MXPA06005376A - Sprayer purifier cartridge system - Google Patents

Abstract

A sprayer purifier cartridge system is disclosed which includes a sprayer for spraying water and a purifier cartridge for purifying water. The sprayer has a receiving structure for the purifier cartridge, and the cartridge is attachable to the receiving structure of the sprayer to form a seal between the cartridge and the sprayer.

Description

SPRAY PURIFIER CARTRIDGE SYSTEM FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a sprinkler purifier cartridge system.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Sprinklers of various types are known. In some cases, sprinklers have a filter or other type of purifier associated with them. The search for improved systems to associate purifiers with sprinklers is permanent.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a sprinkler purifier cartridge system. There are numerous non-restrictive embodiments of the present invention. In a non-restrictive mode, the sprinkler purification cartridge system comprises a sprinkler for spraying water and a purifying cartridge for purifying water. In this embodiment, the sprayer has a receiver structure for the purifying cartridge, and the cartridge can be attached to the sprayer receiving structure. In this embodiment, the sprayer or the purifying cartridge comprises a structure having at least one opening therein; that opening is at least partially surrounded by a flexible material. The other element, ie, .0 the sprayer or the purifying cartridge comprises at least one hollow projection which fits into one or more openings so that the water flows in at least one direction between the sprayer and the purifying cartridge. The cartridge is attached to the sprinkler and forms a seal between the cartridge and the sprinkler. Many other modalities are also possible including, but not limited to, those described in the following detailed description. The present invention will be more readily apparent when considered with reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES While the description concludes with claims that particularly state and clearly claim the object of the present invention, it is possible that the invention will be better understood from the following description and the accompanying figures, in which: Figure 1 is a side view of a non-restrictive mode of a sprayer which may comprise the sprinkler purifier cartridge system. Figure 2 is a side view of the sprinkler similar to that of Figure 1 from which the lid of the purifier cartridge compartment has been removed, and where the purifying cartridge system is shown by dashed lines. Figure 3 is a perspective view of a non-restrictive mode of a purifying cartridge. Figure 4 is a bottom view of the sprinkler of Figure 2 showing the receiving structure for the purifying cartridge. Figure 5 is a fragmentary side schematic view showing the seal formed between the purifying cartridge and the receiver structure thereof.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a sprinkler purifier cartridge system. Figure 1 shows one embodiment of a sprinkler 20 comprising the sprinkler purifier cartridge system. This sprinkler 20 is a hose end sprayer for holding by hand and ergonomically designed. It should be understood that the sprinkler 20 shown in Figure 1 has a unique configuration and that the sprinkler purifier cartridge system can be used with sprinklers of other configurations. The sprinkler purifier cartridge system can be used with sprinklers of any suitable configuration.

The sprinkler 20 comprises a housing or structure 22. Preferably, in the embodiment shown the water flows through the housing 22 when the sprinkler 20 is connected to a hose 24 and is in use. The housing 22 has, generally, an opening 26 centrally located and a handle 28 for the user to hold it. The sprayer 20 also comprises at least one spray nozzle 30 operatively connected to the housing 22, and a hose connection (or simply "connection") 32 for the hose 24. The sprayer 20 may also comprise an on / off switch 34, a flow selector 36, and a compartment 38 for housing the composition to be dispensed (such as a cleaning composition). Figure 2 shows that in this embodiment the sprinkler cleaning cartridge system 40 comprises a compartment 42 for housing a purifier in the sprinkler 20, and a purifier such as a cartridge 44. The sprinkler cartridge system of the sprinkler 40 also comprises a structure receiver 46 for the purifying cartridge 44. The sprayer 20 may also comprise a cover 48 of the compartment 42 for the purifier. The lid 48 may have a fastener at one end and a snap closure at the other end to facilitate access to the purifying cartridge 44. However, it should be understood that in other embodiments it is not necessary for the sprayer cartridge system 40 to include a compartment 42 in the sprayer for the purifying cartridge 44. In these other embodiments, the purifying cartridge 44 can be completely or at least partially outside the sprayer 20.

Figure 3 shows a non-restrictive mode of a purifying cartridge 44. The purifying cartridge 44 can be in any suitable configuration. The purifying cartridge 44 has two ends that comprise an upper end 44A and a lower end 44B. As shown in Figure 2, the upper end 44A is the upper portion of the purifying cartridge 44 when the purifying cartridge 44 is inserted in the sprayer 20. In general, the purifying cartridge 44 of the embodiment shown in the figures comprises two compartments located next to each other. The compartments comprise cylindrical portions, and more specifically the cartridge 44 is in the form of a structure comprising two cylindrical portions 50 and 52 joined to one another along their axes to form a cylindrical structure composed with a cross section similar to a "8" The diameters of the cross sections of these two cylindrical portions may be the same or different. The purifying cartridge 44 shown in Figure 3 has an inlet such as the inlet opening 54 and an outlet such as the outlet opening 56. The inlet opening 54 and the outlet opening 56 can be located at opposite ends of the purifying cartridge, or at the same end of the purifying cartridge. In this specific embodiment, the inlet and outlet openings 54 and 56 are located at the same end of the purifying cartridge, the upper end 44A. When the purifying cartridge 44 is in use, water flows in the inlet opening 54 to the first cylindrical portion 50. The water then flows from the first cylindrical portion 50 through a channel 66 connecting the first and second cylindrical portions. to the second cylindrical portion 52. The water leaves the purifying cartridge 44 through the outlet opening 56. The inlet and outlet openings may be of any suitable size and shape, and when placed at the same end of the purifying cartridge 44 may be separated by any suitable distance. In this specific embodiment, the inlet and outlet 54 and 56 comprise circular openings with a diameter of approximately 5/16 inches (approximately 9 mm). The centers of the inlet and outlet openings 54 and 56 are at a separation distance of approximately 1.5 inches (approximately 38 mm). The portion of the purifying cartridge 44 defining the inlet and outlet openings 54 and 56 also comprises raised rings 58 which at least partially surround these openings 54 and 56. In the embodiment shown, the raised rings 58 are truncated cone shaped. Figure 5 shows the configuration of one of the openings, such as the inlet opening 54 in greater detail. As shown in Figure 5, the portion of the purifying cartridge 44 defining the inlet and outlet openings 54 and 56 also comprises a material or portion 60 that is flexible when in contact with the cylindrical outer walls 76A of a projection 76 of the coupling receiver structure 70 shown in Figure 4. In the embodiment shown in Figure 5, the flexible material 60 comprises a portion of the structure or housing of the purifying cartridge 44 that at least partially surrounds the inlet opening 54. In this embodiment, this flexible portion of the cartridge structure 44 is thinner than the outer portions of the cartridge structure (evenly spaced from the entry opening 54) of the flexible portion 60. This flexible portion 60 is also angled downwardly. and inward toward the center of the entry opening 54. The flexible material 60 can surround any suitable portion of the opening Inlet 54. In some embodiments, the flexible material 60 completely surrounds the inlet opening 54. In this way, the flexible material 60 forms a leak-proof seal with the walls 76A of the projection 76 of the receiver structure. coupling 70. The formation of the flexible portion 60 from a portion of the structure of the cartridge 44 provides the advantage that a seal can be formed without adding a separate gasket to the cartridge 44. The flexible portion 60 could also be formed by means of a molding process of two (or more) "stages" in which a material is used to mold the structure of the cartridge and another material that is more flexible after molding is used in a second step of the process to form the flexible portion 60 . Evidently, in other embodiments a seal may be used to form this seal. All of these same features can be applied to the exit opening 56. The purifying cartridge 44 can also comprise an insertion element to ensure that the cartridge 44 is properly inserted in the receiving structure of the sprayer 20. An insertion element can be especially convenient when the cartridge is symmetrical, and therefore, a user could accidentally insert it incorrectly into the receiving structure. For this purpose any suitable type of insertion element can be used. In the embodiment shown in Figure 3, the insert member comprises a hole 62 in a portion of the cartridge 44. More specifically, in this embodiment, the insert member comprises a hole in the frame 64 connecting the two cylindrical portions 50 and 52 of the cartridge 44. This orifice 62 can slide through a terminal 82 of the sprinkler 20 such as shown in Figure 4, in the receiving structure 70 of the sprinkler. The purifying cartridge 44 can be permanent or replaceable. The purifying cartridge 44 can be inserted into the sprinkler housing 22 and removed therefrom through the opening 42 in the lower portion of the sprinkler 20. The purifying cartridge 44 can comprise any suitable type of purifying material. In a non-restrictive embodiment, the purifying cartridge 44 comprises an ion exchange resin medium. The ion exchange resin medium can have any of the properties described in U.S. Pat. no. 6,562,142 B2 awarded to Barger et al. Figure 4 shows the receiving structure 70 for the purifying cartridge 44. The receiving structure 70 can comprise any structure capable of housing the purifying cartridge 44 and in which the purifying cartridge 44 is connected to the receiving structure. In the embodiment shown in Figure 4, the receiver structure 70 comprises a base such as a base plate 72, optional side walls 74, an inlet hollow projection 76, and a hollow outlet projection 78. The inlet projection 76 can having a cover 80 for diverting the water so that water is not accidentally sprayed out of the inlet projection 76. The receiver structure 70 may also comprise a terminal 82 for engaging the hole 62 in the cartridge 44 and thereby securing that the cartridge is inserted properly. The components of the receiver structure 70 can be formed from one or more pieces of material. In one embodiment, the components of the receiver structure 70 are formed from a single piece of molded plastic. To use the sprinkler 20 the cover 48 of the sprinkler housing is removed, and the upper end 44A of the purifying cartridge 44 is inserted into the receiver structure 70 in such a way that the hole 62 in the cartridge frame slides through the terminal 82 of the receiving structure 70. When the purifying cartridge 44 is inserted in this manner, the inlet and outlet openings 54 and 56 will fit over the inlet and outlet hollow terminals 76 and 78 respectively, and will form a watertight seal with the outer walls thereof as shown in Figure 5. The lid 48 of the purifier cartridge compartment is again placed, and the sprayer can be used for spraying: water, a mixture of water and a cleaning composition, or purified water. When the ion exchange resin is finished, the lid 48 of the cartridge compartment is opened, and the cartridge 44 is removed and replaced by a new cartridge. Many other embodiments are possible. Some of them are mentioned below. For example, in other embodiments the positions of the hollow projections and the openings in the system could be reversed so that the projections would be in the cartridge 44 and the openings could be in the sprayer receiving structure. further, the positions of the components of the insertion element could be reversed so that the terminal is located on the cartridge 44 and the hole for it is located in the sprayer receiving structure. In these or other modalities a different mechanism could be used as an insertion element. For example, in any other embodiment any combination of longitudinally oriented ribs and grooves on the exterior of the cartridge 44 and the interior of the sprinkler could be provided to ensure that the cartridge 44 is properly inserted into the sprinkler receiving structure 20. In these or other embodiments, to maintain cartridge 44 in place, some mechanism other than lid 48 could be used. For example, in another embodiment, to keep cartridge 44 in place one or more pins could be used. The pins could be located in any suitable place including, but not limited to, the lower end 44B of the cartridge 44, or the upper end 44A of the cartridge. For example, the pin or pins at the upper end 44A of the cartridge 44 could be engaged with the weft 64 connecting the two cylindrical portions 50 and 52 of the cartridge 44. The description of all the patents, patent applications (and of any patent that is granted based on those applications, as well as any foreign patent application), and of the publications mentioned throughout this description, are incorporated herein by reference. However, it is expressly denied that any of the documents incorporated herein by reference teach or describe the present invention. While the particular embodiments of the invention in question have been described, it will be obvious to those with experience in the industry that various changes and modifications to the present invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. Additionally, insofar as the present invention has been described in connection with certain specific embodiments thereof, it will be understood that this is only in the form of illustration and not in a limiting manner and that the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims, which should be interpreted as generally as the previous industry allows.

Claims (15)

NOVELTY OF THE INVENTION CLAIMS

1. A sprinkler purification cartridge system comprising: a sprinkler for sprinkling water, wherein the sprinkler has a receiver structure for the purifying cartridge; and a purifying cartridge containing a substance for purifying water; the cartridge can be attached to the sprayer receiving structure, wherein the sprayer or the purifying cartridge comprises a structure having at least one opening therein, and the opening is at least partially surrounded by a flexible material, and the other sprayer or The purifying cartridge comprises at least one hollow projection that fits the opening to allow water to flow in at least one direction between the sprayer and the purifying cartridge, wherein the cartridge can be attached to the sprayer to form a seal between the cartridge and the cartridge. sprayer.

The sprinkler cleaning cartridge system according to claim 1, further characterized in that the opening is at least partially surrounded by additional material adjacent the material; and the material that at least partially surrounds the opening is thinner than the additional material adjacent thereto.

The sprinkler purification cartridge system according to claim 1, further characterized in that the sprinkler comprises a housing, and the housing has a cavity for inserting at least a portion of the purifying cartridge.

4. The sprinkler cleaning cartridge system according to claim 1, further characterized in that the cartridge is disposable.

The spray cartridge purification system according to claim 1, further characterized in that the cartridge has two ends comprising a first end and a second end, an inlet and an outlet, and the inlet and outlet are located therein. end of the cartridge.

6. The sprayer purifying cartridge system according to claim 1, further characterized in that the water purifying substance comprises at least one ion exchange resin.

The sprinkler purification cartridge system according to claim 1, further characterized in that the cartridge comprises two compartments located side by side.

The spray cartridge purification system according to claim 1, further characterized in that the compartments located side by side have a cylindrical configuration and an opening therebetween for transmitting water between the compartments.

9. The sprinkler cleaning cartridge system according to claim 1. further characterized in that the cartridge comprises an insertion element.

10. The sprinkler purification cartridge system according to claim 1, further characterized in that the insert includes a hole in the cartridge that engages a sprinkler pin.

The sprinkler purification cartridge system according to claim 5, further characterized in that the inlet and outlet comprise circular openings with a diameter of approximately 5/16 inches.

The sprinkler cleaning cartridge system according to claim 11, further characterized in that the centers of said inlet and outlet openings are separated by a distance of approximately 1.5 inches.

The sprinkler cleaning cartridge system according to claim 1, further characterized in that the receiving structure for the purifying cartridge comprises a structure with at least one hollow projection, and the hollow projection comprises a pair of spaced apart hollow terminals.

The spray cartridge purification system according to claim 13, further characterized in that the purifying cartridge comprises a structure with at least one opening, and the opening comprises a pair of separate openings that fit into the hollow terminals, wherein the flexible material that at least partially surrounds the openings forms a leak-proof seal with the hollow terminals.

15. The sprinkler purification cartridge system comprising: a sprinkler for spraying water, wherein said sprinkler has a cavity in which at least a portion of a purifying cartridge and a receiver structure for the purifying cartridge are inserted; and a purifying cartridge containing a substance for purifying water; the cartridge has two ends comprising a first end and a second end, an inlet and an outlet, and the inlet and outlet are located at the same end of the cartridge; the cartridge can be attached to the sprayer receiving structure, wherein the sprayer or the purifying cartridge comprises a structure having at least one opening therein, and the opening is at least partially surrounded by a flexible material, and the other sprayer or The purifying cartridge comprises at least one hollow projection that fits the opening to allow water to flow in at least one direction between the sprayer and the purifying cartridge, wherein the cartridge can be attached to the sprayer to form a seal between the cartridge and the cartridge. sprayer.