Water purifier

An internally by-passable water purifier comprising:

• a housing having an upstream portion and a downstream portion and defining through said portions a channel for the flow of water;
• inlet means in said upstream portion of said housing for admitting a flow of water into said channel;
• outlet means in said downstream portion of said housing for discharging a flow of water from said channel
• a unitary filter-material-containing water-purifying cartridge having a tubular shell closed by inlet and outlet walls to contain said material, a first opening in said inlet wall and a second opening in said outlet wall;
• means defining a chamber in said upstream portion of said housing for receiving said cartridge in said channel to establish a first path of flow through said first and second openings;
• means running lengthwise of said chamber and of said inlet and outlet walls of said cartridge received therein and exteriorly outward of said tubular shell to establish a second path of flow in exclusive by-pass of said filter material contained within said cartridge;
• means including a first valve disposed within said downstream portion of said housing in said channel for controlling the flow of water from said inlet means through said first and second openings of said cartridge to said outlet means;
• and means including a second valve disposed within said downstream portion of said housing in said channel for controlling the flow of water from said inlet means to said outlet means by way of said second path of flow in exclusive by-pass of said filter material.

An internally by-passable water purifier comprising:

• a housing;
• inlet means in said housing for admitting a flow of water;
• outlet means in said housing for discharging a flow of water from a common portion of said housing;
• channel means in said housing defining a path for the flow of water from said inlet means to said outlet means;
• a filter-material-containing water-purifying cartridge;
• a chamber defined in said channel means for receiving said cartridge in the path of said flow;
• means including a first valve disposed in said channel means for controlling the flow of water from said inlet means through said cartridge to said outlet means;
• means including a second valve disposed in said channel means for controlling the flow of water from said inlet means to said outlet means in exclusive by-pass of said filter material;
• said housing including a first portion containing said outlet means and said valves and a second portion downwardly depending from one end of said first portion as a handle dimensioned to be gripped by the human hand;
• said outlet means being formed in the other end of said first portion;
• and a valve operator for each of said first and second valves and projecting from said one end of said first portion above the upper end of said second portion.

An internally by-passable water purifier comprising:

• a housing having an upstream portion and a downstream portion and defining through said portions a channel for the flow of water;
• inlet means in said upstream portion of said housing for admitting the flow of water into said channel;
• outlet means in said downstream portion of said housing for discharging a flow of water from said channel;
• a unitary filter-material-containing water-purifying cartridge having a tubular shell closed by inlet and outlet walls to contain said material, first and third openings in said inlet wall and second and fourth openings in said outlet wall, a conduit extending through the interior of said shell and between said third and fourth openings but exclusive of said first and second openings with said material disposed within said shell in water-flow communication between said first and second openings but exclusive of said third and fourth openings and the interior of said conduit;
• means defining a chamber in said downstream portion of said housing for receiving said cartridge in said channel to establish a first path of flow through said first and second openings and to establish a second path of flow in exclusive by-pass of said filter material contained within said cartridge and through said third opening, said conduit and said fourth opening;
• means including a first valve disposed in said channel for controlling the flow of water from said inlet means through said first and second openings of said cartridge to said outlet means;
• and means including a second valve disposed in said channel for controlling the flow of water from said inlet means by way of said second path of flow.

An internally by-passable water purifier comprising:

• a housing;
• inlet means in said housing for admitting a flow of water;
• outlet means in said housing for discharging a flow of water from a common portion of said housing;
• channel means in said housing defining a path for the flow of water from said inlet means to said outlet means;
• a filter-material-containing water-purifying cartridge;
• a chamber defined in said channel means for receiving said cartridge in the path of said flow;
• means including a first valve disposed in said channel means for controlling the flow of water from said inlet means through said cartridge to said outlet means;
• means including a second valve disposed in said channel means for controlling the flow of water from said inlet means to said outlet means in exclusive by-pass of said filter material;
• and each of said valves including a valve stem having one end aligned to project within a corresponding hollow boss projecting outwardly from one end of said cartridge.

An internally by-passable water purifier comprising:

• a housing;
• inlet means in said housing for admitting a flow of water;
• outlet means in said housing for discharging a flow of water from a common portion of said housing;
• channel means in said housing defining a path for the flow of water from said inlet means to said outlet means;
• a filter-material-containing water-purifying cartridge;
• a chamber defined in said channel means for receiving said cartridge in the path of said flow;
• means including a first valve disposed in said channel means for controlling the flow of water from said inlet means through said cartridge to said outlet means;
• means including a second valve disposed in said channel means for controlling the flow of water from said inlet means to said outlet means in exclusive by-pass of said filter material;
• a pair of valve guides formed in said housing;
• each of said valves including a valve stem received in a corresponding one of said valve guides;
• and a valve operator having a portion exposed to the exterior of said housing that is affixed to one end of each corresponding one of said valve stems.

An internally by-passable water purifier comprising:

• a housing having an upstream portion and a downstream portion and defining through said portions a channel for the flow of water;
• inlet means in said upstream portion of said housing for admitting the flow of water into said channel;
• outlet means in said downstream portion of said housing for discharging a flow of water from said channel;
• a unitary filter-material-containing water-purifying cartridge having a tubular shell closed by inlet and outlet walls to contain said material, first and third openings in said inlet wall and second and fourth openings in said outlet wall, a conduit extending through the interior of said shell and between said third and fourth openings but exclusive of said first and second openings with said material disposed within said shell in water-flow communication between said first and second openings but exclusive of said third and fourth openings and the interior of said conduit;
• means defining a chamber in said downstream portion of said housing for receiving said cartridge in said channel to establish a first path of flow through said first and second openings and to establish a second path of flow in exclusive by-pass of said filter material contained within said cartridge and through said third opening, said conduit and said fourth opening;
• means including a first valve disposed in said channel for controlling the flow of water from said inlet means through said first and second openings of said cartridge to said outlet means;
• means including a second valve disposed in said channel for controlling the flow of water from said inlet means by way of said second path of flow;
• and said housing including said downstream portion containing said outlet means and said valves with said upstream portion downwardly depending from one end of said downstream portion as a handle dimensioned to be gripped by the human hand.

An internally by-passable water purifier comprising:

• a housing having an upstream portion and a downstream portion and defining through said portions a channel for the flow of water;
• inlet means in said upstream portion of said housing for admitting the flow of water into said channel;
• outlet means in said downstream portion of said housing for discharging a flow of water from said channel;
• a unitary filter-material-containing water-purifying cartridge having a tubular shell closed by inlet and outlet walls to contain said material, first and third openings in said inlet wall and second and fourth openings in said outlet wall, a conduit extending through the interior of said shell and between said third and fourth openings but exclusive of said first and second openings with said material disposed within said shell in water-flow communication between said first and second openings but exclusive of said third and fourth openings and the interior of said conduit;
• means defining a chamber in said downstream portion of said housing for receiving said cartridge in said channel to establish a first path of flow through said first and second openings and to establish a second path of flow in exclusive by-pass of said filter material contained within said cartridge and through said third opening, said conduit and said fourth opening;
• means including a first valve disposed in said channel for controlling the flow of water from said inlet means through said first and second openings of said cartridge to said outlet means;
• means including a second valve disposed in said channel for controlling the flow of water from said inlet means by way of said second path of flow;
• and said outlet means including a first opening in said downstream portion of said housing in communication with said first valve and at least one second opening in said downstream portion of said housing in communication with said second valve.

An internally by-passable water purifier comprising:

• a housing having an upstream portion and a downstream portion and defining through said portions a channel for the flow of water;
• inlet means in said upstream portion of said housing for admitting a flow of water into said channel;
• outlet means in said downstream portion of said housing for discharging a flow of water from said channel;
• a unitary filter-material-containing water-purifying cartridge having a tubular shell closed by inlet and outlet walls to contain said material, a first opening in said inlet wall and a second opening in said outlet wall;
• means defining a chamber in said upstream portion of said housing for receiving said cartridge in said channel to establish a first path of flow through said first and second openings;
• a plurality of ribs circumferentially-spaced around said shell and projecting between said shell and the wall of said chamber, said ribs individually running between said inlet and outlet walls to establish a second path of flow in exclusive by-pass of said filter material contained within said cartridge;
• means including a first valve disposed in said channel for controlling the flow of water from said inlet means through said first and second openings of said cartridge to said outlet means;
• and means including a second valve disposed in said channel for controlling the flow of water from said inlet means to said outlet means by way of said second path of flow in exclusive by-pass of said filter material.

For use in a water purifier apparatus, a filter cartridge comprising:

• a tubular shell;
• an inlet wall substantially closing one end of said shell but having first means defining water flow passage through said inlet wall;
• an outlet wall substantially closing the other end of said shell but having second means defining water flow passage through said outlet wall;
• a water-filtering material disposed within said shell in water-flow communication between said first and second passage defining means, said material substantially filling the entire spaced within said shell and said shell, said inlet wall and said outlet wall being joined together to constitute a unitary cartridge assembly;
• an outwardly opening first hollow boss included in said first passage means and projecting inwardly from said inlet wall, said first hollow boss being shaped to a conformation receptive of water-flow-control means cooperative therewith;
• and an outwardly opening second hollow boss projecting inwardly from said inlet wall, said second hollow boss being spaced laterally on said inlet wall from said first hollow boss.