Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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BOTTLE FOR WATER TREATMENT DEVICE
Background
The present disclosure relates generally to water treatment and, more
particularly,
to a water treatment device for filling at least one bottle with treated tap
water.
Oftentimes, municipal tap water has a taste or odor that people find
objectionable.
Individuals seeking improved drinking water quality may choose to either
filter the tap
water or purchase bottled water.
Gravity-fed and pressure-fed water filtration devices for filtering domestic
tap
water are known in the patent art. U.S. Patent No. 5,225,078 (Polasky, et.
al.), for
example, discloses a pour-through pitcher filter assembly including a compact
filter
element including a thin annular disk of molded activated carbon and a
peripheral annular
seal element. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006/024/0249442 (Yap,
et. al.)
discloses a portable water container including a body defining a reservoir, a
replaceable
filter housed in a storage compartment of the body, and a connection assembly.
The
connection assembly connects a water supply source to the filter. Pressurized
water from
the water supply source flows under pressure through the filter and into the
water reservoir
through an outlet port in the storage compartment
People may also choose to drink bottled water for reasons such as better
taste,
perceived health benefits, and convenience. Attempts have been made to filter
domestic
water for water bottles. U.S. Patent No. 6,641,719 (Naito), for example,
discloses a water
purifier for use with bottle containers that is capable of being installed on
a bottle
container such as a PET bottle and is capable of purifying water. U.S. Patent
No.
7,427,355 (Chau) discloses a water treatment unit for positioning in a sport
bottle or
container for treating water.
Summary
Gravity-fed water filtration devices are generally slow filling, and pressure-
fed
devices must be repeatedly connected to and disconnected from a water source,
which
generally requires that the device and water source have matching fittings. In
addition,
because of the amount of space occupied by the filter, only about one-half of
the container
volume is typically usable to hold filtered water. Such water pitchers also
lack the
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convenience and portability of a water bottle. Bottled water is more expensive
than
drinking water from municipal sources, takes energy and resources to produce,
package,
transport, and store, and produces a large volume of plastic waste that must
be properly
disposed.
The need exists for a water bottle that can be used in connection with a water
treatment device that treats domestic tap water to make bottled water. More
particularly,
the need exists for a water bottle that is configured for use with such a
water treatment
device.
The present invention provides a water bottle for use in connection with a
water
treatment device. The water bottle has a circular opening with a diameter of
at least about
0.87 inches, a diameter of no greater than about 1.06 inches, and a height of
at least about
6.56 inches, and a height of no greater than about 8.02 inches.
In one aspect, the bottle may include a bottom surface having a detent that
mates
with a protrusion included on the base of the device, whereby the bottle snaps
into place
and thereby provides the user with an indication as to when the bottle is
properly installed
in the device.
In another aspect, the bottle may include a containment vessel, and may
further
include a cap removably connected with the containment vessel. The containment
vessel
includes the opening, and the cap contains a spout.
In another aspect, the bottle may include a strap movably connected with the
bottle. The strap may include a stopper for closing/sealing the spout.
In another aspect, the cap may include a pair of asymmetric keyways for
rotatably
receiving the ends of the strap.
In another aspect, the bottle may be generally cylindrical, and the bottle may
have
an outer diameter of no greater than about 4 inches.
In another aspect, the bottle may have a volume of at least about 0.75 liters,
and a
volume of no greater than about 1.25 liters.
In another aspect, the bottle may be reusable.
In another aspect, the present invention provides a water treatment device
including a housing assembly and at least one bottle.
An advantage of the water bottle is that it is configured to be used in
connection
with a specific water treatment device. More particularly, the water bottle is
configured to
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be removably inserted into the device and, in the process of doing so, the
water bottle
actuates a valve that controls the flow of treated water into the water
bottle. To do so
successfully, the water bottle must be configured a particular way. The water
bottle is also
configured such that the spout can form a hermetic seal with the valve. In
this manner, the
likelihood of having water spill from, or overflow from, the water bottle
during the filling
process can be almost eliminated.
Brief Description of the Drawings
The present invention will be further described with reference to the
accompanying
drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a water treatment system according
to
the invention.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the housing assembly with the lid removed.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2.
FIG. 4 is a detailed cross-sectional view of a valve.
FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of a treatment cartridge.
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a treatment cartridge.
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a water treatment insert.
FIG. 8a is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of a water treatment
insert.
FIG. 8b is a cross-sectional view taken along line 8b-8b of FIG. 8a.
FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of a bottle.
FIG. 10 is a bottom perspective view of a bottle.
FIGS. 11 a-c are cross-sectional views showing the filling sequence of a
bottle.
Detailed Description
Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like
or
corresponding parts throughout the several views, FIG. 1 generally shows the
components
of a water treatment device 2 for filling one or more bottles 4 with, for
example, treated
water. In one aspect, the device 2 may be freestanding and portable. That is,
the device 2
is not plumbed, or connected directly to a water source, and is not mounted or
installed at
a particular location. Rather, the device 2 may be readily moved from one
location to
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another. In another aspect, the device 2 may be gravity-fed. That is, the
unfiltered water
is not pressurized and is allowed to flow freely through the device. The
device 2 typically
has a relatively small size (e.g. less than approximately 1 cubic foot), which
allows the
device 2 to be placed on a countertop or in a refrigerator without consuming
too much
space, and has an overall height that allows the device 2 to be positioned
under a faucet in,
for example, a kitchen sink (e.g. less than 1 foot (30 centimeters) high),
whereby tap water
can be directed into the device 2 from the faucet. It is also desirable that
the device 2 be
lightweight (e.g. less than 12 pounds when full of water) to facilitate
portability.
The device 2 includes a housing assembly 6, a treatment cartridge 8 removably
arranged within the housing assembly 6, and an optional lid 9 removably
arranged on the
top of the housing assembly 6. In the illustrated embodiment, the device 2 is
designed for
use with up to four bottles at one time. The present disclosure, however,
contemplates
devices that may be designed for use with as few as one bottle, or designed
for use with
more than four bottles (e.g. 8, 12, or more).
Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3, there is shown an exemplary housing assembly
6.
In the illustrated embodiment, the housing assembly 6 includes a stand 10 and
a housing
unit 12 supported by the stand 10. The stand 10 includes a base 14 and a
support member
16 extending upwardly from the base 14 to the housing unit 12. The base 14 has
a
generally circular footprint, which has a sufficiently large surface area so
the device 2 is
not prone to tipping. Bases 14 having other sizes and shapes may also be used.
The support member 16 is generally cylindrical and has a height that allows
one or
more bottles 4 to be positioned between the base 14 and the housing unit 12,
as described
in more detail below.
The housing unit 12 is arranged on the upper end of the support member 16
opposite the base 14. In the illustrated embodiment, the housing unit 12 is
generally bowl-
shaped, and includes a generally planar circular bottom wall portion 12a, and
an annular
side wall portion 12b that extends upwardly from the peripheral edge of the
bottom wall
portion 12a. The bottom wall portion 12a and side wall portion 12b combine to
define a
water treatment reservoir 18. The bottom wall portion 12a of the housing unit
12 is
generally planar, but may be contoured or sloped to control water flow.
The reservoir 18 may have a diameter "di" of at least about 6 centimeters
(cm), at
least about 8 cm, at least about 10 cm, or at least about 12 cm, a diameter
"di" of no
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greater than about 30 cm, no greater than about 25 cm, or no greater than
about 20 cm, and
a depth "hi" of less than about 10 cm, less than about 8 cm, or less than
about 6 cm. The
reservoir 18 may have a volume of less than about 2 liters, less than about
1.75 liters, or
less than about 1.5 liters. In the illustrated embodiment, the housing unit 12
and reservoir
18 have generally cylindrical shapes, but housing units and reservoirs having
other sizes
and shapes are contemplated in connection with the present disclosure.
In the illustrated embodiment, a plurality of valves 20 are arranged in fluid
communication with the water treatment reservoir 18, thereby to allow treated
water to
selectively exit the water treatment reservoir 18. For illustrative purposes,
in FIG. 3 one
valve (i.e. the valve on the left side of FIG. 3) is shown in its actuated or
open condition,
and one valve (i.e. the one on the right side of FIG. 3) is shown in its non-
actuated closed
condition.
Water may exit through all valves 20 simultaneously, or through any one of the
valves 20 individually. Each valve 20 includes a water inlet/air exit port 22
that opens to
the reservoir 18. The water inlet/air exit port 22 defines an orifice 24 in
the bottom wall
12a of the housing unit 12. Each valve 20 further includes a water exit/air
inlet port 26
opposite the water inlet/air exit port 22 for fluid communication with an
associated bottle
4. In a specific embodiment, the water inlet/air exit port 22 defines an
orifice 24 having a
cross sectional area of at least about 1 cm2, and a cross sectional area of no
greater than
about 2 cm2.
Each valve 20 is operable between an unactuated condition as shown in the
right
hand side of FIG. 3, and an actuated open condition, as shown on the left hand
side of
FIG. 3. In the closed condition, air and water are not able to flow through
the valve 20. In
the open condition, water is free to flow downwardly from the water treatment
reservoir
18 through the water inlet/air exit port 22, through the valve 20, out the
water exit/air inlet
port 26, and into an associated bottle 4, and air entrapped in the associated
bottle 4 is free
to simultaneously flow upwardly through the water exit/air inlet port 26,
through the valve
20, out the water inlet/air exit port 22, and into the surrounding
environment.
In accordance with a characterizing aspect of the device 2, the base 14
includes an
inclined cam surface 28 angled upwardly in the direction of the support member
16. The
inclined cam surface 28 serves to gradually urge a bottle 4 upwardly against
an associated
valve 20 as the bottom of the bottle 4 is slid along the inclined cam surface
28 by a user in
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the direction of the support member 16, thereby to actuate the valve 20 from
its closed to
its open condition. That is, when the top of a bottle 4 is placed into contact
with a valve
20, and the bottom of a bottle 4 is urged upwardly along the inclined cam
surface 28, the
top of the bottle 4 serves to actuate the valve 20 from its closed condition
to its open
condition, thereby allowing treated water to flow from the water treatment
reservoir 18
into the bottle 4, and allowing air entrapped in the bottle 4 to be released
from the bottle 4
to the surrounding environment in the manner described above.
A protrusion 30 is provided on the inclined cam surface 28 to retain the
bottle 4 in
a generally vertical installed position when the bottle 4 has reached the
desired location
along the inclined cam surface 28. In its installed position, the bottle 4 is
held snuggly
between the base 14 and a corresponding valve 20, which is actuated to its
open condition.
The protrusion 30 serves to snap and lock the bottle 4 into place between the
base 14 and
an associated valve 20, and thereby provides the user with an indication as to
when the
bottle 4 has been properly installed in the device 2. Upon removal, the
protrusion 30
serves to release the bottle 4 from the device 2, and thereby provides the
user with an
indication as to when the bottle 4 can be readily removed from the device 2.
The distance between the base 14 and each valve 20 is configured to closely
match
the height of the bottle 4. That is, the distance from the top of the base 14
and, more
particularly, the distance from the protrusion 30, to the bottom of an
associated valve 20
must be sufficient to allow the bottle 4 to fit between the base 14 and the
associated valve
20, but is not so large that the bottle fails to actuate the valve 20 when the
bottle 4 is
placed in its installed condition. That is, the distance between the base 14
and the
associated valve 20 must be short enough to ensure that the bottle 4 actuates
the valve 20
upon reaching its installed position, but is not so short that the bottle does
not fit securely
between the base 14 and the valve 20.
Referring now to FIG. 4, there is shown a detailed view of a valve 20 in its
non-
actuated closed condition. The illustrated valve is intended to represent any
of the valves
20. In the illustrated embodiment, the valve 20 includes at least one air flow
passageway
32 and at least one water flow passageway 34. The air flow passageway 32
protrudes
from the orifice 24 (i.e. beyond the plane defined by the top surface of the
bottom wall 12a
of the housing unit 12), thereby to promote the separate flow of air through
the air flow
passageway 32 and flow of water through the water flow passageway 34,
respectively.
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The valve 20 includes a valve member 36, a sleeve member 38 arranged around
the
valve member 36, and a biasing member 40 arranged to urge the sleeve member 38
downwardly into contact with the valve member 36. The valve member 36 extends
downwardly from the housing unit 12 and includes a terminal end that defines a
sealing
portion 36a. The upper end of the valve member 36 (i.e. the end opposite the
sealing
portion 36a) is attached to the bottom wall 12a of the housing unit 12, and
therefore
remains in a fixed position relative to the housing unit 12. The sleeve member
38 is
permitted to move repeatedly upwardly and downwardly along the axis of the
valve
member 24, thereby opening and closing the valve 20, respectively.
The lower end 42 of the sleeve member 38 contains the water exit/air inlet
port 26,
which leads to an internal flow channel 44 within the sleeve member 38. The
sleeve
member 38 includes a frustoconical outer surface 46 that extends from the
exposed end 42
of the sleeve member 38 upwardly toward the housing unit 12, and includes an
annular
shoulder surface 47 that extends radially outwardly from the frustoconical
surface 46
adjacent the housing unit 12. The outer diameter of the frustoconical surface
46 may vary
from about 2 cm adjacent the exposed end 42 of the sleeve 38, to about 2.5 cm
adjacent
the shoulder surface 47. The shoulder surface 47 may have an inner diameter
adjacent the
frustoconical surface 46 of about 2.5 cm, and an outer diameter of about 3 cm.
Depending
on the specific geometry of the sleeve member 38, the surface 46 may encompass
a
portion of the inner surface that defines the flow channel 44. That is, the
water exit/air
inlet port 26 may be recessed, whereby the sealing portion 36a of the valve
member 36
forms a seal with an inner surface of the sleeve member 38 leading to the flow
channel 44.
The sleeve member 38 serves two functions. First, the sleeve member 38 serves
to
form a seal with the valve member 36, thereby to open and close the valve 20.
Second,
the sleeve member 38 serves to form a seal with the bottle 4, thereby allowing
the bottle 4
to be filled without leaking or spilling. That is, the sleeve member 38, and
more
particularly, surfaces 46 and/or 47, form two seals: one with the valve member
36, and one
with the opening of a bottle 4. The sealing portion 36a of the valve member 36
is
arranged to selectively sealingly engage the sleeve member 38 in the vicinity
of the water
exit/air inlet port 26, thereby closing the water exit/air inlet port 26 and
minimizing the
amount of water that can spill from the valve 20 when the bottle 4 is removed
from the
device 2. Surfaces 46 and/or 47 provide a contact surface against which the
opening in the
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top of a bottle may form a hermetic seal, thereby forming a closed system that
prevents the
bottle from overflowing during filling. That is, when a bottle 4 is filled
with treated water,
the seal created between the sleeve member 38 and the bottle 4 prevents water
from
overflowing from the top of the bottle 4, and the seal created between the
sleeve member
38 and the sealing portion 36a of the valve member 36 prevents flow through
and/or
leakage from the valve 20 when the valve is closed.
In one embodiment, the outer surface 46,47 of the sleeve member 36 may
comprise
an elastomeric material that serves to facilitate the formation of an airtight
and watertight
seal with the sealing portion 36a of the valve member 36, and also form an
airtight and
watertight seal with the opening of the bottle 4.
In the illustrated embodiment, the biasing member 40 is a helical compression
spring that normally exerts a force against the sleeve member 38 that urges
the valve 20 to
its non-actuated or closed condition. The valve 20 may be opened by exerting a
force
against the sleeve member 38 that overcomes the spring force. This may be
accomplished,
for example, by placing the top of a bottle 4 against the sleeve member 36,
and manually
forcing the bottle 4 upwardly to overcome the spring force, thereby actuating
the valve 20
to its open condition.
Referring again to FIG. 2, in the illustrated embodiment, the device 2
includes an
optional lid 9 arranged to enclose the reservoir 18. The device 2 may also
include a drain
valve 50 arranged in fluid communication with the reservoir 18. The drain
valve 50
allows any water remaining in the reservoir 18 after the bottles 4 have been
filled to be
easily drained from reservoir 18.
Referring now to FIGS. 5 and 6, the illustrated treatment cartridge 8 includes
a tray
member 52, water treatment material 54 arranged within the tray member 52, and
an
optional water distribution plate 56 arranged in the tray member 52 adjacent
the treatment
material 54. The tray member 52 includes a circular bottom wall portion 52a
containing at
least one drain opening 58 arranged to allow treated water to exit the
cartridge 8, and
includes an annular side wall portion 52b that extends upwardly from the
periphery of the
bottom wall portion 52a. The water distribution plate 56 is arranged in the
tray member
52 to define a water treatment chamber 60 between the tray member 52 and the
water
distribution plate 56 that contains the treatment material 54. The water
distribution plate
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56 contains a plurality of water distribution openings 62 that allow untreated
water to pass
through the water distribution plate 56 into the water treatment chamber 60.
In the illustrated embodiment, the tray member 52 is generally disc-shaped,
and
has a height "h2" of no greater than about 4 cm, no greater than about 5 cm,
or no greater
than about 6 cm, an inner diameter "d2" of at least about 4 cm, at least about
5 cm, or at
least about 6 cm, and an inner diameter "d2" of no greater than about 25 cm,
no greater
than about 20 cm, or no greater than about 18 cm. The tray member 52 may be
provided
in a wide variety of shapes and sizes depending on the size and shape of the
housing
assembly 6, the water treatment material 54, and the desired treatment
characteristics of
the device 2. Regardless of the particular configuration, the tray member 52
generally has
a volume of less than about 1.5 liters, less than about 1.2 liters, and less
than about 1 liter.
The optional water distribution plate 56 includes opposed upper 64 and lower
66
surfaces. The lower surface 66 includes a plurality of rib portions 68 for
maintaining the
water distribution plate 56 in spaced relation from the treatment material 54.
The spaced
region between the water distribution plate 56 and treatment material 54
defines a pre-
water treatment manifold 70 that creates a region of generally uniform flow
and pressure
drop as the untreated water enters the treatment material 54.
In the illustrated embodiment, the bottom wall portion 52a of the tray member
52
is generally conical and slopes downwardly from the outer side wall portion
52b in the
direction of the centrally located drain opening 58. That is, the bottom wall
portion 52a is
radially inclined from the drain opening 58 to the side wall portion 52b.
Configured in
this manner, treated water is directed to the drain opening 58 after it passes
through the
treatment material 54. In addition, air from the bottle 4 exiting a water
inlet/air exit port
22 is directed radially upwardly and outwardly along the bottom surface of the
bottom
wall portion 52a. To further direct the flow of treated water, the upper
surface of the
bottom wall portion 52a includes a plurality of radially extending guide vanes
72 that
direct the flow of treated water toward the drain opening 58.
The water distribution plate 56 may be readily separable from, or permanently
affixed to, the tray member 52. That is, the water distribution plate 56 may
be manually
removable from the tray member 52 to allow for access to, and removal and/or
replacement of, the treatment material 54, or the water distribution plate 56
and tray
member 52 may be permanently joined to form a sealed enclosure for the water
treatment
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material 54 that restricts access to the treatment material 54. When the
distribution plate
56 and tray member 52 are joined to form a single unit enclosing the treatment
material
54, the treatment material 54 may be replaced by replacing the entire
cartridge 8. In the
illustrated embodiment, the water distribution plate 56 is intended to be
removable. In this
manner, the treatment material 54 may be replaced, and the distribution plate
56 and tray
member 52 may be reused.
In the illustrated embodiment, the cartridge 8 includes a handle 74 extending
outwardly from the upper surface 64 of the water distribution plate 56. The
handle 74 is
provided to facilitate removal of the cartridge 8 from the housing assembly 6,
or to
facilitate separation of the distribution plate 56 from the tray member 52,
thereby allowing
the water treatment material 54 to be replaced.
In one aspect of the illustrated embodiment, when the water distribution plate
56 is
installed in the tray member 52, a peripheral edge portion of the water
treatment material
54 is pinched between the tray member 52 and the water distribution plate 56,
thereby
forming a seal that minimizes the bypass of untreated water around the water
treatment
material.
As shown in the illustrated embodiment, when the water distribution plate 56
is
operationally positioned (i.e. fully seated) in the tray member 52, the tray
member 52
includes a rim portion 52c that extends upwardly beyond the water distribution
plate 56.
In this manner, the rim portion 52c and water distribution plate 56 combine to
form a pre-
treatment collection zone 75 for the untreated water being directed into the
treatment
cartridge 8. The collection zone 75 may have a height "h3" (FIG. 6) of less
than about 4
cm, less than about 3 cm, or less than about 2 cm. The collection zone 75 may
have a
volume of less than about 1 liter, less than about 0.7 liters, or less than
about 0.5 liters. In
accordance with one aspect of the device 2, the ratio of the volume of the
bottles 4 to the
volume of the collection zone 75 is greater than about 1:1. That is, the
storage capacity of
the bottles 4 is greater than the volume of the collection zone 75. In other
more specific
embodiment, the ratio of the volume of the bottles 4 to the volume of the
collection zone
75 may be at least about 3:1, at least about 5:1, or at least about 7:1.
The tray member 52 further includes an annular lip portion 52d that extends
outwardly from the top edge of the tray member 52 for supporting the treatment
cartridge
8 in the housing unit 12.
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In the illustrated embodiment, the water distribution openings 62 are provided
in a
pattern such that the total cross sectional surface area of the water
distribution openings 62
is greatest in a perimeter region of the water distribution plate 56. In
addition, the size of
each water distribution opening 62 increases in the direction away from the
center of the
distribution plate 56. The illustrated pattern is intended to increase the
flow rate of
untreated water through the distribution plate 56 in the peripheral region of
the
distribution plate 56, thereby promoting more uniform flow through the
treatment material
54. That is, the open area allowing untreated water to pass through the
distribution plate
56 increases radially outwardly. In this manner, the center region of the
treatment
material 54 sees a lower flow rate of untreated water, and the outer region
sees a higher
flow rate of untreated water, and because the drain opening 58 is centrally
located, the
water is exposed to a more uniform degree of treatment.
In accordance with a characterizing aspect of the treatment cartridge 8, the
water
treatment material 54 has a low profile. That is, the water treatment material
54 is
relatively thin compared to its width. More specifically, the ratio of the
width of the water
treatment material 54 ("d3" in FIG. 5) to the average height of the water
treatment material
("h" in FIG. 5) is generally greater than about 1:1. That is, the water
treatment material 54
is typically wider than it is high. Thus, by way of example, if the water
treatment material
54 has an average height "h" of 1/2 inch (1.27 cm), the water treatment
material 54 will
typically have a width d3 of at least about 1/2 inch (1.27 cm). In more
specific
embodiments, the ratio of the width to the average height of the water
treatment material
54 may be at least about 5:1, at least about 10:1, or at least about 20:1. For
water
treatment material 54 having a circular or disc-like shape, as illustrated in
FIG. 5, it will be
recognized that the width d3 of the water treatment material 54 is equal to
the diameter of
the water treatment material 54. It will also be recognized that the water
treatment
material 54 may be provided in a variety of shapes and sizes.
In another aspect, the ratio of the transverse cross-sectional area of the
water
treatment material 54 to the average thickness of the water treatment material
54 is at least
about 5 inches (12.7 cm). In more specific embodiments, the ratio of the
transverse cross-
sectional area to the average thickness of the water treatment material 54 may
be at least
about 10 inches (25.4 cm), at least about 30 inches (76.2 cm), at least about
50 inches (127
cm), at least about 75 inches (191 cm), or at least about 100 inches (254 cm).
The ratio of
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the transverse cross-sectional area to the average thickness of the water
treatment material
54 may be no greater than about 300 inches (762 cm), no greater than about 250
inches
(635 cm), or no greater than about 200 inches (508 cm). The transverse cross-
sectional
area of the water treatment material 54 is the area bounded by the perimeter
of the water
treatment material 54. The transverse cross-sectional area may also be thought
of as the
cross-sectional area defined by a plane arranged perpendicular to the
direction of flow of
water 59 (FIG. 5) through the water treatment material 54. In the case of
water treatment
material 54 having a circular or disc-like shape, as illustrated in FIG. 5,
the transverse
cross-sectional area of the water treatment material 54 is the area of a
circle having a
diameter defined by the width d3 of the water treatment material 54. Thus, by
way of
example, if the water treatment material 54 has an average height of 0.5 cm
and a diameter
of 6 cm, the ratio of the transverse cross-sectional area to the average
height of the water
treatment material would be about 57 cm.
In one aspect, the water treatment material 54 may include at least one of
woven,
knitted, and non-woven material. In one embodiment, the treatment material
includes
carbon, such as activated carbon. Suitable water treatment materials include
granular
activated carbon available under the trade designation TOG-NDS 20x50 from
Calgon
Cargon Corporation, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and activated carbon cloth
available under
the trade designation Zorflex ACC from Calgon Cargon Corporation, Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania. In a specific embodiment, the treatment material 54 has a
thickness of less
than about 3/4 inch. The treatment material 54 may be disc-shaped, and may
have a
diameter of at least about 5 inches, and a diameter of no greater than about 7
inches.
In accordance with one aspect of one embodiment, the water treatment material
54
has a flow rate of at least about 0.5, at least about 0.75, or at least about
1.0 gallons per
minute (gpm) at 3/4 inch of water pressure head. In another aspect, the water
treatment
material 54 meets NSF Standard 42 for free chlorine reduction for a capacity
of at least
about 40 gallons, at least about 70 gallons, and at least about 100 gallons.
In the illustrated embodiment, the water treatment cartridge 8 is removably
arranged within the reservoir 18 of the housing unit 12. In a specific
embodiment, the
water treatment cartridge 8 is loosely arranged in the reservoir 18. In this
manner the
cartridge 8 may be manually removed from the housing unit 12 by a user,
thereby
allowing the user to readily replace the cartridge or the treatment material
54.
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Referring now to FIG. 7, there is shown a water treatment insert 201
comprising
water treatment material 254 similar to the water treatment material 54, and a
porous or
open support structure 255 secured to the water treatment material 254. In the
illustrated
embodiment, the support structure 255 is secured to the upper surface of the
water
treatment material 254. In other embodiments, the support structure 255 may be
arranged
either within or on the lower surface of the water treatment material 254.
The water treatment insert 201 is configured for arrangement within the tray
member 52 to treat water directed into the water treatment reservoir 18. The
direction of
flow of water through the water treatment insert 201 is indicated by reference
numeral
259. The water treatment insert 201 may be used in conjunction with the water
distribution plate 56, or without it. That is, the support structure 255 may
take the place of
the water distribution plate 56, therefore rendering the water distribution
plate 56
unnecessary.
The support structure 255 may comprise, for example, a net, mesh, scrim or
screen-like material, which may be formed of, for example, paper, metal, or
synthetic
plastic materials. Such materials are open and/or porous, thereby allowing
water to pass
through the water treatment insert 201. The support structure 255 may serve to
distribute
the untreated water so the untreated water flows more evenly and uniformly
through the
water treatment material 254. The support structure 255 also tends to enhance
the
durability of the water treatment insert 201.
In the illustrated embodiment, the water treatment insert 201 includes an
optional
annular gasket 257 that extends generally around the perimeter of the water
treatment
material 254. Provided in this manner, the gasket 257 forms a seal with the
tray member
52 when the water treatment insert 201 is placed in the tray member 52,
thereby
minimizing the amount of untreated water that may bypass the water treatment
material
254. If the water treatment insert 201 is provided with a gasket 257, the
water treatment
insert 201 is typically placed in the tray member 52 because the tray allows
air from a
bottle 4 to readily escape though a gap between the tray member 52 and the
side wall 12b
of the housing unit 12. If the gasket 257 is omitted, the water treatment
insert 201 may be
placed either in the tray member 52 or directly into the water treatment
reservoir 18 of the
housing unit 12. This is possible because - without the gasket 257 - the water
treatment
insert 201 does not form a seal with the tray member 52 or the housing unit
12, and air
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from a bottle 4 is able to escape by flowing around and/or through the water
treatment
insert 201.
Referring now to FIGS. 8a and 8b, there is shown a water treatment insert 301
comprising water treatment material 354 enclosed within a pouch 361. The pouch
361
may be formed of an open net, mesh, scrim or screen-like material formed of,
for example,
metal or synthetic plastic materials, or it may be formed of a water permeable
material
such as a porous paper material. The illustrated water treatment insert 301
may be placed
either directly in the housing unit 12 or in the tray member 52, and may be
used either
with or without the water distribution plate 56
Referring now to FIGS. 9 and 10, there is shown a bottle 4 which is intended
to
represent any of the bottles depicted in FIG. 2. Referring also to FIG. 3, the
bottle 4 may
be arranged to receive treated water dispensed from any one of the valves 20.
Alternatively, a plurality of bottles 4 may be arranged in the device 2 to
receive treated
water dispensed from each of the valves 20 simultaneously.
In one desirable embodiment, the bottle 4 is configured so it can be arranged
securely between one of the protrusions 30 located on the upper surface of the
base 14 and
one of the valves 20 that extends downwardly beneath the housing unit 12. More
specifically, the bottle 4 is sufficiently tall so that it actuates the valve
20 when the top of
the bottle is placed against a valve 20 and the bottle 4 is urged upwardly
along the
included cam surface 28, but is not so tall that the bottle 4 cannot be
installed in a fully
upright and vertical position between the protrusion 30 and an associated
fully actuated
valve 20. In one specific embodiment, the bottle has a height of at least
about 6.5 inches,
at least about 7.0 inches, or at least about 7.2 inches, and no greater than
about 8.0 inches,
no greater than about 7.7 inches, or no greater than about 7.5 inches. In
another specific
aspect, the bottle 4 is generally cylindrical, and has an outer diameter of no
greater than
about 6 inches, no greater than about 5 inches, or no greater than 4 inches.
In the illustrated embodiment, the bottle 4 includes a containment vessel 76
and a
cap 78 removably connected with the containment vessel 76. The cap 78 is
threadably
connected with the containment vessel 76. The containment vessel 76 contains a
wide
opening 80 that allows the interior of the containment vessel 76 to be readily
accessed for
cleaning, and the cap 78 contains a narrow opening or spout 82 configured to
sealingly
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engage the sleeve member 38 of a valve 20, thereby to allow the bottle 4 to be
filled, and
to allow treated water to be poured out of the bottle 4.
In one embodiment, the narrow cap opening/spout 82 may have a diameter of at
least about 0.87 inches, at least about 0.91 inches, or at least about 0.94
inches, and a
diameter of no greater than about 1.06 inches, no greater than about 1.01
inches, or no
greater than about 0.98 inches. In one embodiment, the bottle 4 has a volume
of at least
about 0.25 liters, at least about 0.5 liters, or at least about 0.75 liters,
and has a volume of
no greater than about 1.75 liters, no greater than about 1.5 liters, or no
greater than about
1.25 liters.
In one aspect, the device 2 has a storage capacity of untreated water that is
less
than the storage capacity of the device for treated water. That is, the device
2 has a larger
holding capacity for treated water than untreated water. The storage capacity
of treated
water may be 1.5 times greater than the storage capacity of untreated water, 2
times
greater, or 2.5 times greater. The storage capacity of untreated water may be,
for example,
the volume of the tray member 52 before the water enters the water treatment
material 54,
and the storage capacity of treated water may be the combined volume of the
bottles 4. In
one aspect, the storage capacity of untreated water may be the volume of the
pre-water
treatment manifold 70 combined with the volume of the pre-treatment collection
zone 75.
In the illustrated embodiment, the bottle 4 includes a bottom surface 84
having a
detent 86 that mates with one of the protrusions 30 on the inclined cam
surface 28 of the
base 14, whereby the bottle 4 snaps into place when the detent 86 reaches the
protrusion
30. In this manner, the detent 86 and protrusion 30 provide the user with an
indication as
to when the bottle 4 is properly installed in the device 2. When the bottle 4
is installed
properly, it is held snuggly between the protrusion 30 and an associated valve
20 in an
upright position, and the valve 20 is actuated open.
In the illustrated embodiment, the bottle 4 includes a flexible strap 88 that
includes
a stopper 90 configured to fit into, and thereby repeatedly open and close,
the spout 82.
The strap 88 is pivotally connected with the bottle 4 to allow the strap 88 to
be selectively
moved between a first position in which it does not interfere with access to
the spout 82,
and a second position in which the stopper 90 may be inserted and removed from
the spout
82.
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In the illustrated embodiment, the strap 88 is removably connected with the
bottle
4 via a pair of asymmetric keyways 92 contained in opposite sides of the cap
78, and a
pair of matching projections 96 that extend inwardly from the ends of the
strap 88. In
order for the strap 88 to be connected with the cap 78, the projections 96
must be aligned
with the keyways 92. Because of the asymmetry of the keyways 92 and the
projections
96, this can only be accomplished by positioning the strap 88 upside down so
the stopper
90 is arranged directly under the cap 78 (i.e. opposite the spout 82).
Arranged in this
manner, the projections 96 may be inserted into the keyways 92, thereby
allowing the
strap 88 to be connected with the cap 78. To keep the strap 88 connected to
the cap 78
(i.e. to prevent the projections 96 from coming out of the keyways 92) the
strap 88 is
rotated. Once the strap 88 is rotated, the projections 96 become locked into
the keyways
92. Thus, the strap 88 can only be attached to, or removed from, the cap 78
when the
projections 96 are properly oriented to fit into the keyways 92, and this can
only be
accomplished when the strap 88 is rotated and positioned directly beneath the
cap 78.
Thus, when the cap 78 is secured to a containment vessel 76, and the
containment vessel
76 occupies the space directly below the cap 78, the strap 88 cannot be
removed from the
cap 78. That is, the containment vessel 76 prevents the strap 88 from being
rotated to the
position that allows the strap 88 to be separated from the cap 78.
Other ways of removably attaching the strap to the cap are also contemplated.
For
example, the cap may include elongated keyway channels that slidably mate with
the keys
on the strap, whereby the ends of the keyway channels are blocked by the
containment
vessel when the cap is secured to the containment vessel, thereby retaining
the keys in the
channel. As such, the strap may only be connected with, or removed from, the
bottle
when the cap is removed from the containment vessel.
Referring now to FIGS. 11 a-c, the operation of the device 2 is demonstrated.
FIG.
11 a shows the device in standby mode with one bottle 4 about to be installed
in the device
2. Each of the valves 20 is closed so that no water can pass through the
valves 20. The
bottle 4 is tilted at an angle so the spout 82 is arranged around the sleeve
member 38. The
bottom of the bottle 4 is then slid upwardly along the inclined surface 28
until the detent
86 in the bottom of the bottle 4 locks into place on the protrusion 30. As
this occurs, the
sleeve member 38 is urged upwardly by the bottle 4 to open the valve 20, and
the spout 82
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of the cap 78 forms a seal with the sleeve member 38. The bottle 4 is now
installed in the
device 2.
Once at least one bottle 4 has been installed in the device 2, untreated tap
water
100 may be poured into the reservoir 18 as illustrated in FIG. 1 lb. This may
be
accomplished, for example, by placing the device 2 directly under a faucet or
otherwise
directing the flow of tap water into the reservoir 18. The untreated water 100
then flows
through the water distribution openings 62 in the water distribution plate 56,
through the
water treatment material 54, and out the drain opening 58 located in the
bottom of the
treatment cartridge 8. Treated water 102 then flows through a water inlet/air
exit port 22,
through a valve 20, through a water exit/air inlet port 26, and into the
bottle 4. Because
the bottle 4 and sleeve member 38 are hermetically sealed, the only way for
air 104
trapped in the bottle to escape is to flow upwardly through the water exit/air
inlet port 26,
through a valve 20, and out the water inlet/air exit port 22. From here, the
exhausted air
flows upwardly and outwardly along the bottom surface 52a of the tray member
52, and
then upwardly along the sides 52b of the tray member 52 until it exits the top
of the device
2.
Referring now to FIG. I l c, once the bottle 4 is filled with treated water
102, the
flow of treated water into the bottle 4 automatically stops. This happens when
the water
level in the bottle 4 reaches the bottom of the sleeve member 38. When full,
the bottle 4
contains a small volume of trapped air 104 between the top of the water and
the sleeve
member 38. The full bottle 4 may then be removed by pulling outwardly on the
bottom of
the bottle 4 until the bottle 4 is released from the protrusion 30, thereby
allowing the bottle
4 to pivot outwardly as the bottom of the bottle 4 slides down the inclined
surface 28. As
this occurs, the sleeve member 38 slides downwardly, thereby closing the valve
20. With
the valve 20 now closed, any water remaining in the valve 20 is prevented from
draining
out as the bottle 4 is removed from the device 2. The treated water 102 may
then be
consumed immediately, or the stopper 90 may be placed in the spout 82 to close
the bottle
4 so the treated water 102 may be stored and/or transported for later use.
The bottles 4, housing assembly 6, and treatment cartridge 8 may be
constructed
from any materials suitable for use in treating, dispensing, or containing of
potable liquids.
The bottles 4, housing assembly 6, and treatment cartridge 8 may be
constructed using
materials that are light-weight to facilitate portability of the device 2.
Suitable materials
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include, for example, synthetic plastic materials such as thermoplastic
polymer materials
typically used for liquid containers. Suitable thermoplastic polymer materials
may include
polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polycarbonates, polypropylene, and the like.
In a
specific embodiment, the thermoplastic polymer material may be transparent and
have
sufficient strength to withstand sanitizing for enabling its reuse. Other
suitable materials,
such as thermosetting plastics, composite materials, metals, and combinations
thereof may
also be used. Glass and glass-like materials, ceramic materials, metals, and
metal alloys
may also be used in the construction of the bottles 4, housing assembly 6,
and/or treatment
cartridge 8.
Persons of ordinary skill in the art may appreciate that various changes and
modifications may be made to the invention described above without deviating
from the
inventive concept. Thus, the scope of the present invention should not be
limited to the
structures described in this application, but only by the structures described
by the
language of the claims and the equivalents of those structures.
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