# US 11,298,659 B2 · Water dispensing device for dispensing water having consistent taste

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- Number: US 11,298,659 B2
- Document ID: US11298659B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/761,424
- Filed: 2018-10-30
- Published: 2020-12-10
- Granted: 2022-04-12
- Earliest claimed: 2017-11-09
- Applicants: Conopco, Inc.
- Inventors: Kirtan Shravan Kamkar; Skand Saksena; Vishal Kumar Trivedi
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11298659B2

## CPC

- B01D 61/12: Controlling or regulating
- B01D 61/025: {Reverse osmosis; Hyperfiltration}
- B01D 61/08: Apparatus therefor
- B67D 1/0014: {the beverage being supplied from water mains}
- B67D 1/0884: {Means for controlling the parameters of the state of the liquid to be dispensed, e.g. temperature, pressure}
- B67D 1/1277: {Flow control valves}
- C02F 1/006: {Water distributors either inside a treatment tank or directing the water to several treatment tanks; Water treatment plants incorporating these distributors, with or without chemical or biological tanks (for settling tanks B01D21/24)}
- C02F 1/008: {Control or steering systems not provided for elsewhere in subclass C02F}
- C02F 1/441: {by reverse osmosis}
- B01D 2311/24: Quality control
- B01D 2311/246: Concentration control
- B01D 2311/252: Recirculation of concentrate
- B01D 2311/2523: to feed side
- B01D 2313/18: Specific valves
- B01D 2313/19: Specific flow restrictors
- B01D 2313/60: Specific sensors or sensor arrangements
- C02F 1/001: {Processes for the treatment of water whereby the filtration technique is of importance (C02F1/44 takes precedence; construction of filters in general B01D24/00 - B01D41/00)}
- C02F 1/283: {using coal, charred products, or inorganic mixtures containing them}
- C02F 1/32: with ultraviolet light
- C02F 2201/004: Seals, connections
- C02F 2201/005: Valves
- C02F 2209/003: Downstream control, i.e. outlet monitoring, e.g. to check the treating agents, such as halogens or ozone, leaving the process
- C02F 2209/005: Processes using a programmable logic controller [PLC]
- C02F 2209/006: comprising a software program or a logic diagram
- C02F 2209/03: Pressure
- C02F 2209/05: Conductivity or salinity
- C02F 2209/10: Solids, e.g. total solids [TS], total suspended solids [TSS] or volatile solids [VS]
- C02F 2209/40: Liquid flow rate
- C02F 2301/043: Treatment of partial or bypass streams
- C02F 2301/046: Recirculation with an external loop
- B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28)
- B67D: DISPENSING, DELIVERING OR TRANSFERRING LIQUIDS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (cleaning pipes or tubes or systems of pipes or tubes B08B9/02; emptying or filling of bottles, jars, cans, casks, barrels, or similar containers, not otherwise provided for B67C; water supply E03; pipe systems F17D; domestic hot-water supply systems F24D; measuring volume, volume flow, mass flow or liquid level, metering by volume G01F; coin-freed or like apparatus G07F)
- C02F: TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE (separation in general B01D; special arrangements on waterborne vessels of installations for treating water, waste water or sewage, e.g. for producing fresh water, B63J; adding materials to water to prevent corrosion C23F; treating radioactively-contaminated liquids G21F9/04; regeneration of reactants for recirculation into processes, see the relevant places for the processes)

## Abstract

The water dispensing device of the present invention with the given flow path of water and the control circuit configured store at least two threshold TDS values XA and XB, wherein XA is a higher TDS value than XB; and to drain water from the treatment unit through the drain line, when TDS value sensed is higher than XA, and alternately when the sensed value of TDS is less than XB then direct water from the reject line into the first recycle line; it was seen that the TDS of the output water of the device was in a constant range and the device of the present invention also contributed to minimizing the wastage of water by allowing recycling of water through the reject line of the treatment unit.

## Claims

### Claim 1

AA water dispensing device (1) for providing output water in a constant TDS (Total dissolved solids) range, the device comprising:
a. a feed water inlet (2);
b. a reverse osmosis unit (4) positioned downstream and in fluid communication with the inlet (2); the reverse osmosis unit (4) having a treated water line (14) and a reject water line (5);
wherein, the reject water line (5) is split by a multichannel connector (3) into, a drain line (5A) for draining the reject water and a first recycle line (5B) adapted to allow reject water from the treatment unit (4), to flow into the line upstream of the reverse osmosis unit (4), the first recycle line comprising a second drain line (5B′D) downstream of the multichannel connector (3);
and a second recycle line (5C) emanating from the reject water line (5) for flow of water from the reject water line (5) into the line upstream of the reverse osmosis unit (4), the second recycle line (5C) having a third drain line (5C′D) emanating from the second recycle line (5C) downstream of the multichannel connector (3);
and
wherein, either a multi-way valve (15) is positioned at the multichannel connector (3) or one valve respectively corresponding for every split line, a drain line valve (9) on the drain line (5A) and a first recycle line valve (10) on the first recycle line (5B) downstream of the multichannel connector (3); and
c. a TDS sensor (7) on the treated water line (14) adapted to measure TDS of the water flowing out of the reverse osmosis unit (4);
d. an outlet for dispensing water (11); and
e. a control circuit configured to:
i. store at least two threshold TDS values XA and XB, wherein XA is a higher TDS value than XB; and
ii. configured to choose from the options selected from the group:
a. water from the reject line (5) only flows through the drain line (5A) when sensed TDS is higher than XA; or
b. water from the reject line (5) flows through the first recycle line (5B) and a second drain line (5B′D) when sensed TDS is less than XB; or
c. when water from the reject line (5) flows through the second recycle line (5C) and the third drain line (5C′D) when sensed TDS is higher than XB and less than XA;
when the device is in operation;
wherein, the first recycle line (5B) has a first flow restrictor (5B′FR) positioned downstream of the multichannel connector (3); and
wherein the second recycle line (5C) has a second flow restrictor (5C′FR) positioned downstream of the multichannel connector (3), for flow of water from the reject line (5) into the line upstream of the reverse osmosis unit (4), the flow of water through the second recycle line being operably controlled either by the multi-way valve (15) or a second recycle line valve (13); and wherein the second flow restrictor (5C′FR) allows at least 5% lower flow rate of water than the first flow restrictor (5B′FR).

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The device according to claim 1, wherein the drain line (5A) has a first drain line flow restrictor (5A′FR) for limiting the flow of water flowing through the drain line (5A).

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The device according to claim 1, wherein the second drain line (5B′D) has a second drain line flow restrictor (5BD′FR).

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The device according to claim 1, wherein, the third drain line (5C′D) has a third drain line flow restrictor (5CD′FR).

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The device according to claim 1, wherein the device further comprises a mechanical unit (12) positioned upstream of the reverse osmosis unit (4) to drive water into the reverse osmosis unit (4).

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method for providing output water in a constant TDS range by the device according to claim 1, the method comprising,
a. providing water through inlet (2) into the reverse osmosis unit (4);
b. sensing TDS of the water in the treated water line (14) by the TDS sensor (7);
c. configuring the control circuit to a set at least two threshold values of TDS, XA and XB;
d. comparing the TDS sensed in step (b) with the stored threshold TDS values XA and XB;
e. configuring the second flow restrictor (5C′FR) to allow at least 5% lower flow rate of water than the first flow restrictor (5B′FR); and
f. drain water from reject line (5)
i. through the drain line (5A) when sensed TDS is higher than XA; or
ii. through the first recycle line (5B) and a second drain line (5B′D) when sensed TDS is less than XB; or
iii. through the second recycle line (5C) and the third drain line (5C′D) when sensed TDS is higher than XB and less than XA;
to obtain the output water in a constant TDS range.