Advanced safe water treatment system

• US 5,916,439 A
• Filed: 03/18/1997
• Issued: 06/29/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Safe Bed Technologies Company
• Original Assignee: Safe Bed Technologies Company
• Inventors: Oleskow, Brett
• Primary Examiner(s): Woo, Jay H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOEY, BETSEY MORRISON
• Application Number:
  US08/819,869
• Time in Patent Office: 833 Days
• Field of Search: 210/192, 210/198.1, 210/202, 210/206, 210/209, 210/232, 210/244, 210/256, 210/266, 210/284, 210/748, 210/443
• US Class Current: 210/198.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/10 Ultraviolet radiation
• 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 1/325 Irradiation devices or lamp constructions
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 9/20 Portable or detachable small-scale multistage treatment devices, e.g. point of use or laboratory water purification systems

Abstract

A water purification system for home or light commercial application including a preconditioning stage followed by an integrated water sterilization stage. Both stages utilize a single pressure chamber in which the active medium for the preconditioning stage is placed within this chamber as is the entire sterilization stage. More specifically, UV sterilization is contemplated with the UV stage having a stainless steel vessel which, however, is operated at zero differential pressure. A single head is fitted to the top of the pressure chamber and serves multiple functions of admitting the water to be purified and expelling the purified water and, further, to retain the UV vessel, the UV lamp and quartz shield. A segregation device is positioned at the inlet to the UV vessel to separate the respective stages and to assure that none of the preconditioning medium is admitted to the UV vessel.

Claims

1. Integrated apparatus for purification of water, the integrated purification apparatus including a pressure chamber having an inlet to admit water thereto for purification and an effluent outlet for the discharge of purified water therefrom;

said integrated purification apparatus further including preconditioning means and ultraviolet sterilization means;

the ultraviolet sterilization means including an elongate vessel having first and second spaced apart means at respective opposed first and second ends thereof for entry of water to be sterilized and for the expulsion of water that has been sterilized, the sterilization vessel being located within the pressure chamber whereby a substantially zero differential water pressure shall be present thereon, the second spaced apart means for expulsion of sterilized water being in fluid-tight communication with the pressure chamber effluent outlet whereby no water may pass directly to the outlet from the inlet in the absence of the active preconditioning means media;

the preconditioning means including active media for purifying water, the active media being located within the interior volume of the pressure chamber not otherwise occupied by the sterilization vessel;

means for directing the water from the pressure chamber inlet onto the active media;

segregation means at the first spaced apart means in fluid communication between the preconditioning means and the means for entry of the water to the ultraviolet sterilization means for passing the preconditioned water from the preconditioning means active media to the sterilization means and for blocking the active media of the preconditioning means from entering the sterilization means whereby all water entering the ultraviolet sterilization means must pass the full length between said first and second opposed ends of the ultraviolet sterilization means and whereby both preconditioning and sterilization occur within the pressure chamber and whereby the sterilization vessel is operated under zero differential pressure.

2. Integrated apparatus for purification of water, the integrated purification apparatus including a pressure chamber having an inlet to admit water thereto for purification and an effluent outlet for the discharge of purified water therefrom;

said integrated purification apparatus further including preconditioning means and ultraviolet sterilization means, the ultraviolet sterilization means being located within the pressure chamber whereby a substantially zero differential water pressure shall be present thereon and having first and second spaced apart means at respective opposed first and second ends thereof for entry of water to be sterilized and for the expulsion of water that has been sterilized;

the preconditioning means including active media for purifying water, the active media being located within the pressure chamber;

means for directing the water from the inlet onto the active media;

segregation means at the first spaced apart means in fluid communication between the preconditioning means and the ultraviolet sterilization means for passing the preconditioned water from the preconditioning means to the ultraviolet sterilization means and for blocking the active media of the preconditioning means from entering the ultraviolet sterilization means whereby all water entering the ultraviolet sterilization means must pass the full length between said first and second opposed ends of the ultraviolet sterilization means and;

the second spaced apart means for directing the water from the ultraviolet sterilization means to the effluent outlet being in fluid-tight communication with the pressure chamber effluent outlet whereby no water may pass directly to the outlet from the inlet in the absence of the active preconditioning means media and whereby the preconditioned and sterilized water shall be available for use.

3. The integrated apparatus for purification of water of claim 2 in which the ultraviolet sterilization means comprises a generally cylindrical vessel having a UV irradiation source therein and spaced apart connections for the admission and expulsion of water whereby the water passing between said admission and expulsion connections is irradiated with UV energy;

the ultraviolet sterilization means vessel being located within the pressure chamber thereby placing said vessel under substantially zero differential pressure.

4. The integrated apparatus for purification of water of claim 2 in which the pressure chamber includes an aperture at one end thereof and head means rigidly mounted to said aperture for pressure sealing the aperture;

the head means further including a first fluid channel, which first channel serves as said pressure chamber inlet, and a second fluid channel, which second channel serves as said pressure chamber effluent outlet.

5. The integrated apparatus for purification of water of claim 4 in which the ultraviolet sterilization means includes a UV lamp and a protective quartz sleeve and in which said head means further includes means for positioning and retaining the protective quartz sleeve and for pressure sealing said sleeve and said head means further includes means for admitting the UV lamp therethrough and into the sleeve.