AU1635100A

AU1635100A - Water filter device with boiling jug

Info

Publication number: AU1635100A
Application number: AU16351/00A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Holger Henke; Detlev Weyrauch
Original assignee: Brita SE
Current assignee: Brita SE
Priority date: 1999-02-11
Filing date: 2000-02-11
Publication date: 2000-08-17
Also published as: SK1692000A3; CA2298079A1; HU0000597D0; HUP0000597A2; DE19905600A1; EP1028090A1; KR20000076649A; IL134427A0; JP2000233175A; YU6900A; NO20000681D0; PL338291A1

Description

S&F Ref: 494826

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

C

Name and Address of Applicant: Actual Inventor(s): Address for Service: Brita GmbH Heinrich-Hertz-Strasse 4 D-65232 Taunusstein Germany Detlev Weyrauch and Holger Henke Spruson Ferguson St Martins Tower 31 Market Street Sydney NSW 2000 Water Filter Device with Boiling Jug Invention Title: The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us:- 5845c WATER FILTER DEVICE WITH BOILING JUG The invention concerns a water filter device with a filtrate container with side-mounted handle, with an untreated water container and with a filter comprising purifying agent which is in flow communication with the filtrate container and the untreated water container, heating means being provided for heating and a pump for the flow movement of the filtered water.

There are already water filter devices which work without a pump and in which in the bottom of an untreated water container is inserted a filter in the form of a filter cartridge through which water to be purified runs into a filtrate container and is heated in the latter by heating means.

10 But a water filter device with the above-mentioned characteristics is also already known, in which the untreated water is forced by a pump out of a doublewalled, annular untreated water container surrounding the actual filtrate container like a wall, through the filter which is arranged in the handle mounted on the side of the untreated water container and fills the latter completely with S. 15 granulate-like purifying agent. The untreated water is forced in at the bottom of the handle and leaves the filter at the top above the untreated water container in such a way that the purified or filtered water can flow from top to bottom into the S" filtrate container arranged concentrically within the untreated water container. In the lower region are located heating means, so that the whole device also has 20 the function of a water boiler.

But this known water filter device has a complex construction and has a single large jug with a bulky handle. Cleaning this device is difficult and descaling the boiling jug is practically impossible.

It is therefore the object of the invention to develop the water filter device of the kind mentioned hereinbefore in such a way that, in spite of better purification of the water, a high dispensing rate is made possible and the device can be handled more easily. Here, purification of the water means filtration or treatment of the water by the purifying agent in the filter.

The object is achieved according to the invention by the fact that the filter is designed as a filter cartridge whose at least one inlet opening is arranged in the bottom region of the untreated water container and which extends downwards into the filtrate container in such a way that the untreated water by force of gravity can pass to a point at least below the filter cartridge, that the pump can be connected by a supply pipe to the filtrate container and by a drain pipe to the outlet opening of a tap and that a boiling jug is provided so that it can be mounted under the tap and comprises the heating means.

Of course, filter cartridges of various designs and in particular the filter 1o cartridges used in large numbers in the household and commercially available *fe: are known in the art, but with the known water boiler with filter in front the purifying agent must be accommodated in special containers, here in the handle.

Use of the filter cartridges in household format is not possible there. Therefore it is advantageous for the solution according to the invention and a great attraction S 15 for the user of the new water filter device not just to be able to purify i.e. filter water, but also to be able to use the so-called filter cartridges for this. With added advantage the untreated water container is designed in such a way that in its bottom region is arranged the inlet of the filter cartridge, as is also already used in the art in various water purification devices. Recourse of the new water 20 filter device to tried and tested characteristics and uses is an added advantage.

The untreated water container can, in other words, be constructed like a funnel at the bottom of which the filter cartridge can be inserted. Furthermore it is favourable that with the filter device according to the invention too the filter cartridge extends downwards into the filtrate container, so that the untreated water can flow through the filter cartridge by force of gravity and exit at the bottom at its lower end. In this way with the solution according to the invention the principle of tried and tested water purification devices has been used and yet it is possible to obtain further desired effects and results, namely rapid dispensing and practical heating of the filtered water.

If according to the instruction of the invention the purified or treated or filtered water can be pumped out of the filtrate container via the supply pipe by means of the pump further into a drain pipe, it is possible to make the purified water from the outlet opening of the drain pipe available to a tap under pressure.

If the tap is opened, then the purified water flows at an elevated flow rate out of the tap into the boiling jug arranged underneath. As long as there is just enough filtrate water or filtered water, the boiling jug can be filled in a very short time due to the high dispensing rate.

Boiling jug means a removable jug with handle or alternatively a stationary tank or insulating container with heating means for the storage of filtered water. In this case the water would be drawn off via an additional extraction device.

This rapid dispensing and filling of the boiling jug is possible due to the high dispensing rate, although filtering from the untreated water container takes 15 place slowly and only by force of gravity. The purifying agent in the filter cartridge can therefore be used optimally, and yet the boiling jug can be filled over the factor of time at a high flow rate. One need only wait for the slow filling of the filtrate container. In other words, the water is filtered or purified independently in time of dispensing and extraction from the filtrate container by means of the *o 20 pump into other vessels, for example the above-mentioned boiling jug.

The boiling jug can of course be placed under the tap, but only the :condition that the principal volume of the boiling jug is arranged at a lower level than the outlet opening of the tap need be fulfilled. Then seals between tap and boiling jug can be foregone and the purified water can also be poured laterally into the boiling jug. In the bottom region of the boiling jug are located, as with the known water boilers, the heating means. These cannot have a negative effect on the purifying agent in the filter cartridge, for the filter cartridge is physically separate from the region of action of the heating means and thus optimally insulated thermally.

Due to better utilisation of the purifying agent in the filter cartridge, the water can be purified better, and the filtrate or purified water is drawn off by the intermediate pump in a short time, which means a high dispensing rate. Due to the construction of the new water filter device according to the invention, easier handling is possible, and the result is also better potential for cleaning the individual components of the device, for example descaling the boiling jug. The filtration of the new device is thorough because time is allowed for filtering, because for example 5-10 minutes are allowed to pass before 1 litre of water has flowed through the filter cartridge by force of gravity. However, a dispensing rate of 30 seconds per litre can be made possible. The process of filtration is uncoupled from the process of dispensing and independent of the latter. As a result it is also possible to dispense smaller quantities of filtrate as required and use them for further processing or consumption.

Furthermore, according to the invention it is advantageous if the 15 containers, the pump and the boiling jug are held by a common support base.

The above-mentioned components of the device can in this way be combined and arranged compactly adjacent to each other. The user can then handle them as a unit and for example arrange them with greater saving of space at the location provided for the water filter device according to the invention. The 20 energy supply for the pump and if necessary also other components of the new device can be integrated and combined in the common support base. The containers which are held together with the pump and the boiling jug by the support base, means for example the untreated water container, the filter cartridge and the filtrate container.

In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention the untreated water container and/or the filtrate container is/are provided so as to be removable. In this way the individual components and also the individual containers can be given a lower weight. Not only is assembly on the common support base favourable, resulting in a compact water filter device, but handling is also considerably facilitated by this means because one or two containers can be removed independently from the support base. For instance, the untreated water container can, as with known water purifying devices, be seated in a collecting jug whose lower region is designed as a filtrate container. Grasping the filtrate container and removing it from the support base would then also mean removal of the untreated water container and the filter cartridge arranged thereon. The capacity for removal of the untreated water container and/or the filtrate container further entails the advantage that the untreated water container can be filled directly on the water pipe. Hence it can be ensured that the boiling jug is filled exclusively with filtered water by the integrated pump. Hence the unsightly lime deposits in conventional water jugs can be avoided. Such a water filter device not only meets high hygiene requirements, but such a device can also be prepared for bacterial protection conditions.

is also favourable according to the invention if the boiling jug is S 15 designed to be removable. Such a boiling jug can have a construction which is convenient to handle with a low weight and practical shape. The boiling jug has, similarly to known water boilers, heating means in the bottom region, can be closed by a lid at the top and has a boil switch visibly in the handle. Due to the separation of boiling jug and filtrate container and certainly also the untreated 20 water container, hygienic separation is possible.

Furthermore it is advantageous if according to the invention on the pump is provided a device for indicating exhaustion of the purifying agent in the filter cartridge. Preferably the pump is accommodated in a housing on the upper side of which is mounted an exhaustion indicator. The user in general looks from above on to the water filter device and therefore has the exhaustion indicator immediately in view. Hence exhaustion of the function of the purifying agent can be indicated with respect to the passage of time or volume of purified water treated or both. The use of a pump with such a device as here with the invention allows very accurate measurements, because the pumping behaviour of the pump and hence the volume flow produced over time provide a good indication of exhaustion. If the indicator is an electronic device, any energy can also be supplied via the electrical terminal of the pump drive.

According to the invention the tap can further also be provided so as to be movable relative to the support base. The drain pipe connected to the pump leads to a movable tap, so that the outlet opening of the tap can be brought into position not only over the inlet of a boiling jug, but also over other containers to be filled. This is then a general dispensing point for purified water, in which different quantities can be dispensed into any containers within a short time.

10 According to the invention it is appropriate if the tap is mounted pivotably ooeooo to to on a column which guides the drain pipe vertically upwards from the support base. The tap is then to a certain extent guided and can for example in a first too position let its outlet opening be pivoted over the boiling jug in such a way that the boiling jug comes to stand on the support base, while alternatively when the tap is swung out its outlet opening can be arranged over a bottle or the like.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is further characterised in that a o switch operated manually and/or by the pivot movement of the tap is provided.

With this switch for example the pump can be switched on and off. A push button is a convenient operating device here. Also the safety aspect sometimes plays an important role. It may be undesirable that the pump can be switched on by the push button when the tap is not located over the boiling jug. The switching S•state, which depends on the pivot movement, allows this requirement to be met.

On the other hand the switch can also be designed in such a way that, when the tap is swung out through a given angle, for example 90* from the normal position over the boiling jug, the pump can be operated with a push button in order to fill other vessels. In other angular positions of the tap relative to its normal position, this is not possible due to an interruption of the power supply. Here various possible applications are conceivable.

It is also advantageous if according to the invention in the region of the boiling jug a safety switch is arranged on the support base. This safety switch can for example make the connection to the pump drive when the boiling jug is standing in its place on the support base. A small tap in the bottom region of the boiling jug, which under spring bias allows depression by the weight of the boiling jug, already permits operation of this safety switch. When the boiling jug is removed, the power supply to the pump drive is then interrupted. In spite of the presence of such a safety switch, the push button can be designed for operation of the manual switch in such a way that even without the presence of a boiling jug the pump can be operated by pushing the button.

A water filter device of the kind according to the invention need not exceed the previous height of known water purifying devices of water boilers, although all the above-mentioned advantageous measures and characteristics are provided. The low height of the device according to the invention favours, apart from practical handling of it, setting up and hence also use of the device.

Further advantages, characteristics and possible applications of the present invention are apparent from the description below of preferred embodiments in connection with the attached drawings. These show: Figure 1 the whole water filter device in the assembled state on the common support base, Figure 2 the same device as Figure 1, in which however at the front right the boiling jug is removed, Figure 3 the removed filtrate container in the upper half of which the untreated water container is located, Figure 4 the support base with pump housing and tap, Figure 5 the same perspective view as Figure 4, in which however the pump with its supply and drain pipes is shown, Figure 6 the boiling jug, 8 Figure 7 the rear view when looking from top left to bottom front in Figure 2, and Figure 8 a similar view to Figure 7, in which however the tap is swung out through 900 and a water bottle is shown as the receiving container.

The water filter device shown in perspective in its entirety in Figure 1 has a filtrate container 1 with side-mounted handle 2, in the upper half of which is fitted an untreated water container 3. In the bottom 4 thereof is inserted in sealing relationship a filter cartridge 5 filled with purifying agent, not shown. The inlet openings 6 of the filter cartridge 5, which are not shown in more detail and in Figure 3 are indicated only in the form of a ring surface, are located above the bottom 4 of the untreated water container 3 and allow the entry of untreated water inwards into the filter cartridge 5. Outlet openings, not shown, are located at the lower end of the filter cartridge 5 and permit the exit of the filtered or purified water into the filtrate container 1. The holding volume of the filtrate container is approximately equal to the volume of the untreated water container, and also the volume of the boiling jug which will be described later (Figure 6) is intended for holding the same volume, for example 1.5 litres.

On the common support base 7, which can be seen clearly in Figures 4 and 5, adjacent to the pump housing 8 is placed the boiling jug 9. The latter is shown in detail as such in perspective in Figure 6.

Under the special steel heating base 10 of the boiling jug 9 is located the jug pedestal marked 11, at the centre of which is provided an electrical plug cap 12 around which extend heating means, not shown in more detail here in the drawings. On the side the boiling jug 9 comprises a handle 13 adjacent to the glass cylinder 14 and at the top of the handle 13 a boil switch 15. A lid 16 closes the glass cylinder 14 of the boiling jug 9 at the top except for the inlet opening 17. A hinged lid 18 covers the pour spout 19 and can be pivoted upwards for pouring out.

9 Similarly to the boiling jug 9, the filtrate container 1 too, the upper edge of which lies at the same level as the upper edge of the untreated water container 3, is closed by a hinged lid In the recess 21 of the support base 7 latches the plastic web 22 of the filtrate container 1, so that the latter is put in the right place on the support base 7. Due to placing the filtrate container 1 on the support base 7, the correct socket connection 23 is then made, forming together with the fixed plug 24 located in the support base 7 the interface with the supply pipe 25 to the pump 26 shown in Figure Downstream, the pump 26 is connected by a drain pipe 27 to the outlet opening 28 of a tap 29.

The tap 29 is, according to arrow 40 as in Figure 7, pivotable out of the normal position shown there, in which the outlet opening 28 is arranged over the inlet opening 17 of the boiling jug 9, through 900 into the pivot position of the tap 29 shown in Figure 8.

In the figures with the pump housing 8 can be seen the indicator, marked oooo in general, for exhaustion of the function of the purifying agent.

On the end of the pump housing 8 facing away from the filtrate container 1 with untreated water container 3 is formed a column 31 which forms a guide for the drain pipe 27 which extends vertically upwards from the support base 7. At ooo*e the upper end of the column the tap 29 is linked so as to be pivotable about a vertical axis (centre axis). The hinge joint can be seen in Figure 5. It is marked 32. Concentrically at the top centre of this column 31 is located the push button switch 33 for switching the pump 26 on and off. For operation, it is pressed in the direction of the arrow 34 as shown in Figure 8. In this, the outlet opening 28 of the tap 29 is located over the opening 35 of a bottle 36 into which water from the filtrate container 1 can be dispensed and poured in.

Adjacent to the electrical plug cap 37 on the support base 7 (for connection to the central plug cap 12 of the boiling jug the vertically movable, spring-biased pin of a safety switch 38 protrudes.

For operation, the tap 29 is pivoted into the end position over the plug cap 37 as shown in Figures 1, 2, 4, 5 and 7. The plug, not shown, on the cable 39 is connected. The filtrate container 1 with untreated water container 3 inserted is removed and, after pivoting the lid 20 upwards, the untreated water container is filled with water to be purified or filtered. It is presupposed that the filter cartridge is already inserted. Flow of the untreated water through the filter cartridge io begins immediately, the filtrate container 1 filling up gradually. The filtrate container is then placed back on the support base 7, so that the state of Figure 2 ~is reached. If filtered water is to be heated, the boiling jug 9 is put in the position under the outlet opening 28 of the tap 29, so that the state of Figure 1 is reached. By operating the push button switch 33 by pressing in the direction of the arrow 34, the pump 26 pumps purified water or filtrate through the tap 29 into the boiling jug 9.

But instead of filling the boiling jug 9, the tap 29 as shown in Figure 7 can be pivoted in the direction of the arrow 40 through 900 about the centre axis of the column 31, so that for example the bottle 36 can be brought into position under the outlet opening 28 of the tap 29 in such a way that, after operation of ll t the push button switch 33, the bottle 36 instead of a boiling jug can be filled with filtrate. The indicator 30 indicates after some time that the purifying agent is exhausted and the filter cartridge must be replaced by a new one.

11 List of reference numbers 1 filtrate container 2 handle of filtrate container 3 untreated water container 4 bottom of untreated water container filter cartridge 6 inlet opening of filter cartridge 7 support base 8 pump housing 9 boiling jug heating base 11 jug pedestal 12 electrical plug cap 13 handle of boiling jug 14 glass cylinder 15 boil switch 16 lid of glass cylinder 17 inlet opening 18 hinged lid 19 pour spout f •20 hinged lid of filtrate container 21 recess 22 plastic web 23 socket connection 24 fixed plug pump supply pipe 26 pump 27 drain pipe of pump 28 outlet opening of tap 29 tap exhaustion indicator 31 column 32 hinge joint 33 push button switch 34 arrow direction of operation of push button switch bottle opening 36 bottle 37 electrical plug cap 38 safety switch 39 cable 40 pivot direction of tap *lol

Claims

1. Water filter device with a filtrate container with side-mounted handle with an untreated water container and with a filter comprising purifying agent which is in flow communication with the filtrate container and the untreated water container heating means (heating base 10, jug pedestal 11) being provided for heating and a pump (26) for the flow movement of the filtered water, characterised in that the filter is designed as a filter cartridge whose at least one inlet opening is arranged in the bottom region of the untreated water container and which extends downwards into the filtrate container in such a way that the untreated water by force of gravity can pass 0 to a point at least below the filter cartridge in that the pump (26) can be connected by a supply pipe (25) to the filtrate container and by a drain pipe to the outlet opening (28) of a tap (29) and in that a boiling jug is provided so that it can be mounted under the tap (29) and comprises the heating means (heating base 10, jug pedestal 11).

2. Device according to claim 1, characterised in that the containers 3, *;"the pump (26) and the boiling jug are held by a common support base

3. Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the untreated water container and/or the filtrate container is/are removable.

4. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the boiling jug is designed to be removable.

5. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that on the pump (26) is provided a device (30) for indicating exhaustion of the purifying agent in the filter cartridge 14

6. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the tap (29) is provided so as to be movable relative to the support base

7. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterised in that the tap (29) is mounted pivotably on a column (31) which guides the drain pipe (27) vertically upwards from the support base

8. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterised in that a 1o switch (33) operated manually and/or by the pivot movement of the tap (29) is provided.

9. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterised in that in the region of the boiling jug a safety switch (38) is arranged on the support base Use of a water filter device according to any one of claims 1 to 9 for filling vessels with filtered, unheated water. 0

11. A water filter device substantially as hereinibefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Dated 3 February, 2000 Brita GmbH Patent Attor-neys for the Applicant/Nomninated Person SPRUSON &FERGUSON .000. 114 NI.111.1.IO)I 85 dc M~1IT