Device for degerminating water passing through a sanitary device

• US 6,404,111 B1
• Filed: 05/16/2000
• Issued: 06/11/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hansa Metallwerke
• Original Assignee: Hansa Metallwerke AG (Paasikivi Family)
• Inventors: Kunkel, Horst
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Vip
• Application Number:
  US09/486,200
• Time in Patent Office: 756 Days
• Field of Search: 313/24, 250/436, 250/504.R
• US Class Current: 313/24
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/325 Irradiation devices or lamp constructions
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2201/3223 Single elongated lamp located on the central axis of a turbular reactor
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/523 for use under water
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6633 with inductive component, e.g. transformer

Abstract

The invention relates to a device (1) for degerminating water passing through a sanitary appliance, comprising a housing (2) through which water can flow, and a UV lamp (12) located therein. Said UV-lamp (12) is connected to an external current source by a terminal base (10) made up of two detachable parts (10a, 10b). The first part (10a) of the receiving base (10) is fixed on the housing (2, 3, 4) and contains a first coil (23) which can be connected to the external current source. The other part (10b) of the terminal base (10) has a receiving opening (15) into which the base area (13) of the UV-lamp can be tightly inserted. A second coil (26) is also integrated into this second part (10b). When the terminal base (10) is assembled, the second coil (26) is so close to the first coil (23) in the first part (10a) that the two coils (23, 26) perform the function of a transformer transmitting power without a galvanic connection forming between the two parts (10a, 10b) of the terminal base.

Claims

1. Device for sterilizing water flowing through a sanitary appliance, having

a) a housing, which comprises an inlet and an outlet for the water;

b) a UV lamp, which is disposed inside the housing and the radiation of which is directed towards the water flowing through;

c) a connection backplate, which is connectable to an external power source and has a location opening, into which a cap region of the UV lamp is insertable, wherein location opening and cap region have contacts which lie against one another in the operating position of the UV lamp,

characterized in that

d) the connection backplate (10) is subdivided into two detachable, intermateable parts (10a, 10b), of which the one is fastened to the housing (2, 3, 4) and the other has the location opening (15);

e) the two parts (10a, 10b) of the connection backplate (10) each contain a coil (23, 26), which coils are adjacent to one another in the intermated state of the backplate (10), wherein the coil (23) in the part (10a) fastened to the housing (2, 3, 4) is connectable to the external power source and the coil (26) in the other part (10b) is connected directly or indirectly to the contacts (32, 33) of the location opening (15) of said part (10b),

wherein

f) the location opening (15) of the connection backplate (10) is sealed against the cap region (13) of the UV lamp.

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that one of the two parts (10a) of the connection backplate (10) comprises a cylindrical neck (22) which, in the intermated state of the connection backplate (10), projects into a complementary recess (25) of the other part (10b).

3. Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the two coils (23, 26) in the two parts (10a, 10b) of the connection backplate (10), in the intermated state of the latter, are disposed coaxially with one another, one inside the other.

4. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the two coils (23, 26) are enclosed, in particular encapsulated, in the respective part (10a, 10b) of the connection backplate (10).

5. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the part (10b) of the connection backplate (10) containing the location opening (15) comprises control electronics (27), the input of which is connected to the coil (26) in said part (10b) and the output of which is connected to the contacts (32, 33) of the location opening (15).

6. Device according to claim 5, characterized in that the control electronics (27) are enclosed, in particular encapsulated, in the appropriate part (10b) of the connection backplate (10).

7. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that disposed in the housing (2, 3, 4) is a filtering apparatus (50), through which the water travelling between the inlet (39) and the outlet (41) of the housing (2, 3, 4) has to pass and which is exposable to the light of the UV lamp (12).

8. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a resilient pad (61) is disposed between the end of the UV lamp (12) remote from the connection backplate (10) and the region (4) of the housing (2, 3, 4) adjacent thereto.