Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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FILTERWELL CARTRIDGE HOLDER
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SPECIFICATION
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN
BE IT KNOWN
That, David Guy a citizen of the United States residing in Maple Grove
Minnesota,
Jeffrey D. Johnson a citizen of the United States residing in Edina Minnesota,
Paul Freeberg a citizen of the United States residing in South St. Paul
Minnesota,
Terry Goeman a citizen of the United States residing in Minnetonka, Minnesota,
Lyle Enderson a citizen of the United States residing in Anoka Minnesota,
Darrin M Swagel a citizen of the United States, residing in Minnetonka,
Minnesota, and
Eric Barton a citizen of the United States, residing in Eden Prairie Minnesota
have invented FILTERWELL CARTRIDGE HOLDER of which the following is a
specification.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Dispensing cartridges are known in the art and are used to dispense sanitizing
chemicals
into bodies of waters such as pools and hot tubs through water contact with
the dispersant
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within the dispensing cartridge. Typically, the dispensing cartridges have a
chamber for
holding a dispersant and a set of variable openings that permits ingress and
egress of
water into the chamber to bring the water into contact with the disperant
therein. Since
water conditions affect how and when the dispersant is released from the
dispensing
cartridges there are a number of different types of dispensing cartridges that
have evolved
for dlivery of a sanitizing disperant into a body of water. An example of a
free floating
dispensing cartridge that gradually releases disperant into a body of water as
water seeps
into the disperant chamber in the dispensing cartridge is shown in U.S. patent
10,047,535.
An example of a dispensing cartridge that is fitted and secured within a
dispenser with
water flowing through the disperant containing chamber is shown in U.S. patent
9,314,747. An example of a dispensing cartridge system that dispenses two
separate
dispersants into the body of water as the dispensing cartridge system floats
in a body of
water is shown in patent 7,060,190. An example of a dispensing cartridge
having
diffusion ports that can be used in either a stagnate water environment or a
moving fluid
environment is shown in U.S. patent 9,714,129. An example of a dispensing
cartridge
where the release of dispersant is dependent on how far the dispensing
cartridge is
lowered into a stream of water flowing through a valve is shown in U.S. patent
4,270,565.
.. While the prior art reveals multiple types of dispensing cartridges for use
in various
bodies of water one of the more challenging locations for a dispensing
cartridge is in the
open top filterwell of a hot tub or spa where water flows from a main tub
area, where
persons sit, into a separate smaller water compartment containing a filter,
with the
smaller water compartment referred herein as a filterwell. The water then
flows through a
cartridge filter in the filterwell to remove debris from the water before
returning the water
to the main tub area.
While the location of a dispensing cartridge in the filterwell has the
advantage of keeping
the dispensing cartridge out of the main tub area of the hot tub or spa and
into a region
where water flows therethrough the filterwell dispensing cartridge needs to be
able to
reliably deliver disperant into the water as the water flows through the
filterwell without
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interfering with the filtering action within the filterwell. In addition since
the flow of
water through the filterwell, which is a small compartment where water flow
patterns
change as a result of change of the activity level in the hot tub, can cause a
free floating
filterwell cartridge to be tossed about in the filterwell. Such tossing action
can affect the
delivery rate of the cartridge as well as cause damage to cartridge filter in
the filterwell
and to the dispensing cartridge. For example, one should prevent the
dispensing cartridge
from hitting the walls of the filterwell due to the changing or swirling water
flow patterns
within the filterwell since either or both the dispensing cartridge or the
walls of the
filterwell could be damaged. In addition such violent action of the dispensing
cartridge
can generate unwanted noises and improper dispensing rates. Furthermore since
the
filterwell dispensing cartridges need to be periodically replaced the
filterwell dispensing
cartridges should be easily removable and easily replaceable within the
filterwell.
While replacement of a dispensing cartridges is important it is also desirable
to have
dispensing cartridges located in the filterwell in a position where the amount
of delivery
of the dispersant into the filterwell can be changed on-the-go. Typically,
changing the
dispensing rate of disperant needs to be convenient as well easily
accomplished by a
person without any tools as changing the dispensing rate depends on an ongoing
bacterial
load in the hot tub. Various dispensers have been placed proximate the
filterwell
including a dispenser mounted on the gate to the filterwell and a dispenser
mounted
within the core of the cartridge filter in the filterwell as shown in US
patent 6,165,358.
Neither of these devices allows a hot tub user to easily change the rate of
dispersant
therefrom.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Briefly, the invention comprises a filterwell dispensing cartridge holder
having a panel
with a front face for removably supporting a dispensing cartridge thereon and
an arcuate
back face with a pair of circumferentially extending arcuate arms extending
therefrom for
compressive securement of the filterwell dispensing cartridge holder to the
pleats on a
water filter cartridge with the filterwell dispensing cartridge holder
supporting the
filterwell dispensing cartridge thereon in position that minimizes
interferences with the
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filtering action of the water cartridge filter while the filterwell dispensing
cartridge
thereon delivers dispersants into the body of water in the filterwell
containing the
filterwell dispensing cartridge holder.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a filterwell dispensing cartridge holder;
Figure 2 is a front view of the filterwell dispensing cartridge holder of
Figure 1;
Figure 3 a side view of the filterwell dispensing cartridge holder of Figure
1;
Figure 4 shows the filterwell dispensing cartridge holder of Figure 1 mounted
in a
filterwell of a spa;
Figure 5 is an isolated view of a tab extendable between adjacent pleats on a
water
cartridge filter;
Figure 6 is a partial top sectional view showing the tab of Figure 5 extending
between
adjacent pleats of a water filter cartridge;
Figure 7 is top plan view of the filterwell dispensing cartridge holder of
Figure 1;
Figure 8 is a top plan view of the filterwell dispensing cartridge holder of
Figure 7 with
the foldable arms in a collapsed condition;
Figure 9 is an isolated view of a folding arm of the filterwell dispensing
cartridge holder
of Figure 1;
Figure 10 is a top view partially in section shown the foldable arms in
engagement with a
water filter cartridge;
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Figure 11 is perspective view of a dispensing cartridge mountable in the
filterwell
dispensing cartridge holder of Figure 1;
Figure 12 is a partial front view of the dispensing cartridge of Figure 11
mounted on
front face of the filter cartridge holder of Figure 1; and
Figure 13 is a partial rear view of the cartridge holder of Figure 4 with a
dispensing
cartridge secured therein.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a filterwell dispensing cartridge holder 10
that is
compressively engageable with a water filter cartridge while Figure 4 shows
the
filterwell dispensing cartridge holder 10 compressively mounted on a vertical
extending
water filter cartridge 50, which is located in a filterwell 9 of a hot tub or
spa.
In this example filterwell dispensing cartridge holder 10 includes an
elongated panel 13
having an arcuate face 13a abuttable and mateable with the outer peripheral
curvature of
water filter cartridge 50. Figure 4 shows panel 13 mateable along a peripheral
length of a
cylindrical water filter cartridge 50. A set of arcuate arms 17 and 18
extending outward
from elongated panel 13 to hold arcuate face 13a in circumferential and
compressive
engagement with pleats 50c on cylindrical water filter cartridge 50 with
sufficient force
so as to maintain cartridge holder 10 proximate water filter cartridge 50
during the flow
of water through the filterwell 9 and into the water filter cartridge 50. In
this example the
arcuate face 13a and arms 17 and 18 have a circular shape as does the pleats
50c of the
water filter cartridge 50, however, holder arcuate face 13a and arms 17 and 18
may be
formed into a non circular shape for compressively gripping the water filter
cartridge 50
without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
In this example panel 13 includes a toe 25 that extends from a bottom end of
the
elongated panel 13 to engage a bottom surface 9a of the filterwell 9 to limit
downward
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displacement of the dispensing cartridge holder. To prevent accidental
engagement of toe
25 with water filter cartridge end cap 50a the toe 25 is spaced slightly
outward from end
panel 13 to create a gap therebetween as shown in Figure 4. Similarly, a lip
10a extends
from a handhold, which is located on a top end of elongated panel 13, to
engage an
underside of a top water filter cartridge rim 50b (Figure 5) to limit upward
displacement
of the dispensing cartridge holder 10 with respect to the water filter
cartridge 50, which is
fixedly mounted in filterwell 9. Figure 5 and Figure 6 show a rib 40 that
extends from
elongated panel 13 that can be used to maintain a fixed rotational
relationship of
dispensing cartridge holder 10 with respect to the vertical extending
cylindrical water
filter cartridge 50 through the extension of rib 40 between adjacent pleats
50c on water
filter cartridge 50 thereby limiting rotational displacement of water filter
cartridge 50
with respect to dispensing cartridge holder 10. Rib 40 also engages the
underside of filter
cartridge rim 50b as an alternate method to limit upward displacement of the
dispensing
cartridge holder 10 with respect to the water filter cartridge 50, which is
fixedly mounted
in filterwell 9. In this example the dispensing cartridge holder 10 hugs the
water filter
cartridge 50 while the lip 10a and rib 40 either alone or in conjunction with
each other
limit upward displacement of the panel 13 and toe 25 limits downward
displacement of
panel 13 to maintain the dispensing cartridge holder 10 in an operating
condition shown
in Figure 4. In this example the rib 40 (as shown in Figure 6) is sufficiently
short so that
dispensing cartridge holder 10 can be rotated across pleats 50c if sufficient
rotational
force is applied to dispensing cartridge holder 10. In other cases it may be
desired rib 40
extend sufficiently far between pleats 50c to prevent rotation of dispensing
holder from
rotating across pleats 50 when a rotational force is applied to dispensing
cartridge holder
10.
Figure 7 shows a top view of filterwell dispensing cartridge holder 10 in an
open
condition revealing a first arcuate arm 17 extending from one side of face of
elongated
panel 13 with arcuate arm 17 having a hinge I7a for folding a portion of
arcuate arm 17
inward for storage or transporting. Similarly, extending from the opposite
side of
elongated panel 13 is a second arcuate arm 18 with the arcuate arm 18 having a
hinge 18a
for folding the second arm inward 18 for transporting or storage as shown in
Figure 8.
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To attach dispensing cartridge holder 10 to water filter cartridge 50 one
places the first
arcuate arm 17 and the second arcuate arm 18 in an open position shown in
Figure 7
before placing the dispensing cartridge holder 10 around water filter
cartridge 50. Figure
10 shows a cutaway top view of water filter cartridge 50. In this example the
pleat
diametrical dimension D2 of water filter cartridge 50 is greater than the
diametrical
diameter DI (Figure 7) between arcuate arm 17 and arcuate arm 18.
Consequently,
circumferential engagement of dispensing holder arcuate arm 17 and arcuate arm
18 with
the water filter carriage pleats 50c preferably produces a compressive
engagement (i.e. an
.. interference fit) therebetween. The compressive engagement or hugging
engagement
therebetween as shown in Fig. 4 and Figure 10 is sufficient to support the
dispensing
cartridge holder 10 in a vertical operating condtion proximate the vertical
extending
water filter cartridge 50. The resiliency of arms 17 and 18 permit radial
spreading the
arms so that the filterwell dispensing cartridge holder 10 can be axially
inserted around
the water filter cartridge 50 as shown in Figure 10. Once the filterwell
dispensing
cartridge arms 17 and 18 are around the outside of water filter cartridge 50
the arms are
released and the resiliency of the arms brings arms 17 and 18 into compressive
engagement with the pleats 50c of the water filter cartridge 50 as shown in
Figure 10.
In the example shown the arcuate foldable arms 17 and 18 each have a tapered
end that
folds inward for storage or transportation, however, if desired the foldable
arms could
fold outward enabling one to fold the arms outward before laterally inserting
the arcuate
arms around the larger diameter water filter cartridge. The foldable arms
could then be
closed to bring the folding arms to a closed or hugging position around the
water filter
cartridge.
In this example the panel front face 13b includes a first set of upper
resilient dispensing
cartridge engaging arms 22 and 23 that extend radially outward from panel
front face
13b to support a first dispensing cartridge 60 therebetween. ( i.e. below a
filterwell water
line 60c). Similarly, a second set of lower resilient dispensing cartridge
engaging arms
21 and 20 extend radially outward from the arcuate panel front face 13b to
support a
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second dispensing cartridge 61 therebetween. As shown in Figure 4 both the
dispensing
cartridges 60 and 61are located below the water line 60c (i.e. an underwater
condtion) so
that the dispersant therein can be dispersed directly into water 30 in
filterwell 9.
Figure 11 and Figure 12 show a dispensing cartridge 60, which typically has
dispensing
openings (not shown) in a bottom end face 60b for delivery of dispersants
therefrom
Figure 12 shows dispensing cartridge 60 sandwichingly supported on the
dispensing
cartridge holder 10 through mating engagement between arcuate resilient
extension 22
and arcuate resilient extension 23. Figure 12 shows that each arcuate
extension vertically
and horizontal engage two adjoining faces of a dispensing cartridge 60 located
therein.
That is, resilient extension 22 and resilient extension 23 engages diametrical
opposite
faces on rim 60a, which exposes bottom end 60b having dispensing opening
therein in a
position to deliver dispersants into the water in the filterwell. In this
example the first set
of resilient cartridge engaging arms and the second set of resilient cartridge
engaging
arms each have adjoining faces located at an angle of less than 90 degrees so
that the
adjoining faces are engageable with mating faces an end of a dispensing
cartridge to
sandwichingly support a dispensing cartridge thereon.
An example of dispensing cartridge for securement thereon is shown in our
copending
application titled dispensing cartridge that is filed on even date herewith.
Dispensing cartridge holder 10 includes a water port 19 proximate end 60b of
dispensing
cartridge 60 with the water port 19 extending through the dispensing cartridge
holder 10
to allow water to flow therethrough and past a dispensing end 60b of
dispensing cartridge
60. A feature of water port 19 is that the dispensing rate of dispensing
cartridge 60
increases as the pump (not shown) draws water through the water filter 50 as
the
restricted area of the water port 19 increases the velocity of the water past
the bottom of
the dispensing cartridge 60 which increases the dispensing rate of dispensing
cartridge
60.
Dispensing cartridge 60 is shown in a perspective view in Figure 11 to reveal
a
circumferential rim 60a that can be sandwichingly engaged with and supported
between
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lateral extension 22 and lateral extension 23 as dispersants are delivered
through the
bottom end 60b of dispensing cartridge 60. In this example a relief area 62a
in dispensing
cartridge 60 provides access to a rotatable disk (not shown) that controls the
size of the
open area therein and consequently the dispensing rate of a dispersant through
bottom
.. end 60b of dispensing cartridge 60.
In order to minimize water flow interference through the water filter
cartridge 50 the
dispensing cartridge holder end panel 13 contains a set of water ports 19a,
19b, 19c, 19d,
19e, 19f and 19g that permit water to flow therethrough and into the pleats
50c of the
water filter cartridge 50. Arcuate arm 17 also contains elongated water ports
17c and 17d
that permit water to flow therethrough and into the pleats 50c of the water
filter cartridge
50. Similarly, Figure 9 shows the arcuate arm 18 contains identical elongated
water ports
18c and 18d that permits water to flow therethrough and into the pleats 50c of
the water
filter cartridge 50. In this example hinges 18a pivotally connect arcuate arm
18 to one
side of panel 13 with the hinges detachable for removal of arm 18 from panel
13.
Similarly, hinges 17a pivotally connect arcuate arm 17 to an opposite side of
panel 13
also with the hinges detachable for removal of arm 17 from panel 13.
As described and shown herein the invention includes a filterwell dispensing
cartridge
holder 10 removably engageable with a water filter cartridge 50 in a
filterwell 9 with the
filterwell dispensing cartridge holder 10 having a panel 13 with a face 13a
abuttable
against a set of pleats 50c of the water filter cartridge and a pair of arms
17 and 18
extending from the panel 13 with the pair arms compressively engageable with
the
water filter cartridge 50 to hug and maintain the filterwell dispensing
cartridge holder 10
proximate the water filter cartridge with at least one cartridge holder on
panel 13. The
filterwell dispenser cartridge holder, which is shown in Figure 4, supporting
a dispensing
cartridge 60 in a dispensing position as water flows through the set of pleats
50c of the
water filter cartridge 50.
Figure 13 shows a partial view of the filterwell dispenser cartridge holder
10, which is
positionable on an elongated water filter cartridge 50 with a dispensing
cartridge 60
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having a base 11 supported on resilient dispensing cartridge engaging arms 22
and 23 on
filterwell dispenser cartridge holder 10 to enable dispensing of dispersants,
such as
minerals and a halogen, into a water port 86 through a flow ramp 89, which is
located
below the bottom end of dispensing cartridge 60, which typically contain a
bottom with
end ports for ingress and egress of water and dispersants therethrough. The
filterwell
dispenser cartridge holder 10 includes a first lip 52a and a second lip 52b
that coact with
dispensing cartridge holder 10 to support the dispensing cartridge thereon. In
this
embodiment dispensing cartridge 10 includes a rib 25a and a rib 25b that
extend outward
from a back face of dispensing cartridge 60. Rib 25a has a top surface 25g to
abut lip 52b
on housing of dispensing cartage holder 10 to assist in maintaining dispensing
cartridge
60 in a fixed position in the filterwell dispenser cartridge holder 10.
Similarly, rib 25b
extends outward from the dispensing cartridge 60 with a top surface 25f
abutting a
second lip 52a on filterwell dispenser holder 10 to further assist in
maintaining
dispensing cartridge 60 in a dispensable condition on the filterwell dispenser
cartridge
holder 10.
We claim
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