초록 ▼

The invention is related to water vending systems for the automatic dispensing of purified water from a machine which is preferably activated by coin or other form of payment. Reverse osmosis filtration of local water together with other water treatment operations is used to improve the quality of t

The invention is related to water vending systems for the automatic dispensing of purified water from a machine which is preferably activated by coin or other form of payment. Reverse osmosis filtration of local water together with other water treatment operations is used to improve the quality of the vended water. Stagnation of stored permeate is automatically prevented to assure the freshness of dispensed water. The system is designed to reduce the frequency of servicing and the life of components without decreasing the quality of the vended water. In one embodiment the vending system comprises control means for automatically dumping the filtered water stored in a tank in the system if there has not been at least a predetermined number of vends of water within a predetermined period of time. After the storage tank has been dumped the drain is automatically closed and fresh filtered water is produced to refill the storage tank. Another embodiment allows the storage tank to remain at atmospheric pressure at all times thereby preventing leaks due to high pressure or aspiration due to below atmospheric pressure in the system. Contamination of the filtered water in the storage tank by breather air is prevented by ultraviolet sterilization of such breather air continuously before it enters the tank.

대표청구항 ▼

A vending apparatus for dispensing water comprising: apparatus-inlet means for introducing water into said vending apparatus; module-pump means, having a module-pump inlet and a module-pump outlet, for pumping water to an elevated pressure; inlet-pump connective means for connecting said apparatus-i

A vending apparatus for dispensing water comprising: apparatus-inlet means for introducing water into said vending apparatus; module-pump means, having a module-pump inlet and a module-pump outlet, for pumping water to an elevated pressure; inlet-pump connective means for connecting said apparatus-inlet means to said module-pump inlet; a reverse osmosis module having a module inlet for introducing water into said module, a semipermeable membrane operable for separating water pumped into said module under pressure into (i) a permeate containing a rduced amount of solids and dissolved substances, and (ii) a concentrate containing enriched amounts of solids and dissolved substances, a permeate module outlet in a first part of said module for removing permeate and a concentrate module outlet in a second part of said module for removing concentrate, said second part being separated from said first part by said membrane; pump module connective means for connecting said module-pump outlet to said module inlet; disposal-outlet means, connected to said concentrate module outlet, for discharging concentrate from said vending apparatus to a drain; water tank having a tank inlet and a tank outlet; module-tank connective means for connecting said permeate module outlet to said tank inlet; vend-pump means, having a vend-pump inlet and a vend-pump outlet, for pumping water from said water tank; tank-pump connective means for connecting said tank outlet to said vend-pump inlet; dispensing means, having a dispensing inlet and a dispensing outlet, for dispensing water from said vending apparatus; pump-dispensing connective means for connecting said vend-pump outlet to said dispensing inlet; dump valve means having a dump valve inlet and a dump valve outlet; tank-valve connecting means for connecting said tank outlet to said valve inlet, said dump valve means for shutting off the flow of water in said tank-valve connective means; discharge means, connected to said dump valve outlet, for discharging water from said dump valve to a drain; and control means operable for automatically opening said dump valve means by signal from said control means to said dump valve means if there has not been at least a predetermined number of vends of water within a predetermined period of time, said control means also operable for opening said dump valve means for a length of time sufficient to discharge at least substantially all water in said water tank through said dump valve means to said discharge means and thereafter for automatically closing said dump valve means.