Liquid purification or separation – With repair or assembling means
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-14
2001-02-06
Popovics, Robert J. (Department: 1723)
Liquid purification or separation
With repair or assembling means
C210S282000, C210S420000, C210S444000, C210S455000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06183636
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention lies in the field of combined faucet and filter assemblies.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Assemblies for filtering tap water wherein a water filter is arranged in the input pipe to a faucet are well known, as are arrangements where, for example, a faucet (a) is exteriorly connected to a filter, (b) incorporates a four-way valve including a filter by-pass, or (c) incorporates an on-off valve for a filter that is connected in the line for the cold water supply.
Prior art arrangements of faucets and filters appear to suffer from common disadvantages such as (a) they are relatively inconvenient to install, use and maintain, or (b) they require additional space (especially countertop space) beyond that required for a faucet alone, or (c) they interfere with the generally accepted appearance and function of a faucet structure. Also, special piping configurations and sink installation procedures are commonly required. Further, to replace a filter in such an arrangement, as is periodically necessary, it is typically required to use a cumbersome procedure that commonly involves tool usage, shutting off the line water, preliminarily somehow getting under or behind the associated sink, disassembly of various components, filter installation, component reassembly, etc. The difficulties, costs and problems that are associated with prior art arrangements of faucet and filters have tended to limit their sale, use and maintenance.
An added complication arises out of the circumstance that hot tap water and sometimes even warm tap water, cannot be subjected to filtration using conventional filter media without damaging such media and/or leaching out into the water being filtered components of the filter media, thereby injuring filtered water potability. Therefore, only cold tap water (that is, tap water from a cold tap water input line) should be employed for pre-drinking filtration.
In many regions, the quality of tap water continues to slowly deteriorate over time so that there is a progressively increasing need to filter tap water intended for human consumption. The art needs a new, useful and practical combination of faucet and filter that is simple to use, easy to install and maintain, and reliable.
The present invention fulfills this need and overcomes the above-indicated disadvantages.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In one aspect, the invention relates to a new and very useful functional and coacting interconnected combination of faucet assembly and filter assembly that is capable of dispensing either a mixture of cold and hot tap water or cold filtered tap water.
So far as now known, such a combination has not heretofore been known, particularly a combination where the same valve means that is used for adjustably mixing hot and cold tap water for dispensing through a spout means is also used to divert cold tap water for filtration before dispensing.
In another aspect, the invention relates to a new and very useful faucet assembly that is suitable for use in the combination or elsewhere. This faucet assembly incorporates valve means which functions in either one of two operating modes. In one operating mode, the valve means functions to deliver hot, cold or mixed hot and cold supplied tap water to an associated spout arm means. In a second operating mode, the valve means functions to divert only cold supplied tap water to an associated diverting conduit means. Preferably, the valve means is an integrated, composite valve structure which is actuated and controlled by a single faucet-associated valve regulator means whose position determines in the one operating mode water flow rate and temperature of the delivered tap water and whose position in the second operating mode determines cold filtered tap water flow rate. The associated spout arm means preferably incorporates two separate spout means, one for tap water and the other for diverted, processed (i.e., filtered) and returned water, each spout means being preferably located at or near the outer terminal portion of the spout arm means.
In another aspect, the invention relates to a new and very useful filter assembly that is suitable for use in the combination or elsewhere. The filter assembly incorporates a unitary filter housing structure having a removable cap means at one end thereof. When the cap means is removed, a filter cartridge is easily and simply installed in the housing structure. Various types of interchangeable filter cartridges can be employed in the filter housing, if desired, depending upon user preferences, use conditions, filter availability and like factors; however, a presently preferred filter cartridge structure is provided. The filter assembly includes input conduit means for connection thereof with the diverting conduit of a cooperating faucet assembly. The filter assembly is adapted to receive diverted cold water from the faucet assembly, to filter this water and to deliver the filtered water for dispensing. Preferably, the filter assembly is also associated with output conduit means adapted to deliver filtered water therefrom back to the faucet assembly for dispensing from the faucet assembly.
The filter assembly and the faucet assembly coact in the inventive combination and are preferably located in laterally adjacent relationship to one another. Preferably, the faucet assembly and the filter assembly in the combination are both associatable with a sink or basin back deck or the like. Preferably, the combination of the filter assembly and the faucet assembly includes a common housing structure and the whole combination is preferably locatable centrally on and/or in the back deck or the like of a sink, basin or the like. The common housing structure preferably functionally interconnects the filter assembly and the faucet assembly. Preferably, the common housing structure aids in associating the combination with a sink back deck or the like. Preferably, the common housing structure includes interconnecting conduit means that connect the filter assembly with the faucet assembly so that cold tap water that is diverted from the faucet assembly passes through the filter assembly and, preferably, is then delivered back to the faucet assembly. Preferably, filtered water delivered back to the faucet assembly exits through the faucet assembly's associated spout means. However, if desired, a separate dispensing spout, a separate faucet-type dispensing valve, or the like can be associated with the filter assembly so that filtered water can be discharged, if desired, from the vicinity of the filter assembly.
The combination including the faucet assembly, the filter assembly and the common housing structure is preferably configured and adapted for association with existing standardized apertures formed in a sink back deck, thereby permitting the combination to be used with a conventional kitchen or lavatory or other type of sink, thereby preferably avoiding or minimizing a need for alterations in an existing sink back deck or in the preformed apertures existing in a sink back deck.
The combination of faucet assembly and filter assembly provided by this invention is inventive and replaces and avoids any need for the cumbersome and problematic arrangements of faucets and filters that are common in the prior art.
The inventive combination of faucet assembly and filter assembly is versatile and adapted for use in a wide variety of sink-associated applications both where filtered and unfiltered tap water are needed or desired from sink-associated spout means, and also where various mixtures of hot and cold tap water are to be dispensed. Preferably both the admixed hot and cold tap water and the filtered cold tap water are dispensed from sink-associated spout arm means.
Various valve structures can be employed in the faucet assembly, as those skilled in the art will appreciate. Preferably, the presently provided new faucet assembly includes a faucet body means and an associated new valve structure which is capable of receiving hot and cold tap water from conventional respective supply lines. P
Bowers David L.
Livingston Troy
Park Steve
Klooster John W.
Popovics Robert J.
Pure Water, Inc.
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