Ion exchange cartridge for treating drinking water

Abstract

A cartridge for treating drinking water, comprising two chambers, wherein one chamber is filled with a highly acidic ion-exchange material and another chamber is filled with a weakly acidic ion-exchange material, wherein one of the ion-exchange materials is loaded with alkali ions or alkaline earth ions.

Claims

1. A cartridge for treating drinking water, the cartridge comprising a first chamber containing a highly acidic ion-exchange material which is loaded with magnesium ions to at least 60% of its capacity, a second chamber containing a weakly acidic ion-exchange material which is loaded with hydrogen ions, and a wall which divides the first chamber from the second chamber, so that when drinking water enters the cartridge a first partial stream of the drinking water passes through the first chamber and a second partial stream of the drinking water passes through the second chamber, to provide treated drinking water.

2. The cartridge for treating drinking water as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ion-exchange material in the first or in the second chamber is in form of granulated material.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a cartridge for a gravity-operated household water filter.

(2) FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view of another embodiment of cartridge for treating drinking water.

(3) FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of a cartridge, which is adapted for being connected to a drinking water conduit.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(4) The invention will now be explained in more detail by way of schematically illustrated exemplary embodiments with reference to the drawings of FIG. 1 to FIG. 3.

(5) FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a cartridge 1 for a gravity-operated household water filter such as those which may be inserted into a hopper (not shown).

(6) The basic principle of such a cartridge is known.

(7) In the present exemplary embodiment, cartridge 1 is a cartridge with flow reversal in which the water to be treated enters via an inlet 3 into a chamber 2 which is filled with an ion-exchange material 5.

(8) The ion-exchange material 5 is provided in granulated form.

(9) In this exemplary embodiment, the bottom of the cartridge has no opening, rather the water leaves the cartridge 1, after flow reversal, through a tubular outlet 4 (the path of the water is marked by arrows).

(10) However, it will be understood that the invention is also provided for cartridges without flow reversal, which in particular have an apertured cartridge bottom that serves as an outlet (not shown).

(11) The space in which the ion-exchange material is contained is divided into two chambers, 2a and 2b, by a wall 6.

(12) Chamber 2a is filled with a highly acidic ion-exchange material 5a, and chamber 2b is filled with a weakly acidic ion-exchange material 5b.

(13) One part of the water then passes through chamber 2a, while the other part passes through chamber 2b.

(14) Following flow reversal, the water from chambers 2a and 2b combines in chamber 7 positioned above the outlet, and then leaves cartridge 1 via a tubular outlet 4.

(15) The highly acidic ion-exchange material 5a is predominantly loaded with magnesium in its delivered state. The weakly acidic ion-exchange material 5b is predominantly loaded with hydrogen in its delivered state.

(16) In this manner, the drinking water to be treated can be enriched with magnesium ions. Furthermore, acidification of the drinking water is reduced.

(17) The properties of the treated water with respect to pH and magnesium content can be adjusted through the ratio of weakly acidic granulated material and highly acidic granulated material used.

(18) When compared to the conditioning of a material with two different ion species, the manufacturing of a cartridge which in addition to reducing the hardness of water releases magnesium is simplified.

(19) A further advantage of separating the highly acidic ion-exchange material from the weakly acidic ion-exchange material is, if the highly acidic ion-exchange material is loaded with magnesium, that the content of magnesium in the treated water can be better adjusted and may be higher.

(20) FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view of another embodiment of a cartridge 1 for treating drinking water, in which, similar to FIG. 1, the cartridge has chambers 2a and 2b which are separated by a wall 6.

(21) Again, one of chambers 2a, 2b is filled with a highly acidic ion-exchange material, and the other one with a weakly acidic ion-exchange material.

(22) In contrast to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, two separate outlets 4a, 4b are provided.

(23) It is now conceivable to draw water with different properties from each of these outlets 4a, 4b.

(24) Here, as contemplated according to one embodiment of the invention, it is again conceivable that one chamber or both chambers is/are filled with a mixture of a highly acidic and a weakly acidic ion-exchange material, in which the one part of the ion-exchange material is predominantly loaded with different ions than the other part.

(25) It is in particular conceivable that one water outlet delivers water of a lower pH than the other outlet.

(26) The user may now mix the water from the two outlets, or may only use the water from one outlet for specific applications, for example for preparing soft drinks, which in this case will have the lower pH.

(27) FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of a cartridge 10, which is adapted for being connected to a drinking water conduit, in particular to the conduit of a device for preparing hot beverages, such as used in gastronomy, for example.

(28) Cartridge 10 comprises a housing 13 with a connection 11 through which water flows into the housing 13 of cartridge 10.

(29) The treated drinking water leaves the cartridge via connection 12 and can be supplied for further use.

(30) The path of the water is indicated by arrows.

(31) Inlet connection 11 is connected to a downpipe 16 through which the water to be treated is fed into the bottom of the housing 13 of cartridge 10.

(32) The interior of cartridge 10 is separated into two parts, by a wall 17, so that in one section of the cartridge a granulate 14 of a highly acidic ion-exchange material predominantly loaded with magnesium is provided, and in a section separated therefrom a granulate 15 of a weakly acidic ion-exchange material which is predominantly converted into the hydrogen form in its delivered state.

(33) The water rising from the cartridge bottom due to the pressure of the following inflowing water is then divided into two partial streams, one of which passes through the highly acidic granulated material 14 loaded with magnesium, and the other part passes through the weakly acidic granulated material 15 loaded with hydrogen.

(34) In an upper chamber 18 of housing 13 of cartridge 10 there is no wall provided, so that the water of the two partial streams combines and exits cartridge 10 through outlet 12.

(35) The invention improves selectivity with respect to alkali ions and alkaline earth ions, in particular with respect to magnesium, which results in a more uniform release.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

(36) 1 Cartridge 2 Chamber 3 Inlet 4 Outlet 5 Ion-exchange material 6 Wall 7 Chamber 10 Cartridge 11 Connection 12 Connection 13 Housing 14 Granulated material 15 Granulated material 16 Downpipe 17 Wall 18 Chamber