Abstract:
Apparatus for treating water utilizes a single flow control valve that has only one moving part to divert treated water from several water treatment units to backwash another water treatment unit.

Description:
This application is a division of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/550,936, filed on Apr. 17, 2000, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,413,423. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to liquid treatment apparatus, and more particularly to controlling the backwash flow among filters that remove iron from potable water. 
     OBJECTIVES OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide improved liquid and water treatment apparatus. 
     Another object is to provide flow control valves that selectively direct or channel treated water for backwashing a selected one of a number of filters. 
     An additional object is to control with a single valve the flow of backwash water between several filters. 
     Another object is to provide an integral flow control valve that has only one moving part for diverting backwash water flow among multiple water treating units. 
     A further object is to provide flow control valves that are durable, relatively economical, easy to use and service, and which do not possess defects found in similar prior art valves. 
     Other objects and advantages of the liquid and water treating apparatus and the valves incorporating this invention will be found in the specification and claims and the scope of the invention will be set forth in the claims. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
     FIG. 1 is a schematic partially cross sectional, side view of water treatment apparatus in accord with this invention. 
     FIG. 2 is side view of the flow control valve shown in FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken along the line  3 — 3  in FIG.  2 . 
     FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the drain chamber module 
     FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross sectional view of the drain chamber module taken along the line  5 — 5  in FIG.  4 . 
     FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the distribution chamber module. 
     FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view taken along the line  7 — 7  in FIG.  6 . 
     FIG. 8 is a top plan view of the collection chamber module. 
     FIG. 9 is a cross sectional view taken along the line  9 — 9  in FIG.  8 . 
     FIG. 10 is an enlarged top plan view of a flow diverter member in accord with this invention. 
     FIG. 11 is a side view of the flow diverter member. 
     FIG. 12 is a rear view of the flow diverter member. 
     FIG. 13 is a front view of the flow diverter member. 
     FIG. 14 is a schematic cross sectional side view showing the flow during the service cycle. 
     FIG. 15 is a schematic cross sectional side view showing flow during a backwash cycle. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The drawing shows apparatus  1  for treating liquids that includes a single unitary flow control valve  2  in accord with this invention connected to control the backwash water flow among several parallel connected liquid treatment units. A preferred embodiment of the apparatus  1  has exactly three filter tanks  5  that remove iron form potable water. Each tank  5  contains a bed  6  of about ¾ to 2 cubic feet of Birm® granules. Iron containing potable water from a well or municipal source  8  flows into valve  2  through a supply line  7  after being oxygenated by an aeration blower or venturi  9  and pressurized by a pump  10 . To remove iron, the water entering the valve  2  should have a pressure of at least about 40 psi, and the dissolved oxygen content should be at least about 6 ppm. The preferred three tank filtering apparatus will effectively remove iron at concentrations up to about 20 ppm from potable water for residential and small business use, and provide up to about 5-15 gpm at peak flow at a service pressure of about 40-75 psi. 
     When the service cycle begins, the valve  2  divides the incoming pressurized and oxygenated untreated iron containing water into essentially equal flow volumes that enter each filter tank  5  through an untreated liquid inlet  3  in its top  11 . The untreated water flows through the bed  6  of Birm granules in each tank  5  where the iron precipitates, and the precipitated solid particles are filtered out by the bed  6 . The iron free treated water enters a strainer  12  at the bottom of an effluent pipe  13  in each tank. The treated effluent flows out of the filter tanks  5  through their pipes  13  to a treated liquid outlet  4  in top  11 , and the effluent is collected in and disbursed by valve  2 . 
     The valve  2  is made from three rigid right circular cylindrical hollow plastic modules that are connected together by nuts  15  screwed on several peripherally spaced threaded rods  16  that pass through all of the valve modules. A drain module  17  is located at one end of the valve  2 , a treated liquid collection module  18  is located at the opposite end of the valve, and an untreated liquid distribution module  19  is located between modules  17  and  18 . 
     As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the drain module  17  has a cylindrical drain chamber  20  at its center. A drain pipe  21  is threaded into a drain outlet port  22  that communicates with chamber  20  through a hole  23 . Drain pipe  21  connects the valve  2  to a waste disposal site such as a sewer line that is at essentially atmospheric pressure. The chamber  20  has essentially the same atmospheric pressure as the drain pipe  21 . A doughnut shaped drain pipe flow control restrictor  24  is located between the end of pipe  21  and hole  23 . Restrictor  24  controls the drain outlet flow through pipe  21  to the required backwash rate of flow (e.g. about 4-10 gpm) for the size of tank  5  and bed  6  being backwashed. Aligned circular upper and lower bearing holes  25  and  26  are concentric with chamber  20 , and O-ring retainer grooves  27  surround the bearing holes. A cylindrical hub  28  protrudes from the one or bottom end  29  of the module  17 . 
     As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the untreated liquid or water distribution module  19  has an untreated liquid inlet port  30 . Three liquid distribution ports  31  are evenly spaced around its periphery. The port  30  communicates with untreated liquid distribution chamber  32  through relatively large holes  33  and  34 , and each port  31  communicates with chamber  32  through a pair of essentially semi circular holes  35 . Untreated liquid supply line  7  is threaded into port  30 , and untreated liquid distribution lines  37  are threaded into the ports  31 . Untreated liquid distribution chamber  32  opens through the top or one wall  38  of module  19 , and is centered in the module. The interior wall surface  39  of chamber  32  has the curvature of a right circular cylinder. The bottom or other wall  40  of the module  19  has a flat unbroken surface. An O-ring  41  in a groove  42  surrounding chamber  32  provides a liquid tight seal for the top wall  38 . 
     The size, shape and structure of treated liquid or water collection module  18  are essentially identical to that of liquid distribution module  19 , as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. The treated liquid collection module  18  has a treated liquid outlet port  45  and three treated liquid collection ports  46  that are evenly spaced around its periphery. The port  45  communicates with treated liquid collection chamber  47  through relatively large holes  48  and  49 , and ports  46  communicate through a pair of essentially semi circular holes  50 . Treated effluent line  51  is threaded into port  45  and treated liquid collection lines  52  are threaded into the ports  46 . Treated liquid collection chamber  55  opens through the the top or one wall  56  of module  18 , and is centered in the module. The bottom or other wall  57  of the module  18  has a flat unbroken surface. An O-ring  58  in a groove  59  surrounding chamber  55  provides a liquid tight seal for the top wall  56 . 
     When the modules  17 ,  18  and  19  are assembled as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the modules have the same longitudinal central axis  53 . The chambers  20 ,  32  and  55  are also aligned and coincident with the axis  53 . The hub  28  of module  17  fits tightly into the top of liquid distribution chamber  32 , and O-ring  41  makes a liquid tight seal between the bottom end  29  of module  17  and the top wall  38  of module  19 . Bearing holes  25  and  26  are also centered on axis  53 . O-ring  58  makes a liquid tight seal between the bottom end  40  of module  19  and the top wall  56  of module  18 . The modules  17 ,  18  and  19  may be made from any durable, non corrodible hard plastic such as polyvinyl chloride or nylon, that does not breakdown in the liquid being treated. 
     A hollow, tubular, generally L-shaped flow diverter member  60  can be rotated to control the flow of backwash water or other liquid from the filters  5 . Flow diverter  60  has a relatively long leg portion  61  and a relatively short foot portion  62 . A cylindrical ledge  63  overlies the foot portion, and a flat washer  64  on the ledge surrounds the leg portion. The foot portion  62  has a curved terminal end surface  65  that has a curvature that matches the right circular cylindrical curvature of the interior wall surface  39  of the chamber  32 . A circular entrance hole  66  through end surface  65  is dimensioned to surround and encompass both holes  35  of each port  31 , and thereby to isolate such port  31 . An O-ring  67  in a groove  68  makes a liquid tight seal with surface  39  around hole  66 . Leg portion  61  has several spaced holes  69  adjacent its upper end  70 . A solid plug  71  fills the end  70 . A valve stem  72  that is integral with plug  71  extends from diverter  60 . Stem  72  is flattened at  73  to facilitate gripping of the stem by hand or wrench for rotating the diverter  60  to its operating positions. An electrical timer (not shown) may be connected to stem  72  for rotating the diverter  60 . Flow diverter member  60  should be made from the same plastic as the modules  17 - 19 . 
     FIG. 3 shows that when the parts of valve  2  are assembled, the leg portion  61  of the flow diverter extends through bearing holes  25  and  26  into the interior of drain chamber  20  while the foot portion  62  remains entirely in the untreated liquid distribution chamber  32 . The ledge  63  bears against hub  28 , and a slick thrust bearing surface is provided by flat TEFLON washer  64 . O-rings  76  in the grooves  27  seal around the leg portion  61 . Holes  69  provide a liquid flow path from the hollow interior of flow diverter  60  to the drain chamber  20 . The end surface  65  mates with the curved surface of wall  39 , and O-ring  67  seal the hole  65 . Entrance hole  66  is vertically positioned encompass holes  35 . The edges  36  of holes  35  are rounded to minimize wear on O-ring  67 . 
     During the service cycle, as shown in FIG. 14, the end surface  65  of flow diverter member  60  contacts the interior wall surface  39  of chamber  32  at an inactive position located between the untreated liquid distribution ports  31 . The seals and gaskets prevent any liquid from flowing into flow diverter member form either chamber  32  or chamber  20 . Pressurized untreated liquid from line  7  flows into distribution chamber  32  and flows out through pipes  37  into the inlets  3  in the tops  11  of the filter units  5 . The liquid flows through the beds  6  where impurities are removed. The treated liquid enters each strainer  12  and flows through pipe  13  and out of the filter outlet  4  to a treated liquid return line  52  and into treated liquid collection chamber  55 . The treated liquid is available for service use through service outlet line  51 . 
     The filter beds  6  must be backwashed periodically. In the preferred embodiment, iron is precipitated from potable water in a bed of Birm granules, which may be backwashed to remove the precipitated solids late each night when the demand for treated water is lowest. FIG. 15 shows the position of the flow diverter member  60  during a backwash cycle. The flow diverter member  60  has been rotated around the axis  53  by turning stem  72  until the diverter is aligned with a port  31  associated with a filter  5  that has been selected for backwashing. The diverter terminal end surface  65  has encompassed the holes  35  and sealed them from the water and pressure in chamber  32 . The hollow interior of the flow diverter member is connected to the drain line  21  through its holes  69  and chamber  20 . The result is that the pressure at the selected port  31  has been reduced to the essentially atmospheric pressure of the drain line  21 . But the pipe  13  and strainer  12  at the bottom of bed  6  are still in fluid communication through a line  52  with the treated liquid chamber  55 . The treated liquid collection chamber  55  is at the higher pressure of service line  51 . This causes the treated water from treated liquid collection chamber  55  to reverse its flow direction through the line  52  of the selected filter unit so that the treated water enters the bed  6  through pipe  13  and strainer  12  and flows upwardly backwashing the bed  6 . The backwash water flows out of the selected unit  5  through its inlet  4  and line  37  to the selected port  31 . The flow continues through the selected port  31  and into the hollow interior of flow diverter member  60 , out through the holes  69  into the chamber  20 , and finally to disposal through drain line  21 . Treated water continues to be available from line  51 . 
     In the preferred embodiment, the backwash cycle for each unit takes about five minutes. After the first selected filter unit  5  has been backwashed, the flow diverter member  60  is rotated to the next selected filter unit  5 . This moves the end surface  65  away from the holes  35  of the first selected filter unit, so the water flow and pressure at the port  31  of the first selected unit return to the service cycle values. The backwash cycle of the second selected filter unit is initiated by rotation of the end surface  65  into position surrounding the holes  35  of the second selected port  31  as shown in FIG. 15, and the backwash cycle continues as explained above. After the second selected filter unit has been backwashed, the flow diverter member  60  is rotated so as to encompass the holes  35  of the port  31  of the filter unit selected last, and the backwash cycle resumes as explained above. After all three filter units have been backwashed, the flow diverter member  60  is rotated to an inactive position between the ports  31  as shown in FIG. 14, and the full flow of treated liquid becomes available for service through line  51 . 
     While the present invention has been described with reference to a particular embodiment, it is not intended to illustrate or describe all of the equivalent forms or ramifications thereof. Also, the words used are words of description rather than limitation, and various changes may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention disclosed herein. It is intended that the appended claims cover all such changes as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.