Patent Publication Number: US-2007119769-A1

Title: Water filtration device

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      (a) Technical Field of the Invention  
      The present invention generally relates to water filtration devices, and more particularly to a water filtration device that utilize a fan to keep filtering particles suspended in the water.  
      (b) Description of the Prior Art  
       FIG. 1  is a schematic sectional view showing the interior of a conventional household water filtration device. As illustrated, the water filtration device houses a large number of filtering particles usually made of Calcium Sulfite (CaSO 3 ) or materials having similar functions. As the water flow through the water filtration device, the filtering particles are stirred and react with the water molecules to remove the chlorine contained in the water.  
      As further illustrated in  FIGS. 2A and 2B , the water flows through the water filtration device in one direction and, at the outlet of the device, a filtering screen is configured to prevent the filtering particles from being washed out of the device. As such, the filtering particles are inevitably accumulated and confined at the outlet under the influence of the single-direction water flow. The filtering particles therefore couldn&#39;t move freely around to react with the water molecules. Furthermore, the would cause the deposition of furring or debris on top of the filtering particles and therefore slow down the water flow. In addition, as the filtering particles are fixed at their positions, the water could only find its way through the tiny channels among the filtering particles and only those particles neighboring to the channels would contribute to the chlorine removal. The design of using filtering particles so that they could be stirred by the water flow turns out to be a complete failure. The accumulation of the filtering particle also causes the water filtration device to suffer larger water pressure, thereby reducing the operational life span of the device.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      The primary purpose of the present invention is to provide a water filtration device having a novel structure to obviate the foregoing shortcomings of the conventional approach.  
      The major characteristic of the present invention lies in the use of a fan at the bottom of the water filtration device. The present invention mainly contains a number of tubular members sleeved together to form passageways to guide the water to drive the fan&#39;s rotation. As the blades of the fan spin, the water is propelled upward to sustain the filtering particles to continue moving amidst the water, in contrast to the traditional approach which has the water to flow downward in one direction to confine the filtering particles.  
      As a result, the function of the filtering particles is fully exploited to remove the chlorine and debris from the water for a superior water filtration effect. And, as the water filtration device is operated under a smaller water pressure, the water filtration device therefore has a longer operational life.  
      The foregoing object and summary provide only a brief introduction to the present invention. To fully appreciate these and other objects of the present invention as well as the invention itself, all of which will become apparent to those skilled in the art, the following detailed description of the invention and the claims should be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Throughout the specification and drawings identical reference numerals refer to identical  6 r similar parts.  
      Many other advantages and features of the present invention will become manifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to the detailed description and the accompanying sheets of drawings in which a preferred structural embodiment incorporating the principles of the present invention is shown by way of illustrative example.  
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  is a schematic sectional view showing the interior of a conventional household water filtration device.  
       FIGS. 2A and 2B  is an enlarged view showing the accumulation of filtering particles near the outlet of the water filtration device of  FIG. 1 .  
       FIG. 3  is a perspective blown-up view showing the various components of the water filtration device according to an embodiment of the present invention.  
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view showing the outlook of the water filtration device of  FIG. 3  after it is assembled.  
       FIG. 5  is a schematic section view showing the interior of the water filtration device of  FIG. 3 .  
       FIG. 6  is a schematic section view showing the scenario of water flow inside the water filtration device of  FIG. 3 .  
       FIG. 7  is a perspective view showing the use of the water filtration device of  FIG. 3  under a water faucet.  
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
      The following descriptions are of exemplary embodiments only, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability or configuration of the invention in any way. Rather, the following description provides a convenient illustration for implementing exemplary embodiments of the invention. Various changes to the described embodiments may be made in the function and arrangement of the elements described without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.  
      As shown in FIGS.  3  to  6 , the water filtration device according to an embodiment of the present invention mainly contains a tubular enclosure  10 , an inner tubular member  20 , a tubular guiding member  30 , and an outlet tube  40 .  
      The outlet tube  40  has a number of through holes (not numbered) along the circumference around its top portion. Beneath the through holes, the outlet tube  40  is threaded through the following components sequentially in this order from top to bottom: an upper filtering plate  51  having an upper filtering screen  52  attached to the bottom, a lower filtering plate  51  having a lower filtering screen  52  attached to the top, a fan  50  having a number of blades, and a pad plate  53 . The outlet tube  40  is housed entirely inside the inner tubular member  20  whose top is sealed by a top cover  21  and whose bottom is sealed by a bottom cover  22  having a center through hole allowing the bottom of the outlet tube  40  to pass through. The upper and lower filter plates  51  are appropriately spaced apart and the filtering particles  80  are confined therebetween. The fan  50  and the pad plate  53  are stacked on top of the bottom cover  22 . The surface of the pad plate  53  directly contacting the fan  50  is smooth and has a low coefficient of friction. The fan  50  therefore could smoothly spin around the outlet tube  40   6 n top of the pad plate  53 . At least a through hole  23  is configured at the bottom circumference of the inner tubular member  20 , whose location is corresponding to the fan  50 .  
      The inner tubular member  20  is housed inside the tubular guiding member  30 . The tubular guiding member  30  has at least a guiding channel  31  configured along the circumference which extends from the top to an appropriate location at the bottom corresponding to the through hole  23  of the inner tubular member  20 . The inner tubular member  20  and the tubular guiding member  30  are then together housed inside the tubular enclosure  10 . A filtering screen  70  is configured on top of the inner tubular member  20 , and a spring  71  is in turn placed on top of the filtering screen  70 . The top of the tubular enclosure  10  is then covered by a top cover  11  having a center through hole through which a water inlet  13  is configured. On the other hand, the bottom of the tubular enclosure  10  is covered by a bottom cover  12  having a center through hole allowing the outlet tube  40  to pass through and through which a water outlet  14  is configured. The assembly of the present embodiment is further enhanced by enclosing the tubular enclosure  10  between an upper and a lower fixing plate  60  which are fixedly joined to each other by bolts  61  and nuts  62 .  
      As shown in  FIG. 7 , when the present embodiment is put to use, a pipe is connected from the water faucet  90  to the water inlet  13  at the top of the water filtration device. As the water flows from the water faucet  90  into the water filtration device, it will first enter the space formed by the filtering screen  70  and the spring  71 . The water is then preliminarily filtered as it passes through the filtering screen  70 . Subsequently, the water is directed by the guiding channel  31  to flow through the through hole  23  to drive the fan  50  to spin. Propelled by the spinning blades of the fan  50 , the water then flows upward and the filtering particles  80  between the filtering plates  51  are stirred and suspended in the water. As such, the filtering particles  80  are able to fully react with the water molecules to remove chlorine and other debris in the water. Via the through holes configured on the top of the outlet tube  40 , the treated water then leaves the water filtration device through the outlet tube  40  and the water outlet  14 .  
      The filtering particles  80  are usually made of Calcium Sulfite (CaSO 3 ) or materials having similar cleansing and purification functions. In some embodiments, if the water already has a certain degree of the cleanness, the filtering screen  70  which provides initial filtering could be omitted.  
      In summary, the major characteristic of the present invention lies in the use of a fan at the bottom of the water filtration device to propel the water upward to suspend the filtering particles, instead of letting the water to flow downward to confine the filtering particles. As a result, the function of the filtering particles is fully utilized and the water filtration device is operated under a smaller water pressure and therefore has a longer operational life.  
      It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together may also find a useful application in other types of methods differing from the type described above.  
      While certain novel features of this invention have been shown and described and are pointed out in the annexed claim, it is not intended to be limited to the details above, since it will be understood that various omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.