OUTLET FOR SHOWER OR FAUCET HEAD

• US 20120055886A1
• Filed: 08/25/2011
• Published: 03/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cytiva (Danaher Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Pall Corporation (Danaher Corporation)
• Inventors: Hunter, Alastair J., Wilkinson, Timothy J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,745,206 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 210/767
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 35/153 Anti-leakage or anti-return valves
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 1/18 Roses; Shower heads with means for adding soap or the like E03C1/046; jet regulators E03C1/08
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 1/34 designed to influence the nature of flow of the liquid or other fluent material, e.g. to produce swirl designed to control volume of flow B05B1/30
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 12/004 comprising sensors for monitoring the delivery, e.g. by displaying the sensed value or generating an alarm B05B12/08 takes precedence; registering or indicating the condition or the working of machines or other apparatus in general G07C3/00
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 12/008 integrated in or attached to a discharge apparatus, e.g. a spray gun
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 15/40 Filters located upstream of the spraying outlets
• 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 1/505 by oligodynamic treatment
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/44 Time
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2303/04 Disinfection
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2307/06 Mounted on or being part of a faucet, shower handle or showerhead
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/0409 Shower handles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 10/37 using solar energy

Abstract

Removable and replaceable outlets for point-of-use showers or faucets, filter devices, and methods and systems including the outlets and/or filter devices, are disclosed.

Claims

1. An outlet for a point of use shower or a faucet, the shower or faucet including an attachment head, and a sterilizing grade water filter device comprising a porous sterilizing grade water filter, a water effluent portion, and a side wall having an external surface;

the filter device being in fluid communication with, and removably connected to, the shower head or the faucet head, and the outlet;

the outlet comprising;

an outlet housing comprising a polymeric shell comprising a side wall having a side wall inner surface and a side wall outer surface, a bottom wall having an inner face, an outer face, and a plurality of outlet ports, each port comprising an opening allowing water flow from the inner face through the outer face, and a cavity defined by the side wall inner surface and the bottom wall inner face, wherein both the side wall outer surface and the bottom wall outer face contact environmental air surrounding the shower head or the faucet head, and;

a hydrophobic porous disc contained in the cavity of the polymeric shell, the porous disc comprising a plurality of pores and having an upstream surface and a downstream surface, the downstream surface facing the inner face of the bottom wall; and

,

wherein the side wall inner surface of the shell includes a mounting element releasably engageable with the external surface of the side wall of the filter device, the outlet cavity being suitable for receiving at least a portion of the filter device.

2. The outlet of claim 1, wherein, when the outlet is engaged with the filter device, a predominantly non-linear fluid flow path is defined from the water effluent portion of the water filter device through the hydrophobic porous disc and through the opening(s) in the outlet ports.

3. The outlet of claim 2 wherein the inner face of the bottom wall further comprises a plurality of upwardly facing projections, and a portion of the downstream surface of the hydrophobic porous disc contacts the projections.

4. The outlet of claim 2, wherein the upstream surface of the hydrophobic porous disc is spaced away from the water effluent portion of the filter device.

5. The outlet of claim 2, wherein the hydrophobic porous disc comprises a hydrophobic bacteriostatic porous disc.

6. The outlet of claim 2, wherein the bacteriostatic porous disc includes bacteriostatic particles.

7. The outlet of claim 2, wherein the polymeric shell includes bacteriostatic particles.

8. An outlet and water filter device for a point of use faucet or a point of use shower comprising:

the outlet of claim 2; and

,

a sterilizing grade water filter device comprising a porous sterilizing grade water filter, a water effluent portion, and a side wall having an external surface comprising threads;

wherein the side wall inner surface of the shell includes threads releasably engageable with the threads on the external surface of the side wall of the filter device, the outlet cavity receiving at least a portion of the filter device.

9. The outlet and water filter device of claim 8, wherein the sterilizing grade water filter device comprises a housing comprising a bottom wall having an outer edge, the side wall having an internal surface and the external surface comprising threads, and the water effluent portion, wherein the water effluent portion is between the outer edge of the bottom wall, and the internal surface of the side wall.

10. The outlet and water filter device of claim 8, wherein the sterilizing grade water filter device comprises a housing comprising a bottom wall comprising the water effluent portion, and the side wall having the external surface comprising threads.

13. A point of use shower or faucet tap system comprising:

the outlet and water filter device of claim 8; and

,

a shower head or a faucet tap head, engageable with the outlet and water filter device.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising a safety retainer for releasably locking the filter device to the shower attachment head or the tap attachment head, the safety retainer comprising a handle and a pin, wherein the pin engages with a safety retainer receptacle;

wherein the shower attachment head or the tap attachment head further comprises the handle and pin; and

, the filter device housing comprises the safety retainer receptacle.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the shower attachment head or the tap attachment head further comprises a display for notifying the user as to when the filter device and or outlet was installed and/or for notifying the user as to when the filter device and/or outlet should be replaced.

17. A method for reducing retrograde contamination, the method comprising engaging the outlet of claim 2 with a point of use shower or faucet including a sterilizing grade water filter device and a shower attachment head or faucet attachment head, wherein engaging the outlet includes providing a hermetic seal between the outlet and the filter device, and also includes providing a tight seal between the outlet and the shower attachment head or faucet attachment head;

and,

dispensing water through the shower or faucet and through the filter device and outlet.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising monitoring the time of use of the outlet and/or filter device.

11. A water sterilizing filter device comprising:

a porous water sterilizing filter comprising at least one porous element; and

,

a housing containing the filter and providing a fluid flow path through the filter, the housing comprising an inlet and a water effluent portion and defining the fluid flow path between the inlet and the water effluent portion, wherein the housing comprises a bottom wall having an outer edge, a side wall having an internal surface and the external surface comprising threads, and the water effluent portion, wherein the water effluent portion is between the outer edge of the bottom wall, and the internal surface of the side wall.

16. A method of dispending water, the method comprising passing the water through claim 11.

12. A water sterilizing filter device comprising:

a porous water sterilizing filter comprising at least one porous element; and

,

a housing containing the filter and providing a fluid flow path through the filter, the housing comprising an inlet and a water effluent portion and defining the fluid flow path between the inlet and the water effluent portion, wherein the housing comprises a bottom wall comprising the water effluent portion, and a side wall having the external surface comprising threads.