Ozone generator for a faucet

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10640878-B2
Application number	US-201615336048-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 27, 2016
Priority date	Nov 12, 2015
Publication date	May 5, 2020
Grant date	May 5, 2020

Abstract

An electrolytic ozone generator for use with a faucet and methods for assembling and using the same.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An ozone generator for use with a faucet, the ozone generator comprising:
an outer cartridge;
an electrolytic cell assembly received within the outer cartridge, the electrolytic cell assembly comprising:
a first housing;
an anode coupled to the first housing;
a second housing;
a cathode coupled to the second housing;
a separator positioned between the anode and the cathode, the separator comprising a proton exchange membrane;

a holder that couples the first housing to the second housing independently of the outer cartridge;
a first end cap secured to an end of the outer cartridge, wherein water is configured to flow through the first end cap;
a second end cap secured to an opposing end of the outer cartridge; and
wire leads extending through the second end cap.

2. The ozone generator of claim 1 , wherein the separator has a thickness of about 20-30 microns.

3. The ozone generator of claim 2 , wherein the separator has a thickness of about 25 microns.

4. The ozone generator of claim 1 , wherein the anode and the cathode each comprises an underlayer of boron-doped silicon and a coating of boron-doped diamond.

5. The ozone generator of claim 4 , wherein the underlayer has a thickness of about 400-600 microns.

6. The ozone generator of claim 4 , wherein the coating has a thickness of about 3-8 microns.

7. The ozone generator of claim 1 , wherein the holder comprises at least one sealing ring around the first and second housings.

8. An ozone generator for use with a faucet, the ozone generator comprising:
an outer cartridge;
an electrolytic cell assembly received within the outer cartridge, the electrolytic cell assembly comprising:
a first housing;
an anode coupled to the first housing;
a second housing;
a cathode coupled to the second housing;
a separator positioned between the anode and the cathode; and
a holder that couples the first housing to the second housing independently of the outer cartridge;

wherein:
the first housing and the outer cartridge cooperate to define a first water flow path across the anode; and
the second housing and the outer cartridge cooperate to define a second water flow path across the cathode.

9. The ozone generator of claim 1 , further comprising a first current spreader positioned intermediate the first housing and the anode, and a second current spreader positioned intermediate the second housing and the cathode.

10. The ozone generator of claim 9 , wherein each of the first current spreader and the second current spreader includes a rectangular body and a terminal configured to be in electrical communication with a wire lead, the rectangular body of the first current spreader being overmolded with the first housing, and the rectangular body of the second current spreader being overmolded with the second housing.

11. The ozone generator of claim 9 , wherein each of the first current spreader and the second current spreader includes a rectangular body and a terminal configured to be in electrical communication with a wire lead, each terminal having a round cross-section and an o-ring received on the terminal.

12. An ozone generator for use with a faucet, the ozone generator comprising:
an outer cartridge;
an electrolytic cell received within the outer cartridge, the electrolytic cell assembly including:
a first housing;
a first current spreader overmolded by the first housing,
an anode in electrical communication with the first current spreader;
a second housing;
a second current spreader overmolded by the second housing,
a cathode in electrical communication with the second current spreader; and
a separator between the anode and the cathode, the separator comprising a proton exchange membrane.

13. The ozone generator of claim 12 , wherein the anode and the cathode each comprises a plurality of water passageways.

14. The ozone generator of claim 12 , wherein the water passageways are formed by deep reactive ion etching.

15. The ozone generator of claim 12 , wherein the first housing and the second housing are identical in construction.

16. The ozone generator of claim 12 , further comprising a first frame that receives the anode and a second frame that receives the cathode, wherein the first frame and the second frame are identical in construction.

17. An ozone generator for use with a faucet, the ozone generator comprising:
an outer cartridge;
an electrolytic cell received within the outer cartridge, the electrolytic cell assembly including:
a first housing;
a first current spreader overmolded by the first housing,
an anode in electrical communication with the first current spreader;
a second housing;
a second current spreader overmolded by the second housing,
a cathode in electrical communication with the second current spreader; and
a separator between the anode and the cathode;

wherein:
the first current spreader includes a first terminal and a first opening that receives the anode, the first housing surrounding the first current spreader in a sealed manner between the first terminal and the first opening; and
the second current spreader includes a second terminal and a second opening that receives the cathode, the second housing surrounding the second current spreader in a sealed manner between the second terminal and the second opening.

18. The ozone generator of claim 17 , wherein the first terminal includes tabs configured to be crimped on a first wire lead, and the second terminal includes tabs configured to be crimped on a second wire lead.

19. An ozone generator system for use with a faucet, the ozone generator system comprising:
a mixing valve having a cold water inlet fluidly coupled to a cold water source, a hot water inlet fluidly coupled to a hot water source, and an outlet in selective fluid communication with the cold water inlet and the hot water inlet;
a valve body including a first valve receiving chamber, a second valve receiving chamber, an ozone generator receiving chamber, and an outlet passageway;
an ozone generator received within the ozone generator receiving chamber, and an electrolytic cell assembly received within the outer cartridge;
a first electrically operable valve received within the first valve receiving chamber and configured to control water flow from the outlet of the mixing valve to the outlet passageway of the valve body; and
a second electrically operable valve received within the second valve receiving chamber and configured to control water flow from the cold water source to the ozone generator;
wherein the electrolytic cell assembly includes:
a first housing;
an anode coupled to the first housing;
a second housing;
a cathode coupled to the second housing;
a separator positioned between the anode and the cathode, the separator comprising a proton exchange membrane; and
a holder that couples the first housing to the second housing independently of the outer cartridge.

20. An ozone generator system for use with a faucet, the ozone generator system comprising:
a mixing valve having a cold water inlet fluidly coupled to a cold water source, a hot water inlet fluidly coupled to a hot water source, and an outlet in selective fluid communication with the cold water inlet and the hot water inlet;
a valve body including a first valve receiving chamber, a second valve receiving chamber, an ozone generator receiving chamber, and an outlet passageway;
an ozone generator received within the ozone generator receiving chamber;
a first electr

Assignees

• Delta Faucet Co

Inventors

• Jonte Patrick B
• Rosko Michael Scot
• Huffington Todd Andrew
• Thomas Kurt Judson
• Brown Derek Allen

Classifications

• C25B11/03

  perforated or foraminous · CPC title

• C25B15/02

  Process control or regulation · CPC title

• C25B1/13 Primary

  Ozone · CPC title

• C25B15/08 Primary

  Supplying or removing reactants or electrolytes; Regeneration of electrolytes · CPC title

• C25B9/08

  Chemistry & Metallurgy · mapped topic