Electrical connection for an appliance water filter

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9688546-B2
Application number	US-201414487123-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 16, 2014
Priority date	Sep 16, 2014
Publication date	Jun 27, 2017
Grant date	Jun 27, 2017

Abstract

A water filter assembly having one or more electrical connections with a removable filter cartridge is provided. The electrical connections can be used to provide power to, and/or communication with, one or more electrical components incorporated into the filter cartridge. Wire form contacts are used to provide the electrical connections. The wire form contacts can be incorporated into a variety of different water filter assembly configurations having a removable filter cartridge.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A water filter assembly, comprising:
a manifold that defines an inlet for receiving unfiltered water and an outlet for directing filtered water out of the water filter assembly, the manifold defining a port, the manifold comprising
a rotatable cylinder in fluid communication with the inlet and outlet, the rotatable cylinder defining the port;
a housing into which the rotatable cylinder is received, the cylinder rotatable within the housing between an installed position and an uninstalled position; and
a mounting bracket having a pair of arms to which the housing is attached, the housing positioned between the pair of arms;

a filter cartridge removably received into the port of the manifold, the filter cartridge comprising a housing and a filtering media positioned therein for filtering a flow of water through the water filter assembly, the filter cartridge rotatable between the installed position and the uninstalled position;
a plurality of electrical contacts positioned on the housing of the filter cartridge; and
a plurality of wire form contacts received onto the manifold, the wire form contacts movable between a first position when the filter cartridge is in the uninstalled position and a second position when the filter cartridge is in the installed position, wherein in the first position the wire form contacts are not in contact with the electrical contacts on the housing of the filter cartridge and in the second position the wire form contacts are in contact with the electrical contacts.

2. A water filter assembly as in claim 1 , wherein in the second position the wire form contacts are depressed by the electrical contacts.

3. A water filter assembly as in claim 1 , wherein in the second position the wire form contacts are slightly bent by the electrical contacts.

4. A water filter assembly as in claim 1 , wherein each wire form contact comprises:
a first end having a loop for contact with one of the electric contacts on the housing of the filter cartridge;
a second end;
a bend positioned between the first end and the second end; and
an arm extending between the first end and the bend.

5. A water filter assembly as in claim 4 , further comprising a receptacle positioned along a side of the manifold, the receptacle defining two openings in which the second ends of the wire form contacts are received.

6. A water filter assembly as in claim 5 , wherein the filter cartridge rotates about a central axis of the water filter assembly between the installed position and the uninstalled position, and wherein the manifold defines grooves extending in a parallel manner over the manifold on opposing sides of the central axis and configured for receipt of the wire form contacts.

7. A water filter assembly as in claim 1 , further comprising an RFID in electrical communication with the electrical contacts.

8. A water filter assembly as in claim 1 , wherein the cylinder is rotatable about a central axis that intersects the pair of arms.

9. A water filter assembly as in claim 8 , wherein the wire form contacts are both positioned along the same side of the central axis.

10. A water filter assembly as in claim 1 , wherein the arms of the mounting bracket define grooves into which the wire form contacts are received.

11. A water filter assembly as in claim 1 , wherein each wire form contact comprises:
a first end having a loop for contact with one of the electric contacts on the housing of the filter cartridge;
a second end;
a bend positioned between the first end and the second end; and
an arm extending between the first end and the bend.

12. A water filter assembly as in claim 11 , wherein the first ends of the wire form contacts are positioned adjacent to each other.

13. A water filter assembly, comprising:
a manifold that defines an inlet for receiving unfiltered water and an outlet for directing filtered water out of the water filter assembly, the manifold defining a port;
a filter cartridge removably received into the port of the manifold, the filter cartridge comprising a housing and a filtering media positioned therein for filtering a flow of water through the water filter assembly, the filter cartridge rotatable between an installed position and an uninstalled position;
a plurality of electrical contacts positioned on the housing of the filter cartridge; and
a plurality of wire form contacts received onto the manifold, wherein the wire form contacts each have a loop along one end that is depressed when the filter cartridge is in the installed position and released when the filter is in the uninstalled position;
wherein the filter cartridge rotates about a central axis of the water filter assembly between the installed position and the uninstalled position, and wherein the manifold defines a pair of grooves extending in a parallel manner over the manifold on opposing sides of the central axis and configured for receipt of the wire form contacts.

14. A water filter assembly as in claim 13 , wherein the manifold further comprises:
a rotatable cylinder in fluid communication with the inlet and outlet, the rotatable cylinder defining the port; and
a housing into which the cylinder is received, the cylinder rotatable within the housing between the installed position and the uninstalled position; and
a mounting bracket having a pair of arms to which the housing is attached, the housing positioned between the pair of arms.

15. A water filter assembly as in claim 14 , wherein the cylinder is rotatable about a central axis that intersects the pair of arms.

16. A water filter assembly as in claim 15 , wherein the wire form contacts are both positioned along the same side of the central axis.

17. A water filter assembly, comprising:
a manifold that defines an inlet for receiving unfiltered water and an outlet for directing filtered water out of the water filter assembly, the manifold defining a port, the manifold comprising a rotatable cylinder in fluid communication with the inlet and outlet, the rotatable cylinder defining the port;
a filter cartridge removably received into the port of the manifold, the filter cartridge comprising a housing and a filtering media positioned therein for filtering a flow of water through the water filter assembly, the filter cartridge rotatable between the installed position and the uninstalled position;
a plurality of electrical contacts positioned on the housing of the filter cartridge; and
a plurality of wire form contacts received onto the manifold, the wire form contacts movable between a first position when the filter cartridge is in the uninstalled position and a second position when the filter cartridge is in the installed position, wherein in the first position the wire form contacts are not in contact with the electrical contacts on the housing of the filter cartridge and in the second position the wire form contacts are in contact with the electrical contacts.

18. A water filter assembly as in claim 17 , wherein the manifold further comprises:
a housing into which the rotatable cylinder is received, the cylinder rotatable within the housing between an installed position and an uninstalled position; and
a mounting bracket having a pair of arms to which the housing is attached, the housing positioned between the pair of arms.

19. A water filter assembly as in claim 18 , wherein the filter cartridge rotates about a central axis of the water filter assembly between the installed position and the uninstalled position, and wherein the manifold defines a pair

Assignees

• Gen Electric
• Haier Us Appliance Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Froelicher Stephen Bernard
• Venkatakrishnan Natarajan

Classifications

• C02F2103/02

  Non-contaminated water, e.g. for industrial water supply · CPC title

• C02F1/003 Primary

  using household-type filters for producing potable water, e.g. pitchers, bottles, faucet mounted devices (C02F9/20 takes precedence) · CPC title

• C02F2307/12

  as part of household appliances such as dishwashers, laundry washing machines or vacuum cleaners · CPC title

• C02F2201/006

  Cartridges · CPC title

• C02F2209/445

  Filter life · CPC title