Patent Publication Number: US-2019194032-A1

Title: Bottle with filter and air pump

Description:
(a) TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a bottle including a filter and an air pump which can force the water contained in the bottle to pass through the filter and flow out of the bottle. 
     (b) DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART 
     Generally, river water or groundwater can be treated with various processes, such as sedimentation, filtration, and disinfection to become potable water. After the water has been processed in a water treatment plant to remove contaminants, the treated water may be polluted during its conveyance and distribution. It is therefore common practice to keep residual chlorine in the treated water to kill bacteriological contamination during distribution. Although the process of chlorination can effectively kill bacteria, it would cause halogenated hydrocarbons to be produced in the water. These chlorine-containing organic compounds are the main cause of human suffering from a variety of gastrointestinal cancers. For health, it is better to have the tap water further treated by a household water device. 
     The existing household water devices usually disinfect the tap water either by heating or filtering. In use, the tap water can be put into a container device, and then the water can be filtered and delivered out in manual way. This way of operation is inconvenient. 
     In view of the foregoing, there is a need to provide a water device, by which the water contained therein can be filted and delivered out automatically. After extensive investigation and numerous tests, applicant has contrived a bottle that can perform water filtration automatically. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     One object of the present invention is to provide a bottle, which can be carried easily and does not require an external independent filter. 
     To achieve the above object, the bottle generally comprises a container body, a lid assembly, a filter, and an air pump. The container body defines therein an inner space which opens out at a top opening, through which the container body can be filled with water. The lid assembly, which can be connected with the container body to close the top opening, basically includes a top cover and a base portion, between which a chamber is defined. The base portion defines a first port and a second port. An outlet tube is connected to the first port at one end and extended out of the chamber at another end. The filter is located in the inner space of the container body and connected to the first port of the lid assembly. The air pump is disposed in the chamber of the lid assembly and connected to the second port of the lid assembly by an air tube for supplying air into the inner space of the container body. 
     According to one feature of the present invention, a circuit board is disposed in the chamber of the lid assembly and provided thereon with control switches and pilot lights respectively for controlling and indicating the flow rate of water being delivered out of the bottle. 
     According to another feature of the present invention, the filter includes a nano-silver activated carbon tube, a nano-silver activated carbon unit under the activated carbon tube, and an ultrafiltration unit under the activated carbon unit, wherein the nano-silver activated carbon unit is provided at its two ends with two high-density cotton pads. 
     According to a further feature of the present invention, the ultrafiltration unit is formed of ultrafiltration hollow fiber membrane and defines inlets at an outer surface and a bottom thereof. 
     According to a still further feature of the present invention, the nano-silver activated carbon tube is furnished with a threaded portion at its top for being threaded into a threaded hole defined at the first port of the lid assembly. The ultrafiltration unit is provided with a thread portion at its top for being threaded into an inlet of the nano-silver activated carbon unit. 
     In operation, the lid assembly can be turned to be disconnected from the container body so that the container body can be filled with water, after which the container body can be again connected with the lid assembly. Next, the air pump can be started by switching one of the control switches to supply air into the inner space of the container body via the air tube, thus increasing the air pressure within the container body, so that the water contained in the container body can be forced to sequential pass through the ultrafiltration unit, the lower high density cotton pad, the nano-silver activated carbon unit, the upper high-density cotton pad, the nano-silver activated carbon tube, and finally the water can flow out of the bottle by way of the outlet tube to be suitable for drinking. After the bottle is used for a period of time, one or both of the nano-silver activated carbon unit and the ultrafiltration unit can be detached from the bottle to be cleansed or replaced by a new one. 
     Other objects, advantages, and novel features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  shows a schematically sectional view of a bottle according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  shows another schematically sectional view of the bottle. 
         FIG. 3  shows another schematically sectional view of the bottle, wherein a circuit board and a battery holder provided on an inner cover of a lid assembly are manifested. 
         FIG. 4  shows another schematically sectional view of the bottle, wherein an air pump and an outlet tube disposed on a base portion of the lid assembly are manifested. 
         FIG. 5  shows a schematic view of a filter used in the bottle. 
         FIG. 6  shows a working view of the bottle, wherein the air pump is stopped. 
         FIG. 7  shows another working view of the bottle, wherein the air pump is running to force the water to pass through the filter and flow out of bottle via the outlet tube. 
         FIG. 8  shows a schematically sectional view of a bottle according to another embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     To further understand the structure, features and advantages of the present invention, a preferred embodiment is illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings in the following paragraph to enable persons of the relevant art to implement the present invention. 
     It should be recognized that the preferred embodiment is given for the purpose of illustration only and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention and various modifications and changes, which will be apparent to those skilled in the relevant art, may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 through 5 , a bottle  20  according to one embodiment of the present invention is shown, which generally comprises a container body  30 , a lid assembly  40 , a filter  80 , and an air pump  74 . The container body  30  defines therein an inner space  33  which opens out at a top opening of a neck portion  31 , through which the container body  30  can be filled with water. The lid assembly  40 , which can be connected with the container body  30  to close the top opening, includes a top cover  50 , an inner cover  60 , and a base portion  70 , wherein a chamber (not labeled) is defined between the inner cover  60  and the base portion  70 . The top cover  50  is furnished with a control panel  51 , which defines a plurality of holes  52 ,  53 . The inner cover  60  is furnished with a circuit board  61  on which control switches  62  and pilot lights  63  are provided. In this embodiment, the control switches  62  are designed in the form of bottoms. The control switches  62  and the pivot lights  63  extend through the holes  52 ,  53  of the control panel  51 . The circuit board  61  is electrically connected with the air pump  74 . Also, the inner cover  60  is furnished with a battery holder  64 , in which a battery  65  can be installed. The battery  65 , which is electrically connected to the circuit board  61 , can provide electrical energy required for the air pump  74  and electrical components of the circuit board  61 . The base portion  70  is provided with a first port  71 , which defines a threaded hole  72  towards the inner space  33  of the container body  30 , and a second port  76 . An outlet tube  73  is connected to the first port  71  at one end and extended out of the chamber defined between the inner cover  60  and the base portion  70 . The air pump  74 , which is provided in the chamber between the inner cover  60  and the base portion  70 , can deliver air to the inner space  33  of the container body  30  via an air tube  75  connected between the air pump  74  and the second port  76 . The base portion  70  is formed with a recessed portion (not labeled) at its bottom, wherein the recessed portion is provided with internal threads  78  to be in threaded engagement with the external threads  32  of the neck portion  31  of the container body  30  so that the top opening of the container body  30  can be closed. A seal ring  77  can be provided within the recessed portion of the base portion  70  to improve the sealing capability of the lid assembly  40 . Furthermore, the base portion  70  is formed with a handle  79  for easily carrying the bottle. The filter  80 , which is located in the inner space  33  of the container body  30 , generally includes a nano-silver activated carbon tube  801 , a nano-silver activated carbon unit  803  under the activated carbon tube  801 , and an ultrafiltration unit  84  under the activated carbon unit  803 . The nano-silver activated carbon tube  801  is provided at its top with a threaded portion  81 , which defines therein an outlet hole  82  and can be put in threaded engagement with the threaded hole  72  of the base portion  70  of the lid assembly  40 . The nano-silver activated carbon unit  803 , which contains activated carbon particles (preferably with particle size between 20 and 40 of mesh number) mixed with nano-silver powders, defines at its bottom an inlet  83  and a threaded hole  831  under the inlet  83 . Furthermore, the nano-silver activated carbon unit  803  is provided at its two opposite ends with two high-density cotton pads  802 ,  804 . The ultrafiltration unit  84 , which is formed of ultrafiltration hollow fiber membrane  87  for removing contaminants (such as bacteria), defines an outlet  86  at a top end  841  thereof, which can be threaded into the threaded hole  831  of the nano-silver activated carbon unit  803 . Also, the ultrafiltration unit  84  can be made in the form of a cylinder and defines water inlet holes  85  at an outer surface and a bottom thereof. 
     In operation, as shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7 , the lid assembly  40  can be turned to be disconnected from the container body  30  to have the container body  30  filled with water  90 , and then the container body  30  can be again connected with the lid assembly  40 . Thereafter, the air pump  74  can be started by switching one of the control switches  62  to supply air into the inner space  33  of the container body  30  by way of the air tube  75 , thus increasing the air pressure within the container body  30 , so that the water  90  contained in the container body  30  can be forced to sequential pass through the ultrafiltration unit  84 , the lower high density cotton pad  804 , the nano-silver activated carbon unit  803 , the upper high density cotton pad  802 , the nano-silver activated carbon tube  801 , and finally the water  90  can flow out of the bottle by way of the outlet tube  73 , and thus the water  90  is purified and suitable for drinking of course, the flow rate of water can be controlled through the control switches  62 . The pilot lights  63  can be used to indicate the level of the water flow rate, wherein each pilot light represents a specific range of water flow rate. In addition, a pressure sensor can be provided at the air tube  75  to detect the air pressure within the container body  30 ; upon a high pressure is detected, the air pump  74  can be stopped automatically. Furthermore, after the bottle is used for a period of time, either the nano-silver activated carbon unit  803  or the ultrafiltration unit  84  can be detached from the bottle to be cleansed or replaced by a new one. 
       FIG. 8  shows another embodiment of the present invention, which is same as the previous embodiment except that the ultrafiltration unit  84  is formed integrally with the nano-silver activated carbon unit  803 . This feature may facilitate replacing the filter. 
     As a summary, the bottle of the present invention is easy to carry and contains therein a filter that can be replaced easily, and the water contained in the container body can be filtered through the filter and delivered out of the bottle automatically. These features render the bottle of the present invention useful and creative.