Abstract: A water filtration system for the removal of bacteria and protozoa as well as certain chemical contaminants which includes a bottle having a top, a bottom and an interior, where the bottle is oriented in an upright attitude when the top is above the bottom. A first filter is disposed in the bottle interior, and a second filter is disposed in the bottle interior downstream from and in series with the first filter. The second filter is formed of a sub-micron hollow fiber membrane filter and includes a filtered water outlet. The first and second filters are configured such that filtered water exits the filtered water outlet with the bottle in the upright attitude.

Abstract: A means of constructing water filtration and treatment products that fill rapidly without pressure, and freely dispense the treated water simply by the force of gravity. The means used to treat the water is by static filtration applying highly porous media which occupies all or a significant segment of the container of the product. The water is retained within the container in direct and constant contact with the treatment media thus providing residence time beyond the capability of other filtration technologies in similar size and types of containers, with numerous advantages over standard water filtration products.

Abstract: A water dispensing unit (10) for providing substantially treated or distilled water includes a display panel (88) at a housing (92) of the unit. The display panel is operable to convey an advertising message to a user of the water dispensing unit. The water dispensing unit may be a distillation unit which comprises a boiling unit (14), a steam tube (16), a condensing unit (18), a holding tank (20) and at least one dispensing nozzle (12).

Abstract: A pitcher or carafe housing is provided that has a raw water reservoir. A high performance filter receives raw water from a lower portion of the reservoir. The water is preferably received at or travels through a water entry tube to the back and bottom of the filter. In about 1-3 minutes the water percolates through the filter element, until it reaches a water exit port. A pouring chamber may be provided at the side of the pitcher for receiving the water from the water exit port, so that the water will continue to be treated and flow up into the pouring chamber until the water level equalizes in height in the reservoir and the pouring chamber. The filter and its housing may be placed into and removed from the inside of the raw water reservoir, or the filer housing may be side loaded. The filter media may be a polyester non-woven mat with a weight of 4-7 oz./yd.2 impregnated with carbon or zeolite and subject to compression between about 25-75% (e.g. about 50%).

Abstract: A pitcher or carafe housing is provided that has a raw water reservoir. A high performance filter receives raw water from a lower portion of the reservoir. The water is preferably received at or travels through a water entry tube to the back and bottom of the filter. In about 1-3 minutes the water percolates through the filter element, until it reaches a water exit port. A pouring chamber may be provided at the side of the pitcher for receiving the water from the water exit port, so that the water will continue to be treated and flow up into the pouring chamber until the water level equalizes in height in the reservoir and the pouring chamber. The filter and its housing may be placed into and removed from the inside of the raw water reservoir, or the filer housing may be side loaded. The filter media may be a polyester non-woven mat with a weight of 4-7 oz./yd.2 impregnated with carbon or zeolite and subject to compression between about 25-75% (e.g. about 50%).

Abstract: A bottle mountable filtration system typically includes a plurality of different filter elements or filtering and treatment elements having a substantially common central axis that are mounted to extend into a bottle from a cap with a manual valve. Mounting structures may be provided, by screw threads, or by an interference fit, and connect the filter treating elements to the cap. An outer filter treating element may comprise a chlorine removal primarily radial flow outer filter, and an inner treatment element comprising a flavoring, vitamin, mineral, or medication adding component including a mixing chamber which provides an axial flow chamber radially surrounded by the flavoring, etc., adding component. Conversely, the inner treatment element may be a radial flow carbon composite filter used independently or in conjunction with one of several independent outer water treatment elements which may be radial or axial flow in design for the removal of a variety of biological, organic, or inorganic contaminants.

Abstract: A process for preparing a disinfectant for use in swimming pools and the like. The process provides a formulation containing copper sulfate pentahydrate that will remain suspended so long as the formulation is maintained at a temperature above 40° F. The process includes the step of mixing the copper sulfate pentahydrate with water, sulfuric acid and ammonium sulfate at a temperature of 187° F.±10° F., then rapidly cooling the mixture to a temperature of 57-65° F. Colloidal silver or gold added to the formulation before the step of rapidly cooling will also remain suspended. Hydrogen peroxide may be added to enhance the performance of the disinfectant.

Abstract: A simple yet effective method and apparatus produce a web suitable for treatment of water as a static filtration media, e.g. to remove chlorine and lead from water in contact with the media. A web is coated with a coating composition that facilitates treatment of water and includes a binder, and the web is compressed in one dimension about 25-75% (e.g. 40-60%) so as to make the void size distribution substantially more uniform. The compression is substantially maintained until the binder substantially cures so that the coated final web produced has a second void size distribution more uniform than the first void size distribution, e.g. the coated final web having void volumes with a mean value of about 6-7×10−8 liters and/or an RDV/BV ratio of at least 0.4, and a porosity of greater than 90%.

Abstract: A pitcher or carafe housing is provided that has a raw water reservoir. A high performance filter receives raw water from a lower portion of the reservoir. The water is preferably received at or travels through a water entry tube to the back and bottom of the filter. In about 1-3 minutes the water percolates through the filter element, until it reaches a water exit port. A pouring chamber may be provided at the side of the pitcher for receiving the water from the water exit port, so that the water will continue to be treated and flow up into the pouring chamber until the water level equalizes in height in the reservoir and the pouring chamber. The filter and its housing may be placed into and removed from the inside of the raw water reservoir, or the filer housing may be side loaded. The filter media may be a polyester non-woven mat with a weight of 4-7 oz./yd.2 impregnated with carbon or zeolite and subject to compression between about 25-75% (e.g. about 50%).

Abstract: A water treatment system including a bottle with a neck, a tube for disposition within the bottle and having water treatment material (such as activated carbon for removing a significant portion of the chlorine in tap water) associated with it, and a cap. The bottle is filled by causing water to flow through the tube, through the water treatment material, into the bottle. When filled, the bottle neck is closed off by screwing the cap into contact with the neck, the cap closing off the tube so that water does not flow through the tube out of the bottle, but rather exteriorly of the tube through openings in a cap first element and between the tube and the neck. A second element of the cap releasably closes off the water flow openings.

Abstract: Flavoring, dietary minerals, vitamins, other nutritional supplements, or medicines may be dispensed in a filter assembly designed to cap a neck or open end of a bottle. A cap has a manual valve extending from the top thereof and operatively connected to the bottom thereof is an activated carbon block tubular filter having a porosity of between about 8-120 microns. Disposed within the tubular carbon block is a soluble solid porous element, having a porosity greater than that of the carbon block, and having a solubility between about one quarter and one-one hundredth of sucrose. The soluble element is at least in part a flavoring, vitamin, dietary mineral, nutritional supplement, or medicine. It also may be tubular, and substantially lining the soluble porous element may be a hydrophobic membrane which allows passage of water therethrough under pressure, but not under static pressure conditions.

Abstract: A filter assembly for use with a bottle having a substantially circular cross-section neck or open end includes a cap for closing the bottle neck or open end including an upper surface, and a manual valve associated with an outer substantially liquid impermeable housing may be operatively connected to the cap at an upper end of the housing and has a number of substantially radially extending openings adjacent the upper end portion to allow liquid to flow into a substantially annular open cavity within the housing. The cavity substantially radially surrounds an inner at least primarily radial flow filter element, such as a carbon/plastic matrix which removes chlorine from drinking water. A treating element is positioned so that water flowing through the openings and into the cavity is treated, either by removing contaminants from the water, or by chilling it.

Abstract: A ceramic filter assembly is provided for use in a bottle for filtering water exiting the bottle so as to remove substantially all protozoa and bacteria from the water. The assembly includes a self-supporting ceramic filtering material element having a pore size of about 0.55 microns or less (e.g. about 0.45 microns) yet having a large open volume (e.g. between 40-85%, preferably between 51-80%), so that water may pass through it at a rate of 2 milliliters per second or more (e.g. 3-6 milliliters per second) with an initial head pressure of no more than 24 inches of water, so that the water may readily be passed through the filter by inverting and/or squeezing the plastic bottle containing the filter. A second, non-ceramic, filter element (such as a carbon block filter for reducing chlorine) may be mounted within the ceramic filter element, and a positively charged coating may be provided on the external surface of the ceramic filter element capable of attracting and holding negatively charged viruses.

Abstract: A combination faucet assembly and filter assembly is provided wherein these respective assemblies are interconnected in a side-by-side relationship by pipes preferably located in a common housing structure. The combination is adapted for use in association with a kitchen sink or the like. The faucet assembly incorporates a valve for mixing hot and cold tap water and for diverting cold tap water for passage through a filter in the filter assembly. A spout is preferably associated with the faucet assembly. A pivotable faucet lever is preferably associated with the faucet assembly. The lever has a universal type of movement capability and is manipulated by an operator to accomplish regulating of either such mixing or such diverting, and also the regulating of water volume issuing from the spout. Preferably, in mixing hot and cold water in an operator selected ratio are fed to a mixing chamber adjacent the valve before dispensing of the resulting water mixture from a spout.

Abstract: A filter assembly, particularly for use with a plastic bottle having an open neck with an inside diameter of about 50 mm or less (e.g. about 25 mm), includes a tube of filtering material connected to one surface of a cap while a valve extends from an opposite surface of the cap. The tube is preferably of filtering material such as activated carbon with plastic binder, having a substantially continuous liquid-porous sidewall, a hollow interior, a first closed end, and a second open end. The tube is operatively connected to the cap second surface at the tube second open end by sonic welding, a mechanical connection, or adhesively. The cap has a fitting portion for cooperating with the bottle neck, such as internal screw threads or a snap portion. The valve may be a reciprocating valve, a baby bottle nipple, or a spray device. A biocidal medium may be disposed within the hollow interior of the filter tube, and the tube may be wrapped with a filter material having a pore size of about 1-4 microns.

Abstract: A radial flow filter for use in a bottle, such as a carbon block filter, having a substantially tubular solid wall siphon shield or shroud mounted at one end of the filter element and defining an annular siphon space. The shield is mounted adjacent one of the filter when it is connected to a cap for closing a bottle, having a manual valve (such as a push-pull valve), and is mounted adjacent the other end of the filter when the filter is connected to a drinking straw. The siphon shield allows dispensing of almost all of the water present at the cap when the bottle is inverted for the cap-mounted embodiment, or adjacent the bottom of the bottle for the straw-mounted embodiment, without drawing significant amounts of air through the filter through non-submerged portions of the filter. That is, the maximum amount may be dispensed from the bottle without aspirating air through the filter.

Abstract: A combination faucet assembly and filter assembly is provided wherein these respective assemblies are interconnected in a side-by-side relationship by pipes preferably located in a common housing structure. The combination is adapted for use in association with a kitchen sink or the like. The faucet assembly incorporates a valve for mixing hot and cold tap water and for diverting cold tap water for passage through a filter in the filter assembly. A spout is preferably associated with the faucet assembly. A pivotable faucet lever is preferably associated with the faucet assembly. The lever has a universal type of movement capability and is manipulated by an operator to accomplish regulating of either such mixing or such diverting, and also the regulating of water volume issuing from the spout. Preferably, in mixing hot and cold water in an operator selected ratio are fed to a mixing chamber adjacent the valve before dispensing of the resulting water mixture from a spout.

Abstract: A filter assembly for use with a bottle having a circular cross-section neck or open end includes a fine filtration media having a mean pore size of about 1-3 microns and capable of removing contaminants of 3-4 micron size and larger, and an inner filtration media disposed radially inward of the fine filtration media. The inner filtration media includes activated carbon, preferably a porous activated carbon/plastic matrix having a porosity of between about 10-150 microns. The outer housing contains the fine filtration media and the inner filtration media, and is dimensioned to pass through the neck or open end of the bottle. The fine filtration media preferably comprises sheets on opposite faces of a microfiber filter media formed of glass microfibers of varying cross-sectional diameters, with the fine filtration media in a pleated or accordion configuration. A filter assembly may also be provided having a spring pressed straw.

Abstract: A movable water distiller capable of use in conjunction with a water heater includes a frame having a top which supports the water heater. The distiller components are supported on a tray having a guide assembly engaging a track assembly horizontally positioned in the bottom region of the frame. The guide assembly allows the distiller components to be inserted within, and extracted from, the frame interior while the track assembly maintains alignment of the tray. Alternatively, the guide assembly may be attached to the top surfaces of the track assembly. Paneling surrounds the sides and back of the frame, while a front cover is attached to the front of the tray. The front cover and the paneling enclose the interior of the frame and prevent access to the distiller components.