Apparatus for preparing mineral-free water

Claim 1

A PORTABLE DEMINERALIZING UNIT FOR USE IN HOMES OR THE LIKE AND BEING CAPABLE OF EASY REMOVAL FOR REGENERATION WHEN SERVICING IS REQUIRED, SAID UNIT COMPRISING A GENERALLY VERTICALLY DISPOSED CASING HAVING A PERIPHERAL WALL AND SPACED END WALLS, VALVED INLET MEANS IN THE TOP WALL FOR ENABLING INTRODUCTION OF UNTREATED WATER INTO THE UPPER END OF THE CASING, A MIXTURE OF CATION EXCHANGE AND ANION EXCHANGE RESINS IN SAID CASING, DIFFUSER MEANS MOUNTED FROM THE TOP WALL FOR DISTRIBUTING THE WATER INTRODUCED INTO THE CASING OVER THE ENTIRE AREA OF THE RESINS TO ELIMINATE CHANNELIZATION THROUGH THE RESINS, OUTLET MEANS COMMUNICATING WITH THE BOTTOM OF THE CASING THROUGH THE BOTTOM WALL, DIFFUSER MEANS SUPPORTED FROM THE BOTTOM WALL ABOVE THE OUTLET MEANS TO ENABLE DEMINERALIZED WATER TO ENTER THE OUTLET MEANS AT A PLURALITY OF POINTS, SAID OUTLET MEANS INCLUDING A PASSAGE FOR RECEIVING DEMINERALIZED WATER, A PAIR OF SPACED ELECTRODES EXTENDING INTO THE PASSAGE, A SOURCE OF ELECTRICAL POTENTIAL CONNECTED ACROSS SAID ELECTRODES FOR ESTABLISHING A CIRCUIT INCLUDING THE WATER IN THE PASSAGE WHICH SERVES AS A PORTION OF THE CIRCUIT FOR ELECTRICALLY CONNECTING THE ELECTRODES, A LAMP IN SAID CIRCUIT PROVIDING A VISIBLE INDICATION OF THE MINERAL CONTENT OF THE WATER, SAID CIRCUIT BEING CONSTRUCTED AND ARRANGED WHEREBY SAID LAMP REMAINS ENERGIZED WHEN THE DEMINERALIZATION OF THE WATER IS COMPLETE AND THE WATER IS SUBSTANTIALLY ELECTRICALLY NON-CONDUCTIVE AND BECOMES EXTINGUISHED WHEN THE WATER FLOWING THROUGH THE PASSAGE CONTAINS A SUFFICIENT MINERAL CONTENT TO CONDUCT A PREDETERMINED AMOUNT OF CURRENT TO SHUNT THE LAMP CIRCUIT, A DISCHARGE TUBE FOR DEMINERALIZED WATER EXTENDING VERTICALLY THROUGHOUT THE LENGTH OF THE INTERIOR OF THE CASING ADJACENT THE PERIPHERAL WALL, MEANS COMMUNICATING THE LOWER END OF THE DISCHARGE TUBE WITH THE OUTLET MEANS, AND A DISCHARGE FAUCET CARRIED BY THE UPPER END OF THE CASING AND COMMUNICATED WITH THE DISCHARGE TUBE FOR DISCHARGING DEMINERALIZED WATER AT THE TOP END OF THE CASING, AND MEANS WITHIN THE DISCHARGE TUBE FOR ADDITIONALY TREATING THE DEMINERALIZED WATER.