US4744895A — Reverse osmosis water purifier

Claim 1

Independent Claim 114 words

A reverse osmosis water purifier comprising, in combination, a housing having a base adapted to rest upon a countertop, a reverse osmosis water purifier element mounted in said housing, a purified water reservoir mounted in said housing and connected to receive purified water from said purifier element, conduit means for conducting pressurized unpurified water to said purifier element, coupling means for coupling said conduit means to a water faucet outlet as a source of pressurized unpurified water, dispensing outlet means for said reservoir, said outlet means being located a substantial distance above the bottom wall of said reservoir, and pump means operable to pump purified water from said reservoir and out through said outlet.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 114 words

A reverse osmosis water purifier comprising, in combination, a housing having a base adapted to rest upon a countertop, a reverse osmosis water purifier element mounted in said housing, a purified water reservoir mounted in said housing and connected to receive purified water from said purifier element, conduit means for conducting pressurized unpurified water to said purifier element, coupling means for coupling said conduit means to a water faucet outlet as a source of pressurized unpurified water, dispensing outlet means for said reservoir, said outlet means being located a substantial distance above the bottom wall of said reservoir, and pump means operable to pump purified water from said reservoir and out through said outlet.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 23 words

A device as in claim 1 in which said housing has a top wall, said outlet means being located adjacent said top wall.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 25 words

A device as in claim 1 in which said pump means is a submersible pump driven by an electrical motor and mounted in said reservoir.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 32 words

A device as in claim 1 in which said pump means comprises a battery-driven pump, and battery mounting means for mounting at least one battery in said housing for driving said pump.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 59 words

A device as in claim 1 in which said pump means comprises an electrical pump, switch means operable for selectively energizing said pump to dispense purified water, conductivity test means for testing the conductivity of said purified water and indicating whether said conductivity is above or below a pre-determined limit, said test means being operable by said switch means.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 38 words

A device as in claim 5 in which said pump is battery-operated, means for mounting at least one battery in said housing and for connecting said switch means, said pump and said conductivity test means to said battery.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 53 words

A device as in claim 2 in which said housing has substantially vertical side walls, said outlet means comprising a dispensing spout extending outwardly from and overhanging one of said side walls, whereby a relatively tall container can be placed on said countertop under said spout to receive said purified water dispensed therefrom.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 51 words

A countertop reverse osmosis water purifier unit comprising a housing, a purified water reservoir shaped to nest within said housing, a submersible pump for pumping water out of said reservoir, a mounting plate for mounting said pump in said reservoir, said plate forming at least a partial cover over said reservoir.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 51 words

A countertop reverse osmosis water purifier unit comprising a housing, a purified water reservoir shaped to nest within said housing, a submersible pump for pumping water out of said reservoir, a mounting plate for mounting said pump in said reservoir, said plate forming at least a partial cover over said reservoir.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 86 words

A device as in claim 8 in which said plate has mounting means for mounting batteries and operating circuitry for said device, said plate being constructed so as to seal said reservoir from said mounting means, and a cover for covering said mounting means with space between said cover and said plate for housing said batteries and operating circuitry, and means for mounting a reverse-osmosis unit on said reservoir so that the reservoir and reverse osmosis units can be removed from said housing as a unit.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 159 words

A reverse osmosis water purifier comprising, in combination, a housing having a base adapted to rest upon a countertop, a reverse osmosis water purifier element mounted in said housing, a purified water reservoir mounted in said housing and connected to receive purified water from said purifier element, conduit means for conducting pressurized unpurified water to said purifier element, coupling means for coupling said conduit means to a water faucet outlet as a source of pressurized unpurified water, dispensing outlet means for said reservoir, said outlet means being located a substantial distance above the bottom wall of said reservoir, electrical pump means operable to pump purified water from said reservoir and out through said outlet, switch means operable for selectively energizing said pump to dispense purified water, and conductivity test means for testing the conductivity of said purified water and indicating whether said conductivity is above or below a pre-determined limit, said test means being operable by said switch means.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 159 words

A reverse osmosis water purifier comprising, in combination, a housing having a base adapted to rest upon a countertop, a reverse osmosis water purifier element mounted in said housing, a purified water reservoir mounted in said housing and connected to receive purified water from said purifier element, conduit means for conducting pressurized unpurified water to said purifier element, coupling means for coupling said conduit means to a water faucet outlet as a source of pressurized unpurified water, dispensing outlet means for said reservoir, said outlet means being located a substantial distance above the bottom wall of said reservoir, electrical pump means operable to pump purified water from said reservoir and out through said outlet, switch means operable for selectively energizing said pump to dispense purified water, and conductivity test means for testing the conductivity of said purified water and indicating whether said conductivity is above or below a pre-determined limit, said test means being operable by said switch means.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 45 words

A device as in claim 10 in which said switch means is located adjacent the top wall of said housing, said test means including indicator means closely adjacent said switch means, whereby said indicator means can be seen easily when said switch mean is operated.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 18 words

A device as in claim 11 in which said indicator means includes red and green light emitting devices.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 30 words

A device as in claim 11 in which said indicator means is mounted in the body of said switch means, and including a probe in contact with said purified water.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 56 words

A device as in claim 10 including two different indicator elements, means for setting a desired conductivity level, and means for enabling one of said elements and disabling the other when said conductivity is below said desired level, and enabling said other indicator and disabling said one indicator when said conductivity is above said desired level.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 146 words

A valve for diverting water from a faucet to a reverse osmosis water purifier unit, said valve including a valve body with means for connecting with said valve body with said faucet, said valve body having a feed outlet port for feeding pressurized water to said reverse-osmosis unit, a return inlet port communicating with a drain port in said body, a rotatable valve member rotatably mounted on said valve body, said valve member having orifices of selected sizes, the size of one of said orifices being relatively large for use during flushing of said reverse osmosis unit and the size of another orifice being relatively small and of a size to provide a suitable amount of back pressure for effective operation of said reverse-osmosis unit during water purification, said rotatable valve member being rotatable to align a selected one of said orifices with said drain port.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 146 words

A valve for diverting water from a faucet to a reverse osmosis water purifier unit, said valve including a valve body with means for connecting with said valve body with said faucet, said valve body having a feed outlet port for feeding pressurized water to said reverse-osmosis unit, a return inlet port communicating with a drain port in said body, a rotatable valve member rotatably mounted on said valve body, said valve member having orifices of selected sizes, the size of one of said orifices being relatively large for use during flushing of said reverse osmosis unit and the size of another orifice being relatively small and of a size to provide a suitable amount of back pressure for effective operation of said reverse-osmosis unit during water purification, said rotatable valve member being rotatable to align a selected one of said orifices with said drain port.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 52 words

A valve as in claim 15 including a through port in said valve body for allowing water to go through said body, and a further valve member positionable in said valve body to selectively allow water from said faucet to flow out of said through port and to bypass said outlet port.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 31 words

A valve as in claim 15 in which said valve body includes another inlet port communicating with said through port to provide an overflow drain for said reverse osmosis purifier unit.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 68 words

A valve as in claim 16 in which said valve body has a faucet inlet and in which said further valve member comprises a plunger positionable in one position to occlude said feed outlet and connect said faucet inlet with said through port, and in another position to connect said faucet inlet with said feed outlet and occlude the connection of said faucet inlet with said through port.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 42 words

A valve as in claim 15 in which the relatively small orifice is formed by means of an insert member fitted into a hole in said valve member, said insert having a relatively much smaller hole in it to form said orifice.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 135 words

A device as in claim 1 in which said coupling means consists of a valve for diverting water from said faucet to said water purifier unit, said valve including a valve body for connection with a water faucet, said valve body having a feed outlet port for feeding pressurized water to said purifier unit, a return inlet port communicating with a drain port in said body, and a rotatable valve member rotatably mounted on said valve body, said valve member having orifices of selected sizes, the size of one of said orifices being relatively large for use during flushing of said purifier unit, and the size of another orifice being relatively small for use during water purification, said rotatable valve member being rotatable to align a selected one of said orifices with said drain port.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1991-05-17	1991-11-16	1992-05-17	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1995-05-17	1995-11-16	1996-05-17	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1999-05-17	1999-11-16	2000-05-17	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Reverse osmosis water purifier

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