Water purifying drink system and method

• US 9,346,687 B1
• Filed: 07/20/2012
• Issued: 05/24/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meridian Design Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Meridian Design Incorporated
• Inventors: Matthews, Dan Richard, Kuhlmann, Kurt
• Primary Examiner(s): Ippolito, Nicole
• Assistant Examiner(s): Smith, David E
• Application Number:
  US13/555,039
• Time in Patent Office: 1,404 Days
• Field of Search: 250428-432 R, 25045311-45511, 210/748.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/325 Irradiation devices or lamp constructions
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2201/004 Seals, connections
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2201/005 Valves
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2201/008 Mobile apparatus and plants, e.g. mounted on a vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2201/009 Apparatus with independent power supply, e.g. solar cells, windpower or fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2201/3228 Units having reflectors, e.g. coatings, baffles, plates, mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2201/326 Lamp control systems
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2303/04 Disinfection
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2307/04 as part of a pitcher or jug
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2307/10 as part of a potable water dispenser, e.g. for use in homes or offices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 20/211 Solar-powered water purification
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 20/212 Solar-powered wastewater sewage treatment, e.g. spray evaporation

Abstract

A water purification system is described herein. The water purification system comprises a container configured to hold a liquid; an ultraviolet light source configured to irradiate liquid within the container; a reflector configured to reflect light from the ultraviolet light source into the container; a trough adaptor having a first end and a second end and configured to channel a liquid from the first end to the second end while exposing the liquid to light from the ultraviolet light source; and wherein the reflector is configured to reflect light from the ultraviolet light source both onto the trough adaptor and into the container.

Claims

1. A drink container, comprising:

a liquid container having a neck with an opening and having an internal compartment sized to hold a volume of drink liquid;

a cover assembly arranged in proximity to the neck of the liquid container, wherein the cover assembly includes a body, wherein the body includes a lower portion that defines a lower edge that is adjacent to the liquid container, and wherein the lower portion defines a recess facing the internal compartment of the liquid container when the cover assembly is in proximity to the neck of the liquid container;

a purification assembly arranged in relation to the body of the cover assembly, wherein the purification assembly includes an ultraviolet (UV) bulb positioned within the recess, wherein the UV bulb is adapted to selectively emit UV light in the germicidal spectrum for a predetermined period of time and to thereby purify a volume of drink liquid held in the internal compartment of the liquid container, the UV bulb having an at least partially circular configuration; and

wherein the cover assembly further includes a convex spherical reflector positioned to reflect light from the UV bulb toward the internal compartment of the liquid container, the UV bulb being positioned around the perimeter of the spherical reflector, a portion of the spherical reflector extending into a region within the circular configuration of the UV bulb and wherein the spherical reflector is configured to reflect light from the UV bulb toward an entirety of the internal compartment of the liquid container.

2. The drink container of claim 1, wherein the UV bulb does not extend into the drink liquid when a predetermined volume of drink liquid is held in the internal compartment of the liquid container, wherein the predetermined volume is equal to a predetermined liquid capacity of the liquid container.

3. The drink container of claim 1, wherein the UV bulb does not extend beyond the lower edge of the body of the cover assembly.

4. The drink container of claim 1, wherein the cover assembly further includes a UV-transmissive partition positioned between the UV bulb and at least a substantial portion of the internal compartment of the liquid container when the cover assembly is arranged in proximity to the neck of the liquid container.

5. The drink container of claim 2, wherein the UV bulb is arranged in relation to the cap assembly to be optionally immersed in the predetermined volume of drink liquid if the liquid container is inclined or is inverted.

6. The drink container of claim 1, wherein the purification assembly is configured to track at least one of (a) a total number of purification cycles, and (b) the total duration of light emission from the UV bulb, and further wherein the purification assembly is configured to prevent utilization of the UV bulb beyond a predetermined lifespan related to at least one of (a) and (b).

7. The drink container of claim 1, wherein the drink container is configured such that the UV bulb selectively emits UV light to the entirety of the internal compartment of the liquid container.

8. The drink container of claim 1, wherein the drink container is configured such that the UV bulb selectively emits UV light to the entirety of the internal compartment of the liquid container without any portion of the drink container blocking the UV light from illuminating all of any drink liquid held in the internal compartment.

9. The drink container of claim 1, wherein the purification assembly is configured to detect a power level of a power source prior to initiating a purification cycle, and compare the power level with a minimum threshold to complete a purification cycle.

10. The drink container of claim 1, wherein the purification assembly is configured to determine an output level of the UV bulb and prevent utilization of the UV bulb if the output level is below a predetermined threshold.

11. The drink container of claim 1, wherein the cover assembly is configured to support a plurality of user-selectable UV emission values to facilitate the purification of different volumes of liquid drink and/or different liquid drink transmissivities.

12. The drink container of claim 1, wherein the purification assembly includes a controller adapted to track the number of cycles that the UV bulb has been selectively activated, and wherein the controller is further adapted to restrict activation of the UV bulb upon the UV bulb having been activated a predetermined number of cycles.

13. The drink container of claim 1, wherein the purification assembly includes a controller adapted to restrict activation of the UV bulb based at least in part on criteria associated with the effectiveness of the UV bulb at a given moment in time.

14. The drink container of claim 13, wherein the criteria includes one or more of a state of charge of an associated power source, a power output of the UV bulb, and a UV-transmissivity of the volume of drink liquid held in the internal compartment of the liquid container.

15. The drink container of claim 1, wherein the purification assembly includes a power source and a controller adapted determine a potential output of the power source and to restrict activation of the UV bulb if the power source does not have sufficient output to activate the UV bulb for the predetermined period of time to purify the volume of drink liquid held in the internal compartment of the liquid container.

16. The drink container of claim 1, wherein the purification assembly is adapted to detect a UV-transmissivity of the volume of drink liquid held in the internal compartment of the liquid container and based at least in part on the UV-transmissivity to select at least one of (i) the predetermined period of time and (ii) a power output of the UV bulb.

17. The drink container of claim 1, wherein the purification assembly is configured to support a plurality of user-selectable UV emission ranges based on a volume of drink liquid in the liquid container.

18. The drink container of claim 1, wherein the purification assembly is adapted to detect at least one of (a) a UV-transmissivity of a drink liquid and (b) a volume of a drink liquid, and wherein the purification assembly is configured to determine a duration of UV emission and a power level of UV emission based on (a) or (b).

19. The drink container of claim 1, wherein the cover assembly comprises a translucent portion configured to allow a user visually confirm operation of the purification assembly, and further wherein the cover assembly comprises a lamp configured to emit visible light including, but not limited to, fluorescent light.

20. A drink container, comprising:

a liquid container having a neck with an opening and having an internal compartment sized to hold a volume of drink liquid;

a cover assembly arranged in proximity to the neck of the liquid container, wherein the cover assembly includes a body, wherein the body includes a lower portion that defines a lower edge that is adjacent to the liquid container;

a purification assembly arranged in proximity to one of the liquid container and the body of the cover assembly, wherein the purification assembly includes an ultraviolet (UV) light emitter adapted to selectively emit UV light in the germicidal spectrum and light in the visible spectrum for a predetermined period of time and to thereby purify a volume of drink liquid held in the internal compartment of the liquid container, the UV light emitter having an at least partially circular configuration; and

further wherein the cover assembly comprises a lamp configured to emit visible light including, but not limited to, fluorescent light when the UV light emitter is in operation; and

wherein the cover assembly further includes a convex spherical reflector positioned to reflect light from the UV light emitter toward the internal compartment of the liquid container, the UV light emitter being positioned around the perimeter of the spherical reflector, a portion of the spherical reflector extending into a region within the circular configuration of the UV light emitter, and wherein the spherical reflector is configured to reflect light from the UV light emitter toward an entirety of the internal compartment of the liquid container.

21. The drink container of claim 20, wherein the drink container is configured to accept an external power source to recharge an integrated power source connected to the purification assembly.

22. The drink container of claim 20, wherein the drink container is configured to accept an external power source to provide power to the purification assembly.

23. A drink container, comprising:

a liquid container having a neck with an opening and having an internal compartment sized to hold a volume of drink liquid;

a cover assembly arranged in proximity to the neck of the liquid container, wherein the cover assembly includes a body that defines a recess facing the internal compartment of the liquid container when the cover assembly is in proximity to the liquid container; and

means for purifying drink liquid held in the internal compartment of the liquid container, wherein the means for purifying includes a UV bulb positioned within the recess, wherein the UV bulb is adapted to selectively emit UV light in the germicidal spectrum for a predetermined period of time and to thereby purify a volume of drink liquid held in the internal compartment of the liquid container, the UV bulb having an at least partially circular configuration; and

wherein the cover assembly further includes a convex spherical reflector positioned to reflect light from the UV bulb toward the internal compartment of the liquid container, the UV bulb being positioned around the perimeter of the spherical reflector, a portion of the spherical reflector extending into a region within the circular configuration of the UV bulb, and wherein the spherical reflector is configured to reflect light from the UV bulb toward an entirety of the internal compartment of the liquid container.

24. The drink container of claim 23, wherein the body of the cover assembly includes a lower portion that defines a lower edge and the recess, and wherein the UV bulb does not extend beyond the lower edge of the body of the cover assembly.