Water purifying apparatus and filter structure

• US 10,188,972 B2
• Filed: 02/22/2017
• Issued: 01/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: You, Jimin, An, Siyeon, Hwang, Uison, Kim, Youngjae, Kweon, Gyeonghwan
• Primary Examiner(s): Mellon, David C
• Application Number:
  US15/439,525
• Publication Number:
  US 20170274304A1
• Time in Patent Office: 706 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2201/301 Details of removable closures, lids, caps, filter heads
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2201/302 having inlet or outlet ports
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2201/347 Radial sealings
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2201/4061 between a cartridge and a filter head or manifold
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 29/15 arranged for inward flow filtration
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 35/147 Bypass or safety valves
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 35/30 Filter housing constructions
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 35/306 Filter mounting adapter
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/001 Processes for the treatment of water whereby the filtration technique is of importance C02F1/44 takes precedence; construction of filters in general B01D24/00 - B01D41/00
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/003 using household-type filters for producing potable water, e.g. pitchers, bottles, faucet mounted devices C02F9/20 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/283 using coal, charred products, or inorganic mixtures containing them
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/44 by dialysis, osmosis or reverse osmosis general membrane separation processes B01D61/00, membrane modules B01D63/00, electrodialysis C02F1/4693, combination of membrane modules and bioreactors C02F3/1268
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2201/004 Seals, connections
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2201/006 Cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2301/043 Treatment of partial or bypass streams
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2307/10 as part of a potable water dispenser, e.g. for use in homes or offices
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2307/12 as part of household appliances such as dishwashers, laundry washing machines or vacuum cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 11/02 with cooling compartments at different temperatures
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/028 Details
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/126 Water cooler
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2323/021 : French doors
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2323/121 : the refrigerator is characterised by a water filter for the water/ice dispenser

Abstract

A water purifying apparatus including a head having a water inlet portion and a water outlet portion; a shaft provided in the head and rotatably mounted between the water inlet portion and the water outlet portion; a bypass flow path passing through a circumference of the shaft, and communicating the water inlet portion with the water outlet portion according to rotation of the shaft; a filter detachably mounted to the head, and having a filter inserting portion in which the shaft is inserted when being mounted on the head; and a filtering flow path in which an inlet port and an outlet port are formed on the circumference of the shaft in a direction intersecting the bypass flow path, and communicated between the filter, the water inlet portion and the water outlet portion with each other according to the rotation of the shaft.

Claims

1. A water purifying apparatus, comprising:

a head having a water inlet portion and a water outlet portion formed thereon to face each other;

a mounting member on which a rotation supporting portion is formed;

a water inlet pipe and a water outlet pipe which are connected to the mounting member;

a shaft provided in the head, the shaft being rotatably mounted between the water inlet portion and the water outlet portion;

a bypass flow path formed to pass through a circumference of the shaft, the bypass flow path having a flow path projecting portion, the bypass flow path communicably coupling the water inlet portion with the water outlet portion according to a rotation of the shaft;

a filter detachably mounted to the head and having a filter inserting portion in which the shaft is inserted; and

a filtering flow path in which an inlet port and an outlet port are formed on the circumference of the shaft in a direction intersecting the bypass flow path, the filtering flow path communicably coupling the filter with the water inlet portion and the water outlet portion according to the rotation of the shaft.

2. The water purifying apparatus of claim 1, wherein the head includes a head body having an opened upper surface,

wherein the shaft is accommodated in the head body through the opened upper surface, and

wherein the opened upper surface is covered by a head cap.

3. The water purifying apparatus of claim 2, wherein a body seating portion on which the shaft is seated in a state where a portion of the shaft is passed through the opened upper surface is provided in an inner circumferential surface of the head body.

4. The water purifying apparatus of claim 3, wherein a rotating guide is formed on the seating portion, and

wherein the rotating guide is cut at a predetermined angle so that a rotating projection of the shaft is accommodated and the rotation of the shaft is guided.

5. The water purifying apparatus of claim 1, wherein the shaft includes an inner pipe which communicates with the filtering flow path and is connected with the filter inserting portion.

6. A water purifying apparatus, comprising:

a head having a water inlet portion and a water outlet portion;

a shaft provided in the head, the shaft being rotatably mounted between the water inlet portion and the water outlet portion;

a bypass flow path formed to pass through a circumference of the shaft, the bypass flow path communicably coupling the water inlet portion with the water outlet portion according to a rotation of the shaft;

a filtering flow path formed in the shaft, the filtering flow path intersecting the bypass flow path;

an inner pipe that extends downward from the shaft, the inner pipe having a pipe cutout portion at an end portion thereof;

a filter detachably mounted to the head and having a filter inserting portion in which the shaft is inserted; and

a first connecting portion formed on a supporter extending portion that extends in a direction of the shaft in the filter insertion portion, the first connecting portion to rotate the shaft upon coupling of the filter by coupling with the pipe cutout portion.

7. The water purifying apparatus of claim 6, wherein the shaft includes a flow path projecting portion that projects in an upward direction from a bottom of the bypass flow path to form the filtering flow path.

8. The water purifying apparatus of claim 6, wherein the inlet port and the outlet port of the filtering flow path and the inlet port and the outlet port of the bypass flow path are disposed along the circumference of the shaft at an angle of 90 degrees at the same height.

9. The water purifying apparatus of claim 6, wherein the shaft includes an upper part and a lower part, and the inner pipe is formed in the lower part and spaced apart from an inner circumferential surface of the lower part.

10. The water purifying apparatus of claim 6, wherein the filter comprises:

a housing body having an upper opening portion,

a filtering member accommodated in the housing body,

a housing cap coupled to the upper opening portion of the housing body and provided with the filter inserting portion, and

an upper supporter coupled to an upper surface of the filtering member and an inner surface of the housing cap, respectively.

11. The water purifying apparatus of claim 10, wherein the supporter extending portion is provided on the upper supporter.

12. The water purifying apparatus of claim 10, wherein a housing fastening portion is formed at a side of an inner circumferential surface of the filter inserting portion, and

wherein the upper supporter includes a supporter fastening portion coupled to the housing fastening portion.

13. The water purifying apparatus of claim 10, wherein the shaft is inserted into the housing body and the supporter extending portion is inserted into the shaft, whereby the shaft is connected to the inner pipe in a state where the filter is coupled to the head.

14. The water purifying apparatus of claim 6, wherein the inner pipe includes a pair of second connecting portions,

wherein the pipe cutout portion is positioned between the pair of second connecting portions, and

wherein a first inclined surface is formed on the first connecting portion and a second inclined surface which is in contact with the first inclined surface is formed on each of the pair of second connecting portions.

15. A water purifying apparatus, comprising:

a head having a water inlet portion and a water outlet portion;

a shaft provided in the head, the shaft being rotatably mounted between the water inlet portion and the water outlet portion;

a bypass flow path formed to pass through a circumference of the shaft, the bypass flow path communicably coupling the water inlet portion with the water outlet portion according to a rotation of the shaft;

a filtering flow path formed in the shaft and separated from the bypass flow path;

an inner pipe that extends downward from the shaft, the inner pipe having a pipe cutout portion at an end portion thereof and connected to the filtering flow path;

a filter detachably mounted to the head, the filter having a filter inserting portion to receive the shaft;

a supporter extending portion forming a first filter inlet flow path which is connected to the inner pipe and provided in the filter; and

a first connecting portion formed on an upper portion of the supporter extending portion to rotate the shaft upon coupling of the filter by coupling with the pipe cutout portion.

16. The water purifying apparatus of claim 15, wherein the shaft includes an upper part and a lower part, and

wherein the inner pipe is formed in the lower part and spaced apart from an inner circumferential surface of the lower part.

17. The water purifying apparatus of claim 16, wherein the filter comprises:

a housing body having an upper opening portion,

a filtering member accommodated in the housing body,

a housing cap coupled to the upper opening portion of the housing body and provided with the filter inserting portion, and

an upper supporter coupled to the upper portion of the filtering member and an inner surface of the housing cap, respectively.

18. The water purifying apparatus of claim 17, wherein a housing fastening portion is formed at a side of the inner circumferential surface of the filter inserting portion, and

wherein the upper supporter includes a supporter fastening portion coupled to the housing fastening portion.

19. The water purifying apparatus of claim 17, whereby in a state where the filter is coupled to the head, the shaft is provided inside the housing body and the supporter extending portion is provided inside the shaft and connected with the inner pipe.

20. The water purifying apparatus of claim 16, wherein the first filter inlet flow path extends in a downward direction from a center portion of the supporter extending portion.