MXPA04008560A

MXPA04008560A - Multiple barrier filter apparatus.

Info

Publication number: MXPA04008560A
Application number: MXPA04008560A
Authority: MX
Inventors: Eric Sklar
Original assignee: Kinetico Inc
Priority date: 2002-03-04
Filing date: 2003-03-04
Publication date: 2005-06-08
Also published as: AU2003217874A1; EP1487560A1; EP1487560A4; WO2003076044A1; CA2477939A1

Abstract

A filter apparatus is provided which includes a first filter membrane element (40a), and a second bacterial filter membrane element. The first viral filter element (40a) is capable of treating water at a first second flow rate and is adapted to remove contaminants which are larger than a first size, while the second bacterial filter element (40b) is capable of treating water at a secon, higher flow rate and is adapted to remove contaminants which are larger than a second contaminant size. The first and second filter elements (40a), (40b) may be commonly housed within a sealed housing. An accumulating vessel (60) is placed in fluid communication with an outlet of the first filter element (40a) and an outlet of the second filter element (40b). The filter apparatus includes a duck bill type check valve (75) made of an antimicrobial material intermediate the second filter element (40b) and a dispensing faucet (70).

Description

European patent (AT, BE, BG, CH, CY, CZ, DE, D, EE, - before the expiration of the time limit for amending the ES, FI, F, GB, GR, HU, IE, GG, LU, MC, L, PT, RO, claims and to be republished in the event of receipt of SE, SI, SK, TR), OAPI patent (BF, BJ, CF, CG, CI, CM, GA, GN, GQ, GW, ML, MR, E, SN, TD, TG). For two-letter codes and other abbreviations, refer to the "Guid- Published: ance Notes on Codes andA bbreviations" appearing at the begin- - vilh intemational report of each regular issue of the PCT Gazettt.

MULTIPLE BARRIER FILTER APPARATUS FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to filtration systems and in particular, to a filtration apparatus that includes multiple filtering elements.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION For at least the last 15 years, there have been several configurations of reverse osmosis (RO) "under the sink" systems designed to improve the quality of a relatively small amount of water to be used for drinking and cooking by the owner of a home. Some examples of such systems are described in the Patents of E.U.A. Nos. 4,650,586 and 4,629,568, which are the property of the beneficiary of the present invention and are incorporated in the present description by reference. One objective of reverse osmosis systems under laundry is to decrease the total dissolved solids (TDS) of the water received in the city or reservoir, and in this way improve the taste, odor or chemical composition of the water. These reverse osmosis systems under the laundry can be updated to include additional processing units to pre-treat the water entering the chlorine or sediment removal before entering the RO unit. This pre-treatment improves the operation and prolongs the life of the RO membrane. Additionally, the additional pre-treatment refines the water produced by the RO membrane to remove both the organic traces that can produce flavor emission and small, low molecular weight contaminants that could pass through or be poorly rejected by the RO membrane . Accordingly, there are many versions of RO units that effectively remove or reduce specific unwanted ionic contaminants and / or organic contaminants to improve the quality of the water that will be used by the homeowner. There is a growing concern that some water supplies, from reservoirs, surface waters and even communal waters, may from time to time contain unwanted microbiological contaminants, such as pathogens, which can be harmful when ingested by people. , especially those people with deficiencies in the immune system. Although the pore size of the common RO membrane is small enough to avoid the passage of microbiological contaminants, which have been used for years, they have shown that the RO unit alone can not consistently meet the relatively stringent requirements necessary to be classified as "microbiological purifier" as defined in the EPA in "Guide standard and protocol for testing microbiological water purifiers" (1987 revision). It is considered that the reason for this lies in the imperfections in the RO membrane itself or in the methods of joining the membrane, at its assembly ends. Although there are various methods available to deal with such concerns, such as boiling water for several minutes or adding antipathogenic agent to water, such as iodine, most of these are not convenient and / or can produce water that is less pleasant to drink. . Ultraviolet light filters that neutralize pollutants by exposure to certain wavelengths of light are also known in the art. These filters suffer from several practical disadvantages including the fact that they rely on electricity to operate and also require relatively complex controls to ensure that the water has not been overheated due to extended exposure to light.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Adding multiple barrier filter capacities to an RO unit under traditional laundry, will improve the elimination of microbiological contaminants, unwanted ionic species and organic. In accordance with the present invention, a filter apparatus for treating water containing bacterial particles or contaminants is provided. The filter apparatus includes a first filter element positioned within a first sealed outer housing and in fluid communication with a first inlet port and a first outlet port. The first filter element has the ability to treat water at a first flow rate and is adapted to remove contaminants that are larger than the size of a first contaminant. A second filter element is placed in the downstream of the first filter element in fluid communication with a second inlet port and a second outlet port. The second filter element has the ability to treat water at a second flow rate higher than the first flow rate and is adapted to remove contaminants that are larger than the size of the second pollutant. An accumulation tank is placed in fluid communication with the first outlet port and the second inlet port is placed to store the water that has been treated by the first filter element before being treated by the second filter element. For a preferred embodiment that is directed to remove bacterial contaminants, the first filter element is a virus filter membrane that has the ability to remove contaminants larger than 0.01 microns and the second filter element is a bacterial filter membrane that It has the ability to remove contaminants larger than 0.1 microns. In an exemplary embodiment that facilitates mounting below the laundry, the second filter element is positioned within the first sealed outer housing. According to one feature, at least one of the first and second filter elements is generally cylindrical in shape and has a central void space and the water flowing to and from the other first and second filter elements flows into the central void space. According to another characteristic, the first inlet port, the first outlet port, the second inlet port and the second outlet port are placed on a single surface of the sealed outer housing. According to yet another feature, a flow limiting device is placed in fluid communication with the first filter element to control the flow of water for the first filter element. According to one embodiment, a pre-treatment filter is placed in fluid communication with a first inlet port to remove relatively large contaminants before being treated by the first and second filter elements. According to one embodiment, a subsequent filter is placed in fluid communication with the accumulation tank and is adapted to remove contaminants that originate in the accumulation tank or can pass through previous filters. In one embodiment, a transverse flow membrane filter, such as a reverse osmosis filter, is placed in fluid communication with the first inlet port. In a preferred embodiment, a check valve is placed in a concentration line of the transverse flow membrane filter. In an exemplary embodiment, a fluid monitor is placed in fluid communication with the first outlet port to monitor an amount of water that has been treated by the filter apparatus. According to one feature, the flow monitor is operated to stop the flow of water through the filter apparatus when a predetermined amount of water has been treated by a filter apparatus. In a modality, the flow monitor is part of the subsequent filter. In a preferred embodiment, the filter apparatus includes a check valve in fluid communication with the second outlet port and the downstream of the second filter element to prevent backflow of contaminated water into the filter apparatus. According to one feature of the present invention, the check valve is a duckbill check valve installed in a water supply tap treated in fluid communication with the second outlet port and through which, the water treated flows out of the filter apparatus. According to another feature, the check valve is made from an antibacterial material. In another example embodiment, the inventive filter apparatus is adapted for the treatment of water containing bacterial contaminants. A viral membrane filter is placed inside a sealed first outer housing and in fluid communication with a first group of input and output ports. The viral membrane filter is adapted to remove viral contaminants. A bacterial filter membrane is placed in the downstream of the viral membrane and in fluid communication with a second group of inlet and outlet ports, the bacterial filter membrane is adapted to remove contaminants.

In a mode that facilitates installation under the laundry, the bacterial filter element is positioned within the first sealed outer housing. According to one feature, at least one of the bacterial and viral filter membranes are generally cylindrical in shape and have a central void space, such that the water flowing to and from the other bacterial and viral filter membrane , it flows into the central empty space. According to another feature, the first input port, the first output port, the second input port and the second output port are placed on a single surface of the sealed outer housing. According to one embodiment, a pre-treatment filter is placed in fluid communication with the first inlet port to remove relatively large contaminants before treatment by the first and second filter elements. According to one embodiment, an accumulation tank is placed in fluid communication with the first outlet port to store water that has to be treated by the viral filter membrane before being treated by the bacterial filter membrane. According to one characteristic, a subsequent filter is placed in fluid communication with the accumulation tank and is adapted to remove contaminants that originate in the accumulation tank or pass through previous filters. In one embodiment, a transverse flow membrane filter is placed in fluid communication with the first inlet port.

In an exemplary embodiment, a fluid monitor is placed in fluid communication with the first outlet port to monitor an amount of water that has been treated by the filter apparatus. According to one feature, the flow monitor can be operated to stop the flow of water through the filter apparatus when a predetermined amount of water has been treated by the filter apparatus. In one mode, the flow monitor is part of the subsequent filter. In a preferred embodiment, the filter apparatus includes a check valve in fluid communication with the second outlet port and the downstream of the second filter element to prevent backflow of contaminated water into the filter apparatus. According to one feature of the present invention, the check valve is a duckbill check valve installed in a water supply tap treated in fluid communication with the second outlet port and through which, the water treated flows out of the filter apparatus. According to another feature, the check valve is made from an antibacterial material. According to a preferred embodiment, a filter apparatus for removing contaminants from water containing bacterial contaminants includes a cross-flow membrane filter to remove a significant amount of relatively large contaminants from the water. A viral membrane filter is placed inside a first sealed outer housing and in fluid communication with the transverse flow membrane filter which is adapted to remove viral contaminants and a bacterial membrane filter that is in fluid communication with the filter. viral membrane that is adapted to remove contaminating bacteria. According to one feature of this embodiment, the cross-flow membrane filter is a reverse osmosis filter. An additional feature is an accumulation reservoir placed between and in fluid communication with the viral membrane filter and the bacterial membrane filter for the storage of water that has been treated by the viral membrane. Preferably, the bacterial membrane filter is placed in the first sealed outer housing and in at least one of the viral and bacterial filter membranes which is generally cylindrical in shape and has a central void space and such that the water that flows to and from the other of the viral and bacterial filter membranes, it flows into the central empty space. According to one embodiment of the present invention, a water supply tap treated to supply water that has been treated to remove contaminants, includes a conduit for channeling the flow of treated water from a filtration system to a supply station. . The conduit has a first end connected to the filtration system and a second end that includes a hole that opens the supply station. A check valve is mounted at the second end to prevent reflux of contaminants into the filtration system. According to one feature, the check valve is a duckbill check valve that includes an antibacterial material. According to another feature, a valve protection member that substantially encloses the check valve to prevent contact between foreign objects and the check valve. According to another characteristic of the present invention, a filter cartridge including a housing defining a first and second isolated regions within the housing is described. The first region includes a first filter and a flow path that extends from a first input to a first output. The second region defines a flow path that extends between a second input port and a second output port. The ports are positioned substantially in linear side-by-side relationship and are adapted to establish fluid connections between the filter cartridge and a part forming the manifold of a water treatment system as the filter cartridge is installed in its operating position. . In the preferred embodiment, the first region includes a viral filter and the second region includes a bacterial filter. Although the construction illustrated in the preferred embodiment includes a viral filter and a bacterial filter located in the same replaceable housing, it should be understood that the aspects of the present invention can be applied to systems in which they are used viral and bacterial filter units, in contrast to having both filters in a housing. These and other objects, advantages and features of the invention will be better understood from the detailed description that accompanies the preferred embodiments of the present invention when reviewed in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The present invention is illustrated by way of example and there is no limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a schematic representation of a water filtration system constructed in accordance with the present invention; Figure 2 is a front plan view of a water filtration system shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of a water supply key according to a feature of the present invention; Figure 4 is a cross section of a multiple barrier bacterial filter of the water filtration system shown in Figure 2; Figure 5 is a cross section of a multiple barrier antibacterial filter of the water filtration system shown in Figure 2 and as seen from the plane indicated by line 5-5 in Figure 2; Figure 6 is an exploded view of the anti-bacterial multiple barrier filter; 1 Figure 7 is another sectional view of the anti-bacterial filter substantially similar to the cross section shown in Figure 4, although it shows the filter separated from the water filtration system; Figure 8 is an exploded view of the water filtration system shown in Figure 2; Figure 9 is a perspective view of a manifold that forms part of the water filtration system; Figure 10 is a partially schematic representation showing an elevation view of the bottom of the manifold shown in Figure 9 and also illustrating the fluid connections between a storage tank and the key; Figure 11 is a planar top view of the manifold shown in Figure 9; Figure 12 is a sectional view of the collector as can be seen from the plane indicated by line 12-12 in Figure 1 1; Figure 13 is a fragmentary sectional view of the collector as seen from the plane indicated by line 13-13 in Figure 10; and Figure 14 is a top elevation view of a safety handle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Figure 1 schematically illustrates a water treatment system 10 for removing particles and bacterial contaminants from water. The water treatment system 10 is designed to be mounted under the laundry in a typical residential kitchen and to supply treated water from a dedicated key system 70 includes a flow control valve 71 having an operation handle 71 a. The system includes a pre-filter 20 such as a Kinetic, part number 9309 and a reverse osmosis filter 30 (such as that described in U.S. Patent No. 4,650,586, assigned to the beneficiary of the present invention and incorporated into the present description as reference) placed in series to remove most of the contaminants typically found in residential water supplies. Although an RO filter is described in the present description, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that any cross-flow membrane filter, such as a nanofiltration unit, an ultrafiltration unit or a microfiltration unit, can be used to practice the present invention. The prefilter 20 filters the solids that entered to reduce the incidence of plugging of the inner membrane (not shown) in the reverse osmosis filter 30 and is considered to prolong the life of the reverse osmosis filter. A check valve 79 in the concentration line of the RO filter, prevents the entry of contaminants into the system by means of the concentration line.

A multiple barrier bacterial filtration unit 40 that includes a viral filter membrane 40a and a bacterial membrane 40b, scavenges the water leaving the reverse osmosis filter 40 to remove bacterial pathogens from the water. The RO 30 filter removes a large percentage of the contaminants that remain in the water after treatment by the prefilter 20 to prevent clogging of the relatively fine pores found in the viral and bacterial membrane filters 40a, 40b. Additionally, the RO filter serves as a flow limiting device that controls the flow for the viral membrane filter 40a, by which, the operation of the viral filter membrane is facilitated at a sufficiently slow flow rate to optimize the removal of pollutants based on a relatively small filter membrane size. A storage tank 50, such as that which is placed in fluid communication with an outlet of the viral membrane 40a, to store the water that has been treated by the viral membrane. The placement of the storage tank 50 after the viral membrane 40a, although before the bacterial membrane 40b, improves the flowability of the system in general. This is because the flow capacity of the membrane of the viral filter 40a is significantly lower than the desired flow rate for the key 70. The flowability of the bacterial membrane 40b is higher than that of the viral membrane and, as such, the water can be extracted from the storage tank 50 during the demand of the key and can be treated by the bacterial membrane 40b to filter the contaminants that originate in the storage tank or that have passed through previous filters to a flow index that is acceptable in terms of which it provides flow to the key. The bacterial membrane 40b also serves as a protection against bacterial contamination that can enter the key system 70. A subsequent filter 60, such as that described in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,698,164 assigned to the beneficiary of the present invention and incorporated herein by reference, is placed between the viral membrane 40a and the bacterial membrane 40b to provide an additional filter of protection against contaminants originating in the storage tank or have gone through the previous filters. In addition, the back filter 60 serves as a fluid monitor to monitor the amount of water flowing to the antibacterial membrane 40b and shut off the flow by means of an internal flow control mechanism (not shown) once a predetermined amount has been determined. of water has been treated. This closing feature prevents the use of the system once the performance of the filter element has been degraded to an unacceptable level. Figure 2 is a front plan view of a water treatment system 10. A mounting bracket 12 with mounting lugs 14 for connecting the support under a typical residential laundry that supports a manifold assembly 13. The manifold assembly 13 includes a water conduit and connection points for the replaceable cartridge portions of various filter units constituting the system: the prefilter 20, the reverse osmosis filter 30, the multiple barrier bacterial filtration unit 40 and the rear filter 60 having a head that monitors the flow 61 that provides an indication of the amount of water that has been treated by the current cartridge and closes the flow when a predetermined amount of water has been treated. An output connection (which will be described below) is connected to a line 314 that flows to the key 70 (shown in Figures 1, 3 and 10). Although this particular combination of pre-filter, reverse osmosis filter and subsequent filter is proposed for the purposes of this description, other filter combinations that may or may not include these filters may be used in conjunction with the multiple barrier bacterial filtration unit. in the practice of the present invention. Referring now to Figure 3, a cross-sectional view of the key 70 is shown. A conduit or a water jet 72 terminates at one end in the supply orifice 74. A check valve 75, such as a valve of duck bill retention provided by Vernay Laboratories, Inc., of Yellow Springs, Ohio with the part number VA 4295, is held adjacent to the supply orifice 74 by a protective shield or jet nozzle 78 which encloses the check valve 75 and is pressed or tapped on the water conduit 72. Due to the presence of bacterial contaminants in the kitchen and bathroom washrooms in which the key is mounted, it is beneficial to use this check valve to protect the system from contaminants in the air, splashes or objects found in the laundry. In order to further increase the system's pollution reduction capacity, the check valve 75 can be molded from a material that includes an antibacterial treatment. The check valve 79 (Figure 1) in the concentration line can be a valve similar to the duckbill type suitably sized for the concentration line. Alternatively, conventional balloon type check valves can be used.

Multiple Bacterial Barrier Filtration Unit Figure 4 illustrates the details of a multiple bacterial barrier filtration unit 40, which filters bacterial contaminants from water. The bacterial filtration unit 40 is connected to a portion of the associated manifold 15 that forms part of the assembly of the manifold 13, with screws, clips or other suitable means. The manifold 15 provides the suitable fluid paths to channel the water to the interior and exterior of the various components of the bacterial filtration unit 40. The internal works of the manifold 15 will be explained further below. An inlet 41, defined by the manifold 41, charges the water from the reverse osmosis filter 30 to the bacterial filtration unit 40 via an inlet port 110 which is in fluid communication with the bacterial filter unit 40. The unit Bacterial filtration 40 includes a sealed outer housing, indicated generally at 45, having an end cover 43 that is welded to the housing after assembly of the filter elements 40a and 40b therein. It is considered that by waxing the membrane of the viral filter 40a and the membrane of the bacterial filter 40b in a single cartridge, the variations of system performance in general, which could be produced by the housing of the filter membranes separately and additionally, are eliminated, The unique cartridge facilitates the removal and replacement of the same by the end user. The viral filter membrane 40a joins the end cover 43 to position the element, such that the first fluid channel 14 is defined between the inner wall of the housing and the outer surface of the membrane 40a. The viral filter membrane 40a is cylindrical in shape and includes a pleated membrane filter element positioned concentrically around a tubular support structure and embedded in an outer protective cover having fluid access openings therein. Filters, such as the viral filter membrane are known in the art. An example of the viral filter 40a is manufactured by Pall Corporation of New York, under the part number VABV20P0A. The viral filter membrane 40a joins and sits on an inner connector 44 having a fluid path (which will be described in conjunction with Figure 6) so that the incoming water enters the first fluid channel 1 14 through a first inlet port 110 and through a first inlet duct 1 12. The water flows to a first inner filter channel 115 passing through the filter membrane 40a to remove the contaminants and the treated outgoing water leaves the membrane of viral filter 40a through a first outlet conduit 1 16 which is connected to the manifold 15 by means of a first outlet port 1 8. The O-rings 135, 131, seal the interface between the viral filter membrane 40a and the inner connector 44, and the inner connector 44 and the outer housing 45, respectively. The manifold 15 provides a fluid path from the first outlet port to the storage tank 50 (Figure 1) and the bacterial filter 40b, such that water will flow into the storage tank unless the tank is empty and In this case, the water of the viral filter membrane 40a will be displaced directly to the rear filter 50 and the bacterial filter 40b as described in more detail below. The storage tank improves the overall output capacity of the system because it regulates the filter by reducing the effect of the small pore size necessary to filter the sized particles of small viruses, removed by the membrane of the viral filter 40a. Rear filter 60 (Figures 1 and 2) includes a carbon filter (not shown) that removes contaminants from water that may have passed through the previous filters or are a result of the storage tank environment. Additionally, as already described, the back filter serves as a fluid monitor to stop the flow through the system, once a previously determined amount of water has been treated. The replacement of the cartridge in the back filter resets the monitor, so that the fluid can be restored.

Referring again to Figure 4, the membrane of the bacterial filter 40b is cylindrical in shape and includes a membrane filter element with folds, placed concentrically in a tube that supports the structure and that is enclosed in an outer protective cover that it has fluid access openings in them. Filters, such as the bacterial filter membrane are known in the art. An example of this type of filter is manufactured by Pall Corporation of New York under the part number NA7AA00POA. The bacterial filter membrane 40b joins the inner connector 44 to place the membrane and form a second fluid channel 121, through which water can flow from a second inlet port 127 and through the bacterial filter membrane 40b to a second output channel 122 which is in fluid communication with a second output port 130. The output port 130 is connected to the connector 15, which provides a connection to the key 70. As can be seen from From the above description, by providing the capabilities of multiple barrier bacterial filter in conjunction with a transverse flow membrane, a filtration system that has the ability to significantly reduce bacterial contaminants in water can be provided in a unit sized to fit under a residential drain. Figures 6 to 14 illustrate other features and construction details of the present invention. In the preferred embodiment, the multiple barrier filtration unit 40 is configured as a replaceable cartridge. Referring in particular to Figure 6, the filtration unit 40 includes the outer housing 45 (described above) which is closed at its bottom end by an end cover 43. An assembly of components is trapped within the housing 45 and the end cover 43. The components include the viral and bacterial filter units 40b, 40a (described above). The upper part of the viral filter is secured to an adapter 200, which defines three upwardly directed grooves 202, 204, 206. Referring to Figure 7, these three grooves seal the junction of the nipples 202a, 204a, 206a, which depend in descending manner and are formed integrally with an upper part 45a of the housing 45. The associated O-rings 207 (Figure 6) seal the interface between the slots and the nipples. Referring to Figures 4 to 7, a water receiver or inlet chamber 219 is defined between the upper part of the adapter 200 and the lower part of the cartridge housing. As can best be seen in Figure 7, the inlet port 250a communicates with the inlet chamber 219. The water to be treated is received in the chamber 219 and is displaced to the second fluid channel 121 by means of the slots. 200a (shown in Figure 6) formed in adapter 200. As described above, the bottom part of the viral filter 40b sits on the connector 44. The connector includes an integrally molded pipe assembly in an upright position 220a defining the fluid passages 1 12, 1 16 (see also Figure 4). A rigid rod is molded between the pipe structure. A pair of nipples 206b, 204b are sealedly joined in the slots 204, 206 defined in the cover 200. The associated O-rings 222 seal the interface between the nipples and the slots. Also formed integrally in connector 220, there is a transverse passage 230, which communicates with passage 1 12 (defined by pipe assembly 220a) with region 114 (see also Figure 4) surrounding the viral filter 40a. The communication is indicated by the interrupted line 230a in Figure 7. In particular, the transverse passage 230 communicates the channel 1 12 with the outside of the descending tab 220c that is part of the connector 220. The outside of the tab 220c communicates with region 1 14, that is, with the outside of the viral filter 40a. The bottom of the viral filter 40a is seated on a spacer of the filter 234 which, in turn, fits inside and seals in a sealed manner, the bottom cover 43 of the filter housing. Turning now to Figure 7, the filter unit 40 is configured to be able to be replaced relatively easily without the need for special tools. As described above, the water treatment system includes a support assembly 12 to which the fluid manifold 15 is secured. In particular and also referring to Figure 8, the manifold 15 includes mounting the openings 15a through the which the fasteners extend, in order to bolt the manifold to the lower part of the support 12 by means of the mounting holes 15b. The portion of the manifold 15 defines the internal fluid passages to communicate with the internal fluid paths defined by the filter unit 40 with other components of the system. In particular, and referring to Figures 7 and 9, the manifold 15 defines four nipples that depend in descending order 250, 252, 254, and 256. The cartridge housing 45 defines four corresponding slots 250a, 252a, 254a and 256a, which are configured to receive and join in a sealed manner with the associated manifold nipples 250, 252, 254, 256. The slots 252a, 254a, 256a are connected to and can be part of the nipples 202a, 204a, 206a, respectively. Housing slots include associated O-rings 260 and interior pressure-retaining devices 262 for securing the O-rings within the slots 250a, 252a, 254a, 256a (shown in Figure 7). The housing 45 also includes integrally molded upright retainer lugs 270, as well as a pair of stabilizing reservoirs 272. The reservoirs 272 include reduced diameter portions 272a at their upper ends. To install the cartridge, the cartridge is placed under the support 12 and the attached manifold 15. By raising the cartridge in ascending fashion, towards the support, the four dependent nipples 250, 252, 254, 254 of the collector 15 entering the associated slots 250a, 252a, 254a, 256a while simultaneously, the lugs extending upwardly 270 enter and extend through the complementarily shaped holes 270a formed in the holder 12. Additionally, the reservoirs 272 are attached to the lower part of the support 12 with the reduced diameter portions 272a extending into the complementary shaped holes 273 formed in the support 12 (see Figure 8). To secure the filter unit 40 to the support 12, a molded retaining clip 280 is secured so that the lugs 270 can be removed. The detailed construction of the retaining clip 280 is shown in Figure 14. In particular, each lug 270 includes an opening 281 near its upper end (shown in Figure 7). The retaining clip 280 includes a pair of spaced apart pins 280a integrally molded with handle portion 280b. The spaced pins 280a, in their relaxed state, define a diameter greater than the diameter of the holes 281 and are compressed as they are inserted into the lugs 270. The pins 280a include mechanical brakes or protuberances 283, which join the rear surface of the lugs 270 and inhibit the retraction of the retaining device 280. As the manifold nipples 250, 252, 254, 256 enter the cartridge slots 250a, 252a, 254a, 256a, they are sealedly joined by the associated O-rings 260 , placed inside the slots and, consequently, the leakage of fluids between the nipples and the slots, is inhibited although it continues to provide a releasable fluid connection. Figure 10 illustrates an exploded view of the water treatment system and, in particular, it shows the various filter units and the assembly of the manifold 13 and the support 12 to which, the filter units are releasably attached. A cover 290 preferably lies on the support 12 and is concealed in the top view of the support and the fluid connections, the manifold and the retention devices for the filter units and cartridges. Referring to Figures 9 to 13, the construction of the portion of the manifold or segment 15 (to which the filter unit 40 is attached) is illustrated. In particular, Figure 10, which is a view of the lower part of the manifold 15, illustrates in schematic form the fluid flow paths through the manifold 15 together with the connections for the storage tank 50 and the key 70. manifold 15, includes a duct segment 300, which includes a pair of O-ring notches 300a adapted to receive the appropriate O-rings. The conduit segment 300 is adapted to be received in an inlet or inlet slot of the filter 60. A similar connection to a slot 302 is adapted to receive a conduit connecting the slot 302 with the outlet of the filter unit 60. A similar connection to a slot 304 forms part of the manifold 15 and is adapted to connect in sealed form to a nipple, which defines an outlet from the filter unit RO 30. The manifold 15, also defines a pair of conduit connections 310, 312. The conduit connection 310 has the objective of connecting with a conduit connecting the tank 50 with the manifold 15. The connector 312 connects the manifold 15 with a supply conduit 314 (see Figures 1 and 10) to the key 70 .

As best seen in Figure 10, the passages 330, 332 and 338 are formed at least partially by tubular segments 316a, 316b, 316c, 316d. During the manufacture of the manifold 15, the straight ends (as can be seen in Figure 10) of the tubular segments are sealed. In the illustrated embodiment, a locking plate 318 is suitably secured to the straight ends of the tubular segments 316a, 316b, 316c, 316d, using conventional joining methods, such as welding or adhesive bonding. The nipple 250, which serves as an input to the bacterial filter 40b, is connected to the slot 302 by a passage defined by the collector and illustrated schematically with the interrupted line 330. The nipple 256, which communicates with the output of the viral filter 40a with the storage tank 50 and with the inlet to the subsequent filter 60 is connected to the connector of the duct 310 and to the segment of the duct 300 communicating the internal passages 332a, 332b. With this configuration, a significant amount of water can be stored by the tank 50, instead of only processing the water as it is distributed by the key 70. The nipple 254, which communicates the filtered water from the RO 30 unit to a Inlet side of the viral filter 40a, is connected to the slot 304 by an internal passage 336. The nipple 252, which is connected to an output side of the bacterial filter 40b, communicates with the connector of the duct 312 by an internal passage 338. As noted above, the conduit connector 312 is connected to a supply conduit 314 for the key 70. Figures 12 and 13 illustrate the additional details of the molded passages within the manifold 15, which are illustrated in FIG. schematic form in Figure 10. However, it should be understood that alternative configurations for the portion of the manifold 15, as well as the passages molded into the manifold, can be made while fluid connections and functions of the illustrated embodiment are still being provided and, therefore, are contemplated by the present invention. In the preferred embodiment, the retaining lugs 270 are arranged in a parallel relationship and are rectangular in cross section. The reservations 280 are located in a spaced relation and are arranged in the 12:00 and 6:00 position with respect to the lugs 270, which are located at the 9:00 and 3:00 position. In the preferred and illustrated embodiment, the slots 250a, 252a, 254a, 256a formed in the housing 45, which receive the nipples 250, 252, 254, 256 which are located in juxtaposed positions and have mutually parallel axes. However, it should be understood that the positioning of the lugs 270, the reservoirs 272 and the slots 250a, 252a, 254a, 256a can be changed without substantially changing their functional purposes. The slots 250a, 252a, 254a, 256a may, for example, be oriented spatially in the upper portion of the cartridge housing 45 and adapted to similarly join the nipples of the spaced-apart manifold. It should also be noted that the water treatment system illustrated in the drawings is sized for residential use. However, it should be understood that the principles of the present invention can be applied to much larger water treatment systems that could be placed for commercial uses. Those skilled in the art could recognize that larger filter units and conduits may be necessary, in order to maintain the types of fluid indices that might be required for commercial applications. Although the present invention has been described with a degree of particularity, it is intended that the present invention include all modifications and alterations from the described design, which is within the spirit or scope of the appended Claims.

Claims

29 NOVELTY OF THE INVENTION CLAIMS 1 .- A filter apparatus for treating water containing contaminant or bacterial particles comprising: a first filter element placed inside a sealed first outer housing and in fluid communication with a first inlet port and a first outlet port, the first filter element has the ability to treat water at a first flow rate and is adapted to remove contaminants that are greater than a first size pollutant; a second filter element placed in downstream of the first filter element and in fluid communication with a second inlet port and a second outlet port, the second filter element has the ability to treat water at a second higher flow rate that the first flow rate and is adapted to remove contaminants that are greater than a second size of pollutant; and an accumulation tank in fluid communication with the first outlet port and the second inlet port for storing water that has been treated by the first filter element before treatment by the second filter element. 2. The filter apparatus according to claim 1, further characterized in that the second filter element is placed inside the first sealed outer housing. 30 3. - The filter apparatus according to claim 1, further characterized in that it additionally comprises a pre-treatment filter in fluid communication with the first inlet port for removing the relatively large contaminants before being treated by the first and second filter elements. filter. 4. - The filter apparatus according to claim 1, further characterized in that it additionally comprises a check valve in fluid communication with the second outlet port and in downstream of the second filter element to inhibit the backflow of contaminated water within of the filter apparatus. 5. - The filter apparatus according to claim 4, further characterized in that the check valve is a duckbill check valve. 6 - The filter apparatus according to claim 4, further characterized in that the check valve is installed in a water supply tap treated in fluid communication with the second outlet port and through which the treated water flows out of the filter apparatus. 7 - The filter apparatus according to claim 4, further characterized in that the check valve comprises antibacterial material. 8 - The filter apparatus according to claim 1, further characterized in that it additionally comprises a flow monitor 31 in fluid communication with the first outlet port that monitors a quantity of water that has been treated by the filter apparatus. 9. - The filter apparatus according to claim 8, further characterized in that the flow monitor can be operated to stop the flow of water through the filter apparatus when a predetermined amount of water has been treated by the apparatus of filter. 10. - The filter apparatus according to claim 1, further characterized by additionally comprising a subsequent filter in fluid communication with the accumulation tank and adapted to remove contaminants that originate in the accumulation tank. eleven . - The filter apparatus according to claim 10, further characterized in that the rear filter comprises a flow monitor for monitoring an amount of water that has been treated by the filter apparatus. 12. The filter apparatus according to claim 1, further characterized in that the first filter element is a virus filter membrane that has the ability to remove contaminants larger than 0.01 microns. 13. The filter apparatus according to claim 1, further characterized in that the second filter element is a bacterial filter membrane that has the ability to remove contaminants that are larger than 0.1 microns. 32 14. - The filter apparatus according to claim 2, further characterized in that at least one of the first and second filter elements is generally cylindrical in shape and has a central void space and where the water flowing to and from the other of the first and second filter element flows into the central void space. 15. - The filter apparatus according to claim 2, further characterized in that the first inlet port, the first outlet port, the second inlet port and the second outlet port are placed on a single surface of the sealed outer housing . 16. The filter apparatus according to claim 1, further characterized in that it additionally comprises a transverse flow membrane in fluid communication with the first inlet port to remove a significant amount of contaminants from the water, before it makes contact. with the first filter element. 17. A filter apparatus for treating water containing bacterial contaminants comprising: a viral membrane filter placed inside a first sealed outer housing and in fluid communication with a first inlet port and a first outlet port, wherein the viral membrane filter is adapted to remove viral contaminants; a bacterial filter membrane placed in downstream of the antiviral membrane and in fluid communication with a second inlet port and a second outlet port, wherein the Bacterial filter membrane is adapted to remove bacterial contaminants. 18. - The filter apparatus according to claim 17, further characterized in that the bacterial filter element is positioned within the first sealed outer housing. 9. - The filter apparatus according to claim 17, further characterized in that it additionally comprises a pre-treatment filter in fluid communication with the first inlet port to remove the relatively large contaminants before treatment by the antiviral filter membranes and bacterial 20. - The filter apparatus according to claim 17, further characterized in that it additionally comprises a check valve in fluid communication with the second outlet port and in downstream of the bacterial filter membrane to inhibit the backflow of contaminated water inside the filter apparatus. twenty-one . - The filter apparatus according to claim 20, further characterized in that the check valve is a duckbill check valve. 22. - The filter apparatus according to claim 20, further characterized in that the check valve is installed in a water supply tap treated in fluid communication with the second outlet port and through which, the treated water flows outside the filter apparatus. 3. 4 23. - The filter apparatus according to claim 20, further characterized in that the check valve comprises antibacterial material. 24. - The filter apparatus according to claim 17, further characterized in that it further comprises a flow monitor in fluid communication with the first outlet port that monitors an amount of water that has been treated by the filter apparatus. 25. - The filter apparatus according to claim 24, further characterized in that the flow monitor can be operated to stop the flow of water through the filter apparatus when a predetermined amount of water has been treated by the apparatus of filter. 26. - The filter apparatus according to claim 25, further characterized in that the subsequent filter comprises a flow monitor for monitoring an amount of water that has been treated by the filter apparatus. 27. - The filter apparatus according to claim 18, further characterized in that at least one of the viral and bacterial filter membranes is generally cylindrical in shape and has a central void space and where the water flows to and from the other of the viral and bacterial filter membranes flows into the central void space. 28. - The filter apparatus according to claim 18, further characterized in that the first port of entry, the first port of 35 outlet, the second inlet port and the second outlet port are placed on a single surface of the sealed outer housing. 29. The filter apparatus according to claim 17, further characterized in that it additionally comprises a transverse flow membrane filter in fluid communication with the first input port. 30 - The filter apparatus according to claim 17, further characterized in that it additionally comprises an accumulation tank for storing the water that has been treated by the viral filter member before its treatment by a bacterial filter membrane. 31 - The filter apparatus according to claim 30, further characterized in that it additionally comprises a subsequent filter in fluid communication with the accumulation tank and adapted to remove contaminants that originate in the accumulation tank or are passed through the bacterial filter membrane. 32. - The filter apparatus according to claim 1, further characterized in that it comprises a device that limits the fluid in fluid communication with the first input port to control the flow of water within the first filter element. 33. The filter apparatus according to claim 16, further characterized in that the transverse flow membrane filter is a reverse osmosis filter. 36 34. - The filter apparatus according to claim 16, further characterized in that it comprises a check valve in a concentration line of the transverse flow membrane filter. 35. The filter apparatus according to claim 29, further characterized in that the transverse flow membrane filter is a reverse osmosis filter. 36. - The filter apparatus according to claim 29, further characterized in that it comprises a check valve in a concentration line of the transverse flow membrane filter. 37.- The filter apparatus according to claim 17, further characterized in that it comprises a device that limits the flow in fluid communication with the first input port to control the flow of water within the first filter element. 38.- A filter apparatus for removing contaminants from water containing bacterial contaminants, comprising: a cross-flow membrane filter to remove a significant amount of relatively large contaminants from the water; a viral membrane filter positioned within a first sealed outer housing and in fluid communication with the transverse flow membrane filter; the viral membrane filter is adapted to remove viral contaminants; a bacterial membrane filter in fluid communication with the viral membrane filter, the bacterial membrane filter is adapted to remove bacterial contaminants. 37 39. - The filter apparatus according to claim 38, further characterized in that the transverse flow membrane filter is a reverse osmosis filter. 40. The filter apparatus according to claim 38, further characterized in that it comprises an accumulation tank positioned between and in fluid communication with the viral membrane filter and the bacterial membrane filter to store water that has been treated by the viral membrane. 41 - The filter apparatus according to claim 38, further characterized in that the bacterial membrane filter is disposed in the first sealed outer housing. 42. - The filter apparatus according to claim 38, further characterized in that at least one of the viral and bacterial filter membranes is generally cylindrical in shape and has a central void space and wherein the water flowing to and from the other of the viral and bacterial filter membranes flows into the central void space. 43. A water supply tap treated to supply water that has been treated to remove contaminants, comprising: a conduit for directing the flow of treated water from a filtration system to a supply station, where the conduit has a first end connected to the filtration system and a second end that opens to the supply station; and a check valve mounted to the second end to inhibit reflux of contaminants to the filtration system. 38 44. - The treated water supply tap according to claim 43, further characterized in that the check valve is a duckbill check valve. 45. The treated water supply tap according to claim 43, further characterized in that it comprises a valve shield member that substantially includes the check valve to prevent contact between the foreign objects and the check valve. 46. - The treated water supply tap according to claim 43, further characterized in that the check valve comprises antibacterial material 47. - A filter cartridge comprising: a) a housing defining the first and second insulated regions within of said accommodation; b) said first region includes a flow path that extends between a first input port and a first output port; c) said second region includes a flow path that extends between a second inlet port and a second outlet port; and d) said ports are positioned in substantially linear relation, side by side and adapted to establish fluid connections between the filter cartridge and a connector that is part of a water treatment system when said filter cartridge is installed in a operating position. 48. - The filter cartridge according to claim 47, further characterized in that it additionally includes a joining structure for attaching a support forming part of said treatment system, whereby said cartridge is maintained in its operating position with respect to said water treatment system. 49. - The filter cartridge according to claim 48, further characterized in that said joining structure comprises a pair of lugs in a vertical form sized to be received in the openings in said support and that additionally includes an insurance member to receive the structure, to maintain the position of said tabs with respect to said support. 50. - The filter cartridge according to claim 47, further characterized in that said first region includes a filter element for treating water as it flows between said first inlet and said first outlet. 51 - The filter cartridge according to the claim 50, further characterized in that said second region includes a second filter element for treating the water as it flows between said first inlet and said second outlet. 52. - The filter cartridge according to the claim 51, further characterized in that said fluid flow path, for communicating the water from said second inlet to said second outlet includes inlet and outlet conduits extending through said first region, for the purpose of communicating with said second inlet and said second exit. 40 53. - The filter cartridge according to claim 51, further characterized in that said first filter element comprises a viral filter and said second filter element comprises a bacterial filter. 54. - A structure for establishing fluid communication between a fluid manifold that is part of a water treatment system and a filter assembly, comprising: a) a harbor housing that defines four ports in a vertical position joined in a substantially linear relationship, side by side; b) a first port defining an inlet for communicating the water to be treated to a first region forming part of the filter assembly and a second port defining an outlet for receiving the treated water from said first region; and, c) a third port defining an inlet for communicating the water to be treated to a second region that is part of the filter assembly and a fourth port defining an outlet for receiving the treated water from said second region. 55.- The structure according to Claim 54, further characterized in that said port housing forms part of said filter assembly. 56. - The structure according to claim 55, further characterized in that said port housing and a filter assembly housing are integrally molded. 57. - The structure according to claim 54, further characterized in that said port housing also includes a pair of tabs in a vertical shape that secure the openings to receive a port. insurance member, wherein said lugs are adapted to be received in a support member that is part of said water treatment system. 58. - The structure according to Claim 57, further characterized in that said port housing additionally includes a reserve pair that can also be joined to said support member and can be operated to additionally stabilize the harbor housing with respect to said Support member 59. - A water supply key for a water treatment system, comprising: a) a flow control valve that controls the supply of water by the tap; b) a water conduit extending from the flow control valve that at least partially defines a flow path extending from said handle to a water distributor nozzle; and c) a check valve positioned along said flow path and positioned to allow water to flow from said flow control valve to said distributor nozzle, but which inhibits reverse flow. 60. - The key according to claim 59, further characterized in that said check valve is positioned along said flow path, close to said supply path. 61 - The key according to claim 59, further characterized in that said check valve is placed inside said supply nozzle. 42 62. - The key according to claim 59, further characterized in that said check valve comprises a duckbill type check valve. 63. - A water treatment system, comprising: a) a first filter element that includes a virus filter; b) a storage tank in fluid communication with an outlet of said viral filter to receive the treated water from said viral filter; c) a second filter in fluid communication with said tank and that can be operated to treat the water discharged by said tank; and d) a water supply in fluid communication with said second filter and that is operated to supply the water from said water treatment. 64. - The water treatment system according to Claim 63, further characterized in that said viral filter and second filter are placed in a single replaceable cartridge unit. 65. - The water treatment system according to claim 63, further characterized in that said second filter is a filter for removing bacteria. 66. - The water treatment system according to claim 63, further characterized in that it additionally comprises a downstream reverse osmosis filter of said viral filter, wherein said viral filter is positioned to receive water from said reverse osmosis filter. . 43 67. - The water treatment system according to claim 66, further characterized in that it additionally comprises a subsequent filter placed intermediate between said second filter and said water distributor. 68.- The water treatment system in accordance with the Claim 63, further characterized in that said viral filter has the ability to remove contaminants larger than 0.01 microns. 69. - The water treatment system according to Claim 63, further characterized in that said second filter comprises a bacterial membrane that has the ability to remove contaminants larger than 0.1 microns. 70. - The water treatment system according to claim 63, further characterized in that said viral filter includes a membrane to remove viruses. 71.- The water treatment system in accordance with the Claim 63, further characterized in that said second filter includes a bacterial membrane. 72.- The water treatment system in accordance with the Claim 66, further characterized by additionally including an upstream pre-filter of said reverse osmosis filter, wherein said reverse osmosis filter is positioned to receive water from said pre-filter. 44 73. - A water treatment system, comprising: a) a reverse osmosis filter; b) a manifold for supplying the water to be treated to said reverse osmosis filter; c) a replaceable multiple barrier filter, including a first filter element and a second filter element; d) a storage tank to store at least partially treated water; e) a supplier for supplying treated water from said water treatment system; f) said first filter element having an inlet in fluid communication with said reverse osmosis filter and an outlet in fluid communication with said storage tank; and g) said second filter element in fluid communication with said storage tank and an outlet in fluid communication with said water supply. 74. - The water treatment system according to claim 73, further characterized in that said first filter element comprises a viral filter. 75. - The water treatment system according to claim 73, further characterized in that one of said first and second filter elements comprises a viral filter. 76. - The water treatment system according to claim 73, further characterized in that one of said first and second filter elements comprises a bacterial filter. 77. - The water treatment system according to claim 73, further characterized in that it comprises additionally a rear filter placed intermediate between said second filter element and said water supply and which can be operated to filter the water discharged by said second filter element before being supplied by said water distributor. 78.- The water treatment system in accordance with the Claim 73, further characterized in that said water supplier includes a check valve to stop the entry of contaminants into said distributor from an external region to said distributor. 79. - The water treatment system according to claim 78, further characterized in that said check valve comprises a duckbill check valve. 80. - The water treatment system according to claim 73, further characterized in that said first filter element comprises a viral membrane filter. 81.- The water treatment system in accordance with the Claim 76, further characterized in that said bacterial filter comprises a membrane for removing bacteria. 82.- The water treatment system according to claim 74, further characterized in that said second filter element comprises a bacterial filter.