CA2022401A1

CA2022401A1 - Gravity feed batch filter water purification cartridge having multiple beds

Info

Publication number: CA2022401A1
Application number: CA002022401A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Jefferson L. Gentry; John R. Jiambalvo; Alfons Rundzaitis
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1989-08-01
Filing date: 1990-07-31
Publication date: 1991-02-02
Also published as: DE4024289A1; GB9016765D0; IT9021131A1; JPH03137983A; GB2234967A; ES2025456A6; IT9021131A0; IT1243383B; AU6002290A; FR2650512B3; FR2650512A1

Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
A container has a removable multi-bed, water purification filter with two beds or compartments that are separated by a fibrous member. The multi-bed filter reduces lead, aluminum, chlorine, or the like, from water. The container has upper and lower chambers with the multi-bed filter therebetween which permit a batch filtering of water in response to a gravity feed so that water pressure is not required in order to filter water. One somewhat funnel shaped container enables a user to make a small batch of filtered water for a use such as a cup of coffee or tea, a bowl of soup, or the like.
Another two compartment container enables the user to make large batches of water which may be stored in a refrigerator, for example.

Description

2022401 ` ;:
.. . . . .
GRAVITY FEED BATCH FILTER .~ . ;.
WATER PURIFICATION CARTRIDGE HAVING MULTIPLE BEDS . ~.
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This invention relates to gravity feed water filtration system~ and more particularly to drinking water purifiers and deodorizer~ especially well adapted to reduce lead, chlorine, aluminum and other 6ubstances from batches of water for home ~;
consumption in foods or beveragss.
The invention has many uses, such as in conjunc~ion with coffea carafes, teapots, soup bowls, mugs, sauce pans, large volume sto~age and dispensing containers, and the like.
For convenience of expression, all of these and similar device~ will sometimes hereafter be called "carafes."
A growing number o~ impurities are recognized in tap water which negatively affect its taste or healthfulness.
Lead and other heavy metals, hazardous chemicals, and noxious trace compounds are frequently foùnd to contaminate drinking ~ater. Lead may cause mental retardation in children. Recent new~ items have indicated a possibility that there may be a link between aluminum and Alzheimer's Disease. In addition to rnetals~ another contaminant o~ten found in drinking water is ;~
lorine which i~ added by state and local water works in order to kill bacteria. Also, trace impurities often impart an offensive taste or odor at the tap, which continues in food~ or beverages made with such tap water. These problems have been made worse by the increasing presencle of pollutants and other contaminants in ground water supplies.

One of the most troublesome problems currently facing the nation is a removal of lead, chlorine, aluminum and other substances in the drinking water. For example, among other things, lead enters drinking water from solder used to join copper tubing in home plumbing systems. The lead solder cannot be removed from existing houses without imposing an unacceptable C08t. The chlorine should not be eliminated from the source water until immediately before consumption because it i8 continuously necessary to kill bacteria in order to prevent the spread of epidemic disease and other illness.
Therefore, it is important for some low cost means to be found for reducing the lead, chlorine, aluminum and other contaminants from drinking water before human consumption of such water, or its use for foods or beverages.
Since it is highly likely that these and other contaminants may be in existing drinking water used for home consumption in foods or beverages for many years to come, it is important to provide water filtration systems for use in the home. Exemplary systems showing a water purifying apparatus using gravity feed are found in U.S. Patents 4,306,971; 4,695,379; and 4,749,484. Other forms of water purifying filters use line pressure to drive the water through the filter. Exemplary filters of this type are shown in U.S.
Patents 4,686,037 and 4,504,389.
Thers are many times and places when filtered water is desired at a location other than where the usual faucet filter ;~
' ::~ ;' : .
relying on water pressure is available. For example, one might want a relatively small amount of filte~red water to make 2022~1 .,:
a cup of tea or coffee at the beach or on a patio. In such locations, it is desirable to eliminate the need for water pressure and to accomplish the filtration under a gravity feed. Perhaps a person who is sensitive to a contaminant and might wish to filter the contaminant from water while traveling away from home. There may be any number of other reasons why a person might wish to filter a relatively small amount of water. ~ ~ ~
Patent 4,306,971 shows one form of gravity feed batch ~-fllter means for relatively small quantities which may be used for these purposes. Patent 4,749,484 provides an example of a relatively large quantity gravity feed filtering system.
However, neither of these patents shows a filter which can reduce contaminants such as lead, aluminum, and the like.
lS Therefore, there is a need for low cost filtering systems which can filter these and similar contaminants from either small or large batches of water used in foods or beverages.
Various filtration elements are commonly arranged in interchangeable cartridges, which are replaceable upon their ;
exhau~tion and which are housed in a suitable apparatus that might be attached to a tap water supply, for example. These exlsting filtration cartridges depend upon water line pressure to establish the feed rate at which the water flows through the ~ilter. Therefore, if placed in a gravity feed system (no line pressure), the water flow would likely be too slow to provide a proper filtration since the dwell time for water passing through the filter is quite important for proper filtration. Accordingly, filters fed directly from a pressurized water line cannot necessarily be used in a gravity feed device with optimum results. Moreover, most of these filters are not designed to eliminate high levels of certain contaminants, especially lead, aluminum, chlorine and the like.
Another consideration is that certain contaminants may tend to adversely affect the passage of water through a bed of filter material and to reduce its useful lifespan. Thus, there i5 also a need for a water filtration system with a replaceable filtering cartridge which provides more complete ~ ;~
purification and which also offers an extended period of operation. ~ ;
Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide new and improved low cost gravity feed water purification ~ystem~ which are capable of reducing contaminants--especially ~ ;
lead, aluminum, chlorine, and the like. A further object is to provide ~uch systems with replaceable filter cartridges of simple design and relatively inexpensive construction, which enjoy an extended operational lifetime. Yet another object is ao to provide such systems with replaceable cartridges which are capable of being used in connection with existing coffee makers and the like.
Another object of the invention is to provide both small quantity and large quantity, gravity feed, batch filtering ;~
systems. ~; ;
These and other objects are accomplished, as are other ;~
advantages which will become more apparent, by preferred embodiments of our invention which provide, for small quantity `~

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batch filtration, a receptacle which is somewhat reminiscent of a funnel-shaped container into which fits a multi-stage `
water purification, filter cartridge. The system fits many gravity feed devices, such as pots, carafes, etc. of coffee makers, for example. The inventive large quantity, batch ~iltration, gravity feed system includes a two compartment, preferably blow molded, container. An upper compartment contain~i raw water, the lower filtered water. A filter cartridge i~ located in a wall between the two compartments so that water is filtered as it drains under gravity from the upper into the lower container.
The cartxidge has one bed of a deionizing (ion exchange) re~in or media followed by another bed of activated carbon adsorption media, with a separation between them. The eeparation is made of a particulate collecting material. ` `
Ionic contaminants, including lead, aluminum, and other ~`
metallic impurities, are removed as water passes through the deionizing bed. The carbon bed eliminates organic and other unpalatable constituents, as well as taste or odor which may be introduced by the deionizing resins. A variety of pre- and post-~iltration permeable, separation and particulate collecting material or media may be employed to trap particulate matter and also to control the flow pattern of water through the cartridge so as to preserve the integrity of the purification beds. The specifications of these permeable materials are selected to provide a proper flow rate under gravity.

:

2022~01 Preferred embodiments of the invention will be best understood by reference to the following description of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
Fig. 1 is a schematic view of a prior drip coffee-making appliance which utilized a gravity feed method;
Fig. 2 i8 a cross-sectional view of a first embodiment of ~ ~ ;
a batch purifying funnel-shaped container and multi-stage water purification cartridge;
Fig. 3 is an elevation view of a modification of Fig. 2 whlch has a stepped wall to accommodate a variety of carafe ;, . ~,: :., ;., sizes and an extended external collar to prevent filter cartridge dislocation;
Fig. 4 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the inventive filter cartridge;
Fig. 5 i3 a top plan view of the filter of Fig. 4; ;
Pig. 6 is a bottom plan view of the filter of Fig. 4;
Fig. 7 is a cross sectional internal view of a modification to the coffee maker of Fig. 1 so as to ;~
accommodate the inventive cartridge within the coffee maker ~ . , .,,: .
itself;
Fig. 8 i5 a perspective view of a large volume, batch filterlng, gravity feed water system; and Fig. 9 is a simplified vertical cross section of the filter system of Fig. 8.
An exemplary prior art coffee-making appliance 10 is shown in Fig. 1. The principal elements of appliance 10 are a :--carafe 12, a water container 14, a heating element 16 upon -.''~ - :. :....
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which the carafe rests, any suitable and optional water heating element (not shown), an output port 22, and a coffee holding basket 24. Water is poured into the water container 14, where it may or may not be heated by an internal heating element, depending upon whether the water must be preheated.
In this prior art appliance the water passes from container 14 through output port 22 and into the coffee basket 24, and then through the ground coffee placed in the bottom of the coffee basket 24. Coffee then falls under gravity and is collected in the carafe 12. The heating element 16 keeps the coffee at drinking temperature. This example of a common drip coffee making appliance has no provision for filtering the water used in the appliance.
Thi~ example of a coffee maker is only one of many examples of when it may be desirable to have a relatively small batch of filtered water. One can easily think of many other examples such as water to make tea, soup, or the like.
A first characteristic of this kind of water usage is that only a small amount of filtered water is needed, such as one-to-twelve cups, for example.
Most batch filters are designed to provide relatively large amounts of water. Therefore, the filters are relatively large, may be awkward to handle, and probably require storage ;
between times when it is used to filter water. A second ~5 characteristic of relatively small quantities of filtered water is that the user wishes to minimize the effort that must be expended to filter the water. For example, a user might not wish to spend a lot of time attaching a filter to a water 202240~ : ~
tap. At one time, a carafe might be used to make the coffee, and at another time the filtered water may be deposited into a -~
teapot or a sauce pan. Thus, the small batch filtering system ~;
should fit onto and be useful with any of many different sizes and kinds of containers According to one aspect of the invention a somewhat funnel-shaped container 26 (Fig. 2) is provided with a support member 28 from which a filter cartridge 30 may be hung. The ~;
angular flare (angle A) of the funnel shape is selected to fit into and be supported by the open top of a carafe, teapot, ~mall sauce pan or the like so that it may be used with a container having any suitable diameter simply by resting it on the top of the container. While it is possible that the ;~
funnel-shaped container 26 may not fit all small sauce pans, or the like, it does fit substantially all common, drip coffee ~ ~`
maker carafes and teapots.
More particularly, the funnel-shaped container 26 (Fig.

2) may or may not have circular cover 32 with an aperture 34 ;
for ingress of untreated water. If provided, preferably the ¢over would taper downwardly toward the aperture 34 to aid in filling. The aperture 34 is here shown as directing the water toward the side of the funnel 26 and away from thé cartridge to prevent the water from striking the cartridge with the full force of line pressure. The water poured on top 32 or ;~
directly into the funnel-shaped container 26 falls under gravity through the funnel-shaped container and out the -bottom, via the filter cartridge 30. The funnel-shape of the ~
container 26 provides a lower support section which rests on ~ ;

''"'''';.''.'~, ~; 2022401 the upper edge 36 of a carafe 12 or other suitable container.
The flare (angle A) is selected on a basis of the sizes of ~;
commercially available, drip coffee maker carafes, sauce pan sizes, and the like.
The diameter of an opening 38 is selected to receive and support the filter cartridge 30 which has a flared or beveled ~as seen at 39) upper edge 40 that fits into a tapered opening with the top surface of filter 30 flush or below with the surface of support member 28, which prevents drainage problems. The upper flared edge 40 of the cartridge enables it to rest on and be captured by the correspondingly flared edge o~ the hole 38. The lower surface of the funnel has two concentric collars 42, 44 which provide both mechanical strength and alignment for the funnel-shaped container 26 and mechanical stability for the filter 30 as it rests on its upper edge 40 in the hole 38.
Preferably, all of the surfaces at the bottom of the container 26 taper downwardly to insure proper drainage.
Thus, the water poured into container 26 enters and passes through filter 30, emerging from the bottom 46 thereof, and then on into the carafe 12, where it collects.
The construction of the preferred filter cartridge 30 is shown in Figs. 2, and 4-6 and in U.S. Patent Application S.N.
07/284,256, filed December 14, 1988. A multi-stage water purification cartridge incorporating the principles of the invention comprises a cylindrical housing 50 having an upper ~-inlet 52 and a lower outlet 54 in the upper and bottom ends of the housings, as viewed in Figs. 2, 4, although other .' , , ' . ' ,~ ' , , '.~ ' . ' ' ' ' ' .
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arrangements of inlet and outlet ports may also be provided.
The preferred housing 50 is non-porous and completely enclosed except for inlet 52 and outlet 54, which may be factory sealed to prevent tampering. A handle 55 is provided to facilitate a removal of the filter.
Arranged along the length of the cartridge in a preferred ;
embodiment are a number of fibrous filtration and adsorption media 56-60, the interfaces of which are perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical housing. Included among these filter media, and preferably located furthest upstream (i.e., closest to the inlet 52), are one or more pre-filtration permeable media disks or filters 56 which entrap `
particulate material. This filter or these filters 56 may be ;
disk~ made of a polyethylene, polyester, felt or other ~uitable fibrous material, having sufficiently small pores to retain any selected particulate contaminants. A similar permeable media filter 60 is preferably located at the downstream end (i.e. near outlet 54), and is designed to trap any additional particles.
A filter porosity which is smaller than 100 microns may cause unacceptably slow performance when used with a qravity feed water filtration system. That is, for gravity pressure alone to drive a water filter, the separation media should be very porous, preferably greater than 100 microns. For best 2S performance with the specified carbon granules and ion resin and with acceptable filtration time, all of the filter pads 56; 58, 60 should have a porosity within the range of 150 to ;
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:' ',' ~' '' 250 microns. This is more porous than the filter pads whichwork within water line pressure cartridges.
Between the pre- and post-filtration filters 56 and 60 is a cavity which is divided into two beds or compartments 62 and 64 preferably of approximately equal volume. This compartment separation i8 made by a permeable separation filter 58, which may also be polyethylene, polyester, felt, or like fibrous material, for example. In a preferred embodiment, the bed or compartment 62 i8 located upstream of the separation filter 58 and contains a first purification bed of deionization resin.
The downstream bed or compartment 64 preferably contains a ~econd purification bed of granular activated carbon.
The preferred filter embodiment should be 50 percent deionizing resin ~in bed 62) and 50 percent activated carbon (in bed 64). However, the lead, aluminum, and other similar mineral reducing properties of the resin are still acceptable with as little as 20 percent deionizing resin in bed 62 and 80 percent carbon in bed 64. Also, a filter cartridge with 100 percent carbon and no resin is acceptable, but it does not have the capability to remove aluminum, lead and similar minerals. Additionally, an all carbon filter has a single bed 64 and does not have the center separation pad 58.
Preferably, the resin and carbon have the specifications set ! forth in co-pending application S.N. 07/284,256. An ;~
additional suitable and equivalent activated carbon is the Calgon brand carbon Type Tog (20 X 50 mesh).
The flowing stream of water should preferably first pass through the deionization resin bed and thereafter through the .. ~ , ., . , . . . ~ : ........................ . .: .
.- . : . .. : : . . ,. ,.... . -2022401 ~:~
charcoal bed. This order is preferred so that the charcoal bed will remove any odors or tastes which the resin may have introduced. However, from a view point of the purification of water, the reverse order (i.e. charcoal before resin) works S egually well, unless one minds any odor or taste which the resin may have introduced. In some instances, one might also use a ~ingle bed which is a mixture of a deionization resin -~
and charcoal. In this embodiment the cost of the separating ~-center filter 58 is saved; however, the operating life and performance without filter 58 would be less than it would be if center filter 58 is provided because filter 58 aids in dispersing the water flow which reduces the likelihood of ~;
channeling.
The upper surface (Fig. 5) of the housing 50 has a plurality of openings such as 66 in order to distribute the inlet watex more uniformly and to accommodate the low pressure of gravity feed. In like manner, the lower surface (Fig. 6) has a plurality of openings 68 to also distribute the water flow uniformly. Preferably the upper and lower openings are offset with respect to each other. This distribution of the openings tends to reduce channeling in the filter beds in -;
compartments 62, 64.
The same filters may find use in different kinds of ;~`
housfngs. For example, in Fig. 3, the housing structure 68 has a generally funnel shape with stepped regions in an area 70 to provide a plurality of graduated diameters which fit ;
into different size openings of carafes, tea cups, sauce pans, ;
or the like. It has been found that the structure 68 fits ..: .
most presently used carafes when the angle A is in the range of 25-45, with the preferred angle being 35. The diameters of the steps in region 70 should be slightly less than the diameters of the carafe openings which will receive the step.
This smaller diameter should be enough to allow air to escape from the carafe.
The lower surface 71 of member 68 slopes downwardly at an angle B in order to insure complete drainage. The pitch of the 810pe (angle B) may be in any suitable range; however, a range extending up to 10 is acceptable and 30 is preferred.
The external collar 42 extends downwardly beyond filter cartridge 30 in order to aid in preventing the cartridge from being dislodged.
The area 72 is a depression repeated on opposite sides of the device 68 in order to provide a pair of handles for -lifting it.
The device 68 receives a filter in the same manner that has already been described in connection with Fig. 2.
The funnels shown at Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 are intended for small batch water filtering before the water is poured into opening 14 of the coffee maker at Fig. 1. Incorporating the inventive cartridge inside a drip coffee maker would also be advantageous. For such an internal (within the drip coffee maker application) there may be a modification as shown in Fig. 7 where the filter fits into the bottom of the water compartment 73 of a drip coffee maker. The filter 50 drains into a water reservoir 75 having a funnel-like bottom draining into a rubber tube 77, or the like, which guides and directs 2022401 : `
the filtered water to a specific location iniide the drip coffee making appliance. ~
A large volume, gravity feed, batch filtering device is ~-shown in Figs. 8, 9.
Preferably, a double compartment, blow molded body 74 (Fig. 8) has upper and lower compartments 76, 78 separated by an area 80 which includes a solid floor adapted to receive a filter. A fill cap 82 is provided in the top of upper compartment 76 and a spigot 84 is provided near the bottom of the lower compartment of the body.
When the body 74 is placed on a refrigerator shelf, it must be pushed back far enough to close the door, which usually means that the spigot 84 is over a shelf and cannot be used effectively. In order to draw water from the tank, it is necessary to pull the container forward for the spigot to extend beyond the shelf and to be over a cup. Therefore, a handle 86 is provided to facilitate a sliding movement of the ; ;
body 74. also, the handle 86 facilitates a carrying of the device when filled with water.
A vent tube 88 (Fig. 9), with a small hole 90, is formed at a convenient location on the body 74 in order for air to escape from the lower compartment 7~ as water flows under gravity from the upper to the lower compartments. Preferably the vent hole 90 is positioned on the side of tube 88 so as to lessen the likelihood of contaminants falling into the tube and entering the filtered water stored in compartment 78. A ~ -suitable cap or cover (not shown) may slip over the top of tube 88 to prevent spillage and to maintain cleanliness. A
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vent hole 91 is formed in the upper compartment 76 near the top of the tube 88 to allow air to enter the upper compartment as the water drains into the lower compartment. Preferably, the vent 91 is in the raised portion of the container to be above the water line and in an area which is within the mechanical protection area, very near to, but not obstructed ;
by tube 88. Any suitable cap may be provided to maintain a water tight seal while the container is being transported.
The cap 82 covers an opening 92 which is positioned above the filter 50. The diameter of the opening 92 is large enough for a person to reach into the upper compartment 76 and grasp handle 55 in order to remove and replace the filter. An 0-ring 94 seals the filter housing 50 against the body 74 to prevent raw water from leaking around the filter and into the lower compartment 78.
Since blow molded bottles have a considerable flexibility, a rigid sleeve 96, with a snap catch lip 98 is pressed into the opening between the compartments. This way, the filter 50 has a firm and reliable seat to rest upon. The bottom of the upper compartment tapers to the filter seat formed by ~leeve 96 in order to fully drain the upper compartment. Therefore, the sleeve 96 should not raise above the level of the taper.
While the principles of the invention have been described -in connection with the above embodiments, it is to be understood that this description is made only by way of example. It is not intended as a limitation on the scope of the invention. Therefore, the appended claims are to be construed to include all equivalent structures falling within the spirit and the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A gravity feed batch making water filter comprising a first chamber for receiving raw water and a second chamber for receiving filtered water, a filter housing containing multibed water filter means disposed between said chambers for filtering said raw water, said beds providing means for reducing lead, aluminum, chlorine and similar contaminants, and means for supporting said chambers and said filter means in positions where water flows under the force of gravity from said first chamber through said filter means to said second chamber.

2. The filter of claim 1 wherein said upper chamber is a somewhat funnel shaped container means having dimensions which fit into suitable openings found on different types and sizes of carafes.

3. The filter of claim 2 wherein said somewhat funnel shaped means has a stepped exterior contour, each of said steps having a diameter which is different from the diameter of other steps 80 that there is a step with a diameter fitting each of said openings.

4. The filter of claim 1 wherein said first and second chambers are upper and lower compartments, respectively, formed into a single container, a fill opening in a top of the upper compartment and a spigot at the bottom of the lower compartment, and a mutually separating wall between said upper and lower compartments, said filter housing being supported by said mutually separating wall.

5. The filter of claim 1 wherein said first and second chambers are vertically disposed relative to each other, with at least one mutually separating wall between them forming at least a bottom wall of the upper one of said vertically disposed chambers, said filter housing being suspended through a support opening in said one mutually separating wall.

6. The filter of claim 5 wherein said support opening and a top of said filter have complementary bevels so that said top of said filter housing is recessed in said mutually separating wall and said top of said filter means does not extend above said mutually separating wall.

7. The filter of claim 5 wherein said mutually separating wall tapers downwardly to drain all water from said first chamber, said filter housing being suspended at the low point of said downward taper, said support opening and a top of said filter means having complementary bevels so that said filter housing is recessed in said mutually separating wall and said top of said filter means does not extend above the mutually separating wall.

8. The filter of claim 4 and means including a tube extending from the interior of said lower compartment to a point in the atmosphere which is near the top and outside of the upper compartment.

9. The filter of claim 4 wherein said upper compartment has at least one section which has an upper surface that is above other surfaces at the top of said upper compartment, and a vent hole in a side of said container near the upper surface.

10. The filter of claim 1 wherein the top of said filter housing has an upstanding handle thereon to facilitate a removal and replacement of said filter housing.

11. A container with a removable multi-stage water purification cartridge for the batch treatment of water under gravity flow, said container and cartridge comprising a non-porous somewhat funnel-shaped container having a relatively wide upper section tapering to a lower section;
a centrally-located aperture formed in a bottom surface of said lower section, the edges of said aperture being formed to receive and support a water purification cartridge;
said water purification cartridge having a non-porous completely closed outer housing having inlet means on its top surface for receiving an inflow of untreated water and outlet means on its bottom surface for providing an outflow of treated water;
said housing containing a first purification bed comprising a deionizing media arranged adjacent said inlet means;
said housing containing a second purification bed comprising a carbon adsorption media arranged downstream of and separated from said first bed by a porous filter, said second bed being adjacent said outlet means; and said untreated water being routed by the force of gravity from said inlet means through said first purification bed of deionizing medium, said porous filter, and then through said second purification bed of carbon medium, and finally released in a substantially purified state through said outlet means into a receiving container.

12. The container of claim 11 and at least three particulate filters at said inlet, said outlet, and said porous filter between said first and second beds.

13. The container of claim 12 wherein said porous filter between said first and second beds disperses water flow to reduce the likelihood of channeling within at least one of said purification beds.

14. The container of claim 11 and a cover for the funnel-shaped container, said cover tapering toward a fill hole.

15. The container of claim 14 wherein said fill hole is near a side of said cover and said taper directs water flowing through said hold on to a side of said funnel shaped container, whereby said filter is protected from direct contact with water line pressure.

16. A small batch water filter comprising a replaceable cartridge having a housing containing filter material for removing contaminants from water, said housing being non-porous and having an upper edge shaped to support said cartridge, and a container having a tapered lower surface terminating in an aperture having a rim for receiving and supporting said upper edge with the top of said supported filter housing being no higher than said tapered lower surface, whereby said cartridge is dependent from said lower surface, said container having external contours tapering at an angle which enables it to set in any of many carafes and further supporting said cartridge when so set so that said cartridge is always above said carafe for draining filtered water into said carafe under the force of gravity.

17. The filter of claim 16 wherein said upper edge and said supporting rim cooperate so that said cartridge does not project above the inside bottom of said container whereby substantially all water in said container drains therefrom and into said cartridge.

18. The filter of claim 16 wherein said container has a section with a stepped external configuration, each of said steps providing a diameter which is different from diameters of other of said steps for setting said container in different types and sizes of carafes.

19. A filter comprising a unitary body having an upper compartment and a lower compartment separated by a mutual wall having an opening therein, a housing containing a multibed filter fitting into said opening for filtering water flowing from the upper compartment through said housing to a lower compartment, said housing having a handle for installing and removing said housing in said opening, a fill opening in the top of said upper compartment positioned to enable a person to reach through said opening and grasp said handle, a spigot in said lower compartment for drawing filtered water therefrom, and means in said lower compartment for venting air to the atmosphere.

20. The filter of one of the claims 1, 11, 16, or 19 wherein said filter housing contains a material for removing lead from said water.

21 21. The filter of one of the claims 1, 11, 16, or 19 wherein said housing contains a material for removing aluminum from said water.

22. The filter of one of the claims 1, 11, 16, or 19 wherein said housing contains a deionization resin bed.

23. The filter of one of the claims 1, 11, 16, or 19 wherein said housing contains granular activated charcoal, ion resin and a porous filter therebetween, said porous filter dispersing water flow to reduce the likelihood of channeling within at least one of said beds.