AU2010205705B2

AU2010205705B2 - Valve actuating device of a valve, liquid tank of a liquid treatment apparatus, and a liquid treatment apparatus

Info

Publication number: AU2010205705B2
Application number: AU2010205705A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Marc Namur; Josef Taszarek
Original assignee: Brita Se
Current assignee: Brita Se
Priority date: 2009-01-14
Filing date: 2010-01-14
Publication date: 2015-06-25
Anticipated expiration: 2030-01-14
Also published as: ES2391080T3; AU2010205705A1; RU2011134081A; EP2387547A1; WO2010081845A1; PL2387547T3; EP2387547B1; DE102009000231B4; HRP20120834T1; JP2012515077A; DE102009000231A1; TW201026982A; PT2387547E; JP5405595B2; RU2532177C2; TWI411738B

Abstract

The invention relates to a liquid tank (5) of a liquid treatment apparatus (1), comprising an outlet opening (18) and a valve (20) arranged in the outlet opening (18). The valve (20) is in a closed position when the liquid tank (5) is installed in the liquid treatment apparatus (1). A valve actuating device (60) is provided, which is designed to open the valve (20) when the valve actuating device is attached to the valve (20) in the closed position. The invention further relates to a valve actuating device (60) and to a liquid treatment apparatus (1).

Description

I Valve actuation device of a valve, liquid receptacle of a liquid treatment device, as well as a liquid treatment device Description The invention relates to a valve actuation device for a valve which is located in the outlet opening of a liquid receptacle of a liquid treatment device. The invention also relates to such a liquid receptacle, as well as a corresponding liquid treatment device. Liquid treatment devices can be, for example, liquid filter devices, which are used in particular for the filtration of water, especially drinking water. Such filter devices possess a liquid receptacle to hold untreated liquid, in the bottom of which an outlet is arranged. A cartridge is arranged in the outlet region, through which the liquid must flow before it leaves the liquid receptacle. One distinguishes between gravity-driven systems and pressure-operated systems. For each system there are appropriate cartridges and liquid receptacles with appropriate means of connection. In coffee and espresso makers, so-called suction cartridges are used, which are placed in a special water tank having a valve in the outlet region. When placing the water tank into the machine, this valve is automatically opened, and it is automatically closed when the tank is taken out, so that residual amounts of water cannot escape from the water tank during its transport. The opening of the valve is brought about, for example, by a tappet located in the installation space.

2 In gravity-driven filter systems, liquid receptacles are used to hold the unfiltered water that generally possess a receiving chamber in the bottom region, in which a filter cartridge is placed with its upper rim forming a seal. The bottom wall of this receiving chamber has an outlet, so that the filtered water emerging from the filter cartridge at the lower end can drain into a collecting receptacle located below the liquid receptacle. If the filter cartridge is taken out, unfiltered water can reach the collecting receptacle for filtered water unhindered. In the known systems, if unfiltered water is inadvertently poured into the liquid receptacle before the system is ready for use, unfiltered water can reach the liquid path for the filtered water. This can occur, in particular, if the liquid receptacle is already in place, but it has been forgotten to install the filter cartridge. It is an object of the invention to improve upon the prior art at least to an extent or to provide an alternative thereto. A preferred embodiment aims to provide a liquid receptacle with a valve that, in the installed position, and especially with no treatment cartridge inserted, has a closed outlet opening. A preferred embodiment aims to provide a corresponding valve actuation device and a liquid treatment device. There is disclosed herein a valve actuation device of a valve, comprising a movable shutoff body and a valve seat, wherein the shutoff body is captive in a valve chamber and is movable within the valve chamber in horizontal and/or vertical direction, which is located in the outlet opening of a liquid receptacle of a liquid treatment device, and which is in the closed position when the liquid receptacle is installed in the liquid treatment device, wherein the valve actuation device is configured to open the valve, when placed on the valve in its closed position, by exerting a horizontal force component.

2a There is also disclosed herein a liquid receptacle of a liquid treatment device, wherein the liquid receptacle is provided with an outlet opening and a valve arranged in the outlet opening, wherein the valve comprises a movable shutoff body and a valve seat, wherein the shutoff body is captive in a valve chamber and is movable within the valve chamber in horizontal and/or vertical direction, in that the valve is in the closed position when the liquid receptacle is installed in the liquid treatment device, and in that a valve actuation device is provided that is configured to open the valve, when placed on the valve in its closed position, by exerting a horizontal force component. The liquid receptacle provides that the valve is in the closed position when the liquid receptacle is installed in the filter treatment device and a valve actuation device is provided that is configured to open the valve when placed on the valve in its closed position. The valve is configured such as to be in the closed position both when the liquid receptacle has been removed and when it is installed, so that if untreated liquid is 3 inadvertently poured in it cannot flow out or reach the liquid path of the treated liquid. In order to switch the outlet opening to the open state, an additional measure is required, which is preferably to be instigated by the person operating the device. To this end, a valve actuation device is provided that is configured to open the valve when placed on the valve in its closed position. Only when this valve actuation device is activated or installed can untreated liquid flow out through the outlet opening. This valve actuation device can be arranged, for example, on the treatment cartridge of a liquid treatment device, so that the valve is opened when the treatment cartridge is inserted. This ensures that only treated liquid can leave the liquid receptacle if untreated liquid is poured into the liquid receptacle. On the other hand, it may be desirable, e.g. for cleaning of the liquid receptacle and in particular for cleaning the outlet region, to secure the valve in its open position. For this purpose, the valve actuation device can be a self-contained part, which can be placed on the valve when required. Another example is liquid filter devices with which a liquid is freed of foreign substances by means of a filter cartridge. Here, it may be desirable to provide the filtered liquid with additives, which in the case of drinking water can be flavourings such as juice concentrates or the like. If, for example, the filtered water is to be used to water flowers, it may be desirable also to add a fertiliser.

4 As a rule, additives should not pass through the filter cartridge, because on the one hand this might impair the activity of the filter cartridge and on the other hand the additives would lose their activity through the filter cartridge. So as not to have to take apart the liquid treatment device in order to place these additives in the collecting receptacle, the valve can be brought into the open position for the additives to flow through by means of the self-contained component of the valve actuation device, if required, so that the additives can go through the outlet opening and reach the collecting receptacle provided for the treated liquid. After this, the valve actuation device can be removed and the filter cartridge, which is also preferably provided with such a valve actuation device, can be inserted to carry out the filtration of the liquid. The filtered liquid then blends in the collecting receptacle concerned with the additive(s) present therein. The valve actuation device may be provided with at least one actuating element. Preferably, the actuating element is of the plug-in type. The actuating element can be a pressing element or a pulling element. As for the materials, rigid materials or also elastic materials can be provided. Preferably, the actuating element is an elastic element. This can also be a spring element, for example. As regards the shape, the actuating element can be a pin, a plate, a ring, a ball or a sleeve. Other preferred configurations are an elastic pressing plate, an elastic pressing body, a V-shaped element, a pulling means, a curved sleeve, a spacer ring, a spring, a bracket, a spacer body, a pull ring, a circular disk, a spring leg or a pressing disk.

5 These aforementioned preferred embodiments of a valve actuating element can be designed as a self-contained component part, as a component part of a treatment cartridge, or also as a component part of the liquid receptacle. The liquid receptacle is preferably provided with a valve, which comprises a movable shutoff body and a valve seat, wherein the shutoff body is captive in a valve chamber. The shutoff body is preferably movable in horizontal and vertical direction in the valve chamber. This free mobility of the shutoff element allows the use of valve actuation devices or actuating elements that act in horizontal direction. The shutoff body can be tilted, for example, by action of a horizontal force component to open up the valve seat and thus open up the outlet opening. It is therefore preferable for the shutoff body to have an element projecting out from the valve chamber, which is preferably an eccentrically arranged lever. This lever preferably has a cam surface, which the valve actuation device can engage with. In one preferred embodiment of the liquid receptacle according to the invention, in which the shutoff body has a longitudinal axis, the lever extends from the cam surface to the longitudinal axis or beyond. The shutoff body is configured so that it opens up the outlet opening by being tilted inwards. This configuration of the lever prevents or at least makes it more difficult for the shutoff body to be tilted outwards by the valve actuation device or by the actuating element when the cartridge is inserted, which might cause damage to the valve. The lever preferably extends vertically upwards from the shutoff body.

6 The valve chamber is delimited downwardly by the valve seat and upwardly by a check disk. In an advantageous embodiment of the liquid receptacle, the valve seat is formed by a valve seat body, wherein the valve seat body delimits the valve chamber downwardly and laterally and the check disk delimits the valve chamber upwardly. In this embodiment, the valve chamber is made up of separate parts, which facilitates its manufacture and assembly. The valve seat body can be permanently joined to the liquid receptacle, say, by welding, or detachably, for example, by a screw connection. This check disk is preferably provided with a slot through which the lever can project out of the valve chamber. Advantageously, the shutoff body is movable between the valve seat and the check disk. The shutoff body can be moved only by gravity, so that the shutoff body is moved out of the valve seat towards the check disk by turning the liquid receptacle from its position of use over approximately 1800. The slot in the check disk serves as a guide and ensures that the shutoff body is placed back into the valve seat as soon as the liquid receptacle is brought into its position of use. Depending on the configuration of the lever and the slot, the shutoff body can abut against the check disk or be brought into an end position between the valve seat and the check disk when the liquid receptacle turned over. In either case, the shutoff body is moved out of the valve seat out of its position of use by turning over the liquid receptacle , so that flow through the valve is released, which is particularly advantageous when the liquid receptacle is placed in a dishwasher, for example, for cleaning purposes. Thus, better and more thorough cleaning of the liquid receptacle is achieved.

7 The valve can preferably be installed with any azimuthal attitude. This configuration has the advantage that adjustment or checking of the position of the valve relative to the receiving container during the assembly process is dispensed with. This embodiment is preferably used in combination with rotationally symmetrical valve actuation devices on the treatment cartridge. Depending on how accessible the valve is it is preferable to configure the valve actuation device to be pluggable into the outlet opening from above or from below. The valve actuation device can contain a self-contained part, as already mentioned in connection with the valve actuation device. In accordance with a particular embodiment, the valve actuation device can be part of the liquid receptacle. In accordance with a particular embodiment, the valve actuation device can be moulded in the outlet opening of the liquid receptacle. Rib-shaped elements are especially suitable for this. In particular where the shutoff valve is rotatably arranged in the outlet opening of the liquid receptacle, the valve can be rotated far enough for the rib-shaped element(s) to engage with the lever and bring the valve into the open position. These rib-shaped elements are preferably arranged vertically, i.e., in the direction of flow. Other configurations of the rib-shaped elements are possible if the lever which is arranged on the shutoff body is configured accordingly and can be actuated. The liquid treatment device is equipped with a liquid treatment cartridge and with a liquid receptacle as already described.

8 The liquid treatment device has a valve actuation device, which is preferably arranged on the treatment cartridge. All configurations which have been described in connection with the valve actuation device can be placed on the treatment cartridge. Preferably the valve actuation device is an annular element. This annular element can be arranged in the region of the outlet opening of the treatment cartridge and is preferably brought into active interplay with the shutoff valve when the filter cartridge is installed. The annular element can be a closed annular element or also one that is divided by vertical slots, for example. In this respect, the actuation device can also consist of a finger rim. It is preferable to have the slot width between the fingers of the finger rim smaller than the width of the lever, so that it is assured that secure actuation and thus opening of the outlet valve is guaranteed in every position of the shutoff valve when the filter cartridge is inserted. Preferably the liquid treatment device is a liquid filter device. In this case, the treatment cartridge is a filter cartridge. A preferred use of the liquid treatment device is the filtration of water. Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be explained in more detail by means of the drawings. There are shown: In Fig. 1, a vertical section through a liquid treatment device, In Fig. 2a, a perspective representation of a shutoff body of the valve according to a first embodiment, 9 In Fig. 2b, a side view of the shutoff body shown in Fig. 2a, In Fig. 3a, a perspective representation of a shutoff body of the valve according to a second embodiment, In Fig. 3b, a side view of the shutoff body shown in Fig. 3a, In Fig. 4 to 10, various embodiments of a valve actuation device, which are arranged on a treatment cartridge, In Fig. 11 to 32, various embodiments of a self-contained valve actuation device, In Fig. 33, a valve actuation device that is part of the liquid receptacle. The various embodiments will be explained hereafter by means of a liquid treatment device 1 that is designed as a water filter device. Figure 1 shows a liquid treatment device 1 as a water filtering device, which is provided with a liquid receptacle 5 to hold unfiltered water and, below it, a collecting receptacle 8 to receive filtered water. The liquid receptacle 5 has a bottom wall 6, in which a receiving chamber 10 is arranged. The receiving chamber 10 is formed by a peripheral wall 12 and a bottom wall 14. Into this receiving chamber 10, which has an outlet opening 18 in the bottom wall 14, is inserted a liquid treatment cartridge 40, which in this special example is a filter cartridge. This filter cartridge 40 has a sealing edge 42, a cartridge wall 44 and a cartridge bottom 46, which has an indentation 48 with an outlet opening 50.

10 In the representation shown in Fig. 1, the filter cartridge 40 is not yet fully inserted into the receiving chamber 10. The filter cartridge 40 is provided with a valve actuation device 60, which has a moulded-on actuating element 61 in the shape of an annular mandrel 62. In Fig. 4, the filter cartridge is shown in the fully inserted state. The details of the filter cartridge 40 will be explained in connection with Fig. 4. A valve 20, having a valve seat body 22 with a valve seat 23 in the form of a moulded-on sealing ring, is inserted into the outlet opening 18 from below. The valve seat body 22 is shaped as a sleeve and adapted to the diameter of this indentation 16, so that it can be inserted in the indentation 16 of the bottom wall 14 of the receiving chamber 10. The valve seat body 22 can be connected permanently, for example, to the liquid receptacle 5, for example by welding, or detachably by means of a screw thread. The valve seat body 22 does not extend over the entire vertical length of the indentation 16. To secure the valve seat body 22, it has an annular flange 25 facing outwards, which abuts the transitional region between bottom wall 14 and indentation 16. Lying against the valve seat 23, fashioned as a sealing ring, is a shutoff body 24, which has a sealing disk 26 interacting with the valve seat (see Fig. 2a, 2b or 3a, 3b), on the underside of which a ball-shaped protrusion 28 is arranged and on the upper side of which an element 29 in the form of a lever 30 is arranged. The ball-shaped protrusion 28 serves as a drip aid. The element 39, which is fashioned as a lever 30, is provided with a cam surface 32 on the outside. The shutoff body 24 is captive in the valve chamber 36, which is delimited upwardly by means of a check disk 34. In the check disk 34 there is a slot 38, through which the lever 30 projects upwardly out of the valve chamber 36. This slot 38 can serve as a guide for the lever 30 and thus for the shutoff body 24.

11 The shutoff body 24 is shown enlarged in Fig. 2a, 2b and 3a, 3b. As can be seen, the sealing disk 26 has a conical sealing surface 27 on its underside, which interacts with the valve seat 23 (see Fig. 1) in the closed position. The element 29 in the shape of the lever 30 is arranged eccentrically on the sealing disk 26 with its cam surface 32 projecting upwards. Furthermore, the ball-shaped protrusion 28 is located on the underside of the sealing disk 26. The embodiment shown in Fig. 3a and 3b differs from the embodiment shown in Fig. 2a and 2b, in that the lever 30 extends from the cam surface 32 as far as a longitudinal axis 33 of the sealing disk. It is also conceivable for the lever 30 to extend from the cam surface 32 beyond the longitudinal axis 33. In Fig. 4, the filter cartridge 40 is fully and sealingly inserted in the receiving chamber 10. The sealing edge 42 of the filter cartridge 40 lies tightly against the inside of the peripheral wall 12 of the receiving chamber 10. This prevents liquid from the liquid receptacle 5 from being able to reach the receiving chamber 10 untreated and thus from this receiving chamber 10 into the collecting receptacle 8 located underneath (see Fig. 1). The liquid being treated flows through the filter cartridge 40 and emerges at the outlet opening 50. The filter cartridge 40 is provided with the indentation 48, on the underside of which is formed a valve actuation device 60 in the form of an annular mandrel 62. This valve actuation device 60 thus has an actuating element 61 which is a component part of the filter cartridge. As can be seen in Fig. 4, this annular mandrel dips into the indentation 16 of the receiving chamber 10 and extends into the region of the lever 30, so that the inner surface of the annular mandrel 62 engages with the cam surface 32 of the lever 30. In this way, the shutoff body 24 is brought into a tilt position, so that the valve opening 21, which is delimited by the valve seat 23, is released. The water 12 filtered by the filter cartridge 40 can thus escape downwards through the valve opening 21 into the collecting receptacle 8 located underneath (not shown in Fig. 4). The embodiment shown in Fig. 3a and 3b ensures that the actuating element 61 can only engage with the cam surface 32 of the lever 30. This prevents the shutoff body 24 from being forced outward by an actuating element that does not engage with the cam surface 32. As soon as the filter cartridge 40 is taken out of the receiving chamber 10, the shutoff body 24 drops into its closing position, in which the sealing surface 27 of the sealing disk 26 lies against the valve seat 23. However, if the liquid receptacle 5 is turned over by around 180* after the filter cartridge 40 has been taken out, the shutoff body 24 will be moved out of the valve seat 23 and towards the check disk 34. The valve 20 is opened, so that liquid can move through, for example, when the liquid receptacle is placed in a dish washer for cleaning. Another embodiment, showing a pin 64, which is arranged at the underside of the indentation 48 of the filter cartridge 40, is shown in Fig. 5. This actuating element 61 also engages with the cam surface 32 of the lever 30 when the filter cartridge is inserted. Another embodiment is shown in Fig. 6, in which the valve actuating device 60 consists of a plate 65 made from an elastic material. The plate 65 extends downwards at a slant and engages the upper segment of the cam surface 32 of the lever 30. This elastic pressing plate 65 holds the shutoff body in the open position when the filter cartridge 40 is inserted. Another embodiment is shown in Fig. 7, where an elastic pressing plate 66 is provided as the actuating element 61. In contrast to the arrangement in Fig. 6, 13 this elastic pressing plate 66 is located on the opposite side of the outlet opening 50 of the filter cartridge 40. In Fig. 8, an elastic pressing body 68 is arranged on the underside of the indentation 48 of the filter cartridge 40. This elastic pressing body 68 can be a ball-shaped element or also a cylindrical element. In this embodiment, the elastic pressing body 68 engages in the region of the upper point of the lever 30 and moves the shutoff body 24 into the open position. Figure 9 shows a valve actuation device 61 in the form of a pulling means 70. It involves a plate-like element arranged in the horizontal direction, which is curved downward at its free end so that the latter can engage with the lever 30. Figure 10 shows an embodiment having a V-shaped element 72, which is arranged at the underside of the indentation 48 of the filter cartridge 40. The wing-like segments of the V-shaped element 72 are suitable for guaranteeing secure grasping of the lever 30, regardless of the degree of tile with which the valve 20 has been installed. Figures 11 and further show embodiments showing valve actuation devices as self-contained component parts. These are insertable valve actuation devices which can be used to define the open position of the valve 20 independently of the filter cartridge or the treatment cartridge 40. Figure 11 shows an embodiment in which the valve actuation device 60 consists of a sleeve 80 which can be inserted into the outlet opening 18 of the receiving chamber 10. The sleeve 80 has an outer flange 82, which rests against the edge of the opening 18. The sleeve 80 extends downwards far enough so that the cam surface 32 of the lever 30 is engaged and the shutoff body is forced or tilted into its open position.

14 In Figure 12, this sleeve 80 is shown yet again, having a ring handle 84 at its upper end, by which the valve actuation device 60 can be grasped for easier installation and removal. Figure 13 shows a curved sleeve 86 as the valve actuation device 60. This sleeve is pushed onto the lever 30. The curved sleeve 86 is shown here as a closed sleeve. Figure 14 shows an annular element (spacer ring 88), which is likewise inserted over the free end of the lever 30, so that the shutoff body 24 is held in the open position. Figure 15 shows a resilient element 90 that is pushed over the lever 30. This can also be a wound band or a tube. It is only necessary to ensure that the shutoff body 24 is held in the open position by the element 90. Figure 16 shows a bracket 92, which is inserted onto the indentation 16 and on the one hand rests against the outer surface of the indentation 16 and on the other hand engages the outlet opening 18, so that the lever 30 is moved in the horizontal direction. A modified configuration is shown in Fig. 17, wherein the valve actuation device 60 consists of a curved plate-like pressing plate 66, which is arranged on a cap 94 which can be placed on the indentation 16. This cap 94 spans across the indentation 16. Figure 18 likewise shows such a cap 94, which is provided with a V-shaped element 72 on the inside. Figure 19 shows a simple configuration of the actuating element 61 in the form of a curved pressing plate 95, which is inserted into the outlet opening 18 and in 15 this way shifts the lever 30 in the horizontal direction so that the outlet opening 18 is opened up. In similar fashion, Fig. 20 shows a spherical or cylindrical element 96 that is likewise inserted between the indentation and the lever 30. Instead of a spherical element, one can also employ a strip or an element with a rectangular cross section. One such spacer body 98 is shown in Fig. 21. Figure 22 shows a pulling means in the form of a pull ring 100 as the valve actuation device 60, which rests against the indentation 16 and holds the lever 30 in the open position. A similar configuration is shown in Fig. 23, where a cap 94, having a pressing plate 66, is also provided. Whereas the configurations of Fig. 11 to 23 are inserted into the outlet opening 18 from above, so that the lever 30 is engaged, Figures 24 to 32 show embodiments of the valve actuation device 60 that are inserted from below and thus directly engage the disk 26 or the ball-shaped protrusion 28. In Fig. 24, a pin 64 is shown as a simple configuration, which is inserted into the valve opening 21 so that the shutoff body 24 is brought into the tilted position and thus clears the valve opening 21. In Fig. 25 a bracket 92 is shown, of which the outer diameter corresponds to the inner diameter of the valve opening 21 and thus raises and/or tilts the entire shutoff body 24. In order to reach the tilted position, the two legs of the bracket 92 are of different length.

16 Figure 26 shows an embodiment in which a plate 65 is provided that is secured to a circular disk 102, which is inserted into the valve seat body 22 from below. The plate 65 is positioned so that it engages the ball-shaped protrusion 28 of the shutoff body 24 on one side and moves the shutoff body 24 into the tilted position. In Fig. 27, a circular disk 102 is provided with two pins 64, which lift up the entire shutoff body 24 when the circular disk 102 is inserted, so that the valve opening 21 is opened up. In Fig. 28, the circular disk 102 is provided with a spring leg 104, which likewise engages with the ball-shaped protrusion 28 of the shutoff body 24 and lifts up the shutoff body. In Fig. 29, the circular disk is configured as an arched pressing disk 106, which directly engages with the ball-shaped protrusion 28. Figure 30 shows a bottom cap 108, which spans the entire bottom wall 14 of the receiving chamber 10. Inside the cap there is arranged a pin or a plate 65, rising upwards, which engages the valve opening 21 and moves the shutoff body 24 upward. In Fig. 31, similar to Fig. 30, a bottom cap 108 is arranged, the pin 64 being arranged in the centre, so that it can engage the ball-shaped protrusion 28 of the shutoff body 24 in the middle. Figure 32 shows a configuration that likewise contains a bottom cap 108, but it only partly spans the bottom wall 14 of the receiving chamber 10. An upwardly projecting plate 65 engages the ball-shaped protrusion 28 of the shutoff body 24.

17 In Fig. 33, the indentation 16 is provided with ribs 110 extending in the vertical direction on its inside, forming actuating elements 61 of the valve actuation device 60. The valve 20 is rotatably arranged in the indentation 16 in this embodiment. This makes it possible to open and close the valve through rotation in the indentation 16. When the valve 20 is placed in a position where the lever 30 comes to lie with its cam surface 32 against a rib 110, the shutoff body is separated from the valve seat 23 and opens up the valve opening 21. Through further rotation of the valve 20, an intermediate spacing between the ribs 110 is attained, and the shutoff body can drop into its closed position. In order to open the valve 20 when inserting the filter cartridge 40, even though it is in its closed position, the filter cartridge can likewise have a valve actuation device 60. The actuating element 61 is a pin 64, which is shown by broken lines, and is located for example in the free space between two ribs 110, and engages with the cam surface 32 when the filter cartridge is inserted.

18 List of reference numerals 1 liquid treatment device 5 liquid receptacle 6 bottom wall 8 collecting receptacle 10 receiving chamber 12 peripheral wall 14 bottom wall 16 indentation 18 outlet opening 20 valve 21 valve opening 22 valve seat body 23 valve seat 24 shutoff body 25 annular flange 26 sealing disk 27 sealing surface 28 ball-shaped protrusion 29 element 30 lever 32 cam surface 33 longitudinal axis 34 check disk 36 valve chamber 38 slot 19 40 liquid treatment cartridge 42 sealing edge 44 cartridge wall 46 cartridge bottom 48 indentation 50 outlet opening 60 valve actuation device 61 actuating element 62 annular mandrel 64 pin 65 plate 66 elastic pressing plate 68 elastic pressing body 70 pulling means 72 V-shaped element 80 sleeve 82 outer flange 84 ring handle 86 curved sleeve 88 spacer ring 90 resilient element 92 bracket 94 cap 95 curved pressing plate 96 spherical or cylindrical element 98 spacerbody 20 100 pull ring 102 circular disk 104 spring leg 106 pressing disk 108 bottom cap 110 rib

Claims

1. Valve actuation device of a valve, comprising a movable shutoff body and a valve seat, wherein the shutoff body is captive in a valve chamber and is movable within the valve chamber in horizontal and/or vertical direction, which is located in the outlet opening of a liquid receptacle of a liquid treatment device, and which is in the closed position when the liquid receptacle is installed in the liquid treatment device, wherein the valve actuation device is configured to open the valve, when placed on the valve in its closed position, by exerting a horizontal force component.

2. Device according to claim 1, wherein the valve actuation device is provided with at least one actuation element.

3. Device according to claim 2, wherein the actuation element can be plugged in.

4. Device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the actuating element is a pin, a plate a ring, a ball or a sleeve.

5. Liquid receptacle of a liquid treatment device, wherein the liquid receptacle is provided with an outlet opening and a valve arranged in the outlet opening, wherein the valve comprises a movable shutoff body and a valve seat, wherein the shutoff body is captive in a valve chamber and is movable within the valve chamber in horizontal and/or vertical direction, in that the valve is in the closed position when the liquid receptacle is installed in the liquid treatment device, and in that a valve actuation device is provided that is configured to open the valve, when placed on the valve in its closed position, by exerting a horizontal force component.

6. Liquid receptacle according to claim 5, wherein the shutoff body is provided with an element projecting out from the valve chamber. 22

7. Liquid receptacle according to claim 6, wherein the element is an eccentrically arranged lever.

8. Liquid receptacle according to claim 7, wherein the lever is provided with a cam surface.

9. Liquid receptacle according to claim 7 or 8, in which the shutoff body has a longitudinal axis, wherein the lever extends from the cam surface to the longitudinal axis or beyond.

10. Liquid receptacle according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the lever extends vertically upward from the shutoff body.

11. Liquid receptacle according to any one of claims 5 to 10, wherein the valve chamber is downwardly delimited by the valve seat and upwardly by a check disk.

12. Liquid receptacle according to claim 11, wherein the valve seat is formed by a valve seat body, wherein the valve seat body delimits the valve chamber downwardly and laterally and the check disk delimits the valve chamber upwardly.

13. Liquid receptacle according to claim 12, wherein the check disk is provided with a slot.

14. Liquid receptacle according to claim 12 or 13, wherein the shutoff body is movable between the valve seat and the check disk.

15. Liquid receptacle according to any one of claims 5 to 14, wherein the valve actuation device is a self-contained part.

16. Liquid treatment device with a liquid treatment cartridge and with a liquid receptacle according to any one of claims 5 to 15.

17. Liquid treatment device according to claim 16, wherein the valve actuation device is arranged on the liquid treatment cartridge. 23

18. Liquid treatment device according to any one of claims 16 or 17, wherein the valve actuation device is an annular element.

19. Liquid treatment device according to any one of claims 16 to 18, wherein it is a liquid filter device with a filter cartridge.

20. Use of a liquid treatment device according to claim 19 for the filtration of water. Brita GmbH Patent Attorneys for the Applicant/Nominated Person SPRUSON & FERGUSON