초록 ▼

Water dispenser, which comprises, in addition to a water container, a filter element contained within a filter housing having an inlet and a dispensing outlet, a source of pressure and first valve and first conduit means for feeding water from the container to the filter housing inlet; means for fee

Water dispenser, which comprises, in addition to a water container, a filter element contained within a filter housing having an inlet and a dispensing outlet, a source of pressure and first valve and first conduit means for feeding water from the container to the filter housing inlet; means for feeding gas to the filter inlet to create gas pressure at the inlet, consisting of a reservoir, and the control means comprise the third conduit and valve means for permitting or preventing the admission of water into the reservoir, second valve and conduit means for controlling the level of the water in the reservoir, a pressure gauge for monitoring the pressure at the filter inlet; and control means for controlling the gas feeding means to cause or stop the feeding. The source of pressure may be a compressed gas cylinder provided with valve and conduit means for controlling the admission of compressed gas from the cylinder into the water container, and the means for feeding gas to the filter inlet comprise conduit and valve means for feeding gas to the inlet directly from the gas cylinder.

대표청구항 ▼

The invention claimed is: 1. Filter integrity testing system for testing the integrity of a filter element contained in a water purification system, comprising: means for creating at a filter inlet of said filter element an air pressure lower than the bubble point pressure for the filter element wh

The invention claimed is: 1. Filter integrity testing system for testing the integrity of a filter element contained in a water purification system, comprising: means for creating at a filter inlet of said filter element an air pressure lower than the bubble point pressure for the filter element when the pores of said filter element are completely wet with water; means for enabling the verification of the existence of air bubbles appearing at the filter outlet of said filter element at the time said pressure is applied to said wet filter element. 2. Water purification system, which comprises, in addition to a filter element contained within a filter housing having an inlet and a dispensing outlet, a source of pressure and first valve and first conduit means for feeding water from a container to said filter inlet: a. means for feeding gas to said filter inlet to create gas pressure at said inlet; b. a pressure gauge or other transduction means for monitoring the pressure at the filter inlet; and c. control means for controlling said gas feeding means to cause or stop said feeding. 3. Water purification system according to claim 2, wherein the means for feeding gas to the filter inlet comprise: a. a reservoir; b. second valve and conduit means for controlling the level of the water in said reservoir; and c. the control means comprise third conduit and valve means for permitting or preventing the admission of water into said reservoir. 4. Water purification system according to claim 2, wherein the source of pressure is a compressed gas cylinder provided with valve and conduit means for controlling the admission of compressed gas from said cylinder into said water container, and the means for feeding gas to said filter inlet comprise conduit and valve means for feeding gas to said inlet directly from said gas cylinder. 5. Water purification system according to claim 3, wherein said third conduit and valve means connect said reservoir to a second filter inlet, wherein said pressure gauge monitors the pressure at said second filter inlet, and wherein control means cause said second and third valve and conduit means to permit or prevent the admission of water into said reservoir. 6. Water purification system according to claim 3, wherein the source of pressure is a pump. 7. Water purification system according to claim 6, wherein the second valve and conduit means connect the reservoir to the pump and/or to the filter inlet or disconnect said reservoir from said pump and/or said filter inlet. 8. Water purification system according to claim 2, wherein the source of pressure is a container of compressed gas and conduit means for controlling the admission of compressed gas from said cylinder into the water container. 9. Water purification system according to claim 3, wherein the second valve and conduit means connect the reservoir to the water container when compressed gas has been admitted into it and/or to the filter inlet or disconnect said reservoir from said container and/or said filter inlet. 10. Water purification system according to claim 3, wherein the second valve and conduit means are such as to selectively allow the source of pressure to feed water into the reservoir, whereby to displace air therefrom or to draw water therefrom, selectively to cause water partially to fill said reservoir to a predetermined, normal level or to a higher testing level. 11. Water purification system according to claim 3, wherein the third conduit and valve means are such as to permit to introduce, into the filter inlet, air displaced by water fed into the reservoir and to displace air and/or water from said filter housing. 12. Water purification system according to claim 2, wherein the filter housing is provided, in addition to its dispensing outlet, with a second outlet on the filter inlet side. 13. Water purification system according to claim 12, wherein the second outlet is a feedback outlet connected to conduit means for returning, to the water container, water displaced from the filter housing. 14. Water purification system according to claim 2, wherein the control means for controlling the gas feeding means are activated to stop said feeding when the pressure at the filter inlet has reached a predetermined test pressure. 15. Water purification system according to claim 14, wherein the test pressure is lower than the bubble point pressure of the filter element within the filter housing. 16. Water purification system according to claim 14, further comprising an optical or acoustic alarm for signaling if, at the test pressure, bubbles appear at a filter outlet. 17. Water purification system according to claim 2, wherein the control means comprise a microprocessor. 18. Water purification system according to claim 2, wherein the control means are programmed selectively to place the purification system in one of the following modes: inactive mode, in which the source of pressure is inactive and all the valve means are closed; dispensing mode, in which the source of pressure is activated and the first valve means are open; and test mode, in which gas is fed to the filter inlet. 19. Water purification system as claimed in claim 5, wherein said second valve and second conduit means connect said reservoir to said source of pressure for selectively feeding water into said reservoir, whereby to displace air therefrom, or for drawing water therefrom, selectively to cause said reservoir to become partially filled to a normal level or to a testing level higher than said normal level; and wherein said third valve and third conduit means introduce into said second filter inlet air displaced by water fed into said reservoir and to displace water from said filter housing to said outlet thereof. 20. Water purification system according to claim 2, wherein the filter element is chosen from among the group consisting of microporous synthetic membranes, or microporous filters prepared from ceramic materials, metal, or carbon, with a nominal pore size of a value sufficient or smaller than that required to retain 99% or more of cryptosporidium Parvum, giardia Lablia and pseudomonas Aurigena. 21. Water purification system according to claim 2, wherein the filter element has a bubble point pressure in the range of 0.5 bar to 8 bar. 22. Water purification system according to claim 2, for domestic use, wherein the water container has a capacity from 0.5 to 5 liters. 23. Water purification system according to claim 2, for domestic use, wherein the reservoir has a capacity from 50 cc to 1.5 liter. 24. Water purification system according to claim 2, further comprising an electro-optical device for signaling the presence of air bubbles in a water stream issuing from a filter outlet, which comprises a radiation transmitter, a radiation receiver, a radiation transparent window separating the water stream from said radiation transmitter and said radiation receiver for permitting the transmitted and reflected radiation to traverse the water stream, reflecting means for reflecting to said radiation receiver the radiation which has traversed the water stream, and electronic means for monitoring the intensity of the radiation received by said radiation receiver and generating a signal if said intensity exceeds a predetermined threshold. 25. Water purification system according to claim 24, wherein the radiation is infrared radiation. 26. Water purification system as claimed in claim 19, wherein said source of pressure is a pump. 27. Water purification system, which comprises, in addition to a filter element contained within a filter housing having an inlet and a dispensing outlet, and first valve and first conduit means for feeding water from said container to said filter inlet: a. a compressed gas cylinder, b. valve means for causing compressed gas to flow from said cylinder to said water container, c. second valve and second conduit means for connecting said gas cylinder whereby to selectively displace air therefrom; d. pressure gauge or transducer for monitoring the pressure at the filter inlet. 28. Method for testing the integrity of a filter element contained in a filter housing of a household water purification system, comprising: creating at a filter inlet an air pressure lower than the bubble point pressure of the filter element contained within the filter housing when the pores of said filter element are completely wet with water, verifying whether air bubbles appear at the filter outlet at the time said pressure is applied to said wet filter element, indicating a faulty filter, substituting the filter if it is found to be faulty, and placing the purification system back into the inactive or dispensing mode. 29. Method for testing the integrity of a filter element as claimed in claim 28, comprising the steps: I. feeding gas to the filter inlet from a compressed gas cylinder; II. monitoring the gas pressure at the filter inlet; III. discontinuing the feeding of gas when said pressure has become the test pressure; and IV. verifying whether air bubbles appear in the water issuing from a filter outlet, and if they do appear, substituting the filter, while if they do not appear, using the dispensing apparatus in the normal way. 30. Method for testing the integrity of a filter element as claimed in claim 28, comprising the following steps: a. providing a filter integrity testing system for testing the integrity of a filter element contained in a water purification system, comprising: (1) means for creating at a filter inlet of said filter element an air pressure lower than the bubble point pressure of the filter element; and (2) means for enabling the verification of the existence of air bubbles appearing at the filter outlet of the said filter element; b. feeding water into said reservoir to a predetermined, normal level; when it is desired to test the filter: c. filling all the pores of the filter element with water, by filtering water through the element in the normal operational mode; d. feeding water into said reservoir to raise the water level therein to a test level, while allowing air contained therein to flow out of said reservoir into the filter inlet thereby displacing the water in the inlet side of the filter housing; e. monitoring the air pressure at the filter inlet; f. discontinuing the feeding of water into said reservoir when said inlet pressure has reached a predetermined test pressure sufficient to distinguish the existence of leaks either in the filter element, or allowing bypass to occur between the filter element and the filter housing; and g. verifying whether air bubbles appear in the water issuing from the filter outlet, and if they do appear, substituting the filter, while if they do not appear, using the dispensing apparatus in the normal way. 31. Method of operating a water purification system having an inactive mode, a dispensing mode and an integrity test mode, wherein the water purification system comprises a filter, the method comprising the step of placing the purification system in the test mode and carrying out a method for testing the integrity of the filter as defined in claim 28. 32. Method of operating a water purification system having an inactive mode, a dispensing mode and an integrity test mode, wherein the water purification system comprises a filter, the method comprising the step of placing the purification system in the test mode and carrying out a method for testing the integrity of the filter as defined in claim 29. 33. Method of operating a water purification system having an inactive mode, a dispensing mode and an integrity test mode, wherein the water purification system comprises a filter, the method comprising the step of placing the purification system in the test mode and carrying out a method for testing the integrity of the filter as defined in claim 30.