Apparatus arranged to provide controllable water treatment customized to the conditions of water supplied to a beverage dispenser

A modular water treatment apparatus is provided for soft drink postmix dispensers. The apparatus includes a basic filter unit and additional modules selected from booster pump, UV treatment, and ion exchange modules as needed to match situs water problems determined water testing. A control module has microcontroller based circuitry which provides apparatus monitoring and control. Disabling and warning alarms are generated for predetermined apparatus conditions on a priority basis. A hand-held controller can be coupled to the control module to provide an operator interface for entry and readout of data on the basis of key entries.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
 The present invention relates to water treatment apparatus used in soft
 drink and other dispensers to purify water as it is processed in such
 dispensers. In soft drink or postmix dispensers, water is treated,
 carbonated, and mixed with syrup to produce the soft drink dispensed to
 customers or users.
 In the production of soft drinks in a bottling plant, full water treatment
 purifies water according to the quality of the water supplied to the
 plant. Such water treatment typically reduces hardness, assures sterility,
 and removes suspended solids, dissolved organic matter, and possibly other
 matter such as sodium and nitrates.
 Postmix (soft drink) beverage dispensing systems employ water treatment
 apparatus which operates on a small scale as compared to the complex and
 large scale water treatment provided at the bottling plant level. However,
 U.S. Pat. No. 4,844,796, entitled FULL WATER TREATMENT APATUS FOR USE
 IN SOFT DRINK DISPENSING SYSTEM, issued to George Plester on Jul. 4, 1989,
 and assigned to the present assignee, discloses a relatively simple and
 inexpensive, yet effective, water treatment apparatus for use in postmix
 beverage dispensers.
 The quality of water received from a general water supply normally meets
 local purification needs, but the quality varies from location to
 location. Thus, additional water treatment needed at the situs of each
 postmix beverage dispenser may vary according to the local water supply.
 In particular, local drinking water quality in many parts of the world may
 require situs treatment for excessive turbidity (suspended particles),
 microbiological or chemical problems, or undesirable taste and odor.
 As a result, water treatment apparatus for postmix beverage dispensers
 typically have been designed inefficiently on a one-by-one basis according
 to situs water treatment needs. Further, such prior art designs have often
 resulted in apparatus lacking a match of treatment units to water problems
 at the installation situs. In other words, some guesswork has often been
 used in creating designs for prior art water treatment apparatus to be
 installed at a particular situs.
 Further, even where acceptable matches have been made in installed
 treatment units and situs water problems, the operators often would not
 know or adequately plan in advance when installed filters became used up.
 In these cases, the lack of water has caused carbonator pump burnup.
 Moreover, if problems in the water supplied to an installed prior-art water
 treatment apparatus were to change after installation, a new design and a
 new or modified water treatment apparatus has been required to match the
 changed problems in the water supply. Again, the new or modified apparatus
 would typically involve some design guesswork. In any case, excessive cost
 would be incurred and the new water treatment requirements might or might
 not be met.
 Accordingly, for economy in manufacture and distribution, postmix water
 treatment apparatus needs to be structured so that it can be readily and
 economically customized to water treatment requirements at the
 installation situs at the time of installation, as well as subsequently
 during the apparatus lifetime if water treatment requirements change at
 the situs.
 Further, postmix water treatment apparatus requires maintenance to assure
 continuing efficacy of water treatment as usage occurs over time.
 Maintenance has typically been provided by scheduled replacement of
 treatment cartridges, and, in some instances, in response to automatic
 indications of end-of-cartridge-life. Thus, a need has also existed for
 better real time monitoring and control in dispenser water treatment
 apparatus to enable better maintenance by the owner/user and better
 efficacy in water treatment.
 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
 The present invention is directed to water treatment apparatus which is
 modularly structured to facilitate economic customization of the apparatus
 for local use and which is provided with monitoring and control
 capabilities enabling better apparatus maintenance and more effective
 water treatment in soft drink postmix dispensers and in other
 applications.
 In accordance with the invention, water treatment apparatus comprises an
 arrangement of modules which can be variably configured by varying the
 modules selected for inclusion in a water treatment configuration for a
 particular situs at which water from the situs water supply has been
 tested to identify water problems. The modules include a basic filter
 module and other water treatment modules which, when connected together,
 provide full water treatment.
 The modular arrangement is configured to an original configuration, for the
 particular situs, to include the basic filter module and any, all, or none
 of the remaining water treatment modules connected together according to
 the water treatment needed at least to match the identified water
 problems. A booster pump module preferably operates to boost inlet water
 pressure if low water pressure is determined to be a water problem. A
 monitoring and control system preferably interfaces with the water
 treatment apparatus and responds to sensed system parameters to provide
 data readouts, generate alarms, and apply control actions to the
 apparatus.
 The objects of the invention are still further fulfilled by an apparatus
 having a flow path for water being treated with the apparatus comprising a
 booster pump, a basic filter, and an ion exchange chamber connected in the
 flow path. A pressure sensor and a flow sensor are also coupled to the
 flow path.
 A monitoring and control system responds to an output from the pressure
 sensor to provide ON/OFF cycling control of the booster pump for outlet
 water pressure control.
 The monitoring and control system further responds to an output from the
 flow sensor to determine total flow over time. The monitoring and control
 system also generates at least a basic filter replacement alarm when a low
 water pressure setpoint is detected and an ion-exchange-resin replacement
 alarm when a setpoint total water flow is reached.
 The objects of the invention are still further fulfilled by a method for
 assembling water treatment apparatus for treating water supplied to a
 particular situs. The steps of the method include testing the situs water
 to determine situs water problems and determining an arrangement of water
 treatment modules which can be variably configured by varying the modules
 selected for inclusion in a water treatment configuration for the
 particular situs. The modules include a basic filter module and other
 water treatment modules which, when connected together, provide full water
 treatment.
 The arrangement is configured to an original configuration, for the
 particular situs, to include the basic filter module and any, all, or none
 of the remaining water treatment modules connected together to match water
 problems identified from the water testing step.
 Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become
 apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it
 should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples,
 while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way
 of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the
 spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in
 the art from this detailed description.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
 A modular water treatment apparatus of the invention economically,
 efficiently and reliably resolves problems commonly found in drinking
 water in many parts of the world, including: excessive turbidity,
 microbiological, chemical, and presence of undesirable taste and odors.
 These water problems make local drinking water unsuitable or undesirable
 for postmix dispensing of soft drinks and, in many cases, also for
 dispensing of drinking water and coffee, tea, and other water based
 beverages. Postmix business volume is adversely affected by these water
 problems unless they are properly resolved.
 The modular nature of the water treatment apparatus of the invention
 facilitates combining treatment units to structure a specific water
 treatment apparatus which resolves particular water problems. In applying
 the invention, such problems are identified by analysis of supply water at
 a situs where the specific water treatment apparatus is to be installed.
 Since each type of treatment module is known to be effective in
 satisfactorily meeting its intended purpose, any combination of the
 modules also results in an effective water treatment system. With use of
 the invention in soft drink postmix operations, bottlers need not be
 concerned with selection of water treatment components, verification of
 component performance claims, and reliance on suppliers in determining how
 to configure a water treatment system.
 Water Treatment Apparatus for Postmix Soft Drinks
 A system 60 shown in FIG. 1 is located at a specific situs and dispenses
 postmix soft drinks with water treated to meet or exceed postmix standards
 in accordance with the invention. A general water supply 64, located at
 the situs, supplies water to a water treatment apparatus 62 of the system
 60. After treatment, the water flows to a soft drink dispenser 66 where it
 is carbonated by a carbonator 68 and mixed with syrup from a syrup supply
 70 for discharge as indicated by the reference character 72.
 The water treatment apparatus 62 includes a control unit 74 which performs
 various monitoring, alarm, and control functions in the operation of the
 apparatus 62. A hand-held controller 76 preferably provides an interface
 for operator setup and control of the apparatus 62.
 The water treatment apparatus 62 is preferably modularly arranged as
 illustrated in FIG. 3. In its preferred modular organization, the
 apparatus 62 has treatment modules including a basic filter module 80, an
 ion exchange module 82, and a UV module 84. The apparatus 62 further
 includes a control module (corresponding to the control unit 74 of FIG. 1)
 and a pump module 86. The treatment and pump modules can be embodied by
 commercially available units.
 The water treatment apparatus 62 is modularly configurable to provide a
 specific apparatus which resolves the water problems determined to exist
 at the situs where the specific apparatus is to be installed. Thus, the
 apparatus 62 can be readily customized to provide water treatment in a
 wide range of locations.
 With the preferred modular arrangement, the installer can customize the
 water treatment apparatus 62 by making a selection from at least the
 following modular configurations (each including the control module):
 a. base filter with or without water pressure booster pump having a bypass;
 b. UV system and base filter with or without water pressure booster ump
 having a bypass;
 c. ion exchange system and base filter with or without water pressure pump
 having a bypass;
 d. ion exchange system, base filter, and UV system with or without water
 pressure pump having a bypass;
 e. any of a. through d. with a bladder tank and a pump without a bypass in
 place of the bypass pump.
 Further, the owner or operator of an installed and customized water
 treatment apparatus 62 can readily reconfigure the installed apparatus to
 match a changed set of water problems. For example, a pump with a bypass
 can be added to an apparatus originally installed without such a pump in
 order to resolve developing water pressure deficiencies. As another
 example, an ion exchanger can be readily added to an apparatus if it was
 not originally supplied and if new water problems require use of an ion
 exchanger.
 The preferred modular arrangement of the invention is structured to accept
 only the specified modules, yet it meets a wide range of water treatment
 needs for customization to many if not most locations. However, in
 applying the invention, other modular arrangements of water treatment
 units and other operational units can be embodied in accordance with the
 modularity aspect of the invention.
 For example, a reverse osmosis module may be included with some or all of
 the preferred apparatus modules in another modular arrangement to provide
 another water treatment capability for customization of water treatment
 apparatus. As another example, future developed water treatment modules
 could be included in a modular design of the invention to provide the
 treatment capabilities of such modules in matching the configuration of
 water treatment apparatus to the water problems found to exist at the
 location where the apparatus is to be installed.
 The preferred physical arrangement for a full configuration of the modular
 apparatus 62 is illustrated in FIG. 2. APPENDIX B presents a list of
 elements for the full configuration with corresponding reference
 characters.
 A backplate 24 is sized and arranged to support elements of the water
 treatment apparatus 62. An ON/OFF valve 47 controls the supply of input
 water to a booster pump 43 having a flow controllable bypass and mounted
 on the backplate 24. Pressurized water flows from the pump 43 to a basic
 filter 90 mounted on the backplate 24 and comprising a sediment filter 92,
 with a preferred 5 micron prefilter, and a carbon microfilter 94, with a
 preferred 0.5 micron carbon block or carbon precoat filter. The prefilter
 protects the microfilter from premature plugging by removing most larger
 particles.
 Water flows from the basic filter 90 to an ion exchange chamber 41.
 Generally, ion exchange chambers are relatively heavy, and the chamber 41
 is therefore preferably not mounted to the backplate 24, and, instead, is
 disposed on a floor or other flat surface for vertical support under the
 backplate 24.
 Flexible lines preferably form water flow connections to and from the ion
 exchange chamber 41. Generally, quick connect/disconnect connectors are
 used in making necessary module and line connections over the water flow
 path in the apparatus 62. The water flows from the ion exchange chamber 41
 to a UV chamber 42, mounted on the backplate 24, for final treatment prior
 to output to the carbonator 68 (FIG. 1) in the dispenser 66. A low cost UV
 intensity sensor 93 is provided in the UV chamber 42 to generate UV
 intensity signals for monitoring and control purposes. In addition, a
 flowmeter 44 is coupled to the outlet water flow to generate flow signals
 for monitoring and control purposes.
 A control box 45 is mounted on the backplate 24 to house monitoring and
 control circuitry for the water treatment apparatus 62. Necessary
 electrical connections (not shown in FIG. 2) are made from the control box
 45 to various sensors or electrically operated elements of the water
 treatment apparatus 62.
 A pressure pilot line 22 is connected from the outlet flow path to the
 control box 45 to enable outlet pressure signals to be developed for
 monitoring and control purposes.
 Generally, the water treatment apparatus 62 can be placed in a concealed
 location with the backplate 24 mounted on a vertical wall or the like. In
 this case, connection lines are run to the dispenser 66 over a distance
 preferably not to exceed about thirty feet for the preferred embodiments
 disclosed herein.
 Alternatively, the water treatment apparatus 62 can be located under a
 counter on which the dispenser 66 is located in a fast food restaurant or
 the like. In this case, interconnection lines would be very short.
 The basic filter module 90 (or 80, FIG. 3) is preferably mounted on the
 backplate 24 in all soft drink postmix applications of the invention, as
 well as other applications such as drinking water and other beverage
 applications. This basic filter module includes a prefilter 39 (FIG. 4A)
 and a carbon block filter 40 (FIG. 4A) and acts as a barrier to
 particulates 0.5 microns in size and larger, reduces turbidity to 0.5 NTU
 or less, and removes waterborne cysts of concern, such as Giarda Lamblia
 and Cryptosporidium. The carbon block filter 40 performs most of the
 filtration duties which further include reducing excessive chlorine
 concentration, eliminating unpleasant tastes and odors, and removing some
 organic materials. The filter 39 removes larger particles thereby
 extending the life of the filter 40. The filters 39 and 40 preferably are
 provided with a special mount (not specifically shown) which limits
 replacements to units which meet the treatment standards set for the
 apparatus 62.
 In a basic filtration system without water pressure boosting FIG. 4A), the
 water treatment apparatus 62 includes the basic filter 90, the inlet
 ON/OFF valve 46, water pressure sensor including a pressure sensor with
 the pressure pilot line 22, the flowmeter 44, an outlet purge valve 91,
 and the control box 45 with its contained control circuitry for the
 pressure sensor, and the flow totalizer.
 In a basic water filtration system with water pressure boosting (FIG. 4B),
 the apparatus 62 further includes the pressure boosting pump 43 (with
 bypass). The control box 45 includes control circuitry for the pump 43.
 Necessary water flow and electrical connections are made for the pump 43.
 The pump plugs directly into the control box 45.
 The backplate 24 is sized to provide common support for the basic filter
 module 90 and other modules which configure the water treatment system for
 customized applications. In the preferred embodiment, the UV module 84 (or
 42) and the ion exchange module 82 (or 41) are water treatment modules
 which can be combined with the basic filter module 80 (or 90) to form
 different configurations for different customized applications, with the
 UV module 84 being mounted on the backplate 24. The booster pump 43 is
 another module mounted on the backplate 24 when selected to be included in
 a customized configuration.
 In other applications of the invention with different modular arrangements,
 the combinable modules are determined on the basis of the
 treatment/processing capabilities of the respective modules.
 The pressure booster pump 43 is incorporated in particular applications,
 where it is needed as determined by water pressure measurements. The pump
 43 is electrically connected to the control box 45, which contains pump
 drive circuitry. In addition, two water lines connect the pump 43 to the
 basic filter 90.
 Generally, incoming water pressure plays an important role in the service
 life of the basic filters. Incoming water pressure above 45 psig (flowing)
 is preferred. When a booster pump is included in the apparatus 62, the
 user operates the hand-held controller to set low and high pressure
 setpoints.
 A UV water treatment system without pressure boosting is created by
 combining the UV module 42 with the basic filter system (FIG. 4G). The UV
 module 42 is installed on the backplate 24, and a UV control board is
 installed in the control box 45. The UV module 42 includes the UV
 intensity sensor 93 for monitoring the effectiveness of UV treatment.
 Water pressure boosting can also be provided (FIG. 4H), as in the case of
 the basic water filtration system.
 Generally, the UV water treatment system resolves all known bacteriological
 concerns in postmix water. Fine filtration removes Giardia Lamblia and
 Cryptosporidium cysts, and the UV radiation deactivates bacteria and
 viruses. This system also provides the water treatment effects described
 for the carbon block filter 40.
 An ion exchange water treatment system combines the basic filtration system
 with the ion exchange module 41. The water pressure booster pump 43 is
 also included when low water pressure conditions exist at the situs for
 which the system is being customized. Further, the UV module 42 is
 excluded only if incoming water satisfies microbiological criteria on a
 continuous basis and there is no danger of an excessive buildup of
 bacteria in the system. Perspective views of the different ion exchange
 systems are shown in FIGS. 4C-4F.
 The ion exchange system reduces excessive alkalinity and hardness and
 removes dissolved chemicals from the water to improve the taste of soft
 drinks or other system product. Some chemicals can create off-taste
 problems, such as a bitter or salty taste or may neutralize flavors
 causing flat tasting drinks.
 The resin used in the ion exchange module 41 can be selected to resolve
 these off-taste problems, on the basis of which chemical(s) is or are
 causing the problem at the situs for which the system is being customized.
 The resin reduces the concentration of the chemicals causing the problem
 or problems.
 The user inputs results of a chemical water analysis to the hand-held
 controller to determine an approximate water treatment capacity of the
 selected resin. The expected resin capacity is then computed under
 computer program control and displayed on the hand-held controller. At the
 same time, an alarm setpoint is generated so that an alarm will be
 generated when the resin has reached the end of its expected service
 period. During operation, the user can also operate the hand-held
 controller to read the volume of water passed through the system as an
 indication of the remaining resin life before regeneration will be
 required.
 The ion exchange system also provides the water treatment effects described
 for the basic filtration system, and the water treatment effects described
 for the UV module 42 if it is included.
 FIG. 4I illustrates a basic system configuration in which a pump 43B,
 without a bypass, is combined with a bladder 48 (storage tank) in place of
 the booster pump 43 (with bypass) of the configuration of FIG. 4B.
 Required water pressure is developed in the bladder 48 by compressed air.
 The same replacement can be made in each of the other illustrated
 configurations of FIGS. 4E, 4F, and 4H to provide additional possible
 configurations of the apparatus 62.
 In determining how to customize the water treatment apparatus 62, the
 supplier or the owner checks the water pressure and obtains tests of water
 from the situs water supply 64 to ascertain the water problems to be
 resolved. Water testing preferably includes microbiological and chemical
 analysis.
 In the preferred soft-drink postmix embodiment, water problems are
 identified by comparing the water test results to standards applicable to
 postmix water. A table presented in APPENDIX A provides some example of
 system configurations for various water conditions or problems. If the
 water pressure is below a threshold condition (i.e., below 45 psig at 1.7
 gallons/minute flow in the preferred embodiment), a booster pump should be
 included in the customized configuration.
 Monitoring and Control
 Generally, the monitoring system generates an alarm for water pressure
 below a programmable value, warns an operator to change the filters based
 on six months service life, and serves as a control and driving circuit
 for the water booster pump when it is included in the apparatus 62. In
 addition, the user can set or read a number of system parameters,
 preferably through the hand-held controller, including current water
 pressure, total water flow measured from a filter replacement date, and
 elapsed time from the last filter change.
 In the preferred embodiment, UV lamp life and UV lamp intensity are
 monitored when the UV module is included in the apparatus 62. The system
 activates an alarm if the UV lamp has been in service for more than a year
 or if UV intensity falls below 30,000 microwatts.sec/cm.sup.2.
 In the preferred embodiment, three sensors monitor the water treatment
 processes as a basis for system monitoring and control. The control box 45
 includes a main microcontroller which processes feedback signals from the
 sensors to activate visual and/or audible alarms when malfunctions occur
 or maintenance is needed.
 A hand-held controller 100 (FIG. 6A) operates as an operator interface. The
 controller 100 is directly connectable to the control box 45 and has
 circuitry including a microcontroller for processing operator input
 commands, for generating readouts of process data from the control box 45,
 and for setting various process parameters to the control box 45. If
 desired, a remote radio coupling (not shown) can be used, in place of the
 direct connection, to couple the hand-held controller 100 to the control
 box 45.
 The control box 45 performs a number of control, status, and setpoint
 adjustment functions, all of which can be accessed for viewing or
 resetting by the hand-held controller. On the front of the control box 45,
 three color LED lamp indicators show the operating condition of the
 system.
 A green lamp indicates the system is operating normally. A yellow flashing
 every five seconds and a beep is sounded about once every minute when a
 warning condition has occurred in the system. The system flashes a red
 lamp and a beep is sounded every five seconds when a disabling condition
 has occurred in the system.
 The system preferably processes all alarms and warnings on a priority basis
 so that only the highest priority active alarm is displayed. If more than
 one alarm is active and the priority alarm is cleared, the next highest
 priority alarm is indicated. Preferably, every disabling alarm cuts off
 power to the booster pump (if included) and a carbonator pump motor
 located in the dispenser. APPENDIX C provides a table of suggested
 priorities for the alarm system.
 In this instance, a conventional pressure transducer 51 (FIG. 2) is
 disposed in the control box 74 to generate an electrical signal indicative
 of the outlet water pressure sensed in the pilot line 22. In other
 applications of the invention, the pressure transducer could be coupled to
 or located near the flowmeter 44 in the outlet line. The pressure feedback
 signals are processed to alarm a need for filter changes when the water
 pressure reaches a lower limit of 8 psig and to generate ON/OFF control
 signals for the pressure booster pump 43.
 The flowmeter 44 is provided mainly to enable total water flow to be
 detected as a monitor for the ion exchange chamber 41. A total water
 volume setpoint is entered as a programmable alarm during system setup on
 the basis of the resin selected for use in the ion exchange chamber 41.
 Total water volume is also accessible for use in estimating beverage sales
 where the user/owner of the apparatus 62 is a restaurant or other
 merchant, and in estimating results of chemical water analysis (amount of
 undesirable chemicals present such as those causing excessive alkalinity
 or hardness).
 The low-cost UV intensity sensor 93 continuously monitors the effectiveness
 of the UV treatment if the UV chamber 42 is included in the apparatus 62.
 Audible and visual alarms are activated by the main control-box
 microprocessor when UV intensity falls below a lower limit or lamp burnout
 occurs.
 The UV intensity sensor 93 is preferably located outwardly of a tubular
 water flow path in the UV chamber 42 so that the UV radiation passes
 through the water from a centrally located lamp before it is measured.
 As shown in FIGS. 7A-7C, the UV sensor 93 has a housing 7A which is secured
 to the UV chamber 42 by a nut 11A. The housing 7A is preferably formed
 from plastic whereas other structural parts are preferably formed from
 stainless steel. This arrangement significantly reduces manufacturing
 costs substantially without affecting quality of performance.
 Within the housing 7A, a UV diode 13A is supported to receive UV radiation
 through an opening 14A. The diode 13A senses the intensity of the UV
 radiation and transmits an electrical signal through its terminals to
 electrical connectors to the control box 45. FIG. 7C illustrates the
 manner in which all of the sensor parts are assembled to form a completed
 unit.
 Control Box
 Circuitry shown in FIGS. 5A-5I operates in the control box 45 to monitor
 and control the water treatment apparatus 62. A power supply system
 receives input power through a connector 122. The supply voltage is
 applied directly to a UV ballast line through connector 124 and to a
 transformer 126 for downconverting.
 A sidactor 128 suppresses any surges in a 12V output from a secondary of
 the transformer 126. A bridge rectifier 130 rectifies the AC voltage to
 provide a 12V DC output 132 for use in powering certain circuitry in the
 control box 45.
 The rectifier output is also applied to a voltage regulator 134 which,
 along with associated capacitor and diode circuitry, generates a 5V DC
 signal VCC at terminal 136 for use in powering digital circuits in the
 control box 45.
 Another bridge rectifier 138 rectifies the source AC voltage to generate a
 DC voltage for powering the booster pump 43 through a connector 140. A
 relay 142 operates as an ON/OFF switch for the operation of the pump 43,
 and it is controlled by a microcontroller booster-pump signal 144
 amplified by an amplifier circuit 146. Subsequent text herein presents
 more detail on booster pump control.
 Circuitry shown in FIG. 5B provides carbonator pump ON/OFF control. A
 microcontroller signal 150 is amplified by an amplifier circuit 151 to
 operate an ON/OFF relay 152. Connection wires 154 and 156 extend to the
 dispenser where connections are made to a carbonator pump motor 158
 through a power supply 160.
 When the relay 152 is switched ON, the motor 158 is placed in operation,
 and the flow of motor current energizes the primary winding of a feedback
 downconverting transformer 162. A sidactor 164 suppresses voltage surges
 in the output from the transformer secondary prior to rectification by a
 bridge rectifier 166.
 The rectifier output is applied to an operational amplifier 165, with input
 voltage regulation provided by diode and capacitor circuitry 168. A
 digital level output signal 170 operates as a microcontroller input which
 confirms carbonator pump energization.
 In FIG. 5C, a circuit 180 receives a low voltage, anode/cathode feedback
 signal through a connector 181 from the UV sensor 93, and processes this
 signal for micrcontroller input. The UV sensor signal is amplified by a
 first-stage differential amplifier circuit 182, then by a second stage
 operational amplifier circuit 184, and finally by a third stage
 operational amplifier circuit 186. An analog UV sensor feedback signal 188
 is output at a voltage level such as 3 or 4 volts for microcontroller
 input.
 An alarm circuit 180 (FIG. 5E) responds to microcontroller alarm signal 182
 (green) or microcontroller alarm signal 184 (red) to energize the control
 box green indicator lamp 186 or the red indicator lamp 188. If both alarm
 signals are generated at the same time, both lamps 186 and 188 are
 energized, and, since the lamps are mounted side by side, yellow light is
 projected to a viewer. Respective semiconductor amplifier/switches 190 and
 192, when actuated by the signal 182 or 184, energize the indicator lamps
 186 and 188 from the voltage source VCC.
 Cyclic generation of the alarm signals 182 and/or 184 causes lamp flashing.
 As previously indicated, normal system operation causes only the green
 lamp to be lit. A generated warning alarm causes both the green and the
 red lamps to be lit thereby generating yellow light. A generated disabling
 alarm causes only the red lamp to be lit. The priority table in APPENDIX C
 provides a classification of the suggested various alarm conditions.
 A sound alarm circuit 194 (FIG. 5F) employs a solid state amplifier/switch
 196 to energize a speaker 197 from the 12V DC voltage source when a
 microcontroller sound alarm signal 198 is received. The speaker 197 emits
 a buzzer sound when energized.
 A pressure feedback processing circuit 200 is shown in FIG. 5G. A feedback
 water pressure signal is received through an input connector 202 from a
 pressure transducer 204 located on a control board in the control box 45.
 A differential amplifier circuit 206 amplifies the pressure signal to
 produce a microcontroller input signal 208.
 A microcontroller reset circuit 220 (FIG. 5H) generates a binary LO reset
 signal 222 for the support microcontroller 254 (FIG. 5D) or a binary HI
 reset signal 224 for the main microcontroller 252 if the value of the
 voltage source VCC drops below its lower threshold value. A conventional
 semiconductor voltage detector chip circuit 226 responds to a VCC input
 228 to generate an output at the VCC voltage level if the VCC voltage
 level is above the threshold value.
 If the VCC voltage level drops below the threshold value, the detector
 circuit 226 outputs a ground level potential. The RESET-LO signal is then
 generated, and a semiconductor switch 224 is operated to output the
 RESET-HI. If the VCC voltage level returns to a value above the threshold,
 the reset signals are ended, thereby allowing the microcontrollers to
 resume operation. The microcontrollers respond to reset signals as more
 fully described subsequently herein.
 A plug connector 240 (FIG. 5I) is provided for interfacing the hand-held
 controller 100 with the circuitry in the control box 45. Pin 2 supplies
 power to the controller 100, while pins 4 and 5 respectively provide data
 transmission TXD and data reception RXD to and from the hand-held
 controller 100.
 A microcontroller system 250 (FIG. 5D) receives feedback signals and
 operates under program control to generate control commands and to
 generate system alarms. Preferably, the system operates on a computational
 load sharing basis, and thus includes a main microcontroller 252 and a
 support microcontroller 254 which preprocesses feedback signals for
 application to the main microcontroller 252, primarily through an 8-bit
 data bus 256.
 The flowmeter 44 (FIG. 2) is connected to an amplifier 258 which generates
 an analog water flow signal 260 for input to the support microcontroller
 254 through input pin 1. The analog UV sensor and water pressure signals
 208 and 188 are input the support microcontroller 254 through respective
 pins 17 and 18. An internal analog-to-digital converter system converts
 the analog signals 188, 208, and 260 to digital signals for computer
 processing.
 A resonator clock 262 generates a clock signal which is coupled to input
 pins 15 and 16 of the support microcontroller 254 to control its cyclic
 operation. Normally, the microcontroller 254 receives power from the
 source VCC through pin 3.
 If the source voltage VCC becomes too low, the RESET-LO signal 222 (a low
 or zero binary signal) is applied to input pin 4 of the microcontroller
 254. A reset operation then occurs, and the reset is held until the
 triggering condition is corrected. After correction, the microcontroller
 is restarted to a state in which it waits for a command from the main
 microcontroller 252.
 In operation, the support microcontroller 254 converts feedback pressure
 and UV analog signals to digital values which are held until requested by
 the main microcontroller 252. The input flow meter signal 260 is a pulse
 train which has a pulse frequency dependent on the water flow rate through
 the water treatment apparatus 62. The microcontroller 254 tracks the water
 flow units, preferably ten-gallon units, and transmits each the signal
 264, for each water unit, directly to an interrupt input at pin 13 of the
 man microcontroller 252.
 The support microcontroller 254 outputs data over the data bus 256 to input
 pins 39 through 32 of the main microcontroller 252. A block 257 represents
 a conventional pullup resistor pack for the data bus 256. In the main
 microcontroller 252, the carbonator pump-on signal 170 is applied to input
 pin 28, and pins 11 and 10 are used respectively to transmit and receive
 data to and from the hand-held controller through the connector 240. If
 the carbonator pump-on signal 170 is not present during installation, the
 water treatment apparatus 62 is disabled from starting until the necessary
 connections are established to energize the carbonator motor and thereby
 generate this pump feedback signal.
 The RESET-HI signal 224 is generated as a "1" or high binary signal as
 previously described, and, when generated, is applied to input pin 9 of
 the main microcontroller 252. The main microcontroller 252 then resets,
 holds, and restarts in a manner similar to that described for the support
 microcontroller 254. On reset, current in-process data is lost, but all
 important data, including, at least, user set parameters, needed for
 restart is automatically saved to an external nonvolatile memory 268. On
 restart, the saved data is recalled by the main microcontroller 252.
 A crystal clock 266 is coupled to input pins 18 and 19 to control the
 cyclic operation of the main microcontroller 252.
 In turn, the microcontroller 252 generates a clock signal at output pin 6
 which is connected to the external memory 268 and to an external elapsed
 time counter 270 to synchronize the external units with the main
 microcontroller 252.
 The elapsed time counter 270 continuously counts seconds after it has been
 initialized by the main microcontroller 252. The microcontroller
 communicates serially with the counter via a serial line (counter pin 3)
 and a clock line (counter pin 5) and a reset line (counter pin 2). When an
 event occurs (filter installation, UV lamp installation, or ion chamber
 installation), the main microcontroller reads the current second count
 from the counter 270 and saves the calculated day (seconds divided by
 86,400) in the nonvolatile memory. The microcontroller also saves the
 start date when the system was installed.
 The microcontroller reads the time counter 270 at regular intervals and
 calculates the current day (seconds divided by 86,400). It then compares
 this current day with all the start days recorded as read from the
 nonvolatile memory to determine the elapsed time since each item was
 installed or reset. The main microcontroller then compares these elapsed
 times with their appropriate periods and, if any have surpassed their
 allowable periods, the appropriate alarm is set.
 The main microcontroller 252 operates under stored program control to
 process various inputs and generate output alarm and control signals.
 Specifically, the output signals include the speaker and lamp alarm
 signals 182, 184, and 198 and pump control signals 144 and 170.
 Programmed Computer Operation
 When the microcontroller is first powered, initialization is performed as
 indicated in functional block 280 (FIG. 5J). Various data values are read
 from memory, such as apparatus configuration, UV threshold, etc., and
 various commands are executed as indicated in the block 280.
 Program loop 282 is then entered for cyclic execution of the procedures
 included therein. In block 284, the water flow rate is computed from the
 number of water flow units per minute or other unit of time, and held for
 read commands from the hand-held controller 100. As previously indicated,
 the input flow signal 260 comprises successive pulses or ticks
 representing successive measured units of output water flow, and, in this
 embodiment, these measured units are combined to form a representation of
 ten-gallon units of flow.
 Block 285 generates a main microcontroller interrupt, as indicated by
 dotted line 287, for each new flow meter pulse.
 In block 286, a new ten-gallon count is written for addition to a total
 flow count stored in nonvolatile RAM memory if the system has counted a
 new unit of tens of gallons.
 If a disable alarm is active, commands are issued to turn off the booster
 and carbonator pumps as indicated in block 288, just in case external
 circuitry has not already done so. If these pumps are turned off, timeout
 alarms are checked as indicated by block 290. Timeout alarms are checked
 by reading elapsed time for each timeout alarm from the elapsed time
 counter 270.
 As shown in block 292, the state of the carbonator is checked by checking
 the state of the feedback signal 170. During apparatus installation, a
 warning alarm is generated until the feedback signal indicates that the
 carbonator pump is ON, as previously described.
 As indicated by block 294, the state of the UV lamp is checked from the UV
 intensity feedback input. If the UV intensity is low, an alarm is
 generated.
 The feedback water pressure value is checked, as indicated by block 296, to
 determine whether a low pressure alarm should be generated and to provide
 for active control of the water pressure by providing ON/OFF cycling
 control of the booster pump 43.
 When demand occurs for water output to the carbonator pump, the water
 treatment apparatus 62 outputs water to the dispenser, and booster pump
 and carbonator pump flows are normally balanced by controlled bypass water
 flow 297 (FIG. 5K) from the output of the booster pump to the booster pump
 input.
 A mechanically controlled valve 299 responds to an outlet pressure from the
 booster pump 43. System water flow is thus balanced even though the
 booster pump has a greater flow capacity than that of the carbonator pump.
 At the same time, the bypass flow restricts water pressure buildup during
 ON time of the booster pump.
 The main microcontroller 252 executes ON/OFF cycling control of the booster
 pump 43 according to determinations made in the block 296. If the water
 pressure is below a stored low setpoint value, such as 50 psi, the booster
 pump is turned ON. The booster pump remains ON until the water pressure
 value reaches a stored high setpoint value. The booster pump is then
 turned OFF. During the ON time of the booster pump, some water pressure
 regulation occurs as a result of the bypass flow as described above.
 In block 298 of the program loop 282, the ion exchange timeout is
 determined from the elapsed time counter 270 if the ion exchange chamber
 41 is included in the water treatment apparatus 62. When the expected
 resin life is reached, an alarm is generated.
 Next, in block 300, an alarm state machine is serviced. In other words,
 alarms generated as a result of program loop operation are registered in a
 stored alarm priority table corresponding to the table shown in APPENDIX
 C. At any one time, one or more warning or disabling alarms may exist.
 If multiple alarms coexist, it is preferred that only the highest priority
 alarm be displayed. When a displayed alarm is cleared, the next lower
 priority alarm is displayed. The priority status of the alarms descend
 through the registered disabling alarms and then through the registered
 warning alarms. The entire alarm priority table is also accessible on
 commands from the hand-held controller 100 to provide a readout of the
 status of any of the conditions which can be alarmed.
 Finally, block 302 provides servicing of commands from the hand-held
 controller 100. Thus, parameter setpoints may be set by RXD data from the
 hand-held controller 100, or data may be read from the main
 microcontroller 252 and transmitted to the hand-held controller 100 as TXD
 data. More detail is presented on this control interface in the next
 section.
 Hand-Held Controller
 The hand-held controller 100 (FIG. 6A) provides a control interface which
 enables a user to perform various operations including system startup and
 replacement procedures, system status monitoring, expected ion resin life
 computations, and setting threshold values for alarms.
 The unit 100 plugs into the connector located on a side of the control box
 45, and after the connection is made, the hand-held displays one of the
 top level menus called STATUS. This indicates that the hand- held
 controller 100 is ready for use.
 The hand-held controller 100 has two operating modes, the menu system and
 the edit mode. In the menu mode, the hand-held unit 100 is used to move
 from one menu to another, and, in the edit mode, some parameters and
 threshold values of the system can be entered and/or changed. When the
 hand-held unit 100 is first plugged in, it is always in the menu mode.
 Buttons and their functions are as follows:

Button Function
 Menu Mode
 menu 101 scrolls through the current level
 of menus.
 reset 102 backs out to the previous menu
 without executing any
 instructions.
 enter 103 selects a sub-menu to enter.
 Edit Mode
 up arrow increases the selected digit
 (flashing) by one or selects the
 Yes or No option
 down arrow decreases the selected
 digit (flashing) by one
 or selects the NO option
 left arrow moves cursor to edit digit to the
 left from the current position
 right arrow moves cursor to edit digit to the
 right from the current position
 set 104 saves the new value
 reset 102 exits the edit digit command
 without making any changes.
 Menu structures and the available selections for each of the main menus
 (STATUS, NEW, and SETTING) are presented in the following tables:

STATUS NEW SETTING
 Warngs? New Sys? CB Days?
 Alarms? New Cig? SD Days?
 Time CIG UV? PSI ALM?
 [T lamp?] CIG BP? PSI WRN?
 T CBf? CIG IE? [BP ON?]
 T SDf? [NEW CAP] [BP OFF?]
 [T IonEx?] C = from unit [UV Snsr?]
 T Systm? Alka 246
 Gallons Hard 204
 G CBf? Chio 060
 G SDf? Sulf 100
 [G IonEx?] Nitr 010
 G Systm? Temp 080
 W Flow? Flow 1.7
 W Press? Resi 0.5
 [UV Snsr?] Bypa 00
 F/W Ver C-Calculated
 [New Lmp?]
 New CBf?
 New SDf
 [New Ion?]
 [ ]--denotes optional menu depending on a configuration settings of the
 unit
 In the STATUS menu, all warnings, alarms, and operational status of the
 system can easily be accessed and viewed. In addition, software version
 used in the system is also accessible for reference. Some of the submenus
 are only available if the particular treatment module is present. For
 example, the "T IonEx" selection under "Time" submenu, and the "G IonEx"
 under "Gallons" submenu are only present if the system is equipped with
 the ion exchange stage.
 The "Warngs" submenu shows the current status of the system warnings. As
 described above, all warnings work on a priority system so that the
 highest priority is only displayed. The warnings format is:

U UV lamp sensor
 P Water pressure low
 C Carbon block filter time out
 S Sediment filter (prefilter) time out
 I Ion exchange 90% spent
 N No carbonator pump cut-off installed
 B Booster pump timeout
 The "Alarms?" submenu shows the current status of the disabling alarms. As
 described above, all alarms work on a priority system, so that the highest
 priority is only displayed. The alarms format is:

U UV lamp sensor alarm
 P Water pressure low
 C Carbon block filter time out
 S Sediment filter time out
 I Ion exchange 100% spent
 B Booster pump off after 4 warning alarms
 The "Time" submenu shows the time in service since new or a replacement
 installation for the following parts of the system: UV lamp ("T Lmp"
 submenu selection), carbon block filter ("T CBf?" selection ), prefilter
 ("T SDf?" selection), ion exchange ("T IonEx" selection), and the entire
 system since installation date ("T Systm" selection). The "Gallons"
 submenu displays the volume of water (in gallons) that passed through the
 carbon block filter ("G CBf?"), prefilter ("G SDf?"), ion exchange ("G
 IonEx?"), and the system ("G Systm?") since the last new installation or
 reset.
 The submenus "W Flow?", "W Press?", "UV Snsr", and "F/W Ver." display
 current flow rate, water pressure, UV sensor value, and software version
 respectively. Software versions may be the original software or a
 subsequent update.
 The NEW menu is used during initial installation of the system, when
 replacing spent components, resetting some of the warning and disabling
 alarms, adding new treatment modules, and inputting chemical analysis
 results into the system to compute an approximate service life of the ion
 exchange module. The "New Sys?" submenu when installing a new system for
 the first time. It sets all defaults for the system parameters and sets
 the system configuration as a full system (assumes that all modules,
 including booster pump, are installed). If the system being installed is
 not a full system, the next submenu, called "New Cfg?" must be used to
 indicate to the control box 45 what the system configuration is.
 The "New Cfg?" submenu is only used when the system being installed is not
 in the full configuration, or when adding or removing treatment modules in
 an existing installation. Under this submenu, UV module ("CfG UV?"
 selection), booster pump ("CfG BP?" selection) or ion exchange (:CfG IE?"
 selection) can be added or removed. For example, to remove UV module, the
 "Cfg UV?" is selected and the enter button is pressed. The display then
 shows "UV=yes". The down arrow is pressed to change the display to "UV=no"
 and the set button is used to save
 The "New Cap" submenu is only used to input water parameters to computer
 expected life of the ion exchange resin. These parameters are alkalinity,
 hardness, chlorides, sulfates, nitrates, water temperature (deg. F), water
 flow rate (gallons per minute), volume of the resin, and bypass factor.
 The default values for this submenu are:

system.
 8 UV intensity at only 5% more than the critical UV Warning 1
 yellow blink every 5 seconds Automatic when the
 alarm threshold. and speaker
 tone every 1 intensity is restored.
 minute.
 9 Carbon block filter days in use exceeded set Warning 2 yellow
 blinks every 5 Select New CBf on
 threshold. seconds and
 speaker tone hand-held menu
 every 1 minute
 up to 2 weeks.
 10 Prefilter days in use exceeded set threshold Warning 3 yellow
 blinks every 5 Select New SDf on the
 seconds and
 speaker tone hand-held menu
 every 1 minute
 up to 2 weeks.
 11 Ion Exchange at 90% of the computed capacity Warning 4 yellow
 blinks every 5 Select New Ion on the
 (gallons). seconds and
 speaker tone handheld menu.
 every 1 minute.
 12 No Carbonator Pump activity after new system Warning 5 yellow
 blinks every 5 Dispense enough drinks
 install (not connected or no activity). seconds and
 speaker tone to run a
 every 1 minute.
 carbonator pump.
 13 Water pressure below set threshold. Warning 6 yellow blinks
 every 5 Automatic when the
 seconds and
 speaker tone pressure is restored.
 every 1 minute.
 14 Booster pump time-out when booster pump runs Warning 7 yellow
 blinks every 5 Disconnect and
 continuously for 3 minutes without raising the seconds
 and speaker tone reconnect power to the
 water pressure above cut-off threshold. The booster every
 1 minute. system.
 is then disabled for 30 minutes before it retries
 raising the system pressure again. This warning is
 active during the 30 minutes the booster pump is
 disabled.
 APPENDIX D
 SYSTEM COMMUNICATION COMMANDS WITH THE HAND HELD UNIT
 GET_CAITY Get Ion Exchange capacity in gallons
 SET_CAITY Set Ion Exchange capacity in gallons
 NEW_IONS Install a new Ion Exchange Unit
 NEW_LAMP Install a new UV Bulb
 NEW_CB_FILTER Install a new Carbon Filter
 NEW_SD_FILTER Install a new Sediment Filter
 GET_TIME_LAMP Get Install time for UV Lamp
 GET_TIME_CB_FILTER Get Install time for Carbon Filter
 GET_TIME_SD_FILTER Get Install time for Sediment Filter
 GET_TIME_ION_EXCH Get Install time for Ion Exchange Unit
 GET_TIME_SYSTEM Get Current System Time
 GET_GALS_CB_FILTER Get Install gallons for Carbon Filter
 GET_GALS_SD_FILTER Get Install gallons for Sediment Filter
 GET_GALS_ION_EXCH Get Install gallons for Ion Exchange Unit
 GET_GALS_SYSTEM Get Current System Gallons
 GET_WATER_FLOW_RATE Get the current water flow rate
 GET_WATER_PRESSURE Get the current water pressure
 GET_CARBONATOR_STATE Get the ON/OFF state of the carbonator pump
 GET_UV SENSOR_VALUE Get the current UV sensor reading
 SET_CONFIG Set Configuration of installed options *
 GET_CONFIG Get Configuration of installed options
 GET_ALARMS Get Alarm Status
 SET_BP_ON Set Booster Pump ON Pressure
 SET_BP_OFF Set Booster Pump OFF Pressure
 GET_UV_ALARM Get current UV alarm Threshold setting
 GET_VERSION Firmware version
 SET_UV_ALARM Set current UV alarm Threshold setting
 GET_PSI_WARNING Get the pressure warning alarm threshold
 SET_PSI_WARNING Set the pressure warning alarm threshold
 GET_PSI_ALARM Get the current pressure alarm
 threshold
 SET_PSI_ALARM Set the current pressure alarm
 threshold
 INSTALL_RESET Invoke the new system initialization
 routine
 GET_CB_PERIOD Get the current carbon filter days
 period
 GET_SD_PERIOD Get the current sediment filter days
 period
 SET_CB_PERIOD Set the current carbon filter days
 period
 SET_SD_PERIOD Set the current sediment filter days
 period
 GET_BP_ON Read Booster Pump ON Pressure
 GET_BP_OFF Read Booster Pump OFF Pressure
 * Configuration options are UV Lamp, Ion Exchange, & Booster Pump
 The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be
 varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure
 from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as
 would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included
 within the scope of the following claims.