Automatic shut-off for water treatment system

• US 20040050790A1
• Filed: 09/16/2002
• Published: 03/18/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Access Business Group International LLC (Alticor Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Access Business Group International LLC (Alticor Incorporated)
• Inventors: Baarman, David W., Bartkus, Eric K.
• Granted Patent: US 6,939,470 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 210/650
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 61/10 Accessories; Auxiliary operations
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 61/12 Controlling or regulating
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 61/22 Controlling or regulating
• 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

Abstract

A water treatment system including an automatic shut-off control valve. The system preferably includes inflow and outflow sensors that monitor flow through the system and a pressure sensor that senses back pressure in a downstream plumbing system. If the sensors sense different flows, a leak in the system is assumed and the control valve is closed. In one embodiment, the flowing back pressure is monitored by the pressure sensor to detect leaks in the plumbing system. In another embodiment, the valve is closed after a specific volume of water flow is sensed and the pressure sensor measures static back pressure in the plumbing system to detect a leak. In yet another embodiment, incremental amounts of water are released by the valve and subsequent back pressures are tested to detect a leak. Optionally, the system includes a control to shut-off a water supply when a water treatment device enclosure is accessed.

Claims

1. A process for controlling water flow in a water treatment system including a control valve comprising:

measuring an inflow of water entering the water treatment system;

measuring an outflow of water exiting the water treatment system;

comparing the inflow and outflow; and

adjusting the control valve based on said comparing step.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein the control valve is at least partially closed when the inflow is less than the outflow.

3. The process of claim 1 wherein the control valve is at least partially closed when the outflow is greater than the inflow.

4. The process of claim 3 wherein the inflow of water is pressurized.

5. A system for treating a liquid flowing therethrough comprising:

a conduit adapted to provide fluid communication between a pressurized water supply and a plumbing system;

a valve associated with said conduit and adapted to control a flow of liquid from the pressurized water supply to the plumbing system;

a first flow sensor in fluid communication with said conduit and adapted to measure the flow to form a first flow measurement; and

a processor to compare the first flow measurement to a second flow measurement and adjust the valve when the first flow measurement differs from the second flow measurement.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the processor closes the valve when the first flow measurement is greater than the second flow measurement.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the flow of liquid measured by the first flow sensor is outflow and the second flow measurement is less than the second flow measurement.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the second flow measurement is a predetermined flow value unique to the water treatment system, the water supply and the plumbing system.

9. The system of claim 5 comprising a second flow sensor downstream of said first flow sensor, said second flow sensor adapted to measure the flow to form a third flow measurement.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the third flow measurement is the second flow measurement and the processor closes the valve when the first flow measurement is less than the second flow measurement.

11. A liquid treatment system comprising:

an enclosure;

a water treatment device housed within said enclosure;

a valve in fluid communication with said enclosure;

an access panel joined with said enclosure and adapted to open relative to said enclosure to provide access to said water treatment device; and

a control adapted to detect when said access panel is opened, wherein the control operates the valve to prevent liquid from flowing into said enclosure when said access panel is opened.

12. The liquid treatment system of claim 11 comprising a conduit in fluid communication with the valve and the enclosure.

13. The liquid treatment system of claim 11 wherein the control is a reed switch.

14. The liquid treatment system of claim 11 wherein the control closes the valve when the access panel is opened.

15. The liquid treatment system of claim 11 wherein the water treatment device is a consumable component selected from the group consisting of a filter, an adsorbent, an ion exchange device, a reverse osmosis device and a catalytic device.

16. The liquid treatment system of claim 12 wherein the conduit is in fluid communication with a pressurized water supply.

17. A process for controlling the outflow of treated water from a water treatment system to a downstream plumbing system comprising:

measuring the pressure of the water in the plumbing system as water flows through the water treatment system to establish a measured back pressure;

comparing the measured back pressure to a predefined back pressure; and

closing a control valve in fluid communication with the water treatment system when the measured back pressure is less than the predefined back pressure.

18. The process of claim 17 wherein the back pressure is measured a pressure sensor in fluid communication with at least one of the plumbing system and the water treatment system.

19. The process of claim 17 wherein the predefined back pressure is set by at least one of a user and a manufacturer, said stored back pressure based on a physical characteristics of at least one of the plumbing system and the water treatment system.

20. The process of claim 17 wherein the predefined back pressure is set by providing a pre-selected water flow through at least one of the water treatment and the plumbing system and recording the back pressure of that pre-selected flow to establish the predefined back pressure.

21. The process of claim 20 wherein the pre-selected water flow is the maximum water flow.

22. A process for controlling water flow through a water treatment system comprising:

sensing the water flow into the treatment system;

sensing the water flow out of the water treatment system; and

interrupting the flow of water out of the treatment system if the water flow into the treatment system exceeds the water flow out of the treatment system.

23. A process for controlling a flow of water through a water treatment system into a downstream plumbing system comprising:

measuring a volume of water flowing through the water treatment system into the plumbing system;

interrupting the water flow into the plumbing system with a valve when the volume of water flowing through the water treatment system exceeds a pre-defined volume;

measuring a first back pressure of the interrupted water flow downstream of the valve; and

selectively adjusting the valve based on the first measured back pressure.

24. The process of claim 23 wherein the valve is opened based on the first measured back pressure to resume the water flow through the water treatment system into the plumbing system.

25. The process of claim 23 comprising indicating to a user that the flow of water is interrupted after said interrupting step.

26. The process of claim 25 comprising instructing the user to prevent flow of water out from the plumbing system so that a static back pressure is established downstream of the valve.

27. The process of claim 26 wherein the static back pressure is compared to a predefined back pressure.

28. The process of claim 27 wherein the valve is opened to discontinue said interrupting of the water flow when said static back pressure exceeds the first measured back pressure of the interrupted water flow downstream of the valve.

29. The process of claim 23 wherein the valve is selectively adjusted to allow a test volume of water to pass downstream of the valve and thereby establish a second back pressure of water flow downstream of the valve.

30. The process of claim 29 comprising measuring the second back pressure.

31. The process of claim 30 comprising comparing the first measured back pressure to the second measured back pressure.

32. The process of claim 31 comprising discontinuing the interrupting of the flow of water into the plumbing system when the second measured back pressure exceeds the first measured back pressure.

33. The process of claim 31 wherein the valve is selectively adjusted to allow a plurality of test volumes to pass downstream of the valve and establish a plurality of corresponding back pressures downstream of the valve.

34. The process of claim 34 comprising evaluating the plurality of back pressures to determine if a leak exists in the plumbing system.