ITVI20110064A1 - PORTABLE DEVICE FOR DISINFECTION AND STERILIZATION OF WATER - Google Patents

Description

PORTABLE DEVICE FOR DISINFECTION AND THE

WATER STERILIZATION

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The present invention generally refers to a portable device suitable for the disinfection and sterilization of water.

More specifically, the invention relates to a portable device for domestic-residential use (dispenser) equipped with the filtration capacity of water (preferably drinking water) in addition to the disinfection-sterilization capacity of the same through ultraviolet radiation generated by a light source, such as, for example, lamps, discharge tubes and / or LED type sources.

Water purification systems are still known that use ultraviolet technology, such as hydration systems, which use a mouthpiece from which it is possible to drink purified water and according to which the purification of water is It is determined by ultraviolet rays generated by an LED source. These systems require the installation of a real hydraulic purification system, designed to transfer the water from a container or from a generic water withdrawal point to the mouthpiece, which generally includes an ultraviolet disinfection device. Immersion type LED, including a UV-C lamp, inserted in the water container, which emits ultraviolet rays of a wavelength capable of eliminating bacteria and viruses. However, these systems, still implemented at a professional level (tabletop) or installed below the sink for domestic use, are considerably expensive, bulky and complicated and cannot be implemented at the level of portable devices for domestic-residential use; moreover, they employ ultraviolet rays, which must be shielded as they are harmful and, generally, do not include adequate water filtration systems to be carried out before, after or during the sterilization operation.

There are also known devices for purifying drinking water by filtering, for domestic and professional use, which use one or more replaceable filter cartridges (such as traditional jugs for domestic use).

These devices are generally equipped with a lid that can be opened, through which it is possible to enter water, which, through the filter, is suitably treated and filtered, in order to obtain the reduction or elimination of substances. that damage the taste and / or aroma of water, contaminants or sediments, as well as polluting organic and inorganic compounds that may be present in drinking water; moreover, the replacement of the filter cartridges is generally indicated by means of suitable electronic circuits capable, for example, of counting the number of openings of the water inlet cover, or it can be carried out through simple timing systems, capable of indicating the need replacement of the cartridge at the expiry of a predetermined period, starting from the first installation or from the last replacement of the cartridge.

However, these devices only perform a filtering operation of the water (without providing a disinfection and / or sterilization capacity of the same) and do not provide for the possibility of replacing one or more of the filter cartridges used based on the real quantity of actually filtered water. Furthermore, the aforementioned devices lower the water hardness too much and their effectiveness is extremely variable depending on the type of filtering, to the point that, following this filtering operation, sometimes there is even an increase in the presence of some substances not present before filtering, with the consequence that it is also possible to see an increase in the bacterial load following the disinfection treatment. The purpose of the present invention is, therefore, to obviate the drawbacks of the known art referred to above and in particular to provide a portable device or dispenser for the disinfection and sterilization of water, in particular drinking water, for use domestic-residential, which is equipped with the ability to filter water in addition to its disinfection and sterilization by means of radiation emitted by an ultraviolet lamp. Another purpose of the present invention is that of realizing a portable device for the disinfection and sterilization of water, which, in addition to having an extremely high load capacity, also has a significantly longer duration of the filtering element compared to devices traditional, being able to continuously manage and indicate the status of the filter, the operating status of the sterilization device, the status of the internal pump and the status of the loading tank.

A further purpose of the invention is to create a portable device for the disinfection and sterilization of water that is easy and economical to make, as it does not require a permanent installation in series with the domestic plumbing system.

These and other purposes are achieved by a portable device for the disinfection and sterilization of water, according to the attached claim 1.

Advantageously, the device according to the present invention can be applied, in particular, in the domestic-residential environment and allows the exploitation of the available water resources using the technology of light rays in the ultraviolet band (UV-C band with peak, in particular , at 254 nm) for the disinfection and sterilization of drinking water (in this regard, the mandatory requirements for water to be harmless and drinkable, defined by law, establish that it must not contain toxic substances, such as metals, solvents, etc., must not contain pathogenic microorganisms and parasites, such as salmonella, typhus, cholera, etc., and must contain sufficient mineral salts, such as calcium, sodium, etc.).

In particular, in the device or dispenser, according to the invention, the UV rays sterilization technology is advantageously combined with the use of a suitable filtering technology (which preferably uses an interchangeable filter), capable of reducing or eliminating completely contaminants, as well as improving the taste and aroma of the water.

Furthermore, the aforesaid dispenser is preferably equipped with a mains power supply and a luminous signal indicating the activation of the disinfection and sterilization device with UV rays; finally, it is meant as portable as it does not require permanent or semi-permanent installation or connection to the domestic and / or residential plumbing system, as the dispenser can be loaded manually via a special removable tank. Its operation is also easy and intuitive thanks to the indication of its status through luminous signals of different colors.

Furthermore, the device according to the invention is equipped with a monitoring and indication system, by means of an appropriate electronic circuit, of the actual use of the installed filter, based on the real quantity of water filtered by it.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will become clear from the following description, which refers to a practical example of embodiment, exemplary and preferred, but not limiting, of the portable device for the disinfection and sterilization of water, object of the invention , and the accompanying drawings, in which:

- figure 1 shows a perspective view of the portable device for the disinfection and sterilization of water, according to the present invention;

- figure 2 shows an exploded perspective view of the portable water disinfection and sterilization device of figure 1, according to the present invention.

With reference to the aforementioned figures, the portable device for disinfection and sterilization of water comprises a support base 1, where it is possible to place the containers to be filled with filtered and purified water, an external structure or body 2, which has a luminous operating indicator 3 (complete with a light guide) and which is closed by an internal lid and an external lid 8, which also provides the function of purified water dispenser button, while with 4 it is indicated a lateral access door to the internal compartment 17, with 14 a silicone pipe for transporting the water to the outside and with 15 a cable for the mains power supply to the device.

Inside the compartment 17 there is a water loading tank 5 with stop valve 18 placed on the bottom, an ultraviolet reactor 9, always inserted, for the sterilization of the water with UV-C rays, a volumetric pump 10, complete with protective mesh filter 6 and non-return valve 12, a replaceable filter cartridge 11, complete with by-pass valve 16, and an electronic control board 13; tank 5 has a capacity of up to 2 liters, can be removed from the device and can be filled under the domestic tap water and then closed thanks to a lid 7 with snap opening.

In particular, the device according to the invention, which is easy to install especially in residential homes as it does not require permanent or semi-permanent connections to the existing plumbing system, works as a dispenser for the treatment of drinking water and is equipped with an appropriate multi-stage technology, based on a mixture of silver activated carbon and ion exchange resins, capable of reducing or completely eliminating contaminating substances, as well as improving the taste and aroma of the water.

The reactor 9 consists of a stainless steel chamber, in which a UV lamp is inserted (whose ignition is carried out by means of a high frequency electronic ballast) and in which the water to be sterilized is made to flow. line, during its passage, in the mood to use the capacity of the light rays in the ultraviolet band (UV-C, in particular with a peak at 254 nm) for the disinfection and sterilization of water.

The filter cartridge 11 has a duration equal to the supply of at least 1000 liters of water and is equipped with a valve for regulating the degree of filtering of the water, which can be calibrated according to the characteristics of the drinking water available in the area where the user resides or according to the personal tastes of the user.

The volumetric pump 10 is coupled to a motor, whose torque is controlled by means of a current sensor and a microprocessor of the control board 13 and whose absorbed current is subject to a feedback control system, in order to guarantee the necessary pressure to move the water from the filling tank 5, accessible and usable by the user through the side door 4, to make it pass first inside the filtering system including the filter cartridge 11 and then into the reactor 9 , before letting it come out of a dispenser placed under the external cover 8.

Furthermore, the device is preferably equipped with a luminous signaling and monitoring system, whose indicator 3 (with front light guide) signals the status of the water filling tank 5, through appropriate level sensors, the activation of the ultraviolet reactor 9 and / or the indication, through the processing of an appropriate electronic circuit inside the control board 13, of the actual use of the filter cartridge 11 installed, based on the actual quantity of water filtered by it; in particular, the indication of the operating status of the device is displayed by means of a color coding, according to which a green light indicates power supply present, dispenser ready to be filled with water or ready to dispense filtered and sterilized water, in case of already charged, a flashing blue light indicates a preparation phase for the ignition of pump 10 and reactor 9, a static blue light indicates the correct and complete operation of the UV lamp of reactor 9 and the ignition of pump 10 , a static red light indicates that the water tank 5 is empty and needs to be filled, while a flashing red light indicates that the filter cartridge 11 needs to be replaced.

The operation of the portable device for disinfection, sterilization and water supply is basically the following.

After having extracted the tank 5 from the compartment 17, following the opening of the side door 4, and after having manually filled the tank 5 with drinking water, it is possible to activate the dispensing of filtered and purified water by means of a switch preferably placed under the external cover 8 of the dispenser.

In particular, with a single pressure of this switch, the actuating mechanism of the volumetric pump 10 starts, which transfers the water from the tank 5, passing through the filtering cartridge 11 and the UV reactor 9, respectively, and then exits from the ™ dispenser located below the front spout of the lid 8 (in particular, a single pressure activates the dispenser for a time sufficient to fill a 1 liter bottle)

Furthermore, a single pressure of the switch during the phase in which the filling mechanism is started causes the supply to stop (in particular, this pressure causes the pump 10 to stop, while the reactor lamp UV 9 is in any case kept on for the same time necessary to fill a 1 liter bottle and that is approximately for 1 minute, in order to preserve the life of the lamp anyway).

From the above description the characteristics of the portable device for the disinfection and sterilization of water, which is the object of the invention, are clear, as well as the advantages.

In particular, they are represented by:

- possibility of loading the device manually using a special removable tank (the device therefore does not require permanent or semi-permanent connection to the domestic plumbing system);

- easy and intuitive operation;

- high load capacity (up to 2 liters);

- combination of the disinfectant capacity through ultraviolet rays (UV) with the use of suitable filters; in this way it is possible to filter the water eliminating, in addition to contaminants, also the residues of chlorination (cause of the bad taste of the water), maintaining or conferring the microbiological purity given by UV sterilization without carrying out any treatment chemist;

- more rational and efficient use, compared to the known art, of the filtering capacity of the cartridge, thanks to the measurement of the real quantity of water actually filtered; this also involves an increase in the safety and reliability of the filtering element, even in the event of over-use, improper use or malfunction of the counting (lid opening) or timed logics;

- clear indication of the operating status of the device thanks to LEDs and / or light guides of different colors; in particular, the device is able to manage and indicate the status of the filter, the operating status of the UV sterilization device, the status of the internal pump and the status of the loading tank; - longer duration, compared to the known art, of the filter cartridge (up to 1000 liters of water), with replacement times ranging from 6 months to 1 year and which in any case depend on the frequency of use of the device and the chemical composition of the € ™ drinking water used (the timing is considered as an average value for the frequency of use of a family that consumes about 3 liters per day of drinking water with a chemical composition complying with the limits imposed by current legislation);

- longer duration, compared to the prior art, of the UV lamp, as it is not used in continuous operation but only for the period necessary for sterilization (unlike the filter cartridge, therefore, the lamp is not required to be an element of consumption);

- greater uniformity of action, compared to the known art, of both the filter and the UV ray sterilization system, as the water flow rate is controlled by a pump (in this case, extremely variable pressures are avoided of the aqueduct).

Finally, it is clear that numerous other variations can be made to the portable disinfection and sterilization device in question, without departing from the principles of novelty of the inventive idea, just as it is clear that, in the practical implementation of the invention, the materials, the shapes and the dimensions of the illustrated details can be any according to the requirements and the same can be replaced with other technically equivalent ones.

Claims (9)

CLAIMS 1. Portable device for disinfection and sterilization of water, comprising a support base (1) for one or more containers to be filled with filtered and purified water, an external structure or body (2), which has indicator means (3 ) of the operation of the device and which is closed by at least one lid (8), which also provides the function of a filtered and purified water dispensing button, characterized by the fact that inside at least one compartment (17) of said body (2) there are at least one filling tank (5) of drinking water, which can be closed by means of at least a lid (7), an ultraviolet reactor (9), at least a replaceable filtering cartridge (11) and an electronic board (13) management and control, said filling tank (5) being coupled to at least one volumetric pump (10), able to make the drinking water flow from the filling tank (5) to said filter cartridge (11) and from here to Inside of said ultraviolet reactor (9). 2. Device as per claim 1, characterized in that said ultraviolet reactor (9) is formed by a chamber, in which an ultraviolet lamp is inserted, whose ignition is carried out by means of a high frequency electronic ballast, and in which the drinking water coming from said loading tank (5) is made to flow, which is thus sterilized in line, during its passage, by means of light rays in ultraviolet UV-C band. 3. Device as per the previous claims, characterized by the fact that said loading tank (5) is accessible to the user from the outside by opening at least one side door (4) for accessing the compartment (17) inside the body (2). 4. Device as per the preceding claims, characterized in that said replaceable filter cartridge (11) includes a mixture of silver activated carbon and ion exchange resins, in order to reduce or eliminate contaminants, as well as improve the taste and the aroma of drinking water. 5. Device as per the preceding claims, characterized in that said filter cartridge (11) is provided with a valve for regulating the degree of filtering of the water, which can be calibrated according to the characteristics of the drinking water available or based on the personal tastes of the user. 6. Device as per the preceding claims, characterized in that said volumetric pump (10) is coupled to a motor, whose torque is controlled by means of a current sensor and a microprocessor of said control board (13) and whose absorbed current is subject to a feedback control system, so as to ensure the necessary pressure to move the drinking water from said loading tank (5) to said filter cartridge (11) and to said reactor (9), before to let it flow outwards through a dispenser placed under the cover (8) of the body (2). 7. Device as per the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that said means (3) indicating the operation of the device indicate, by means of a color coding, the status of the drinking water loading tank (5), the activation or less than said reactor (9) and / or the indication, through electronic processing, of the use of said filter cartridge (11) based on the quantity of drinking water actually filtered. 8. Device as per the preceding claims, characterized in that said dispensing button can be activated and stopped by at least one pressure of said cover (8) of the body (2). 9. Device as per the preceding claims, characterized in that said ultraviolet reactor lamp (9) is kept on for an interval of time equal to the water delivery time following the pressure of said dispenser button.