Patent Application
20110114546
The present invention relates, in general, to water purification and, in particular, to water containers, such as water canteens, water bottles, water bags and other portable water containers, having a germicidal water purification unit that includes light sources operating in the visible light frequency range or the ultraviolet frequency range to kill microbiological pathogens present in the water stored in such relatively small water containers.
It is well known that specific microbiological organisms that can be harmful or distasteful to consumers are present in water that is stored in relatively small water containers, such as water canteens, water bottles, water bags and other portable water containers. The presence of these microbiological organisms in water stored in such containers can be the result of:
(1) a problem with the water treatment system or the pipes through which water is distributed and from which these containers are filled in homes and public places; and
(2) contamination developed while water is stored in these containers either from the containers or introduced by users of the containers.
Some of the known microbiological pathogens are:
Coliform bacteria are common in the environment and generally are not harmful but can cause disease.
Fecal Coliform and E coli are bacteria the presence of which indicates that the water might be contaminated with human or animal wastes. Microbes in these wastes can cause short-term effects, such as diarrhea, cramps, nausea, headaches, or other symptoms.
Giardia lamblia is another parasite that enters lakes and rivers through sewage and animal waste. It causes gastrointestinal illness, such as diarrhea, vomiting, and cramps.
Turbidity, although having no direct health effects, can interfere with disinfection and provide a medium for microbial growth. Turbidity might indicate the presence of disease causing organisms, such as bacteria, viruses, and parasites, that can cause symptoms, such as nausea, cramps, diarrhea, and associated headaches.
The efforts of the water departments of cities and suburban communities in purifying portable water are extensive and to be admired. However, more and more incidences of illnesses, related to microbiological pathogens that escape normal germicidal treatments, are being reported.
Consequently, many private and public facilities, such as office buildings, factories, sports arenas, and recreational facilities, are equipped with a germicidal water purification system that typically is installed in proximity to the point at which the water enters the facility. As a result, consumers of water in the facility consume water that has passed through the germicidal water purification system.
Typically, such germicidal facility water purification systems are arranged with light sources disposed within the conduit through which the water passes. These light sources operate in the visible light frequency range or the ultraviolet frequency range and kill microbiological pathogens present in the water.
However, as indicated above, water purified by a facility purification system can become contaminated as the water is distributed through the pipes of the facility. Also, as indicated above, even after purified water is delivered to a facility or the water that is delivered to the facility is treated at the facility or that purified water is delivered to an outlet for consumption, contamination can occur while water is stored in containers that have been filled with purified water, either from the containers or introduced by users of the containers.
A water container having a germicidal water purification unit, constructed in accordance with the present invention, includes a reservoir having a opening through which water passes into the reservoir for storage and out from the reservoir for consumption. This water container also includes a germicidal water purification unit having a housing mounted to the reservoir at the opening in the reservoir. The germicidal water purification unit also has a conduit extending within the housing axially of the housing. The conduit has an inlet end through which water in the reservoir is received for purification by the germicidal water purification unit and an outlet end through which purified water is conducted away from the germicidal water purification unit for consumption. The water is purified by a plurality of light sources operating in at least one of the visible light frequency range and the ultraviolet frequency range and disposed along the conduit. The germicidal water purification unit also has power supply means for supplying power to the light sources to energize the light sources.
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The germicidal water purification unit also includes a conduit 62 that extends within housing 60 axially of the housing. As shown most clearly in
To permit a clear and unobstructed viewing of the other components of the germicidal water purification unit, only input end 62a and output end 62b of conduit 62 are shown in
For the embodiments of the invention illustrated by
Conduit 62 is formed of a material that is transparent to at least one of visible light and ultraviolet light. For the embodiment of the present invention being described, conduit 62 is helical having three horizontal sections 62c, 62d, and 62e and two inclined sections 62f and 62g. The helical form of conduit 62 increases the time of exposure of the water passing through the conduit to the purification effected by the germicidal water purification unit.
The germicidal water purification unit also includes an array of light sources 70 that operate in at least one of the visible light frequency range and the ultraviolet frequency range. Light sources 70 are disposed along conduit 62. LED's, available from Opto Technology, Inc., operating in the visible light range or at 253.7 nanometers in the ultraviolet light range can serve as the light sources 70.
With lights sources 70 disposed along the length of conduit 62, water passing through the conduit is purified by the radiations directed radially inward from a plurality of the light sources at one side of the conduit and by the radiations directed radially outward from a plurality of the light sources at the opposite side of the conduit. The disposition of light sources 70 on opposite sides of conduit 62 is shown most clearly in
With conduit 62 helical, the path of the water through the germicidal water purification unit is extended and the water being purified is exposed to radiations from light sources 70 for a longer period of time than would be the case if the water was conducted through a conduit, extending from the reservoir directly to the outlet of the water purification unit, in a straight-line path. The particular application of the present invention will determine the nature of the path of the water to be purified as it flows from the reservoir to the outlet.
The germicidal water purification unit also includes power supply means for supplying power to light sources 70 to energize the light sources. Such power supply means can include a battery 72.
To conserve the power of battery 72, light sources 70 preferably are energized on an as needed basis. This is accomplished by including in the germicidal water purification unit means for selectively supplying power from battery 72 to light sources 70. Such means may be position sensing means for sensing when a water container is moved from a first position prior to consumption, as represented by
Controlling the supply of power from battery 72 to light sources 70 can also be effected by building into the outlet of the germicidal water purification unit external electrodes composed of a metallic material or an electrically conductive polymer or the like that sense body capacitance to complete a circuit to activate the light sources. Another arrangement includes a pair of metallic or polymeric electrodes, located upstream of conduit 62, that sense water flow into the germicidal water purification unit upon the dispensing of already purified water and complete a circuit to activate the light sources. Yet another way of completing a circuit to activate the light sources is to dispense the purified water through a spigot which, when actuated to dispense water, closes a switch or relay that connects the power supply to the light sources.
The foregoing illustrates some of the possibilities for practicing the invention. Many other embodiments are possible within the scope and spirit of the invention. It is, therefore, intended that the foregoing description be regarded as illustrative rather than limiting, and that the scope of the invention is given by the appended claims together with their full range of equivalents.
