Patent ID: 7837876

Claim:
A filter cartridge and head assembly, comprising: a head housing defining a valve cavity and having a water inlet and a water outlet; a valve disposed in said housing and defining transversally aligned inlet and outlet passageways, and having a first key formation that vertically depends from said valve; a cartridge having transversely separated inlet and outlet ports transversely aligned relative to a longitudinal axis of the cartridge, each said port engageable in a corresponding one of said passageways, and a complementary key formation for engaging said first key formation for ensuring proper engagement of said ports in said passageways, said ports and said key formation each projecting from an upper surface on said cartridge in a common plane, one of said inlet and outlet ports being positioned between said other of said inlet and outlet ports and said complementary key formation; said valve being rotatable in said housing between an open position in which feed water passes through said inlet passageway and into said cartridge, and treated water flows to said outlet passageway, and a closed position in which water is prevented from flowing to and from said valve; said inlet and outlet passageways and said first key formation being generally linearly aligned transversely to said axis.