Abstract:
An adaptable water filtration device including an upstream housing defining an upstream chamber. A filter mount is coupled to the upstream housing and extends into the upstream chamber. A first filter is removably disposed in the upstream chamber and is detachably engaged with the filter mount. The first filter is configured to filter a first contaminant from the contaminated water. A second filter is removably disposed in the upstream chamber and is detachably engaged with the filter mount. The second filter is downstream of the first filter and configured to filter a second contaminant from the contaminated water through adsorption. The water filtration system is configured to enable selective adaptation of the filtering characteristics thereof by a user by selectively disposing the first and second filters in the upstream chamber to achieve a prescribed filtering effect on the contaminated water. A prefilter may be included to prevent downstream clogging.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    Not Applicable 
       STATEMENT RE: FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH/DEVELOPMENT 
       [0002]    Not Applicable 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0004]    The present invention relates generally to a water filtration device, and more specifically to a water filtration device having selectively configurable contaminant filtration capabilities. 
         [0005]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0006]    It is well known that consumption of contaminated water may lead to a host of different health-related issues, including gastrointestinal illness, reproductive problems, and neurological disorders. Furthermore, infants, young children, pregnant women, the elderly, and individuals having compromised immune systems, such as those people suffering from AIDS, undergoing chemotherapy, or taking transplant medications, may have heightened susceptibility to illness from contaminated water. 
         [0007]    In view of the various problems associated with contaminated water, several water purification systems have been developed to remove contaminants from the water before the water is consumed. Many large scale purification systems have been developed by municipalities to purify water before it is delivered to each household. In most cases, the purification system provides suitable drinking water, especially in the United States. However, not all residents are satisfied with the municipal purification system, and thus, some residents employ a water purification or filtration system in their own home. The at-home filtration systems may include filtration systems built within the waterline of the house, such that water is filtered by the at-home filter before the water is dispensed through a faucet. In other cases, the at-home filtration system may include a stand-alone water filter pitcher, wherein water from the faucet is poured through a filtering mechanism, wherein the filtered water is captured in an underlying pitcher, where the water remains until it is poured out for consumption by the user. 
         [0008]    Although the water filter pitchers provide an additional level of water filtration prior to consumption by the user, conventional water filter pitchers have very limited utility. In particular, conventional water filter pitches typically include fixed filtration capabilities, and include a single filter capable of filtering a specific contaminant from the water supply. In some cases, the water may include other contaminants, which are not filtered out by the conventional water filter pitchers. This is particularly true in rural or under-developed areas, where there may be little or no filtration performed prior to the water reaching the residence. Furthermore, conventional water pitchers have limited use in underdeveloped areas with more unique contaminants local to that particular region. 
         [0009]    Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an adaptable water filtration system. Various aspects of the present invention address this particular need, as will be discussed in more detail below. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0010]    In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an adaptable water filtration device for filtering contaminated water. The water filtration device includes an upstream housing defining an upstream chamber. The upstream housing includes an inlet port and an outlet port in communication with the upstream chamber. A filter mount is coupled to the upstream housing and extends into the upstream chamber. A first filter is removably disposed in the upstream chamber and is detachably engaged with the filter mount. The first filter is configured to filter a first contaminant from the contaminated water. A second filter is removably disposed in the upstream chamber and is detachably engaged with the filter mount. The second filter is downstream of the first filter and is configured to filter a second contaminant from the contaminated water through adsorption. The water filtration device is additionally configured to enable selective adaptation of the filtering characteristics of the water filtration device by a user by selectively disposing the first and second filters in the upstream chamber to achieve a prescribed filtering effect on the contaminated water. 
         [0011]    The water filtration device may further include a downstream housing coupled to the upstream housing. The downstream housing may define a downstream reservoir in fluid communication with the outlet port on the upstream housing to collect filtered water therefrom. The downstream housing may be formed of naturally available mud. 
         [0012]    The water filtration device may include a pump in fluid communication with the upstream chamber to selectively pressurize the upstream chamber to generate water flow through the first filter and the second filter. 
         [0013]    The water filtration device may include an outlet filter disposable adjacent the outlet port and adapted to enhance the mineral content of water flowing through the outlet port. 
         [0014]    The first filter in the water filtration device may be a micro filter. The micro filter may be configured to filter bacteria or microorganisms from the water. The second filter may be a specifically processed GAC carbon filter capable of removing heavy metals, bad odor, bad taste, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), etc. from the contaminated water through an adsorption process. A third filter may be a heavy concentration arsenic removal filter (based on the arsenic concentration level in the source water) downstream of the first filter and configured to filter a third contaminant from the contaminated water. If the source water includes heavy iron as a contaminant, the third filter may be a heavy concentration iron removal filter capable of removing concentrated iron from the contaminated water. 
         [0015]    The water filtration device may also include a prefilter as the most upstream filtering element. The prefilter may remove sediments and particulate materials (PM 2.5), which may prevent fine pores in a downstream microfilter from becoming clogged. In general, all filter configurations may use a prefilter as the upstream filtering element to provide users the option to use source water with minimal sediment and particulate material (PM 2.5) or source water with high concentration of sediments and particulate material (PM 2.5) to prevent potential clogging of the first microfilter downstream. 
         [0016]    The water filtration device may be adapted to operate without requiring any electricity, battery, or solar power. 
         [0017]    The present invention will be best understood by reference to the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0018]    These and other features and advantages of the various embodiments disclosed herein will be better understood with respect to the following description and drawings, in which: 
           [0019]      FIG. 1  is an upper perspective view of a water filtration device having an upper housing and a lower housing constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0020]      FIG. 2  is an upper perspective exploded view of the water filtration device depicted in  FIG. 1 , wherein the upper housing is exploded from the lower housing; 
           [0021]      FIG. 3  is a lower perspective exploded view of the water filtration device depicted in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0022]      FIG. 4  is an upper perspective exploded view of the upper housing and a stack of filtration cartridges configured to be received within the upper housing; 
           [0023]      FIG. 5  is an assembled cross sectional view of the water filtration device; 
           [0024]      FIG. 6  is an upper perspective view of the stack of filtration cartridges; and 
           [0025]      FIG. 7  is an exploded view of the stack of filtration cartridges depicted in  FIG. 6 . 
       
    
    
       [0026]    Common reference numerals are used throughout the drawings and the detailed description to indicate the same elements. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0027]    The detailed description set forth below in connection with the appended drawings is intended as a description of certain embodiments of a water filter and is not intended to represent the only forms that may be developed or utilized. The description sets forth the various structure and/or functions in connection with the illustrated embodiments, but it is to be understood, however, that the same or equivalent structure and/or functions may be accomplished by different embodiments that are also intended to be encompassed within the scope of the present disclosure. It is further understood that the use of relational terms such as first and second, and the like are used solely to distinguish one entity from another without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities. 
         [0028]    Referring now to the drawings, wherein the showings are for purposes of illustrating a preferred embodiment of the present invention only, and not for purposes of limiting the same, there is depicted a water filtration device  10  having selectively configurable filtration capabilities, which allows the filtration device  10  to be used throughout the world to filter out contaminates that are prevalent in a particular geographical region to provide clean drinking water. 
         [0029]    The water filtration device  10  generally includes an upper housing  12  (e.g., an upstream housing) and a lower housing  14  (e.g., downstream housing). The upper housing  12  is adapted to be at least partially received within the lower housing  14 , as will be described in more detail below. The upper housing  12  includes a main unit  15  including a cylindrical wall  16  having an inner surface  18  (see  FIGS. 4 and 5 ) and an opposing outer surface  20 . A lower end wall  25  (see  FIG. 3 ) is coupled to an end of the cylindrical wall  16  to define a closed end of the main unit  15 . An upper annular flange  22  (see  FIG. 4 ) protrudes radially outward from the cylindrical wall  16 , and an outer cylindrical wall  24  protrudes upwardly from the outer periphery of the upper flange  22 . The upper housing  12  includes an upper chamber  26  at least partially defined by the inner surface  18  of the cylindrical wall  16 . 
         [0030]    The upper housing  12  additionally includes a cover assembly  28  (see  FIG. 4 ) sized and configured for use with the main unit  15 , wherein the cover assembly  28  includes a cover body  30  and a pump  32 . The cover body  30  includes an outer surface  34  and an opposed inner surface  36  (see  FIG. 5 ). A peripheral wall  38  extends upwardly from the outer periphery of the cover body  30 . The pump  32  to pressurize upper housing  12  may have a bulbous configuration and the cover body  30  may include a recess  40  that is complimentary to the pump  32  and is adapted to receive the pump  32  therein. A tube or straw (not shown) may be connected to the pump  32  to place the pump in fluid communication with the upper chamber  26 , as will be described in more detail below. The cover assembly  28  also includes a gasket  42  which resides between the cover body  30  and the main unit  15  when the cover body  30  is attached thereto. 
         [0031]    The cover assembly  28  is configured to be received within the outer cylindrical wall  24  of the main unit  15 . In particular, the peripheral wall  38  is of a slightly smaller diameter than the outer cylindrical wall  24  to allow the cover body  30  to be nested and received within the outer cylindrical wall  24 . The cover assembly  28  may be secured to the upper flange  22  via one or more screws  44  or other mechanical fasteners known in the art. When the cover assembly  28  is coupled to the flange  22 , the cover body  30  and main unit  15  collectively define the upper chamber  26 . 
         [0032]    The upper housing  12  includes an inlet port  46  formed within the cover body  30 , and one or more outlet ports  48  formed within an end wall  25 . The inlet and outlet ports  46 ,  48  are both in fluid communication with the upper chamber  26 . A cap (not shown) may be coupled to the cover body via threaded engagement to cover the inlet port  46 . The cap may be removed to open the inlet port  46  for pouring water into the upper housing  12 . Alternatively, a one-way valve may be disposed in the inlet port  46  to allow water to flow into the upper chamber  26 , while the valve may prevent water from flowing out of the upper chamber  26 . 
         [0033]    A filter  45  (see  FIG. 5 ), such as a mineral filter, may be disposed within the outlet ports  48  to enhance the mineral content of water flowing through the outlet ports  48 . The filter is preferably fabricated from a clear, see-through plastic or similar material to enable a user to observe a level of pH neutralizing media remaining in the filter. According to one embodiment, the filter  45  may be the final filter through which the water passes before flowing into a storage reservoir. Accordingly, the filter  45  may be filled with a prescribed amount of pH neutralizing media for bringing the pH of the filtered water close to neutral (e.g., close to a pH of 7). Along these lines, in an effective filtration process, in addition to remove or reduction of various contaminants, the filtration process will also result in the removal or reduction of Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), like Chlorides, Nitrates, etc., in the water. The reduction in TDS in the filtered water lowers the pH level, thus making the filtered output water slightly acidic. Regular consumption of water that is acidic (particularly water having a pH below 5) is unhealthy. Therefore, by passing the water through the filter  45 , which includes pH increasing media, the pH level of the slightly acidic water may be increased to be substantially pH neutral, which is healthier to consume. 
         [0034]    As noted above, the filter  45  includes a prescribed amount of pH neutralizing media. According to one embodiment, the amount of such media added to the filter  45  is determined by slowly adding a measured quantity of the media to a unit volume (e.g., 1 Litre) of filtered water until the measured amount of media dissolves completely and the pH level reaches pH neutral (or substantially close to pH neutral, e.g., 6.5-7.5). The total amount of pH media required for use in the output filter  45  is based on the media required per unit volume multiplied by the filtration capacity of the cartridge assembly. As the filtered water continues to flow through the final output filter  45 , the pH neutralizing media in the filter  45  will eventually dissolve into the output water, and the user can observe it through the see-through cartridge pH neutralizing filter. This is an indication to the user that the cartridge assembly may need to be replaced. 
         [0035]    The lower housing  14  includes a lower cylindrical wall  52  having an inner surface  54  and an outer surface  56 . An end wall  58  is coupled to the lower cylindrical wall  52  to define a closed end of the lower housing  14 . The end wall  58  and inner surface  54  of the lower cylindrical wall  52  collectively define a lower reservoir  60 , the purpose of which will be described in more detail below. The lower housing  14  additionally includes an outlet  62  in fluid communication with the lower reservoir  60 . The lower housing  14  may also include a lip or flange  64  extending radially inward from the inner surface  54  of the lower cylindrical wall  52  to provide a surface upon which the upper housing  12  may be supported. The lower housing  14  may further include an upper flange  66  extending radially outward from the lower cylindrical wall  52  to provide a surface for lifting the water filtration device  10 . 
         [0036]    The upper and lower housings  12 ,  14  may be formed of any materials known in the art, including, but not limited to, plastic glass, rubber, etc. It is also contemplated that in certain environments it may be beneficial to form at least the lower housing  14  from a naturally-available mud. A lower housing  14  formed from mud may be particularly useful in environments that are very hot, as the mud container includes very tiny pores on the surface through which very fine water particles seep through from the filtered water retained within the lower housings  14 . Heat is extracted from water inside the mud container, which results in evaporation of the water particle using the latent heat of evaporation. The evaporation process using the heat from the water inside the mud container causes the water to lose heat, thereby making the water cool, and more desirable for drinking. 
         [0037]    The upper and lower housings  12 ,  14  may also be fabricated in a wide range of sizes. For instance, the upper chamber  26  and lower reservoir  60  may be sized to accommodate approximately one liter of filtered water for use on a tabletop or desktop. In other embodiment, the upper chamber  26  and lower reservoir  60  may be sized to accommodate approximately ten liters of filtered water, which may be suitable for a countertop application. Furthermore, in yet another embodiment, the upper chamber  26  and lower reservoir  60  may be sized to accommodate approximately twenty liters of filtered water, which may be useful as a floor model to serve an entire family. It is understood that the above-described volumes are exemplary in nature only, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. As such, it is expressly contemplated that the size of the filtering device  10  may accommodate volumes less than one liter or greater than twenty liters. 
         [0038]    The water filtration device  10  additionally includes one or more filtration cartridges  68  disposed within the upper chamber  26  to filter contaminated water before the water flows from the upper chamber  26  and into the lower reservoir  60 . The exemplary water filtration device  10  depicted in  FIG. 5  includes a stack of three filtration cartridges  68  disposed within the upper chamber  26 , however it is understood that in other implementations, fewer than three filtration cartridges  68  may be used, or alternatively, more than three filtration cartridges  68  may be used without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Along these lines, one unique aspect of the water filtration device  10  is the adaptive water filtration capabilities of the filtration device  10 . This unique filtration adaptability is attributable to the ability of the user to select the specific filtration cartridges  68  that are needed to filter prescribed contaminants from the water. For instance, if it is known that Arsenic is in the contaminated water, then a filtration cartridge  68  specifically adapted to remove Arsenic may be disposed within the upper chamber  26 . The Arsenic-removing filtration cartridge  68  may include high arsenic removal resin for removing/reducing the high concentration arsenic in the source water being filtered to an acceptable minimum level set forth in according to health standards, such as the WHO or EPA. However, if Arsenic is not in the contaminated water, and instead, Iron or other heavy metals are in the contaminated water, then a filter cartridge  68  designed to remove the Iron or other heavy metal(s0 may be used in the device  10 . As such, the user may select which filtration cartridges  68  are used in the device  10  based on the contaminants located in the water. In this regard, the specific contaminants located in the water dictate which filtration cartridges  68  are used in the device  10 . As such, the device  10  is not limited to filtering one specific contaminant or set of contaminants from the water. Rather, the device  10  may be specifically configured which allows the device  10  to be used throughout the world to provide clean drinking water. Consequently, the device  10  is highly adaptable and provides more flexible filtration capabilities, particular when compared to conventional pitcher-style water filtration devices. 
         [0039]    According to one embodiment, each filtration cartridge  68  includes a first cartridge body  70  and a second cartridge body  72  which collectively capture a filter  74   a - c  therebetween. The first and second cartridge bodies  70 ,  72  and the filter  74   a - c  each include a respective central opening  71 ,  73 ,  75  which are coaxially aligned when the filtration cartridge  68  is assembled. The cartridge bodies  70 ,  72  may be formed from plastic, glass or other materials known in the art. In addition, although the cartridge bodies  70 ,  72  are shown as having a circular configuration, it is understood that the cartridge bodies  70 ,  72  may be formed in other shapes and configurations. It is desirable that the filtration cartridges  68  define a shape that is generally complimentary to the shape of the upper chamber  26 . 
         [0040]    The first and second cartridge bodies  70 ,  72  and the filter  74   a - c  may include one or more peripheral notches aligned with each other to prevent rotation of the filtration cartridges  68  within the upper housing  12 , as will be described in more detail below. The upper housing  12  may include one or more fins  76  extending into the upper change  26  from the cylindrical wall  16 , wherein the fins  76  are specifically configured and adapted to engage with respective ones of the notches  85  formed on the filtration cartridges  68 . 
         [0041]    The filter used in the filtrations cartridge  68  may vary from one cartridge to the next. Along these lines,  FIG. 7  shows a first filter  74   a  incorporated into a first filtration cartridge  68   a , a second filter  74   b  incorporated into a second filtration cartridge  68   b , and a third filter  74   c  incorporated into a third filtration cartridge  68   c . The filters  74   a - c  may have different filtration capabilities, e.g., they may be designed to remove different contaminants from the water. 
         [0042]    The filtration device  10  includes a filter mount  78  coupled to the upper housing  12  and extending into the upper chamber  26 . The filter mount  78  may include an elongate shaft  80  extending upwardly from the end wall  25  of the upper housing  12 . The filtration cartridges  68  may be disposed within the upper chamber  26  in a stacked configuration, with the shaft  80  extending through the central opening of each filtration cartridge  68 . A nut  82  or other securing means may be tightened onto the shaft  80  to prevent the cartridges from disengaging with the shaft  80 . 
         [0043]    With the structural features of the water filtration device  10  described above, the following discussion will focus on usage of the water filtration device  10 . Contaminated water is poured into the upper chamber  26  through the inlet port  46 . The inlet port  46  is preferably closed with a cap to seal the upper chamber  26 . The pump  32  is then actuated (e.g., squeezed one or more times) to increase pressure inside the upper chamber  26  to force the contaminated water through the filtration cartridges  68   a - c . A pre-filter may be used to remove any sediments from the contaminated water, which would otherwise create a potential blockage in the remaining downstream filters. For instance, the pre-filter may remove sediments and particulate materials (PM 2.5). The water then flows through the stack of filtration cartridges  68  to remove further contaminants. According to one embodiment, the most upstream filtration cartridge  68   a  includes a micro filter to remove any bacteria, or pathogens. The next (downstream) filtration cartridge  68   b  may be a specialty media cartridge to remove heavy concentrations of Iron or similar heavy metals. The water may then flow through a filtration cartridge  68   c  having a mix of granular activated carbon and an Arsenic removal resin. The water may then flow through the output filter  45  which may contain select minerals, such that a mineral concentration is dissolved into the filtered output water as the water flows into the lower reservoir  60 . The output filter  45  may also bring the pH level of the water (generally acidic) to a more neutral level (i.e., close to a pH level of 7), as described in more detail above. 
         [0044]    According to one embodiment, the filters  74   a - c  employed in the filtration cartridges  68   a - c  use adsorption to effectively adsorb contaminants like Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC), bad odors, and bad tastes. 
         [0045]    Once the water reaches the lower reservoir  60 , a significantly high percentage of the contaminants originally present in the contaminated water will have been filtered out. According to one embodiment, approximately 99% of the contaminants will be removed through the passage of the contaminated water through the various filters located in the flowpath through the upper housing  12  into the lower housing  14 . 
         [0046]    The filtered water may remain in the lower reservoir  60  until the user is ready to drink the water. The water may be disposed through a valve or faucet coupled to the outlet  62  of the lower housing  14 . 
         [0047]    Each filter  74   a - c  is configured to remove contaminants to an acceptable level. When any filter  74   a - c  reaches a saturation point, any addition of contaminated water to the filtered assembly will start reducing filtration capability and the contamination in the output filtered water will start increasing, which is an indication that the filter  74   a - c  needs to be replaced. 
         [0048]    Although the foregoing describes the device  10  as being adapted to filter water, it is understood that other implementations of the device  10  may be used to filter other liquids. 
         [0049]    The particulars shown herein are by way of example only for purposes of illustrative discussion, and are not presented in the cause of providing what is believed to be most useful and readily understood description of the principles and conceptual aspects of the various embodiments of the present disclosure. In this regard, no attempt is made to show any more detail than is necessary for a fundamental understanding of the different features of the various embodiments, the description taken with the drawings making apparent to those skilled in the art how these may be implemented in practice.