AU2012244232A1 - Portable electronic water disinfection device with replaceable treatment cartridges - Google Patents

Abstract

This disclosure relates to a portable water storage and treatment unit, the unit comprising an electronic control system, an electrocoagulation chamber containing a replaceable electrocoagulation cartridge, a filter chamber containing a replaceable filter cartridge, a water pump and a water storage reservoir chamber, wherein in use, a batch of water is poured through an inlet port into the electrocoagulation chamber, and the electrocoagulation function is activated if necessary by the control system to perform an initial disinfection of the batch of water, and the water is then pumped through the filter cartridge from which the then purified and potable water flows into the reservoir chamber, from which it can be decanted through an outlet port for consumption as needed. )50 508 IG1- 42A Wransfer pump 22 4r and valve assembly 1s Clean water Lid 24e Figure 4 (Fresh water /a=erpoo and Chamber ecessed 126 2A 24Acontrol panel calrdg4A LED warning (Electrocoagulation 9 Fron VieEectrical connection point Figure 3

Description

Regulation 3.2 AUSTRALIA PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT ORIGINAL Name of Applicant: John Frederick Ellers Actual Inventor: John Frederick Ellers Address for Service: C/- MADDERNS, GPO Box 2752, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia Invention title: PORTABLE ELECTRONIC WATER DISINFECTION DEVICE WITH REPLACEABLE TREATMENT CARTRIDGES The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me.

PORTABLE ELECTRONIC WATER DISINFECTION DEVICE WITH REPLACEABLE TREATMENT CARTRIDGES TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates generally to the field of water treatment devices and systems. 5 In a particular form the present invention relates to a portable batch water storage and treatment unit sized to be hand carried which, like a conventional canteen, can store water, but additionally treat and purify water from almost any available source to replace consumed stored water. PRIORITY 10 This patent application claims priority from: United States Provisional Patent Application No 61628340, titled "PORTABLE ELECTRONIC WATER DISINFECTION DEVICE WITH REPLACEABLE TREATMENT CARTRIDGES", and filed on 28 October 2011. The entire content of this application is hereby incorporated by reference. 15 BACKGROUND There have long been water treatment systems and units for disinfecting contaminated water to make the water potable such as through the process of electrocoagulation. In general principle, described generally in WIKIPEDIA.COMTM, electrocoagulation water treatment consists of passing contaminated water through a unit containing an electrolytic cell with an 20 anode connected to a power source and a cathode spaced apart from the anode. The anode electrochemically corrodes as a result of oxidation. The anode and cathode in many instances are pairs of conductive plates such as of iron which function as sacrificial electrodes. The anode releases ions which neutralize the charges of suspended contaminant particles so that they clump together, or coagulate, and so that they float to the surface and thus are readily 25 removed from the water. In addition, this process alters the physical and chemical properties of the contaminants through reactions including oxidation reduction, emulsion breaking, seeding, halogen complexing, bleaching, and significant neutralization of any acidic or basic characteristic. As a result, heavily contaminated water can be purified to such an extent as to be safe for human consumption. 30 A problem with prior systems and units has been that replacement of electrocoagulation elements such as plates necessarily consumed during normal electrocoagulation operation, has 2 been time consuming and often difficult. Another problem is that a water treatment unit suitable in size and other features to be carried as a replenishable canteen is not disclosed in the art. It is against this background and the problems and difficulties associated therewith that the 5 present invention has been developed. Certain objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein, by way of illustration and example, an embodiment of the present invention is disclosed. SUMMARY 10 In a first aspect the present invention accordingly provides a portable water storage and treatment unit, the unit comprising an electronic control system, an electrocoagulation chamber containing a replaceable electrocoagulation cartridge, a filter chamber containing a replaceable filter cartridge, a water pump and a water storage reservoir chamber, wherein in use, a batch of water is poured through an inlet port into the electrocoagulation chamber, and 15 the electrocoagulation function is activated if necessary by the control system to perform an initial disinfection of the batch of water, and the water is then pumped through the filter cartridge from which the then purified and potable water flows into the reservoir chamber, from which it can be decanted through an outlet port for consumption as needed. In one form, the unit comprises a unit housing divided by sealed internal housing partitions 20 into a hardware chamber, the electrocoagulation chamber, the filter chamber, a clean water reservoir chamber, the water inlet port being in the top of the unit housing and opening into the electrocoagulation chamber, and the water outlet port also being in the top of the unit housing and opening out of the reservoir chamber for dispensing drinkable water. In one form, the hardware chamber contains the water pump, an electronic control panel, a 25 unit electric circuit having circuit wiring, and a power jack extending through the unit housing to be accessible from outside of the unit to recharge a battery contained within the hardware chamber and/or to connect to a power cord for extending to an external power source to deliver power to the unit circuit. In one form, the filter chamber is in fluid communication with the electrocoagulation chamber 30 and retains the replaceable filter cartridge. In one form, the clean water reservoir chamber is in fluid communication with the filter chamber for receiving and holding water pumped through the electrocoagulation chamber and the filter chamber. 3 In one form, the replaceable electrocoagulation cartridge includes a case containing and mounting a spaced series of parallel electrocoagulation plates electrically connected through the case to the battery or external power source by the unit circuit wiring through the control panel. 5 In one form, the replaceable filter cartridge includes a case containing a filter. In one form, the unit is sized to be hand carried. A detailed description of one or more embodiments of the invention is provided below along with accompanying figures that illustrate by way of example the principles of the invention. While the invention is described in connection with such embodiments. it should be 10 understood that the invention is not limited to any embodiment. On the contrary, the scope of the invention is limited only by the appended claims and the invention encompasses numerous alternatives, modifications and equivalents. For the purpose of example, numerous specific details are set forth in the following description in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. 15 The present invention may be practiced according to the claims without some or all of these specific details. For the purpose of clarity, technical material that is known in the technical fields related to the invention has not been described in detail so that the present invention is not unnecessarily obscured. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 20 An illustrative embodiment of the present invention will be discussed with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure 1 is a lower perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the unit, with the filter cartridge and electrocoagulation cartridge shown withdrawn from and in exploded relation to the unit; 25 Figure 2 is an upper perspective view of the unit of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a cross-sectional front view of the unit of Figure 1, with the exception of the portion of the front of the unit mounting the control panel, showing the electrocoagulation chamber, cartridge and plates, the filter chamber, cartridge and filter, and the reservoir chamber, with the internal housing partitions shown in broken lines; 30 Figure 4 is top view of the unit of Figure 3, with the battery, and the internal housing partitions defining the electrocoagulation compartment, filter compartment and reservoir compartment shown in broken lines; 4 Figure 5 is bottom view of the unit of Figure 3, with the battery shown in broken lines; Figure 6 is cross-sectional right end view of the unit of Figure 3; Figure 7 is a cross-sectional rear view of the unit of Figure 3; Figure 8 is a cross-sectional side view of the electrocoagulation cartridge revealing the plates; 5 Figure 9 is a cross-sectional side view of the filter cartridge revealing the filter; and Figure 10 is a side view of the preferred rotatable locking assembly showing the opposing retracting locking tabs and the central gripping bar. In the following description, like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings. 10 TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION Referring now to Figure 1, there is shown a portable water storage and treatment unit 10 which can both store and disinfect and otherwise purify water. Unit 10 can be manufactured in larger or smaller overall sizes/ depending on the specific needs of a particular group of end users. 15 An embodiment of unit 10 sized to be a medium or large non-portable device is further contemplated. The unit 10 includes a unit housing 20 divided by sealed internal housing partitions 22 into a hardware chamber 40 containing a water pump 42, an electronic control panel 44, a unit electric circuit having circuit wiring 46, and a power jack 48 extending through the unit 20 housing 20 to be accessible from outside the unit 10 preferably to recharge a unit battery 52 contained within the hardware chamber 40 and alternatively or additionally to a power cord (not shown) extending to an external power source such as a wall outlet to deliver power to the unit circuit; an electrocoagulation chamber 60 retaining a spaced series of parallel electrocoagulation plates 62 electrically connected to the unit battery by the unit circuit wiring 25 46 through the control panel 44; a filter chamber 80 in fluid communication with the electrocoagulation chamber 60 and retaining a water filter 82; and a clean water reservoir chamber 90 in fluid communication with the filter chamber 80 for receiving and holding water pumped through the electrocoagulation chamber 60 and the filter chamber 80; and a water inlet port 24 with an inlet lid 24A in the top of the unit housing 20 opening into the 30 electrocoagulation chamber 60 and a water outlet port 26 also in the top of the unit housing 20 having an outlet lid 26A and opening out of the reservoir chamber 90 for dispensing 5 drinkable/potable water. The inlet lid 24A and the outlet lid 26A preferably each include mechanisms (not shown) which release excess pressure from within the unit 10 such as that resulting from atmospheric or other external heat or from depressurization at high altitude, and the lids 24A and 26A may be of different sizes and marked such as through color coding 5 to alert a user against drinking from the inlet port 24. An AC-to-DC charger 1 10, similar to those used with laptop computers, with a power cord 112 such as for plugging into a wall outlet or into an automobile power socket/adaptor and a plug 114 for engaging the power jack 48. A key inventive feature of the present unit is the provision of plates 62 in a removable 10 electrocoagulation cartridge 160 form. The electrocoagulation cartridge 160 preferably includes a plate mounting case 162, preferably in the form of a square tube with closed ends and having an electrocoagulation cartridge inlet opening 160A in the plate mounting case 162 at the electrocoagulation cartridge 160 upper end and a electrocoagulation cartridge outlet opening 160B in the plate mounting case 162 at the electrocoagulation cartridge 160 lower 15 end registering with and in fluid communication with an electrocoagulation chamber outlet opening 60B at the electrocoagulation chamber 60 lower end. See FIGURES 3 and 4. Electrocoagulation cartridge 160 contains and mounts the spaced series of parallel electrocoagulation plates 62, and having outwardly protruding cast metal strips (not shown) in the plate mounting case 162 lower end for electrical connection to the unit circuit 46. The 20 electrocoagulation cartridge 160 is periodically removed from the unit 10 and replaced as the plates 62 are consumed through repeated operation of the electrocoagulation feature. The filter 82 preferably is provided as part of a filter cartridge 180 as well, the filter cartridge 180 including a filter mounting case 182 preferably in the form of a circular tube with closed end walls and having a filter cartridge inlet opening 180A in the filter mounting case 182 25 registering with and in fluid communication with the filter chamber inlet opening 80A and located at the filter cartridge 180 lower end and also in fluid communication with the electrocoagulation cartridge outlet opening 160B through a pumping tube 42A into which the pump 42 is operationally mounted, and a filter cartridge outlet opening 180B in the filter cartridge 180 upper end, and containing water filtering material such as a filter sheet having 30 an accordion configuration to maximize sheet surface area. See FIGURES 3 and 4. The electrocoagulation and filter cartridges 160 and 180 preferably are each passed into and out of their respective chambers 60 and 80 through corresponding electrocoagulation cartridge and filter cartridge ports 32 and 34 in the bottom of the unit housing 20, and are each releasibly locked into mounted position within their respective chambers 60 and 80 by a rotatable 35 locking assembly 70 with retracting locking tabs 72 which engage the unit housing 20, and 6 which may be of conventional latch design, and a central gripping bar 74 of assembly 70 permitting human finger gripping for assembly 70 rotation. See FIGURES 5 and 10. The control panel 44 preferably includes not only pump and power switches 46A (see 5 FIGURES 2 and 3) controlling electric current flow respectively between the pump 42 and battery 52 or external power source and between the electrocoagulation plates 62 and battery 52 or external power source, but preferably additionally includes a waste water testing mechanism (not shown) of conventional design with sensors (not shown) extending into the electrocoagulation chamber 60 to determine the type and duration of treatment needed to 10 make the particular water batch safe to drink. In some instances the water may only require filtration, and in this instance the pump 42 is activated to deliver water through the filter chamber 80 and into the reservoir chamber 90 without delivering electric current to the plates 62, and thus without activating the electrocoagulation function. In other instances, where the water has a higher concentration of impurities or has impurities of certain types, the waste 15 water testing mechanism determines the need to activate the electrocoagulation function for a certain length of time before pumping the water batch out of the electrocoagulation chamber 60 and through the filter chamber 80. The control panel 44 preferably includes warning lights WL for alerting the user to low battery 52 charge, unusable water or a blocked filter, and in addition to warning lights WL the unit 10 may include an audible unit warning alarm 20 triggered simultaneously with the particular warning lights. The housing 20 and lids 24A and 26A may be constructed from any suitable plastic, carbon fiber composite or from metal, or a combination of these materials. The selected construction materials preferably are entirely recyclable. The housing 20 may be a rubberized casing such as of the material commonly used to make cellular telephone covers. The unit 10 preferably is 25 constructed to be water resistant to a depth of at least one meter. The unit 10 is optionally incorporated into a customized backpack (not shown). The unit 10 preferably is pre-filled with drinkable water at a camp or other base before being carried on an excursion away from conventional clean water sources, such as into the open countryside. It will be understood that the term "comprise" and any of its derivatives (eg. comprises, 30 comprising) as used in this specification is to be taken to be inclusive of features to which it refers, and is not meant to exclude the presence of any additional features unless otherwise stated or implied. 7 The reference to any prior art in this specification is not, and should not be taken as, an acknowledgement of any form of suggestion that such prior art forms part of the common general knowledge. Although an illustrative embodiment of the present invention has been described in the 5 foregoing detailed description, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiment disclosed, but is capable of numerous rearrangements, modifications and substitutions without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth and defined by the following claims. 8

Claims (9)

1. A portable water storage and treatment unit, the unit comprising an electronic control system, an electrocoagulation chamber containing a replaceable electrocoagulation cartridge, a filter chamber containing a replaceable filter cartridge, a water pump and a water storage 5 reservoir chamber, wherein in use, a batch of water is poured through an inlet port into the electrocoagulation chamber, and the electrocoagulation function is activated if necessary by the control system to perform an initial disinfection of the batch of water, and the water is then pumped through the filter cartridge from which the then purified and potable water flows into the reservoir chamber, from which it can be decanted through an outlet port for 10 consumption as needed.

2. The portable water storage unit of claim 1, wherein the unit comprises a unit housing divided by sealed internal housing partitions into a hardware chamber, the electrocoagulation chamber, the filter chamber, a clean water reservoir chamber, the water inlet port being in the top of the unit housing and opening into the electrocoagulation chamber, and the water outlet 15 port also being in the top of the unit housing and opening out of the reservoir chamber for dispensing drinkable water.

3. The portable storage container of claim 2, wherein the hardware chamber contains the water pump, an electronic control panel, a unit electric circuit having circuit wiring, and a power jack extending through the unit housing to be accessible from outside of the unit to 20 recharge a battery contained within the hardware chamber and/or to connect to a power cord for extending to an external power source to deliver power to the unit circuit.

4. The portable storage container as in either of claims 2 or 3, wherein the filter chamber is in fluid communication with the electrocoagulation chamber and retains the replaceable filter cartridge. 25

5. The portable storage container as in any one of claims 2 through 4, wherein the clean water reservoir chamber is in fluid communication with the filter chamber for receiving and holding water pumped through the electrocoagulation chamber and the filter chamber.

6. The portable storage container as in any one of claims 3 through 5, wherein the replaceable electrocoagulation cartridge includes a case containing and mounting a spaced 30 series of parallel electrocoagulation plates electrically connected through the case to the battery or external power source by the unit circuit wiring through the control panel. 9

7. The storage container as in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the replaceable filter cartridge includes a case containing a filter.

8. The portable water storage unit of claim 1, wherein the unit is sized to be hand carried. 5

9. A portable water storage and treatment unit as herein described with reference to the accompanying representations. 10