Filter/sanitizer

• US 6,004,458 A
• Filed: 01/28/1998
• Issued: 12/21/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hayward Industries, Inc.
• Original Assignee: H-TECH, INC.
• Inventors: Davidson, Donald R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Savage, Matthew O.
• Application Number:
  US09/014,448
• Time in Patent Office: 692 Days
• Field of Search: 210/203, 210/205, 210/206, 210/209, 210/458, 210/315, 210/338, 210/440, 210/442, 210/450, 210/453, 210/457, 422/274, 422/276, 422/277
• US Class Current: 210/206
• 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 2201/006 Cartridges

Abstract

A filter/sanitizer has a filter housing, provided with a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, a filter cartridge with a hollow interior, located within the filter housing, and a sanitizer cartridge, with a hollow core, positioned within the hollow interior of the filter cartridge. In a preferred embodiment, the sanitizer cartridge is constructed with an outer fluid-permeable member and an inner fluid-permeable member, the outer and inner members substantially enveloping a space therebetween, with the space containing a sanitizing media bed. In operation, as fluid enters the filter housing through the fluid inlet, substantially the full flow of fluid passes through the filter cartridge, through the sanitizer cartridge and around the sanitizing media contained within the bed, into the hollow core of the sanitizer cartridge, and out of the filter housing through the fluid outlet.

Claims

1. A filter/sanitizer, comprising:

a filter housing, with a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet;

a filter cartridge having a hollow interior, said filter cartridge located within said filter housing; and

a sanitizer cartridge having an outer fluid-permeable member and an inner fluid-permeable member, said outer fluid-permeable member and said inner fluid-permeable member substantially enveloping a space therebetween which contains a sanitizing media, said innerfluid-permeable member bounding a hollow core, said sanitizer cartridge being positioned substantially within said hollow interior of said filter cartridge such that as fluid flows into said filter housing through said fluid inlet, substantially the full flow of the fluid passes through said filter cartridge, through said sanitizer cartridge and around said sanitizing media, and into said hollow core before exiting said filter housing through said fluid outlet, said sanitizer cartridge also including an end cap having an annular partition with a solid concentric tube affixed to one side thereof, said concentric tube having an outer diameter smaller than an outer diameter of said annular partition, thereby forming an outer annular shoulder around an outer edge of said annular partition, said concentric tube having an inner diameter larger than an inner diameter of said annular partition, thereby forming an inner annular shoulder around an inner edge of said annular partition, said outer fluid-permeable member resting on said outer annular shoulder and being fixedly attached to said annular partition and to an outer surface of said concentric tube, said inner fluid-permeable member resting on said inner annular shoulder and being fixedly attached to said annular partition and to an inner surface of said concentric tube, and a hollow frustum attached to an opposite side of said annular partition, thereby closing said end cap and sealing one end of said sanitizer cartridge.

2. A filter/sanitizer according to claim 1, wherein said filter/sanitizer filters and sanitizes substantially all of the fluid passing therethrough.

3. A filter/sanitizer according to claim 1, wherein said outer fluid-permeable member is a perforated tube and said inner fluid-permeable member is a perforated tube.

4. A filter/sanitizer according to claim 3, wherein said outer perforated tube and said inner perforated tube are plastic.

5. A filter/sanitizer according to claim 3, wherein said outer perforated tube and said inner perforated tube are metallic.

6. A filter/sanitizer according to claim 1, wherein said fluid outlet is located in a filter body and is provided with an outlet tube having a smaller diameter tube at its top, an outlet fitting of said sanitizer cartridge sealingly engaging said outlet tube.

7. A filter/sanitizer according to claim 6, wherein said outlet fitting comprises a tubular top section with an internal annular shoulder and a tubular frustum middle section which widens into a tubular bottom section, said bottom section being provided with an external upper shoulder and an external lower shoulder, said outer fluid-permeable member being slidable around said tubular bottom section, resting on said external upper shoulder, and being fixedly attached to said tubular bottom section, said inner fluid-permeable member being slidable into said tubular top section, resting on said internal annular shoulder, and being fixedly attached inside said tubular top section, said external lower shoulder sealingly resting on said smaller diameter tube of said outlet tube, thereby providing a fluid outlet flow pathway from said hollow core of said sanitizer cartridge through said outlet fitting, into said outlet tube, and out of said filter housing through said fluid outlet.

8. A filter/sanitizer, comprising:

a filter housing, with a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet;

a filter cartridge having a hollow interior, said filter cartridge located within said filter housing; and

a sanitizer cartridge having an outer fluid-permeable member and an inner fluid-permeable member, said outer fluid-permeable member and said inner fluid-permeable member substantially enveloping a space therebetween which contains a sanitizing media, said innerfluid-permeable member bounding a hollow core, said sanitizer cartridge being positioned substantially within said hollow interior of said filter cartridge such that as fluid flows into said filter housing through said fluid inlet, substantially the full flow of the fluid passes through said filter cartridge, through said sanitizer cartridge and around said sanitizing media, and into said hollow core before exiting said filter housing through said fluid outlet, said sanitizer cartridge also including an end cap having an annular partition with a solid concentric tube affixed to one side thereof, said concentric tube having an outer surface and an inner surface, said outer fluid-permeable member being fixedly attached to said annular partition and to said outer surface of said concentric tube, said inner fluid-permeable member being fixedly attached to said annular partition and to said inner surface of said concentric tube, and a hollow frustum attached to an opposite side of said annular partition, thereby closing said end cap and sealing one end of said sanitizer cartridge.

9. A filter/sanitizer, comprising:

a filter housing, with a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet including an outlet tube having a smaller diameter tube at its top;

a filter cartridge having a hollow interior, said filter cartridge located within said filter housing; and

a sanitizer cartridge having an outer fluid-permeable member and an inner fluid-permeable member, said outer fluid-permeable member and said inner fluid-permeable member substantially enveloping a space therebetween which contains a sanitizing media, said inner fluid-permeable member bounding a hollow core, said sanitizer cartridge being positioned substantially within said hollow interior of said filter cartridge such that as fluid flows into said filter housing through said fluid inlet, substantially the full flow of the fluid passes through said filter cartridge, through said sanitizer cartridge and around said sanitizing media, and into said hollow core before exiting said filter housing through said fluid outlet, said sanitizer cartridge also including an outlet fitting including a tubular top section and a tubular frustum middle section which widens into a tubular bottom section, said bottom section being provided with an external lower shoulder, said outer fluid-permeable member sliding around and being fixedly attached to said bottom section, said inner fluid-permeable member sliding into and being fixedly attached inside said top section, said external lower shoulder sealingly resting on said smaller diameter tube of said outlet tube, thereby providing a fluid outlet flow pathway from said hollow core of said sanitizer cartridge through said outlet fitting, into said outlet tube, and out of said filter housing through said fluid outlet.