Fluid filter assembly for a dispensing faucet
First Claim
1. A fluid filter assembly for a water dispensing faucet comprises:
- a housing assembly that is constructed and arranged to connect to a spout of a water dispensing faucet;
a cover assembly constructed and arranged to be removably attached to said housing assembly, the attached combination of said cover assembly and said housing assembly defining an interior receiving space;
a replaceable filter cartridge installed into said receiving space for filtering a flow of water before delivery to said dispensing faucet; and
wherein said housing assembly includes a plurality of reed switches that are responsive to changes in magnetic flux in order to provide a plurality of electronic indications from the following group of electronic indications, including an electronic indication of the filter cartridge status in terms of useful life, an electronic indication of when a non-approved filter cartridge is installed, an electronic indication when there is no filter cartridge installed, an electronic indication when there is a water leak within the fluid filter assembly, and an electronic indication of when one filter cartridge has been replaced by another filter cartridge.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A fluid filter assembly for a water dispensing faucet includes a housing assembly that is constructed and arranged to connect to a water dispensing faucet, a cover assembly that is threadedly attachable to the housing assembly for defining an interior receiving space therebetween and a replaceable filter cartridge installed into the receiving space and being constructed and arranged for filtering a flow of water before that water is delivered to the dispensing faucet. A plurality of reed switches are utilized that are responsive to changes in magnetic flux in order to provide electronic indications of filter status. Some of these electronic indications include the filter cartridge status in terms of its useful life, when a non-approved filter cartridge is installed, when there is no filter cartridge installed, when there is a water leak within the fluid filter assembly, and when one used filter cartridge has been replaced by a new filter cartridge.
51 Citations
51 Claims
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1. A fluid filter assembly for a water dispensing faucet comprises:
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a housing assembly that is constructed and arranged to connect to a spout of a water dispensing faucet;
a cover assembly constructed and arranged to be removably attached to said housing assembly, the attached combination of said cover assembly and said housing assembly defining an interior receiving space;
a replaceable filter cartridge installed into said receiving space for filtering a flow of water before delivery to said dispensing faucet; and
wherein said housing assembly includes a plurality of reed switches that are responsive to changes in magnetic flux in order to provide a plurality of electronic indications from the following group of electronic indications, including an electronic indication of the filter cartridge status in terms of useful life, an electronic indication of when a non-approved filter cartridge is installed, an electronic indication when there is no filter cartridge installed, an electronic indication when there is a water leak within the fluid filter assembly, and an electronic indication of when one filter cartridge has been replaced by another filter cartridge. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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- 12. The fluid filter assembly of claim 111 wherein a second reed switch is used to measure the volume of water that has flowed through said fluid filter assembly.
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20. In combination:
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a. a water dispensing faucet including a base portion visible to a user and a dispensing spout; and
b. a fluid filter assembly for said water dispensing faucet comprising;
a housing assembly that is constructed and arranged to connect to a spout of a water dispensing faucet;
a cover assembly constructed and arranged to be removably attached to said housing assembly, the attached combination of said cover assembly and said housing assembly defining an interior receiving space;
a replaceable filter cartridge installed into said receiving space for filtering a flow of water before delivery to said dispensing faucet;
wherein said housing assembly includes an LED that is constructed and arranged with an operating circuit to provide illumination in a plurality of different colors depending on the fluid filter assembly status; and
c. a fiber optic lightpipe connecting the illumination of said LED to a lens installed as part of the base of said water dispensing faucet. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A fluid filter assembly for a water dispensing faucet comprises:
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a housing assembly that is constructed and arranged to connect to a spout of a water dispensing faucet, said housing assembly including a magnetized turbine impeller and a cooperating reed switch;
a cover assembly constructed and arranged to be removably attached to said housing assembly, the attached combination of said cover assembly and said housing assembly defining an interior receiving space;
a replaceable filter cartridge installed into said receiving space for filtering a flow of water before delivery to said dispensing faucet, said magnetized turbine impeller and said cooperating reed switch being arranged so as to register the volume of water passing through said filter cartridge; and
wherein said turbine impeller being assembled to an axial shaft arranged into two separable sections, each of said separable sections being movable by the use of a corresponding living hinge. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 49, 50, 51)
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43. A fluid filter assembly for a water dispensing faucet comprises:
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a housing assembly that is constructed and arranged to connect to a spout of a water dispensing faucet, said housing assembly including a manually actuatable mechanical air vent;
a cover assembly constructed and arranged to be removably attached to said housing assembly, the attached combination of said cover assembly and said housing assembly defining an interior receiving space;
a replaceable filter cartridge installed into said receiving space for filtering a flow of water before delivery to said dispensing faucet; and
wherein said mechanical air vent includes a vent chamber constructed and arranged to receive trapped air from within said receiving space upon actuation and said housing assembly defining a vent passageway to automatically vent trapped air received from said receiving space to said water dispensing faucet. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
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Specification