Filter housing for small media

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9320993-B2
Application number	US-201213674313-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 12, 2012
Priority date	Nov 12, 2012
Publication date	Apr 26, 2016
Grant date	Apr 26, 2016

Abstract

A fluid treatment apparatus includes a base portion, a medium or media, and an elongated support portion. The base portion has a first end, a second end, and a side with an exterior surface. The first end has an inlet and outlet for receiving and dispensing a water flow, respectively. The medium or media is spaced within the base portion and receives fluid through the inlet, treats the fluid, and dispenses the fluid through the outlet. The elongated support portion extends from the second end of the base portion and has a sidewall. The sidewall has an exterior facing surface that is substantially aligned with the exterior surface of the side. The elongated support portion maintains a latch assembly location for engaging a filter head assembly and is configured to withstand torsional forces applied by the user for engagement and alignment with an elongated receiving cavity of an appliance.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A fluid treatment apparatus having a longitudinal length comprising:
a base portion having a length one half the longitudinal length of the fluid treatment apparatus or less, and having a first end, a second end, and at least one side having an exterior surface and an interior surface and extending between the first and second end, defining a fluid treatment media receiving volume within the base portion, wherein the first end has an inlet and an outlet for receiving and dispensing a fluid, respectively, to and from the fluid treatment media receiving volume;
a medium or media spaced within the fluid treatment receiving volume, wherein the medium or media treats a fluid contacting the medium or media; and
an elongated support portion engaged with the base portion and having a length one half the longitudinal length of the fluid treatment apparatus or more comprising:
a cap; and
a sidewall extending longitudinally between the second end of the base portion and the cap, wherein the sidewall has an exterior facing surface that is an extension of and at least substantially aligned with the exterior surface of the side of the base portion; wherein the elongated support portion further comprises:

a strengthening support wall longitudinally extending between the second end of the base portion and the cap; the strengthening support wall having a portion extending generally perpendicular to the sidewall of the elongated support portion and having a portion being coaxial with the base portion.

2. The fluid treatment apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the elongated support portion further comprises:
a latch assembly extending from the exterior facing surface of the sidewall, wherein the latch assembly detachably engages a receptor within a filter head assembly of an appliance.

3. The fluid treatment apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the latch assembly engages a section of the filter head assembly and the filter head assembly detects the presence and a capacity of the fluid treatment apparatus when the fluid treatment apparatus is engaged with a filter head assembly.

4. The fluid treatment apparatus of claim 1 , wherein base portion is cylindrical shaped and the side is tubular shaped, and wherein the support wall engages an interior facing surface of the sidewall and extends across a portion or all of a diameter of the base portion.

5. The fluid treatment apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the base portion comprises less than 40 percent of the longitudinal length of the fluid treatment apparatus.

6. The fluid treatment apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the medium or media adds a descaling agent to the fluid, chosen from the group consisting of sulfonic acid, carboxylic acid, lactic acid, acetic acid, formic acid, oxalic acid, uric acid, phosphoric acid, hydrochloric acid, sulfamic acid, and mixtures thereof.

7. The fluid treatment apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the medium or media is chosen from the group consisting of: activated carbon particles, a carbon powder, a vitamin treatment material, aluminosilicate material, an organic acid, inorganic acid, particles sintered with a plastic binder, carbon particles coated with a silver material, a block of porous carbon, an ion exchange material, resin beads, flat filtration membranes, fibrous filtration structures, zeolite particles, zeolite coatings, alumina, diatomaceous earth, polyethylene, charged-modified webs, melt-blown webs, and microfiber glass.

8. A water treatment apparatus, having a longitudinal length, that engages an appliance and receives water to be treated by the water treatment apparatus from the appliance comprising:
a cylindrical shaped base portion having a length one half the longitudinal length of the water treatment apparatus or less having a first end, a second end, a tubular shaped side with an exterior surface and an interior surface extending between the first and second end, wherein the first end, second end, and side define an interior water receiving volume within the base portion, and wherein the first end has an inlet and an outlet for receiving and dispensing water, respectively;
a medium or media spaced within the water receiving volume, wherein the medium or media engages water received through the inlet into the water receiving volume and treats the water contacting the medium or media to form treated water that is dispensed through the outlet; and
an elongated support portion devoid of any medium or media and does not contact the water received by the inlet, including:
a cap;
a sidewall extending from the second end of the base portion, wherein the sidewall has an exterior facing surface that is aligned with or substantially aligned with the exterior surface of the tubular side of the base portion; wherein the elongated support portion further comprises:

a strengthening support wall longitudinally extending between the second end of the base portion and the cap; the strengthening support wall having a portion extending generally perpendicular to the sidewall of the elongated support portion and having a portion being coaxial with the base portion.

9. The water treatment apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the elongated support portion further comprises:
a latch assembly extending from the exterior facing surface of the sidewall, wherein the latch assembly detachably engages with a filter head assembly of the appliance.

10. The water treatment apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the latch assembly engages a mechanical switch within the filter head assembly of the appliance and communicates the presence and a capacity of the water treatment apparatus to a controller or microprocessor when the water treatment apparatus is engaged with the filter head assembly.

11. The water treatment apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the sidewall has a planar interior facing surface defined by a chord across a substantially circular cross section of the base portion.

12. The water treatment apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the sidewall has a thickness selected from a range been 3 mm and 6 mm and the base portion comprises less than 40 percent of the total longitudinal length of the water treatment apparatus.

13. The water treatment apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the medium or media treats the water flow by a treatment or treatments chosen from the group consisting of:
filtering particulate matter from the water flow, adding a descaling agent to the water flow, and adding vitamins, minerals, or other health enhancing additives; purifying the taste, odor and color of the water or mixtures thereof.

14. The water treatment apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the sidewall has an interior facing surface and the sidewall extends around the circumference of the second end of the base portion.

15. The water treatment apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the elongated support portion further comprises a cap and two sidewalls engaged with the second end of the base portion end extending between the second end of the base portion and the cap, wherein the sidewalls each have an interior facing surface and an exterior facing surface wherein the exterior facing surface of the sidewalls are aligned with or substantially aligned with the exterior surface of the tubular side of the base portion.

16. The water treatment apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the elongated support portion further comprises at least one support wall engaged with the interior facing surface of the sidewall and extending between the second end of the base portion and the cap.

17. The water treatment apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the elongated support portion further compris

Assignees

• Whirlpool Co

Inventors

• Patera Ginger Elayne
• Kuehl Steven John
• Cooper David P

Classifications

• B01D35/30 Primary

  Filter housing constructions · CPC title

• F25D23/126

  Water cooler · CPC title

• F25D2323/121

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

• B01D2201/0415

  Details of supporting structures · CPC title

• B01D27/08

  Construction of the casing · CPC title