HK1093358B - Water recovery systems and control valves - Google Patents

Description

Water recovery system and control valve

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a water recovery system, and a control valve for such a water recovery system. The invention is particularly suitable for recovering cooling water from a hot water pipe or conduit located downstream of a domestic hot water tank.

Background

A well-known problem in domestic hot water mains systems is that when the tap of the spray head is closed, the water not flowing out in the water pipe between the hot water tank and the spray head (i.e. downstream of the hot water tank) loses heat, and the next person using the spray head will discard it because it is not hot enough. This water is therefore also referred to as "standing water". Other household appliances such as tubs and sinks present the same waste problem. The same problem exists in other buildings and the present invention is applicable to these situations.

Currently, a great deal of effort has been made to address the above-mentioned water waste problem. For example, U.S. patent No.5105846 to Britt describes a recovery system in which the standing water downstream of the hot water tank is directed into a small pump which pumps the water into a cold water pipe; this water is returned from the cold water pipe to the hot water system for reheating or is discharged from any open cold water tap. The system uses a timer that sets the time for the water pump to run, or the pump can be turned on and off manually at the user's discretion. The Britt system also suffers from several problems, one of which is that it relies on the user turning on the water pump and running it for a suitable period of time to drain only the standing water. Another problem is that there is no indication to the user that the water in the water pipe is too cold to be used as hot water.

U.S. patent No.5564462 to Storch describes a water recovery system in which standing water downstream of a hot water tank is directed into a small water tank and then pumped into an inlet pipe via a pressure sensitive valve into the hot water tank. However, in Storch's system, water from the cold water pipe and the hot water tank is first mixed after passing through a conventional mixing valve, and then the mixed water is available for showering at a suitable predetermined temperature, thus, splitting the water from the cold water pipe and from the hot water pipe.

U.S. patent No.5330859 to Bowman describes a recovery system in which standing water downstream of a hot water tank is diverted to a recovery tank by a thermostatically controlled solenoid valve until fresh hot water from the hot water tank reaches the valve and causes an electronic control circuit to close, thereby allowing the hot water to flow to a common hot water outlet, such as a shower head or faucet. The recovery tank is connected to the cold water pipe by a venturi so that water collected in the recovery tank is siphoned into the cold water pipe when a cold water tap or fitting located downstream of the tank is opened. Bowman's system requires electrical power to operate a thermostatically controlled solenoid valve, and therefore it is undesirably expensive to install in many cases, and is also undesirable in other cases. In addition, Bowman's system illustrates the installation of solenoid valves downstream of the hot water taps or fittings, thus requiring the installation of solenoid valves on each tap to be fully effective.

Us patent No.4697614 to Powers describes another recovery system in which standing water is diverted from a hot water pipe located just upstream of a hot water outlet tap to a collection tank by a manually actuated current controlled valve. The trap has a spring-loaded diaphragm that forces the trapped water into the cold water pipe when the cold water tap is opened. The Powers system also has a number of problems, one of which is that the collector needs to be housed in close proximity to a hot water outlet tap which is not always available in existing installations due to the size of the collector. In addition, Powers' systems require power to operate the flow control valves, and therefore the installation cost of the system, along with the cost of the cables and switches, may be prohibitive.

Disclosure of Invention

It is an object of the present invention to ameliorate at least one of the problems associated with the above-mentioned water recovery systems. Another object is to provide a water recovery system which can be installed for use in the construction of a typical house or other building, or as a retrofit, relatively easily. It is another object of the present invention to provide a valve for diverting standing water for recycling that does not require electrical input for control and operation.

In view of the foregoing, one aspect of the present invention broadly relates to a water recovery system for recovering standing water from one or more hot water delivery pipes in a water network system of a building, the water recovery system comprising:

a water storage device for storing the recovered standing water;

a mechanically actuated diverter valve mounted on the hot water delivery pipe for selectively delivering hot water from the hot water delivery pipe to the water storage means by opening an outlet tap or valve in the hot water delivery pipe downstream of the diverter valve until water flowing through the diverter valve reaches a predetermined temperature;

a pumping device connected upstream of the cold water supply pipe or cold water delivery pipe and having an inlet connected to the water storage device, the pumping device being adapted to pump water from the water storage device into the cold water supply pipe or cold water delivery pipe.

In another aspect, the present invention relates to a water network system for a building, comprising a cold water supply, a hot water supply, one or more cold water delivery pipes in fluid communication with said cold water supply and one or more cold water outlets, one or more hot water delivery pipes in fluid communication with said hot water supply and one or more hot water outlets, and a water recovery system adapted to recover standing water from at least one of said hot water delivery pipes, the water recovery system comprising:

a water storage device adapted to store the recovered water;

a mechanically actuated diverter valve mounted in a hot water delivery pipe upstream of one of said one or more hot water outlets and downstream of said hot water supply means for selectively delivering water from the hot water delivery pipe to said water storage means by opening of said one outlet until water flowing through said diverter valve reaches a predetermined temperature;

a suction device connected to the cold water supply pipe or the cold water delivery pipe, the cold water delivery pipe being provided with an inlet connected to the water storage device, the suction device being adapted to feed water from the water storage device into the cold water supply pipe or the cold water delivery pipe.

Preferably, the suction means is a venturi device adapted to draw water from the water storage means during the flow of water through the cold water supply pipe or the cold water delivery pipe.

Preferably, the diverter valve used in the water recovery system and water network system described above is a valve assembly as described below.

Another aspect of the invention relates to a valve assembly comprising:

a housing having a water supply inlet, a hot water outlet, a cold water outlet, a hot water flow passage between the water supply inlet and the hot water outlet, and a cold water flow passage between the water supply inlet and the cold water outlet;

a hot water valve means provided in said housing and adapted to open said hot water flow passage in response to water above a predetermined temperature entering said housing through said supply water inlet and to close said hot water flow passage in response to water below said predetermined temperature entering said housing through said supply water inlet;

a first cold water valve means adapted to open the cold water flow passage in a first position in response to water below the predetermined temperature entering the housing through the water supply inlet and to close the cold water flow passage in the first position in response to water above the predetermined temperature entering the housing through the water supply inlet;

a second cold water valve means connected in series with said first cold water valve means and adapted to open said cold water flow passage in response to a predetermined pressure drop at said hot water outlet and to close said cold water flow passage in response to a predetermined pressure rise at said hot water outlet.

In another aspect, the invention broadly resides in a valve assembly including:

a housing having a water supply inlet, a hot water outlet, a cold water outlet, a hot water flow passage between the water supply inlet and the hot water outlet, and a cold water flow passage between the water supply inlet and the cold water outlet;

hot water valve means adapted to open said hot water flow passage in response to water above a predetermined temperature entering said housing through said water supply inlet and adapted to close said hot water flow passage in response to water below a predetermined temperature entering the housing through said water supply inlet or when water in the housing cools to below said predetermined temperature;

first and second cold water valve means adapted to open the cold water flow passage in response to water below the predetermined temperature entering the housing through the water supply inlet or to cool water in the housing below a predetermined temperature and a predetermined pressure drop at the hot water outlet, and adapted to close the cold water flow passage in response to water above the predetermined temperature entering the housing through the water supply inlet and a predetermined pressure increase at the hot water outlet.

The hot water valve means and said first cold water valve means suitably comprise mechanically operable actuation means which can open and close the respective valves in direct response to changes in the temperature of the water entering the housing through the water supply inlet, for example, by means of a wax or gas filled cylinder or a bimetallic strip or a bimetallic coil, as required. Thus, this approach has the advantage that the valve assembly of the present invention does not require any electrical input to operate, thereby providing an easy, inexpensive way of installation. Preferably, the hot water valve means and the first cold water valve means comprise a shared actuator adapted to simultaneously open the hot water flow passage and close the cold water delivery passage and vice versa, in which form the actuator is preferably disposed in the water delivery path into the housing through the water supply inlet. It is also preferred that such an actuator is mounted in an inlet chamber which forms part of the hot water flow path when water enters the hot water outlet from the supply water inlet and part of the cold water flow path when water enters the cold water outlet from the supply water inlet. Advantageously, this arrangement provides for a quick changeover of the hot water valve means to close the cold water delivery pipe and open the hot water delivery pipe when hot water enters the inlet chamber so that hot water is not diverted unnecessarily to the cold water outlet.

Preferably, the second cold water valve means includes a second actuator in fluid communication with the hot water outlet, whereby pressure at the hot water outlet causes the actuator to actuate a valve member in the second valve means for closing the cold water flow passage. In a preferred form, the actuator is a diaphragm connected to the valve member and adapted to apply a force to the valve member to engage a valve seat defining an opening in the cold water flow passage to close the passage. In this form, biasing means are provided to bias the diaphragm into the engaged position. In such a form of the invention, a bleed passage is provided to provide a bypass for the hot water flow passage to allow continuous fluid communication between the supply water inlet and the hot water outlet to maintain them at the same pressure, while the passage downstream of the hot water outlet (that is, for example, downstream of the hot water tap or fitting) is closed and the cold water flow passage is open at the first cold water valve means. Advantageously, since the diaphragm is also in fluid communication with the hot water outlet, the bleed passage also causes the diaphragm to hold the valve member in the closed position when the hot water flow passage and the passage downstream of the hot water outlet are closed.

The valve assembly may suitably be used as a diverter valve to provide advantages for the water recovery system described above. Advantageously, the operation of such a diverter valve is dependent only on water temperature and flow rate as in a venturi device, so the system can be effectively used for water recovery without the need for an external power source.

In another aspect thereof, the invention broadly resides in a method of modifying a water network system including a cold water supply, a hot water supply, one or more cold water delivery pipes in fluid communication with the cold water supply and one or more cold water outlets, one or more hot water delivery pipes in fluid communication with the hot water supply and one or more hot water outlets, and a water recovery system adapted to recover standing water from at least one of the hot water delivery pipes, the improvement comprising:

providing a water storage device;

mounting a mechanically actuated diverter valve on the hot water delivery pipe upstream of the one or more hot water outlets and downstream of the hot water supply means, the diverter valve being adapted to selectively divert water from the hot water delivery pipe to the water storage means by opening of said one outlet until water flowing through the diverter valve reaches a predetermined temperature; and

a suction device is fitted to one of the cold water supply pipes, the suction device being adapted to pump water from the water storage device into the cold water supply pipe or cold water delivery pipe and deliver it to one of the cold water outlets.

It will be appreciated that the invention is applicable to hot water network systems including hot water storage tanks and "instant" systems in which water is heated as it passes through a rapid heat exchanger as required.

As used herein, the terms "upper," "lower," "side," and the like are used in the description of the positions of the invention as illustrated in the figures, and do not limit the use of the invention to any particular orientation unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

Drawings

For a more clear understanding of the present invention and to make it suitable for practical use, reference is made to the accompanying description, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a water recovery system according to the present invention installed in a residence;

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic view of a valve assembly according to the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the valve assembly of FIG. 2 taken along line 3-3 in a state of no water flow;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the valve assembly of FIG. 2 taken along line 3-3 with water in flow communication;

FIG. 5 is an end sectional view of the valve assembly of FIG. 2 taken along line 5-5;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view along a diameter of a ceramic plate assembly in the valve assembly of FIG. 2.

FIG. 7 is a top view of the diaphragm valve assembly of the valve assembly of FIG. 2;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a diaphragm valve assembly of the valve assembly of FIG. 2;

FIG. 9 is a diagrammatic view of another valve assembly according to the present invention; and

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the valve assembly of FIG. 9 taken along line 10-10 in a no-water flow condition.

Detailed Description

Fig. 1 schematically shows a water recovery system 10 comprising a hot water system 11 installed in a residence connected at a tank 14 to a hot and cold water mixer 13 by a pipe 12. Mains pressure cold water is supplied to the hot water system through a cold water supply pipe 17 and by means of a venturi device 15 described later, which cold water is supplied to the mixer 13 through a direct cold water delivery pipe 16. Other types of fixtures such as shower heads, tubs, bathtubs, and laundries may be provided in the same manner, except that the hot and cold water pipes may be connected to hot and cold water faucets (or faucets), respectively, rather than to a mixer, and the present invention may operate in the same manner. Although in this embodiment the water is supplied by mains water under mains pressure, in other embodiments the water is supplied from a water supply tank by a pressure pump, in other embodiments a low pressure gravity water supply may be used.

A diverter valve assembly 18, shown in figure 2, is mounted in the hot water delivery pipe 12 immediately adjacent the mixer 13. The diverter valve is arranged to divert cold standing water in the hot water delivery pipe to the storage tank 19 through a cold water diverter 21 connected to a storage tank inlet 22. However, in other embodiments, the diverted water may be directed to an irrigation facility, a backup water tank, or other facility. The water tank is provided with a discharge outlet 23 connected to the venturi device by a cold water delivery pipe 26. The venturi device is provided with a main inlet 31, a main outlet 32, and a suction inlet 33 connected to the cooling stagnation line 26. The venturi device draws water from the reservoir as the main pipe pressure water flows from the main inlet through the venturi device to the main outlet. A low level check valve 27 is provided in the cooling lag water pipe 26 to prevent air from being drawn into the hot water system when the storage tank is empty and to prevent water from flowing back into the storage tank from the main pipe. The hot water system bypass pipe 36 is connected between the cold water supply pipe 17 and the hot water delivery pipe 12 through a thermostatic mixing valve 37.

As shown in fig. 3, the diverter valve 18 is provided with a cylindrical housing 41 formed of an upper cylindrical housing half 42 and a lower cylindrical housing half 43, the upper and lower cylindrical housing halves 42 and 43 having complementary cylindrical walls 42a and 43a that are threadably connected together to form a threaded joint 44, and opposed spaced apart end walls 42b and 43 b. The lower half is also provided with a dividing wall 46 extending inwardly from the end wall to form two compartments in fluid communication via a water flow passage 47 through the dividing wall. A hot water inlet opening 48 is provided in the cylindrical wall of the upper housing half and a hot water outlet opening 49 and a cold water outlet opening 50 are provided in the cylindrical wall of the lower housing half.

The ceramic valve assembly 51 comprises a fixed ceramic plate 52 and a complementary movable ceramic plate 53 joined in a sliding dovetail arrangement, in the housing the ceramic valve assembly 51 being fitted in the housing and the fixed ceramic plate resting on a shoulder 54, said shoulder 54 being located in the lower housing half and close to the threaded free end of the cylindrical wall 43 a. The free end of the upper cylindrical wall engages the fixed ceramic plate to hold the ceramic plate assembly in place when the two housing halves are threaded together. Other types of valve assemblies may be used instead of the complementary dovetail halves shown, and a tube arrangement may be used, if desired.

As shown in FIG. 3, the ceramic plate assembly together with the upper housing half define a hot water inlet chamber 56 adapted to receive hot water from the hot water delivery tube 12 through the hot water inlet opening 48. Similarly, the ceramic plate assembly together with the lower housing half define a hot water discharge chamber 61 on one side of the dividing wall 46 for selectively allowing hot water to exit through the outlet opening 49 and a cold water discharge chamber 63 on the other side of the dividing wall for selectively allowing cold water to exit through the cold water outlet opening 50.

The ceramic plate assembly is provided with two sets of openings adapted to selectively form either a hot water flow passage 64 from the hot water inlet chamber 56 to the hot water discharge chamber 61 or a cold water flow passage 65 from the hot water inlet chamber to the cold water discharge chamber. To this end, as shown in fig. 4, the movable ceramic plate is provided with three openings 66 towards one end, which are adapted to be aligned with three complementary openings 67, respectively, in the fixed ceramic plate.

Also, as shown in fig. 3, three openings 68 are provided in the movable ceramic plate towards the other end for alignment with three complementary openings 69 in the fixed ceramic plate, respectively. It can be seen that the two ceramic plates are arranged so that when the opening 66 is aligned with the opening 67 to form the water flow passage 64 into the hot water discharge chamber, the opening 68 is misaligned with the opening 69 so that water cannot pass from the inlet chamber 56 into the cold water discharge chamber 63. When the movable ceramic plate slides in the reverse direction, a cold water flow passage is formed and a hot water flow passage is closed.

In order to maintain fluid communication between the hot water inlet chamber 56 and the hot water discharge chamber 61 when the passage 64 is closed, and to equalize the pressure between these two chambers, a further opening 71 is provided through the fixed ceramic plate.

The movement of the movable ceramic plate relative to the fixed ceramic plate is achieved by a linear actuator 73. The actuator has a wax filled cylinder 74 with a piston 75 slidably mounted therein for movement relative to the cylinder 74 from a retracted position to an extended position with the cylinder fixed to the housing wall 42a and the piston fixed to the movable ceramic plate. The actuator is configured such that when the temperature of the water in the chamber 56 is below a predetermined "cold" temperature, the piston is in the retracted position and the openings 68 and 69 are aligned to form the aforementioned cold water flow passage 65, and when the temperature of the water in the hot water inlet chamber 56 reaches a predetermined "hot" temperature, the piston is in the extended position and the openings 66 and 67 are aligned to form the aforementioned hot water flow passage 64, with the cold water flow passage closed. Suitably, the piston moves to the extended position when the wax is heated and vice versa. A spring 76 provided between the piston and the wall 42a is arranged to bias the piston towards the retracted position so that the hot water flow passage is closed when the water in the hot water inlet chamber cools. Other types of actuators may be used for the same purpose, such as a bimetallic strip or a spring.

A diaphragm valve assembly 80 is fitted in the cold water discharge chamber 63 to selectively open and close the cold water flow passage downstream of the ceramic plate assembly, thereby providing a means of closing that passage in the second position.

The diaphragm valve assembly includes a plate 81 with an opening 82 extending through the cold water discharge chamber 63, in which plate 81 an opening 82 is provided, thereby providing the only passage between the ceramic plate assembly and the cold water discharge opening 50. A valve member 83 is provided to be selectively engageable with a valve seat surrounding the opening 82 to open and close the cold water flow passage therethrough. The valve member is moved towards the closed position by a diaphragm 84 also extending across the chamber and is subjected to the pressure of the water in the hot water discharge chamber 61 through passage 47 and is moved towards the open position by the pressure of the cold water on the valve head. The diaphragm and associated valve member are biased toward the closed position by a coil spring 86, the coil spring 86 being fitted between the lower housing wall 43b and the diaphragm. The valve head and diaphragm are selected to achieve the desired movement of the valve member, as will be more clearly understood from the following description of the operation of the valve assembly.

In use, when the hot water from the hot water system has not been used for a period of time and the water in the transfer pipe 12 has cooled to a predetermined "cold" temperature, the actuator 74 will be in the position shown in figure 3 with the openings 68 and 69 aligned, thereby forming the cold water flow passage 65 into the cold water discharge chamber 63. The hot water openings 66 and 67 will be misaligned such that the hot water flow passage 64 is closed, thereby preventing water from flowing to the hot water discharge outlet 49 except through the bypass opening 71. When the mixer 13 is operated to open the hot water outlet, the pressure in the hot water discharge chamber 61 will immediately drop, causing the pressure acting on the diaphragm 84 to drop. When the pressure on the diaphragm drops, the stagnant water pressure acting on the valve member 82 will force it downward to the open position shown in FIG. 4, opening a cold water flow passage through opening 82 to cold water discharge opening 50. Cold water from the hot water discharge pipe 12 will continue to flow into the hot water inlet chamber 56 and then to the cold water discharge opening until hot water from the hot water system reaches the hot water inlet chamber and causes the actuator piston 75 to move to the extended position, thereby opening the hot water flow passage 64 and simultaneously closing the cold water flow passage 65.

When the hot water tap is closed, the pressure in the hot water discharge chamber 61 increases immediately to equalize with the hot water supply pressure, thereby helping the spring to force the diaphragm to move the valve member 83 to close the opening 82, thereby closing the cold water flow passage in the second position.

As the water in the hot water inlet chamber 56 cools down, the piston 75 will move to the retracted position, thereby closing the hot water flow passage 64 and opening the cold water flow passage 65. However, the valve member 83 remains engaged with the plate 81 to keep the opening 82 closed by the pressure from the hot water discharge chamber 61 acting on the diaphragm, which pressure is balanced by the bypass channel 71 against the pressure in the hot water inlet chamber 56.

It will be appreciated that cold water discharged through the cold water discharge outlet 50 is collected in the tank 19 and re-enters the water network system through the venturi device 24 when the hot or cold water tap is open.

In other embodiments of the invention, the hot water inlet opening and the hot water outlet opening are located on opposite end walls 42b and 43b, respectively. In other embodiments, the ceramic plate assembly and linear actuator are replaced by a ceramic disc assembly and a bimetallic coil adapted to rotate the disc relative to the fixed disc to align complementary openings similar to openings 66 and 67 and 68 and 69.

The diverter valve 118 shown in fig. 9 and 10 may be used to replace the valve 18 in the water recovery system 10 shown in fig. 1 as needed and operate in a similar manner.

The valve 118 has a generally cylindrical main housing portion 142 and an additional housing portion 143. The main housing portion has a cylindrical wall 142a and opposed spaced apart upper and lower end caps 142c, 142b, which upper and lower end caps 142c, 142b are threadably mounted in the cylindrical wall by screws so as to define a cylindrical cavity 145 therein. The additional housing part has a trough shape and abuts against the cylindrical wall of the main housing part to define therewith a trough-shaped cavity 161 extending along the side of the cylindrical wall forming the hot water outlet cavity described below.

A hot water inlet opening 148 is provided in the cylindrical wall of the main housing portion and a hot water outlet 149 is provided in the side wall of the additional housing portion, a cold water outlet opening 150 being provided in the cylindrical wall of the main housing portion and spaced from the hot water inlet opening. A plurality of spaced apart openings 166 are formed in the cylindrical wall to provide flow passages 147 between the cylindrical cavity 145 and the cavity 161.

First and second generally opposed cylindrical cup-shaped valve members 152 and 153 are slidably mounted in the cylindrical cavity 145 for movement therealong, with the diaphragm valve assembly 180 also being mounted in the cylindrical cavity, but in a fixed position adjacent the cold water outlet opening. The first valve member is operable to divide the cylindrical cavity into a hot water inlet chamber 156 on one side and a cold water outlet chamber 157 on the other side, the hot water inlet chamber 156 being adapted to receive hot water through the inlet opening 148 and selectively communicating with the hot water outlet chamber through an aperture 166 formed in the housing wall 142a to form the flow passage 147, while the second valve member is adapted to open and close the flow passage 147 between the hot water inlet and outlet chambers 161. For this purpose, the second valve part has a circular end wall 153a with a plurality of apertures 153b therethrough and a cylindrical side wall 153c with a plurality of apertures 167 therethrough, these apertures 167 being adapted to align with complementary apertures 166 provided in the wall of the above-mentioned main housing part to open the flow passage 147 when in the lower position or to be completely misaligned to close the passage when in the upper position.

The second valve member is secured in a mechanically operated linear actuator 173, the actuator 173 having a wax filled cylinder 174 with a piston 175 slidably mounted therein so that upon expansion of the wax in the cylinder by passage of heated water, the piston 175 moves from a retracted position to an extended position relative to the cylinder 174 in substantially the same manner as the linear actuator described in connection with fig. 2. However, in this embodiment, the piston 175 is engaged with an end plate 176, which end plate 176 is in turn engaged with a coil spring 177, the coil spring 177 biasing the piston to a retracted position and biasing the valve member 153 fixed to the linear actuator toward a lower position.

The first valve member has a circular end wall 152a and a cylindrical side wall which abuts against the cylindrical wall of the first valve member and is urged into engagement with the second valve member by a coil spring 162 and thereby biases it towards an upward (or closed position). Spring 177 is stronger than spring 162 so that the downward force on the first valve member exceeds the biasing force of the other spring when the linear actuator is extended. Additionally, the spring 177 can accommodate extension of the linear actuator beyond the total length required to move the first valve member to its fully down position in which the channel 147 is open.

The diaphragm valve assembly 180 has a valve member 181 which is also generally cylindrical with a cylindrical upper portion 182 and a centrally located tubular portion 183 depending therefrom with a passage 184 extending therethrough and terminating in a top opening 185 and a bottom opening 186 defined by a rim 187. A cylindrical sleeve 188 depends from the upper portion and is adapted to slidably engage the inner face of the cylinder 145, the sleeve having a passage 192 therethrough aligned with the cold water opening 150. A pair of spaced O-rings 190 extend around the upper portion to seal against the inner face of the cavity 145 to prevent water from flowing therebetween. In addition, an O-ring is mounted in a complementary groove in the upper portion around the top opening and is adapted to form a seal with the bottom surface of the end wall 152a of the first valve component adapted to engage therewith. It can be seen that the arrangement of the two coil springs is such that the first coil spring 162 biases the first valve member away from the diaphragm valve assembly to open the passage 184, while the second coil spring and actuator urge the first valve member to close the passage. Thus, when the actuator moves the second valve member to the down position, the second valve member in turn forces the first valve member into engagement with the upper portion of the diaphragm valve to close the passage 184. A diaphragm 189 is mounted in the cylinder beneath the valve member 181 and is retained therein by the bottom end cap 142c on the bottom side and the sleeve 188 of the diaphragm valve member 181 on the top side, which is biased downwardly by springs 162 and 177. The diaphragm is operable to move into and out of engagement with the rim 187 to close and open the channel 184 as desired in response to an increase or decrease in pressure on the opposite side. When the passage is open, water can flow through the passage 184 and out through the cold water opening 150, through the opening 192 in the sleeve. In order to maintain pressure on the opposite side (i.e. the bottom side as shown), a channel 191 is provided between the hot water outlet chamber 161 and the diaphragm. It will be appreciated from the drawings that the valve assembly 118 operates in much the same way as the valve assembly 18, the point being that when the hot tap downstream is open, cold water will enter the hot water inlet chamber and the first and second valve members will be in the position shown in figure 10. The pressure in the chamber will force the diaphragm to move downward thereby opening the passage 184 to the cold water outlet 150. When the incoming water reaches a predetermined hot temperature, the actuator will press the second valve member downwards, which in turn will press the second valve member downwards so that the channel 147 is open and the channel 184 will be closed at the opening 185 by the first valve member. When the hot water tap is closed the diaphragm will close the bottom flow path 184 and as the water in the hot water inlet chamber cools down the spring 162 will move the second valve member back to the position shown in figure 10, the actuator back to the retracted position and the second valve member will move away from the top opening 185.

It is also an advantage that the water recovery system of the present invention relies solely on the flow of water through the water supply pipe to operate the venturi device and utilize a mechanically actuated and controlled diverter valve to direct hot or cold water to the desired outlet.

While the invention has been described above by way of illustrative embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that the invention may be embodied in other forms and all such forms are to be considered within the broad scope and ambit of the invention as defined in the following claims.

Claims (15)

1. A valve assembly, comprising:

a housing having a water supply inlet, a hot water outlet, a cold water outlet, a hot water flow passage between the water supply inlet and the hot water outlet, and a cold water flow passage between the water supply inlet and the cold water outlet;

hot water valve means adapted to open the hot water flow passage in response to water above a predetermined temperature entering the housing through the water supply inlet and to close the hot water flow passage in response to water below a predetermined temperature entering the housing through the water supply inlet or in response to water in the housing cooling below the predetermined temperature;

first and second cold water valve means adapted to open the cold water flow passage in response to water below the predetermined temperature entering the housing through the water supply inlet or when water in the housing cools below the predetermined temperature and a predetermined pressure drop occurs at the hot water outlet, and adapted to close the cold water flow passage in response to water above the predetermined temperature entering the housing through the water supply inlet and a predetermined pressure increase occurs at the hot water outlet.

2. The valve assembly of claim 1 wherein the first and second cold water valve means comprise first cold water valve means adapted to open the cold water flow passage at a first position in response to water below the predetermined temperature entering the housing through the supply water inlet and adapted to close the cold water flow passage at the first position in response to water above the predetermined temperature entering the housing through the supply water inlet; also included is a second cold water valve means connected in series with the first cold water valve means and adapted to open the cold water flow passage in response to a predetermined pressure drop at the hot water outlet and to close the cold water flow passage in response to a predetermined pressure rise at the hot water outlet.

3. A valve assembly according to claim 2 wherein the hot water valve means and the first cold water valve means include mechanically operated actuating means which are directly responsive to the temperature of water entering the housing through the water supply inlet.

4. A valve assembly according to claim 3, wherein the actuating means is provided on a water flow path into the housing through the water supply inlet.

5. A valve assembly according to claim 3, wherein the actuating means is mounted in an inlet chamber which forms part of the hot water flow passage when water enters the hot water outlet from the supply water inlet and forms part of the cold water flow passage when water enters the cold water outlet from the supply water inlet.

6. A valve assembly according to claim 3, wherein the actuating means comprises an actuator shared by the hot water valve means and the first cold water valve means, the actuator being adapted to simultaneously open the hot water flow passage and close the cold water flow passage, and vice versa.

7. A valve assembly according to any one of claims 2 to 6 wherein the second cold water valve means includes a diaphragm in fluid communication with the hot water outlet, the diaphragm being adapted to move in response to changes in the static pressure of the water at the hot water outlet.

8. A valve assembly according to claim 7, wherein the cold water flow passage passes through a valve seat, the diaphragm being adapted to engage with the valve seat, or being connected to a valve member adapted to engage with the valve seat to close the cold water flow passage.

9. A valve assembly according to claim 8, comprising biasing means for biasing the diaphragm or the valve member into engagement with the valve seat.

10. A valve assembly according to any one of the preceding claims 1-6, comprising a bleed passage between the supply water inlet and the hot water outlet to allow continuous fluid communication between the supply water inlet and the hot water outlet.

11. A water recovery system for recovering standing water from one or more hot water delivery pipes in a water network system of a building, the water recovery system comprising:

the water storage device is suitable for storing and recovering the stagnant water;

a mechanically actuated diverter valve utilizing the valve assembly of any of claims 1-10 mounted in a hot water delivery pipe for selectively diverting water from the hot water delivery pipe to the water storage means by opening of an outlet tap or valve in the hot water delivery pipe downstream of the diverter valve until water flowing through the diverter valve reaches a predetermined temperature;

a suction device connected to the cold water supply pipe or the cold water delivery pipe, the cold water delivery pipe having an inlet connected to the water storage device, the suction device being adapted to draw water from the water storage device into the cold water supply pipe or the cold water delivery pipe.

12. A water network system for a building comprising a cold water supply, a hot water supply, one or more cold water delivery pipes in fluid communication with the cold water supply and one or more cold water outlets, one or more hot water delivery pipes in fluid communication with the hot water supply and one or more hot water outlets, and a water recovery system adapted to recover standing water from at least one of the hot water delivery pipes, the water recovery system comprising:

the water storage device is suitable for storing and recovering the stagnant water;

a mechanically actuated diverter valve utilizing the valve assembly of any of claims 1-10 mounted in a hot water delivery pipe upstream of one of the one or more hot water outlets and downstream of the hot water supply means for selectively diverting water from the hot water delivery pipe to the water storage means by opening of the one hot water outlet until water flowing through the diverter valve reaches a predetermined temperature; and

a suction device connected to a cold water supply pipe or a cold water delivery pipe provided with an inlet connected to the water storage device, the suction device being adapted to draw water from the water storage device into the cold water supply pipe or the cold water delivery pipe.

13. The water network system of claim 12, wherein said cold water delivery pipe is a pipe adapted to supply cold water to said hot water supply device, and said suction device is a venturi-type suction device.

14. A recovery system for a building including a cold water supply, a hot water supply, one or more cold water delivery pipes in fluid communication with the cold water supply and one or more cold water outlets, one or more hot water delivery pipes in fluid communication with the hot water supply and one or more hot water outlets, the recovery system being adapted to recover standing water from at least one of the hot water delivery pipes and comprising:

a water storage device adapted to store the recovered water;

a mechanically actuated diverter valve utilizing the valve assembly of any of claims 1-10 mounted in a hot water delivery pipe upstream of one of the one or more hot water outlets and downstream of the hot water supply means for selectively diverting water from the hot water delivery pipe to the water storage means by opening of the one hot water outlet until water flowing through the diverter valve reaches a predetermined temperature; and

a pumping device connected to a cold water supply pipe or a cold water delivery pipe having an inlet connected to the water storage device, the pumping device being adapted to pump water from the water storage device into the cold water supply pipe or the cold water delivery pipe.

15. A method of retrofitting a water network system comprising a cold water supply, a hot water supply, one or more cold water delivery pipes in fluid communication with said cold water supply and one or more cold water outlets, one or more hot water delivery pipes in fluid communication with said hot water supply and one or more hot water outlets, and a water recovery system adapted to recover standing water from at least one of said hot water delivery pipes, the improvement comprising:

providing a water storage device;

mounting a mechanically actuated diverter valve utilizing the valve assembly of any of claims 1-10 on a hot water transfer pipe upstream of the one or more hot water outlets and downstream of the hot water supply, the diverter valve being adapted to selectively divert water from the hot water transfer pipe to the water storage means by opening of the one hot water outlet until water flowing through the diverter valve reaches a predetermined temperature; and

a suction device is fitted to one of the cold water delivery pipes, the suction device being adapted to draw water from the water storage device into the cold water delivery pipe and deliver it to one of the cold water outlets.