Water filter abstract
A portable tap water filter having an upper portion including a
resilient faucet connection member and having a lower portion including
filtration media. The portable tap water filter is removably attached
to a faucet head at an interior annular lip. The interior annular
lip is expandable to aid mounting and removal by movement of a plurality
of ribs within the upper portion about a fulcrum location when the
user squeezes the upper portion below the fulcrum location. A state-of-the-art
filtration system is resident in the lower portion. A water stream
regulation structure is included having a baffle, a saucer which
centrally eclipses the lower portion and a plurality of drill holes
annularly arranged around the periphery of the saucer.
Water filter claims
What is claimed is:
1. A method for mounting a fluid connector to a cylindrical member
wherein said fluid connector has a resilient annular lip radially
expandable in response to squeezing said fluid connector at a predetermined
location displaced from said resilient annular lip, said method
comprising the steps of:
radially squeezing said fluid connector at said predetermined location
to radially expand said resilient annular lip;
inserting said radially expanded resilient annular lip over said
cylindrical member; and
terminating the squeezing of said fluid connector to allow said
resilient annular lip to radially contract compressably sealing
said fluid connector on said cylindrical member.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein said fluid connector has a rigid
fulcrum member disposed intermediate said resilient annular lip
and said predetermined location, said step of squeezing comprises
squeezing said fluid connector at said predetermined location which
is spaced from said rigid fulcrum member on the side opposite said
resilient annular lip to radially expand said resilient annular
lip.
3. The method of claim 2 wherein said fluid connector has a plurality
of longitudinal ribs pivotably attached to said rigid fulcrum member
and extending from approximately said resilient annular lip to said
predetermined location, said step of squeezing comprises squeezing
said fluid connector to radially displace the ends of said plurality
of longitudinal ribs at said predetermined location inwardly to
expand said resilient annular lip.
4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:
squeezing said fluid connector at said predetermined location a
second time to radially expand said resilient annular lip to release
the compression seal between said resilient annular lip and said
cylindrical member; and
withdrawing said fluid connector away from said cylindrical member
to disconnect said fluid connector from said cylindrical member.
Water filter description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to water filters, particularly tap water
filters which are constructed to removably mount onto a drinking
water faucet.
2. DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
Increasingly, the quality of drinking water has become a vital
concern for a growing segment of the population. Today, with reports
of environmentally unsafe material contaminating ground water, there
is every reason for persons to suspect the water that they consume.
This concern extends beyond well water systems to include many municipal
water systems which were built at a time when bituminous pitch was
used to line water pipes as a corrosion preventative measure. Consequently,
it is possible that water received at a tap water faucet may contain
any number of undesirable contaminants, including solid debris,
chemical contamination, and biological contamination.
There are several ways to ensure that drinking water is potable.
One way is to purchase distilled water or water which is guaranteed
pure from an uncontaminated spring. This proves to be too expensive
and generally impractical for most people. A second way is to purchase
a personal water distillation unit. While it is the case that these
units are becoming increasingly more common, their extreme inconvenience
and expensiveness point out the pervasiveness of the water quality
problem which is growing more alarming each day. A third, and most
reasonable, way is to purchase a filter which is relatively inexpensive
to filter water at the tap. This would be particularly useful if
it is in the form of a portable filter so that it may be mountable
to any tap water faucet as the need may arise.
The concept of filtering drinking water at the tap was proposed
by Johnston, U.S. Pat. No. 727374 issued May 5 1903. Johnston's
device is of generally cylindrical shape including a faucet attachment
portion having internal threads for threading onto external threads
of a faucet. A filtering portion is disposed downstream from the
faucet attachment location. The filtering portion contained, in
sequential order from the faucet attachment location, a perforated
metal sheet, a filtering media and, finally, a hemispherically-shaped
filter-plate or wire-gauze. While the device taught by Johnston
is practical for a permanent installation, it is not practical for
a portable, disposable water filter which can allow anyone to carry
it with them and be very easily installed and removed whenever the
need is presented, such as when the user is out of town in a hotel
room, or when the user is at work.
Other tap water filter systems which have been proposed, but are
impractical as a portable, disposable tap water filter because of
the size and complexity of their structure, are: U.S. Pat. No. 1287755
to Rorer which utilizes dual shaped pipes; U.S. Pat. No. 1774004
to Haslett which discloses a multi-segmented filter; U.S. Pat. No.
2314357 to Lehman which discloses a filter selective between a
spray and a stream setting; U.S. Pat. No. 3204770 to Brink which
discloses a clampable faucet fitting and a channel filter to ensure
complete water flow therethrough; U.S. Pat. No. 3760951 to Mansfield
which discloses a threaded cone which must be screwed into a particular
faucet in order for the filter to be attachable to the faucet; U.S.
Pat. No. 4001120 to Gelman et al which discloses a structure that
screws into the aerator threads or a faucet and has a valve to selectively
bypass filtering in order to extend the filter life; and finally,
U.S. Pat. No. 4288325 to Lieberman which discloses a threadable
faucet attachment structure and a filter having selectable water
stream or spray output.
Tap water filter systems which are less structurally complicated,
but yet are still impractical as a portable, disposable tap water
filter either because the connection structure to the faucet requires
too much effort to force a resilient member onto the faucet or because
of potential damage to the faucet as mounting set screws are tightened,
are: U.S. Pat. No. 2328381 to Jaffe which discloses a tap water
filter having a faucet connection structure utilizing set screws
for fastening thereto; U.S. Pat. No. 2368035 to Moore which discloses
a faucet connection structure utilizing an annular lip which is
retained by a cap unit; U.S. Pat. No. 3255691 to Schwartz et al
which discloses a beverage flavoring device having a resilient member
which is mountable on a nozzle; and, finally, U.S. Pat. No. 3707236
to Takebayasi which discloses a resilient cap having an inner resilient
cylinder structured to mount onto a faucet.
What is needed in the art is a practical, portable, disposable
tap water filter for personal use which is easily and readily mountable
to and removable from any tap water faucet as the need may arise.
Accordingly, such a tap water filter must be small, uncomplicated,
inexpensive, not damaging to the faucet, and very easy to mount
on and to remove from the faucet.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a tap water filter which is structured
to enable it to be easily mounted to and subsequently removed from
a faucet with little or no effort. More particularly, the present
invention is a tap water filter having features which allow it to
be repeatedly mounted to and removed from any number of faucets,
thus, allowing its use to always drink tap water which has been
filtered.
The structure of the present invention includes an upper portion
and a lower portion. The upper and lower portions are preferred
to be constructed of one piece, although this is not necessary.
The preferred material for the wall of the upper portion is a resilient
elastomer plastic or rubber. The upper portion has a generally funnel
shape, while the lower portion has a generally cylindrical shape.
The upper portion has an internal annular lip which is made of
a resilient material. Preferably, the internal annular lip is integral
with the wall of the upper portion. Within the upper portion and
attached to the wall of the upper portion are a plurality of ribs
made of a generally inflexible material. The ribs extend from the
internal annular lip to the end of the lower portion remote from
the internal annular lip. A preferred number of ribs is four, each
being annularly spaced around the inside of the wall of the upper
portion. A fulcrum ring is adjacent to the ribs and positioned at
a location remote from the ends of the ribs. When the user squeezes
the ribs adjacent the lower portion, the ribs tend to separate adjacent
the internal annular lip by a lever action at the fulcrum, thereby
causing the internal annular lip to expand. Thus, the internal annular
lip may be effortlessly mounted on or removed from the faucet by
expanding it.
The lower portion includes a filtering media, such as activated
charcoal and cloth filter material. At the end of the lower portion,
where the tap water exits from the tap water filter, a base member
is positioned within the cylindrical wall of the lower portion.
The base member includes a saucer that is centrally positioned to
eclipse the majority of the inside diameter of the base. Annularly
spaced around the periphery of the saucer are drill holes which
permit tap water to exit therethrough. The saucer and drill holes
regulate water flow through the filter so that a maximum filtering
action is achieved.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide
a portable, disposable tap water filter suitable for personal use.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a portable,
disposable tap water filter which is easily mounted to and removed
from faucets and which is not subject to excess wear and abrasion
caused by repeated mounting and removal from the faucets.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide
a portable, disposable tap water filter which includes a simple
structure which effectively regulates water flow therethrough to
ensure proper filtering.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide
a portable, disposable tap water filter which is inexpensive, compact
and readily usable.
These and other objects, advantages, features, and benefits of
the present invention will become apparent from the following specification.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the present invention in operation;
FIG. 2 is a part sectional side view of the invention in operation;
FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along lines 3--3 in FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along lines 4--4 in FIG. 2;
FIG. 5 is an end view taken along arrow 5 in FIG. 2; and
FIG. 6 is a part sectional side view showing a response of the
upper portion of the tap water filter according to the present invention
to being squeezed.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring now to the figures, FIG. 1 shows a portable tap water
filter 10 according to the present invention in operation. It will
be seen from the figure that the tap water filter 10 is attached
to a faucet 12. The portable tap water filter 10 is composed of
a generally funnel-shaped upper portion 14 and a generally cylindrically-shaped
lower portion 16. The upper portion 14 is constructed of a resilient
material, such as rubber or an elastomer plastic. It is preferred
that the lower portion 16 be formed integrally with the upper portion,
as shown in the FIG. 1. However, the lower portion 16 may be a separate
element which is attached to the upper portion 14 in a conventional
manner, such as by gluing or clamping. It may be appreciated from
the relative sizes of the components depicted in FIG. 1 that the
approximate length of the portable tap water filter 10 is on the
order of several inches. Water from the faucet enters the portable
tap water filter 10 at the upper portion 14 and exits at the lower
portion 16 via a base 18.
The structure of the portable tap water filter 10 can be understood
by reference to FIGS. 2 through 5. FIG. 2 depicts the preferred
construction of the portable tap water filter 10 in which the upper
portion 14 and the lower portion 16 are integral.
The upper portion 14 has a resilient wall 20 which includes an
integral interior annular lip 22 forming an annulus 52 which is
structured to sealingly mate with a faucet head 24 when inserted
thereinto as shown in FIG. 2. A plurality of ribs 26 are secured
to the interior of the resilient wall 20 of the upper portion 14.
In the figures, four ribs are depicted. The ribs 26 are made of
a generally inflexible material which resists corrosion, such as
a structural plastic or nylon. The ribs 26 follow the shape of the
resilient wall 20 and are secured thereto by a conventional method,
such as a nontoxic adhesive or by being formed thereinto. It will
be seen by reference to FIG. 2 that the ribs preferably extend from
a first end 28 adjacent the interior annular lip 22 to a second
end 30 adjacent the lower portion 16. A fulcrum ring 32 is attached
to the ribs at a location between the aforesaid ends of the ribs,
preferably at a fulcrum location 32' remote from the first and second
rib ends 28 and 30 as shown in FIG. 2 by a conventional method,
such as a nontoxic adhesive, a snap fit, or by being formed as a
single piece with the ribs. The fulcrum ring may be made out of
any noncorrosive structurally nondeformable material, such as a
structural plastic or nylon. FIGS. 3 and 4 are planar views taken
through the upper portion 14 which further show the structural interrelationships
within the upper portion. The lower portion 16 has a resilient wall
20' which is integral with the resilient wall 20 of the upper portion
14. Within the resilient wall 20' there is located a filtration
system 34 and the base 18 for regulating water flow through and
out of the portable tap water filter 10. The filtration system 34
is of a conventional, state-of-the-art type which is intended to
remove solid debris as well as other undesirable contaminants from
the water flowing therethrough. By way of example and not by limitation,
the filtration system shown in FIG. 2 includes the following components
in sequential order from the upper portion 14: a screen mesh 36
for removing solid debris; three layers for contaminant removal
including an activated charcoal cloth layer 38 a sand layer 40
and a cloth filter layer 42; and, finally, a baffle 44 made preferably
of plastic for ensuring even water flow through the filter layers.
The base 18 includes a saucer 46 located at the axial center of
the lower portion 16 as well as a plurality of drill holes 48 which
are annularly arranged around the periphery of the saucer and within
the resilient wall 20'. The filtration system 34 is held in place
within the lower portion 16 by nibs 50 and by any conventional fastening
means at the base 18 such as a nontoxic or a snap fit. FIG. 5 is
an end view which particularly shows the structure of the base.
Operation of the portable tap water filter 10 will now be described
with particular reference to FIG. 6. The user conveniently carries
the compact structure of the portable tap water filter 10 in, for
example, a purse or pocket. When drinking water is desired, the
user simply takes hold of the portable tap water filter and squeezes
it at a locatioan adjacent the ribs 26 remote from both the anterior
annular lip 22 and the fulcrum ring 32 as indicated by arrows A.
The resilient wall 20 allows the ribs to move inward in response
to being squeezed below the fulcrum ring. The fulcrum ring, positioned
at the fulcrum location 32', cooperates with each of the ribs, causing
the ribs to swing outwardly on the opposite side of the fulcrum
ring, as would occur with a lever. This outward movement of the
ribs above the fulcrum ring results in the resilient member being
stretched adjacent the interior annular lip 22 as indicated by
arrows B. It will be seen by the phantom lines in FIG. 6 that the
result of squeezing the upper portion at arrows A causes the resilient
wall 20 to expand at arrows B, thus increasing the diameter of the
annulus 52 of the interior annular lip 22. To mount the portable
tap water filter 10 the user simply pushes the portable tap water
filter 10 upwardly onto the faucet head while squeezing as aforesaid.
The increased diameter of the annulus 52 greatly reduces the amount
of force that is necessary to mount the interior annular lip onto
the tap water faucet head. Additionally, the interior annular lip
is spared from fatigue that would result from repeated mounting
and removal on various faucets encountered during daily life. Releasing
the portable tap water filter 10 causes the resilient wall 20 to
spring back and the interior annular lip to seal tightly on the
faucet head. To remove the portable tap water filter 10 the user
simply squeezes the upper portion at arrows A and then pulls downwardly,
away from the faucet head. Thus, what results is a practical, portable
tap water filter that is personal to the user because the user may
readily mount it whenever needed and easily remove it immediately
upon being finished.
To filter tap water after the portable tap water filter 10 has
been seated on the faucet head 24 the tap water is simply turned
on in the usual manner. The tap water will then run through the
filtration system 34 without any need of adjustment by the user.
The tap water will exit out the base 18 through the drill holes
48. The baffle 44 in combination with the saucer 46 and the drill
holes 48 ensures an even filtration action of the tap water through
the filtration system.
The portable tap water filter 10 is preferably structured for inexpensive
manufacture, so that it may be disposed of when the filtration media
has become clogged. Accordingly, the user need not bother with replacing
or adjusting the interior filtration media, although replaceable
filtration media can, of course, be incorporated within the scope
of the present invention.
To those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains,
the above described preferred embodiment may be subject to change
or modification. For instance, although it is preferred to use a
funnel-shaped structure for the upper portion 14 this is not a
requirement since the ribs 26 in combination with the fulcrum ring
32 could operate with any shape upper portion. Further, other fulcrum
devices could be used other than a ring, such as a crisscross structure
which unites each of the ribs. Such changes or modifications can
be carried out without departing from the scope of the invention,
which is intended to be limited only by the scope of the appended
claims.
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