HK1075881B - Fluid treatment system - Google Patents

Description

Fluid treatment system

This application claims priority from U.S. provisional patent application serial No. 60/140,159 entitled "Water treatment System with Inducibility Coupled Balast" filed on 21.6.1999 as 35 U.S. C.119 (e). This application also claims priority from U.S. provisional patent application serial No. 60/140,090 entitled "Point-of-Use Water treatment System," filed on 21.6.1999, in accordance with 35 u.s.c.119 (e).

This application thus includes, by reference to U.S. patent application entitled "Point-of-Use Watertransport System" filed on even date herewith.

Technical Field

The present invention relates generally to water treatment systems and, more particularly, to an inductively coupled ballast for non-contact power transfer to ultraviolet lamps in a water treatment system.

Background

The present invention solves several problems associated with prior in-situ home or office water treatment systems. A first problem is that conventional water treatment systems utilizing lamp assemblies having ultraviolet lamps therein are inefficient in terms of energy utilization. Such lamp assemblies are typically operated continuously to prevent the growth of microorganisms in the water treatment system due to the non-energization of the ultraviolet lamp. When a conventional lamp assembly is turned on, a long start-up time is required before the gas within the ultraviolet lamp is sufficiently excited to output a predetermined intensity of light to ensure sufficient destruction of microorganisms within the water treatment system. The water discharged from the water treatment system before the ultraviolet lamps are sufficiently energized may have an unacceptable amount of viable microorganisms. Continuously operating lamp devices use a large amount of energy and are therefore inefficient. Furthermore, in the case of continuous operation of the light device, such as overnight, the water in the water treatment system may become warm and uncomfortable.

A second problem is related to the design of the reflector arrangement in the water treatment system. In an attempt to increase the efficiency of the lamp, a reflector device may be placed around the ultraviolet lamp and the water tube in which the microorganisms are irradiated. Incident light from the uv lamp that does not strike the water tube is reflected back from the reflector wall and thus has an opportunity to strike the water tube again. Typically these reflector means are circular in cross-section. Unfortunately, much of the ultraviolet light generated is never directed to the water line. Instead, a significant portion of the light is re-absorbed by the ultraviolet lamp assembly.

A third problem relates to the electrical connection of the lamp device to the water treatment system. Whenever a light fixture is installed or removed from a water treatment system, the light fixture must be mechanically and electrically connected and disconnected from the water treatment system. This typically requires complex and expensive mounting devices. In addition, care must be taken to ensure that the electrical connections are not exposed to moisture when delivering electrical energy to the water treatment system.

Coaxially aligned lamp and filter arrangements are sometimes used in order to minimize the size of the water treatment system. One of the light assemblies and filter assemblies in a particular water treatment system may or may not be removable from the water treatment system. If these devices are removed simultaneously, they are often very cumbersome because they are filled with water and have a significant weight of their own. Furthermore, even if the light assembly and the filter assembly are separately removed from the water treatment system, problems of spillage from one of these assemblies often occur during treatment.

Another problem faced by water treatment systems having light fixtures is the need for complex monitoring systems to monitor the light fixtures. As the lamp device ages, the intensity of light output from the lamp device gradually weakens. Eventually, the intensity of the light drops below the value required to achieve the desired rate of microbial kill. The lamp device should be removed before a critical minimum intensity is reached. Thus, there is a need for a monitoring system that checks the light intensity within a water treatment system. These monitoring systems are generally expensive. They typically require expensive ultraviolet detectors with quartz windows.

Conventional ballast control circuits use bipolar transistors and a saturable transformer to drive the lamp device. The ballast control circuit oscillates at a frequency related to the material and magnetic properties of the winding arrangement of these transformers. Circuits with saturable transformer oscillators produce square wave type outputs, require the transistors of the half-bridge to be switched forcibly under load, and require a separate inductor to limit the current through the discharge lamp.

These and other drawbacks of prior water treatment systems using light assemblies and filter assemblies are addressed by the present invention.

Prior art ballast circuit configurations and water treatment systems that do not use inductively coupled ballast circuits are disclosed by us patents 4752401, 5230792, 5324423, 5404082, and 5853572. Prior art devices and systems using radio frequency identification systems are disclosed by us patent 5892458 and EP- ｃA-0825577.

Summary of The Invention

An electronic control system for a water treatment system including an inductively coupled ballast circuit is disclosed. The water treatment system filters water, particularly by directing a flow of water from a water source to a filter device. The filter device removes unwanted particles from a water stream. After passing through the filter assembly, the water is directed to a replaceable ultraviolet lamp assembly. The ultraviolet lamp assembly destroys organic matter in the water supply by exposing the water to high intensity ultraviolet light as it passes through the ultraviolet lamp assembly. The ultraviolet lamp assembly provides a virtually instantaneous high intensity of ultraviolet light at the beginning of operation, which is superior to prior art water treatment systems that require a warm-up time. After the water stream exits the ultraviolet lamp assembly, the water stream is directed out of the water treatment system through an output device.

The overall operation of the water treatment system is controlled by a control unit electrically connected to the ultraviolet lamp assembly and the filter assembly. In a preferred embodiment, the control device is further electrically connected to a flow detector, an ambient temperature detection circuit, an ambient light detection circuit, an ultraviolet light detection circuit, a power supply detection circuit, a display device, a sound generation circuit, a memory device, a communication port, and a radio frequency identification system. These devices are monitored or controlled by the control device and provide many advantages to the water treatment system, as described below.

The flow detection circuit is used by the control device to determine when water is flowing so that power can be supplied to the ultraviolet lamp assembly. And keeps track of the volume of water being treated by the water treatment system. The ambient temperature detection circuit measures the ambient temperature of the atmosphere so that the water treatment system can maintain a temperature value above freezing or some predetermined temperature. The ultraviolet light detection circuit provides an electrical signal to the control device corresponding to the intensity of ultraviolet light emitted by the ultraviolet lamp assembly. This is important because these measurements enable the control means to make adjustments so that the intensity of the transmitted ultraviolet light can be increased or decreased.

The power detection circuit provides an electrical signal to the control device that indicates whether the water treatment system is being powered by a conventional external power source, such as a wall outlet. The display device is controlled by the control device and is used for displaying the information of the state of the water treatment system. The sound generating circuit is controlled by the control device to provide an audible sound in the event of a predetermined condition requiring attention occurring in the water treatment system.

The water treatment system further includes a storage device coupled to the control device. The memory device is used to store various data values associated with the water treatment system and its associated components. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the memory device is an EEPROM or some other comparable memory device. A communication port is connected to the control device that provides the ability to communicate bi-directionally between the control device and a peripheral device such as a personal computer or handheld monitoring device.

The radio frequency identification system includes an ultraviolet transponder located in each ultraviolet lamp assembly. In addition, the radio frequency identification system includes a filter transponder located in the filter device. The ultraviolet transponder and the filter transponder communicate using radio frequency and radio frequency identification systems. Each transponder contains certain information that is specific to the ultraviolet lamp assembly and the filter assembly. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that a contact-type identification system may be used instead of a radio frequency identification system.

The preferred ultraviolet lamp assembly is powered by an inductively coupled ballast circuit. A preferred inductively coupled ballast circuit is a self-oscillating half-bridge switching configuration that operates at high frequencies for providing virtually instantaneous ultraviolet lamp illumination. In addition, self-oscillation of the inductively coupled ballast circuit using the MOSFET as a switching element easily reaches resonance, which is designed to be suitable for an air-core transformer coupled structure, which simplifies the structure of the ultraviolet lamp apparatus. Such an ultraviolet lamp assembly is easily replaceable because of the air core transformer coupling structure formed by the inductively coupled ballast circuit.

A preferred inductively coupled ballast circuit includes a control circuit, an oscillator, a driver, a half-bridge switching circuit, a series resonant tank, a secondary coil, a resonant lamp circuit, and an ultraviolet lamp. The oscillator is electrically connected to a control device which activates the oscillator by providing an electrical signal to the control circuit which excites the oscillator. During operation, the oscillator provides an electrical signal to the driver, which then energizes the half-bridge switching circuit. The half-bridge switching circuit energizes a series resonant circuit which in turn inductively energizes an ultraviolet lamp in the ultraviolet lamp arrangement.

The ultraviolet lamp assembly physically houses the secondary coil, the resonant lamp circuit and the ultraviolet lamps of the inductively coupled ballast circuit. Once the series resonant circuit is energized, a secondary coil in the ultraviolet lamp assembly becomes inductively energized, thereby illuminating the ultraviolet lamp. In a preferred embodiment, the resonant frequency of the inductively coupled ballast circuit is about 100 kHz. Thus, the secondary coil in the UV lamp assembly is also resonant at approximately 100 kHz. As previously mentioned, the resonant frequency of operation may be adjusted up or down by the control means to accommodate the selection of conventional components. In addition, the resonant frequency is also controlled by the selection of elements in the series resonant tank, as will be explained in more detail below.

Thus, the preferred embodiments of the present invention disclose a fluid treatment system comprising a control device; and an inductively coupled ballast circuit inductively coupled to the electromagnetic radiation emitting device, wherein the inductively coupled ballast circuit inductively energizes the electromagnetic radiation emitting device in accordance with a predetermined electrical signal from the control device.

Another preferred embodiment of the present invention discloses a method of providing electromagnetic radiation in a fluid treatment system. The method comprises the following steps: generating a predetermined electrical signal by a control device; directing the predetermined electrical signal to an inductively coupled ballast circuit; and inductively energizing an electromagnetic radiation emitting device in the inductively coupled ballast circuit in response to a predetermined electrical signal from the control means.

In another embodiment of the present invention, a fluid treatment system having a radio frequency identification system is disclosed. The fluid treatment system comprises a control device; a base station electrically connected to the control device; and at least one radio frequency identification transponder located in an electromagnetic radiation emitting device in radio frequency communication with said base station. In another preferred embodiment of the invention, said electromagnetic radiation emitting means is replaced by filter means.

Another preferred method of the present disclosure relates to a method of monitoring information of an electromagnetic radiation emitting device in a fluid treatment system. The method comprises the following steps: providing an electromagnetic radiation emitting device for use in the fluid treatment system; generating an electromagnetic radiation emitting device information signal using an electromagnetic radiation emitting identification transponder located in said electromagnetic radiation emitting device; transmitting an electromagnetic radiation emitting device information signal to a base station located in the fluid treatment system; and sending said electromagnetic radiation emitting means information signal to a control means. In another preferred embodiment, the electromagnetic radiation emitting means may be replaced by filter means.

These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention given below when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a main housing of the water treatment system with the top shield removed and the filter assembly and UV lamp assembly removed from the base unit;

FIGS. 2A-C are exploded perspective views of the major components of the water treatment system;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the main circuitry and components of the water treatment system;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an inductively coupled ballast circuit;

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a portion of an inductively coupled ballast circuit, ballast feedback circuit and interlock circuit;

FIG. 6 shows a secondary coil of the UV lamp assembly, a resonant lamp circuit, and a UV lamp;

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a starter circuit;

FIG. 8 is a schematic circuit diagram of a radio frequency identification system for use in a water treatment system;

FIG. 9 is a circuit schematic of the flow detector;

FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of an ambient light detection circuit;

FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of an ultraviolet light detector circuit'

FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of an ambient temperature detector circuit;

FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of a sound generation circuit; and

fig. 14 is a circuit schematic of a communication port.

Detailed description of the presently preferred embodiments of the invention

Referring to fig. 1, an electronic control system for a water treatment system 10 that typically uses carbon-based filters and ultraviolet light for water purification is disclosed. For an understanding of the present invention, it is important to have a general understanding of the mechanical aspects of the preferred water treatment system 10. The preferred water treatment system 10 includes a main housing 12, a replaceable ultraviolet lamp assembly 14 and a filter assembly 16. The ultraviolet lamp assembly 14 and filter assembly 16 are removable and replaceable from the main housing 12. Main housing 12 includes a bottom shield 18, a rear shield 20, a front shield 22, a top shield 24, and an inner sleeve shield 26. The lens 28 houses a display device 106 (see fig. 3) to display information about the status of the water treatment system 10 via the display device 106. To assemble the water treatment system 10, the UV lamp assembly 14 is securely mounted to the main housing 12, after which the filter assembly 16 is mounted over the UV lamp assembly 14 and secured to the main housing 12.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the replaceable UV lamp assembly 14 may be made in such a manner that the UV lamp assembly 14 may be non-replaceable. Further, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that the replaceable UV lamp assembly 14 may be interchangeable with a number of different types of electromagnetic radiation emitting assemblies. Thus, the present invention should not be limited to covering only water treatment systems using ultraviolet lamp assemblies, and it should be understood by those skilled in the art that the disclosed ultraviolet lamp assemblies represent preferred embodiments of the present invention.

Referring to fig. 2A-C, the major mechanical components of the water treatment system 10 relevant to the present invention are shown in perspective view. As shown in fig. 2A, the inner sleeve shield 26 includes a plurality of inner sleeve caps 30, an inlet valve assembly 32 and an outlet cup assembly 34 having an outlet cup 36. Also disclosed is a bottom shield assembly 38 that includes the bottom shield 18 and an inlet assembly 40 and an outlet assembly 42. The electronics 44 are securely held within the bottom shield 18, the details of which will be described in greater detail below. When the water treatment system 10 is fully assembled, these elements are securely mounted on the bottom shield 18, the rear shield 20, the front shield 22, the top shield 24, the inner sleeve shield 26, and the lens 28. A magnetic keeper 46 and magnet 48 are also disposed in the top shield 24 of the preferred embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 2B, the ultraviolet lamp assembly 14 generally includes a base assembly 50, a secondary coil 52, a bottom support assembly 54, a top support assembly 56, a pair of quartz sleeves 58, an ultraviolet lamp 60, an O-ring 62 and a pair of cooperating encapsulated reflector assemblies 64. In general, the secondary coil 52, the bottom support 54 and the encapsulated reflector member 64 are coupled to the base member 50. The encapsulated reflector assembly 64 houses a pair of quartz tubes 58, an ultraviolet lamp 60, and an O-ring 62. When the ultraviolet lamp assembly 14 is fully assembled, the top support assembly 56 is securely assembled over the top of the encapsulated reflector assembly 64.

As shown in FIG. 2C, the filter assembly 16 generally includes a base assembly 66, a filter body assembly 68, a filter housing 70 and an elastomeric filter housing retainer assembly 72. Generally, the filter body assembly 68 fits over the base assembly 66, and the base assembly 66 is enclosed within the filter housing 70. The filter housing retaining means 72 fits on top of the filter housing to provide better retention for moving the filter housing 70. The filter assembly 66 filters the water stream by directing the water stream through a filter body assembly 68 prior to directing the water stream to the ultraviolet lamp assembly 14.

Referring to FIG. 3, an electronic control system 100 for a water treatment system 10 is disclosed, the general aspect of which is described above. In the preferred embodiment, the water treatment system 10 is controlled by a control device 102, which is preferably a microprocessor. As shown, the control device 102 is electrically connected to the ultraviolet lamp assembly 14 via an inductively coupled ballast circuit 103. The control unit 102 is also electrically connected to the ultraviolet lamp assembly 14 via two-way wireless communication, as will be described in greater detail below. During operation, the control device 102 can generate a predetermined electrical signal that is sent to the inductively coupled ballast circuit, which momentarily energizes the lamp device 14, and then the lamp device 14 provides high intensity ultraviolet light for treating the water flow.

In the preferred embodiment, the control device 102 is also electrically connected to a flow detector circuit 104, a display device 106, an ambient light detector circuit 108, a visible light detector circuit 110, a power supply detection circuit 112, an ambient temperature detector circuit 114, a sound generation circuit 116, a memory device 118, a communication port 120, a ballast feedback circuit 122, and a radio frequency identification system 124. As shown in FIG. 3, an ultraviolet RFID transponder 126 is coupled to UV lamp assembly 14, and a filter RFID transponder 128 is coupled to filter assembly 16. The ultraviolet light rfid transponder 126 and the filter rfid transponder 128 communicate with the rfid system 124 using two-way wireless communication, as will be described in more detail below.

Generally speaking, the flow detector circuit 104 is used by the control device 102 to determine when water or fluid is flowing and to keep track of the volume of water or fluid being treated by the water treatment system 10. The display device 106 is used by the control device 102 to display information regarding the status of the water treatment system 10. Several different types of prior art display devices can be used in the present invention, however, the preferred display device is a vacuum fluorescent display device. The ambient light detector circuit 108 measures the amount of ambient light and then provides an electrical signal to the control device 102 so that it can adjust the intensity of the display device 106 accordingly.

The visible light detector circuit 110 provides an electrical signal to the control device 101 regarding the intensity value of the light emitted by the ultraviolet lamp assembly 14. This is important because these signals enable the control device 102 to increase or decrease the intensity of the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the ultraviolet lamp assembly 14. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the visible light detector circuit 110 may be replaced by a different electromagnetic radiation detector circuit capable of detecting the intensity of electromagnetic radiation emitted by the various electromagnetic radiation emitting devices that may be used in the present invention.

The power detection circuit 112 provides an electrical signal to the control device 102 indicating the presence or absence of power to the water treatment system 10. Power is provided to the water treatment system 10 from an external power source, such as from a conventional electrical outlet. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that there are various circuits that monitor the external power source and provide corresponding electrical signals in response to the power consumed.

The ambient temperature detector circuit 114 measures the ambient temperature of the atmosphere so that the water treatment system 10 can maintain a temperature value above freezing, or some predetermined temperature value. The control device 102 may energize the ultraviolet lamp 60 to generate heat when desired. The sound generation circuit 116 is used by the control device 102 to generate an audible representation. The audible presentation generally occurs during the time that the water treatment system 10 is subjected to a predetermined system condition. These predetermined system states are recognized by the control device 102, and the control device 102 then activates the sound generation circuit 116 to generate an audible indication.

As previously mentioned, the memory device 118 is also electrically connected to the control device 102. The memory device 118 is used to store various data values associated with the water treatment system 10 and its associated components. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the memory device 118 is an EEPROM or some other equivalent memory device. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that a variety of memory devices are available that can be used with the present invention.

The communication port 120 may also be electrically connected to the control device 102, which enables the water treatment system 10 to communicate bi-directionally between the control device 102 and peripheral devices, such as a personal computer or a handheld monitoring device. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the communication port 120 communicates with peripheral devices using an RS-232 communication platform. In other preferred embodiments, communication port 120 may also be connected to UV lamp assembly 14 and filter assembly 16 to monitor and control various operating characteristics of these devices. However, in the presently preferred embodiment of the invention, the RFID system 124 is used to report information regarding the UV lamp assembly 14 and the filter assembly 16 to the control assembly 102.

In the preferred embodiment shown in fig. 3, the rfid system 124 uses signals from the uv rfid transponder 126 and the filter rfid transponder 128 to report various information to the control device 102. During operation, the ultraviolet light RFID transponder 126 and the filter RFID transponder 128 communicate using the radio and RFID system 124. Because the UV lamp assemblies 14 and filter assemblies 16 are designed to be replaceable at the end of their useful life, each UV lamp assembly 14 and filter assembly 16 contains a transponder 126, 128 that stores information specific to each assembly. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the ultraviolet light radio frequency transponder may be used in conjunction with other electromagnetic radiation emitting devices or apparatus. The rfid system 124 will be described in detail below.

Referring to fig. 4, in the presently preferred embodiment of the invention, the ultraviolet lamp assembly 14 is energized by an inductively coupled ballast circuit 103 electrically connected to the control assembly 102. The inductively coupled ballast circuit 103 is a self-oscillating half-bridge switching structure that operates at high frequencies to provide virtually instantaneous ultraviolet lamp illumination. In addition, self-oscillation of the inductively coupled ballast circuit 103 using MOSFETs as switching elements readily achieves resonance, which is designed for an air-core transformer coupled configuration, which simplifies the construction of the ultraviolet lamp assembly 14. Such an ultraviolet lamp assembly 14 or other electromagnetic radiation emitting assembly is easily replaceable because of the air core transformer coupling structure formed by the inductively coupled ballast circuit 103. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the inductively coupled ballast circuit 103 is also suitable as a general ballast circuit.

As shown in fig. 4, the inductively coupled ballast circuit 103 includes a control circuit 142, an oscillator 144, a driver 146, a half-bridge switching circuit 148, a series resonant tank circuit 150, the secondary coil 52 (see fig. 2), a resonant lamp circuit 152, and the ultraviolet lamp 60. The oscillator 144 is electrically connected to the control device 102, which energizes the oscillator 144 by providing an electrical signal to the control circuit 142 that energizes the oscillator. During operation, oscillator 144 provides an electrical signal to driver 146, which then causes half-bridge switching circuit 148 to be energized. The half-bridge switching circuit 148 energizes the series resonant tank circuit 150, which in turn inductively energizes the ultraviolet lamp 60 in the ultraviolet lamp assembly 14, the series resonant tank circuit 150.

As also shown in FIG. 4, the ultraviolet lamp assembly 14 houses the secondary coil 52, the resonant lamp circuit 152 and the ultraviolet lamp 60, while the electronics assembly 44 (FIG. 2) includes a control circuit 142, an oscillator 144, a driver 146, a half-bridge switching circuit 148 and a series resonant tank circuit 150. As previously described, once the series resonant tank is energized, the secondary coil 52 in the UV lamp assembly 14 becomes inductively energized. In a preferred embodiment, the resonant frequency of the ballast circuit 103 is approximately 100 kHz. Thus, the secondary coil 52 in the ultraviolet lamp assembly 14 is also resonant at approximately 100 kHz. As previously described, the resonant frequency of operation may be adjusted up or down by the control device 102 to accommodate the selection of conventional components. In addition, the resonant frequency is also controlled by selected elements in the series resonant tank circuit 150, as will be described in detail below.

Referring now to fig. 5, control circuit 142 is electrically connected to control device 102 and oscillator 144. The control circuit 142 includes a plurality of resistors 156, 158, 160, 162, 164, 166, a plurality of capacitors 168, 170, 172, a diode 174, a first operational amplifier 176, and a second operational amplifier 178. As shown, the resistor 156 is coupled to a first direct current ("DC") power source 180, an output of the control device 102, and the resistor 158. Resistor 158 is also connected to diode 174, resistor 160, and resistor 168. A first dc power supply 180 is connected to the capacitor 168 and the capacitor 168 is also connected to the diode 174. Diode 174 is also connected to a ground connection 182, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. Resistor 160 is connected to the negative input of operational amplifier 176 and the positive input of operational amplifier 178 to complete the current path from control device 102 to operational amplifiers 176, 178.

Referring again to the control circuit 142 of fig. 5, the resistor 162 is connected to a second dc power source 184 and is connected in series with the resistors 164, 166. Resistor 166 is connected to ground connection 182 and capacitor 170. capacitor 170 is in turn connected to dc power supply 180 and resistor 164. The positive input of the operational amplifier 176 is electrically connected between the resistors 162 and 164, which provides a dc reference voltage to the operational amplifier 176 during operation. The negative input of the operational amplifier 178 is electrically connected between the resistors 164 and 166, which provides a dc reference voltage to the operational amplifier 178 during operation. The outputs of the operational amplifiers 176, 178 are coupled to the oscillator 144, as will be described in more detail below.

During operation, the control circuit 142 receives an electrical signal from the control device 102, which then acts as a window comparator such that it only switches when the input voltage produced by the control device 102 is within a certain voltage window, the preferred signal from the control device 102 being an ac signal that, along with its duty cycle signal, enables the control device 102 to turn the ultraviolet lamp 60 on and off by inductively coupling the remaining elements of the ballast circuit 103, as described below. The control circuit 142 also prevents false triggering and enables positive control when the control device 102 fails.

As shown in fig. 5, a first dc power supply 180 and a second dc power supply 184 supply the current shown in fig. 5. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art of electronic circuits that the dc power supply circuit is well known in the art and is beyond the scope of the present invention. For the purposes of the present invention, it is important to note that such circuitry exists and can be designed to produce various dc voltage values from a given ac or dc power source. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, signals of +14VDC and +19VDC are used, as shown throughout the figures. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the circuit disclosed in fig. 5 may be designed to operate at different dc voltages, and these values should not be taken as limiting the invention.

In the preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the output of the control circuit 142 is connected to an interlock circuit 190 to prevent the UV lamp 60 from being energized when the water treatment system 10 is not properly assembled. Interlock circuit 190 includes a magnetic interlock sensor 192, a plurality of resistors 193, 194, 196, 198, 200, 202, 204, a transistor 206, and a diode 208. Referring to FIG. 1, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the magnetic interlock sensor 192 is positioned such that the water treatment system 10 will not energize the ultraviolet lamps 60 when the top shield 24 is not secured to the inner sleeve shield 26. However, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that the magnetic interlock sensor 192 may be placed in other suitable locations on the water treatment system 10.

Referring to FIG. 5, when the magnetic interlock sensor 192 detects that the water treatment system 10 is not properly assembled, the magnetic interlock circuit 190 operates by inputting the output of the control circuit 142 through the resistor 206 to the ground connection 182, as described above. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that if the water treatment system 10 is not properly assembled, the output of the magnetic interlock sensor 192 generates a current that flows through resistors 194, 196 and 198, thereby energizing the gate of transistor 206, thereby shorting the output signal of the control circuit 142 to ground connection 182. The magnetic interlock sensor 192 is powered by the second dc power source 184 through a resistor 193 and is also connected to the ground connection 182. In addition, the magnetic interlock sensor 192 sends a signal to the control device 102 through a combination of the resistors 200, 202, and 204, the diode 208, the first dc power supply 180, and the second dc power supply 184. The signals also enable the control device 102 to determine whether the water treatment system 10 is properly assembled. To this end, the interlock circuit 190 provides two methods of ensuring that the UV lamp 60 is not energized when the water treatment system 10 is not properly assembled.

Referring again to fig. 5, the oscillator 144 provides an electrical signal that energizes the driver 146 when the water treatment system 10 is treating a water stream. Once an electrical signal is sent from the control device 102 through the control circuit 142, the oscillator 144 begins operation as described above. The preferred oscillator 144 includes an operational amplifier 210, a linear bias resistor 212, a buffer circuit 214, a buffer feedback protection circuit 216 and a positive feedback circuit 218. During operation, operational amplifier 210 receives input signals from control circuit 142, linear bias resistor 212, and positive feedback circuit 218. The operational amplifier 210 is also connected to a second dc power supply 184, which powers the operational amplifier 210, and to the ground connection 182.

As shown in fig. 5, the preferred buffer circuit 214 includes a first transistor 220, a second transistor 222 and a pair of resistors 224, 226. The output of the operational amplifier 210 is connected to the gates of the transistors 220, 222 to control the operation of the transistors 220, 222. The second dc power source 184 is coupled to a resistor 224, and the resistor 224 is also coupled to the collector of the transistor 220. The emitter of transistor 220 is connected to resistor 226, the emitter of transistor 222 and the input of driver 146. The collector of transistor 222 is connected to ground connection 182. During operation, the buffer circuit 214 buffers the output signal from the operational amplifier 210 and prevents the load from changing the pull-in oscillation frequency. In addition, the buffer circuit 214 increases the effective gain of the inductively coupled ballast circuit 103, which helps to ensure a fast start of the oscillator 144.

The snubber feedback protection circuit 216 includes a pair of diodes 228, 230 electrically connected to the output of the snubber circuit 214 by means of a resistor 226. As shown in fig. 5, the second dc power source 184 is connected to the cathode of the diode 228. The anode of diode 228 is connected to the cathode of diode 220 and to resistor 226 and linear bias resistor 212. The linear bias resistor 212 provides a bias feedback signal to the negative input of the operational amplifier 210. In addition, the anode of diode 230 is connected to ground connection 182, which completes the buffer feedback protection circuit 216. During operation of the water treatment system 10, the snubber feedback circuit 216 protects the snubber circuit 214 from leaking miller effect feedback to the gate.

As shown in fig. 5, the positive feedback circuit 218 includes a first multi-winding transformer 232, a plurality of resistors 234, 236, 238, a pair of diodes 240, 242, and a capacitor 244. The secondary side of the transformer is connected to the output of a half-bridge switching circuit 148 and a series resonant tank circuit 150, as shown in fig. 5. In addition, one winding from each secondary coil of the multi-winding transformer 232 is connected to another winding of an opposing secondary coil in the transformer 232.

The first primary winding of the transformer 232 is connected to the resistors 234, 236, 238, the diodes 240, 242, and the positive input of the operational amplifier 210. The second primary winding of transformer 232 is coupled to resistor 238, the cathode of diode 242, the anode of diode 240, and capacitor 244. Thus, resistor 238 and diodes 242, 244 are connected in parallel with the first and second secondary windings of transformer 232, as shown in FIG. 5. Capacitor 244 is also electrically connected to the negative input of operational amplifier 210. In addition, resistor 234 is connected to second dc power source 184 and resistor 236 is connected to ground connection 182. Resistors 234, 236, and 238 protect the operational amplifier 210 from overcurrent, and diodes 240, 242 limit the feedback signal sent to the input of the operational amplifier 210.

During operation, oscillator 144 receives a signal from control circuit 142 that charges capacitor 244, which then sends an electrical signal to the negative input of operational amplifier 210. The output of the operational amplifier 210 is input to a driver 146 which energizes a half bridge switching circuit 148. As shown in fig. 5, a transformer 232 is connected in this current path and sends an electrical signal back through current limiting resistors 234, 236, and 238 and ultimately back to the input of the operational amplifier 210. The transformer 232 enables the oscillator 144 to self-oscillate, the inductively coupled ballast circuit 103 maintaining oscillation until the control unit 102 turns off the water treatment system 10, or the transistor 206 of the interlock circuit 190 pulls down the input of the oscillator 144.

Referring again to fig. 5, the output of the oscillator 144 is electrically connected to a driver 146, which in this embodiment comprises the first primary winding of a second multi-winding transformer 246. The second transformer 246 is the preferred driver 146 because the phase arrangement of the transformer 246 ensures that the half-bridge switching circuit 148 is driven alternately, which avoids shoot-through conduction. The double structure of the capacitors 248, 250 is connected to the secondary winding of the transformer 246 to prevent dc overcurrent from occurring in the transistor 246. Capacitor 246 is also connected to ground connection 182 and capacitor 250 is also connected to a second dc power source 184.

The two secondary windings of the transformer 246 are electrically connected to a half-bridge switching circuit 148, which receives energy from the transformer 246 during operation. As shown in fig. 5, half-bridge switching circuit 148 is electrically arranged as a MOSFET totem pole half-bridge switching circuit 252 driven by the two secondary windings of transformer 246. The MOSFET totem pole half-bridge switching circuit 252 includes a first MOSFET transistor 254 and a second MOSFET transistor 256, which is advantageous over conventional bipolar transistor circuits. Energy is transferred from driver 146 to MOSFET transistors 254, 256 through a plurality of resistors 258, 260, 262, 264. The MOSFET transistors 254, 256 are designed as a soft switch at 0 current and have conduction losses only during operation. The output produced by MOSFET transistors 254, 256 is more sinusoidal in form, with fewer harmonics than conventional bipolar transistors. The use of MOSFET transistors 254, 256 also has the advantage of reducing radio frequency interference generated by MOSFET transistors 254, 256 during switching during operation.

In the preferred half-bridge switching circuit 148 shown in fig. 5, the first secondary winding of the transformer 246 is connected to resistors 258, 260. The second secondary winding of transformer 246 is connected to resistors 262, 264. Resistor 260 is connected to the gate of MOSFET transistor 254 and resistor 264 is connected to the gate of MOSFET transistor 256. As shown, the first secondary winding of transformer 246 is connected to the emitter of MOSFET transistor 254, as well as resistor 258. The secondary winding of transformer 246 and resistor 264 are connected to the gate of MOSFET transistor 256. The collector of the MOSFET transistor 254 is connected to a second dc power source 184, and the emitter of the MOSFET transistor 254 is connected to the collector of the MOSFET transistor 256. The emitter of MOSFET transistor 256 and resistor 262 are connected to ground connection 182.

Another advantage of the driver 146 is that the multi-winding transformer 246 is a very common device for providing a gate voltage to the MOSFET transistors 254, 256 that exceeds the second dc power source 184, a condition necessary for efficient operation. MOSFET transistors 254, 256 provide other advantages because they inherently have diodes in their structure for protecting MOSFET totem pole half-bridge switching circuit 252 from load transients. Furthermore, as the load changes, the overvoltage reflected by the series resonant tank 150 returns to the power supply line through the inherent diode within the MOSFET transistors 254, 256.

Referring to fig. 5, the output of the half-bridge switching circuit 148 is connected to the input of a series resonant tank circuit 150, which in turn inductively energizes the secondary coil 52 of the ultraviolet lamp assembly 14. As mentioned above, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the positive feedback circuit of the oscillator 144 is connected to the output of the half-bridge switching circuit 148 and to the input of the series resonant tank circuit 150 for providing feedback to the operational amplifier 210 of the oscillator 144 during operation. However, the output of the half-bridge switching circuit 148 is connected to the input of the series resonant tank 150 through the secondary winding of the transformer 232, as shown in fig. 5.

Referring to fig. 5, the series resonant tank circuit 150 includes an inductive coupler 270, a parallel combination of a pair of tank capacitors 271, 272, a pair of diodes 274, 276 and a capacitor 278. The inductive coupler 270 is connected to the secondary winding of the transformer and between the energy storage capacitors 271, 272. The storage capacitor 271 is also connected to the second dc power source 184 and the storage capacitor 272 is also connected to the ground connection 182. In addition, the energy storage capacitor 271 is connected to the second dc power source 184 and the anode of the diode 274. Both the cathode of the diode 274 and the capacitor 278 are connected to the second dc power source 184. Capacitor 278 is connected to the anode of diode 276 and to ground connection 182. The storage capacitor 272 is also connected to the cathode of a diode 276.

It is important to note that the series resonant tank circuit 150 suffers from all of the stray inductance of the combination of elements of the inductively coupled ballast circuit 103. This is important because stray inductance, which is the combined inductance borne by the series resonant tank 150, will greatly limit power supply transients under any condition outside the resonance. The inductance of the secondary coil 52 and the resonant lamp circuit 152 is also reflected by the impedance values that help determine and limit the power supplied to the secondary coil 52 of the ultraviolet lamp assembly. Generally, forced oscillator/transformer combinations have power transfer limitations due to stray and reflected inductance. In other words, the inductance of the transformer and the capacitor are in series in the load.

The operating frequency of the series resonant tank circuit 150 is set to approximately 100KHz, which is determined by the inductance of the inductive coupler 270 and the parallel capacitance value of the storage capacitors 271, 272, which in the preferred embodiment is 0,1 uF. The storage capacitors 271, 272 must have a low dissipation factor and be able to handle large current values, which at start-up is 14 amps. The resonance frequency can be adjusted up and down and has been selected so that conventional components can be used.

The inductive coupler 270 includes 10 turns of wire for generating the power required to inductively energize the secondary coil 52 in the ultraviolet lamp assembly 14. The inductive coupler 270 is disposed in the outlet cup 36 (see fig. 2A) of the water treatment system 10 and the wire is wound around the outlet cup, which is approximately 3.5 inches in diameter. In the preferred embodiment, litz wire is used as the inductive coupler 270 because litz wire is particularly effective in terms of performance and operating temperature due to edge effects caused by the large currents generated when operating at 100 KHz. As described above, during operation, the inductive coupler 270 inductively energizes the secondary coil 52 of the ultraviolet lamp assembly 14.

Referring to fig. 2A, when the water treatment system 10 is assembled, the secondary coil 52 of the ultraviolet lamp assembly 14 is disposed in the outlet cup 36 and the inner sleeve shield 26. In a preferred embodiment, the secondary coil 52 has 55 turns of small diameter wire that is wound within a diameter of about 2 inches of the secondary coil 52. It is important to note that the connection between the outlet cup 36 and the base unit 50 housing the secondary coil 52 is designed to have large air gap tolerances and misalignment tolerances. In fact, the gap is used to adjust the coupling coefficient, and thereby the operating point of the ultraviolet lamp 60. Furthermore, because of the inductively coupled ballast circuit 103, the present invention provides other advantages by providing a connection that does not require special contacts of the ultraviolet lamp assembly 14.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the above-presented inductively coupled ballast circuit 103 can be readily incorporated into other lighting systems and provides advantages over prior art ballast circuits because it does not require physical connections to drive the lamp. This allows the ultraviolet lamp assembly 14 to be easily replaced once it has reached its operational life. The inductively coupled ballast circuit 103 is capable of momentarily energizing several different types of lamps or bulbs.

Referring again to fig. 5, the ballast feedback circuit 122 is electrically connected to the inductive coupler 270 of the series resonant tank circuit 150 and the control device 102. The ballast feedback circuit 122 provides feedback to the control device 102 when the inductively coupled ballast circuit 103 is driving the ultraviolet lamp 60. This enables the control device 102 to control the power supplied by the inductive coupler 270 to the secondary coil of the ultraviolet lamp assembly 14. This enables the control device 102 to determine whether the ultraviolet lamp assembly 60 is on, and, in other embodiments, the amount of current and voltage applied to the ultraviolet lamp 60.

As shown in fig. 5, the ballast feedback circuit 122 includes an operational amplifier 280, a pair of resistors 282, 284, a pair of diodes 286, 288, and a capacitor 290. The signal from the series resonant tank 150 is sent to the anode of the diode 286. The cathode of diode 286 is connected to capacitor 290 and resistor 282. In addition, resistor 282 is connected to the anode of diode 288, resistor 284, and the positive input of operational amplifier 280. Resistor 284 is also connected to the positive input of operational amplifier 280 and to dc power supply 180. Capacitor 290 is also connected to first dc power supply 180 while the cathode of diode 288 is connected to second dc power supply 184. The negative input of the operational amplifier 280 is directly connected to the output of the operational amplifier 280. The output of the operational amplifier 280 is connected to the control device 102, whereby the operational amplifier 280 provides a feedback signal to the control device 102.

Referring to FIG. 6, the UV lamp assembly 14 includes a UV lamp 60, a resonant lamp circuit 152 and a secondary coil 52. The ultraviolet lamp 60 includes a pair of bulbs 300, 302, and a pair of filaments 304, 306. The bulbs 300, 302 are held together using upper 308 and lower 310 attachment brackets. The secondary coil 52 is connected to a resonant lamp circuit 152, which in turn is connected to filaments 304, 306 of the ultraviolet lamp 60. The resonant lamp circuit 152 includes a capacitor 312 electrically connected to a starter circuit 314.

While a UV lamp assembly 14 is provided in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, as previously described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that other electromagnetic radiation emitting assemblies may be used in the present invention. For example, the ultraviolet lamp assembly 14 may use a pulsed white light lamp or an insulated barrier discharge lamp for killing microorganisms in a water stream. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the inductively coupled ballast circuit 103 may be used to drive different types of electromagnetic radiation emitting devices that may be used with the present invention. Thus, the present invention should not be limited to covering water treatment systems that use a UV lamp assembly 14 including a UV lamp 30.

As shown in fig. 7, the starter circuit 314 includes a bridge rectifier circuit 320, a silicon controlled rectifier 322, series-connected diodes 324, 326, 328, 330, a triac 332, a plurality of transistors 334, 336, a plurality of resistors 338, 340, 342, 344, 346, and a plurality of capacitors 348, 350. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that triac 332 may be any equivalent device such as a FET transistor or a thyristor rectifier. In addition, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the bridge rectifier circuit 320 includes a plurality of diodes 352, 354, 456, 358 connected to the filaments 304, 306 of the ultraviolet lamp 60.

Referring to fig. 7, a bridge rectifier circuit 320 is connected to silicon controlled rectifier 322, resistor 338 and ground connection 182. The silicon controlled rectifier 322 is also connected to series connected diodes 324, 326, 328, 330 and a triac 332, which are also connected to the ground connection 182. Resistor 338 is connected to triac 332, resistor 340 and resistor 342. Resistor 340 is coupled to the collector of transistor 334, the gate of transistor 336, capacitor 348, and resistor 344. Capacitor 348 and resistor 344 are also connected to ground connection 182. Resistor 342 is connected to the emitter of transistor 336 and capacitor 350, which are also connected to ground connection 182. Triac 332 is coupled to the emitter of transistor 334, and the gate of transistor 334 is coupled to the collector of transistor 336 and to resistor 346. Resistor 346 is connected to ground connection 182 to complete starter circuit 314.

Referring again to fig. 6, during operation, the capacitor 312 varies and limits the current supplied to the ultraviolet lamp 60 by varying the reflective impedance of the ultraviolet lamp 60 via the inductive coupler 270 (see fig. 5) of the series resonant tank 150. The starter circuit 314 is designed to short-circuit the filaments 304, 306 during start-up, thereby maximizing preheating of the bulbs 300, 302. This enables the ultraviolet lamp 60 to discharge the largest mercury dispersion within the bulb 300, 302, thereby producing the greatest ultraviolet light intensity, and providing the highest dose of ultraviolet light to the water as it passes through the ultraviolet lamp assembly 14. In other words, the starter circuit 314 is designed such that the ultraviolet lamp 60 ignites instantaneously at maximum intensity. The location of the mercury in the bulbs 300, 302 is important in order to obtain maximum output. As mercury condenses within the plasma path, the mercury is more uniformly distributed within the bulb 300, 302. Faster dispersion also allows the peak intensity to be reached faster, thereby allowing a faster and stronger uv dose to be administered to the water stream at start-up.

Referring to fig. 2B, O-rings 62 are purposely provided as heat sinks between the path of the water flowing through the pair of quartz tubes 58 and the plasma path of the ultraviolet lamp 60, thereby enabling mercury to condense within the plasma path to improve the instantaneous ultraviolet light output. When the ultraviolet lamp 60 is energized, the voltage of the entire circuit is applied to the capacitor 312, the filaments 304, 306 and the starter circuit 314. Because of the low impedance values of the filaments 304, 306 and the starter circuit 314, which acts as a short circuit at start-up, the current generated is large to maximize preheating of the ultraviolet lamp 60. This warms the UV lamp 60 to disperse some of the initial mercury upon startup. When the starter circuit 314 heats up, the RC time constant of the starter circuit 314 releases a short circuit device, which in the preferred embodiment is a triac, thereby placing all of the voltage on the filaments 304, 306. Starter circuit 314 enables better start-up than a thermistor because a thermistor consumes more energy after being turned off and cannot be turned off quickly.

Referring to fig. 8, a preferred rfid system 124 is shown in electrical communication with the control device 102. The rfid system 124 communicates using a base station and an ultraviolet rfid transponder 126 and a filter rfid transponder 128. The rfid system 124 enables contactless reading and writing of data, which is communicated bi-directionally between the base station 360 and the transponders 126, 128. In the preferred embodiment, the RFID system 124 is manufactured by TEMIC semiconductor corporation under the model number TR 5551A-PP.

The rfid system 124 is used by the control device 102 to keep track of specific information for each uv lamp assembly 14 and filter assembly 16. As previously mentioned, both the UV lamp assembly 14 and the filter assembly 16 are designed to be easily replaceable. Because the UV RFID transponder 126 and the filter RFID transponder 128 are located within the UV lamp assembly 14 or the filter assembly 16, these assemblies are never separated, which allows the control unit 102 to write and read information to and from the transponders 126, 128 via the base station 360.

Referring again to fig. 8, the ultraviolet rfid transponder 126 includes a transponder antenna 362 and a read-write IDIC ® (e5551) chip 364. The read-write IDIC ® (e5551) chip also includes an EEPROM device 366 that physically stores information about each ultraviolet lamp assembly 14 in a memory location. In a presently preferred embodiment, the information includes an ultraviolet lamp serial number, an ultraviolet lamp startup limit, an ultraviolet lamp on-time limit, an ultraviolet lamp installation time limit, an ultraviolet lamp cycle on-time, a cycle mode low temperature, a minimum ultraviolet lamp on-time, an ultraviolet lamp high mode time, and an ultraviolet lamp preheat time. In addition, the EEPROM366 in the uv rfid transponder 126 enables the control device 102 to keep track of uv lamp setup time, uv lamp on time, uv lamp startup, and total uv lamp cold start.

The uv lamp serial number is unique to each uv lamp assembly 14 and enables the control assembly 102 of the water treatment system 10 to keep track of which uv lamp assemblies 14 have been installed in the water treatment system 10. The UV lamp activation limit relates to a maximum allowable number of UV lamp activations and the UV lamp on-time limit relates to a maximum allowable installation time of the UV lamp 60. The uv lamp setup time limit relates to the maximum allowable setup time of the uv lamp assembly 14 and the uv lamp cycle on time relates to the minimum amount of time that the uv lamps 60 need to be energized in the low temperature mode. The cycle mode low temperature information relates to the temperature value at which the water treatment system 10 is switched to the low temperature mode and the minimum ultraviolet lamp on time relates to the minimum amount of time that the ultraviolet lamp 60 must remain energized. The ultraviolet lamp high mode time information relates to the amount of time the ultraviolet lamp 60 is operating in the high mode and the ultraviolet lamp warm-up time relates to the amount of time the ultraviolet lamp 60 needs to be warmed up.

As previously mentioned, the EEPROM in the UV RFID transponder 126 also keeps track of the UV lamp installation time. This information tracks the number of hours the current ultraviolet lamp 60 is installed in the water treatment system 10. In the preferred embodiment, the UV lamp 60 is inserted into the water treatment system 10 for one minute, increasing the total time by one minute. The EEPROM device 336 also keeps track of the uv lamp energization time and the total uv lamp energization time. The uv lamp on time and the total uv lamp on time remain tracking the amount of time the uv lamps 60 are turned on so that the control apparatus 102 can determine whether a new uv lamp assembly 14 needs to be installed. The UV light activation storage location stores the number of times the UV light 60 has been activated so that the control unit 102 can use this information to determine whether the life of the UV light 60 is at its end. The total UV lamp cold start storage location tracks the number of times the UV lamp 60 is activated when the ambient temperature detector 114 indicates a temperature below a predetermined threshold.

Referring again to fig. 8, the filter rfid transponder 128 includes a transponder antenna 368 and a read-write IDIC ® (e5551) chip 370. The read-write IDIC ® (e5551) chip also includes an EEPROM device 372 that physically stores information about each filter device 16 in a memory location. In a presently preferred embodiment, the relevant information includes a serial number of the filter device, a volume limit of the filter device, a filter device installation time limit, and a filter device threshold percentage of insertion.

The filter unit serial number is used to uniquely identify the different filter units 16 so that the control unit 102 can monitor which filter units 16 have been installed in the water treatment system 10. The filter unit volume limit is related to the volume of water that the filter unit is designed to filter before it reaches the end of its life. The filter means installation time limit is used by the control means 102 to calculate the remaining life of the filter means 16 from a predetermined allowable wetting time. The inserted filter assembly threshold percentage contains the maximum allowable percentage reduction in flow before the filter assembly 16 needs to be replaced. This includes the percentage of filter device 16 degradation before an error in the inserted filter device 16 is discovered by the control device 102.

The rfid system 124 includes a base station 360, a coil 380, a plurality of diodes 382, 384, 386, 388, 390, 392, 394, a plurality of resistors 396, 398, 400, 402, 404, 406, 408, 410, 412, 414, 416, 418, 420, and a plurality of capacitors 422, 424, 426, 428, 430, 432, 434, 436 connected according to fig. 8. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the connection of the elements described above is well known to those skilled in the art. The rfid system 124 has been installed in the water treatment system 10 using the specifications set forth for TK5551A-PP, which is manufactured by TEMIC semiconductor corporation, as previously described. To implement the present invention, it is important to note that the base station 360 communicates bi-directionally with the ultraviolet light RFID transponder 126 and the filter RFID transponder 128 using the coil 380.

The control device 102 is electrically connected to the base station 360 such that the control device 102 can communicate with the base station 360. In this way, the control device 102 may use the coil 380 to write and read information in the ultraviolet rfid transponder 126 and the filter rfid transponder 128 through the base station 360. The rfid system 124 is coupled to a first dc power source 180 and a second dc power source 184, which, as shown in fig. 8, provide power to the rfid system 124 during operation.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that other identification systems, such as contact-type identification systems, may be used with the present invention. However, the presently preferred embodiment of the present invention uses the radio frequency identification system 124 because such a system provides its inherent advantages.

Referring to FIG. 9, a flow detector circuit 104 is connected to the control device 102 for providing an electrical signal to the control device 102 indicating that water is flowing through the water treatment system 10. The flow detector circuit 104 includes a flow detector 440, a plurality of capacitors 442, 444, and a resistor 446. The flow detector is manufactured by Allegro, model 3134. The capacitor 442 is connected to the flow detector 440, the first dc power supply 180, and the second dc power supply 184. The output of the flow detector 440 and the resistor 446 are connected to a parallel combination of a capacitor 444 before being connected to the control device 102. The resistor 446 and the capacitor 444 are also connected to the second dc power source 184. During operation, the flow detector 440 provides an electrical signal to the control device 102 indicating that water is flowing in the water treatment system 10, thereby causing the control device 102 to immediately power the ultraviolet lamp 60. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the disclosed flow detector circuit 104 may have many variations, and thus the disclosed flow detector circuit 104 is merely an example and is not intended to limit the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 10, the ambient light detector circuit 108 includes a photodiode 450, an operational amplifier 452, a plurality of resistors 454, 456, 458, 460, a diode 462, and a capacitor 464, which are electrically coupled as shown. To implement the invention, it is sufficient to note the fact that: the photodiode 450 provides an electrical signal to the negative input of an operational amplifier 452, which then conditions the signal for use in controlling the device 102. The ambient light detector circuit 108 is powered by a first DC power supply circuit 180 and a second DC power supply circuit 184. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the configuration of the ambient light detector circuit 108 may vary and that the presently disclosed preferred embodiments should not be taken as limiting the invention.

Referring to FIG. 11, as previously described, the visible light detector circuit 110 is connected to the control unit 102 to provide an electrical signal to the control unit 102 corresponding to the intensity of the ultraviolet lamp 60 during operation. In the preferred embodiment, the visible light detector circuit 110 includes a photo-resistor 470, an operational amplifier 472, a diode 474, a plurality of resistors 476, 478, 480, 482, 484, 486, and a capacitor 488, which are electrically connected as shown in FIG. 11. In addition, the visible light detector circuit 110 is powered by a first DC power supply 180 and a second DC power supply 184. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the visible light detector circuit 110 takes the electrical signal generated by the photo-resistor 470 and amplifies it using the operational amplifier 472 before being input to the control device 102. Furthermore, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the configuration of the visible light detector circuit 110 may vary and that the disclosure herein is merely an example and should not be taken as a limitation on the present invention.

Referring to fig. 12, as previously mentioned, a preferred ambient temperature detector circuit 114 is connected to the control device 102 for providing an electrical signal to the control device 102 that varies with corresponding changes in ambient temperature. Ambient temperature detector circuit 114 includes a thermistor 490, an operational amplifier 492, a plurality of resistors 494, 496, 498 and a capacitor 500, which are electrically connected as shown in FIG. 12. During operation, the voltage drop across thermistor 490 changes as the ambient temperature changes, thereby causing the electrical signal sent from the output of operational amplifier 492 to control device 102 to increase or decrease. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the configuration of the ambient temperature detector circuit 114 may vary. The ambient temperature detector circuit 114 shown in fig. 12 is an example only and should not be construed as limiting the invention.

Referring to fig. 13, as previously mentioned, the preferred sound generation circuit 116 is coupled to the control device 102 for producing audible indications based on predetermined system conditions. The preferred sound generating circuit 116 includes a piezoelectric element 510, a plurality of transistors 512, 514, 516, a plurality of resistors 518, 520, 522, 524, 526, 528, 530, 532, 534, a plurality of capacitors 536, 538, and a diode 540 electrically coupled as shown in fig. 13. It will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that the control device 102 is capable of actuating the piezoelectric element 510, thereby causing the piezoelectric element 510 to produce an audible sound by vibrating. Those skilled in the art will appreciate the many means and circuits by which audible sound may be generated. The presently disclosed sound generation circuit 116 is merely an example and, as such, should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

Referring to fig. 14, the communication port 120 is connected to the control device 102 as previously described. The communication port 120 is used by the control device 102 for two-way communication with a peripheral device (not shown), such as a personal computer or handheld device. In the preferred embodiment, the communication port 120 includes a plurality of zener diodes 550, 552, 554 and a plurality of resistors 556, 558, 560, 562, 566, 568, 570 electrically connected as shown in fig. 14. A first dc power supply 180 and a second dc power supply 184 provide power to the communication port 120. The communication port 120 is designed to use the RS-232 communication standard, which is well known in the art. A port connector 572 is provided so that peripheral devices can be connected to the communication port 120. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that different types of communication ports may be used without departing from the scope of the present invention. Accordingly, the preferred communication port 120 disclosed herein is merely an example and should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

While the present invention has been described in terms of its presently preferred mode of operation and embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that other modes of operation and embodiments of the invention may be devised. Further, while the preferred embodiment of the present invention is directed to a water treatment system 10, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention may readily be incorporated into many different types of fluid treatment systems.

Claims (59)

1. A method for providing electromagnetic radiation in a fluid treatment system (10), comprising the steps of:

generating a predetermined electrical signal by means of a control device (102);

inputting said predetermined electrical signal to an inductively coupled ballast circuit (103); and

inductively energizing an electromagnetic radiation emitting device (60) in the inductively coupled ballast circuit (103) in accordance with the predetermined electrical signal from the control device (102).

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic radiation emitting device (60) is an ultraviolet lamp.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said electromagnetic radiation emitting device (60) is a pulsed white light lamp.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic radiation emitting device (60) is an insulating barrier discharge lamp.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the inductively coupled ballast circuit (103) includes a control circuit (142), an oscillator (144), a driver (146), a half-bridge switching circuit (148), a series resonant tank (150), a secondary coil (52), a resonant lamp circuit (152), and an electromagnetic radiation emitting device (60).

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the series resonant tank (150) and the secondary coil (52) are inductively coupled.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the oscillator (144) includes a buffer circuit (214) for preventing load variations from pulling the frequency of the oscillator (144).

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the driver (146) comprises a multi-winding transformer (246).

9. The method of claim 5 wherein the half-bridge switching circuit (148) comprises a MOSFET half-bridge switching circuit (252).

10. The method of claim 5, wherein the series resonant tank (150) comprises an inductive coupler (270), a pair of storage capacitors (271, 272), a pair of diodes (274, 276), and a capacitor (278).

11. The method of claim 5, wherein the resonant lamp circuit (152) comprises a capacitor (312) and a driver circuit (314).

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of inputting a feedback signal to said control device (102) by electrically connecting a ballast feedback circuit (122) to said inductively coupled ballast circuit (103) and said control device (102).

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of adjusting an intensity of said electromagnetic radiation emitting device (60) with said control apparatus (102) in accordance with said feedback signal.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of generating said predetermined electrical signal by said control device (102) based on a signal from a flow detector circuit (104).

15. A fluid treatment system (10) comprising:

a control device (102);

an inductively coupled ballast circuit (103) inductively coupled to the electromagnetic radiation emitting device (14); and

wherein the inductively coupled ballast circuit (103) inductively energizes the electromagnetic radiation emitting device (60) in the inductively coupled ballast circuit (103) in dependence on a predetermined electrical signal from the control device (102).

16. The fluid treatment system (10) of claim 15, wherein said electromagnetic radiation emitting device (14) is replaceable.

17. The fluid treatment system (10) of claim 15, wherein said electromagnetic radiation emitting device (60) is an ultraviolet lamp.

18. The fluid treatment system (10) according to claim 15, wherein said electromagnetic radiation emitting device (60) is a pulsed white light lamp.

19. The fluid treatment system (10) of claim 15, wherein said electromagnetic radiation emitting device (60) is an insulating barrier discharge lamp.

20. The fluid treatment system (10) according to claim 15, wherein said inductively coupled ballast circuit (103) comprises a control circuit (142), an oscillator (144), a driver (146), a half-bridge switching circuit (148), a series resonant tank circuit (150), a secondary coil (52), a resonant lamp circuit (152), and said electromagnetic radiation emitting device (60).

21. The fluid treatment system (10) of claim 20, wherein said series resonant tank (150) and said secondary coil (52) are inductively coupled for energizing said electromagnetic radiation emitting device (60).

22. The fluid treatment system (10) of claim 20, wherein said oscillator (144) includes a snubber circuit (214) for preventing load variations from pulling the frequency of said oscillator (144).

23. The fluid treatment system (10) of claim 20, wherein said driver (146) comprises a multi-winding transformer (246).

24. The fluid treatment system (10) of claim 20, wherein said half-bridge switching circuit (148) comprises a MOSFET half-bridge switching circuit (252).

25. The fluid treatment system (10) of claim 20, wherein said series resonant tank (150) comprises an inductive coupler (270), a pair of storage capacitors (271, 272), a pair of diodes (274, 276), and a capacitor (278).

26. The fluid treatment system (10) of claim 20 wherein said resonant lamp circuit (152) comprises a capacitor (312) and a starter circuit (314).

27. The fluid treatment system (10) of claim 15, further comprising a flow detector circuit (104) electrically connected to said control device (102), wherein said flow detector circuit is adapted to cause said control device (102) to energize said inductively coupled ballast circuit (103).

28. The fluid treatment system (10) according to claim 15, further comprising a display device (106) electrically connected to said control device (102).

29. The fluid treatment system (10) of claim 15, further comprising an electromagnetic radiation detector circuit (110) electrically coupled to said control device (102).

30. The fluid treatment system (10) of claim 29, wherein said electromagnetic radiation detector circuit (110) is a visible light detector.

31. The fluid treatment system (10) of claim 15, further comprising an ambient temperature detector circuit (114) electrically connected to said control device (102).

32. The fluid treatment system (10) of claim 15, further comprising a ballast feedback circuit (122) electrically connected to said inductively coupled ballast circuit (103) and said control device (102) for providing a feedback signal to said control device (102) during operation.

33. A method for providing electromagnetic radiation in a fluid treatment system (10), comprising the steps of:

generating a predetermined signal by means of a control device (102);

inputting said predetermined signal to a ballast circuit (103) including an inductive coupler (270) in an outlet cup (36);

providing an electromagnetic radiation emitting device (14) in an inductive coupling device having said outlet cup (36), wherein said electromagnetic radiation emitting device (14) comprises a secondary coil (52) connected to an electromagnetic radiation emitting device (60); and

-energizing the electromagnetic radiation emitting device (60) in accordance with the predetermined signal from the control device (102), wherein the secondary coil (52) is inductively energized by the inductive coupler (270), thereby energizing the electromagnetic radiation emitting device (60).

34. A fluid treatment system (10) comprising:

a control device (102);

a ballast circuit (103) connected to said control device (102), wherein said ballast circuit (103) includes an inductive coupler (270) in an outlet cup (36);

an electromagnetic radiation emitting device (14) having a secondary coil (52) connected to an electromagnetic radiation emitting device (60); and

wherein the inductive coupler (270) energizes the secondary coil (52) in accordance with a predetermined signal from the control device (102), thereby energizing the electromagnetic radiation emitting device (60) in the electromagnetic radiation emitting apparatus (14).

35. A method for providing electromagnetic radiation in a fluid treatment system, comprising the steps of:

providing a ballast circuit (103) having an inductive coupler (270) in an outlet cup (36);

placing a replaceable electromagnetic radiation emitting device (14) comprising a secondary coil (52) connected to an electromagnetic radiation emitting means (60) in an arrangement for inductively coupling with said inductive coupler (270) in said outlet cup (36); and

-exciting the inductive coupler (270), whereby the secondary coil (52) is inductively excited, thereby illuminating the electromagnetic radiation emitting device (60).

36. A fluid treatment system comprising:

a ballast circuit (103) having an inductive coupler (270) in the exit cup (36); and

-a replaceable electromagnetic radiation emitting device (14) having a secondary coil (52) connected to an electromagnetic radiation emitting means (60), wherein during operation said inductive coupler (270) inductively energizes said secondary coil (52), thereby energizing said electromagnetic radiation emitting means (60).

37. The method of claim 33, wherein disposing the electromagnetic radiation emitting device comprises setting an impedance of the electromagnetic radiation emitting device that reflects to the inductive coupler so as to maximize power transfer at a resonant frequency.

38. The method of claim 33, wherein energizing the electromagnetic radiation emitting device comprises limiting a current provided to the electromagnetic radiation emitting device with a capacitor connected in series with the electromagnetic radiation emitting device.

39. The method of claim 33, wherein energizing the electromagnetic radiation emitting device comprises self-oscillating the ballast circuit at a resonant frequency.

40. The method of claim 33, wherein energizing the electromagnetic radiation emitting device comprises powering the electromagnetic radiation emitting device at a resonant frequency of the electromagnetic radiation emitting apparatus.

41. The method of claim 33, wherein disposing the electromagnetic radiation emitting device in the inductive coupling device comprises adjusting a coupling coefficient by selecting a gap between the inductive coupler and the secondary coil, wherein an operating point of the electromagnetic radiation emitting device is adjustable as a function of the coupling coefficient.

42. The method of claim 33, wherein energizing the electromagnetic radiation emitting device comprises maintaining a resonant frequency of the ballast circuit as a function of an impedance reflected by the electromagnetic radiation emitting device to the ballast circuit.

43. The fluid treatment system defined in claim 34, wherein the secondary coil is disposed adjacent to the inductive coupler so as to form a coupling coefficient, an operating point of the electromagnetic radiation emitting device being adjustable as a function of the coupling coefficient.

44. The fluid treatment system defined in claim 34, wherein the ballast circuit further comprises a storage capacitor, a resonant frequency being determined as a function of the inductive coupler, the storage capacitor and the electromagnetic radiation emitting device.

45. The fluid treatment system defined in claim 34, wherein the electromagnetic radiation emitting apparatus further comprises a starter circuit and a capacitor, the capacitor and the electromagnetic radiation emitting device being electrically connected in series to adjust an impedance reflected to the ballast circuit.

46. The fluid treatment system defined in claim 34, wherein the ballast circuit is operable to maintain a resonant frequency as a function of a reflected impedance of the electromagnetic radiation emitting device.

47. The fluid treatment system defined in claim 34, further comprising a radio frequency identification system operable to communicate with the electromagnetic radiation emitting device via wireless communication and to provide operational information of the electromagnetic radiation emitting device to the control apparatus.

48. The fluid treatment system defined in claim 47, further comprising a filter device, the video recognition system being operable to communicate with the filter device via wireless communication and provide operational information of the filter device to the control device.

49. The method of claim 35, wherein energizing the inductive coupler comprises shorting the electromagnetic radiation emitting device to a ground connection to maximize current flow in the secondary coil during startup.

50. The method of claim 49, wherein shorting the electromagnetic radiation emitting device comprises maximizing preheating of the electromagnetic radiation emitting device during startup.

51. The method of claim 49, wherein shorting the electromagnetic radiation emitting device comprises clearing the short circuit for a predetermined time to reduce the current and provide a full voltage to the electromagnetic radiation emitting device.

52. The method of claim 35, wherein placing the replaceable electromagnetic radiation emitting device in an inductively coupled device includes configuring the ballast circuit and the replaceable electromagnetic radiation emitting device at similar resonant frequencies.

53. The method of claim 35, wherein placing the replaceable electromagnetic radiation emitting device in an inductively coupled device comprises disposing the secondary coil within the outlet cup.

54. The method of claim 35, wherein providing a ballast circuit having an inductive coupler in one outlet cup comprises winding a wire around the outlet cup of a predetermined diameter to form the inductive coupler.

55. The method of claim 35, wherein the secondary coil is formed by winding a wire at a predetermined diameter that is a function of a configuration of the inductive coupler.

56. The method of claim 35, further comprising removing said secondary coil from said inductively coupled device with said inductive coupler when said replaceable electromagnetic radiation emitting device needs to be replaced.

57. The fluid treatment system defined in claim 36, further comprising a gap between the inductive coupler and the secondary coil, an operating point of the electromagnetic radiation emitting device being adjustable as a function of the gap.

58. The fluid treatment system defined in claim 36, wherein the outlet cup is formed so as to separately accommodate the secondary coil within the outlet cup.

59. The fluid treatment system defined in claim 36, wherein the replaceable electromagnetic radiation emitting apparatus comprises an initiator circuit operable to short circuit the electromagnetic radiation emitting device to a ground connection during startup to maximize current flow from the secondary coil.