Water treatment vessels and cartridges therefor

• US 20060144766A1
• Filed: 12/14/2005
• Published: 07/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Strix Limited (Strix Group Plc)
• Original Assignee: Strix Limited (Strix Group Plc)
• Inventors: Felmeri, Ian, Scott, Michael James
• Application Number:
  US11/300,687
• Publication Number:
  US 20060144766A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 210/94
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/605 Water filters
• 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 2209/44 Time

Abstract

A water treatment vessel is adapted for receiving, in use, an elapsed time indicator. The vessel comprises denominating means, for denominating a portion of the indicator corresponding to a desired elapsed time, so as to allow a user to see when the indicator indicates the desired elapsed time. The denominating means may comprise one or more windows such that only a selected portion of the indicator is visible. The vessel is arranged to activate the indicator automatically when it is installed.

Claims

1. A water treatment vessel comprising:

a water treatment cartridge;

an elapsed time indicator; and

denominating means, separate from the indicator, for denominating a portion of the indicator corresponding to a desired elapsed time so as to allow a user to see when the indicator indicates the desired elapsed time.

3. The water treatment vessel of claim 1, wherein the indicator is provided on the cartridge.

4. The water treatment vessel of claim 3, wherein the indicator is provided on the top of the cartridge.

5. The water treatment vessel of claim 1, wherein the indicator is provided on a part of the vessel separate to the water treatment cartridge.

7. The water treatment vessel of claim 1, wherein the indicator is in the form of a strip.

9. The water treatment vessel of claim 1, wherein the denominating means is situated on or in the vessel such that the water treatment cartridge is mounted directly beneath it.

13. The water treatment vessel of claim 1, wherein the vessel or cartridge is provided with means for activating the indicator which presses against a pressure-rupturable seal of the indicator only when the indicator or cartridge is installed.

17. The water treatment vessel of claim 1, wherein the indicator is of a type in which a liquid advances along a medium.

18. The water treatment vessel of claim 17, wherein the advancing liquid causes an observable color change.

19. The water treatment vessel of claim 18 wherein, at an average temperature of about 40°

C., the color change will not migrate through the whole of the medium until a time period of about four weeks has elapsed.

20. The water treatment vessel of claim 1, wherein the elapsed time indicator comprises a reservoir containing a colored indicator fluid and a migration medium, arranged such that said liquid is initially isolated from said migration medium, but on the application of pressure to the reservoir said liquid is brought into contact with the migration medium such that the liquid is caused to migrate along the migration medium, the extent of said migration giving an indication of elapsed time since activation.

2. A water treatment vessel, comprising:

an elapsed time indicator; and

means for denominating a portion of the indicator corresponding to a desired elapsed time, so as to allow a user to see when the indicator indicates the desired elapsed time.

6. The water treatment vessel of claim 2, wherein the vessel is arranged to receive an indicator in an external handle portion.

8. The water treatment vessel of claim 2, wherein the denominating means comprises one or more windows such that in use only a selected portion of the indicator is visible.

10. The water treatment vessel of claim 2, wherein the vessel has a lid with a viewing means which allows a user to view the denominating means through the lid.

11. The water treatment vessel of claim 2, wherein the denominating means is integral with a handle portion of the vessel.

12. The water treatment vessel of claim 2, wherein the vessel is arranged to activate the indicator automatically when it is installed.

14. The water treatment vessel of claim 12, wherein the activating means is integral with the denominating means.

15. The water treatment vessel of claim 2, wherein the vessel is provided with means for receiving an indicator and said means for receiving comprises a keying arrangement which is so shaped that an indicator may only be inserted in a particular orientation.

16. The water treatment vessel of claim 2, wherein the vessel has a channel for receiving an indicator, the channel and the indicator being so shaped that the indicator can only be fully inserted into the channel in a particular orientation.

21. A water treatment cartridge having an elapsed time indicator comprising a first reservoir containing a colored indicator fluid and a migration medium, arranged such that said fluid is initially isolated from said migration medium, but on the application of pressure to the reservoir said fluid is brought into contact with the migration medium such that the fluid is caused to migrate along the migration medium, the extent of said migration giving an indication of elapsed time since activation.

22. The water treatment cartridge of claim 21, wherein a second reservoir is disposed between the first reservoir and the migration medium.