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US 5,290,442 AGranted
Self-contained, purified drinking water refrigerator storage apparatus
AssigneeClack Corporation
InventorRobert A. Clack
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A new and improved self-contained, portable, treated drinking water, refrigerator storage jug assembly is provided. The jug assembly includes a storage jug configured to be placed in a refrigerator. A water treating subassembly is mounted to the back of the storage jug and is placed in the refrigerator together with the jug. A fluid connector for connecting the portable jug and water treating subassembly to a kitchen sink for refilling is provided. In a preferred embodiment, the water treating subassembly includes a plurality of water treating modules interconnected to each other. Also in the preferred embodiment, a modular, leak-free flow block connector and a treatment module monitoring device form a part of the overall jug apparatus.
Claims14
An apparatus for providing a refillable supply of treated tap water for self-contained storage in a refrigerator, said apparatus comprising:
- a storage jug assembly, said assembly including a storage jug having means for dispensing treated drinking water stored therein for drinking and a water treatment subassembly mounted to an exterior portion of said storage jug having at least one water treatment module and having an input side for receiving a stream of untreated tap water and an output side for discharging a stream of treated product water and a stream of waste water and means for mounting said water treatment subassembly to said storage jug, said apparatus further including means for connecting the treated product water stream of the output side of the subassembly to the storage jug, means for selectively connecting the input side of the subassembly to a source of untreated tap water at line pressure, and means for selectively connecting the waste water stream from the output side of the subassembly to a drain, said apparatus being dimensioned and configured for placement on a refrigerator shelf whereby said apparatus, when in a filled and unconnected condition, may be placed in a refrigerator to provide a supply of chilled, treated drinking water and when in a relatively unfilled condition may be placed on a countertop adjacent a sink and connected to said sink for refilling temporarily and as necessary to replenish the treated drinking water supply for return of the apparatus to its refrigerator storage location.
An apparatus for providing a re-fillable supply of treated tap water for self-contained storage in a refrigerator, said apparatus comprising:
- a storage jug assembly, said assembly including a storage jug having means for dispensing treated drinking water stored therein for drinking and a water treatment subassembly mounted to said storage jug having at least one water treatment module and having an input side for receiving a stream of untreated tap water and an output side for discharging a stream of treated product water and a stream of waste water and releasable mounting means for mounting said water treatment subassembly to said storage jug, said apparatus further including means for connecting the treated product water stream of the output side of the subassembly to the storage jug, means for selectively connecting the input side of the subassembly to a source of untreated tap water at line pressure, and means for selectively connecting the waste water stream from the output side of the subassembly to a drain, said apparatus being dimensioned and configured for placement on a refrigerator shelf whereby said apparatus, when in a filled and unconnected condition, may be placed in a refrigerator to provide a supply of chilled, treated drinking water and when in a relatively unfilled condition may be placed on a countertop adjacent a sink and connected to said sink for refilling temporarily and as necessary to replenish the treated drinking water supply for return of the apparatus to its refrigerator storage location.
An apparatus for providing a re-fillable supply of treated tap water for self-contained storage in a refrigerator, said apparatus comprising:
- a storage jug assembly, said assembly including a storage jug having means for dispensing treated drinking water stored therein for drinking and a water treatment subassembly mounted to said storage jug having a granular activated carbon filter module and a reverse osmosis filter module and having an input side for receiving a stream of untreated tap water and an output side for discharging a stream of treated product water and a stream of waste water and means for mounting said water treatment subassembly to said storage jug, said apparatus further including means for connecting the treated product water stream of the output side of the subassembly to the storage jug, means for selectively connecting the input side of the subassembly to a source of untreated tap water at line pressure, and means for selectively connecting the waste water stream from the output side of the subassembly to a drain, said apparatus being dimensioned and configured for placement on a refrigerator shelf whereby said apparatus, when in a filled and unconnected condition, may be placed in a refrigerator to provide a supply of chilled, treated drinking water and when in a relatively unfilled condition may be placed on a countertop adjacent a sink and connected to said sink for refilling temporarily and as necessary to replenish the treated drinking water supply for return of the apparatus to its refrigerator storage location.
An apparatus for providing a re-fillable supply of treated tap water for self-contained storage in a refrigerator, said apparatus comprising:
- a storage jug assembly, said assembly including a storage jug having means for dispensing treated drinking water stored therein for drinking and a water treatment subassembly mounted to said storage jug having at least one water treatment module and having an input side for receiving a stream of untreated tap water and an output side for discharging a stream of treated product water and a stream of waste water and means for mounting said water treatment subassembly to said storage jug, said apparatus further including a twin tubing connector including a length of twin tubing hose having a dual diverter valve at one end thereof for connecting the treated product water stream of the output side of the subassembly to the storage jug, for selectively connecting the input side of the subassembly to a source of untreated tap water at line pressure, and for selectively connecting the waste water stream from the output side of the subassembly to a drain, said apparatus being dimensioned and configured for placement on a refrigerator shelf whereby said apparatus, when in a filled and unconnected condition, may be placed in a refrigerator to provide a supply of chilled, treated drinking water and when in a relatively unfilled condition may be placed on a countertop adjacent a sink and connected to said sink for refilling temporarily and as necessary to replenish the treated drinking water supply for return of the apparatus to its refrigerator storage location.
An apparatus for providing a re-fillable supply of treated tap water for self-contained storage in a refrigerator, said apparatus comprising:
- a storage jug assembly, said assembly including a storage jug having means for dispensing treated drinking water stored therein for drinking and a water treatment subassembly mounted to said storage jug having at least one water treatment module and having an input side for receiving a stream of untreated tap water and an output side for discharging a stream of treated product water and a stream of waste water and means for mounting said water treatment subassembly to said storage jug, said apparatus further including means for connecting the treated product water stream of the output side of the subassembly to the storage jug, means for selectively connecting the input side of the subassembly to a source of untreated tap water at line pressure, and means for selectively connecting the waste water stream from the output side of the subassembly to a drain, said storage jug assembly further including a rear cover adapted for selective releasable engagement over a rear side of said storage jug for protectively surrounding and covering a water treatment subassembly mounted to the rear side of said storage jug, said apparatus being dimensioned and configured for placement on a refrigerator shelf whereby said apparatus, when in a filled and unconnected condition, may be placed in a refrigerator to provide a supply of chilled, treated drinking water and when in a relatively unfilled condition may be placed on a countertop adjacent a sink and connected to said sink for refilling temporarily and as necessary to replenish the treated drinking water supply for return of the apparatus to its refrigerator storage location.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.