ZA200904765B

ZA200904765B - Water purification device

Info

Publication number: ZA200904765B
Application number: ZA200904765A
Authority: ZA
Inventors: Marcel Johannes Petrus Langeslag; Gerrit Kornelius Idema
Original assignee: Quawater Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2009-07-03
Filing date: 2009-07-03
Publication date: 2010-03-31

Description

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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION oo

[0001] This invention relates to the purification of water.

[0002] Water which is contaminated e.g. with particulate material or microorganisms presents a significant health hazard. The particulate material can be removed, fairly effectively, by making use of a suitable filter. The organisms, e.g. bacteria, viruses, protozoan parasites and fungi, can be sterilized by using an appropriate chemical or by exposing the water to electromagnetic radiation. In the latter instance, particularly when treating water for human or animal consumption, for example in a domestic application, water is exposed to an ultraviolet light source for a predetermined period which is sufficiently long to ensure that the potentially harmful organisms are effectively destroyed.

[0003] An ultraviolet light source is however harmful to human tissue if : prolonged exposure takes place. It is important therefore, ‘particularly in a situation in which relatively unskilled people make use of ultraviolet (UV) water sterilization techniques, e.g. in a domestic application, to ensure that - the likelihood of accidental exposure to a UV source is substantially inhibited.

[0004] It is an object of the present invention to provide a water treatment device which, at least to a significant extent, achieves the aforementioned objective. :

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SUMMARY OF INVENTION :

[0005] The invention provides a water purification device which includes an ultraviolet lamp which is positioned inside a chamber through which water can flow and a closure which is usable to connect the lamp to an electrical source and which then prevents access to the lamp.

[0006] The arrangement is therefore one in which the lamp can only be accessed by a user when the lamp is disconnected from the electrical source.

[0007] The expression “UV" is used herein as an abbreviation for “ultraviolet”.

[0008] More particularly the water purification device may include a body with an internal chamber, a water inlet to, and a water outlet from, the chamber, a mouth to the chamber through which a UV light source is insertable, a water seal, at the mouth, between opposing surfaces of the body and the light source, and an electrical connector which, when engaged with the light source, prevents access to the light source. _ :

[0009] The body may be of any appropriate shape but preferably is in the form of an elongate tube and the chamber is then formed by a bore of the tube. .

[0010] The UV light source may be elongate and extend longitudinally inside the bore of the tube. An annular gap may be formed between opposing N surfaces of the UV light source and an inner wall of the bore.

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[0011] The water inlet and water outlet may be positioned near respective opposing ends of the body.

[0012] To facilitate installation or operation of the device the body is preferably provided with first and second water inlets to the chamber on opposing sides of the body. This feature allows the body to be installed ata suitable location and to be connected to a water supply which comes from one side or an opposing side of the body.

[0013] The device may include structure for mounting the body to a wall with the water inlet at an upper end of the body. Preferably the mouth to the chamber is near the water inlet. Thus, in use of the device, the mouth is near an upper end of the body. Consequently if water leakage should take place from the chamber the likelihood that the electrical connector can be contacted - by moisture is reduced. :

[0014] The UV light source may include a plurality of electrical terminals : which are located outside the chamber and the water seal may include a compression seal at a position between the terminals and a portion of the light source which is inside the chamber. The compression seal may be of any appropriate type but preferably is in the form of an O-ring. - : [0015] The water seal may include a screw ring which is threadedly engaged with the mouth and which then urges the compression seal-against a shoulder on the body.

[0016] The electrical connector may include a holder which is removably engageable with the body, at the mouth, an electrical insulating member

D1:P.22107/sb inside the holder, and a plurality of electrical contacts, to which an electrical supply is connectable, which are brought into electrical engagement with the : respective terminals when the holder is engaged with the body.

[0017] Each terminal may be in the form of a pin and each contact may be a small socket of complementary shape to a pin.

[0018] The holder may be cup-shaped with a base in which is formed an aperture for an electrical lead which is connectable to the contacts.

[0019] To ensure that the water purification device is correctly operated the

UV light source may include one or more features which largely preclude the use of an alternative light source, which may not be of the correct : specification, in the device. For example the electrical terminals may comprise three parallel pins which extend from the portion of the light source : which is inside the chamber and a fourth parallel pin which extends further from the portion of the light source than the three parallel pins. This arrangement, which is easily implemented, means that the electrical socket contacts on the insulating member inside the holder must be of complementary shape and position to the pins — factors which preclude the use of a non-specified UV light source in the water purification device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS oo

[0020] The invention is further described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a water purification device according to the invention;

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Figure 2 illustrates, on an enlarged scale, the way in which an electrical connection is made to the water purification device;

Figure 3 is an exploded view, in section, of the arrangement shown in Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is a perspective view showing assembly details of the device.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0021] The accompanying drawings illustrate a water treatment device 10 according to the invention. The device includes an elongate tubular body 12 which is made from a suitable material e.g. stainless steel and which has a tubular bore 14. A lower end 16 of the body is sealed and a water outlet 18 is positioned at the front. The water outlet has standardized dimensions so that a conventional tap or control valve or faucet, not shown, can be connected thereto.

[0022] The body 12 has a mounting bracket 22 fixed to it. The bracket is positioned near an upper end of the body and carries formations which permit the body to be fixed to a wall, preferably in a vertical orientation as illustrated.

[0023] The body has a mouth 24 at its upper end 26. Near this end the bore 14 is formed with a shaped shoulder 28 and has an inner screw formation 30 between the shoulder and the upper end 26. :

[0024] An elongate UV light source 32 is positioned inside the bore extending from the upper end to the lower end. An O-ring 34 surrounds the

UV light source at a location which is near the upper end. The O-ring rests on the shoulder 28. The light source has an elongate, transparent, sealed | :

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_ Page 7 oo tubular body 35 and four electrical pins 36A to 36D which are used in a known manner to provide an electrical supply to the tubular body to ensure its operation. This aspect is not further described herein. However it is to be noted that three of the pins 36A, 36B and 36C respectively extend in a longitudinal direction from an insulating component 38 in the bore, to substantially the same extent. A fourth pin 36D is mounted to a shoulder 40 on the insulating component and extends to a greater extent from the component. This unique configuration means that electrical connections to the pins can only be made with an electrical connector which is of ; complementary shape and configuration to the pins.

[0025] The UV light source is held in position by means of a rust-resistant screw ring 50 which is threadedly engaged with the screw formation 30. The ring has a tapered leading end 52 which abuts the O-ring 26 and which urges the O-ring into tight sealing engagement with the outer surface of the UV light source 32 and an opposing surface of the shoulder 28. oo

[0026] The pins 36 project slightly beyond the screw ring. :

[0027] An electrical connector 56 is engageable with the upper end of the body 12. The connector includes a holder 58 with a base 60 formed by an end cap in which is formed an opening 62. The end cap and the holder are cup-shaped and a ceramic insulating member 64 is secured inside the holder to the base 60. The ceramic insulating member 64 has electrical contacts in the form of small sockets 66 which are placed in a complementary

D1:P.22107sb configuration to the pins 36. An electrical lead 68 extends through the opening 62 and is connected to the sockets in a predetermined way.

[0028] Two diametrically opposed inlet water connectors 80 and 82 respectively are located at an upper end of the housing 12. A screw cap 84 is used to seal one connection or the other. The unsealed connection is then coupled to a water supply source, not shown. This arrangement facilitates installation of the device. Preferably, the connection of the water supply is through the medium of a water filter which is used to remove particles from the water stream.

[0029] Usually the installation is such that water flows from one of the : connectors (80, 82) through the bore 14 to the outlet 18. * This is not obligatory though for water flow could, if required, take place in the reverse direction. | a

[0030] When water is drained from the outlet 18 fresh water enters the tubular bore 14 and then flows through an annular gap 86 between an inner surface of the bore and an opposing outer surface of the UV light source 32.

The power output of the light source, the cross-sectional area of the annular gap and the length of the body between the water inlet and the water outlet, are chosen to ensure that, under normal water pressure operating conditions, : weter flowing from the inlet to the outlet is exposed to the UV light source for a predetermined minimum time period. This is to ensure that microorganisms in the water are inactivated to an acceptable degree. :

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[0031] The connector 56 is engageable with a press fit with the protruding pins 36, which then extend into sockets 66 to make electrical connections between the sockets and the pins.

[0032] The holder, when engaged with an upper end of the tubular member 12, acts as a closure which prevents physical access to the tube. Thus, if the tube is to be replaced or examined it is necessary for the holder to be disengaged from the tubular body 12. This breaks the electrical connection to ~ the UV light source. If the ring 50 is then screwed out of engagement with the screw formation 30 at the mouth of the body the UV light source 32 together with the O-ring 34 can then be removed. In this way accidental exposure to the UV light source is prevented.

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Claims

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1. A water purification device which includes a body with an internal chamber, a water inlet to, and a water outlet from, the chamber, a mouth to the chamber through which a UV light source is insertable, a water seal at the mouth between opposing surfaces of the body. and the light source, and an electrical connector which, when engaged with the light source, prevents access to the light source.

2. A device according to claim 1 in which the body is an elongate tube and the chamber is formed by a bore of the tube.

3. A device according to claim 1 wherein the body is elongate and wherein the water inlet and water outlet are near respective opposing ends of the body.

4, A device according to claim 1 which includes first and second water inlets to the chamber which are located on respective opposing sides of the body.

5. A device according to claim 1 which includes structure for mounting the body to a wall with the water inlet at an upper end of the body.

6 A device according to claim 2 wherein the UV light source extends : longitudinally inside the bore of the tube.

7. A device according to claim 1 wherein the UV light source includes a plurality of electrical terminals which are located outside the chamber D1:P.22107/sb .

} Co Page 11 and the water seal includes a compression seal at a position between oo the terminals and a portion of the light source which is inside the chamber.

8. A device according to claim 7 wherein the compression seal is an O- ring. co

9. A device according to claim 7 or 8 wherein the water seal includes a screw ring which is threadedly engaged with the mouth and which then urges the compression seal against a shoulder on the body. : :

10. A device according to claim 7 wherein the electrical connector includes a holder which is removably engageable with the body, at the mouth, oo an. electrical insulating member inside the holder and a plurality of electrical contacts, to which an electrical supply is connectable, which are brought into electrical engagement with the respective terminals when the holder is engaged with the body.

11. A device according to claim 10 wherein the holder is cup-shaped with a base in which is formed an aperture for an electrical lead which is connectable to the contacts.

12. A device according to claim 7 wherein the electrical terminals comprise three parallel pins which extend from the portion of the light source and a fourth parallel pin which extends further from the portion of the light source than the three parallel pins. D1:P.22107/sb . .

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13. A water purification device which includes a UV lamp which is positioned inside a chamber through which water can flow and a closure which is usable to connect the lamp to an electrical source and which then prevents access to the lamp.

14. An ultraviolet light source which includes an elongate, transparent, sealed, tubular body and, at one end of the body, three parallel pins . which extend in an axial direction from the body and a fourth parallel pin which extends in the axial direction further from the body than the three parallel pins. DATED this 3" day of July 2009 McCALLUM RADEMEYER &/FREIMOND : Patent Agents for the Applicant : D1:P.22107/sb )