System for adding consumable enhancing additives to drinking water

• US 20040055948A1
• Filed: 08/01/2003
• Published: 03/25/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: The Egg Factory LLC
• Original Assignee: The Egg Factory LLC
• Inventors: Hamrick, Mary L., Hickman, Phyllis Elizabeth, Peverill, Marcus T., Montag, Michael B., Blum, Bradley J.
• Application Number:
  US10/631,774
• Publication Number:
  US 20040055948A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 210/435
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 21/22 using additional holders in conduits, containers or pools for keeping the solid material in place, e.g. supports or receptacles
• 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 1/688 Devices in which the water progressively dissolves a solid compound
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/005 Processes using a programmable logic controller [PLC]
• 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

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a system for treating drinking water to enhance it with consumable additives such as vitamins and flavor. The system may be connectable to a source of drinking water such as home faucet, and operable to selectably introduce additives into the drinking water.

Claims

1. A system for enhancing a content of drinking water, comprising:

an inlet connectable to a drinking water source;

an outlet; and

a drinking-water-enhancing portion connecting the inlet and the outlet, the drinking-water-enhancing portion being configured to cooperate with a dispensing mechanism for dispensing a consumable enhancing additive into a flow of drinking water between the inlet and the outlet, the dispensing mechanism comprising at least one container configured to releasably hold the consumable enhancing additive.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the dispensing mechanism is formed as a replaceable cartridge containing the consumable enhancing additive.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a filter.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a cartridge containing the consumable enhancing additive.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the consumable enhancing additive includes a nutrient.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the consumable enhancing additive includes a vitamin.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein the consumable enhancing additive includes a flavor.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the drinking-water-enhancing portion comprises at least one sealable opening for receiving the replaceable cartridge.

9. The system of claim 2, wherein the replaceable cartridge is formed as a cylinder, the cylinder having walls connecting an inlet end and an outlet end, the walls having a plurality of openings therethrough for allowing the consumable enhancing additive contained within the cylinder to be released into the flow of drinking water, wherein a channel for the passage of drinking water through the cylinder extends between the inlet end and the outlet end.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the channel has a spiral structure formed thereon.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the dispensing mechanism comprises a plurality of refillable injectors for containing the consumable enhancing additive, the injectors being insertable into and retractable from the flow of drinking water.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the refillable injectors are configured to hold a replaceable cartridge containing the consumable enhancing additive.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the replaceable cartridge is formed as a cylinder, the cylinder having walls connecting an inlet end and an outlet end, the walls having a plurality of openings therethrough for allowing the consumable enhancing additive contained within the cylinder to be released into the flow of drinking water, wherein a hollow channel for the passage of drinking water through the cylinder extends between the inlet end and the outlet end.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the dispensing mechanism comprises a flow meter coupled to the at least one container.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the flow meter is configured to measure a volume of water passing between the inlet and the outlet, and to cause a predetermined amount of the consumable enhancing additive in the at least one container to be released in accordance with the volume measured.

16. The system of claim 2, further comprising an indicator associated with a monitoring mechanism for determining when the cartridge should be replaced.

17. The system of claim 1, further comprising a filter, and wherein the dispensing mechanism comprises a first container and a second container, the system further comprising a switching mechanism configured to cause the flow of water to selectably be treated only by the filter, only by the dispensing mechanism, or by both the filter and the dispensing mechanism.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the switching mechanism is further configured to cause the flow of water to selectably be treated by the dispensing mechanism to only receive a consumable enhancing additive from the first container, only receive a consumable enhancing additive from the second container, or to receive a consumable enhancing additive from both the first container and the second container.

19. The system of claim 4, wherein the consumable enhancing additive is enclosed within a pill coating.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the pill coating is an edible substance.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the edible substance is one of hydrolyzed starch, acrylic acid, and cellulose.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein pill formed by the coating has a radius on the order of microns.

23. The system of claim 19, wherein the coating is insoluble in a solvent having a pH level greater than 2.