Water purification system and method

• US 20070187309A1
• Filed: 01/23/2007
• Published: 08/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EMD Millipore Corporation (Merck & Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Millipore Corporation
• Inventors: Gaignet, Yves
• Granted Patent: US 7,793,684 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 210/143
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/001 Processes for the treatment of water whereby the filtration technique is of importance C02F1/44 takes precedence; construction of filters in general B01D24/00 - B01D41/00
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/32 with ultraviolet light
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2103/04 for obtaining ultra-pure water
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/005 Processes using a programmable logic controller [PLC]
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/05 Conductivity or salinity
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/20 Total organic carbon [TOC]
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/40 Liquid flow rate
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2301/043 Treatment of partial or bypass streams
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 41/03 comprising junction pieces for four or more pipe members
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/85938 Non-valved flow dividers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/85954 Closed circulating system

Abstract

The invention concerns a hydraulic connector (140) forming a distributor or manifold for a hydraulic circuit of a fluid purification system (100) having a purified fluid inlet (142) and three outlets (143, 144, 145), characterized in that the inlet (142) is connected directly to a first outlet (143) of the three outlets by a pipe and in that a second pipe (141) is hydraulically connected to the first pipe between said inlet (142) and said first outlet (143) and to a third pipe having two ends forming the other two outlets (144, 145) of the connector.

Claims

1. Hydraulic connector (140) forming a distributor or manifold for a hydraulic circuit of a fluid purification system (100) having a purified fluid inlet (142) and three outlets (143, 144,145), characterized in that the inlet (142) is connected directly to a first outlet (143) of the three outlets by a pipe and in that a second pipe (141) is hydraulically connected to the first pipe between said inlet (142) and said first outlet (143) and to a third pipe having two ends forming the other two outlets (144, 145) of the connector.

2. Hydraulic connector according to claim 1, characterized in that the first pipe has an outlet section smaller than its inlet section and the sections of the two outlets of the third pipe are different.

3. Hydraulic connector according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the hydraulic connector is a symmetrical pipework component.

4. Hydraulic connector according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the inlet and outlet sections of the first pipe are substantially equal to respective outlet sections of the third pipe.

5. Hydraulic connector according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the section of the second pipe is less than or equal to the section of the first outlet of the connector.

6. Water purification system including a purified water recirculation loop including water treatment means and at least one point of use of purified water, characterized in that the system is equipped with a connector according to any one of the preceding claims downstream of the treatment means, the inlet whereof is connected to the outlet of said treatment means and one outlet whereof is connected to the recirculation loop upstream of the treatment means, the system including two parallel branches that come together at the point of use and are connected to the other two outlets of the connector.

7. Water purification system according to claim 6, characterized in that the outlet of the device connected to the recirculation loop is an outlet other than said first outlet of the device connected directly to the inlet by said first pipe.

8. Water purification system according either to claim 6 or to claim 7, characterized in that it is equipped, downstream of the connector, with two parallel branches that are connected to the recirculation loop at two different points downstream of the water purification means and come together at the point of use.

9. Water purification system according to any one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that the two parallel branches come together at the inlet of a solenoid distribution valve enabling purified water to be distributed at the point of use, through a filter or a polishing cartridge.