Additive dispensing device and a thermally activated additive dispensing filter having the additive dispensing device
First Claim
1. A thermally activated additive dispensing filter, comprising:
- a housing defining an inlet opening and an outlet opening, the housing further having a flow path between the inlet opening and the outlet opening, the fluid path being configured to pass a fluid therethrough;
a filtration media located inside the housing and within the flow path such that a fluid in the flow path must pass through the filtration media;
an additive dispensing device located inside the housing, the additive dispensing device having a reservoir configured to contain a supply of an additive, the reservoir being in fluid communication with a dispensing chamber of a metering valve device by a first one-way valve, the metering valve device being configured to dispense a portion of the additive from the dispensing chamber into the housing by a second one-way valve; and
a thermal expanding member disposed in the dispensing chamber, the thermal expanding member being configured to expand and contract between an expanded position and a contracted position in response to temperature, the thermal expanding member decreasing a pressure in the dispensing chamber as the thermal expanding member moves from the expanded position towards the contracted position and additive is drawn from the reservoir into the dispensing chamber through the first one-way valve, and the thermal expanding member increases the pressure in the dispensing chamber as the thermal expanding member moves from the contracted position towards the expanded position and additive previously drawn from the reservoir chamber into the dispensing chamber is dispensed through the second one-way valve; and
wherein the reservoir is defined by an interior cavity defined by a collapsible membrane that is configured to store the additive, the collapsible membrane being sealingly attached to the first one-way valve such that the interior cavity is in fluid communication with the first one-way valve and an exterior of the collapsible membrane is in open fluid communication with the flow path so that the collapsible membrane collapses as additive is drawn from the interior cavity through the first one-way valve.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An additive dispensing device is provided. The additive dispensing device includes a reservoir configured to contain a supply of an additive. The reservoir is in fluid communication with a dispensing chamber of a metering valve device by a first one-way valve. The metering valve device is configured to dispense a portion of the additive from the dispensing chamber into a housing by a second one-way valve. The additive dispensing device further includes a thermal expanding member disposed in the dispensing chamber. The thermal expanding member is configured to expand and contract between expanded and contracted positions, respectively, in response to temperature. The thermal expanding member decreases a pressure in the dispensing chamber as the thermal expanding member moves toward the contracted position, such that additive is drawn from the reservoir into the dispensing chamber through the first one-way valve. The thermal expanding member increases the pressure in the dispensing chamber as the thermal expanding member moves toward the expanded position, such that additive previously drawn from the reservoir chamber into the dispensing chamber is dispensed through the second one-way valve.
109 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A thermally activated additive dispensing filter, comprising:
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a housing defining an inlet opening and an outlet opening, the housing further having a flow path between the inlet opening and the outlet opening, the fluid path being configured to pass a fluid therethrough; a filtration media located inside the housing and within the flow path such that a fluid in the flow path must pass through the filtration media; an additive dispensing device located inside the housing, the additive dispensing device having a reservoir configured to contain a supply of an additive, the reservoir being in fluid communication with a dispensing chamber of a metering valve device by a first one-way valve, the metering valve device being configured to dispense a portion of the additive from the dispensing chamber into the housing by a second one-way valve; and a thermal expanding member disposed in the dispensing chamber, the thermal expanding member being configured to expand and contract between an expanded position and a contracted position in response to temperature, the thermal expanding member decreasing a pressure in the dispensing chamber as the thermal expanding member moves from the expanded position towards the contracted position and additive is drawn from the reservoir into the dispensing chamber through the first one-way valve, and the thermal expanding member increases the pressure in the dispensing chamber as the thermal expanding member moves from the contracted position towards the expanded position and additive previously drawn from the reservoir chamber into the dispensing chamber is dispensed through the second one-way valve; and wherein the reservoir is defined by an interior cavity defined by a collapsible membrane that is configured to store the additive, the collapsible membrane being sealingly attached to the first one-way valve such that the interior cavity is in fluid communication with the first one-way valve and an exterior of the collapsible membrane is in open fluid communication with the flow path so that the collapsible membrane collapses as additive is drawn from the interior cavity through the first one-way valve. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. An additive dispensing device, comprising:
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a housing; a reservoir defined by an interior cavity of a collapsible membrane located within the housing, the reservoir being configured to contain a supply of an additive, the collapsible membrane being sealingly attached to a first one-way valve such that the interior cavity is in fluid communication with the first one-way valve, the reservoir being in fluid communication with a dispensing chamber of a metering valve device by a first one-way valve, the metering valve device being configured to dispense a portion of the additive from the dispensing chamber into a housing by a second one-way valve; and a thermal expanding member disposed in the dispensing chamber, the thermal expanding member being configured to expand and contract between an expanded position and a contracted position in response to temperature, the thermal expanding member decreasing a pressure in the dispensing chamber as the thermal expanding member moves from the expanded position towards the contracted position and additive is drawn from the interior cavity of the reservoir into the dispensing chamber through the first one-way valve, the thermal expanding member increasing the pressure in the dispensing chamber as the thermal expanding member moves from the contracted position towards the expanded position and additive previously drawn from the reservoir chamber into the dispensing chamber is dispensed through the second one-way valve; wherein the metering valve device has a slidable piston member separating the dispensing chamber into a first chamber and a second chamber, the first chamber containing the thermal expanding member; and wherein the collapsible membrane collapses within the housing as the additive is drawn out of the reservoir. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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18. A method of dispensing an additive into liquid passing through a filter media, comprising:
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drawing a first amount of additive into a dispensing chamber through a first one way valve by contracting a thermally expanding member, from an expanded position to a contracted position, wherein the first one way valve is in fluid communication with an interior of a collapsible membrane that defines a reservoir for holding the additive; and dispensing the first amount of additive from the dispensing chamber through a second one way valve by expanding the thermally expanding member from the contracted position to the expanded position by exposing the thermally expanding member to a fluid having a temperature higher than a temperature that causes the thermally expanding member to be in a contracted position; and contacting the liquid passing through a filter media with the additive. - View Dependent Claims (19)
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Specification