FILTER MODULES FOR IMPROVED MEDIA UTILIZATION AND USE IN GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL HOUSING
First Claim
1. A filter comprising multiple porous filter block modules and a housing, each of said modules comprising filter media walls surrounding and defining a bore for receiving fluid, and each of said modules being connected to a portion of said housing to retain and seal the bore in fluid communication with a fluid inlet of the housing;
- each module having an internal surface defined by said bore and reachable by inlet fluid to be filtered, wherein fluid directed to the internal surface flows through said filter media walls for filtration and exits the module at external surfaces of the module;
wherein the filter is characterized by;
having only two of said modules, wherein each of said two modules has an axial length and a radial dimension perpendicular to said axial length, and each of said two modules is D-shaped in radial cross-section substantially all along the axial length of the module, and wherein said bore is D-shaped all along the axial length of the bore;
wherein each of the two modules is made of materials selected from the group consisting of activated carbon powder, activated carbon granules, lead removal additive, arsenic removal additive, and at least one binder, and said at least one binder has a melt index of less than or equal to 0.1 g/min melt index by ASTM D1238 or DIN 53735 at 190 degrees C. and 15 kilograms.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Filter modules for use in a water dispenser, carafe, or other gravity-flow water filtration and dispensing unit are self-supporting, rigid and porous, and are adapted in size and shape to substantially fill a generally-cylindrical housing. The filter modules are molded forms of high-porosity compositions, so that they are consistent in performance and “non-dusting” compared to the unpredictable arrangements, positions, and performance of loose activated carbon particles. Filter modules may include activated carbon, zeolitic, resins, metal-scavengers, and/or other water filtration/treatment media granules/powders, for example, bound into a solid profile form by thermoplastic and/or other polymeric binders. Low melt index, or very low melt index, binders are preferred to maximize exposure of the activated carbon surface area. Thin walls of media surround the preferred single core/bore of each module, to preferably form generally D-shaped or triangular modules, wherein multiple modules of the same shape may be attached side-by-side to a housing plate/member, to substantially fill the housing, with the modules close together but spaced to allow water flow between and all around the modules.
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. A filter comprising multiple porous filter block modules and a housing, each of said modules comprising filter media walls surrounding and defining a bore for receiving fluid, and each of said modules being connected to a portion of said housing to retain and seal the bore in fluid communication with a fluid inlet of the housing;
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each module having an internal surface defined by said bore and reachable by inlet fluid to be filtered, wherein fluid directed to the internal surface flows through said filter media walls for filtration and exits the module at external surfaces of the module; wherein the filter is characterized by; having only two of said modules, wherein each of said two modules has an axial length and a radial dimension perpendicular to said axial length, and each of said two modules is D-shaped in radial cross-section substantially all along the axial length of the module, and wherein said bore is D-shaped all along the axial length of the bore; wherein each of the two modules is made of materials selected from the group consisting of activated carbon powder, activated carbon granules, lead removal additive, arsenic removal additive, and at least one binder, and said at least one binder has a melt index of less than or equal to 0.1 g/min melt index by ASTM D1238 or DIN 53735 at 190 degrees C. and 15 kilograms. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method of gravity-flow water filtration comprising:
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providing a filter comprising a housing and multiple porous filter block modules inside said housing, each of said modules comprising filter media walls surrounding and defining a bore in each of said modules for receiving fluid, and said modules being connected to a lid of said housing, wherein the filter is characterized by; comprising only two of said modules, wherein each of said two modules has an axial length and a radial dimension perpendicular to said axial length, each bore of each module is D-shaped in radial cross-section, each module outer surface is D-shaped in radial cross-section, and the modules are spaced apart so that they are adapted to allow fluid flow between them; the filter modules being made of materials selected from the group consisting of activated carbon powder, activated carbon granules, lead removal additive, arsenic removal additive, and at least one binder, and said at least one binder has a melt index of less than or equal to 0.1 g/min melt index by ASTM D1238 or DIN 53735 at 190 degrees C. and 15 kilograms; and the method is further characterized by; directing water to the bores of the two modules so that the water flows through said filter media walls only under gravity flow to exit the filter modules at external surfaces of said modules; and wherein said gravity flow of the water through the filer media walls removes lead from said water to a level less than 10 ppb total of soluble and particulate lead. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A filter comprising multiple porous filter block modules and a housing, each of said modules comprising filter media walls surrounding and defining a bore for receiving fluid, and each of said modules being connected to a portion of said housing to retain and seal the bore in fluid communication with a fluid inlet of the housing;
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each module having an internal surface defined by said bore and reachable by inlet fluid to be filtered, wherein fluid directed to the internal surface flows through said filter media walls for filtration and exits the module at external surfaces of the module; wherein the filter is characterized by; having only four of said modules, wherein each of said four modules has an axial length and a generally triangular in radial cross-section substantially all along the axial length of the module, and wherein said bore is generally triangular all along the axial length of the bore; wherein each of the four modules is made of materials selected from the group consisting of activated carbon powder, activated carbon granules, lead removal additive, arsenic removal additive, and at least one binder, and said at least one binder has a melt index of less than or equal to 0.1 g/min melt index by ASTM D1238 or DIN 53735 at 190 degrees C. and 15 kilograms. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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Specification