Water treatment device with volume totalization valve
AssigneeRecovery Engineering, Inc.
InventorsRichard D. Hembree, Brian F. Sullivan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A water treatment device including an arrangement having mechanisms for mechanically totaling the volume of water filtered and for indicating when the replaceable filter cartridge has reached the end of its useful life. End-of-life indication is provided by a valve mechanism for stopping flow after a predetermined volume has been filtered. The arrangement includes a novel mechanism for resetting the flow totalization mechanism. The preferred water treatment device is faucet mounted and also includes a novel flow bypass design.
Claims34
An arrangement in a water treatment device, comprising:
- (a) a replaceable filter cartridge;
- (b) flow totalization means for mechanically totalling a volume of water that has been filtered through said replaceable filter cartridge;
- (c) means for indicating end of life of said replaceable filter cartridge, including shutoff valve means for stopping flow of water through said filter cartridge after a predetermined volume of water has been totaled by said flow totalization means;
- and
- (d) means for resetting said flow totalization means to a zero volume position, including:
- (i) a spring connected with and biased by said flow totalization means;
- and
- (ii) means for releasing said spring to reset said flow totalization means.
An arrangement in a device for treating water, comprising a replaceable filter cartridge and a shutoff valve which closes to stop flow after a predetermined volume of water has passed through said replaceable filter cartridge, said arrangement further including a spring and a release arm, said spring being loaded when said shutoff valve closes, and said release arm unloading said spring to force said shutoff valve open upon replacement of said filter cartridge.
An arrangement in a water treatment device, comprising:
- (a) a replaceable filter cartridge;
- (b) flow totalization means for mechanically totaling a volume of water that has been filtered through said replaceable filter cartridge;
- (c) means for indicating end of life of said replaceable filter cartridge, including shutoff valve means for stopping flow of water through said filter cartridge after a predetermined volume of water has been totaled by said flow totalization means, said shutoff valve means including a valve which is permanently contained within said water treatment device such that said valve is not replaced upon replacement of said filter cartridge;
- and
- (d) mechanical means for resetting said flow totalization means to a zero volume position, including filter cartridge replacement means for resetting said flow totalization means upon replacement of said filter cartridge.
A faucet-mounted water treatment device having a replaceable filter cartridge comprising faucet mounting means for mounting the water treatment device on a faucet and end-of-life indicating means for indicating when said replaceable filter cartridge has reached the end of its useful life, said end-of-life indicating means including shutoff valve means for stopping flow of water through said filter cartridge after a predetermined volume of water has been filtered through said water treatment device.
A water treatment device for mounting to a faucet, comprising:
- (a) a housing with a filter element contained therein and having inlet and outlet openings, wherein said outlet opening opens from said housing such that treated water flows out of the water treatment device from said housing;
- (b) a mounting member having inlet and outlet ports, said inlet port being attachable to said faucet;
- (c) a valve in operable connection with said mounting member and said housing and having first and second flow channels, said first flow channel selectably providing flow between said inlet port and said inlet opening, said second flow channel selectably providing flow between said inlet and outlet ports;
- (d) said housing being rotatable with respect to said mounting member between first and second flow positions such that:
- (i) in said first flow position, water flows from said inlet port, through said first flow channel, into said inlet opening of said housing, through said filter element and out said outlet opening of said housing;
- and
- (ii) in said second flow position, water flows from said inlet port, through said second flow channel and out said outlet port of said mounting member;
- (e) whereby rotation of said housing diverts water flow from passing through said filter element and out said outlet opening of said housing to passing through said mounting member and out said outlet port of said mounting member.
An arrangement in a water treatment device, comprising:
- (a) a replaceable filter cartridge;
- (b) a flow totalizer which mechanically totals a volume of water that has been filtered through said replaceable filter cartridge;
- (c) an end-of-life indicator including a shutoff valve which stops flow of water through said filter cartridge after a predetermined volume of water has been totaled by said flow totalizer;
- and
- (d) a reset mechanism for resetting said flow totalizer to a zero volume position, including:
- (i) a spring connected with and biased by said flow totalizer;
- and
- (ii) a release mechanism which releases said spring to reset said flow totalizer.
An arrangement in a water treatment device, comprising:
- (a) a replaceable filter cartridge;
- (b) a flow totalizer which mechanically totals a volume of water that has been filtered through said replaceable filter cartridge;
- (c) an end-of-life indicator including a shutoff valve which stops flow of water through said filter cartridge after a predetermined volume of water has been totaled by said flow totalizer;
- and
- (d) a mechanical reset mechanism constructed and arranged for returning said flow totalizer to a zero volume position upon replacement of said filter cartridge.
A faucet-mounted water treatment device, comprising:
- (a) a faucet mounting member;
- (b) a housing extending therefrom and having a replaceable filter cartridge contained therein;
- (c) a flow totalizer which totals a volume of water that has been filtered through said filter cartridge;
- and
- (d) an end-of-life indicator for indicating when said filter cartridge has reached the end of its useful life, including a valve for stopping flow of water through said filter cartridge after a predetermined volume of water has been totaled by said flow totalizer.
A water treatment device for mounting to a faucet, comprising:
- (a) a housing with a filter element contained therein and having inlet and outlet openings, wherein said outlet opening opens from said housing such that treated water flows out of the water treatment device from said housing;
- (b) a mounting member having inlet and outlet ports, said inlet port being attachable to said faucet;
- (c) a valve in operable connection with said mounting member and said housing, constructed and arranged to selectively provide flow between said inlet port and said inlet opening and between said inlet and outlet ports;
- (d) said housing being rotatable with respect to said mounting member between first and second flow positions such that:
- (i) in said first flow position, water flows from said inlet port, through said valve, into said inlet opening of said housing, through said filter element and out said outlet opening of said housing;
- and
- (ii) in said second flow position, water flows from said inlet port, through said valve and out said outlet port of said mounting member;
- (e) whereby rotation of said housing diverts water flow from passing through said filter element and out said outlet opening of said housing to passing through said mounting member and out said outlet port of said mounting member.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.