Water vending apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10155174-B2
Application number	US-201615095696-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 11, 2016
Priority date	Nov 13, 2002
Publication date	Dec 18, 2018
Grant date	Dec 18, 2018

Abstract

A water vending apparatus is disclosed. The water vending system includes a water vapor distillation apparatus and a dispensing device. The dispensing device is in fluid communication with the fluid vapor distillation apparatus and the product water from the fluid vapor distillation apparatus is dispensed by the dispensing device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A water vending system comprising:
a water vapor distillation apparatus; and
a multi-purpose interface located outside the water vapor distillation apparatus, wherein the multi-purpose interface is in fluid communication with the water vapor distillation apparatus and whereby product water from the water vapor distillation apparatus is dispensed by the multi-purpose interface, the multi-purpose interface comprising:
at least one dispensing device;
at least one conductivity sensor; and
at least one light emitting diode communicatively connected to the at least one conductivity sensor,

wherein the multi-purpose interface dispenses water from the water vapor distillation apparatus onto the at least one conductivity sensor and the at least one conductivity sensor sends a signal to the at least one light emitting diode to visually represent the conductivity using the at least one light emitting diode.

2. The water vending system of claim 1 wherein the dispensing device is in fluid communication with the water vapor distillation apparatus and whereby product water from the fluid vapor distillation apparatus is dispensed by the dispensing device.

3. The water vending system of claim 1 further comprising a programmable logic controller for controlling the dispensing device and the water vapor distillation apparatus.

4. The water vending system of claim 3 further comprising a proximity sensor wherein the proximity sensor sends a signal to the programmable logic controller to dispense water.

5. The water vending system of claim 4 wherein the proximity sensor sends a signal to the programmable logic controller to dispense water.

6. The water vending system of claim 1 wherein the water vapor distillation apparatus further comprising:
a source water input;
an evaporator condenser apparatus comprising:
a housing; and
a plurality of tubes in the housing,

whereby the source water input is fluidly connected to the evaporator condenser and the evaporator condenser transforms source water into steam and transforms compressed steam into product water;
a heat exchanger fluidly connected to the source water input and a product water output, the heat exchanger comprising:
an outer tube; and
at least one inner tube; and

a regenerative blower fluidly connected to the evaporator condenser, whereby the regenerative blower compresses steam, and whereby the compressed steam flows to the evaporative condenser where compressed steam is transformed into product water.

7. The water vending system of claim 1 further comprising a primary tank and a secondary tank.

8. The water vending system of claim 7 further comprising a fill pump wherein the fill pump pumps water from the primary tank to the secondary tank.

9. The water vending system of claim 7 further comprising a diffuser in the secondary tank.

10. The water vending system of claim 7 further comprising at least one sensor.

11. The water vending system of claim 10 further comprising a minimum volume sensor in the primary tank whereby the minimum volume sensor determines whether the primary tank is holding a minimum volume to fill the secondary tank.

12. The water vending system of claim 10 further comprising a maximum volume sensor in the primary tank whereby the maximum volume sensor determines whether the primary tank is full.

13. The water vending system of claim 7 further comprising an air flow conduit between the primary tank and the secondary tank.

14. The water vending system of claim 7 further comprising an ultraviolet sterilizer coupled to a fluid path between the primary tank and the secondary tank.

15. The water vending system of claim 7 further comprising a nozzle assembly downstream from the secondary tank.

16. The water vending system of claim 15 further comprising an ultraviolet sterilizer coupled to a fluid path between the secondary tank and the nozzle assembly.

17. A water vending system comprising:
a housing;
a water vapor distillation apparatus located within the housing;
a multi-purpose interface located on the housing, wherein the multi-purpose interface is in fluid communication with the water vapor distillation apparatus and whereby product water from the fluid vapor distillation apparatus is dispensed by the multi-purpose interface, the multi-purpose interface comprising:
at least one dispensing device;
at least one conductivity sensor;
at least one light emitting diode communicatively connected to the at least one conductivity sensor; and
a proximity sensor;

wherein the proximity sensor sends a signal to a programmable logic controller to dispense water, and
wherein the multi-purpose interface dispenses water from the water vapor distillation apparatus onto the at least one conductivity sensor and the at least one conductivity sensor sends a signal to the at least one light emitting diode to visually represent the conductivity using the at least one light emitting diode.

18. The water vending system of claim 17 wherein the dispensing device is in fluid communication with the water vapor distillation apparatus and whereby product water from the fluid vapor distillation apparatus is dispensed by the dispensing device.

19. The water vending system of claim 17 wherein the programmable logic controller controls the dispensing device and the water vapor distillation apparatus.

20. The water vending system of claim 17 wherein the water vapor distillation apparatus further comprising:
a source water input;
an evaporator condenser apparatus comprising:
a housing; and
a plurality of tubes in the housing,

whereby the source water input is fluidly connected to the evaporator condenser and the evaporator condenser transforms source water into steam and transforms compressed steam into product water;
a heat exchanger fluidly connected to the source water input and a product water output, the heat exchanger comprising:
an outer tube; and
at least one inner tube; and

a regenerative blower fluidly connected to the evaporator condenser, whereby the regenerative blower compresses steam, and whereby the compressed steam flows to the evaporative condenser where compressed steam is transformed into product water.

21. The water vending system of claim 17 further comprising a primary tank and a secondary tank.

22. The water vending system of claim 21 further comprising an ultraviolet sterilizer coupled to a fluid path between the primary tank and the secondary tank.

23. The water vending system of claim 21 further comprising a nozzle assembly downstream from the secondary tank.

24. The water vending system of claim 21 further comprising an ultraviolet sterilizer coupled to a fluid path between the secondary tank and the nozzle assembly.

Assignees

• Deka Products Lp

Inventors

• Kamen Dean
• Langenfeld Christopher C
• Larocque Ryan K
• Schnellinger Andrew A
• Bhat Prashant
• Smith Iii Stanley B
• Clapp Otis L
• Swerdlow Jeremy M

Classifications

• Y02W10/37

  using solar energy · CPC title

• B67D1/0862

  in the form of a cold plate or a cooling block · CPC title

• C02F1/16

  using waste heat from other processes · CPC title

• B01D1/28 Primary

  with vapour compression · CPC title

• C02F1/041

  by means of vapour compression · CPC title