Water faucet incorporating disinfecting features

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11535529-B2
Application number	US-201816646451-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 10, 2018
Priority date	Sep 12, 2017
Publication date	Dec 27, 2022
Grant date	Dec 27, 2022

Abstract

A water dispensing unit adapted for communication with a water supply includes a spout configured to receive water from the water supply and dispense the water to a receptacle for consumption. The water supply includes water received from a municipal water supply and contained within a space directly upstream of a base of the spout. A flow of water from the water supply and into the spout via the base is a downstream water flow. A disinfecting mechanism operable to disinfect water in at least one of the spout or a space immediately upstream of the spout.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A water dispensing unit, the water dispensing unit comprising:
a water supply;
a spout configured to receive water from the water supply and dispense the water to a receptacle for consumption,
wherein the water supply includes water received from a municipal water supply and contained within a space directly upstream of a base of the spout,
wherein a flow of water from the water supply and into the spout via the base is a downstream water flow;

a first disinfecting mechanism operable to disinfect water in the water supply; and
a second disinfecting mechanism operable to disinfect water in the spout,
wherein the second disinfecting mechanism includes an antimicrobial tube through which water flows, and
wherein the antimicrobial tube includes a reflective material covering the tube, and a light window configured to receive an ultraviolet (UV) light emitting diode (LED).

2. The water dispensing unit of claim 1 , wherein the second disinfecting mechanism disinfects water flowing through a portion of the water dispensing unit.

3. The water dispensing unit of claim 1 , wherein the first disinfecting mechanism disinfects water standing in a portion of the water dispensing unit.

4. The water dispensing unit of claim 1 , wherein the first disinfecting mechanism includes at least one of an ultraviolet light, an antimicrobial apparatus, or a filtering apparatus.

5. The water dispensing unit of claim 1 , the first disinfecting mechanism includes a source of UV light.

6. The water dispensing unit of claim 5 , wherein the source of UV light is at least one of a UV LED or a UV bulb.

7. The water dispensing unit of claim 5 , wherein the first disinfecting mechanism includes a UV reflective surface.

8. The water dispensing unit of claim 7 , further comprising a UV transmissive coating over the UV reflective surface to prevent water from contacting the UV reflective surface.

9. The water dispensing unit of claim 1 , wherein the antimicrobial tube extends through at least a portion of the spout.

10. The water dispensing unit of claim 1 , wherein the first disinfecting mechanism includes at least one of a microfiltration filter or an ultrafiltration filter.

11. The water dispensing unit of claim 1 , further comprising a guiding tool positioned on a distal end of the spout, wherein the guiding tool is configured to support the second disinfecting mechanism.

12. The water dispensing unit of claim 1 , wherein the spout includes
a vertical rise,
a curved portion configured to turn the water flow from a vertical direction to a non-vertical direction, and
a dispensing portion having a tip.

13. The water dispensing unit of claim 12 , further comprising an annular space formed adjacent the vertical rise, wherein the annular space is configured to define a flow path.

14. The water dispensing unit of claim 1 , wherein the first disinfecting mechanism includes a UV bulb.

15. The water dispensing unit of claim 14 , wherein the first disinfecting mechanism further includes a UV-reflective structure and a UV-transmissive structure layered on the UV-reflective structure as a barrier between the UV-reflective structure and water in the water supply.

16. The water dispensing unit of claim 15 , wherein the second disinfecting mechanism includes the UV LED located at a dispensing tip of the spout.

17. The water dispensing unit of claim 15 , wherein the spout extends from a base to a tip, and wherein the antimicrobial tube is a UV-transmissive tube extending through the length of the spout from the base of the spout to the tip of the spout.

Assignees

• Smith Corp A O
• Sieth Kenneth J
• Li Chen

Inventors

• Sieth Kenneth J
• Li Chen

Classifications

• C02F1/325 Primary

  Irradiation devices or lamp constructions · CPC title

• C02F2201/3223

  Single elongated lamp located on the central axis of a turbular reactor · CPC title

• C02F2201/3228

  Units having reflectors, e.g. coatings, baffles, plates, mirrors · CPC title

• C02F2307/06

  Mounted on or being part of a faucet, shower handle or showerhead · CPC title

• C02F1/444

  by ultrafiltration or microfiltration · CPC title