Water filter abstract
A filter element 28 for a gravity-flow water filter. An inlet screen
44 divides a cylinder 48 into two functionally distinct portions,
an overflow chamber 24 and a filter body 26 which contains a filter
medium 54. A wire half-loop 16 suspends overflow chamber 24 from
an adjustable water source and positions overflow chamber 24 to
catch the water outflow from the source. Wire half-loop 16 also
positions overflow chamber 24 at a distance from the source so that
there is a gap 22 between overflow chamber 24 and the source. The
potential for water rising and spilling from overflow chamber 24
induces a user to adjust the source flow to less than a characteristic
rate. When the flow is adjusted so that water level in overflow
chamber 24 is not rising, the water level continues dropping until
the flow of water from the source continuously enters the screened
entrance of filter body 26 with no appreciable pressure head. Thus
water moves more slowly through filter body 26 and filter medium
54 than if there were an appreciable pressure head at the entrance
to filter body 26. With slower water motion, there is longer water-to-filter-medium
contact, giving superior filtering effectiveness. Filtered water
from filter element 28 is captured and accumulated in a receiver
container 40 for later use.
Water filter claims
I claim:
1. A filter element for a gravity-flow water filter for home water
treatment, comprising:
(a) a filter body of impermeable material which contains a filter
medium selected from the group consisting of activated carbon, activated
alumina, and ion exchange resin, said filter body having means defining
an inlet and means defining an outlet, said inlet being above said
outlet,
(b) foraminous inlet means fixed at said inlet and foraminous outlet
means fixed at said outlet so that a flow of water may pass through
the combination of said filter body and said foraminous inlet means
and said foraminous outlet means while said filter medium remains
inside said filter body,
(c) an overflow chamber attached to said inlet,
i) said overflow chamber being formed by an impermeable, stiff
wall attached to said filter body in a watertight connection, said
stiff wall essentially maintaining its shape if said overflow chamber
is filled with water,
ii) said overflow chamber surrounding and extending above said
inlet, the upper edge of said wall forming an entrance to said overflow
chamber, whereby water from means defining an adjustable water source
may fall into said overflow chamber, and from there move through
said inlet into said filter body,
iii) said overflow chamber being limited in water holding capacity
to a maximum of 0.4 liters, whereby said overflow chamber will fill,
overflow and spill inconveniently when the flow rate of water entering
said overflow chamber exceeds a characteristic flow rate, said characteristic
flow rate being the constant flow rate allowed by the resistance
to flow presented by said inlet and by the portion of said filter
element below said inlet when water continuously just covers said
inlet, whereby the possibility of an inconvenient water overflow
and spill from said overflow chamber induces and gives motive for
a user to introduce water to said overflow chamber by adjusting
said adjustable water source to a flow rate less than said characteristic
flow rate, which adjustment is guided by noting whether the water
level in said overflow chamber is rising or falling, whereby the
water level in said overflow chamber will drop until the stream
of water from said adjustable water source falls into said overflow
chamber and enters said inlet with no appreciable head of water
standing above said inlet, whereby water will move more slowly through
said filter medium than if there had been an appreciable head of
water at said inlet, whereby said filter medium acts more effectively
on water flowing through said filter medium, whereby said user is
discouraged from the alternative way of introducing water of giving
inconveniently numerous discrete fillings to said limited overflow
chamber in order to filter a convenient quantity of water,
(d) a wire half-loop attached to said overflow chamber.
2. The invention of claim 1 further including means defining an
adjustable water source.
3. The invention of claim 2 wherein said wire half-loop detachably
suspends said overflow chamber from said adjustable water source
in a position to capture the outflow from said adjustable water
source.
4. The invention of claim 3 wherein said wire half-loop detachably
suspends said overflow chamber below said adjustable water source,
said wire half-loop being sized so as to provide a gap between said
overflow chamber and said adjustable water source, whereby water
may overflow through said gap when the flow rate of water entering
said overflow chamber from said adjustable water source exceeds
said characteristic flow rate, whereby said overflow chamber and
said adjustable water source join in a non-watertight connection.
5. The invention of claim 4 further including means defining a
plurality of lip holes spaced around the upper portion of said overflow
chamber.
6. The invention of claim 5 wherein said wire half-loop is formed
by connecting a wire to a pair of said lipholes, whereby said wire
half-loop may be loosely placed over a suitable projection on said
adjustable water source, said wire being flexible so that said wire
half-loop can flex and can conform to said projection, thereby aiding
the positioning of said overflow chamber under said adjustable water
source.
7. The invention of claim 6 wherein said wire has memory to retain
shape, each end of said wire being passed through a different one
of said lip holes and loosely twisted back around a portion of said
wire that is not passed through one of said lip holes, whereby said
wire can be detached and reattached to said lip holes, whereby the
length of said wire half-loop may be varied to lengths appropriate
for dissimilar adjustable water sources.
8. The invention of claim 2 wherein said adjustable water source
is a refillable dispenser, said refillable dispenser being a container
for liquids having an adjustable spigot and means defining a filler
opening whereby said refillable dispenser may be refilled for repeated
uses.
9. The invention of claim 1 further including a stopper of compressible
material which is fitted into said outlet with a watertight fit,
said stopper having means defining an axial through hole for allowing
an outflow from said filter body, said stopper being sized so that
it can be put into and withdrawn from said filter body, whereby
said filter medium may be inserted into or extracted from said filter
body.
10. The invention of claim 9 wherein said foraminous outlet means
is an outlet screen of mesh material, said outlet screen covering
the upstream interior end of said axial through hole.
11. The invention of claim 10 further including
(a) a nipple means connected to said axial through hole means for
collecting and conveying all treated water that flows through said
axial through hole means and
(b) a flexible tube detachably connected to said nipple means,
whereby filtered water can be conveniently conveyed to a receiver
container.
12. The invention of claim 1 wherein said filter body and said
overflow chamber are formed by a cylinder that is hollow with both
ends open.
13. The invention of claim 12 wherein said foraminous inlet means
is an inlet screen of mesh material with a circular shape, said
inlet screen being sized to fit snugly into said cylinder.
14. The invention of claim 13 further including an upper collar
and a lower collar which are of cylindrical shape and are sized
to fit snugly into said hollow cylinder, said upper and said lower
collars being fixed inside said cylinder, said upper and said lower
collars being set close together so as to hold stationary said inlet
screen therebetween, whereby the position of said inlet screen establishes
and defines the position of said inlet, the portion of said cylinder
above said inlet screen thereby being defined as said overflow chamber,
and the portion of said cylinder below said inlet screen thereby
being defined as said filter body.
Water filter description
I claim:
1. A filter element for a gravity-flow water filter for home water
treatment, comprising:
(a) a filter body of impermeable material which contains a filter
medium selected from the group consisting of activated carbon, activated
alumina, and ion exchange resin, said filter body having means defining
an inlet and means defining an outlet, said inlet being above said
outlet,
(b) foraminous inlet means fixed at said inlet and foraminous outlet
means fixed at said outlet so that a flow of water may pass through
the combination of said filter body and said foraminous inlet means
and said foraminous outlet means while said filter medium remains
inside said filter body,
(c) an overflow chamber attached to said inlet,
i) said overflow chamber being formed by an impermeable, stiff
wall attached to said filter body in a watertight connection, said
stiff wall essentially maintaining its shape if said overflow chamber
is filled with water,
ii) said overflow chamber surrounding and extending above said
inlet, the upper edge of said wall forming an entrance to said overflow
chamber, whereby water from means defining an adjustable water source
may fall into said overflow chamber, and from there move through
said inlet into said filter body,
iii) said overflow chamber being limited in water holding capacity
to a maximum of 0.4 liters, whereby said overflow chamber will fill,
overflow and spill inconveniently when the flow rate of water entering
said overflow chamber exceeds a characteristic flow rate, said characteristic
flow rate being the constant flow rate allowed by the resistance
to flow presented by said inlet and by the portion of said filter
element below said inlet when water continuously just covers said
inlet, whereby the possibility of an inconvenient water overflow
and spill from said overflow chamber induces and gives motive for
a user to introduce water to said overflow chamber by adjusting
said adjustable water source to a flow rate less than said characteristic
flow rate, which adjustment is guided by noting whether the water
level in said overflow chamber is rising or falling, whereby the
water level in said overflow chamber will drop until the stream
of water from said adjustable water source falls into said overflow
chamber and enters said inlet with no appreciable head of water
standing above said inlet, whereby water will move more slowly through
said filter medium than if there had been an appreciable head of
water at said inlet, whereby said filter medium acts more effectively
on water flowing through said filter medium, whereby said user is
discouraged from the alternative way of introducing water of giving
inconveniently numerous discrete fillings to said limited overflow
chamber in order to filter a convenient quantity of water,
(d) a wire half-loop attached to said overflow chamber.
2. The invention of claim 1 further including means defining an
adjustable water source.
3. The invention of claim 2 wherein said wire half-loop detachably
suspends said overflow chamber from said adjustable water source
in a position to capture the outflow from said adjustable water
source.
4. The invention of claim 3 wherein said wire half-loop detachably
suspends said overflow chamber below said adjustable water source,
said wire half-loop being sized so as to provide a gap between said
overflow chamber and said adjustable water source, whereby water
may overflow through said gap when the flow rate of water entering
said overflow chamber from said adjustable water source exceeds
said characteristic flow rate, whereby said overflow chamber and
said adjustable water source join in a non-watertight connection.
5. The invention of claim 4 further including means defining a
plurality of lip holes spaced around the upper portion of said overflow
chamber.
6. The invention of claim 5 wherein said wire half-loop is formed
by connecting a wire to a pair of said lipholes, whereby said wire
half-loop may be loosely placed over a suitable projection on said
adjustable water source, said wire being flexible so that said wire
half-loop can flex and can conform to said projection, thereby aiding
the positioning of said overflow chamber under said adjustable water
source.
7. The invention of claim 6 wherein said wire has memory to retain
shape, each end of said wire being passed through a different one
of said lip holes and loosely twisted back around a portion of said
wire that is not passed through one of said lip holes, whereby said
wire can be detached and reattached to said lip holes, whereby the
length of said wire half-loop may be varied to lengths appropriate
for dissimilar adjustable water sources.
8. The invention of claim 2 wherein said adjustable water source
is a refillable dispenser, said refillable dispenser being a container
for liquids having an adjustable spigot and means defining a filler
opening whereby said refillable dispenser may be refilled for repeated
uses.
9. The invention of claim 1 further including a stopper of compressible
material which is fitted into said outlet with a watertight fit,
said stopper having means defining an axial through hole for allowing
an outflow from said filter body, said stopper being sized so that
it can be put into and withdrawn from said filter body, whereby
said filter medium may be inserted into or extracted from said filter
body.
10. The invention of claim 9 wherein said foraminous outlet means
is an outlet screen of mesh material, said outlet screen covering
the upstream interior end of said axial through hole.
11. The invention of claim 10 further including
(a) a nipple means connected to said axial through hole means for
collecting and conveying all treated water that flows through said
axial through hole means and
(b) a flexible tube detachably connected to said nipple means,
whereby filtered water can be conveniently conveyed to a receiver
container.
12. The invention of claim 1 wherein said filter body and said
overflow chamber are formed by a cylinder that is hollow with both
ends open.
13. The invention of claim 12 wherein said foraminous inlet means
is an inlet screen of mesh material with a circular shape, said
inlet screen being sized to fit snugly into said cylinder.
14. The invention of claim 13 further including an upper collar
and a lower collar which are of cylindrical shape and are sized
to fit snugly into said hollow cylinder, said upper and said lower
collars being fixed inside said cylinder, said upper and said lower
collars being set close together so as to hold stationary said inlet
screen therebetween, whereby the position of said inlet screen establishes
and defines the position of said inlet, the portion of said cylinder
above said inlet screen thereby being defined as said overflow chamber,
and the portion of said cylinder below said inlet screen thereby
being defined as said filter body. |