The waters from the residual waters coming from private or public washbasins, showers, kitchens, etc. are called grey waters. They are waters that basically have a component of soapy remains, so that they can be reused in the washing and final flushing of the toilets.

It is currently clear the need of adopting measures to rationalizing the consumption and reuse of water. In fact, in the current regulations reference is made to use grey waters of the buildings.

Devices for reusing grey waters in houses comprising independent pipes to collect water from the shower or washbasin and lead it to a deposit where the water is subjected to a depuration treatment and is pumped to the toilet cistern are known.

The known devices for reusing grey waters have the drawback that their installation and service are expensive because they are associated to the use of a water collecting deposit or tank that must be kept clean to prevent smell problems. Furthermore, the deposit needs a space for its installation that a lot of houses cannot provide. On the other hand, these known devices usually need electric energy for its operation.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to solve said drawbacks, developing a method for reusing grey waters that is very cheap and efficient, and a device for reusing grey waters in a toilet presenting the advantage that it occupies very little space because it does not use any deposit for storing grey waters.

According to this objective, according to a first aspect, the present invention provides a device for reusing grey waters in a toilet comprising a duct for delivering said grey waters to a flushing cistern associated with said toilet and driving means of said grey waters through said duct, and it is characterized in that it comprises a U-bend to be engaged to a wastepipe of said grey waters, said U-bend including an outlet to connect said delivering duct, said outlet being placed at a lower level to the discharge level of said U-bend, said grey waters being susceptible of being driven from said U-bend when said driving means are driven when opening a water passage of the mains that drains to said wastepipe.

The device of the present invention has the advantage that as U-bend with an outlet to be connected to the delivering duct of the grey waters is provided, said grey waters can be driven from said U-bend with no need of a deposit that occupies space. Furthermore, as said outlet is placed at a level lower than the discharge level of the U-bend, the driving can be done so that the U-bend does not lose its function of hydraulic closure, so that the device guarantees the absence of uncomfortable smells. On the other hand, as the U-bend also has the conventional discharge outlet, in the case of an excessive inlet flow of grey waters in the wastepipe, this flow excess can be evacuated as usually.

Thanks to these features, the device of the present invention has the advantage that it does occupy any space, it is very simple to be installed and easy to be operated, not being necessary any control unit to control the device.

Therefore, the claimed device permits to reuse grey waters and to save a very important volume of water in a very comfortable and easy way, being adapted to the dimensions of any kind of houses.

According to a first embodiment, said driving means include a low voltage electric pump and a pressure regulator to drive an electric engine of said pump when the water passage of the mains associated with said wastepipe is opened.

According to a second embodiment, said driving means include a driving turbine and a hydraulic engine to drive said turbine when the water passage of the mains associated with said wastepipe is opened.

This embodiment of the device has the advantage that it does not need electric energy for its operation.

Preferably, said hydraulic engine is connected to a water inlet from the mains that communicate with said wastepipe, the shaft of said engine being driven with the water from said mains to move said turbine each time that the water passage from the mains to said wastepipe is opened.

Therefore, the water flow from the mains is used to move the engine shaft that drives the turbine, because it has been observed that the water pressure of the mains provides enough kinetic force to rotate the shaft.

The claimed device can be applied for using hot and cold grey waters. To this end, the device can be provided e.g. with two turbine and hydraulic engine assemblies that will be connected, one to the hot water inlet from the mains and the other to the cold water inlet, each of said assemblies driving the grey waters from one or other source to the toilet cistern.

Advantageously, said driving turbine is attached to the shaft of said hydraulic engine determining a driving hydraulic group that is housed inside a housing including a water inlet from the mains and a grey water outlet to the toilet cistern

As the turbine is joined to the shaft of the hydraulic engine, the rotation speed of the turbine can be the same as the rotation speed of the engine, so that the instant evacuation flow rate of grey water through the U-bend can be the same as the instant flow rate of water entering in the wastepipe.

Advantageously, said device comprises a double charge flushing cistern provided with an inlet of grey water from said delivering duct and an inlet of net water from the mains associated with a float configured to regulate a reserve level of said net water inside the cistern.

This cistern permits to discharge grey waters assuring always that a reserve level of net water from the mains in maintained. Therefore, in the case the level of grey water inside the cistern is not kept because the washbasin that includes the U-bend has not been used, an input of net water from the mains will be produced until the reserve level regulated by the float. However, when the level of grey water inside the cistern is kept at a level higher than the reserve one regulated by the float, as it is a double discharge cistern, the user can select to discharge a volume of grey water with no input of net water from the mains.

According to a second aspect, the present invention also refers to a method for reusing grey waters that is carried out by the claimed device, and it is characterized in that it comprises the steps of:

a) opening a tap or water passage associated with a wastepipe; b) driving the grey waters collected by the wastepipe from an outlet of the U-bend engaged with said wastepipe, said outlet being placed at a level lower than the discharge level of said U-bend;

c) directing said grey waters to a flushing cistern associated with a toilet where said grey waters are stored o are evacuated by overflow to the bowl of said toilet.

Thanks to these features a method for reusing grey waters is obtained, which is very simple, quick and effective.

Preferably, in said step b), the driving of grey waters is carried out using the water pressure from the mains that provides water to said tap or passage.

Therefore, it is obtained a reusing method that does not require electric power. Furthermore, it has been observed that the same results can be obtained using the water pressure of cold water or hot water from the mains.

Advantageously, in step b), said water pressure from the mains is used to move the shaft of a hydraulic engine, which drives a turbine for driving said grey waters.

Thanks to these features, the evacuation of grey water is synchronized with the feeding of net water to the tap, so that the control of the process for reusing grey waters is very effective.

Again advantageously, if the cistern in step c) is a double discharge cistern, step d) is carried out by discharging selectively the volume of grey water that is above a reserve level of said cistern that is regulated by a float.

Therefore, the process is optimized, assuring the reuse of grey water with no need of net water to keep the minimum water level inside said cistern.

Again advantageously, said method comprises the step of providing inside said cistern a disinfecting substance or mixture based on chlorine or other equivalent element to prevent the proliferation of microorganisms inside the cistern.

The provision can be done e.g. pouring directly inside the cistern said disinfectant substance or mixture, or pouring said disinfectant substance or mixture to the washbasin wastepipe that collects the grey waters and directs them to the cistern.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS For a better comprehension of what has been described some drawings has been attached, in which diagrammatically and only as a non limitative example, a specific embodiment is shown.

In said drawings,

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatical representation showing the components of the device installed in an input duct of water from the mains.

Fig. 2 shows a diagrammatical section of the U-bend to be engaged to the wastepipe that collects the grey waters.

Fig. 3 shows a diagrammatical section of the hydraulic group constituted by the hydraulic engine and the driving turbine.

Fig. 4 shows a diagrammatical section of the internal part of the driving turbine and the hydraulic engine.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Hereinafter a preferred embodiment of the device 1 for reusing grey waters in a toilet 2 is described, in which the driving means of the grey waters includes a driving turbine 3 and an hydraulic engine 4 to drive said turbine 3 when the water passage 5 associated with the wastepipe 6 of grey waters is opened.

As described in the description of the invention, the claimed device 1 includes a U-bend 7 to be engaged to a wastepipe 6 of grey waters, such as e.g. a wastepipe 6 of a washbasin 13 of a conventional home. The U-bend 7 of the device 1 has the particularity that is provided with an outlet 8 to be connected to a duct 9 for delivering grey waters. Thanks to this feature, the device 1 of the present invention has the advantage that it permits the grey waters to be driven to a flushing cistern 10 from said U-bend 7, with no need of a tank or deposit for collecting grey waters.

As shown in Fig. 2, the outlet 8 of the U-bend 7 is placed at a level lower than the discharge level 11 of said U-bend 7. Thanks to this feature, the driving can be done so that the U-bend 7 does not lose its function of hydraulic closure, and therefore the device 1 guarantees the complete absence of uncomfortable smells.

Fig. 1 shown a diagrammatical representation of the device 1 installed in an inlet duct 12 of clean water that feeds water from the mains to the tap or water passage 5 associated with the wastepipe 6 of grey waters. In Fig. 1 it can be seen the U-bend 7 engaged to the wastepipe 6 of a washbasin 13 and the delivering duct 9 of grey waters engaged with the outlet 8 of the U-bend 7.

The embodiment that is described includes a driving hydraulic group 14 that is housed inside a housing 15 including a water inlet 16 from the mains and an outlet 17 of grey waters to the cistern 10 of the toilet 2 (see Fig. 3). This hydraulic group 14 permits to drive the grey waters from said U-bend 7 with no need of using any kind of electric power, using only water from the mains.

The hydraulic group 14 includes the hydraulic engine 4 that is provided with driving blades 18 and is connected to the water inlet 16 of the duct 12 that provides water from the mains to the tap or water passage 5 associated with the wastepipe 6 of grey waters. Therefore, when said water passage 5 is opened, the water from the mains drives a shaft 19 of the engine 4.

As shown in Fig. 3, the same hydraulic group 14 includes the driving turbine 3 that is joined to the shaft 19 of the engine 4, so that the rotation of the shaft 19 rotates the driving blades 20 of said turbine 3 that receive by gravity the grey waters from the U-bend 7. The turbine 3 is connected to the outlet 17 of the housing 15 that directs the grey waters to the cistern 10 of the toilet 2, through the delivering duct 9.

As the turbine 3 and the engine 4 share the same shaft 19, the rotation speed of the turbine 3 will be substantially the same as the rotation speed of the engine 4, so that the instant evacuation flow rate of grey waters could be according to the instant flow rate of water that enters inside the wastepipe 6.

In the disclosed embodiment, the cistern 10 that receives the grey waters is a double discharge cistern 10 provided with an inlet 21 of grey waters from said delivering duct 9 and an inlet 22 of net water from the mains associated with a float 23 configured to regulated a reserve level 24 of said net water inside the cistern 10.

As stated in the description of the invention, this cistern 10 permits to discharge of grey waters assuring always that a reserve level of net water from the mains is kept. Therefore, in the case that the level of grey waters inside the cistern 10 is not kept if the washbasin 13 that includes the U-bend 7 that collects the grey waters has not been used, net water from the mains will enter until the reserve level 24 regulated by the float 23. However, when the grey water level inside the cistern 10 is kept at a level higher than the reserve level 24 regulated by the float 23, the user could selectively discharge a volume of grey waters with no entrance of net water from the mains, which means a very important save of water.

Hereinafter is described the operation mode of the device 1 and the reusing process of grey waters using said device 1.

When the user opens the tap or water passage 5, e.g. to clean an object or his/her hands, the water flow at the mains pressure provides the kinetic force enough to rotate the shaft 19 of the hydraulic engine 4 of the group 14. The rotation of this shaft 19 drives the driving turbine 3 that is connected to the delivering duct 9 of grey waters that, at the same time, is engaged to the outlet 8 of the U-bend 7 of the washbasin 13 wastepipe 6 of the house.

The driving blades 20 of the turbine 3 drive the grey waters from the U- bend 7 each time the tap or water passage 5 associated with the wastepipe 6 is opened. Thanks to this feature, it is not necessary any tank and control unit for the water level of said tank, because the grey waters are driven from the U-bend 7 as enter inside said U-bend 7. Furthermore, in the case of an excessive flow rate of grey waters that cannot be bolt down by the turbine 3, said grey waters can be discharged by the conventional water outlet of the U-bend 7 that is connected to the drain system, at the level 11 higher than the outlet 8 of said U-bend 7.

The grey waters driven by the turbine 3 enter in a cistern 10 associated with the toilet 2 where are stored. This cistern 10 can be a known cistern 10 that includes an overflow to permit the drainage through the toilet 2 of the water in excess that cannot be stored. However, it is advisable to provide a conventional cistern with a double discharge, whose float 23 will be configured to regulate the input of net water from the mains until a reserve level 24 that assures a minimum volume of net water and also the selective discharge of water above said water reserve level 24.

In summary, the water reusing process that is carried out by the claimed device 1 includes the steps of:

a) opening the tap or water passage 5 associated to the wastepipe 6, b) driving the grey waters that are collected by the wastepipe 6 from an outlet 8 of the U-bend 7 engaged to said wastepipe 6, said outlet 8 being placed at a level lower than the discharge level 11 of said U-bend 7,

c) directing said grey waters to the cistern 10 associated with the toilet 2 where are stored or evacuated by overflow to the toilet 2 if the cistern 10 is full, and d) optionally, if the cistern 10 in step c) is a double discharge cistern 10, selectively discharging the water volume above the reserve water level 24 regulated by the float 23, said water volume being susceptible of being reused in the toilet 2.

In the described embodiment, the claimed process has the advantage that, optionally, in step b) the driving of grey waters is carried out using the water pressure from the mains that feeds water to said tap or water passage 5. As described previously, thanks to this feature, it is not necessary to use electric power.

Even though a specific embodiment of the present invention has been described and shown, it is apparent that a person skilled in the art could introduce variations and modifications, or to substitute the details by other technically equivalent ones, without departing from the scope of protection defined by the attached claims.

E.g. even though reference has been made in the description to a preferred embodiment in which the driving means includes a hydraulic engine 4, as stated previously, said driving means can be configured by a low voltage pump provided with an electric engine and with a pressure regulator to drive said electric engine when opening or closing the tap or water passage 5. Similarly, even though in the present invention reference has been made to a device provided with a double discharge cistern, the same device could be operated with a single discharge cistern in which the reserve mains water level will be regulated also by a float, being also the user that, as desired, determines the water volume to be discharged.