초록 ▼

A single valve and associated conduits for so operating a reverse osmosis assembly that includes a reverse osmosis cartridge, a reservoir that has a movable barrier therein that sub-divides the interior into first and second confined spaces of variable volume, and a manually operated purified water

A single valve and associated conduits for so operating a reverse osmosis assembly that includes a reverse osmosis cartridge, a reservoir that has a movable barrier therein that sub-divides the interior into first and second confined spaces of variable volume, and a manually operated purified water dispensing valve, so that as the first confined space approaches a filled condition with purified water, the single valve throttles the flow of pressurized feed water to the cartridge to minimize the use of feed water in the operation thereof, with the maximum back pressure to which purified water is subjected in discharging from the cartridge is that due to the weight of reject water in the second confined space, and the membrane in the reverse osmosis cartridge being fast flushed with feed water to remove foreign material therefrom when the purified water dispensing valve is discharging purified water.

대표청구항 ▼

In combination with a source of feed water for providing feed water at a first pressure; a reverse osmosis membrane containing cartridge that includes a feed water inlet, a reject water outlet, and a purified water outlet; a reservoir container that includes a movable barrier that subdivides an inte

In combination with a source of feed water for providing feed water at a first pressure; a reverse osmosis membrane containing cartridge that includes a feed water inlet, a reject water outlet, and a purified water outlet; a reservoir container that includes a movable barrier that subdivides an interior of said reservoir container into first and second confined spaces of variable volume that are in communication with first and second passages in said reservoir container; a purified water dispensing valve that includes a purified water inlet, a purified water dispensing outlet, a reject water inlet, a reject water drain outlet, a reject water passage, first and second flow restrictors, and a movable two position actuator, said actuator when in a first position obstructing communication between said purified water inlet and said purified water dispensing outlet and providing a flow path for reject water that enters said purified water dispensing valve through said reject water inlet to flow through said first and second flow restrictors to said reject water drain outlet, and said actuator when in a second position providing a flow path for purified water to flow from said purified water inlet to said purified water dispensing outlet and for reject water entering said reject water inlet to bypass said first and second flow restrictors and flow outwardly through said reject water passage; and a control valve and a plurality of conduit means associated therewith and with said reverse osmosis cartidge, said reservoir container, and said purified water dispensing valve whereby subsequent to said first confined space being substantially filled with purified water, said control valve throttles and reduces rate of flow of feed water at said first pressure to said reverse osmosis cartridge to minimize a quantity of feed water required to provide said reservoir container with stored purified water that may be intermittently withdrawn therefrom by use of said purified water dispensing valve, said control valve including: (a) an elongate vertically positionable valve body having an upper end and a bottom, an elongate passage that extends downwardly from said upper end to develop into an axially aligned elongate chamber of substantially greater transverse area than that of said passage, said chamber partially defined by said bottom and a body shoulder at a junction of said passage and chamber, said elongate passage in communication with said source of feed water at said first pressure; a ring shaped valve seat in said elongate passage; a pressurized feed water outlet in said valve body in communication with said elongate passage below said valve seat; a purified water passage in said bottom; a reject water passage in said valve body that communicates with said chamber a substantial distance above said bottom; (b) an elongate valve member movably disposed in said valve body, said valve member including upper and lower ends, said upper end defining an upper end surface and sealing with said valve seat when said valve member is in a first position, said valve member including a first piston intermediate said upper and lower ends that slidably and sealingly engages said elongate passage, said first piston having an upper end surface, and a second piston on said lower end of said valve member that slidably and sealingly engages said chamber, said second piston having a lower end surface defining a lower end surface area and a ring shaped upper end surface defining an upper end surface area being of less area than said lower end surface area of said second piston, means for providing communication between said source of feed water and both said elongate passage and said valve member for providing said feed water at said first pressure contacting said upper end surfaces of said valve member and first piston to exert a first downward force on said valve member that moves said valve member from said first to a second position where said feed water is free to flow from said feed water outlet in said valve body; (c) conduit means that include a first conduit that connects said feed water outlet in said valve body and said feed water inlet in said cartridge; a second conduit that extends between said purified water outlet, said first passage in said reservoir container, said purified water passage in said valve body, and said purified water inlet in said purified water dispensing valve; a third conduit that extends between said reject water outlet of said reverse osmosis cartridge and said reject water inlet in said purified water dispensing valve; a fourth conduit that connects said reject water passage in said purified water dispensing valve and said reject water passage in said control valve to said second passage in said reservoir container, said actuator when in said first position obstructing communication between said purified water inlet and purified water dispensing outlet while providing a flow path for reject water from said reject water outlet flowing through said third conduit to said reject water inlet in said purified water dispensing valve to thereafter flow through said first and second flow restrictors to said drain outlet and for reject water entering said reject water passage in said purified water dispensing valve to flow through said second flow restrictor to said drain outlet, while purified water from said purified water outlet flows through said second conduit to said first passage in said reservoir container and to said purified water inlet in said purified water dispensing valve; and said actuator when moved to said second position establishing communication between said purified water inlet and said purified water dispensing outlet and providing a flow path for reject water from said reject water outlet through said third conduit to said reject water inlet to bypass said first and second flow restictors to enter said fourth conduit to expand said second confined space and to said reject water passage in said control valve to exert a second downward force on said upper surface of said second piston, with said first and second forces when combined being of greater magnitude than a third upward force exerted on said lower end surface of said second piston by purified water that has been pressurized by the expansion of said second confined space, with said actuator when returned to said first position terminating flow of purified water from said purified water dispensing outlet, with purified water from said purified water outlet discharging through said second conduit to said first confined space and chamber to expand said first confined space and force reject water from said second confined space, with flow of purified water so continuing until pressure of purified water in said chamber increases to the extent that it exerts a third force on said lower surface of said second piston of a magnitude greater than said combined first and second forces and said valve member moving upwardly from said second towards said first position to throttle and reduce a rate of flow of said pressurized feed water to said reverse osmosis cartidge.