Methods and apparatus for the treatment of fluids
First Claim
1. A method of providing treated fluid, comprising acts of:
- receiving the fluid into a chamber;
filtering the fluid of at least some particulate matter and/or chemicals within the chamber;
disinfecting the fluid with an ultraviolet light source within the chamber; and
dispensing the fluid from the chamber.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and apparatus for disinfecting and/or filtering fluids, such as water, are disclosed. One embodiment is directed to a method of providing treated fluid, comprising acts of receiving the fluid into a chamber, filtering the fluid of particulate matter and/or chemicals within the chamber, disinfecting the fluid with an ultraviolet light source within the chamber, and dispensing the fluid from the chamber. Methods and apparatus for improving the efficiency of a light source, such as a light source used for ultraviolet disinfection, are also disclosed. Another embodiment is directed to an improved-efficiency ultraviolet disinfection device, comprising a chamber, and a black body radiator disposed therein and adapted to emit light in the ultraviolet spectrum. At least a portion of the chamber is constructed and arranged to reflect an amount of emitted light that is sufficient to cause regenerative heating of the black body radiator back toward the black body radiator.
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Citations
46 Claims
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1. A method of providing treated fluid, comprising acts of:
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receiving the fluid into a chamber;
filtering the fluid of at least some particulate matter and/or chemicals within the chamber;
disinfecting the fluid with an ultraviolet light source within the chamber; and
dispensing the fluid from the chamber. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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6. The method of claim l, wherein the chamber comprises a water cooler.
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12. A faucet-coupleable device for treating fluid, comprising:
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a housing adapted to be coupled to a faucet such that the housing may receive fluid from the faucet;
a filter disposed within the housing to filter the fluid of at least some particulate matter and/or chemicals;
an ultraviolet light source disposed within the housing to disinfect the fluid; and
an outlet port to release the fluid. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A fluid dispenser, comprising:
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a receptacle to hold fluid, the receptacle having a first opening for receiving fluid and a second opening for dispensing fluid;
a passage between the first opening and the second opening for allowing the passage of fluid between the first opening and the second opening;
a filter configured and arranged to filter the fluid of at least some particulate matter and/or chemicals as the fluid passes through the passage; and
an ultraviolet light source configured and arranged to disinfect the fluid in at least a portion of the receptacle. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A bottle for holding and treating fluid, comprising:
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a receptacle for holding the fluid;
a filtering unit constructed to be receivable within the receptacle, the filtering unit comprising a filter;
wherein the filtering unit is constructed such that insertion of the filtering unit into the receptacle causes fluid disposed within the receptacle to pass through the filter. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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42. An improved-efficiency ultraviolet disinfection device, comprising:
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a chamber; and
a black body radiator disposed within the chamber, wherein the black body radiator is adapted to emit light in the ultraviolet spectrum;
wherein at least a portion of the chamber is constructed and arranged to reflect an amount of light emitted by the black body radiator back toward the black body radiator such that the reflected light is incident upon the back body radiator; and
wherein the amount is sufficient to cause regenerative heating of the black body radiator. - View Dependent Claims (43)
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44. A method of improving the efficiency of a black body radiator disposed within a housing and adapted to emit light in the ultraviolet spectrum, the method comprising acts of:
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emitting light of both desirable and undesirable wavelengths from the black body radiator;
transmitting the light of desirable wavelengths through the housing;
reflecting the light of undesirable wavelengths off the housing and towards the black body radiator; and
using the reflected light of undesirable wavelengths, causing regenerative heating of the black body radiator. - View Dependent Claims (45)
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46. A replaceable module for a faucet-mountable treatment device, the module comprising:
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a filter adapted to filter a fluid of at least some particulate matter and/or chemicals; and
a reflective material disposed on the filter, the reflective material adapted to reflect light in the ultraviolet range.
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Specification