According to the configuration of claim 3, when the rain stops, the electricity in the power storage body is gradually released,
If the rain starts to fall again early and the electricity remains in the power storage unit, the drainage amount of the rainwater at the next time decreases. That is,
When the interval between rainfalls is long and the rainwater is not immediately clear, the amount of drainage of the rainwater increases. When the interval between rainfalls is short and the rainwater becomes clear immediately, the drainage of the rainwater decreases. Therefore, relatively clean rainwater can be stored in the water storage tank without wasting rainwater.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the rainwater storage device according to the third aspect of the present invention, a power storage path to the power storage unit and a discharge path from the power storage unit are different from each other, and a time constant of power storage and a discharge The time constant is set individually.

In this configuration, the storage gradient and the discharge gradient are expressed by:
It can be set to have a gradient according to each usage.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a rainwater storage device according to any one of the second to fourth aspects, wherein the drainage device is provided with adjusting means for adjusting the specified amount. is there.

If the water collecting area of the water collecting part is different, the drainage amount of the rain water until the rain water reaches a relatively clean precipitation amount will also be different. However, in this configuration, by adjusting the specified amount, the water collecting part is adjusted. The amount of drainage can be changed according to the catchment area.

[0025]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an outline of a rainwater storage device according to an embodiment of the present invention. This rainwater storage device 1 is a roof 2 of a house 2.
a rain gutter 3 (water collecting portion of the present invention) provided at the eaves of a, a water storage tank 5 installed below the rain gutter 3 for storing rainwater collected in the rain gutter 3, and the rain gutter 3 and a drainage device 4 for initial rainfall provided in the path from the storage tank 5 to the water storage tank 5.

An upper part of the water storage tank 5 is connected to an overflow pipe 6 for draining rainwater thereafter when the tank is full. At the bottom of the water storage tank 5, although not shown, an outlet is provided or an outlet pipe is connected to take out rainwater stored in the tank.

The drainage device 4 is connected to the rain gutter 3 through a pipe 7.
The rainwater flowing through the water tank is discharged through a drain pipe 8 in the early stage of rainfall, and then guided into the water storage tank 5 through a tank introduction pipe 9. FIG. 2 shows a detailed configuration of the drainage device.

Reference numeral 10 denotes a branch pipe that branches the path of rainwater from the pipe 7 into the tank introduction pipe 9 side and the drain pipe 8 side.
Reference numeral 11 denotes an electromagnetic water storage valve provided on a branch pipe of the branch pipe 10 connected to the tank introduction pipe 9. The water storage valve 11 is closed when not energized and is opened when energized. Reference numeral 12 denotes an electromagnetic drain valve provided on a branch pipe of the branch pipe 10 connected to the drain pipe 8. The drain valve 12 is open when not energized and is closed when energized, contrary to the water storage valve.

Reference numeral 13 denotes a turbine (detection means of the present invention) disposed in the pipe 7, and reference numeral 14 denotes the turbine 13
And a generator (detection means of the present invention) connected to the motor through a speed reduction mechanism 15. When rainwater flows through the pipe 7 and the turbine 13 rotates, the generator 14 generates power.

Reference numeral 16 denotes a power storage for storing the electricity generated by the generator 14, and R1 denotes a resistor (power storage means of the present invention) for storing the power in the power storage 16 with a predetermined time constant. The amount of power stored in the power storage unit 16 is represented as a voltage between both ends, and the voltage between both ends increases with an increase in the amount of precipitation from the start of rainfall.

R2 is a resistor (discharge means of the present invention) for discharging the power storage unit 16 with a predetermined time constant. D
Reference numeral 1 denotes a diode provided so as not to discharge through the resistor R1. When the power generation by the generator 14 stops due to the rainfall, the electricity in the power storage unit 16 is gradually released through the resistor R2.

Reference numeral 17 denotes a comparator for comparing the amount of power stored in the power storage unit 16 with a predetermined amount. 18
Is a relay, the coil side is connected to the output side of the comparator 17 via the transistor 19, and the contact side is connected between the water storage valve 11 and the drain valve 12 and the commercial power supply 20 for energizing these valves. . The comparator 17 compares the voltage between both ends of the power storage unit 16 with a reference voltage corresponding to the specified amount, and when the voltage between both ends reaches the reference voltage, turns on the transistor 19 to energize the coil of the relay 18. Thereby, the relay 18
Of the water storage valve 11 and the drain valve 12
Is energized. The reference voltage is generated by a variable resistor R3 (adjusting means of the present invention), and the reference voltage can be adjusted by adjusting the resistance value of the variable resistor R3 by an external operation.

The comparator 17 and the transistor 1
9, the relay 18, the water storage valve 11 and the drain valve 12 constitute the water channel switching means of the present invention.

TD is a Zener diode for limiting the voltage between both ends of the power storage unit 16 to the breakdown voltage Vmax or less. R4 is a resistor for passing a base current to the transistor 19, and D2 is a diode for absorbing surge.

Next, the rainwater storage device 1 based on the above configuration will be described.
Will be described with reference to FIG.

When the rain starts, the rainwater collects on the rain gutter 3 directly or along the roof 2a of the house 2. The rainwater collected in the rain gutter 3 flows in the pipe 7 toward the drainage device 4 and turns the turbine 13 in the pipe 7. As a result, the generator 14 generates power and is stored in the power storage unit 16, and the voltage V across the power storage unit 16 gradually increases.

When the amount of rainfall since the start of rainfall is still small and the total flow rate of rainwater flowing through the pipe 7 since the start of rainfall is small, that is, when the voltage V across the power storage unit 16 is lower than the reference voltage Vref ( (Point O-point A section), the transistor 19 is OFF, and the contact of the relay 18 remains open. The water storage valve 11 and the drain valve 12 are not energized, and therefore, the water storage valve 11 is closed,
The drain valve 12 is open. Therefore, the drainage device 4
The rainwater flowing in is discharged to the outside through the drain pipe 8 without flowing to the water storage tank 5 side.

As described above, the rainwater that has begun to fall contains a large amount of dust and dust in the atmosphere that have accumulated on the roof 2a and the rain gutter 3, and the dirty rainwater containing such contaminants is stored in the storage tank 5. It will be discharged outside. The drainage amount of rainwater is constant regardless of the intensity of rainfall (however, it differs depending on the interval of rainfall as described later).

Eventually, the amount of precipitation increases to a certain extent, the total flow rate of the rainwater flowing through the pipe 7 after the rain starts to increase, and when the voltage V across the power storage unit 16 reaches the reference voltage Vref (point A), the transistor 19 turns ON and the contact of the relay 18 closes. The water storage valve 11 and the drain valve 12 are energized, the water storage valve 11 opens, and the drain valve 12
Closes. Therefore, the rainwater flowing into the drainage device 4 does not flow to the drainage pipe 8 side, flows into the water storage tank 5 through the tank introduction pipe 9, and is stored in the water storage tank 5.

In this way, relatively clean rainwater with little contaminants is stored in the water storage tank 5.

Generally, the amount of precipitation from the start of rainfall is 2 mm
It is said that rainwater to a certain extent contains a lot of dust in the atmosphere. In the present embodiment, in consideration of such points, the value of the resistor R1 and the reference voltage Vref are set so that the water storage valve 11 and the drain valve 12 are switched when the rainwater becomes relatively clean.

When the rain stops flowing and the rainwater stops flowing in the pipe 7, the turbine 13 stops and the generator 14 stops generating power, the electricity in the power storage unit 16 is released through the resistor R2. As a result, the voltage V across the power storage unit 16 gradually decreases. Then, when the voltage V across the storage element 16 falls below the reference voltage Vref (point C), the transistor 1
9 turns off and the contact of the relay 18 opens. Water storage valve 1
1 and the drain valve 12 are de-energized again, the water storage valve 11 is closed, and the drain valve 12 is opened.

Thereafter, when it starts to rain again (point D),
The power is again stored in the power storage unit 16. At this time, if the period from the previous rainfall is short, the electricity in the power storage unit 16 is not completely discharged, so that the power is stored from the state where the electricity remains in the power storage unit 16. Also in the case of this rainfall, the water storage valve 11 is closed and the drain valve 12 is open until the voltage V across the power storage unit 16 reaches the reference voltage Vref (point D-point E). Therefore, rainwater is discharged outside during this time. However, in this case, the power is stored from a state where the voltage V across the power storage unit 16 is not 0, so that the voltage V across the power storage unit 16 reaches the reference voltage Vref with a smaller amount of precipitation than the previous time. Therefore, the amount of rainwater drained to the outside at the beginning of the descent decreases (assuming the same amount of precipitation per unit time, the drainage time t1> t2 as shown in FIG. 3).

That is, the amount of rainfall from when rain starts to when the rainwater becomes relatively clear is different between a case where it rains after a long period of fine weather and a case where it rains intermittently for a long time. If the rain has not fallen for a long time, there is a lot of dust in the gutters and the atmosphere, so the rainwater is not easy to clean. Become beautiful. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the drainage amount of the rainwater is increased when the rainfall interval is long and the rainwater is not immediately clear, and the drainage amount of the rainwater is reduced when the rainfall interval is short and the rainwater is immediately cleared. .

Since the correspondence between the intervals of rainfall and the amount of drainage of rainwater is determined by the discharge gradient of the power storage unit 16, the resistor R2 is set to have an appropriate correspondence.

Further, if the collecting area of the rainwater collecting part such as the size of the rain gutter 3 is different, the amount of drainage of the rainwater until the rainwater reaches a relatively clear precipitation becomes different. Since the reference voltage Vref is generated by using the variable resistor R3, the amount of drainage can be changed according to the water collecting area by adjusting the reference voltage Vref.

[0048]

According to the configuration of the first aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide a rainwater storage device that does not require extra maintenance for cleaning the inside of the tank and does not require extra installation space for installing the tank.

According to the configuration of the second aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide a rainwater storage device in which a drainage device for draining dirty rainwater at the beginning of rainfall is realized with a simple configuration. Furthermore, it is possible to provide a rainwater storage device that does not require extra maintenance and does not require extra installation space.

In the configuration according to the third aspect of the present invention, the drainage amount of the rainwater is increased when the interval between rainfalls is long and the rainwater is not immediately clear. , Rainwater is not wasted, and relatively clean rainwater can be stored in the water storage tank.

In the configuration according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the charging gradient and the discharging gradient can be set to be gradients according to the respective usages, and the drainage device can accurately discharge dirty rainwater at the beginning of rainfall.

In the structure according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the amount of drainage can be changed in accordance with the water collecting area of the water collecting part by adjusting the specified amount, so that the drainage device can accurately remove the dirty water at the beginning of rainfall. Can discharge rainwater.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a rainwater storage device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a detailed view showing a configuration of a drainage device for discharging rainwater at an early stage of rainfall.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a temporal change in voltage between both ends of a power storage unit due to rainfall.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 3 rain gutter (water collecting part) 4 drainage device 5 water storage tank 11 water storage valve (water channel switching means) 12 drain valve (water channel switching means) 13 turbine (detection means) 14 generator (detection means) 16 power storage unit 17 comparator (water channel) Switching means) 18 relay (water path switching means) 19 transistor (water path switching means) R1 resistance (power storage means) R2 resistance (discharge means) R3 variable resistance (adjustment means)

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A water collecting part for collecting rainfall, a water storage tank provided below the water collecting part and storing rainwater collected in the water collecting part, and a water collecting part in a path from the water collecting part to the water storing tank. A drain device that discharges rainwater collected in the water collecting section to the outside of the water storage tank in an early stage of rainfall, and thereafter guides the rainwater collected in the water collecting section to the water storage tank. The device, detection means for detecting the flow rate of rainwater flowing to the drainage device side, until the total flow rate of rainwater from the start of rainfall detected by this detection means reaches a specified amount,
Discharging the rainwater coming from the water collecting section out of the water storage tank,
A water channel switching means for guiding rain water coming from the water collecting section to the water storage tank when the total flow rate reaches the prescribed amount. 2. A water collecting part for collecting rainfall, a water storage tank provided below the water collecting part and storing rainwater collected by the water collecting part, and a water collecting part in a path from the water collecting part to the water storing tank. A drain device that discharges rainwater collected in the water collecting section to the outside of the water storage tank in an early stage of rainfall, and thereafter guides the rainwater collected in the water collecting section to the water storage tank. The device, a generator that generates power by rainwater flowing from the water collection unit to the drainage device, and a power storage unit that stores electricity,
Power storage means for storing the electricity taken out from the generator in the power storage unit, and discharging the rainwater coming from the water collecting unit to the outside of the water storage tank until the storage amount of the power storage unit reaches a specified amount; A waterway switching means for guiding rainwater coming from the water collecting portion to the water storage tank when the amount of stored power reaches the specified amount. 3. The rainwater storage device according to claim 2, wherein the drainage device is provided with discharging means for discharging electricity stored in the power storage unit when power generation by the generator is stopped. 4. The power storage device according to claim 3, wherein a power storage path to the power storage unit and a discharge path from the power storage unit are different from each other, and a time constant of power storage and a time constant of discharge are individually set. Rainwater storage device. 5. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said drainage device is provided with adjusting means for adjusting said specified amount.
The rainwater storage device according to any one of the preceding claims.