WO2007148039A1

WO2007148039A1 - Apparatus and method

Info

Publication number: WO2007148039A1
Application number: PCT/GB2007/002030
Authority: WO
Inventors: Fabio Corradini; Andrea Marigo; John Newton; Liliana Oliva
Original assignee: Reckitt Benckiser N.V.; Reckitt Benckiser (Uk) Limited
Priority date: 2006-06-22
Filing date: 2007-06-04
Publication date: 2007-12-27
Also published as: GB0612307D0

Abstract

A portable liquid filtering container comprises a body having an inlet and an outlet, a storage chamber for water to be filtered, a filter chamber adapted to contain filtering material and a storage chamber for filtered water. The storage and collection chambers communicate only through the filter chamber. The storage chamber is arranged above the collection chamber when the container is upright. The filter chamber has an outlet which has an open surface area of greater than 50%.

Description

APPARATUS AND METHOD

This- application relates to filter devices and methods of using such devices

Water filter devices are useful, for example, in the reduction / removal of unwanted species from water to render it potable and safe for general food preparation. Contaminants are generally reduced by some type, of filtration process as the volume of water to be treated traverses a filter medium.

Drinking water filters are well known and widely used by both the public and in industry. Many known filters are plumbed directly into a water supply and rely on water pressure to urge the water through the filter medium.

A number of companies produce jug filters which rely on gravity to filter the water which is poured into the top of a jug assembly equipped with a filter medium.

Typically the filter medium is an activated charcoal and in some cases an ion-exchange resin which is commonly used to reduce the concentration of calcium ions (connected with temporary hardness) from water.

One major issue with the jug type arrangements currently available is their speed of operation. The jugs normally only operate at a slow speed with the operation speed slowing with use. This can be frustrating to a user and may lead the user to employ non- treated water to bypass this time-consuming step and incur the associated issues. Another major issues is that whilst the jugs which are employed for the treatment of drinking water are suitable for this purpose they are typically unsuitable for the treatment of water which is to be used for other household requirements. For example some household appliances cannot use untreated tap water as the presence of calcium ions in the tap water can cause unwanted build-up of limescale residue; the calcium being deposited from solution when the water is heated / evaporated. These limescale residues are not only unsightly but can instigate lower efficiency operation of the appliance and in extreme cases cause the appliance to fail / cease operating. Currently available drinking water filters are normally incapable of treating calcium containing tap water to address this issue.

It is an object of the present invention to obviate / mitigate the disadvantages highlighted above.

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a portable liquid filtering container comprising a body having an inlet and an outlet, a storage chamber for water to be filtered, a filter chamber adapted to contain filtering material and a storage chamber for filtered water, the storage and collection chambers communicating only through the filter chamber and the storage chamber being arranged above the collection chamber when the container is upright, wherein the filter chamber has an outlet which has an open surface area of greater than 50%.

The filter according to the present invention comprises a handy, mess-free cartridge with a useful ion exchange resin. The ion exchange resin is able to address hard and soft water hardness.

The filtered water is preferably for use ,with a household appliance such as a clothes-iron.

Preferably the open surface area is greater than 52%, 55%, 60%, 65%, 70%.

Generally the open surface area is comprised of openings.

Usually the opening are arranged evenly. This is an aid to achieve a clear end of life indicator in the resin.

The end of life may be indicated by a colour change in the resin.

The arrangement of openings is preferably axially symmetric. Such an arrangement gives a good distribution of water flow during use and allows for easier and more precise manufacture of the body. (The body may be made in an injection moulding process: such opening distribution allows better delivery of material into the injection moulding mould, with tighter dimensional tolerances) .

According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a portable liquid filtering container comprising a body having an inlet and an outlet, a storage chamber for water to be filtered, a filter chamber adapted to contain filtering material and a storage chamber for filtered water, the storage and collection chambers communicating only through the filter chamber and the storage chamber being arranged above the collection chamber when the container is upright, wherein the filter is arranged such that its lower terminus is distanced at least 40 nun from the bottom of the collection chamber.

Ideally the lower terminus is more than 45mm, 50mm, 55mm, 60mm from bottom of the collection chamber.

According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a portable liquid filtering container comprising a body having an inlet and an outlet, a storage chamber for water to be filtered, a filter chamber adapted to contain filtering material and a storage chamber for filtered water, the storage and collection chambers communicating only through the filter chamber and the storage chamber being arranged above the collection chamber when the container is upright, wherein the filter chamber has an inlet mesh which has a pore size of greater than 220 microns and an outlet mesh which has a pore size of less than 185 microns.

Preferably the size of the inlet mesh is 250microns

Preferably the size of the outlet mesh is 180 microns.

It has been found that the different mesh sizes for top and bottom to avoid blockages: larger on top to avoid blockages and smaller on bottom to avoid loose resin in the water for irons. This achieves fast water flow with no risk of resin granules being transferred to the filtered water. If transfer did occur then, in the case of a clothes-iron, this could cause damages in the iron because the granules are made by polymers that melt at T°>100-120° and would remain on the iron heater. The invention will now be illustrated with reference to the following Examples.

EXAMPLES

EXAMPLE 1

In this example the filter chamber of the present invention was compared with those of two competitors.

All the filter chambers are filled with the same weight (8Og) and type of resin. (This is not representative of real life conditions, it is done only to determine design contribution) . Water tends to block and the competitor filters (lower amount of resin then they are designed for, so high head space) . Filters were promptly unblocked when this happened.

300ml of tap water (8.5°fH) was added to the top beaker and the time taken for the water to empty into the lower part of the jug was measured. This test was repeated three times^'.

The filtered water was measured for quality (°fH, pH) .

Competitor #1

Competitor #2

Present invention

Average Values

EXAMPLE 2

Example 1 was repeated with differing amounts of resin in each of the filter chambers. Also only 200ml of water was used for the Competitor #1 cartridge (300ml for the other chambers) . Competitor #1 9Og

Competitor #2 9Og

Present invention

Average Values

time to

Model OfH pH empty the cup (s)

Invention 1 .2 6.4 67

Competitor #1 0 .4 5.7 204*

Competitor #2 0 .9 6.1 81*

* The time for blocked cartridges was not used in calculating the average.

Claims

1. A portable liquid filtering container comprising a body having an inlet and an outlet, a storage chamber for water to be filtered, a filter chamber adapted to contain filtering material and a storage chamber for filtered water, the storage and collection chambers communicating only -through the filter chamber ,and the storage chamber being arranged above the collection chamber when the container is upright, wherein the filter chamber has an outlet which has an open surface area of greater than 50%.

2. A container according to claim 1, wherein the open surface area is greater than 52%, 55%, 60%, 65%, 70%.

3. A container according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the open surface area is comprised of openings.

4. A container according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the opening are arranged evenly.

5. A container according to claim 4, wherein the opening arrangement is axially symmetric.

6. A portable liquid filtering container comprising a body having an inlet and an outlet, a storage chamber for water to be filtered, a filter chamber adapted to contain filtering material and a storage chamber for filtered water, the storage and collection chambers communicating only through the filter chamber and the storage chamber being arranged above the collection chamber when the container is upright, wherein the filter is arranged such that its lower terminus is distanced at least 40 mm from the bottom of the collection chamber.

7. A container according to claim 6, wherein the lower terminus is distanced at least 45mm, 50mm, 55mm, 60mm from the bottom of the collection chamber.

8. A portable liquid filtering container comprising a body having an inlet and an outlet, a storage chamber for water to be filtered, a filter chamber adapted to contain filtering material and a storage chamber for filtered water, the storage and collection chambers communicating only through the filter chamber and the storage chamber being arranged above the collection chamber when the container is upright, wherein the filter chamber has an inlet mesh which has a pore size of greater than 220 microns and an outlet mesh which has a pore size of less than 185 microns.

9. A container according to claim 8, wherein the inlet mesh size is 250 microns

10. A container according to claim 6, wherein the outlet mesh size is 180 microns.