Patent ID: 8216465

Claim:
In a water pitcher having a feed water reservoir, a filter assembly for filtering water from the feed water reservoir and a filtered water reservoir, wherein the filter assembly is positioned in a filter assembly holder between the filtered water reservoir and the feed water reservoir, the filter assembly comprising: (a) a through-flow cartridge comprising: (i) a cup having apertures in a lower portion thereof and defining a cavity, (ii) a lid having apertures therein, wherein the lid is openable to access the cavity, and (iii) at least one seating surface extending from the cup around an outer portion of the cavity, and the lid has an engagement surface that is positioned above the seating surface when the lid is in a closed position; and, (b) a water-permeable enclosure that is removably receivable in the cavity and contains granular filtration media therein, (i) the water-permeable enclosure having a water impermeable longitudinally extending sidewall, an upper water inlet and a lower water outlet, wherein the water-permeable enclosure is a replaceable sealed unit other than the upper water inlet and the lower water outlet; and, (ii) the water-permeable enclosure comprising a flange extending from an upper portion of the water-permeable enclosure, the flange securable between the cup and the lid and forming a water-tight seal, the water-permeable enclosure being secured between the lid and the cup in such a way that water entering the filter assembly is inhibited from bypassing the filtration media contained in the water-permeable enclosure water, but must pass through the upper inlet, then the filtration media and out through the lower water outlet, wherein, water flows by gravity from the feed water reservoir, through the filter assembly, and into the filtered water reservoir, wherein, once the filtration media becomes spent, the water-permeable enclosure may be removed from the cartridge and replaced, without requiring the replacement of the entire cartridge.