Water container with floatable filter system and method

A portable water pitcher comprising:

• a floatable body surrounding a filter opening adapted to receive and engage a replaceable water filter therein, the floatable body having a seal extending outward of an outer surface of the floatable body;
• and
• a pitcher having an upper end, a sidewall defining a cavity, a lid, and a base opposite the upper end, the pitcher further having an inner wall and an outer wall defining a channel, the channel including an exit opening located adjacent the upper end and an inlet opening located adjacent the base;
• wherein the floatable body is disposed in the cavity with the seal engaging the sidewall of the cavity to restrict water from passing between the sidewall and the floatable body as the floatable body moves between a first position and a second position;
• and
• wherein as a result of water dispensing through the exit opening of the channel, the floatable body auto-retracts away from the lid towards the base while maintaining the engagement of the seal with the sidewall and an orientation of the floatable body in relation to the base as the pitcher is tipped to pour water from the channel.

A method of filtering water, comprising:

• disposing a removable sleeve in a first cavity of a container, the container having a handle, an upper end, a pour lip, one or more pitcher sidewalls, and a pitcher base opposite the upper end together defining the first cavity, and the removable sleeve having an upper opening, one or more sleeve sidewalls, and a lower opening in the one or more sleeve sidewalls proximate a lower end of the sleeve opposite the upper opening together defining a second cavity;
• securing an interchangeable water filter within a filter opening of a floatable body, the floatable body surrounding the filter opening and having a seal extending outward of an outer surface of the floatable body;
• disposing the floatable body within the sleeve such that the seal is engaged with the one or more sleeve sidewalls and restricts water from passing between the floatable body and the one or more sleeve sidewalls while the floatable body remains moveable within the second cavity between a first position proximate the pitcher base to a second position proximate the sleeve upper opening;
• filling a portion of the second cavity above the floatable body with unfiltered water deposited through the upper opening;
• dispensing filtered water by tipping the pitcher, pouring the filtered water from the second cavity below the floatable body through a channel formed by a void between the container and the sleeve, the channel extending from the second cavity through the lower opening of the sleeve to the pour lip proximate the upper end of the container;
• refilling the portion of the second cavity above the floatable body with unfiltered water after the all filtered water has been dispensed and the floatable body has auto-retracted to the first position in response to the dispensing of all filtered water;
• wherein filtered water is deposited into the second cavity below the floatable body after passing through the water filter as the floatable body moves within the sleeve toward the second position in response to a first pressure differential within the second cavity created by water filtering from above the floatable body to below the floatable body;
• and
• wherein the floatable body auto-retracts toward the first position, while maintaining engagement with the one more sleeve sidewalls and relative orientation in relation to the pitcher base, in response to a second pressure differential within the second cavity created by pouring filtered water from the second cavity through the channel by tipping the pitcher, wherein the auto-retraction toward the first position is a result of the pouring of filtered water and in a direction opposite a direction of the filtered water moving through the channel to the pour lip.