This application claims priority of Taiwanese Patent Application No. 107214562, filed on Oct. 26, 2018.
The disclosure relates to a water filter, more particularly to a water filter having a fixing member.
Tap water received in residential homes has often been transported across far distances, which increases the risk of contamination resulting from old or damaged water pipes in the transport pipeline. Thus, many families would install a water filter in their homes to filter undesirable substances, such as heavy metal or other chemicals, from the water before the water is boiled for drinking. A filter cartridge in a water filter must be changed regularly to ensure proper filtration of the water.
Referring to
Therefore, in a first aspect, the disclosure provides a water filter that can alleviate the drawback of the prior art.
The water filter includes a base seat, a filter that is disposed in the base seat, an outer shell that is coupled to the base seat and that covers the filter, and a fixing device.
The fixing device includes first and second curved members, a hinge unit, and a fixing module.
The first and second curved members are clipped on a junction between the base seat and the outer shell. Each of the first and second curved members has longitudinally-opposite first and second end portions, an inner curved surface that faces the junction between the base seat and the outer shell and that extends from the first end portion to the second end portion, and an outer curved surface that is opposite to the inner curved surface and that extends from the first end portion to the second end portion.
The hinge unit connects the second end portion of the first curved member and the first end portion of the second curved member such that the first and second curved members are pivotable relative to each other.
The fixing module includes a hook member that is mounted on the second end portion of the second curved member, and a fastener unit that is mounted on the first end portion of the first curved member. The fastener unit includes a handle member connected to the first end portion of the first curved member, and a ring member pivotally connected to the handle member and removably engaged with the hook member.
The handle member is pivotable relative to the first end portion of the first curved member between a fastened position, where the handle member is proximal to the outer curved surface of the first curved member, and where the first end portion of the first curved member and the second end portion of the second curved member are drawn to be proximal to each other so that the inner curved surfaces of the first and second curved members abut tightly against the junction between the base seat and the outer shell, and a released position, where the handle member is away from the outer curved surface of the first curved member, and where the ring member is permitted to be disengaged from the hook member to thereby release the first and second curved members from the junction between the base seat and the outer shell.
In a second aspect, the disclosure also provides a fixing device adapted for installing on a water filter. The water filter includes a base seat and an outer shell that is coupled to the base seat.
The fixing device includes first and second curved members, a hinge unit, and a fixing module.
The first and second curved members are adapted to be clipped on a junction between the base seat and the outer shell. Each of the first and second curved members has longitudinally-opposite first and second end portions, an inner curved surface that faces the junction between the base seat and the outer shell and that extends from the first end portion to the second end portion, and an outer curved surface that is opposite to the inner curved surface and that extends from the first end portion to the second end portion.
The hinge unit connects the second end portion of the first curved member and the first end portion of the second curved member such that the first and second curved members are pivotable relative to each other.
The fixing module includes a hook member that is mounted on the second end portion of the second curved member, and a fastener unit that is mounted on the first end portion of the first curved member. The fastener unit includes a handle member connected to the first end portion of the first curved member, and a ring member pivotally connected to the handle member and removably engaged with the hook member.
The handle member is pivotable relative to the first end portion of the first curved member between a fastened position, where the handle member is proximal to the outer curved surface of the first curved member, and where the first end portion of the first curved member and the second end portion of the second curved member are drawn to be proximal to each other so that the inner curved surfaces of the first and second curved members abut tightly against the junction between the base seat and the outer shell, and a released position, where the handle member is away from the outer curved surface of the first curved member, and where the ring member is permitted to be disengaged from the hook member to thereby release the first and second curved members from the junction between the base seat and the outer shell.
Other features and advantages of the disclosure will become apparent in the following detailed description of the embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:
Referring to
The base seat 1 includes a base wall portion 11, a hollow main body portion 12, a connecting body portion 13 and an abutment wall portion 14. The base wall portion 11 is substantially circular. The main body portion 12 extends from a periphery of the base wall portion 11, and cooperates with the base wall portion 11 to define a receiving space 15. The connecting body portion 13 is connected to a top edge of the main body portion 12 and defines a seat opening 16 that is in spatial communication with the receiving space 15. The abutment wall portion 14 extends outwardly from the top edge of the main body portion 12. In this embodiment, the base 1 seat is made of stainless steel.
The sealing ring 2 surrounds the connecting body portion 13 and abuts against a top surface of the abutment wall portion 14. The filter cartridge 3 is disposed in the receiving space 15 through the seat opening 16.
The outer shell 4 has a shell body 41, a water input portion 42 and a water output portion 43. In this embodiment, the shell body 41 is substantially bell-shaped, is made of stainless steel, and has a protruding rim portion 412 that protrudes outwards and that defines a shell opening 413. An internal space of the shell body 41 is frustoconical and gradually converges in a direction away from the shell opening 413. The outer shell 4 is coupled to the base seat 1 with the connecting body portion 13 of the base seat 1 being inserted fittingly into the outer shell 4 through the shell opening 413 and with the protruding rim portion 412 of the shell body 41 being adjacent to the abutment wall portion 14 of the base seat 1 and cooperating with the abutment wall portion 14 to clamp the sealing ring 2 therebetween. The water input portion 42 and water output portion 43 are adapted for connecting respectively to tubes so that water may enter the filter cartridge 3 through the water input portion 42 and exit through the water output portion 43.
Further referring to
The hinge unit 520 includes two hinge modules 52. Each of the hinge modules 52 includes two connecting seats 521 and a pivot pin 522 interconnecting the connecting seats 521. One of the hinge modules 52 connects the second end portion 512 of the first curved member 51a and the first end portion 511 of the third curved member 51c such that the first and third curved members 51a, 51c are pivotable relative to each other. The two connecting seats 521 of the one of the hinge modules 52 are mounted respectively on the second end portion 512 of the first curved member 51a and the first end portion 511 of the third curved member 51c.
The other one of the hinge module 52 connects the second end portion 512 of the third curved member 51c and the first end portion 511 of the second curved member 51b such that the third and second curved members 51c, 51b are pivotable relative to each other. The two connecting seats 521 of the other one of the hinge modules 52 are mounted respectively on the second end portion 512 of the third curved member 51c and the first end portion 511 of the second curved member 51b. All of the connecting seats 521 are mounted onto the ribs 514a of the corresponding one of the first, second and third curved members 51a, 51b, 51c. It should be noted that in other embodiments, the fixing device 5 may contain only the first and second curved members 51a, 51b and the hinge unit 520 may include only one hinge module 52, with the two connecting seats 521 of the hinge module 52 being mounted respectively on the second end portion 512 of the first curve member 51a and the first end portion 511 of the second curved member 51b.
The fixing module 53 is for fixing the first end portion 511 of the first curved member 51a to the second end portion 512 of the second curved member 51b, and includes a hook member 531 that is mounted on the second end portion 512 of the second curved member 51b, and a fastener unit 532 that is mounted on the first end portion 511 of the first curved member 51a. In this embodiment, the hook member 531 has a base portion 531a mounted to the second end portion 512 of the second curved member 51b, and a hook portion 531b that extends from the base portion 521a and hooks backwards. In other embodiments, the hook member 531 may be formed as one piece with the second end portion 512 of the second curved member 51b. The shape of the hook member 531 is not limited so long as removable engagement with the fastener unit 532 is permitted.
The fastener unit 532 includes a base plate 533, a handle member 534 connected to the first end portion 511 of the first curved member 51a, and a ring member 535 pivotally connected to the handle member 534 and removably engaged with the hook member 531.
Further referring to
The handle member 534 has a first handle wall 534a, two second handle walls 534b extending respectively from opposite curved edges of the first handle wall 534a and cooperating with the first handle wall 534a to define a receiving space 534d, and an engaging portion 534c disposed in the receiving space 534d and formed at the first handle wall 534a. The handle member 534 is connected to an end of the plate body 533a which is proximal to the second curved member 51b, and is pivotable relative to the first end portion 511 of the first curved member 51a between a fastened position (see
At the fastened position, the handle member 534 is proximal to the outer curved surface 514 of the first curved member 51a, and the first end portion 511 of the first curved member 51a and the second end portion 512 of the second curved member 51b are drawn to be proximal to each other so that the inner surfaces 513 of the first and second curved members 51a, 51b abut tightly against the junction between the base seat 1 and the outer shell 4. When the handle member 534 is at the fastened position, the securing portion 533b extends into the receiving space 534d and is engaged with the engaging portion 534c to secure the handle member 534 onto the first curved member 51a.
At the released position, the handle member 534 is away from the outer curved surface 514 of the first curved member 51a with the securing portion 533b of the base plate 533 being disengaged from the receiving space 534d of the handle member 534, and the ring member 535 is permitted to be disengaged from the hook member 531 to thereby release the first and second curved members 51a, 51b from the junction between the base seat 1 and the outer shell 4.
In sum, the embodiment of the water filter 100 of the disclosure provides the fixing module 53 including the handle member 534 that may be easily operated to engage the ring member 535 with the hook member 531 or to disengage the ring member 535 from the hook member 531, so that the fixing device 5 may be fixed to or removed from the water filter 100 relatively easier compared to the mechanism used in the abovementioned conventional water filter.
In the description above, for the purposes of explanation, numerous specific details have been set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiment. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art, that one or more other embodiments may be practiced without some of these specific details. It should also be appreciated that reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” an embodiment with an indication of an ordinal number and so forth means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic may be included in the practice of the disclosure. It should be further appreciated that in the description, various features are sometimes grouped together in a single embodiment, figure, or description thereof for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure and aiding in the understanding of various inventive aspects, and that one or more features or specific details from one embodiment may be practiced together with one or more features or specific details from another embodiment, where appropriate, in the practice of the disclosure.
While the disclosure has been described in connection with what is considered the exemplary embodiment, it is understood that this disclosure is not limited to the disclosed embodiment but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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107214562 | Oct 2018 | TW | national |
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4272871 | Weinhold | Jun 1981 | A |
4382570 | Craig | May 1983 | A |
20110163541 | Bronnert | Jul 2011 | A1 |
20170056798 | Saccoccio | Mar 2017 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
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204745799 | Nov 2015 | CN |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20200129893 A1 | Apr 2020 | US |