SPECIFICATIONWater treatmentThis invention relates to apparatus for treating water - to filter, to deodorise, to soften, to sterilize, and to purify used, dirty water - in order not only to reuse it in factories, and homes but also to attain the purpose of protecting our living environment and saving the volume of water used.
According to the invention there is provided apparatus for treating water comprising a storage tank for water to be treated an inlet pipe leading from the storage tank to a filter tank containing successive filters and treatment stages to filter, soften, deodorise and sterilize the water flowing through, said filter tank having an outlet pipe leading through a water pump to a distribution pipe having a pressure switch adapted to activate the water pump when the pressure sensed by the switch falls below a predetermined valve but to deactivate the pump when said pressure rises above said value.
Used dirty water will go from the water-storing tank through an inlet pipe, flowing into the filter tank which the function of filtering, deodorising, softening and sterilizing. The water treated through the filter tank flows out of the outlet pipe and through a water pipe is sent to where it is to be consumed.
There is a water pump with a pressure switch connected between the outlet pipe and the water pipe sending water to its user. If the water pressure in the water pipe is higher than the pressure set in the pressure switch, for example 0.5 Kg/cm2, the pressure switch activates to cut the electric current and maintain the water pump inoperative. On the other hand, when the water pressure in the water pipe is lower than the set pressure in the pressure switch, it activates to start the water pump to pump the water so as to drive it to flow to its destination without stoppage.
In order that this system of treating water may be readily understood an embodiment thereof will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings which show by way of example one embodiment of water treating"apparntus according to the invention, in which:~Fig. 1 is an end view of the filter tank.
Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section along the line A-A of Fig. 1,Fig. 3 is a transverse section along the line B-B of Fig. 2.
Fig. 4 is an end view and transverse section along the line C-C of the fibre-net filter and holder,Fig. 5 is an end view and transverse section along the line D-D of the ion-exchanging resin layer and holder,Fig. 6 is an end view and transverse section along the line E-E of the activated carbon layer and holder,Fig. 7 is a circuit diagram, andFig. 8 is an overall view of the apparatus.
As Fig. 8 shows, this system consists of a water-storage tank 1, an inlet pipe 2, a filter tank 3, an outlet pipe 4, a water pump 5, a water pipe 6 and a pressure switch 7. The water-storage tank 1 temporarily stores in it water to be treated which flows through the inlet pipe 2 into the filter tank 3 in which the water is to be filtered, softened, deodorised, sterilized and purified. This treatment is carried out while passing through a sponge layer 8, a fiber-net layer 9, an ion-exchanging resin layer 10, and an activated carbon layer 11~any number of these layers may be provided.
The filter tank 3 mentioned above is made of plastics, and at the left end there is a sealing cover 12 with a rubber ring 13 fastened to the tank body by means of several butterfly bolts 14 closing over the large opening. On the top of the tank 3 are pipe joints 3A respectively connected with the inlet pipe 2 and the outlet pipe 4 and a handle 3B between the two pipe joints 3A used for carrying the filter tank 3. Four feet 3C beneath the tank 3 serve for standing it in the floor of a building so this tank 3 is convenient to carry and to install.
The structure of the filter tank 3 is shown inFigures 1 and 2. Figure 2 shows the cross-section of its front view. Inside the tank 3 are five filter disks 151,152,153,154, 155, which separately sandwich four kinds of filtering materials - an activated carbon layer 11, an ion-exchanging resin layer 10, a fiber-net layer 9, and a sponge layer 8~but the number of filtering layers and filter disks can be varied. Figure 6 shows that a layer of activated carbon power wrapped in a round cloth bag is placed and pressed between the first filter disk 151 and the second filter disk 1 52, and water can pass through the cloth bag being deodorised and sterilized at the same time by the activated carbon power.A supporting rod is placed in the center between the two filter disks 1 51, 152 to hold the activated carbon layer in place.
As Figure 5 shows, there is a layer of ionexchanging resin 10 wrapped in a round cloth bag between the second filter disk 152 and the third one 153, with a supporting rod 162 held in the center between these two disks 152,153 to keep the ion-exchanging resin layer in place. The function of this layer 10 is to soften water. And between the third disk 153 and the fourth one 1 54, as Figure 4 shows, is placed a layer of very fine fiber-net 9 that can prevent tiny bits of matter in water from passing through.
As Figure 3 shows, a layer of round sponge 8 is placed between the fourth filter disk 154 and the fifth one 155 kept in place by a supporting rod 164. This sponge layer nearest to the water entrance, can prevent rather large particle of any matter carried in the water from passing through, in other words, to filter them, because the holes in the sponge are rather large. Then large residues filtered will be retained and will accumulate in the fifth filter disk 1 55.
The five filter disks 151,152,153,154,155 are of the same structure. An array of filter apertures 15A are provided all over the surface of each filter disk for water to flow through each layer. Along the round edge of the filter disk are openings 15B through which water can flow both at the first filter disk where water to be treated enters and at the fifth filter disk where water already treated flows out.
The filter disks 151, 152, 1 53, 1 54, 155, the activated carbon layer 11, the ion-exchange resin layer 10, the fiber-net layer 9 and the sponge layer 8 should be assembled orderly as shown in theFigures and be installed in the filter tank 3. Then the sealing cover 12 is to be completely sealed on so that water cannot leak out of the tank 3, and thus it will operate with the best result. After a period of time, when stoppage of water flowing through the tank 3 should happen because of too much dirty matter accumulated inside, it is necessary to open the sealing cover 12, taken out and clean up all of the filtering materials and filter disks, and put them together back in the tank 3.
Then it will function well again.
Now the theory will be explained about the function of this system comprising the waterstorage tank 1, the inlet pipe 2, the filter tank 3, the outlet pipe 4, the water pump 5, the water pipe 6, and the pressure switch. As long as the filtered clean water is sent through the water pipe 6 and the water pressure is higher than the pressure set in the pressure switch 7, say 0.5Kg/cm2, the pressure switch activates to cut off the electric current making the water pump 5 remain stopped even through the power switch of the pump is on.
Then the untreated water in the storing tank 1 flows under gravity through the inlet pipe 2 going into the filter tank 3, and gradually passes in turn through the sponge layer 8, the fiber-net layer 9, the ion-exchanging layer 10 and the activated carbon layer 11, being filtered twice, softened, deodorised and sterilized. The completely treated water goes through the outlet pipe and the water pipe and then to users. But if the water pressure in the water pipe 6 falls below the set pressure in the pressure switch 7, the switch 7 never fails to start the water pump 5 to work, which then pumps the water in the filter tank 3 out through the outlet pipe and into the water pipe. Thus this system can always function to treat water continuously.