Patent ID: 8394269

Claim:
A water filter apparatus comprising: (a) a water valve filter head housing; (b) a replaceable filter candle housing having an end face; (c) a valve actuating encoding structure axially oriented and projecting from said end face and disposed entirely within a perimeter defining the end face and projecting axially from the end face and disposed axially intermediate said water valve filter head and said replaceable filter candle housing, said valve actuating encoding structure having a first end or component disposed axially in said filter head housing and said valve actuating encoding structure having a second end, or a complimentary valve actuating encoding structure compatible with said first end or component, disposed in said replaceable filter candle housing; and (d) a separate fixing structure displaced from the valve actuating encoding structure disposed on the replaceable filter candle housing for fixing the filter candle housing to the water valve filter head housing; and (e) a setting device with an untreated-water distribution element and a complementary partial-flow guide element for setting a partial-flow ratio between at least two flow paths of an untreated water stream.