IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
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국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
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출원번호 |
US-0494981
(1990-03-16)
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발명자
/ 주소 |
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대리인 / 주소 |
Eckert, Seamans, Cherin & Mellott
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인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
17 인용 특허 :
1 |
초록
▼
A water filtration device is provided with a vessel body having an open interior for containing activated carbon used to filter water flowing through the open interior of the vessel body. The vessel body is preferably tubular with at least one open end and an end cap for closing the open end. The en
A water filtration device is provided with a vessel body having an open interior for containing activated carbon used to filter water flowing through the open interior of the vessel body. The vessel body is preferably tubular with at least one open end and an end cap for closing the open end. The end cap can have an end wall and a tubular side wall dimensioned to fit over the tubular vessel body to close the open end. A circumferential groove, preferably semi-circular in cross-section, is provided on an inside surface of the side wall of the end cap. This circumferential groove mates with a circumferential groove on an outside surface of the tubular vessel body when the end cap is fitted over the open end to form a locking channel. A flexible retaining rod is inserted through an aperture in the side wall of the end cap and into the locking channel to prevent disengagement of the end cap from the vessel body. The invention provides a non-toxic alternative to toxic adhesives and other toxic materials previously used to secure end caps to the vessel body.
대표청구항
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1. A water filtration device, comprising: a vessel body having an open interior for containing a filter medium, said vessel body having at least one open end; an end cap comprising an end wall and a side wall, said side wall having an inside dimension substantially equal to and greater than the
1. A water filtration device, comprising: a vessel body having an open interior for containing a filter medium, said vessel body having at least one open end; an end cap comprising an end wall and a side wall, said side wall having an inside dimension substantially equal to and greater than the corresponding outside dimension of said open end, whereby said end cap will fit over the open end of the vessel body to close the open end; locking structure for locking the end cap to the open end of the vessel body, said locking structure comprising a locking groove on an inside surface of said side wall, with an access opening extending through said side wall to said locking groove, said locking structure further comprising a corresponding locking groove positioned on said tubular vessel body such that said locking groove on said end cap can be juxtaposed with said corresponding locking groove on said vessel body when said end cap is fitted over said open end, said juxtaposed locking grooves forming a locking channel; a flexible rod adapted for insertion into said locking channel through said access opening, said flexible rod being dimensioned in cross-section so as to fit snugly within said locking channel, whereby said locking grooves and said flexible rod will provide a non-toxic joint for preventing disengagement of said end caps from said vessel body under the internal operating pressure of water flowing through said water filtration device. 2. The water filtration device of claim 1, wherein said locking grooves are substantially circumferential about said end caps and said vessel body, and substantially semi-circular in cross-section, whereby said locking channel formed by juxtaposition of said circumferential grooves is substantially circumferential and circular in cross-section, said flexible rod being substantially circular in cross-section and having a diameter substantially equal to, and less than the diameter of said locking channel, whereby said flexible rod will fit snugly within said locking channel and internal pressure forces acting on said end cap will be distributed across a substantial portion of the surface area of said locking channel to prevent stress fractures. 3. The water filtration device of claim 2, further comprising seal means for forming a water tight seal between adjacent portions of said end cap and said open end of said vessel body. 4. The water filtration device of claim 3, wherein said seal means is an O-ring. 5. The water filtration device of claim 4, wherein said O-ring is mounted about an interior surface of said side wall of said end cap, said O-ring being positioned in a mounting groove. 6. The water filtration device of claim 2, wherein said vessel body and said end caps are constructed from plastic, said semi-circular locking grooves preventing stress fractures of said plastic caused by internal operating pressures within said water filtration device. 7. The water filtration device of claim 6, wherein said plastic is polyvinyl chloride. 8. The water filtration device of claim 6, wherein said filter medium is activated carbon. 9. The water filtration device of claim 2, wherein said vessel body and said sidewalls of said end caps are substantially tubular. 10. A water filtration device comprising: a plastic tubular vessel body containing activated carbon and having open ends; plastic end caps for said open ends, said end caps comprising an end wall and a tubular side wall depending from said end wall, an inside diameter of said tubular side wall being substantially equal to, and greater than, an outside diameter of said open ends of said tubular vessel body, whereby said end caps will fit snugly over said open ends of said vessel body to close said open ends; locking structure for securing said end caps over said open ends, said locking structure comprising a circumferential locking groove on an inside surface of said side wall of said end caps, an access opening through said side wall connecting to said circumferential locking groove, and a corresponding circumferential locking groove on an exterior surface of said tubular vessel body substantially adjacent to said open ends, said circumferential locking grooves on said end caps and said vessel body being juxtaposed when said end caps are fitted over said open ends of said vessel body, said locking grooves being substantially semi-circular in cross-section and forming, when juxtaposed, a circumferential locking channel substantially circular in cross-section; flexible rods adapted for insertion into said locking channel through said access opening, said flexible rods being substantially circular in cross-section and having a diameter substantially equal to, and less than, a diameter of said locking channel, whereby said flexible rods will fit snugly within said locking channels to prevent removal of said end caps from said open ends of said tubular vessel body, and internal operating pressures exerted on said end caps will be dispersed across the semi-circular surface area of said locking channels to prevent stress fractures of said plastic, and whereby a non-toxic fastening structure for said end cap will be formed. 11. The water filtration device of claim 10, further comprising O-rings mounted to an inside surface of said side walls of said end caps, said O-rings being adapted to form a water tight seal between said open ends and adjacent portions of said end caps to prevent leakage through said joint. 12. The water filtration device of claim 11, wherein said plastic is polyvinyl chloride. 13. A non-toxic method for securing a plastic end cap having a sidewall over an open end of a plastic water filtration device containing a filter medium, said method comprising the steps of: fitting said end cap over said open end with said side wall nesting over said open end, an inside surface of said side wall of said end cap having a locking groove, an outside surface of said open end having a locking groove, said fitting step further comprising the step of juxtaposing said locking groove on said end cap with said locking groove on said open end to form a locking channel; threading a flexible rod through an access opening in said side wall of said end cap and into said locking channel of said juxtaposed locking grooves, said flexible rod having cross-sectional dimensions substantially equal to, and less than, the cross-sectional dimensions of said locking channel, whereby said flexible rod will prevent the removal of said end cap from said open end, and said water filtration device and filter medium carbon within said water filtration device will be free of toxic substances released by curing adhesives.
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