Portable Solar Shower System
Summary:See Patent abstract and demo script below.
Full Description:
As described in the abstract section of Canadian Patent 2,211,974
Abstract:
As a portable showering system intended for both consumer and industrial applications, the system will provide for the universal mounting on a wall, post, shelf, a top a recreational vehicle or slung from a tree and not limited to the aforementioned, through the use of various mounting apparatus contained as optional equipment in the portable showering system kit. Installation can be performed by a literate adult equipped with screwdriver, pliers and household power drill with assorted bits.
The 20 litre solar heated reservoir supplies a generous amount of showering liquid to the shower head via communicator plumbing in a fashion typical to regular household shower units and for a duration of up to 7 minutes. The reservoir does not
require source plumbing or any man made pressure device as the system is gravity fed.
A push/pull rod of discretionary length controls the open/close valve and allows for instant and variably controlled release of showering liquid to the user.
The instant open/close capability of the 1/4 turn ball type valve controlled by the push/pull rod, mounted with rigid plumbing and working in conjunction with a removable shower head with garden hose adapter, allows the user to either
dispense shower liquid, or refill the reservoir via the shower head by means of a
regular garden hose with ease.
Video Demonstration Script:
Introduction:
Good Day, my name is Al McCormack. Thank you for the opportunity to present my patented invention…
The “PORTABLE SOLAR SHOWER SYSTEM”
My invention is primarily designed to provide recreational comfort, fun and hygiene in the out of doors, for people and animals of all ages, during fair weather either at home, cottage or trailer however, I also see potential applications in parks, campgrounds and industrial Health & Safety markets, both outdoors and indoors.
I am confident that after seeing this demonstration, you will see the commercial potential and possibilities surrounding this invention.
The “System”, is made up of 4 components…
1.Reservoir (tank)
2.Universal Mounting Bracket (providing for installation almost anywhere)
3.Compact Shower Assembly (for compact installations)
4.Remote Shower Assembly (for applications where the tank is mounted away from the showering controls)
I envision these components being purchased as a “Kit”, from a major retailer and packaged with both assembly and installation instructions. Most components would be made of durable PVC with the exception of the bracket, probably made from sheet metal. The customer would be responsible for installing in a fashion to suit their particular application/s.
What makes the System “Portable”, is the universal mounting bracket, component design and the fact that no tools are required for the System to be mounted and dismounted from one location to another…if so desired. The initial installation can be handled by a literate adult with a power drill, screwdriver and pliers.
Perhaps more significant than “portability”, is the variety of locations and ease that it can be installed, or how “universal” the system is. Let’s look at just a few different prototype installations that I’ve built here in our backyard. Starting with this one that we’ll refer to as…
Post Mount / Compact
Typically, a stand-alone post or fence post would suffice but I’ve built this portable model post and stand for the purpose of being able to provide demo’s at trade shows
In this application, the user would simply…
1)Assemble the tank and Compact Shower Assembly by hand threading the compact shower plumbing through a hole in the mounting bracket, directly into the tank that is then hung on to 2 lag bolts previously screwed into the post.
2)Install the adjustable safety strap.
Filling the tank: is done through the shower head with a standard garden hose using this attachment. Simply remove the shower screen… insert the hose gun… adjust the lever to the open position… and pull the trigger! This is one of the major advantages of this shower compared to existing technology. The user can refill the entire 20 litre tank in about 1 minute, without having to remove the tank or having to use a step ladder! The lever and ball type valve, allow for this and provides other key showering advantages such as…
1)The timing and amount of water dispersed is “instant” meaning less adjusting and wasted water compared to other types of turn type valves
2)Anybody including children, can operate easily and safely
3)The lever can be shortened for an adult only application if desired
4)When the tank is full, the shower is capable of providing at least 7 minutes of continuous showering, or say, about 15 – 30 second showers or 30- 15 second showers in the full open position. Even longer showering time would be possible if used in less than the full open position!
Ideally, the tank would be positioned to absorb as much solar heat from the sun as possible. It’s been our experience that once the tank is filled (from empty) with cold tap water, a warm sunny day will raise the water temperature and provide refreshing (warmer) water in approximately 4 hours. Therefore, maximum service is best obtained by doing refills / topping up, in the mornings.
Wall Mount / Compact
Wall Mounting as a compact installation is the same as what we just saw with the post mount. Simply anchor the lag bolts into the wall and utilize the safety strap loop. Here is how it’s done and this also shows the portability and ease of being able to relocate from one location to another ie; from home to cottage or trailer and vice versa.
Now I’d like to show a Wall Mount / Remote Installation
In this application, we’ve mounted the tank on the garage roof, safety strapped to our light post with southern exposure to capture as much affect from the sun as possible however, we needed the shower controls on the west wall about 6 feet away. Here is where we used the Remote Shower Assembly that includes flexible hosing between the tank and shower controls.
The relationship of your installation site to the position of the sun and where you want the shower controls to be, are the determining factors of how you should install the system….Compact or Remote. Consider this about the remote Installation…
You could install the tank at a high sunny location on the roof, on land, on a post anywhere within reasonable distance, as long as higher (above sea level) than the shower control, because the system is gravity fed. Then, simply connect to the remote shower controls via flexible hose like I’ve done here.
And just a reminder… all of the system installations, either compact or remote, are refillable through the shower head screen like I showed earlier.
Trailer / Vehicle Mount (compact / remote)
And quickly, here’s the compact mount on our trailer! Again, depending on the factors I mentioned earlier and the fact that in some parks, a hose might not be available, installation should include the ability to take the tank down, for re-filling and re-mounting, or simply re-filled through the top via the service cap without removing.
In Summarizing…
I believe the sales potential is in the millions of units in Canada alone. This is based on one home, cottage, trailer owner in every 10, acquiring 1 system.
Additional Parts…would be more business from customers wanting to utilize the portability features and move the system from one location to another, like home to cottage or trailer and back that would require additional brackets and hardware etc.
Replacement Parts and “Accessories”, like Fun Scents, Soap Dish Trays, Towel hooks / bars, Curtains, even heaters would be worth considering. I really believe the sales and profit potential is tremendous!
Close:
My goal is to locate a Company that’s prepared to enter in to a Commercial Agreement with me to bring my invention to market.
Thank you very much for watching.
Problem this idea/invention addresses:
Provides body cooling, hygiene and promotes leisure and recreational activity, where heated outdoor plumbing or pools are not practical or affordable.
Auxiliary products or services for sale:
Looking for a manufacturer to produce and price the product for Canadian Tire, among other interested retailers.
Attached files:
Patent: CA 2,211,974 [MORE INFO]
Asking price: [CONTACT SELLER]
Available for consultation? Yes
Invention #11628
Date posted: 2010-06-09
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