Patents by Inventor Yiu Chau

Yiu Chau has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20070246430
    Abstract: A fluid magnetic treatment unit and treatment method are disclosed. Fluid flows through at least one annular magnet with direction of flow always perpendicular to the line of magnetic force generated by the annular magnet and closely along the surfaces of the annular magnet. The fluid flows in series, in parallel or any combination of in series and in parallel. The annular magnet may be a ring magnet, a disc magnet or a ring-shaped electromagnet. In order to maximize the magnetic treatment effect, the annular magnet is driven to spin in a direction preferable opposite to the direction of fluid flow.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2006
    Publication date: October 25, 2007
    Inventor: Yiu Chau
  • Publication number: 20070158251
    Abstract: A water treatment unit includes any combination of the following filtering and treatment elements such as a vertical pre-filter element, an inner vertical pre-treatment element, a first chamber containing a first treatment medium which water to be treated flows in a radically horizontal direction, a second chamber containing a second treatment medium which water to be treated flows in a vertical direction and a third chamber containing a third treatment medium which water to be treated flows in an annular direction. Water treatment unit with a third chamber containing a third treatment medium which water to be treated flows in an annular direction extends the length of water flow path within the water treatment unit significantly. The inlet connector is also provided with different arrangements such that the bottle, with or without the water treatment unit, is suitable for tip up for drinking water and/or drinking water with bottle in a vertical position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 9, 2006
    Publication date: July 12, 2007
    Inventor: Yiu Chau
  • Publication number: 20050252844
    Abstract: A water treatment unit for positioning in a sport bottle or container for treating water includes a prefilter section, a pretreatment section, a treatment section and a post treatment section. A first chamber in the pretreatment section contains a first treatment medium which comprises at least one loose particulate medium through which the water to be treated flows in a vertical upward direction during treatment to lift the medium. A second chamber in the treatment section contains a second treatment medium through which the treated water flows in a radial horizontal direction during treatment. And a third chamber in the post treatment section contains a third treatment medium through which the water to be treated flows during treatment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2004
    Publication date: November 17, 2005
    Inventor: Yiu Chau
  • Patent number: 6860992
    Abstract: A water treatment unit for treating water in a reservoir of a coffee maker or a container water treatment system. The water treatment unit has several particulate finely divided water treatment media therein and it includes a housing which has transverse dimensions which are substantially greater than its height to cause the water to flow through the housing and the media therein in a transverse direction. Such transverse flow results in a substantially reduced pressure drop across the media with an increased water flow rate which permits a substantial reduction in size or elimination of one of two water reservoirs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2005
    Inventor: Yiu Chau Chau
  • Patent number: 6797156
    Abstract: A water treatment unit is disclosed which can be mounted directly on the faucet or tap of the user's sink and which contains one or more water treatment media and an operating valve which permits the selection of several operating modes including service, spray and stream modes. In the service mode the water is treated by at least one if not all of the various water treatment media contained in the unit housing after which the water is discharged from the valve of the unit for service use, and the service discharge may be adjusted to direct the treated water as desired by the user. The valve of the treatment unit includes a housing, a stationary member, a slide member and a rotatable switch member unit and may also be operated in a backflush mode in which water may be directed in the reverse direction through at least one of the water treatment media to regenerate that media.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2004
    Inventor: Yiu Chau Chau
  • Publication number: 20030159979
    Abstract: A water treatment unit for treating water in a reservoir of a coffee maker or a container water treatment system. The water treatment unit has several particulate finely divided water treatment media therein and it includes a housing which has transverse dimensions which are substantially greater than its height to cause the water to flow through the housing and the media therein in a transverse direction. Such transverse flow results in a substantially reduced pressure drop across the media with an increased water flow rate which permits a substantial reduction in size or elimination of one of two water reservoirs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2002
    Publication date: August 28, 2003
    Inventor: Yiu Chau Chau
  • Publication number: 20030116495
    Abstract: A water treatment unit is disclosed which can be mounted directly on the faucet or tap of the user's sink and which contains one or more water treatment media and an operating valve which permits the selection of several operating modes including service, spray and stream modes. In the service mode the water is treated by at least one if not all of the various water treatment media contained in the unit housing after which the water is discharged from the valve of the unit for service use, and the service discharge may be adjusted to direct the treated water as desired by the user. The valve of the treatment unit includes a housing, a stationary member, a slide member and a rotatable switch member unit and may also be operated in a backflush mode in which water may be directed in the reverse direction through at least one of the water treatment media to regenerate that media.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2001
    Publication date: June 26, 2003
    Inventor: Yiu Chau Chau
  • Patent number: 6447678
    Abstract: Regeneration of water treatment media is disclosed which includes a water treatment unit having one or more media therein, and which upon initiation of flow of the water, imparts turbulence and abrasion to the treatment medium to automatically cleanse the medium of light solid contaminants, as well as contaminant coatings on the media. This greatly improves the operation of the media and extends its life. In addition, the water treatment unit disclosed may simply be rotated through any one of a number of positions between service, backwash, flush, off, and/or bypass operational modes for further regeneration of the treatment media.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2002
    Inventor: Yiu Chau Chau
  • Patent number: 6398954
    Abstract: A multimedia fluid treatment unit and rotatable valve are disclosed in which a plurality of discreet containers are removably stacked upon each other and contain various different and distinct water treating media. The rotatable valve is rotatable between either of three positions one of which is a service position for routing the water to be treated through the unit for treatment, a second of which is a rinse position for rinsing the media in the unit, and a third of which is a backwash position for backwashing and/or regenerating the media.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2002
    Inventor: Yiu Chau Chau
  • Publication number: 20010009237
    Abstract: Regeneration of water treatment media is disclosed which includes a water treatment unit having one or more media therein, and which upon initiation of flow of the water, imparts turbulence and abrasion to the treatment medium to automatically cleanse the medium of light solid contaminants as well as contaminant coatings on the media. This greatly improves the operation of the media and extends its life. In addition, the water treatment unit disclosed may simply be rotated through any one of a number of positions between service, backwash, flush, off, and/or bypass operational modes for further regeneration of the treatment media.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2001
    Publication date: July 26, 2001
    Inventor: Yiu Chau Chau
  • Publication number: 20010008218
    Abstract: A multimedia fluid treatment unit and rotatable valve are disclosed in which a plurality of discreet containers are removably stacked upon each other and contain various different and distinct water treating media. The rotatable valve is rotatable between either of three positions one of which is a service position for routing the water to be treated through the unit for treatment, a second of which is a rinse position for rinsing the media in the unit, and a third of which is a backwash position for backwashing and/or regenerating the media.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2001
    Publication date: July 19, 2001
    Inventor: Yiu Chau Chau
  • Patent number: 6254772
    Abstract: A multimedia fluid treatment unit and rotatable valve are disclosed in which a plurality of discreet containers are removably stacked upon each other and contain various different and distinct water treating media. The rotatable valve is rotatable between either of three positions one of which is a service position for routing the water to be treated through the unit for treatment, a second of which is a rinse position for rinsing the media in the unit, and a third of which is a backwash position for backwashing and/or regenerating the media.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2001
    Inventor: Yiu Chau Chau
  • Patent number: 6231763
    Abstract: Regeneration of water treatment media is disclosed which includes a water treatment unit having one or more media therein, and which upon initiation of flow of the water, imparts turbulence and abrasion to the treatment medium to automatically cleanse the medium of light solid contaminants, as well as contaminant coatings on the media. This greatly improves the operation of the media and extends its life. In addition, the water treatment unit disclosed may simply be rotated through any one of a number of positions between service, backwash, flush, off and/or bypass operational modes for further regeneration of the treatment media.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2001
    Inventor: Yiu Chau Chau
  • Patent number: 6090285
    Abstract: A tank top pretreatment unit and assembly comprises a treatment unit installed inside a water treatment tank, such as a water softener tank, and in the top of the tank for treating the water either prior to its treatment with the primary treating medium in the tank or following such treatment. The treatment unit includes a plurality of chambers which are configured to contain a finely divided water treatment medium of a different kind than the primary treatment medium. Some of the elements may be arranged in series, but many or all are arranged in parallel flow which reduces the pressure drop of the water across the treatment unit, and the inlet openings to the chambers and outlet openings from the chambers are elevationally spaced from each other and the area of the outlet openings is less than the area of the inlet openings to maximize contact and dwell time in the chambers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2000
    Inventor: Yiu Chau Chau
  • Patent number: 6068764
    Abstract: In one embodiment a reverse osmosis permeate pump with shut off valve and reverse osmosis system employs bypassed feed water from the reverse osmosis membrane to drive a water wheel and gear set to reciprocate a piston back and forth between two chambers in the pump. Permeate from the membrane is introduced to the respective chambers by a pair of fluid inlets and discharged from the respective chambers through a pair of discharges to a storage tank. Flow through these respective inlets and discharges is a function of the direction in which the piston is moving and whether it is imparting a pressure or suction on a given chamber. A second piston is exposed to the pressure in the discharges from the chambers and the second piston moves between a position permitting incoming feed flow to the membrane, and a position blocking that flow upon increase in pressure in the fluid discharge from the chambers. In another embodiment, the reverse osmosis permeate pump is powered by an independent source of power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2000
    Inventor: Yiu Chau Chau
  • Patent number: 6042729
    Abstract: Regeneration of water treatment media is disclosed which includes a water treatment unit having one or more media therein, and which upon initiation of flow of the water, imparts turbulence and abrasion to the treatment medium to automatically cleanse the medium of light solid contaminants, as well as contaminant coatings on the media. This greatly improves the operation of the media and extends its life. In addition, the water treatment unit disclosed may simply be rotated through any one of a number of positions between service, backwash, flush, off, and/or bypass operational modes for further regeneration of the treatment media.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2000
    Inventor: Yiu Chau Chau