Reverse osmosis push filter with floating key lock

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10695698-B2
Application number	US-201815879667-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 25, 2018
Priority date	Aug 8, 2008
Publication date	Jun 30, 2020
Grant date	Jun 30, 2020

Abstract

A reverse osmosis filter assembly for fluid filtration having a push-activated lock and release mechanism. A push filter design activates a floating key lock upon insertion and extraction, where the filter key may be used simultaneously as a lock and as an identifier for particular filter attributes. The filter base may be situated inline, and in fluid communication, with the raw water ingress, permeate egress, and reject water egress. The reverse osmosis filter housing assembly may be attached to, and removed from, the filter base by a push-actuated release. Upon insertion, the filter key shifts the filter lock longitudinally to receive interlocking segments. Upon extraction, the same axial push shifts the filter lock further to align the interlocking fingers within gaps that allow for easy extraction. The specific key lock design allows a user to identify and match certain filter configurations received by the mechanical support, and reject other filter configurations.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A reverse osmosis filter cartridge comprising:
a reverse osmosis filter media;
a sump housing for enclosing said reverse osmosis filter media, said sump housing having a body and a cap for forming a fluid-tight seal with said body, a sump housing axis extending in an axial direction along the sump housing, said sump housing including:
a raw water inlet port;
a permeate egress port;
a reject water egress port; and
a filter key located on or connected to the sump housing and having a top surface exposed in a radial direction perpendicular with respect to said sump housing axis, longitudinal sides, and lateral sides shorter than the longitudinal sides, the filter key having a protrusion extending in a direction parallel to the filter key lateral sides, wherein the protrusion includes on one side a slanted or angled face angled with respect to said radial direction, and on an opposing side a face having a substantially straight edge parallel to said radial direction.

2. The reverse osmosis filter cartridge of claim 1 including an elongated rail extending radially outwards from said sump housing body in said radial direction for slidably attaching said filter key.

3. The reverse osmosis filter cartridge of claim 2 wherein said filter key includes a groove complementary to said elongated rail for insertably securing said filter key to said sump housing by slideably mating said elongated rail of said sump housing within said filter key groove.

4. The reverse osmosis filter cartridge of claim 1 wherein said filter key protrusion includes a diamond shaped cross-section.

5. The reverse osmosis filter cartridge of claim 1 including having said filter key attached to said sump housing by snap fit, friction fit, welding, or bonding.

6. The reverse osmosis filter cartridge of claim 1 wherein said raw water ingress port, said permeate egress port, and said reject water egress port extend in sai d radial direction, radially from a side surface of said sump housing body.

7. The reverse osmosis filter cartridge of claim 1 wherein said permeate egress port and said reject water egress port are off axial center of said sump housing.

8. The reverse osmosis filter cartridge of claim 1 including at least one strengthening rib on said sump housing body.

9. The reverse osmosis filter cartridge of claim 8 wherein said at least one strengthening rib protrudes radially from said sump housing body and extends in said axial direction intermediate between top and bottom portions of said sump housing.

10. A reverse osmosis filter assembly comprising:
a filter housing for enclosing a reverse osmosis filter media having a filter housing axis extending in an axial direction along the filter housing;
a filter key having a filter key bottom;
said filter housing having three ports, including one port for raw water ingress, one port for permeate fluid egress, and one port for reject water egress, said three ports in fluid communication with said filter media, said filter housing having a filter cap forming a fluid-tight seal with said filter housing, and a first attachment structure extending outwards from a side surface of said filter housing in a radial direction perpendicular with respect to said filter housing axis for receiving said filter key; and
said filter key located on or connected to the filter housing and having a top surface exposed in said radial direction, longitudinal sides, and lateral sides shorter than the longitudinal sides, the filter key having a protrusion extending in a direction parallel to the filter key lateral sides, wherein the protrusion includes on one side a slanted or angled face angled with respect to said radial direction, and on an opposing side a face having a substantially straight edge parallel to said radial direction; and
a second attachment structure located on said filter key bottom for attaching said filter key to said first attachment structure on said filter housing side surface.

11. The reverse osmosis filter assembly of claim 10 wherein said filter key is fixably or removably attached to said filter housing.

12. The reverse osmosis filter assembly of claim 10 wherein said first attachment structure includes an elongated rail extending from said filter housing side surface, and said second attachment structure includes a groove complementary to said elongated rail for insertably securing said filter key to said filter housing by slidably mating said elongated rail of said filter housing within said groove.

13. A reverse osmosis filter base in combination with a reverse osmosis filter housing assembly, said combination comprising:
a filter base having a raw water ingress port, a permeate egress port, and a reject water egress port on a base platform;
a slidable floating lock located on and in slidable communication with said filter base, said floating lock having a first exposed surface, longitudinal sides, and lateral sides shorter than said longitudinal sides, and at least one pair of drive keys or lateral extensions separated by a gap;
a resilient member in contact with said floating lock, providing a retraction force for said floating lock;
said reverse osmosis filter housing assembly including a housing and a top portion, a filter housing axis extending in an axial direction along the reverse osmosis filter housing assembly, a first attachment structure extending from said reverse osmosis filter housing assembly, and a complementary raw water ingress port, a complementary permeate egress port, and a complementary reject water egress port; and
a filter key located on said reverse osmosis filter housing assembly, said filter key having longitudinal sides and lateral sides shorter than said longitudinal sides, said filter key extending outwards from a side surface of said reverse osmosis filter housing in a radial direction perpendicular with respect to said filter housing axis, including:
a protrusion extending in a direction parallel to the filter key lateral sides, wherein the protrusion includes on one side a slanted or angled face angled with respect to said radial direction, and on an opposing side a face having a substantially straight edge parallel to said radial direction, such that when said filter key is attached to said floating lock, said protrusion slidably mates with said at least one pair of drive keys or lateral extensions; and

a second attachment structure having a groove complementary to said first attachment structure for insertably securing said filter key.

14. The combination of claim 13 wherein said at least one pair of drive keys each include an angled portion exposed towards said floating lock first exposed surface, and an edge or wedge on each of said drive key for releasably contacting with a portion of said filter key; and a position key centered about said floating lock, and located adjacent said drive keys to provide a physical stop during insertion of said reverse osmosis filter housing assembly.

Assignees

• Kx Technologies Llc

Inventors

• Huda Stephen P
• Sherman Michael J
• Haehn Steven J
• Klimpel Erik R
• Jujaray Sathyanarayana
• Narendra Singh Vivek Kunwar

Classifications

• B01D17/10 Primary

  with stationary filtering elements · CPC title

• B01D2201/303

  not arranged concentrically · CPC title

• B01D35/30

  Filter housing constructions · CPC title

• F25D2323/121

  the refrigerator is characterised by a water filter for the water/ice dispenser · CPC title

• B01D2201/4053

  using keys · CPC title