Filter assembly mounted in sink counter top

A filter assembly case for mounting in a receiving aperture defined in a sink back deck, and for holding therein a filter cartridge, said filter assembly case comprising in combination:

• a case housing having an elongated side wall, a lower end, and an opposed upper end having a mouth defined therein;
• said side wall adjacent to said upper end wall being radially enlarged and said side wall having a circumferentally and outwardly extending shoulder defined between said radially enlarged region and adjacent rearward portions of said side wall;
• case end cap means for closing said mouth including means for detachably connecting said end cap means with mouth adjacent portions of said side wall and also including means for sealing said end cap means relative to said mouth adjacent portions of said side wall when said end cap means is so connected to said mouth adjacent side wall portions by said means for detachably connecting;
• said end cap means being longitudinally spaced from said shoulder when said end cap means is so connected to said mouth adjacent side wall portions;
• and
• input and output fluid port means defined in said radially enlarged region, said input and output fluid port means being longitudinally spaced from one another and located between said shoulder and said end cap means as so connected to said mouth adjacent side wall portions;
• whereby said lower end and adjacent rearward side wall portions of said case housing are extendable through a receiving aperture defined in a sink back deck to a location where said shoulder is retainable by portions of said sink back deck that are adjacent to said receiving aperture and where said input and output fluid port means and said end cap means as so connected to said mouth are above said sink back deck.

A filter assembly for mounting through a receiving aperture defined in a sink back deck, said assembly comprising in combination a case and a coacting filter cartridge receivable within said case;

• said case comprising
• a case housing having an elongated case side wall, a case lower end wall and an opposed case upper end having a mouth defined therein;
• said case side wall adjacent to said upper end wall defining a radially enlarged region and said case side wall between said radially enlarged region and adjacent rearward case side wall portions defining a circumferentally and outwardly extending shoulder;
• case end cap means for closing said mouth and including means for detachably connecting said end cap means with mouth adjacent portions of said case side wall and also including means for sealing said end cap means relative to said mouth adjacent portions of said case side wall when said end cap means is so connected to said mouth adjacent case side wall portions by said means for detachably associating, said end cap means being longitudinally spaced from said shoulder when said end cap means is so connected to said mouth adjacent case side wall portions;
• and
• input and output fluid port means defined in said radially enlarged region, said input and output fluid port means being longitudinally spaced from one another and located between said shoulder and said end cap means as so connected to said mouth adjacent case side wall portions;
• whereby said lower end wall and adjacent rearward side wall portions of said case housing are extendable through a receiving aperture defined in a sink back deck to a location where said shoulder is retainable by portions of said sink back deck that are adjacent to said receiving aperture and where said input and output fluid port means and said end cap means as so connected to said mouth are above said sink back deck;
• and
• said filter cartridge comprising
• a filter cartridge housing having elongated cartridge side walls and opposite front and back cartridge end walls and having orifices defined therein in the vicinity of each of said cartridge end walls;
• sealing means locally extending continuously and circumferentially about an outside portion of said cartridge side walls in longitudinally adjacent but spaced relationship to said cartridge front end wall;
• a plurality of spacer projections locally extending outwardly from spaced apart outside portions of said cartridge side walls;
• and
• filtration material in said cartridge housing;
• the interrelationship between said case and said filter cartridge being such that, when said cartridge is fully located in said case:
• (a) said spacer projections maintain said filter cartridge housing in generally spaced relationship relative to adjacent internal surface portions of said casing housing, and
• (b) said sealing means is engaged with adjacent internal surface portions of said casing housing at a location that circumferentially extends about said filter cartridge housing and that exists between said input port means and said output port means
• so that a space is generally defined between portions of said filter cartridge housing and said case housing, and said space is divided into two longitudinally adjacent but separate cavities with a different one of said filter cartridge end walls being in each said cavity and with a different one of said case fluid port means being in each said cavity;
• whereby, when said filter cartridge is fully located in said case and said end cap means is so connected to said mouth adjacent case side wall portions, fluid entering said casing through one of said input and output port means moves through one of said cavities, enters said filter cartridge through said orifices defined in the vicinity of one of said cartridge housing end walls, moves longitudinally through said filter cartridge, exits said filter cartridge through said orifices defined in the vicinity of the opposite one of said cartridge housing end walls, moves through the other one of said cavities, and exits said case through the other one of said input and output port means.