Water treating apparatus

Abstract: A water treatment or filtration unit is in two parts, a base (10) and a cartridge (12). The base includes three ports (24, 30, 34), one of which may be selectively plugged or otherwise disabled. The cartridge (12) contains the water treating material (76) and is screwed into a socket (18) in the base. Openings (64, 70, 72) in the cartridge are then aligned with openings (24, 30, 34) in the base (10) to allow water to pass therethrough. Cartridges may be readily exchanged by simply unscrewing from, and screwing into, the base.

Description: The invention relates to water treating apparatus comprising a base member in the form of a housing having an exterior and defining an interior socket for receiving the end of a water treating cartridge. More particularly, it relates to a water treating cartridge which is easily replaced and discarded at the end of its useful life and which is adapted for use in several configurations. Conventional water filters of the type employed domestically have filtration units that are difficult and messy to replace. They often require the removal of hoses and water is readily spilled. From US-A-4 654 142 a water treating apparatus is known comprising a filter assembly having a pressure vessel, a closure member, the closure member being fitted into a head member by a bracket member. This apparatus comprises one inlet in fluid flow communication with an exterior passage between the side wall of a vessel and the water treating material inside the vessel and one outlet being in fluid flow communication with an exterior passage of the water treating material. This apparatus further discloses a pair of substantially axially extending passages, namely substantially longitudinal passages. The second water passage represents the inlet and mainly extends in the axial direction of a stud. Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide an apparatus which has a filter which is readily changeable without spillage. Other objects, features and advantages will become apparent from the following description and appended claims. This object is solved by a water treating cartridge having: a housing including a side wall and first and second ends; a water treating material contained within said housing, said material having an outer surface spaced from said side wall to form an exterior passage therebetween, and an interior passage through said material; a substantially cylindrical stud extending from said housing along its longitudinal axis and carrying means for engaging an external base member; a first water passage extending longitudinally through said stud in fluid flow communication with the interior passage through said material; a second water passage being in fluid flow communication with said exterior passage, wherein the second water passage radially extends through said side wall, and a radial third water passage extends into said stud in fluid flow communication with said first water passage. Further embodiments of the invention are mentioned in the respective subclaims. The above mentioned object is further solved by a water treating apparatus comprising such a cartridge, having a base member in the form of a housing having an exterior and defining an interior socket for receiving the end of the cartridge or a base member in the form of a frusto-conical housing, the base member in the form of the housing comprising: first, second and third water passages extending between said exterior and said socket; the cartridge having a closed first end and a second end insertable into said socket, said second end further defining a water inlet opening and a water outlet opening, one of said openings being alignable with said first water passage and the other of said openings being alignable with said second water passage and said third water passage when so inserted; means for retaining said second end in said socket; and means for selectively closing one of said second and third water passages to water flow. Further embodiments of the apparatus according to the present invention are mentioned in the respective subclaims. Thus, the invention comprises a water treating apparatus having a cartridge, the apparatus enclosing a water treating material such as a filter and a base member which receives the cartridge. The base member includes three water passages which are connectable to water supplying and water dispensing devices. The base member is designed in such a manner that one of the three passages may be plugged. The cartridge is designed to receive water from one of the unplugged passages and supply it after treatment to the other unplugged passage. The cartridge is easily inserted and retained in the base member and is also readily removable for disposal. The invention will be further explained on the basis of the examples shown in the drawings, in which Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a water treating apparatus in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 2 is a cross-section taken substantially along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a top view of the apparatus of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a cross-section taken substantially along the line 4-4 of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross-section taken substantially along the line 5-5 of Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is an enlarged cross-section of the base member of the apparatus; Fig. 7 is an enlarged cross-section of the cartridge; Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 2 illustrating the apparatus in a different operating mode; and F i g. 9 is a cross-section illustrating the cartridge of the apparatus in still another configuration. With particular reference to Figs. 1 to 7 there is illustrated a water treating apparatus comprising a base member 10 and a cartridge 12. Base member 10 may be of a plastic material such a polypropylene and may best be seen in Fig. 6. It includes a generally cylindrical housing 14 having a raised boss 16 along one side. The housing 14 includes a vertical socket 18 extending partially into the housing and then continuing further as a smaller diameter receptacle 20 terminating in a threaded portion 22. A radial first passage 24 extends from the boss 16 and through the wall of the housing 14. It connects to a threaded port 26 at the surface of the boss. Directly below the port 26 is a second port 28 which connects to a second radial passage 30 which extends into the receptacle 20 portion of the socket 18. As illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 6, the second passage 30 is blocked by a threaded plug 32. On the opposite side of the housing 14, and diametrically aligned with the second passage 30, is a third passage 34. The third passage 34 terminates in a similar third port 36 into which may be screwed a standard fitting 38 having a spout 40 (Fig. 2). In order to enable the base member 10 to sit upon a countertop or sink surface, a plastic base ring 42 is provided. The base ring 42 is connected to the base member 10 by a friction fit so that it may be readily removed. Also provided in the lower surface of base member 10, as viewed in Figs. 1, 2 and 6, are four threaded mounting holes 44, two of which are illustrated in Figs. 2 and 6. Their purpose will be described infra. The cartridge is best described by reference to Fig. 7. It too may be made of a plastic such as polypropylene. It comprises a substantially cylindrical housing having a sidewall 46, the lower portion 48 being slightly flared to fit the socket 18 of the base member 10. The lower end is closed by a base wall 50 from which extends a stud 52 having a thread 54 on its lower end. The lower end also includes an internally threaded port 56 leading to an axial passageway 58 which exits into the interior of the hollow cartridge through a short tube 60. A circumferential groove 62 encircles the stud 52 and a diametrical channel 64 extends between opposite sides of the groove 62 and across the passageway 58. Just above the groove 62 another circumferential groove retains an O-ring 66. The lower portion 48 of the cartridge 12 also carries a circumferential groove 68. A pair of aligned radial passages 70, 72 extend from opposite sides of the groove 68 and through the wall 46. The interior surface of the wall 46 carries a plurality of vertical ribs 74 (Fig. 5). These need not be continuous ribs as their function is to space the exterior surface of a hollow cylindrical filter 76 from the interior surface of the wall 46. The filter 76 may be porous solid activated carbon filter of the type described in Koslow U. S. Patents 5,331,037; 5,189,092; and 5,249,948. The present invention, however, is not limited to the use of any particular type of filter, or even to a filter, as the cartridge 12 may contain any type of water treating material. As will be clear from Fig. 7, the filter 76 is illustrated having a central longitudinal passage 78 which, at its lower end, receives the tube 60. The tube 60 together with the ribs 74 serve to maintain the filter 76 in its correct position within the cartridge 12. The top end of the filter 76 is closed by a disk 80 which, in the illustrated embodiment, has a central protrusion 82 which extends into the passage 78 for purposes of alignment. However, as the function of the disk 80 is merely to prevent water from passing axially into the end of the filter 76, any means may be used which will perform this function. In addition to the O-ring 66 on the stud 52, a second O-ring 67 is mounted on a groove above the passages 70, 72. The top end of the cartridge 12 is closed by a cap 84. The cap 84 is welded to the top of the sidewall 46 and includes a plurality of radial ribs 86 (Fig. 4) which bear downwardly against the top of the disk 80 and filter 76. The water treating apparatus is operating as follows. The cartridge 12 is inserted into the base member 10 and the threads 54 on the cartridge are threaded into the threads 22 of the base. The O-rings 66, 67 seal against the inner surfaces of the base member 10 thereby preventing leakage. Figs. 1 and 2 represent one mode of operation wherein the plug 32 is in the lowermost opening in boss 16 and the fitting 38 of spout 40 (both conventional) is connected into the third port 36 of the base member 10. In this configuration water, as from a sink faucet, enters the unit through the first passage 24. Because the cartridge 12 has a circumferential groove 68 to receive the water from the first passage 24, the location of its radial passages 70, 72 relative to the first passage 24 in the base member is irrelevant. Water enters the cartridge 12 in the space 88 between the sidewall 46 and the filter 76. Because the upper end of the passage 78 through the filter is blocked, water is forced to flow radially through the porous filter and down its central passage 78 where it enters the passageway 58 at the bottom of the filter cartridge. It there flows radially outwardly through the channel 64 and the groove 62 to enter the third passage 34 in the base member 10. It is prevented from passing through the second passage 30 by virtue of the plug 32. The filtered, or otherwise treated, water then passes through the fitting 38 and out the spout 40. As previously explained, the water treating apparatus of this invention is extremely versatile. This is illustrated by the versions illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9. Fig. 8 illustrates a version wherein the base ring 42 has been removed from the base and the latter is mounted inverted to a mounting surface 90 which might be, for example, the outer surface of a counter. In this modification, plug 32 has been moved from the inlet to second passage 30 to the inlet to third passage 34. In other respects, the arrangement of parts is the same. Water now flows into the unit as previously through the first passage 24 and exits from the second passage 30. Finally, as illustrated in Fig. 9 the cartridge 12 may be employed as a conventional in-line filter. In this arrangement, the radial ports 70, 72 and 64 are plugged or otherwise eliminated. The end cap 84 is replaced by an end cap 92 which has a threaded female opening 94 to which a water line 96 is engaged. At the opposite end, a water line 98 connects to the threads 56 in the end of the stud 52. A frusto-conical housing 100 may be employed for cosmetic purposes. It is believed that the many advantages of this invention will now be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the foregoing description is to be construed as illustrative only, rather than limiting. This invention is limited only by the scope of the following claims.

Claims: Water treating cartridge (12) having: a housing including a side wall (46) and first and second ends; a water treating material (76) contained within said housing, said material (76) having an outer surface spaced from said side wall (46) to form an exterior passage (88) therebetween, and an interior passage (78) through said material (76); a substantially cylindrical stud (52) extending from said housing along its longitudinal axis and carrying means (54) for engaging an external base member (10; 100); a first water passage (58) extending longitudinally through said stud (52) in fluid flow communication with the interior passage (78) through said material (76); a second water passage (70, 72) being in fluid flow communication with said exterior passage (88), characterized in that the second water passage (70, 72) radially extends through said side wall (46), and a radial third water passage (64) extends into said stud (52) in fluid flow communication with said first water passage (58). Cartridge according to claim 1, characterized in that a circumferential groove (68) encircles said side wall (46) and includes the end of said radial second water passage (70, 72). Cartridge according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a further circumferential groove (62) encircles said stud (52) and includes each end of said third water passage (64). Cartridge at least according to claim 2, characterized in that a pair of aligned radial second water passages (70, 72) extends from opposite sides of the circumferential groove (68). Cartridge according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that said water treating material (76) is a porous solid hollow cylinder comprising activated carbon. Cartridge according to one of the foregoing claims, characterized in that water flows radially through said cylinder between said longitudinal passage (78) and said hollow cylindrical passage (88). Cartridge according to one of the foregoing claims, characterized in that the radial second water passage (70, 72) and the radial third water passage (64) are plugged and that the end of the cartridge (12) opposing the stud (52) is closed by an end cap (92) which has a threaded female opening (94) to which a water line (96) is engaged. Cartridge according to claim 7, characterized in that the outer end of said stud (52) includes an internally threaded port (56) leading to the first water passage (58) to which a water line (98) is connected. Water treating apparatus comprising a cartridge according to one of the foregoing claims, further characterized by a base member (10) in the form of a housing (14) having an exterior and defining an interior socket (18) for receiving the end of the cartridge (12) or a base member in the form of a frusto-conical housing (100), the base member (10) in the form of the housing (14) comprising: first, second and third water passages (24, 30, 34) extending between said exterior and said socket (18); the cartridge (12) having a closed first end and a second end insertable into said socket (18), said second end further defining a water inlet opening and a water outlet opening, one of said openings being alignable with said first water passage (24) and the other of said openings being alignable with said second water passage (30) and said third water passage (34) when so inserted; means (22) for retaining said second end in said socket (18); and means (32) for selectively closing one of said second and third water passages (30, 34) to water flow. Apparatus according to claim 9, characterized in that said retaining means comprise a threaded female receptacle (22) in said socket (18) in engagement with the threaded male carrying means (54) on the second end of said cartridge (12). Apparatus according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that a base ring (42) is connected to the base member (10) in the form of a housing (14) by a friction fit. Apparatus according to one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that four threaded mounting holes (44) are provided in the lower surface of the base member (10) in the form of a housing (14).

Inventors: KOSLOW EVAN E, KOSLOW, EVAN E.
Applicants: KX IND L P, KX INDUSTRIES, L.P.
Application year: 1996
Main classification: B01D27
IPC codes: C02F1, B01D29, B01D35