Faucet conversion system

• US 10,640,393 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2017
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: Cobb, Dominique, Ergican, Erdogan, Gary, Jr., Wyndham F., Graff, Mark, Hill, Eric, Jackson, Beth, Kirk, Antony, Kuehl, Steven J., Peters, Joseph R., Seeley, Michael, Wilson, Rex D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cecil, Terry K
• Application Number:
  US15/850,016
• Publication Number:
  US 20180186655A1
• Time in Patent Office: 866 Days
• 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 1/008 Control or steering systems not provided for elsewhere in subclass C02F
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/283 using coal, charred products, or inorganic mixtures containing them
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/68 by addition of specified substances, e.g. trace elements, for ameliorating potable water medicinal water A61K
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/78 with ozone C02F1/4672 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2101/322 Volatile compounds, e.g. benzene
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2201/005 Valves
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2201/007 Modular design
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/005 Processes using a programmable logic controller [PLC]
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/02 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/40 Liquid flow rate
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2307/06 Mounted on or being part of a faucet, shower handle or showerhead
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 9/20 Portable or detachable small-scale multistage treatment devices, e.g. point of use or laboratory water purification systems
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/0411 Taps specially designed for dispensing boiling water
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/044 having a heating or cooling apparatus in the supply line water heaters, e.g. with continuous flow, F24H
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/055 Electrical control devices, e.g. with push buttons, control panels or the like
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 2201/40 Arrangement of water treatment devices in domestic plumbing installations
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 2201/45 for carbonated water

Abstract

A water treatment apparatus that includes: at least one module which operatively and selectively treats one or both of an original household hot water received from the household hot water line and water flowing through the module and treats cold water received from an original household cold water line that flows through; a process control unit whereby a user selects a desired treatment option for the water flowing through the apparatus to be dispensed to the user; one or more plumbing connections which operatively divert the original household hot and cold water flow to the user selected water treatment module so as to dispense to the user the selected treated water; and one or more valves which operatively cooperate with the process control unit to direct the water flow within the apparatus so as to provide the user with the selected treated water.

Claims

1. A water treatment apparatus comprising:

at least one module which operatively and selectively treats water flowing through the at least one module and treats cold water received from an original household cold water line that flows through;

wherein the at least one module includes a water filtration module in liquid communication with both the household cold water line and a hot water heater module for providing filtered on-demand instant hot water to a user;

a process control unit whereby a user selects a desired treatment option for the water flowing through the apparatus to be dispensed to the user;

one or more plumbing connections which operatively divert the water received from the original household cold water line to the user selected water treatment module so as to dispense to the user the selected treated water; and

one or more valves which operatively cooperate with the process control unit to direct the water flow within the apparatus so as to provide the user with the selected treated water;

a cold water outlet downstream of the user selected water treatment module and configured to attach to a faucet, the cold water outlet having a drain line;

a flapper check valve disposed within the cold water outlet, wherein the flapper check valve operatively opens so as to drain away the water retained within the cold water outlet to the drain line upon closure of the faucet.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one module further comprises at least one of the following:

carbonated water module in fluid connection with the water filtration module, ozonated water module, and a chilled water module configured to provide cold water at a temperature of from about 38°

F. to 32°

F.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the process control unit is an electronic control system that utilizes a process control board.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a control assembly whereby the user may select the water treatment desired for the water dispensed by way of the faucet to the user and the desired treatment option is one of a plurality of treatment options.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a housing containing the apparatus and wherein the housing is mounted under a countertop of a kitchen.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein original household hot water and original household cold water may bypass the apparatus for dispensing through the faucet.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein inlet ports direct the flow from the original cold water line and an original household hot water line from the apparatus to the faucet.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more valves operatively cooperating with the process control unit are actuated by the selection of the user utilizing the process control unit.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a second flapper check valve is positioned within a hot water outlet and the second flapper check valve operatively opens upon closure of the faucet so as to drain away the water retained within the hot water outlet to a hot water drain line.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the apparatus further comprises at least one water flow sensor positioned between at least one of the flapper check valves and the faucet.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the at least one water flow sensor comprises two water flow sensors with a first water flow sensor positioned between the flapper check valve of the hot water outlet and the faucet and a second water flow sensor positioned between the flapper check valve of the cold water outlet and the faucet.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the at least one water flow sensor measures a volume of water and a temperature of water through the at least one flow sensor and wherein the first and second water flow sensors are in communication with the process control unit.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the process control unit operatively adjusts the valves within the apparatus so as to provide water at a temperature selected by the user'"'"'s positioning of the faucet.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein one or more filters are employed to process the water stream flowing therethrough.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the hot water heater module provides water at a temperature of from about 180°

F. to about boiling-.

16. A water treatment apparatus comprising:

at least one module which operatively treats the water flowing through the at least one module and treats cold water received from an original household cold water line that flows through;

a process control unit whereby a user selects a desired treatment option for the water flowing through the apparatus to be dispensed to the user wherein the desired treatment options include filtered water and one or more of;

on-demand hot water at a temperature of from about 180°

F. to about 212°

F.;

on-demand cold water at a temperature of from about 43°

F. to about 32°

F.; and

ozonation;

one or more plumbing connections which operatively divert the original household cold water flow to the user selected water treatment module so as to dispense to the user the selected treated water;

one or more valves which operatively cooperate with the process control unit to direct the water flow within the apparatus so as to provide the user with the selected treated water; and

a near-field communication (NFC) system operatively connected to one or more modules of the apparatus which provides apparatus status information to the user by way of a NFC reader and an NFC tag token that is not physically connected to any other component of the water treatment apparatus and wherein the NFC tag token does not include a battery, but includes a processor that is processed by the NFC reader and records filter use information and indicates to a user when filtered water is not being provided when positioned proximate the reader and after the useful life of a water filter delivering the filtered water;

wherein a flapper check valve is positioned within a cold water outlet and the flapper check valve is configured to operatively open upon closure of a faucet so as to drain away the water retained within the cold water outlet to a drain line.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the apparatus further comprises a water flow sensor positioned between the flapper check valve and the faucet.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising a second water flow sensor positioned between a second flapper check valve of a hot water outlet and the faucet.