HK1072238A - Heat dissipater - Google Patents

Description

Heat radiator

RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a divisional application of patent application No. 99809169.3, application date "30/7 1999", invention name "point-of-use water treatment system", and application name "international business corporation of ace".

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a point of use Water Treatment System (WTS) unit above or below a work bench for use in a home or office, the purpose of which is to remove contaminants from water.

Background

The present invention overcomes or minimizes several of the problems associated with previous point-of-use home or office Water Treatment System (WTS) units. These WTS units are often coupled to a faucet through a faucet diverter valve assembly. Water may be supplied directly from the faucet or, using a faucet diverter valve assembly, may flow through a WTS unit, thereby removing contaminants prior to discharge from the faucet.

The WTS unit typically includes a carbon block filter for removing particulates and a flow meter to monitor the amount of water treated over a specified period of time.

A first problem encountered with many WTS units is that the filter closure is difficult to remove from and install in the WTS unit filter housing. This is particularly true for closures that rely on threaded couplings. These closures, in combination with the filter housing, form a closed pressure vessel for storing the filter. The ideal filter diameter should be as large as possible to improve the capacity and life expectancy of the filter. Conventional threaded couplings between filter closures and filter housings, which are typically made of plastic, are often "welded" together. This phenomenon is called seizure. This "welding" phenomenon is due in part to the long time between filter changes and also due to the moist and warm environment in which the WTS unit operates.

The WTS unit typically includes a UV lamp for killing bacteria in the water to be treated. These ultraviolet lamps are typically operated continuously. After the water has not flowed through the WTS unit for a significant period of time, such as overnight, heat from the uv lamp and other circuitry may accumulate inside and raise the temperature of the water stored in the WTS unit. The resulting elevated temperature causes plastic deformation and the threads of the filter closure and filter housing to "weld" together. Due to the large area of contact between the threads, considerable force may be required to break the "weld" on the threads and detach the filter closure from the filter housing.

Alternatively, some WTS units use bayonet mounted filter closures. One problem with this type of mounting is that the filter closure must be precisely aligned with the outer box to effect mounting of the filter closure on the filter box. In addition, even with a bayonet fitting, there is still a considerable connecting contact area between the filter closure and the filter housing. Also, after a long period of connection, considerable force is required to disengage the filter closure from the filter housing.

A second problem with WTS units having uv lamps is the build up of heat in the WTS unit. Undesirable results associated with elevated temperatures include structural degradation of the plastic part over time due to plastic deformation, discoloration of the plastic part, and reduced circuit reliability. In addition, the temperature of the water stored overnight in the WTS unit can become uncomfortably warm to the touch when drained from the WTS unit. It is therefore advantageous for the WTS unit to be designed to minimize the amount of internally accumulated heat.

In addition, most WTS units use a plastic molded decorative outer housing to enclose the internal components. These plastic outer cases tend to decrease in strength as the temperature increases. If the WTS unit is to be mounted on a wall and must rely solely on the strength of the outer housing, the outer housing must be relatively thick, made of high strength plastic, and be resistant to plastic deformation due to high temperatures and mechanical loads. Therefore, expensive special plastics are required to manufacture the outer case.

A third problem with WTS units having uv lamps is that it is cumbersome to replace the uv lamps.

Ultraviolet lamps have a limited lifetime and must be replaced periodically. The ultraviolet radiation emitted by the lamp, which also damages the human eye, severely limits their ability to reproduce and regenerate, since it is beneficial to destroy chemical bonds in bacteria. Therefore, the ultraviolet lamp must be installed without irradiating ultraviolet rays to an installer. This typically requires a number of steps, such as coupling the ultraviolet lamp to a power source, shutting off the outer housing surrounding the ultraviolet lamp to prevent exposure to ultraviolet radiation, and then activating the ultraviolet lamp to ensure that the ultraviolet lamp is operating properly. Ideally, the ultraviolet lamp can be conveniently and quickly installed, and the ultraviolet lamp emits light immediately after installation to indicate that it is operating normally and to prevent direct irradiation of ultraviolet rays to an operator.

A fourth problem with WTS units having uv germicidal action is that the water flow through the uv tank assembly may not be uniformly treated and irradiated by uv light. The uv lamp is typically mounted in a uv tank assembly with water flowing around the uv lamp. All water should be subjected to a predetermined minimum dose of uv radiation. Depending on the manner in which the water is directed through the uv tank assembly, portions of the water stream may receive a lesser or greater amount of radiation. That is, the portion of water that flows fastest through the UV tank assembly will receive less UV radiation than the portion of water that takes the slower path and has the longer dwell time. Ideally, all of the water is subjected to the same predetermined minimum amount of ultraviolet radiation to ensure the desired kill or destruction rate without over-irradiating certain portions of the water stream. This objective is not optimally achieved without a steady or plug flow through the uv tank assembly. Plug flow refers to a "plug" or bolus of water flowing through the system together. Plug flow avoids uneven flow rates of water through the system.

Some WTS units use a water-carrying teflon coil surrounding an ultraviolet lamp to achieve a substantially uniform flow rate for all water. But teflon coils can deteriorate and/or become filled with speckles. In addition, the teflon coil may be damaged by heat. In addition, the transmission of water laden with contaminants through the teflon spiral tube over long periods of use can reduce the light transmission performance. Therefore, the coils must be cleaned or replaced under certain water conditions.

An example of a uv tank assembly that addresses this problem is shown in us patent 5,536,395. A tank includes a generally cylindrical body portion and a neck portion of reduced diameter. Attached to the cylindrical portion is an inlet and a coaxially aligned annular partition with a circular aperture therein. Water enters the inlet, creating a circumferential stream of water that then flows through the holes in the baffle. Whereby water flowing downwardly from the annular barrier travels in a substantially helical motion around the ultraviolet lamps disposed in the ultraviolet tank assembly. Water then flows to the reduced neck before exiting the tank through an outlet fitting. While this uv tank assembly construction provides satisfactory flow characteristics, the tank is still expensive and difficult to manufacture due to the number of deep drawing operations required to form the tank. In addition, there are many machining operations that must be performed on the stainless steel components, which also adds to the complexity and cost of manufacture.

Another disadvantage of conventional WTS units is the use of multiple tubes to fluidly couple the various components of the WTS unit. Separate tubes are typically used to couple the inlet and outlet uv components and the filter component and flow monitoring assembly. The large number of tubes used makes assembly inconvenient and time consuming. In addition, the tubes can become brittle over time and eventually have to be replaced. Due to this complexity of the tube and tube clamp, it is difficult for the average consumer to replace the components. In addition, since the tubes are non-structural members, additional supports must be used to support components such as flow meters and ultraviolet and filtration components spaced from the support provided by the decorative outer case of the WTS unit. In addition, the use of a tube configuration makes it difficult to optimize the WTS unit tightness.

The present invention includes structures and features that overcome or at least minimize the above-identified problems encountered with water treatment system units as previously described.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention comprises a WTS unit having a unique filter closure and attachment mechanism that allows the closure to be easily and quickly secured to and removed from a filter housing. The filter housing has a chamber for mounting a filter. The closure member is releasably sealable with the outer housing assembly to form a closed pressure vessel. The attachment mechanism is desirably attached to the closure member and utilizes a mechanical advantage, preferably in the form of a rotatable handle that brings a pair of reciprocating locking vanes into and out of engagement with one or more vane mounting holes in the filter housing.

The invention also relates to a WTS unit comprising an ultraviolet tank assembly, an ultraviolet lamp assembly mounted in the ultraviolet tank, and a heat dissipating support plate juxtaposed with the ultraviolet tank assembly. This structure allows heat generated by the ultraviolet lamp assembly and transferred to the ultraviolet tank to be easily transferred to the support plate and further to the atmosphere. The use of a heat dissipating support plate also enables a low strength decorative outer case to be used with the WTS unit because the support plate provides structural support to the internal components as well as the wall mount of the WTS unit.

A point-of-use water treatment system is disclosed having a base, an ultraviolet tank assembly, a plug cover assembly, and an ultraviolet lamp assembly. The cap assembly is connected to the uv can assembly. The ultraviolet lamp assembly is mounted to both the lid assembly and the ultraviolet can assembly to form a closed pressure vessel and is electrically coupled to the lid assembly. Desirably, a fluid seal is formed between the ultraviolet lamp assembly and the can assembly, with the ultraviolet lamp assembly bayonet mounted to the cap assembly, thereby creating an electrical coupling therebetween. Additionally, the ultraviolet lamp assembly preferably includes a light pipe that is visible from the exterior of the WTS unit to indicate when the ultraviolet lamp assembly is operating.

A uv tank assembly is provided that includes a generally cylindrical tube and first and second longitudinally spaced annular baffles. The first baffle is desirably planar and has a plurality of apertures therein. The second baffle is preferably vaned. When a UV lamp assembly is placed in the UV tank assembly, water flowing from the first baffle to the second baffle flows in a spiral path around a UV lamp so that the water is substantially uniformly irradiated by the UV light. This particular uv tank assembly is relatively simple in construction and inexpensive to manufacture.

The invention also includes a WTS unit that includes an ultraviolet subsystem, a filter subsystem, a flow meter, a base, and a biplane conduit. The conduit has first and second halves joined together to cooperatively provide a conduit fluidly coupling the filtration subsystem, the ultraviolet subsystem, and the flow meter together. The filtration subsystem is disposed on a first plane of the conduit, the UV subsystem is disposed on a second, elevated plane of the conduit, and the flow meter is disposed in a cladding created below the second plane of the conduit and the base of the WTS unit. This arrangement makes the construction of the WTS unit compact.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a WTS unit having a filter closure that can be easily installed on and removed from the filter housing even after the filter closure has been installed on the filter housing for an extended period of time.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a filter closure having a connection mechanism that utilizes a mechanical advantage so that the user does not need excessive force or strength to remove the filter closure.

Another object is to provide a support plate with high thermal conductivity and high strength to support the main components of the WTS unit while enhancing the heat dissipation of the WTS unit.

It is a further object to provide a WTS unit having an ultraviolet lamp assembly that allows the ultraviolet lamp assembly to be simultaneously electrically coupled to a power source and fluidly sealed to the ultraviolet canister assembly in a single rapid motion, thereby preventing ultraviolet radiation from the user of the WTS unit. This reduces the extra steps of arranging and connecting the wiring harness to complete the assembly.

Another object is to provide a WTS unit having a dual planar conduit assembly that is coupled to the main components of the WTS unit to provide a simple and reliable fluid coupling therebetween. The conduit assembly provides structural support to other components and defines, in part, an envelope for placement of a flow meter and monitoring assembly.

Another object is to provide a WTS unit having an ultraviolet lamp assembly with a light pipe thereon that can be replaced with an ultraviolet lamp assembly and that extends through an aperture in the outer housing of the WTS unit to indicate when the ultraviolet lamp is operating.

Drawings

These and other features, objects, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description, claims, and drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a WTS unit made in accordance with the present invention coupled to a faucet with a head diverter valve assembly;

FIG. 2 is a rear elevational view of the WTS unit;

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the main components of the WTS unit;

FIG. 4 is an exploded schematic perspective view of the WTS unit;

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of a filter housing assembly and filter block assembly;

FIGS. 6A-C are exploded perspective views showing a filter block assembly being removed from the WTS unit;

FIGS. 7A-D are exploded perspective, rear elevational, bottom plan and sectional views, respectively, of a filter tank assembly taken along line 7D-7D in FIG. 7C;

FIGS. 8A-D are exploded perspective, top plan, cross-sectional and bottom plan views, respectively, of the filter block assembly taken along line 8C-8C in FIG. 8B;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged exploded perspective view of a filter cover assembly;

FIGS. 10A-D are top plan, bottom plan, cross-sectional, and cross-sectional views, respectively, taken along line 10C-10C in FIG. 10A and 10D-10D in FIG. 10B;

FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view of a UV can assembly and a heat sink support plate;

FIGS. 12A-C are a series of exploded, perspective views of an ultraviolet lamp assembly mounted in a WTS unit;

FIGS. 13A-E are, respectively, an elevational view, a top plan view, a cross-sectional view, and a bottom plan view and an enlarged exploded view of the ultraviolet lamp assembly of FIG. 13C taken along line 13C-13C of FIG. 13B;

FIG. 14 is an exploded perspective view of the UV can assembly;

FIGS. 15A-D are top plan, rotated elevational and perspective views of a bladed baffle used in a UV tank assembly;

FIGS. 16A-D are exploded perspective, bottom plan and an inverted cross-sectional view of a plug cover assembly taken along line 16D-16D in FIG. 16C;

FIGS. 17A-D are exploded perspective, elevational, top plan and cross-sectional views of a lamp assembly taken along line 17D-17D in FIG. 17C;

FIGS. 18A-D are enlarged exploded views of the ultraviolet lamp assembly taken from FIG. 17D, and an alternative embodiment for an ultraviolet lamp assembly;

FIGS. 19A-F are exploded perspective, elevational, bottom plan, left side elevational, top perspective views of a heat sink support plate including a duct assembly, and bottom perspective views of a support plate including a duct assembly; and

FIG. 20 is an exploded perspective view of a flow monitoring assembly including a water tube assembly.

Detailed Description

Fig. 1 and 2 illustrate a WTS (water treatment system) unit 10 made in accordance with the present invention. The WTS unit 10 uses a carbon block filter structure to filter particulates and remove certain chemical contaminants from water. An ultraviolet system is used to kill bacteria. A monitor is used to report the status of the filter structure and the uv system.

The WTS unit 10 includes a front outer case 12, a rear outer case 14, and a flow monitoring assembly 16, the flow monitoring assembly 16 also serving as a base for the WTS unit 10. Located on top of the front and rear outer boxes 12 and 14 are decorative light and filter covers 18 and 20. A monitor 22 is mounted in the flow monitoring assembly 16, as will be described further below. A power supply 24 in the form of a transformer provides power to the WTS unit 10. A finned aluminum support plate 26 extends through an opening in the rear outer box 14 to assist in the dissipation of heat from the WTS unit 10. A faucet diverter valve assembly 28 routes water to and from the WTS unit 10.

The main components constituting the WTS unit 10 are shown in an exploded perspective view in fig. 3 and in an outline perspective view in fig. 4. These components include the front outer body 12, the rear outer body 14, the flow monitoring assembly 16, the support plate 26, a filtration subsystem 30, an ultraviolet subsystem 32, a water tube assembly 34 mounted in the flow monitoring assembly 16, a conduit assembly 40, a PC board 42 and a wall mount 44. The conduit assembly 40 has an inlet 46 and an outlet 50 coupled to a hose 52 of the faucet diverter valve assembly 28. Conduit assembly 40 is in fluid communication with filtration subsystem 30, ultraviolet subsystem 32, and water line assembly 34. As best seen in fig. 4, a housing 54 is positioned below a portion of the conduit 40 and above the flow monitoring assembly 16 to accommodate the monitor 22 and the water tube assembly 34.

Looking quickly at the water flow path through the WTS unit 10, water exiting the faucet diverter valve assembly 28 is directed into the inlet 46 of the conduit assembly 40. The water then flows from conduit assembly 40 to filtration subsystem 30 for carbon block filtration; the filtered water then drains from filtration subsystem 30 back into conduit assembly 40. Duct assembly 40 delivers filtered water to ultraviolet subsystem 32 for sterilization by ultraviolet radiation. The filtered and disinfected water then exits the UV subsystem 32 and flows through the water tube assembly 34. Finally, the water returns to the conduit assembly 40 and out the conduit outlet 50 back to the faucet diverter valve assembly 28.

The filtration subsystem 30 is shown in exploded perspective views in fig. 3, 5 and 6. The components include a filter housing assembly 60, a closure or filter cover assembly 64 and a filter assembly 66. The filter assembly 66 is fixed in the filter case assembly 60. The filter cover assembly 64 has a cam-shaped closure and sealingly engages the filter housing assembly 60 to form a closed pressure vessel in which water is filtered through the filter assembly 66.

Fig. 6A-C illustrate removal of the filter assembly 66 from the WTS unit 10. The ornamental filter cover 20 is rotated a quarter turn and removed by unscrewing from the filter cover assembly 64. Next, a handle 152 on the filter head assembly 64 is rotated upwardly to release a pair of reciprocating locking vanes 146,150 (not shown) radially inwardly from the circumferentially extending vane mounting slots 98 formed in the seal engagement opening 86 of the filter housing assembly 60. The filter cover assembly 64 is lifted upwardly to break the seal between the filter cover assembly 64, an elastomeric O-ring 144 mounted on the filter cover assembly 64, and the filter housing assembly 60. The filter assembly 66 is then lifted from the filter housing assembly 60. A new filter assembly 66 can then be placed in the filter housing assembly 60.

The filter head assembly 64 is pressed down into the seal engagement port 86 of the filter housing assembly 60, reestablishing a seal therebetween with the O-ring 144. The filter cover assembly 64 is then locked in place by lowering the handle 152 to a horizontal position, which causes the locking vanes 146, 150 to extend into the vane mounting slot 98. The filter cover 20 is then reattached to the top of the filter cover assembly 64. As will be described in greater detail below, the handle 152 provides a significant mechanical advantage in locking the vanes 146, 150 into and out of engagement with the vane mounting slot 98 upon reciprocation.

The components of filter subsystem 30 will now be described. Referring to fig. 7A-D, a filter box assembly 60 is shown. The filter housing assembly 60 includes a filter housing 70 and a pair of cooperating split rings 72a, 72 b. The filter housing 70 is molded at its rear side with four threaded bosses 74. Support ribs 76 and 78 extend between and provide support to the bosses 74. The filter housing 70 includes a bottom arched end 80 having inlet and outlet conduits 82 and 84 disposed therein. A pair of threaded bosses 83 are formed at the bottom of the arcuate end 80 for receiving fasteners that secure a portion of the duct assembly 40 to the filter housing 70; similarly, a pair of threaded bosses 85 are formed on the sides of the filter housing 70 for mounting fasteners for attaching the rear outer housing 14. Located at the top of the filter housing 70 is an internal seal engagement port 86 and a mounting flange 90. The seal engagement port 86 is sized to sealingly engage the O-ring 144 of the filter head assembly 64. Split rings 72a and 72b have radially inwardly extending grooves 92a and 92 b. As best seen in fig. 7D, fasteners 96 clampingly secure split rings 72a and 72b around filter housing 70, while slots 92a and 92b abut against securing flange 90. Vane mounting groove 98 extends along the entire circumference of filter assembly 66 and is formed between flange 90 and corresponding radially inner steps 99a and 99b formed in split rings 72a and 72 b.

Fig. 8A shows an exploded view of the filter assembly 66. A carbon filter block 100 is secured between a filter bottom cap 102 and a filter top cap 104. As best seen in fig. 3C, the carbon block filter 100 is toroidal and has inner and outer layers 106 and 108. The filter head 104 includes an endplate 110, the endplate 110 having a post 112 and an oval shaped catch pan 114. The oval shaped catch tray 114 allows the filter assembly 66 to be easily grasped and pulled from the filter housing assembly 60. The bottom cover 102 has an end plate 116, a central channel 118 and two pairs of triangular support ribs 120 and 122 extending therebetween. The ribs 120 have triangular openings 124 to reduce weight. A pair of O-rings 126 are secured in grooves 128 in the center tube 118 of the end cap 102. During normal operation of the WTS unit 10, water flows radially inward from outside the filter block 100 and out through the central conduit 118. The arrows in fig. 8C show this desired direction of water flow. When the filter assembly 66 is installed in the filter housing assembly 60, the O-ring 126 seals between the center line 118 and the outlet line 84 (fig. 7D) of the filter housing assembly 60.

Fig. 9 shows the filter cover assembly 64 in an exploded perspective view. The elements that make up the filter cover assembly 64 include a filter housing cover 142, an elastomeric O-ring 144, first and second cam lock vanes 146 and 150, a handle 152, first and second cam lock retainers 154 and 156, and four fasteners 160. The O-ring 144 is secured in a groove 145 formed in the outer diameter of the filter housing cover 142. When the filter cover assembly 64 is secured together by fasteners 160, the handle 152 and locking vanes 146 and 150 are movably abutted above the filter housing cover 142 and below the locking retainers 154 and 156. The handle 152 is fixed for rotation between the filter housing cover 142 and the locking retainers 154 and 156. The handle 152 is connected to the locking vanes 146 and 150 such that the vanes 146 and 150 radially extend and retract in a horizontal plane when the handle 152 is rotated downward and upward relative to the filter housing cover 142. As previously described with respect to FIG. 6B, the locking vanes 146 and 150 are adapted to lock into the vane mounting slots 98 of the filter housing assembly 60 when they are extended.

The locking blades 146 and 150 are generally planar with arcuate mating portions 162 and 164, respectively. Inwardly extending pins 166 and 170 are used to couple with handle 152.

Handle 152 includes an arcuate gripping member 172, a pair of spaced apart ears 174 and 176, and a shaft 180 coupling ears 174 and 176. Located outboard of the ears 174 and 176 are C-shaped cam tracks 182, 184 and 186, 190. The pins 166 and 170 of the locking blades 146 and 150 cooperatively slide within the cam tracks 182, 184, 186 and 190, causing the locking blades 146 and 150 to radially extend and retract as the handle 152 is rotationally raised and lowered. Referring to FIG. 10C, when the handle 152 is in its lowered position and the pins 166 and 170 are at the end of the track, the pins 166 and 170 are at their furthest distance from the center of the ears 174 and 176, as are the locking blades 146 and 150. As the gripping portion 172 of the handle 152 is raised, the ears 174 and 176 rotate and the pins 166 and 170 move toward the center of the ears 174 and 176, near the curved or midpoint portions of the cam tracks 182, 184, 186, and 190. When the pins 166 and 170 of the locking vanes 146 and 150 are moved radially inward or cammed, the locking vanes 146 and 150, respectively, travel radially inward to a retracted position.

Referring to fig. 9, the shaft 180 of the handle 152 is fixed for rotation in the seat formed by the U-shaped brackets 192 and 194 provided on the upper surface of the filter housing cover 142 and the mating U-shaped brackets 196 and 200 provided on the underside of the cam lock retainers 154 and 156. Disc-shaped slots 202 and 204 are formed in filter housing cover 142 to receive ears 174 and 176. Similarly, slots 206 and 210 are formed in cam lock retainers 154 and 156 to facilitate rotation of gripping portion 172. Cam lock retainers 154 and 156 engage the upper surface of filter housing cover 142 to guide the planar movement of lock vanes 146 and 150 between the retracted and extended positions. Directing attention to fig. 10D, outer and center guide ribs 212 and 214 are located at the top of the filter housing cover 142 and cooperate with outer and center guide slots 216 and 220 formed at the bottom sides of the locking vanes 146 and 150 to ensure linear movement of the locking vanes 146 and 150 on the filter housing cover 142. The camming action of the handle 152 with the pins 166 and 170 of the locking blades 146 and 150 allows the locking blades 146 and 150 to be easily retracted from the blade mounting slot 98. In addition, the present invention solves the problem of long term "welding" of post-coupling threads in water treatment systems by replacing the threaded coupling between the filter cover assembly 64 and the filter housing assembly 60 with reciprocating locking vanes 146 and 150.

The distance between the center of the shaft 180 to the gripping portion 172 provides a moment arm that is much greater than the radial distance between the center of the shaft 180 to the point of contact at which the cam tracks 182, 184, 186, and 190 press against the pins 166 and 170. Thus, considerable mechanical advantage is realized when the user lifts or lowers the handle 152 to move the locking vanes 146 and 150 radially inward or outward.

In addition, the use of the disk shaped ears 174 and 176 with the C-shaped cam tracks 182, 184, 186 and 190 allows the pins 166 and 170 to move in a single horizontal plane even though the cam tracks 182, 184, 186 and 190 move in a circular path as the handle 152 is rotated. This results in the locking vanes 146 and 150 being generally planar, while the filter cover assembly 64 is relatively tight in thickness.

Referring to fig. 9, the cam lock retainers 154 and 156 have tongues 222 and 224, respectively, with holes 226 and 230 therein. Similarly, counterbores 232, 234, 236, and 240 are formed in the cam lock retainers 154 and 156. Corresponding threaded bosses 242, 244, 246 and 248 are located on the top of the filter housing cover 142. As shown in FIG. 9, when the filter cover assembly 64 is fully assembled, the threaded fasteners 160 are installed into the counterbores 232, 234, 236 and 240 and secured into the threaded bosses 242, 244, 246 and 248. When the cam lock retainers 154 and 156 are locked to each other, the holes 226 and 234 are coaxially aligned with the holes 230 and 232.

In operation, the filter cover assembly 64 is placed over the filter housing assembly 60 with the handle 152 in an upward position and the locking vanes 146 and 150 retracted radially inward. This allows the locking vanes 146 and 150 to retract from engagement with the vane mounting slots 98 and to pass radially through the split rings 72a and b of the filter housing assembly 60. The O-ring 144 slides into sealing engagement with the seal engagement port 86 of the filter housing 70 as the filter cover assembly 64 is lowered and pressed into the filter housing assembly 60. Thereby creating a water-tight seal between the filter housing 70, the O-ring 144, and the filter housing cover 142. Once the filter cover assembly 64 is pressed into the filter housing assembly 60 and the O-ring 144 forms a seal with the filter housing 70, the filter cover assembly 64 positively locks into place. The handle 152 is rotated downward to be flush with the filter housing cover 142 while the locking vanes 146 and 150 are moved radially outward to engage the vane retaining slots 98. The O-ring 144 is compressed and sealingly tightened between the filter housing cover 142 and the seal engagement port 86 to maintain a seal between the filter cover assembly 64 and the filter housing assembly 60 to form a closed pressure vessel. This allows for a substantially single movement during placement of the filter cover assembly 64 in position relative to the filter housing assembly 60 and then dropping the handle 152 to lock the filter cover assembly 64 in place.

And vice versa. When the handle 152 is raised, the locking vanes 146 and 150 contract and the filter cover assembly 64 can be easily removed from the seal engagement opening 86.

As seen in fig. 3, PC board 42 includes a circuit board 250 on which electronic components and circuitry may be mounted. A female plug 252 is positioned near the bottom of the circuit board 250 for receiving power from a male pin (not shown) on the plug cord of the power supply 24. On top of the circuit board 250, a plug portion 254 having a pair of C-shaped contacts 256 is disposed on the front side thereof. Another pair of contacts 260 is located near the bottom of circuit board 250 for coupling to monitor 22. monitor 22 is used to display the status of the ultraviolet lamp-i.e., the operating status of the lamp.

In fig. 11, a uv-ray partial system 32 with an aluminum extension or support plate 26 is shown in an exploded perspective view. The components of subsystem 32 include an ultraviolet lamp assembly 280, an electrical plug cover assembly 290, fasteners 292, lamp cover 18 and an ultraviolet canister assembly 300. The cover assembly 290 is placed on top of the canister assembly 300 and secured by fasteners 292 to openings 294 formed in the back plate 26. The lamp assembly 280 may then be loaded into or removed from the combination of the cap assembly 290 and the can assembly 300. The lamp assembly 280 fits within and electrically couples with the electrical terminal cover assembly 290 while being fluidly sealed from the canister assembly 300. The lamp cover 13 has a light pipe mounting hole 282 centrally disposed therein. Threads 296 are formed on the exterior of the cover assembly 290 to releasably secure the lamp cover 18. The back plate 26 is adapted to fit around the can assembly 300 and PC board 42 (not shown in fig. 11) and carry heat away. Before the cap assembly 290 can provide power to the lamp assembly 280, the lamp assembly 280 must be properly loaded into and sealed with the can assembly 300 and the cap assembly 290 in a bayonet type installation. Proper installation prevents uv light from leaking from the canister assembly 300 and the cap assembly 290. The lamp assembly 280 is installed into the cap assembly 290 by simply pushing the ultraviolet lamp assembly 280 and rotating it a quarter turn into a bayonet mount 295 formed in the cap assembly 290. As shown in fig. 12A-C, this mounting simultaneously achieves a fluid seal between the lamp assembly 280 and the can assembly 300, as well as an electrical coupling between the lamp assembly 280 and the cap assembly 290.

The canister assembly 300 is shown in an exploded view in fig. 11, in combination with the light assembly 280 in fig. 13A-E, shown separately in fig. 14. The lid assembly 290 is not shown in figures 13A-E for ease of viewing. The tank assembly 300 includes a cylindrical stainless steel main tube or tank 302 to which are connected inlet and outlet fittings 304 and 306, an inlet elbow 308, an outlet elbow 310, a bottom closed end plate 312 and a top annular cup-shaped end plate 314. Elbows 308 and 310 are secured to the attachments 304 and 306. Pairs of O-rings 316 are used to form a seal between the appendages 304 and 306 and the elbows 308 and 310. Mounting clips 315 are placed into slots on elbows 308 and 310 to secure elbows 308 and 310 to conduit 40. A lamp mounting hole 318 is formed in the top end plate 314. As best seen in fig. 13E, an annular sealing surface 320 on the end plate 314 is adapted to mate with a corresponding seal on the lamp assembly 280. End plate 314 also has a horizontal UV block portion 323. The crimped end 325 assists in guiding the ultraviolet lamp assembly 280 during insertion and removal relative to the canister assembly 300. In addition, this also reduces the chance of damage during manufacturing due to any sharp stamped edges formed on the top end plate 314.

Secured within the tank 302 is a bottom generally flat partition 322 and an upper vaned partition 324. As shown in fig. 13C, the baffle 322 is annular and is welded to the interior of the tank 302 by three contact ears 326 that extend vertically down the wall of the tank 302. Directing attention to FIG. 14, a diverter plate 330 is welded to the baffle 322. Diverter plate 330 is positioned in front of attachment 304 to form a wedge-shaped inlet passage 332 and to allow incoming water to travel circumferentially. The diverter plate 330 also serves as a uv light barrier for the bottom bend 308. As indicated by the arrows, a plurality of annular apertures 334 are located on the bottom bulkhead 322 to allow water to flow in a spiral fashion toward the upper bulkhead 324.

The upper baffle 324 is shown in fig. 13C, 14, and separately in fig. 15A-D. The upper bulkhead 324 has an annular hub 336 and tapered blades 338. The preferred angle of the blades 338 relative to the annular hub 336 is an angle alpha of 13 deg.. But angles of 5 deg. to 45 deg. may also induce acceptable circumferential or plug flow. Slits 340 are formed between adjacent blades 338 so that water can flow therethrough. Three vertical mounting ears 341 are used to secure the diaphragm 324 to the tank 302 by a welding operation. Since the angle defined by the tapered vanes 338 is upward in the direction of water flow, circumferential flow through the slit 340 is enhanced as compared to using a flat baffle, such as the first baffle 322, in which there is only a substantially flat aperture 334. The use of a bladed baffle at the bottom of the tank 302 surprisingly shows little effect in creating a circumferential or plug-like flow of water in the tank assembly 300, as compared to the use of a planar baffle 322 having an annular aperture 334 therein. To maximize ease of manufacture and optimally produce circumferential or plug flow, it has proven very effective to combine a planar baffle 322 with an annular aperture 334 therein with a vaned baffle 324. This circumferential flow substantially eliminates laminar flow that allows different flow rates of water to all pass through the tank assembly 300. The enhanced plug flow in the present invention extends the exposure time of the water to ultraviolet radiation during operation of the WTS unit 10 relative to average. It is within the scope of the present invention that two or more vaned baffles may be used to create a helical or plug-like flow in the tank assembly.

The canister assembly 300 is constructed as follows. The can 302 is cut into sections from a blank of stainless steel tubing. Holes are then punched in the tube or canister 302 to mount the inlet fitting 304 and the outlet fitting 306. Diverter plate 330 is spot welded to baffle 322. The bulkhead 322 is then plasma welded in the can 302 with the diverter plate 330, the diverter plate 330 being positioned in front of the bottom opening where the inlet fitting 304 will be installed. Next, the upper baffle 324 is plasma spot welded to the can 302. The inlet and outlet fittings 304 and 306 are pressed into engagement with the punched holes in the canister 302 and then plasma welded into place. The inlet and outlet elbows 308 and 310 are then connected to the inlet and outlet fittings 304 and 306. Finally, a bottom endplate 312 and an annular upper endplate 314 are plasma welded into place. The can assembly is passivated to provide a surface finish. This construction method does not necessarily use deep drawn material, but rather shallow drawn end plates and does not require machining of parts. The canister assembly 300 thus provides a low cost, yet very effective uv canister assembly in terms of plug flow characteristics.

The plug deck assembly 290 serves two basic purposes. First, the cover assembly 290 conducts electrical power from the PC board 42 to the ultraviolet lamp assembly 280. Second, the cap assembly 290 mechanically secures the ultraviolet lamp assembly 280 in place relative to the can assembly 300 with a bayonet coupling. As shown in fig. 11, the cap assembly 290 is placed over the canister assembly 300 and attached to the support plate 26 by threaded fasteners 292. When the ultraviolet lamp assembly 280 is properly secured in the lid assembly 290 and the canister assembly 300, the ultraviolet lamp assembly 280 is activated and ultraviolet light does not leak from the ultraviolet subsystem 32. In addition, as shown in fig. 13E, the ultraviolet lamp assembly 280 is also fluidly sealed to the canister assembly 300.

The cap assembly 290 is shown in figures 16A-D. Directing attention to the exploded view of fig. 16A, the components include a plastic molded plug cover 342, a pre-press 344, a lead frame 346 and a pair of clips 350. The lead frame 346 has upper and lower pairs of terminals 348 and 349 at its distal end. The clips 350 include a curved elongated portion 352, a central arcuate contact portion 354, and end portions 356 and 358, respectively. The pre-press 344 and lead frame 346 are compressed within the mold plug cover 342 during the molding operation that forms the cover assembly 290, which is shown in a perspective view in fig. 16B in an assembled configuration.

The plug cover 342 has a generally cylindrical body 366, a channel portion 368 and an extension 370 molded around the lead frame 346. A bayonet fitting 295 is formed on the top of the plug cover 342 to secure the ultraviolet lamp assembly 280. The bayonet mount 295 includes inwardly rolled flanges 372 and 374. Grooves 376 and 378 are formed between rolled flanges 372 and 374. The inner edges of the rolled flanges 372 and 374 are tapered downwardly as they extend away from the grooves 376 and 378 to form a ramped surface. The flange 372 is shown in fig. 16D as tapering downwardly from the groove 378. Formed inside the plug cover 342 are the stationary clip walls 380, 382, and 384, as best seen in fig. 16C. As shown in fig. 16C, the arcuate elongated portion 352 and the ends 362 and 364 of the clip 350 are secured by these clip walls 380, 382, and 384. The curved contact portions 354 are exposed to the interior of the plug cover 342 and are circumferentially spaced from the slots 376 and 378. The clip walls 380 and 382 act as stops when the lamp assembly 270 is bayonet mounted into the cap assembly 290. After clip 350 is mounted to the rear of walls 380, 382, and 384, terminal 348 of lead frame 346 is electrically coupled with end 358 of clip 350.

As best seen in fig. 16C, the terminals 349 are secured in a U-shaped mounting 392 formed in the extension 370 of the plug deck 342. The internal slot 394 is sized to be placed into the mount 392 to secure the plug portion 254 of the PC board 42. When the mounting 392 is slidably mounted to the PC board 42, the contacts of the terminals 349 are secured in the C-shaped clips 256 on the PC board 42 (see FIG. 3). An outer flange 396 is formed in the mounting seat 392 and is sized to fit within an upper portion of a corresponding slot 574 formed in the support plate 26 (see fig. 19F). The channel portion 368 is sized to fit over the outlet elbow 310 on the canister assembly 300.

The ultraviolet lamp assembly 280 is best seen in fig. 17A-D and 18A-B. The lamp assembly 280 includes a quartz tube 402, a buffer O-ring 404, a compression nut member 406 and a lamp/plug member 410. As best seen in fig. 17A, the component 410 has a primary molded body 412 including a pair of radially extending flanges 414, an annular boss 416, and a knob 420. An annular groove 418 is formed in boss 416 and receives the upper open end of quartz tube 402. An annular wedge portion 419 is formed at the bottom end of the boss 416 and positioned adjacent the gland nut member 406. A light pipe 422 is secured in the opening of the knob 420 with a press fit. As shown, the light pipe 422 is illuminated by an ultraviolet lamp 424.

The compression nut member 406 includes a nut 426 having internal threads 428, the internal threads 428 threadably mounting to corresponding external threads 429 on the boss 416. An annular elastomeric overmold seal 430 surrounds the bottom of the nut 426. The seal 430 is U-shaped in cross-section with radially inner and outer beads 432 and 434. The inner radial seal bead 432 forms a seal with the quartz tube 402 and boss 416. When the compression nut member 406 is threaded onto the boss 416, the compression nut 426 presses against the annular wedge portion 419, forming a fluid seal therebetween. The outer radial bead 434 forms a seal with the sealing surface 320 in the mouth of the canister assembly 300 when the ultraviolet lamp component 280 is bayonet mounted into the cap assembly 290 (see fig. 13E). An elastomeric washer 408 having a V-shaped cross-section is disposed between plug body 412 and lamp 424 to secure lamp 424.

Fig. 18B shows an alternative embodiment for an ultraviolet lamp assembly 280 ', the ultraviolet lamp assembly 280' being similar in construction to the ultraviolet lamp assembly 280 except for the compression nut 426. In combination with the separate O-rings 432 ' and 434 ', a seal 430 ' is used rather than an elastomeric seal 430 having inner and outer beads 432 and 434. An L-shaped step is formed in the seal 430 ' to secure the O-rings 432 ' and 434 ' in place.

A pair of electrical terminals 436 are disposed in radially extending slots 438 formed in the flange 414. Terminal 436 is electrically coupled to ultraviolet lamp 424 via filaments 446 and 450. Extending perpendicular to the groove 438 is an entry groove 440, the entry groove 440 allowing entry of the filaments 446 and 450 for soldering to the respective terminal 436. The exposed radial ends 442 on the terminals 436 electrically couple with the curved contact portions 354 of the clips 350 when the ultraviolet lamp component 280 is bayonet mounted into the cap assembly 290.

Referring to fig. 12A-C and fig. 16 and 18A, the ultraviolet lamp assembly 280 is installed by removing the lamp cover 18 and bayonet-mounting the ultraviolet lamp assembly 280 in the cover assembly 290. The flanges 414 carrying the terminals 436 align with the slots 376 and 378 in the cover assembly 290. The ultraviolet lamp assembly 280 descends into the cap assembly 290 and the can assembly 300. The outer radial bead 434 of the compression nut 406 contacts the sealing surface 320 of the canister assembly 300. The knob 420 is rotated 90 deg., and the flange 414 presses against the underside of the rolled flanges 372 and 374 until it contacts the clip securing walls 380 and 334. At this time, the bent contact portions 354 of the clips 350 of the cover assembly 290 are electrically coupled with the radial ends 442 of the terminals 436 of the ultraviolet lamp assembly 280, thereby starting the ultraviolet lamp 414. In turn, the light pipe 422 illuminates, indicating to the user that the ultraviolet lamp assembly 280 is properly installed and operating. At the same time, the ultraviolet lamp assembly 280 is locked in place by the bayonet mount 295 and sealed by the sealing surface 320 of the canister assembly 300. The lamp cover 18 may then be mounted to the exterior of the cover assembly 290. The light pipe 422 extends through an aperture 282 in the light cover 18. Since the light pipe 422 is part of a replacement for the ultraviolet lamp assembly 280, the light pipe 422 is replaced with each change of the ultraviolet lamp assembly 280. The discoloration of light pipe 422 caused by the high energy ultraviolet radiation is not of excessive concern in the design of WTS unit 10.

Catheter assembly 40 is shown in fig. 19A-F. The duct assembly 40 is comprised of a bottom duct half 500 and a top duct half 502 that includes a duct 504. The bottom and top duct halves 500 and 502 are coupled together to form a series of tees therebetween, which, together with duct 504, place the various major components of the WTS unit 10 in fluid communication with each other. These lines include a conduit inlet line 506, a conduit outlet line 510 and a UV subsystem line 512. Inlet line 506 is coupled between faucet diverter valve assembly 28 and filtration subsystem 30. UV subsystem piping 512 connects the outlet of filtration subsystem 30 with the inlet of UV subsystem 32. Conduit 504 couples the outlet of ultraviolet subsystem 32 to water tube assembly 34. An outlet line 506 returns water from the water tube assembly 34 to the faucet diverter valve assembly 28.

The conduit inlet line 506 couples an inlet collet assembly 514 to a conduit threaded sleeve 516. Threaded sleeve 516 is coupled to inlet line 82 on filter assembly 66. As seen in fig. 3, a duckbill valve assembly 518 is provided for preventing water from the ultraviolet lamp assembly 280 from flowing back into the filter assembly 66. The uv subsystem pipe 512 extends between a threaded sleeve 520 and a conduit threaded sleeve 522. Threaded sleeve 522 is attached to inlet elbow 308 of uv tank assembly 300. A similar threaded sleeve 524 is provided at the upper free end of the conduit 504 associated with the outlet elbow 310. A threaded sleeve 528 is provided on the bottom side of conduit assembly 40 and on the other end of conduit 504. Threaded sleeve 528 is secured to an inlet of water hose assembly 34. The outlet of the water tube assembly 34 is coupled to a water tube outlet threaded sleeve 530 on the conduit 40. The threaded sleeve 530 serves as an inlet for the outlet line 510. Three threaded bosses 534 are provided on the bottom of the conduit assembly 40 for mounting fasteners 610 (fig. 20) connecting the flow monitoring assembly 16 to the conduit 40.

Geometrically, the catheter assembly 40 generally has a bottom planar portion 536, a pair of angled raised portions 540 and an upper planar portion 542. A uv subsystem annular retaining wall 538 on upper planar portion 542 assists in centering and retaining canister assembly 300 when uv canister 302 is mounted on top of duct assembly 40. The use of this dual planar conduit configuration allows for a space envelope 54 to be formed below the upper planar portion 542 and above the flow monitoring assembly 16 where the water tube assembly 34 is located, since the filtering subsystem 30 is larger in height than the UV subsystem 32. This biplane conduit configuration allows the WTS unit to be more compact in size, which is important for a limited size countertop. Additionally, because the catheter assembly 40 is generally unitary after being ultrasonically welded together, no loose hoses are required to couple the components of the WTS unit 10. Thus, a user of a conventional WTS unit 10 can replace components relatively easily without having to change any hoses. The duct assembly 40 is threadably coupled to the bosses 83 on the bottom of the filter housing 70 by two bosses 544 and is coupled to the support plate 26 at two mounting ears 546.

Referring to fig. 19E-F, the heat sink support plate 26 has an arcuate portion 560 and a planar portion 562. The arcuate portion 560 is adapted to be juxtaposed with the canister assembly 300 (fig. 4). The radially extending vanes 564 on the support plate 26 provide a large surface area for dissipating heat to the atmosphere. The heat generated by the ultraviolet lamp assembly 280 is conducted to the tube or tank 302 and then to the curved portion 560. The arcuate portion 560 conducts heat to the blades 564, and the blades 564 readily dissipate the heat to the atmosphere. The arcuate section 560 is juxtaposed at about 180 deg. to the canister assembly 300. It is contemplated that the contact area may extend between 45 deg. -270 deg., depending on the amount of heat dissipation desired.

As shown in fig. 19F, the support plate 26 has a pair of holes 568 for receiving threaded fasteners 570 for attaching the conduit 40. The support plate 26 also has a pair of holes 572 for receiving fasteners which also couple with a pair of threaded bosses 74 on the back of the filter housing 70 and two vertically spaced corresponding holes in the mounting bracket 44. A PC board mounting slot 54 is formed in the planar portion 562 for securing the vertical edge of the PC board 42. The cover assembly 290 is also threadably fastened to the back plate 26 at two threaded holes 294 by fasteners 292 (fig. 11). Finally, the flange 396 (FIG. 16) of the cap assembly 290 is also secured by the groove 574. Thus, the support plate 26 provides both significant structural support and heat dissipation capability to the WTS unit 10.

The flow monitoring assembly 16 is shown in fig. 3, 4 and 20. As previously described, the flow monitoring assembly 16 serves as a base for the WTS unit 10. The flow monitoring assembly 16 includes a base housing 602, a base housing cover 604, a battery cover 606, and a battery holder 608, fasteners 610, the water line assembly 34 and the monitor 22. The water hose assembly 34 and monitor 22 are secured in the bottom housing 602. A water pipe installation hole 612 and a fixing band 614 are provided in the bottom case 602 for fixing the water pipe assembly 34. Similarly, four support ribs 616 on the top of the bottom outer housing cover 604 provide bottom support for the monitor 22. Three fasteners 610 pass through three apertured bosses 620 in bottom housing cover 604 for securing flow monitoring assembly 16 to threaded bosses 534 of conduit assembly 40. Four other similar fasteners 610 pass through bosses 621 in the bottom housing cover 604 and attach directly to threaded bosses (not shown) on the bottom of the bottom housing 602.

The water hose assembly 34 has an inlet 624 and an outlet 626. Water flow through the water tube assembly 34 turns an impeller that electronically transmits water flow information to the monitor 22. The inlet 624 receives water from the conduit nipple 526 and returns the water to the nipple 530 of the conduit outlet line 510 for discharge from the WTS unit 10.

Monitor 22 is electrically coupled to ultraviolet lamp assembly 280, water tube assembly 34 and battery holder 608. The status information of the WTS unit 10 is displayed by the monitor 22. A cover tab 618 covers the monitor 22. Due to the unique biplanar structure of catheter assembly 40, a coating 54 is formed below the upper planar portion 542 of catheter assembly 40. The cladding layer 54 is best shown in fig. 4.

The front and rear outer cases 12 and 14 form a clamp outer case that clamps around the other major components of the WTS unit 10. Referring to FIG. 3, a perforated boss 650 located on the left rear side of the rear outer carton 14 allows fasteners (not shown) to be attached to a corresponding boss 652 located in the front outer carton 12.

Directing attention to FIG. 2, the apertured boss 654 allows a fastener to be secured to the threaded boss 85 formed on the filter housing 70 (FIG. 7B).

While in the foregoing specification this invention has been described in relation to certain preferred embodiments thereof, and many details have been set forth for purposes of illustration, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention is susceptible to modification and that certain other details described herein can vary considerably without departing from the basic principles of the invention.

Claims (11)

1. A point-of-use water treatment system for home or office use, the system comprising:

a base;

a filter housing assembly mounted relative to the base;

a filter disposed in the filter housing for filtering water passing through the filter housing assembly;

a UV can assembly mounted relative to the base;

an ultraviolet lamp assembly disposed in the tank assembly for irradiating water flowing therethrough; and

a heat dissipating support plate having a relatively high thermal conductivity, the heat dissipating support plate being mounted in juxtaposition with the tank assembly; and

an outer housing substantially enclosing the filter housing assembly and the canister assembly;

the heat generated by the ultraviolet lamp assembly and conducted to the canister assembly is readily conducted to the support plate and then to the atmosphere.

2. The water treatment system of claim 1 wherein said heat sink support plate comprises a plurality of fins.

3. The water treatment system of claim 2 wherein said fins are disposed outside said housing.

4. The water treatment system of claim 3 wherein said heat sink support plate includes a first portion at least partially surrounding said tank assembly.

5. The water treatment system of claim 4 wherein said heat sink support plate includes a second portion extending from said first portion, said second portion defining a circuit board support means for supporting a circuit board, whereby heat generated by the circuit board is readily conducted to the support plate and then to the atmosphere.

6. The water treatment system of claim 5 wherein said circuit board support means includes a pair of spaced channels open to face each other for receiving and supporting opposite edges of a circuit board.

7. The water treatment system of claim 6 wherein said support means defines a pair of mounting holes for attaching said mounting plate to said heat sink support plate.

8. A method for cooling and supporting a point-of-use water treatment system, comprising the steps of:

providing a water treatment system having a filter element, an ultraviolet element and a non-structural housing, the ultraviolet element including an ultraviolet lamp capable of generating substantial heat energy when activated;

mounting a heat-dissipating support plate to the ultraviolet component, the heat-dissipating support plate comprising a first portion at least partially surrounding the ultraviolet component, the first portion comprising a plurality of heat-dissipating fins, whereby heat generated by the ultraviolet lamp is readily conducted to the support plate and dissipated through the heat-dissipating fins;

mounting the support plate directly to a second portion of the mounting bracket, the second portion extending from the first portion; and

the water treatment system is mounted to a mounting surface by the mounting bracket so that the weight of the water treatment system is supported by the support plate rather than the tank.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the heat sink is disposed outside the enclosure.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the water treatment system further comprises a circuit board, and the second portion comprises a support means for supporting a circuit board; and

further comprising the step of mounting the circuit board in the support means so that heat generated by the circuit board is readily conducted to the support plate and then dissipated to the atmosphere.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the circuit board support means includes a pair of spaced channels open to face each other for mounting and supporting opposite edges of the circuit board.