Systems and methods for point of use water modification

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12392115-B2
Application number	US-202217692282-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 11, 2022
Priority date	Mar 31, 2021
Publication date	Aug 19, 2025
Grant date	Aug 19, 2025

Abstract

A water use management system may be installed in a setting that contains a primary infrastructure for water use to provide an alternate, modular infrastructure for water use. Fresh water used at various points of use, such as a shower or sink, may be modified by a point of use water conditioner. Water may be modified at the point of use based upon pre-configured routines or manual user selections. Treatments performed on the water may include quality treatments, such as modifying the pH or mineral content, and may also include experience treatments, such as the addition of scents, colors, carbonation, or health and beauty supplements. Additives used during treatment are provided in cartridges that may be inserted and removed from the water conditioner. Cartridges may self-identify when inserted, to aid in compatibility and usability determinations and recycling/recertification processes.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A residential point of use reservoir device comprising:
(a) a water capture device in fluid communication with a precedent use water, wherein the water capture device includes a sensor configured to provide a signal that indicates the presence of the precedent use water and a ring configured to fit around a drain at a precedent point of use, the ring including:
(i) a raised edge that prevents the precedent use water from flowing into the drain when the precedent use water is below a depth corresponding to the height of the raised edge;
(ii) an inlet on an exterior sidewall that allows the precedent use water to enter a cavity within the ring; and
(iii) an outlet that couples the cavity within the ring to the first channel; wherein the sensor is positioned within the cavity of the ring and is configured to provide the signal when the precedent use water pools within the cavity of the ring;

(b) a storage reservoir configured to hold a volume of water;
(c) a first channel that provides a fluid connection between the water capture device and the storage reservoir;
(d) a sensor module having sensor capabilities for determining or measuring one or more water characteristics selected from the group consisting of pH, hardness, clarity, mineral content, acidity, chemical content, particular content, microbial content, fungal content, viral content, biochemical oxygen demand, and combinations thereof;
(e) one or more cartridge receivers;
(f) one or more injection nozzles in fluid communication with the storage reservoir;
(g) one or more pumps, wherein each pump:
(i) is coupled to at least one of the one or more cartridge receivers;
(ii) is coupled to an injection nozzle of the one or more injection nozzles; and
(iii) is operable to extract a volume of additive from a cartridge that is coupled to the at least one cartridge receiver and inject the volume of additive into the volume of water via the injection nozzle;

(h) a second channel that provides a fluid connection between the storage reservoir and a subsequent point of use;
(i) one or more transport pumps configured to:
(i) transport the precedent use water to the storage reservoir based on the signal from the sensor;
(ii) transport water from the storage reservoir to the subsequent point of use; and

(j) a water conditioner that comprises:
(i) a case;
(ii) a water input extending from the case in flow communication with the first channel;
(iii) a water output extending from the case in flow communication with the second channel;
(iv) the one or more cartridge receivers comprising a plurality of cartridge receivers defining a respective plurality of recesses extending into the case;
(v) the one or more cartridges comprising a plurality of cartridges removably attached to the respective plurality of cartridge receivers; and
(vi) the one or more injection nozzles comprising a plurality of injection nozzles within the case and in flow communication with an internal water channel between the water input and the water output, wherein each injection nozzle of the plurality of injection nozzles is configured to inject the volume of additive from one of the respective plurality of cartridges.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more cartridge receivers comprises a structure having a shape configured to receive and align a cartridge valve of a cartridge with a supply shaft of a pump of the one or more pumps that corresponds to that cartridge receiver.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first channel and the second channel includes tubing.

4. The device of claim 3 , wherein the tubing comprises a first tube usable to receive water from the ring, and a second tube usable to dispose of water via the ring.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more cartridge receivers includes at least two cartridge receivers, and wherein there is a one-to-one correspondence between the one or more cartridge receivers and the one or more pumps.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one pump of the one or more pumps includes:
(a) a cylinder;
(b) a motor operable to rotate a pinion; and
(c) a piston shaft that includes a piston head at a distal end that is positioned within the cylinder, and a rack at a proximal end that is in contact with the pinion such that rotation of the pinion in a first rotation direction or a second rotation direction causes the piston head to displace a volume of the cylinder in a first direction and or second direction.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the at least one pump further includes:
(a) an input channel that is coupled to the cartridge and to an input valve of the cylinder; and
(b) an output channel that is coupled to the injection nozzle and to an output valve of the cylinder;
wherein operation of the motor in the first rotation direction causes the cylinder to be filled via the input channel, and operation of the motor in the second rotation direction causes the cylinder to be emptied via the output channel.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the at least one pump is configured to operate in equal steps based upon control signals from a processor, and wherein the processor is configured to:
(a) determine the volume of additive associated with the selected treatment;
(b) determine a number of steps that corresponds to the volume of additive; and
(c) operate the at least one pump based upon the determined number of steps.

9. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a filtration module comprising a replaceable filter.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein an outside of the case includes a set of buttons and a set of status indicators, wherein each status indicator of the set of indicators corresponds to a respective button of the set of buttons; and
wherein each button of the set of buttons corresponds to a respective cartridge of the plurality of cartridges such that actuation of a respective button of the set of buttons is configured to cause the additive from the cartridge corresponding to the actuated button to be injected into the internal water channel.

Assignees

• Procter & Gamble

Inventors

• Clarke Colin John
• Beznik Frantz
• Connolly Anna L
• Sanders Dai
• Kane Grace
• Jones Chris
• Wallace Andrew
• Taylor Benedict
• Kilburn Miles
• Wright Stephen

Classifications

• F04B53/16

  Casings; Cylinders; Cylinder liners or heads; Fluid connections · CPC title

• F04B53/144

  Adaptation of piston-rods · CPC title

• C02F2209/008

  comprising telecommunication features, e.g. modems or antennas · CPC title

• C02F2201/006

  Cartridges · CPC title

• C02F2103/002

  Grey water, e.g. from clothes washers, showers or dishwashers · CPC title