Water treatment system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016340217-A1
Application number	US-201615159852-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 20, 2016
Priority date	May 21, 2015
Publication date	Nov 24, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A portable water treatment system selectively configurable between a portable configuration and a water treatment system configuration. The portable water treatment system includes multiple nest and stack containers. A flocculation container includes a manual valve component that interacts with a filter support to form a valve that controls flow of water. The filter system may include one or more rotatable biofoam filters, each with a restriction orifice to control flow rate and allow a biological community to colonize and develop on or in the filters. The filters can be rotated between a filter operating position and a filter maintenance position. The water treatment system may include a chlorination system that can handle a chlorine tablet that does not contain a stabilizer. The water treatment system may include a storage container with a carbon filter that removes chlorine from the water before being dispensed. The carbon filter can be retained in place using a retaining frame with a U-shaped opening for clamping the end cap of the carbon filter.

First claim

1 . A water treatment system comprising:
a flocculation container having a flocculation container inlet for receiving water and a flocculation container outlet for dispensing water, said flocculation container having a bottom surface where floc settles after flocculation; a filter mounted in said flocculation container for filtering floc and particles out of the water, said filter having a filter inlet and a filter outlet; a manual valve assembly that includes a valve that selectively controls flow of water through said flocculation container, wherein said valve is manually movable between an open valve position and a closed valve position, wherein said filter outlet and said valve are in fluid communication in said open valve position to create a water flow path through said valve to said flocculation container outlet, wherein said filter outlet and said valve are not in fluid communication in said closed valve position to hinder a water flow path through said manual valve assembly to said flocculation container outlet; wherein said water treatment system includes a flow restriction aperture for restricting the flow rate of water through said flocculation container outlet.

2 . The water treatment system of claim 1 wherein said flocculation container outlet defines said flow restriction aperture that restricts the flow of water to a flow rate of at most 1 L/min.

3 . The water treatment system of claim 1 wherein the position of said filter inlet within the flocculation container is selected based on an anticipated maximum amount of sediment for a full container of water with a predetermined amount of flocculant.

4 . The water treatment system of claim 1 wherein the position of said filter inlet within the flocculation container is selected based on an anticipated number of flocculation batches between cleaning cycles including accumulated sediment removal.

5 . The water treatment system of claim 3 wherein a flocculation status visual indicator is positioned adjacent said filter inlet, visibility of said flocculation status visual indicator by a user viewing the interior of said flocculation container is hindered by floc during flocculation and said flocculation status visual indicator is visible by a user viewing said flocculation container once flocculation is substantially complete and floc has settled on said bottom surface of said flocculation container below said filter inlet.

6 . The water treatment system of claim 1 wherein said manual valve assembly includes a vertically movable member that cooperates with a filter support, wherein a gasket surrounds said vertically movable member and is positioned adjacent an aperture in said filter support such that in said open valve position said aperture and a flow restriction aperture in said filter support are aligned and such that in said closed valve position said gasket seals a water flow path between an exterior surface of said vertically movable member and an interior surface of said filter support.

7 . The water treatment system of claim 1 wherein said manual valve assembly includes a rotatable shaft, wherein said shaft is rotatable to change said valve between said open valve position and said closed valve position.

8 . The water treatment system of claim 1 wherein said flocculation container outlet has about a 0.161 inch diameter.

9 . The water treatment system of claim 1 wherein said valve is a ball valve assembly.

10 . The water treatment system of claim 1 wherein said valve includes a moveable rod having an EPDM plug, wherein the moveable rod is moveable between a first position where the EPDM plug interfaces with a surface to seal a water path through said outlet and a second position where the EPDM plug disengages the surface to create a water path through said flocculation container outlet.

11 . A water treatment system comprising:
a container having a container inlet for receiving water into said container and a container outlet for dispensing water out of said container; a filter support assembly mounted to said container in water communication with said container outlet, said filter support assembly including a filter support configured to receive a replaceable filter and a shield for preventing disturbance of said replaceable filter by water from said container inlet.

12 . The water treatment system of claim 11 wherein said filter support and said shield are rotatable between a filter operation position and a filter maintenance position.

13 . The water treatment system of claim 11 wherein said shield is substantially C-shaped and includes snap details, mounting holes, and a tab for mounting said shield within said container and to said filter support.

14 . The water treatment system of claim 11 wherein said filter support assembly includes a shield support and said shield is joined to said shield support.

15 . A flocculation process comprising:
adding a first flocculant to a flocculation chamber having water; mixing the first flocculant and water in the flocculation chamber; waiting a pre-determined delay period for flocs to begin to form; adding a second flocculant after the pre-determined delay period to accelerate floc formation; mixing the water, first flocculant, and second flocculant in the flocculation chamber; and waiting for the flocs to sufficiently settle to the bottom of the flocculation chamber.

16 . The flocculation process of claim 15 wherein mixing the first flocculant and water in the flocculation chamber including mixing for about one minute.

17 . The flocculation process of claim 15 wherein the pre-determined delay period is at least fifteen seconds.

18 . The flocculation process of claim 15 wherein the pre-determined delay period is between 15 second and five minutes.

19 . The flocculation process of claim 15 wherein mixing the first flocculant, second flocculant, and water in the flocculation chamber including mixing for about one minute.

20 . The flocculation process of claim 15 wherein waiting for the flocs to sufficiently settle to the bottom of the flocculation chamber includes waiting between ten minutes and two hours.

Assignees

• Access Business Group Int Llc

Inventors

• Kuennen Roy W
• Weber Richard J
• Lautzenheiser Terry L
• Schamper Ryan D
• Cai Zhenxiao
• Ly Kenny

Classifications

• C02F2101/103

  Arsenic compounds · CPC title

• C02F1/76

  with halogens or compounds of halogens {(C02F1/4674 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• C02F2201/008

  Mobile apparatus and plants, e.g. mounted on a vehicle · CPC title

• C02F1/283

  using coal, charred products, or inorganic mixtures containing them · CPC title

• C02F2209/40

  Liquid flow rate · CPC title