Filter head and extension kit for a filter head
20230202882 · 2023-06-29
Assignee
Inventors
- Pierre BALIDAS (Bloomfield, NJ, US)
- Andrea PAVAN (Cittadella PD, IT)
- Michael HOFBAUER (Salzburg, AT)
- Jürgen JOHANN (Mondsee, AT)
Cpc classification
B01D35/153
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B01D2201/303
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
C02F2209/006
CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
C02F2307/10
CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
B01D2201/56
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B01D2201/54
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
International classification
Abstract
The disclosure relates to a filter head comprising a housing having one inlet and at least one outlet for being connected to an on-site water pipe. A filter candle having a filter candle inlet and at least one filter candle outlet can be installed in the filter head, and the filter head has means for setting a desired degree of softening by setting a blend ratio. The filter head comprises a flow meter and at least one conductivity measuring device, in particular a conductivity measuring cell, and the filter head has an interface for data transmission to an external unit and an integrated computing unit.
Claims
1.-20. (canceled)
21. A filter head, comprising: a housing with an inlet and an outlet for being connected into an on-site water pipe; a filter candle installed in the filter head, the filter candle having a filter candle inlet and a filter candle outlet, wherein the filter candle inlet and the filter candle outlet are coaxial passages; means for setting a desired degree of softening by setting a blend ratio; a flow meter and a computing unit; and a display adapted for indicating values calculated by the computing unit.
22. The filter head as in claim 21, further comprising a conductivity measuring cell.
23. The filter head as in claim 22, further comprising an interface for data transfer to an external unit.
24. The filter head as in claim 23, wherein the flow meter, the interface for data transfer to the external unit, and the computing unit are integrated in the housing of the filter head.
25. The filter head as in claim 21, with a respective conductivity measuring cell arranged in the inlet and in the outlet; and/or with at least one conductivity measuring cell arranged in a pipe fitting connected to the filter head housing.
26. The filter head as in claim 21, wherein the means for setting a desired degree of softening comprise an actuator connected to the computing unit.
27. The filter head as in claim 23, wherein the conductivity measuring cell, the interface for data transfer to an external unit, and/or the computing unit are arranged in an extension module that can be coupled to a main housing.
28. The filter head as in claim 27, wherein the conductivity measuring cell comprises a temperature sensor; and/or wherein a programming interface for the computing unit is provided on the filter head and/or on the external unit; and/or wherein the filter head has means for detecting a filter candle, in particular an RFID reading device.
29. A filter head, comprising a housing with an inlet and an outlet for being connected into an on-site water pipe, wherein the filter head is adapted for installing a filter candle therein, which has a filter candle inlet and a filter candle outlet, wherein the filter candle inlet and the filter candle outlet are coaxial passages, wherein the filter head has means for setting a desired degree of softening by setting a blend ratio, wherein the filter head comprises at least one pipe fitting with a conductivity measuring cell integrated therein.
30. A filter head, comprising: a housing with one inlet and at least one outlet for being connected into an on-site water pipe, wherein the filter head is adapted for installing a filter candle therein, which has one filter candle inlet and at least one filter candle outlet, wherein the filter candle inlet and the filter candle outlet are coaxial passages, wherein the filter head has means for setting a desired degree of softening by setting a blend ratio, wherein the housing of the filter head includes a flow meter integrated therein.
31. The filter head as in claim 30, wherein the flow meter comprises a housing with an inlet and an outlet, which is arranged in an extension of a main housing and which is connected between an outlet of a filter candle and the outlet for being connected into the on-site water pipe or between the inlet for being connected into the on-site water pipe and an inlet of a filter candle.
32. The filter head as in claim 21, wherein the flow meter is arranged approximately at a level of the inlet and of the outlet of the filter candle.
33. The filter head as in claim 21, wherein the flow meter is a turbine wheel meter, with a turbine wheel axis aligned in parallel to an insertion direction of a filter candle.
34. The filter head as in claim 21, wherein the flow meter is a self-contained module that can be connected to passages of the filter head.
35. The filter head as in claim 34, wherein the module can be plugged to the passages.
36. The filter head as in claim 30, wherein the flow meter is installed in an inlet or in an outlet of the filter head.
37. The filter head as in claim 36, wherein an interface is provided on the inlet or on the outlet, at which a rotation speed of an impeller wheel and/or a flow rate can be tapped.
38. The filter head as in claim 36, wherein the flow meter comprises a rotating wheel, in particular an impeller wheel, which is mounted in a housing, wherein the housing is fitted into the inlet or into the outlet of the filter head.
39. A system for water treatment, comprising the filter head as in claim 21 and a filter candle installed in the filter head, which comprises at least one water treatment medium.
40. The system as in claim 39, further comprising an extension kit for the filter head, comprising a pipe fitting which can be connected to an inlet and/or to an outlet of the filter head, wherein the pipe fitting comprises a conductivity measuring cell integrated therein.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0130] The subject-matter of the invention will now be explained in more detail by way of exemplary embodiments with reference to the drawings of
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0152]
[0153] Filter head 1 can be connected inline into an on-site water pipe and has an inlet 2 and an outlet 3 for this purpose.
[0154] Inlet 2 and outlet 3 are in the form of detachable pipe fittings 200a, 200b.
[0155] Pipe fittings 200a, 200b are angled, and the connections can be mounted in different angular positions relative to the housing 100 of the filter head 1, for adaptation to different installation situations.
[0156] In this exemplary embodiment, coupling piece 103 can be used for mounting the filter head housing 100 on a wall mount (not shown).
[0157] Pipe fittings 200a, 200b can be detached by twisting off a quick-connect piece 104.
[0158] In this exemplary embodiment, the housing 100 of filter head 1 is provided with a display 101 and a control panel 102 at the front.
[0159] Display 101 allows to read out the current flow rate, the volume treated since the last replacement of the filter candle, or the degree of hardness of the output water, for example.
[0160] Control panel 102 can be used to have the different values displayed, by pressing it multiple times, for example.
[0161] Furthermore, control panel 102 may comprise a reset button, for example, which is operable to reset a counter for the service life of the filter candle after the filter candle has been replaced.
[0162] According to one exemplary embodiment, filter head 1 comprises an upwardly projecting control element 105, which is operable to manually set the blend ratio in order to adapt the desired softening to the degree of hardness of the inlet water.
[0163] Preferably, however, the blend ratio is automated, for example it is set using a motorized threaded spindle. In this embodiment, an appropriately designed blend ratio indicator 105 may be provided. The indicator 105 may include a window 123 through which the setting of the blend ratio can be read out from a corresponding scale located behind the window 123 (see also
[0164] Furthermore, the filter head 1 comprises the control element 106 for a flushing valve.
[0165] When the filter head 101 is installed and the control element 106 is actuated, water will be discharged on the outlet side via a conduit in the form of a piece of hose, for example.
[0166] Actuation of the flushing valve primarily serves to flood a newly installed filter candle and then to flush the filter candle thereby discharging suspended matter and allow the exchange reactions in the ion exchange material to become established. The water initially discharged in this way is discarded.
[0167]
[0168] The filter head comprises a main housing 100a coupled with a housing extension 110. Housing extension 110 is preferably in the form of a housing part that can be detached from the main housing 100a.
[0169] In this exemplary embodiment, the housing extension 110 comprises a cable feedthrough 111 which can be used, for example, to couple an external unit such as a display or a programming device to a computing unit integrated in the housing extension 110, and/or to power electrical and electronic components of the filter head 1.
[0170] On its underside, the filter head 1 has an internal thread 112 into which the filter candle (see
[0171] In this exemplary embodiment, the filter head has a central outlet 107 to the filter candle. Outlet 107 to the filter candle is in the form of a sleeve with at least one passage in this exemplary embodiment.
[0172] An annular passage 108 is provided as the inlet 108 for water coming from the filter candle in this exemplary embodiment, which annular passage extends around the outlet 107 to the filter candle.
[0173] An actuator 109 for a shut-off valve of the inlet protrudes into this annular passage 108.
[0174] When the filter candle is screwed in, the actuator 109 is only pushed back when the filter candle is already joined to the filter head 1 in a sealing manner.
[0175] In this way, the water supply is automatically closed when the filter candle is removed and is opened again when the filter candle is installed.
[0176]
[0177] Filter candle 40 comprises a head portion with an external thread.
[0178] A central tube defines the inlet 41 of the filter candle, around which an annular passage 42 extends as the outlet.
[0179] Water can be introduced into the filter candle 40 via the central downcomer tube of inlet 41, and the water will then flow through the filter medium and will be discharged again at outlet 42.
[0180] This central tube may have at least one opening (not shown). The sleeve of the outlet (107 in
[0181] Some of the water exits the tube laterally and does not pass through the entire filter section. Rather, this water is preferably only subjected to purification, for example using activated carbon.
[0182]
[0183] The housing extension 110 may form part of an extension kit to supplement the filter head 1 with the additional functionality according to the disclosure or can be removed to retrofit components of an extension kit, in particular a flow meter and/or a computing unit.
[0184] Pipe fittings 200a, 200b may also form part of an extension kit.
[0185] Pipe fittings 200a, 200b each comprise an electrical interface 201. The electrical interface 201 is in the form of a plug-in connection in this exemplary embodiment.
[0186] Electronics arranged in the housing extension 110 can be connected to the electrical interface 201 via a cable connection (not shown).
[0187]
[0188] Outlet pipe fitting 200b of the filter head comprises a backflow preventer 204. Due to the backflow preventer 204, no water will escape when the filter candle is removed, since the pipe on the outlet side will run empty.
[0189] In this exemplary embodiment, pipe fitting 200b comprises a collar 206, on which the quick-connect 104 as shown in
[0190] Pipe fitting 200b comprises an integrated conductivity measuring cell 205 which includes the electrical interface 201.
[0191] Pipe fitting 200b furthermore has the form of an angle piece or elbow 202. A straight pipe fitting is also possible.
[0192] The connection 203 for an on-site pipe can be in the form of a thread, for example.
[0193]
[0194] Conductivity measuring cell 205 comprises two opposing electrodes 207a, 207b protruding into the passage 208 that is defined by the pipe fitting.
[0195] Furthermore, the conductivity measuring cell 205 includes a temperature sensor, not shown.
[0196]
[0197] A flow meter 300 comprising the housing 301 is integrated in the housing extension.
[0198] Below the flow meter, a computing unit 400 is located, which includes a circuit board 401.
[0199] Circuit board 401 has an interface 403, for example for the conductivity measuring cells.
[0200] In this exemplary embodiment, circuit board 401 comprises a battery 402 which may in particular be in the form of a button cell.
[0201] As contemplated according to one embodiment, the battery 402 can serve to power the computing unit 400.
[0202] According to a further exemplary embodiment it is also possible to power the computing unit via a cable, and the battery 402 is only provided in order to avoid data loss in the event of a power interruption on the mains side.
[0203] The computing unit 400 and the housing 301 of flow meter 300 are stacked one on top of the other. This provides for a compact design and the arrangement of signal processing components for the flow meter 300 directly on the circuit board 401.
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[0205] As can be clearly seen in this view, the flow meter has an inlet 302 and an outlet 303. Water flows through the flow meter via inlet 302 and outlet 303.
[0206] Since the inlet 302 and the outlet 303 are arranged in parallel to one another, it is easily possible to connect a U-shaped pipe piece to the respective connections instead of the flow meter.
[0207] In this way, a filter head can be provided without a flow meter, and can be easily enhanced to include the flow meter by replacing the pipe piece by the flow meter.
[0208] The flow meter comes in the form of a self-contained module which can be fitted or plugged to the connections (passages 114 and 115) of the filter head with its inlet 302 and outlet 302.
[0209] The circuit board has a further electrical interface 404 which is used, for example, to connect the display (101 in
[0210] The connecting line for the display (not shown) can be routed through the housing of the filter head, in particular along the side wall of the housing.
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[0212] Flow meter 300 includes a turbine wheel 304 which is arranged as a radial turbine and sits flat in the housing 301.
[0213] Such a flow meter 300 is of compact design, provides an exact measurement result and causes only relatively small flow loss.
[0214] Furthermore, for generating a measurement signal, the turbine wheel 304 may comprise at least one magnet or a ferromagnetic insert (not shown).
[0215] In this way, the rotation speed of the turbine wheel 304 and hence the flow rate can be measured using an inductive sensor. A corresponding calibration curve can be stored in the computing unit.
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[0217] The board 401 itself can include sensor areas 405a, 405b.
[0218] Sensor areas 405a, 405b may form part of an integrated inductive sensor, for example, so as to directly capture the rotation speed of the turbine wheel of the flowmeter.
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[0220] More particularly, the central outlet 107 to the filter candle can be seen, around which the inlet for water flowing from the filter candle extends in the form of a annular passage 108.
[0221] The actuator 109 for inlet valve 113, through which the inlet 2 is closed when the filter candle is removed, protrudes into this annular passage 108.
[0222] The water flowing out of the filter candle flows via the outwardly extending passage 114 into the flow meter 300 and causes the turbine wheel 304 to move as a function of the flow rate.
[0223] The axis of the turbine wheel 304 is aligned in parallel with the insertion direction of the filter candle and therefore parallel to the outlet 107 and to the inlet 108.
[0224] The housing lying flat like this facilitates a compact design.
[0225] From flow meter 300, the water flows via passage 115 to the outlet 3, also at about the same level.
[0226] The sectional view shows the backflow preventer 204 which keeps the outlet 3 closed when the filter candle is removed, so that no water flows back.
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[0228] As can be clearly seen in this sectional view, the passages 114, 115 to and from turbine wheel 304 are defined by the housing 301 as well as by the conduits located in the main housing 100a.
[0229] In this way, the housing 301 of the flow meter is connected to the passages of the filter head in a sealing manner using seals 121 and 122.
[0230] Furthermore, it can be seen that the housing 301 is placed directly on the circuit board 401.
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[0232] As can be seen in this sectional view, the outlet 107 to the filter candle comprises a sleeve 117 with at least one passage 119.
[0233] Sleeve 117 comprises a seal 118 and engages in the central tube of the filter candle when connected.
[0234] Sleeve 117 can be displaced axially by a threaded spindle 116 which can be driven by a servomotor (not visible in this view), and threaded spindle 116 is connected to the bypass indicator 105.
[0235] Depending on the position of the sleeve 117, a different number of holes will be opened or closed in the downcomer tube of the filter candle as a function of the axial position of the sleeve 117, or the cross section of an elongated hole will be opened more or less laterally. In this way, the blend ratio can be adjusted.
[0236] The hose connection 120 can also be seen, to which a hose can be connected in order to drain off output water which emerges when the flushing valve is actuated.
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[0238] Otherwise, however, filter head 1 can be configured as in the exemplary embodiment described above.
[0239] Filter head 1 comprises a wireless communication means, for example Bluetooth or wifi, so that it is able to establish a data connection with a mobile device 5.
[0240] A program running on mobile device 5 permits to derive data such as the degree of hardness, amount of water etc.
[0241] Also, the predicted remaining service life of the filter candle can be displayed.
[0242] Finally, it is possible to change the desired degree of softening, which can be determined relatively precisely by the conductivity measuring cells at the inlet and outlet.
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[0244] The external unit may include a display 61 and/or a control panel 62. The cable 63 can, for example, be connected to the computing unit via the cable feedthrough (111) as shown in
[0245] The functionality of display 61 and control panel 62 may correspond to that of the embodiment shown in
[0246] The connection via cable 63 has the advantage that the external unit 60 can be mounted at a different location.
[0247] More particularly, the filter head may be located under the sink, for example in gastronomy, whereas the external unit 60 is mounted above the sink so as to be easily accessible, for example on a wall.
[0248]
[0249] Filter head 1, like the filter heads illustrated before, is adapted for having a filter candle installed and is connected to an existing on-site water pipe.
[0250] Filter head 1 has an inlet 2 and an outlet 3.
[0251] In this exemplary embodiment, inlet 2 and outlet 3 are arranged next to one another and extend parallel to one another. Thus, the filter head 1 is connected from one lateral side in this embodiment. However, a different configuration is also conceivable.
[0252] For setting the blend ratio, the filter head 1 comprises a control element 105 which is designed to be rotatable in order to adjust a bypass.
[0253] In this exemplary embodiment, the control element 105 can only be turned when the locking means 124 is pressed.
[0254] The essential difference compared to the exemplary embodiments described above is that in this exemplary embodiment a flow meter is integrated in a connection, in this exemplary embodiment in the outlet 3.
[0255] On the outside, the outlet 3 has an electrical interface 125 fitted thereto, which allows to capture at least the rotation speed of an impeller of the flow meter and to thus forward it to an external unit.
[0256] In order to provide further functionalities for the filter head 1 shown here, it is possible to mount a pipe fitting including a conductivity measuring cell to the inlet 2 and/or to the outlet 3, for example a pipe fitting as illustrated in
[0257]
[0258] As in the exemplary embodiment illustrated above, an actuator 109 is provided downstream of inlet 2, which is actuated by the head portion of the filter candle and thus opens a check valve 126 when the filter candle is installed.
[0259] A backflow preventer or non-return valve 127 may be provided upstream of the check valve 126.
[0260] On the outlet side, another backflow preventer 128 is first provided downstream of the filter candle.
[0261] Within the pipe section of outlet 3, the outflowing water flows over a flow meter 500, the configuration of which will be described in more detail below.
[0262] The integration of the flow meter 500 into a pipe fitting provides for a particularly compact design.
[0263]
[0264] It can be seen that the flow meter 500 sits inside the connection which has the form of a pipe.
[0265]
[0266] The flow meter 500 comprises an impeller 503 which is mounted in a housing 501 that is fitted into the pipe portion of outlet 3.
[0267] Thus, the flow meter 500 can be installed particularly easily.
[0268] The housing 501 can be latched in the pipe portion, for example, and/or can be clamped using a seal 505.
[0269] Housing 501 includes a passage 502 with a cross section tapering towards the side of outlet 3, so that the impeller 503 is subjected to the flow at one side.
[0270] The impeller 503 may include a magnet (not shown) integrated therein. The rotation speed of the impeller 503 can thus be read out in a contactless way from the outside via interface 125.
[0271]
[0272] It can be seen that, inside the housing 501, the impeller 503 is mounted laterally by bearings 504, perpendicular to the flow direction.
[0273]
[0274] The impeller 503 can be mounted, for example, by first latching it into the housing 501 and then slidingly introducing it into the connection 3 together with the housing.
[0275] The filter head illustrated in
[0276]
[0277] Instead of flowing through a filter bed for being softened, the inlet water is directed through a membrane.
[0278] The concentrated inlet water then has to be discharged on a concentrate side.
[0279] The water on the concentrate side is discharged via a further outlet 4.
[0280] In this exemplary embodiment, the further outlet 4 is implemented in the center of the control element 105.
[0281] Otherwise the filter head corresponds to the exemplary embodiment explained with reference to the drawings of
[0282] Hence, an electrical interface 125 is provided at outlet 3, which allows to read out the signal of a flow meter.
[0283] The configuration of the flow meter together with interface 125 corresponds to the illustration according to
[0284] The invention allowed to provide a filter head that is conveniently actuable and adjustable, while at the same time providing for a more consistent water hardness and a longer service life of the filter candle.
LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS
[0285] 1 Filter head [0286] 2 Inlet [0287] 3 Outlet [0288] 4 Outlet for concentrate [0289] 40 Filter candle [0290] 41 Filter candle inlet [0291] 42 Filter candle outlet [0292] 43 External thread [0293] 5 Mobile device [0294] 60 External unit [0295] 61 Display [0296] 62 Control panel [0297] 63 Cable [0298] 100 Housing [0299] 100a Main Housing [0300] 101 Display [0301] 102 Control panel [0302] 103 Coupling piece [0303] 104 Quick-connect/quick-connect piece [0304] 105 Control element/blend ratio indicator [0305] 106 Control element for flushing valve [0306] 107 Outlet into filter candle [0307] 108 Inlet for water flowing out of the filter candle [0308] 109 Actuator for inlet shut-off valve [0309] 110 Housing extension [0310] 111 Cable feedthrough [0311] 112 Internal thread [0312] 113 Inlet valve [0313] 114 Passage to flow meter [0314] 115 Passage from flow meter [0315] 116 Threaded spindle [0316] 117 Sleeve [0317] 118 Seal [0318] 119 Passage [0319] 120 Hose connection [0320] 121 Seal [0321] 122 Seal [0322] 123 Window [0323] 124 Locking means [0324] 125 Electrical interface [0325] 126 Check valve [0326] 127 Backflow preventer [0327] 128 Backflow preventer [0328] 200a, b Pipe fitting with conductivity measuring cell [0329] 201 Electrical interface [0330] 202 Angle piece [0331] 203 Connection for on-site pipe [0332] 204 Backflow preventer [0333] 205 Conductivity measuring cell [0334] 206 Collar [0335] 207a,b Electronics [0336] 208 Passage [0337] 300 Flow meter [0338] 301 Housing [0339] 302 Inlet [0340] 303 Outlet [0341] 304 Turbine wheel [0342] 400 Computing unit [0343] 401 Circuit board [0344] 402 Battery [0345] 403 Electrical interface [0346] 404 Electrical interface [0347] 405a,b Sensor area [0348] 500 Flow meter [0349] 501 Housing [0350] 502 Passage [0351] 503 Impeller [0352] 504 Bearing [0353] 505 Seal