1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention is generally directed to filtered pour through container (e.g., pitcher) systems where filtering is achieved as the user pours water from the container.
2. Description of Related Art
Drinking water, such as water from water purification facilities or well water, can contain certain additives or contaminants (referred to herein collectively as contaminants) such as chlorine, chloramines or various organic components. Chlorine is typically intentionally added to water to control microbes. For some, chlorinated water imparts an unpleasant taste or smell. Its presence may also raise health concerns to some consumers.
Existing pour through pitcher systems, such as those available from BRITA, allow a user to fill a reservoir of the pitcher with water, which passes (under influence of gravity) through a filter, which removes contaminants from the water. The filtered water exits the filter into the main body of the pitcher, and may then be poured therefrom, providing filtered water for drinking.
One disadvantage of existing systems is that it may take several minutes for water introduced into the reservoir of such a system to be filtered, and ready for drinking. It would be beneficial to provide systems that might provide filtered water poured from a pitcher where the time required to filter may be reduced.
In an embodiment, the present invention is directed to a filter-as-you-pour system configured to provide filtered water as water is poured from an outlet of the system. The system may comprise a container body defining an internal storage volume for holding water, a lid, and a filter assembly. The system comprises an inlet (e.g., in the lid or container body) through which unfiltered water may be introduced into the container body, as well as an outlet (e.g., in the lid or container body) through which water within the container body may be poured, the water being simultaneously filtered as it is poured therefrom. The lid may be releasably attachable over the container body, and the filter assembly may be attachable to at least one of the lid or container body. The filter assembly may be configured and arranged so as to be in a flow stream of the water as the water is poured out of the container body through the outlet so that the stream of water exiting the outlet is filtered as it is poured from the container body. The filter assembly may include filter media that comprises an activated carbon textile material that presents a curved surface to the flow stream of water, such that an exit flow rate of water passing through the filter assembly and poured from the outlet is at least 0.3 gallons per minute (GPM).
Another embodiment is directed to a filter-as-you-pour system configured to provide filtered water as water is poured from an outlet of the system, where the system comprises a container body defining an internal storage volume for holding water, a lid that is releasably attachable over the container body, an inlet (e.g., in the lid or container body) through which unfiltered water may be introduced into the container body, an outlet (e.g., in the lid or container body) through which water within the container body may be poured and simultaneously filtered, and a filter assembly attached to at least one of the lid or the container body. The filter assembly is disposed proximate the outlet of the system, so that water in the container body passes through the filter assembly and is filtered only as it is poured out of the container body. In other words, there is no filter in the fill path associated with the inlet of the container body, so that water entering into the container body through the inlet does not initially pass through a filter before entering the container body.
Because such an embodiment includes no filter in the fill path, there is no delay associated with water being introduced into the inlet, and the time that it enters the interior storage volume of the container body. As such, the water disposed within the interior storage volume is unfiltered by the container system, until it exits through the outlet (where it passes through the filter assembly just prior to exiting the outlet). Such a configuration allows for faster filling of the container as compared to existing systems that include a filter within the fill path (e.g., disposed between the inlet and the storage volume). Such embodiments which provide for filtering of the water only as it is poured out of the container body may employ a filter media comprising an activated carbon textile material arranged within the filter assembly so as to present a curved surface to the flow stream of water. This arrangement has been surprisingly found by the present inventors to provide for relatively high flow rates, making it possible as a practical matter to filter the water only on exit (i.e., filter only as-you-pour).
Another embodiment of the present invention is directed to a filter-as-you-pour system configured to provide filtered water as water is poured from an outlet of the system, where the system includes a container body defining an internal storage volume, a lid that is releasably attachable over the container body, and a filter assembly. The lid may include an inlet through which unfiltered water may be directly introduced into the container body without passing through a filter. This advantageously provides for no fill delay as there is no delaying obstacle (e.g., a filter) between the inlet and the storage volume of the container body. The lid may also include an outlet through which water within the container body may be poured, the unfiltered water being simultaneously filtered as it is poured out of the container body through the outlet. The filter assembly may be configured as a vertical elongate filter assembly that is releasably attachable to the lid at a location that is aligned with and below the outlet, such that a longitudinal axis of the filter assembly is aligned with the outlet. The filter assembly is disposed over the outlet so as to prevent any bypass, so that all water poured through the outlet passes through the filter assembly.
Further features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art in view of the detailed description of preferred embodiments below.
To further clarify the above and other advantages and features of the present invention, a more particular description of the invention will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments thereof which are illustrated in the drawings located in the specification. It is appreciated that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope. The invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings in which:
Before describing the present invention in detail, it is to be understood that this invention is not limited to particularly exemplified systems or process parameters that may, of course, vary. It is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments of the invention only, and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention in any manner.
All publications, patents and patent applications cited herein, whether supra or infra, are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety to the same extent as if each individual publication, patent or patent application was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference.
The term “comprising” which is synonymous with “including,” “containing,” or “characterized by,” is inclusive or open-ended and does not exclude additional, unrecited elements or method steps.
The term “consisting essentially of” limits the scope of a claim to the specified materials or steps “and those that do not materially affect the basic and novel characteristic(s)” of the claimed invention.
The term “consisting of” as used herein, excludes any element, step, or ingredient not specified in the claim.
It must be noted that, as used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an” and “the” include plural referents unless the content clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to a “surfactant” includes one, two or more surfactants.
Various aspects of the present devices and systems may be illustrated by describing components that are coupled, attached, and/or joined together. As used herein, the terms “coupled”, “attached”, and/or “joined” are used to indicate either a direct connection between two components or, where appropriate, an indirect connection to one another through intervening or intermediate components. In contrast, when a component is referred to as being “directly coupled”, “directly attached”, and/or “directly joined” to another component, there are no intervening elements present.
Various aspects of the present devices, systems, and methods may be illustrated with reference to one or more exemplary embodiments. As used herein, the term “exemplary” means “serving as an example, instance, or illustration,” and should not necessarily be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments disclosed herein.
Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the invention pertains. Although a number of methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice of the present invention, the preferred materials and methods are described herein.
In the application, effective amounts are generally those amounts listed as the ranges or levels of ingredients in the descriptions, which follow hereto. Unless otherwise stated, amounts listed in percentages (“wt %'s”) are in wt % (based on 100 weight % active) of the particular material present in the referenced composition, any remaining percentage typically being water or an aqueous carrier sufficient to account for 100% of the composition, unless otherwise noted. For very low weight percentages, the term “ppm” corresponding to parts per million on a weight/weight basis may be used, noting that 1.0 wt % corresponds to 10,000 ppm.
The present disclosure is directed to systems capable of filtering water as the water is poured from a container of the system. Such a system may include a container body defining an internal storage volume for holding water, a lid that may be releasably attachable over the container body, and a filter assembly (e.g., disposed within the container body). The system includes an inlet through which unfiltered water is introduced into the container body, and an outlet through which filtered water may be poured. The filter assembly may be attachable to at least one of the lid or the container body, and is disposed relative to the outlet so as to be in a flow stream of the water as the water is poured from the container. For example, the filter assembly may be disposed proximate the outlet (e.g., just upstream from the outlet). The filter media of the filter assembly may comprise an activated carbon fibrous textile material that presents a curved surface to the flow stream of water. The inventors have found that the activated carbon textile material, where arranged so as to present a curved surface to the water penetrating therethrough, surprisingly provides for relatively high flow rates (e.g., at least 0.3 GPM) while providing relatively high levels of contaminant removal, which makes possible the filter as you pour configuration from a practical perspective.
Lid 110 may include an inlet 112, through which unfiltered water may be introduced into the container body 102. An inlet cover 113 may be provided. In an embodiment, outlet 108 may be defined within lid 110. In another embodiment, the inlet 112, outlet 108, or both may be defined within the container body 102. As illustrated in
In addition, in the illustrated embodiment, outlet 108 is shown as being disposed at the proximal end of spout 114, so that water exiting outlet 108 will flow along the tapered or narrowing spout portion 118 of lid 110, until it reaches the extreme end of spout portion 118, and exits the system 100 (e.g., into a glass, other container, etc.).
A flow control device 120 (e.g., a slit valve, grating or screen) may be disposed proximate outlet 108 (e.g., within outlet 108) to regulate an exit flow rate of water poured through outlet 108. For example, the flow control device may aid in ensuring that the exit flow rate of water from the system 100 is more consistent than might occur without such a flow control device. In addition, the flow control device may aid in ensuring that the flow rate is within a desired range of exit flow rates (e.g., from about 0.5 gallons per minute to about 0.8 gallons per minute). Further details of such flow control devices that may optionally be disposed within the system are disclosed in a patent application bearing Clorox Docket No. 482.514, filed the same day as the present application and herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.
System 100 further includes a filter assembly 124 that is attachable to lid 110, container body 102, or both lid 110 and container body 102. Filter assembly 124 is disposed within system 100 so as to be in a flow stream of the water as the water is poured from container body 102, through outlet 108. As a result, the stream of water exiting through outlet 108 is simultaneously filtered as it is poured from container body 102.
Filter assembly 124 may be releasably attachable to lid 110 through a thread and groove structural arrangement, e.g., so that assembly 124 may screw into lid 110, around or within outlet 108. In the illustrated embodiment, as perhaps best seen in cross-sectional view of
An exploded view of filter assembly 124 is shown in
The filter assemblies employed in the present invention may advantageously provide for much faster filtration flow rates, such as those above. In an embodiment, the filter media of the filter assembly comprises an activated carbon textile material (i.e., such a textile material is fibrous), which textile material is arranged within the filter assembly so as to present a curved surface to the flow stream of water. Such textile materials disposed so as to present a curved surface to the flow stream of water have surprisingly been found to provide and allow for significantly faster flow rates as compared to the 3 to 8 minutes to filter 1 liter. For example, exit flow rates may be from about 0.3 GPM to about 2 GPM or 0.3 GPM to about 1 GPM.
The textile material may be formed from structural elements selected from the group consisting of fibers, yarns, filaments, flexible porous composites, combinations thereof, etc., which may be woven, non-woven, braided, or otherwise joined into a textile material. Such textile materials may typically be comprised of relatively high aspect ratio structural elements whose length is orders of magnitude (e.g., 1-5 orders of magnitude) larger than the diameter.
Such textile materials also may have varying degrees of structural integrity based on the amount, size, and distribution of the structural elements. For example some textile structures may have the structural elements loosely held generally parallel to each other while in other embodiments the structural elements may be twisted around a longitudinal axis or they may be interlaced orthogonally relative to each other or they may be randomly oriented relative to each other. The physical dimensions and orientation of the structural elements of the textile material also create a depth to thickness ratio for the resulting textile material, along with pores of various sizes.
For best use in water filtration applications these textile materials preferably may have an optimal combination of thickness and pore size distribution to not only allow water to flow at the desired flow rate, but also contain enough mass of material to enable desired levels of contaminant reduction, while having enough physical integrity to prevent the structural elements the textile material is made of from being dislodged by the water penetrating through it.
By way of non-limiting example, a textile material employed as filter media may have properties as shown in Table 1 below.
Exemplary textile materials may have a thickness from about 0.5 mm to about 2 mm (e.g., about 0.75 mm to about 1 mm). The fibers of the textile material may have any suitable diameter, e.g., from about 0.1 μm to about 50 μm, from 0.1 to about 20 μm, etc. It is believed that the fibrous characteristics of the textile material from which the filter media is formed may be at least in part responsible for the relatively high flow rates. Such characteristics are believed to exhibit higher ratios of surface area to volume than possible with filter media foam substrates, providing superior filtration effectiveness characteristics than possible with a single pass through a typical foam filter media material. For example, the efficiency available with a foam filter media may be only about ⅓ that provided by granulated activated carbon filter media, under typical use conditions. Such textile materials also provide lower flow resistance than available when using granulated activated carbon filter media, making possible the desired relatively high flow rates. Thus, the described textile materials arranged as described herein provide for relatively high flow rates and relatively high rates of effectiveness in contaminant removal.
For example, such foam filter systems are not particularly efficient in removing chlorine or other contaminants, as relatively more foam material is required to achieve a desired target removal efficiency. The activated carbon textile materials as employed herein advantageously are capable of achieving contaminant removal efficiencies (e.g., at least 80%, at least 85%, at least 90%, at least 95%, or at least 99% chlorine removal) comparable to that achieved by products employing monolithic or granulated activated carbon filter media, but at flow rates that are significantly higher than provided with granulated or monolithic activated carbon, and that are relatively small in size, making practical the implementation of a filter-as-you-pour container system.
Stated another way, the filter-as-you-pour systems of the present invention employ a textile filter media material arranged so as to present a curved surface to inflowing water to be filtered. The configurations allow for relatively compact filter assemblies capable of providing performance equivalent or similar to larger (e.g., greater surface area of filter media) or multi-stage systems. The filter-as-you-pour system places textile filter media material in the path of water flowing out from the container body under gravity-flow conditions. Under such conditions, with a known porous filter material constant bulk density, Darcy's law applies:
For a given filter material density and associated permeability, the removal efficiency for a given water contaminant (e.g., chlorine) can be related directly to the mass load of that constituent over time. For a constant influent concentration (e.g., the unfiltered water all includes the same chlorine concentration), removal efficiency can be related to total flow throughput. For a first-order reaction, such as that characteristic of free chlorine degradation or adsorption on activated carbon, this follows an exponential curve. As permeability increases, contaminant removal decreases. The filter-as-you-pour configuration and textile filter media material described has the advantage of providing higher contaminant removal efficiency at higher permeability than alternative methods. Because of these advantages, this allows relatively smaller filtration assemblies, and/or better removal efficiencies.
Such filter assemblies may have a life of at least about 20 gallons, at least about 30 gallons, at least about 40 gallons, from about 40 to about 80 gallons, etc. At the end of its life the filter assembly may still achieve chlorine removal of at least 60%, at least 70%, or at least 75%. The filter assemblies may meet applicable NSF/AISI 42 standards. As shown in
When tipping pitcher or other container body 102 (e.g., as depicted in
In an embodiment, characteristics of textile filter media material 126 may also be adjusted to alter the flow characteristics of the stream of water exiting the system, e.g., in combination with any flow control device disposed proximate the outlet (e.g., outlet 108). For example, in an embodiment, the filter media 126 may comprise a single layer of the activated carbon textile material. In another embodiment, a second layer may be provided, so that the filter media comprises two layers of activated carbon textile material (e.g., two layers, each about 0.75 mm to about 1 mm in thickness). Similar results may be achieved by increasing the thickness of a single textile layer (e.g., about 1.5 mm to 2 mm rather than a 0.75 mm to 1 mm thick single layer). Providing two layers of textile filter media material 126 (or a thicker single layer) may reduce the flow rate of water through the system as compared to a single layer of a given thickness.
Use of two layers may also increase the filtration effectiveness characteristics (e.g., a higher fraction of removed chlorine), e.g., where the layers are configured to remove the same materials) or increase life (e.g., gallons filtered before recommended filter replacement). For example, use of two layers may flatten the curve resulting from a plot of chlorine removal versus gallons filtered (see
The activated carbon textile material 126 is fibrous, e.g., so that fibers, filaments, or other structural elements of the material may be matted, woven, braided, or otherwise joined together. Such a fibrous material exhibits very high porosity characteristics, allowing and providing for the relatively high flow rates of water therethrough, as described herein. Such porosity and associated flowrate characteristics are not possible with traditionally employed filter media, such as monolithic activated carbon block, or a bed of activated carbon granules or particles. Although filtering foam filter media may offer gravity fed flow rates therethrough that are higher than those possible with granulated or monolithic activated carbon, it does not provide as high a degree of contaminant removal with a single pass as provided by monolithic or granulated activated carbon (e.g., about 99% chlorine removal), under typical use conditions. In other words, such foam filter systems are not particularly efficient in removing chlorine or other contaminants. For example, foam filter media (e.g., such as that employed in the CAMBELBAK RELAY) may remove only about ⅓ as much chlorine in a single pass under typical use conditions. As a result, products relying on filtration using a foam filter media may typically pass the water through the foam filter media both upon entry and exit from the container in order to achieve an acceptable level of contaminant removal efficacy. Even after two such passes, the level of chlorine removal may be less than that provided by granulated or block activated carbon filter media.
Employing the fibrous activated carbon textile material as described herein advantageously is capable of achieving contaminant removal efficacy (e.g., at least 80%, at least 85%, at least 90%, at least 95%, or at least 99% chlorine removal) that is comparable to that achieved by products employing monolithic or granulated activated carbon filter media (e.g., about 3 times greater than that provided by foam), but at flow rates that are significantly higher (e.g., at least about 0.3 GPM) than granulated activated carbon, which makes practical implementation of a filter-as-you-pour container system possible. For example, such percentages as described above of the chlorine present (e.g., as added to typical residential drinking supplies) may be removed by the textile filter media 126, in a single pass. In addition, other contaminants (e.g., heavy metals) may be removed where the filter assembly further comprises an ion exchange resin (IER) section. For example, such an IER section may comprise a second layer of textile material, or may be disposed in the central hollow core defined by frame member 128 (see
As a combined inlet and outlet 208 is provided, water may be filtered both on entry and on exit to and from container body 202. For example, water may be introduced through opening 208, along a flow path that is opposite that shown in
Of course, one may remove the lid 210 when filling container body 102, so as to filter only upon pouring (i.e., water enters directly into the open top 209 of container body 202, without passing through combined inlet and outlet 208). Similarly, one may filter upon entrance, and then remove the lid 210 and drink or otherwise pour the filtered water within container body 202, without having it pass again through the combined inlet and outlet 208.
The filter assemblies 124 and 124′ of
In an embodiment, the filter assembly is elongate and generally vertically oriented relative to the lid (e.g., lid 110 or 210) when horizontal (e.g., as depicted in
As seen in
As seen in
Filter assembly 324 may be similar to assembly 124 of
Spout 314 may be configured (e.g., in cross-sectional area, other geometric characteristics, etc.) to serve as a flow control device, to regulate flow out of system 300 to a desired flow rate, as described herein. Spout 314 may redirect filtered water flow exiting axially from the filter assembly, and may control and ensure water exits along a guided flowpath. The interior pathway defined by spout 314 (e.g., outlet 308, 308a, and to 308b) may be tapered in cross-sectional area and/or width, narrowing towards exit 308b. Such a spout 314 has been found to be helpful in providing consistent flow rates over the volume of water dispensed by the container body (e.g., so that the flow rate when dispensing the first cup from a full container is substantially equal to the flow rate when dispensing the last cup from a nearly empty container. For example, flow rates may be within ±30%, ±25%, ±20%, ±10%, or ±5%, over the entire volume of the container. Additional details of such flow regulation are described in Clorox Docket No. 482.514, already incorporated by reference.
A spout 314 similar to that described in conjunction with
Various other features of exemplary systems may be disclosed in one or more of the following patent applications, each filed the same day as the present application and herein incorporated by reference: Clorox Docket No. 482.506; Clorox Docket No. 482.508; Clorox Docket No. 482.510; Clorox Docket No. 482.512; Clorox Docket No. 482.514; and Clorox Docket No. 482.516.
Without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention, one of ordinary skill can make various changes and modifications to the invention to adapt it to various usages and conditions. As such, these changes and modifications are properly, equitably, and intended to be, within the full range of equivalence of the following claims.
This application is the National Stage of International Application No. PCT/US2014/069064, filed Dec. 8, 2014, which claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/940,101, filed Feb. 14, 2014. International Application No. PCT/US2014/069064, filed Dec. 8, 2014, is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/132,134, filed Dec. 18, 2013. The disclosure of each of the above applications is incorporated by reference in its entirety.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/US14/69064 | 12/8/2014 | WO | 00 |
Number | Date | Country | |
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61940101 | Feb 2014 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 14132134 | Dec 2013 | US |
Child | 15039012 | US |