US 6,395,170 B1Granted

Universal filter for soda pop and bottled water bottles

OwnerDouglass E. Hughes, Raymond G. Bryaninventors

Life of this patent

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Abstract

Embodiments of a portable water filter are described and shown, each embodiment being adapted to fit and seal into a bottle neck without modification of, or attachment to, the bottle or its cap or other closure. The filter has a flange system that rests on the lip of the bottle neck and that has slanted or curved surfaces to seal with the neck and the bottle cap when the cap is screwed onto the bottle. The filter further includes a connector for attachment to a straw for an alternative use of the filter in a cup or mug. The filter water inlets are preferably in the lower region of the filter housing, to facilitate suctioning of the liquid from the bottom of the cup or mug even when the liquid level is low. Additional liquid inlet(s) may be added to the upper region of the filter housing, preferably sized and located to drain the last, small amount of liquid in the neck of a bottle when the bottle is inverted, without sucking in enough air in the mug-use application to interfere with adequate draining of the mug or cup.

Claims44

Dependent claims

A portable liquid filter for use with a bottle and a bottle closure having a bottom surface, wherein the filter comprises no means of attachment to the bottle and no means of attachment to the closure, said filter comprising:

(a) a container having a top end and a bottom end for being received inside a bottle neck having a top end;
(b) a filter media received by said container and having a top end, a bottom end and an outer surface;
and
(c) a flange system connected to said top end of said container for holding said container in the bottle neck and comprising:
(i) a generally horizontal annular portion having an upper surface, an inner surface and a lower surface, wherein said horizontal annular portion extends between and forms a seal with the top end of said bottle neck and the bottom surface of said bottle closure;
(ii) a first generally vertical annular portion having an inner surface circumjacent to the outer surface of said filter media and an outer surface;
(iii) a second generally vertical annular portion having an inner surface radially spaced from said outer surface of said first vertical annular portion thereby forming an annular space therebetween and which is substantially perpendicular to said horizontal annular portion, wherein said second vertical annular portion has an outer surface having an outer diameter which gradually increases until it meets said lower surface of said horizontal annular portion thereby forming an outwardly slanted area for sealing with the bottle neck;
and
(iv) a third generally vertical annular portion formed integrally with a lower end of each of said first and second vertical annular portions and defining a bottom of said annular space, said third vertical annular portion including an outer surface abutting an inner surface of said container.

6 more elements

A dual purpose portable liquid filter for use within either a bottle neck sealed by a bottle closure or with a straw, the filter comprising:

(a) a filter media received by a container having a top end, a bottom end, and an outer surface;
(b) a flange system connected to said top end of said container comprising:
(i) a generally horizontal annular portion having an upper surface and a lower surface;
(ii) a first generally vertical annular portion having an inner surface circumjacent to the outer surface of said filter media and an outer surface;
(iii) a second generally vertical annular portion having an inner surface radially spaced from said outer surface of said first vertical annular portion thereby forming annular space therebetween;
(iv) a third generally vertical annular portion formed integrally with a lower end of each of said first and second vertical annular portions and defining a bottom of said annular space, said third vertical annular portion including an outer surface abutting an inner surface of said container, wherein said horizontal annular portion is positioned perpendicularly to a vertical housing wall and has a radius greater than the inner radius of the bottle neck for sitting on a lip of the bottle neck, wherein the radius of said horizontal annular portion gradually decreases until it meets with and forms the vertical housing wall thereby forming a slanted area having a radius greater than the inner radius of the bottle neck;
and
(c) a stern extending from said top end of said container and in fluid communication with the filter media, said stem adapted for attachment to a straw to suction liquid from a liquid container.

5 more elements

A liquid filter for use with bottles having bottle necks with having bottle necks with varying inner diameters and having attachable bottle top closures including a downwardly protruding, flexible sealing ring, said filter comprising;

(a) a container having a top end and a bottom end for being received inside a neck of a bottle;
(b) a filter media having an outer surface and received by said container;
and
(c) a flange connected to said container for holding said container in the bottle neck, said flange comprising:
(i) a horizontal annular portion having an upper surface and a lower surface;
(ii) a first vertical annular portion having an inner surface circumjacent to the outer surface of said filter media and an outer surface;
(iii) a second annular vertical portion having an inner surface radially spaced from said outer surface of said fist vertical annular portion thereby forming an annular space therebetween;
and
(iv) a third generally vertical annular portion formed integrally with a lower end of each of said first and second vertical annular portions and defining a bottom of said annular space, said third vertical annular portion including an outer surface abutting an inner surface of said container, wherein said horizontal annular portion extends between the bottle neck and the bottle top closure when tie bottle top closure is attached to the bottle, wherein the bottle top closure applies a substantially vertical, downward force on the horizontal surface of said flange through the flexible sealing ring when the bottle top closure is attached to the bottle, and wherein continuous sealing surfaces are formed between said lower surface of said horizontal annular portion and the bottle neck and between the upper surface of said horizontal annular portion and the flexible sealing ring of the bottle top closure.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 09/525,106Filed 14 Mar 2000 · continuation in part
Priority: 23 Jul 1996
Granted: 28 May 2002
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

C02F 1/003
Processes for the treatment of water whereby the filtration technique is of importance: using household-type filters for producing potable water,…
B01D 35/02
Filtering devices having features not specifically covered by groups B01D24/00 - B01D33/00, or for applications not specifically covered by…
B01D 35/04
Filters adapted for location in special places, e.g. pipe-lines, pumps, stop-cocks,: plug, tap, or cock filters filtering elements mounted in or…
C02F 1/002
Processes for the treatment of water whereby the filtration technique is of importance: using small portable filters for producing potable water,…