Compact low volume water purification apparatus

Claim 2

A compact water purifier comprising: (a) an anode having a fluid passageway through its interior to provide an anode fluid path; (b) a anionic membrane support member concentrically mounted about said anode; (c) a anionic membrane mounted to the exterior of said anionic support member; (d) a separating means for maintaining a first fluid passageway between said anionic membrane and said anode; (e) a bead box concentrically mounted about said anionic membrane support member to provide a water purification path; (f) ion exchange resins located in said bead box for contact with the water in said water purification path; (g) fluid communication means between said water purification path and said anionic membrane; (h) a cationic membrane concentrically mounted about said bead box; (i) fluid communication means between said water purification path and said cationic membrane; (j) a cathode concentrically mounted about said cationic membrane; (k) a separating means for maintaining a passageway between said cationic membrane and said cathode to define a second fluid passageway therebetween; (l) means to provide an anolyte waste stream through said anode fluid path and through said first fluid passageway; (m) means to provide a catholyte waste stream through said second fluid passageway; wherein ionic impurities are removed from the water purification path by the combined action of electrodialysis and ion exchange resins.

Claim 3

A water purifier according to claim 1 wherien said anode is hollow and said anode fluid path is through the hollow part of the anode.

Claim 4

A water purifier according to claim 2 wherein said anode is a ceramic anode.

Claim 5

A water purifier according to claim 2 wherein said cathode is a stainless steel cathode.

Claim 6

A water purifier according to claim 2 wherein said said cathode is an expanded stainless steel cathode.

Claim 7

A water purifier according to claim 1 wherien the anolyte waste stream and said catholyte waste streams are cycled to a cold water faucet for general use.

Claim 8

A water compact purifier comprising: (a) an anode having a fluid passageway through its interior to provide an anode fluid path; (b) a bead box inner member concentrically mounted about said anode; (c) a bead box outer member concentrically mounted about said bead box inner member to form a bead box to hold ion exchange resin beads between said bead box outer member and said bead box inner member; (d) a water purification path across said resin beads in said bead box; (e) an anionic membrane mounted to said bead box inner member; (f) said anionic membrane spaced from said anode to form a first fluid passageway betwen said anionic membrane and said anode; (g) fluid communication means between said water purification path and said anionic membrane; (h) a cationic membrane concentrically mounted about said outer bead box; (i) fluid communication means between said water purification path and said cationic membrane; (j) a cathode concentrically mounted about said cationic membrane; (k) a separating means for maintaining a passageway between said cationic membrane and said cathode to define a second fluid passageway; (l) means to provide an anolyte waste stream through said anode fluid path and through said first fluid passageway; (m) means to provide a catholyte waste stream through said second fluid passageway; wherein ionic impurities are removed from the water purification path by the combined action of electrodialysis and ion exchange resins.

Claim 9

A water compact purifier comprising: (a) an anode having a fluid passageway through its interior to provide an anode fluid path; (b) a bead box inner member concentrically mounted about said anode; (c) a bead box outer member concentrically mounted about said bead box inner member to form a bead box to hold ion exchange resin beads between said bead box outer member and said bead box inner member; (d) a water purification path across said resin beads in said bead box; (e) an anionic membrane mounted to said bead box inner member; (f) said anionic membrane spaced from said anode to form a first fluid passageway betwen said anionic membrane and said anode; (g) fluid communication means between said water purification path and said anionic membrane; (h) a cationic membrane concentrically mounted about said outer bead box; (i) fluid communication means between said water purification path and said cationic membrane; (j) a cathode concentrically mounted about said cationic membrane; (k) a separating means for maintaining a passageway between said cationic membrane and said cathode to define a second fluid passageway; (l) means to provide an anolyte waste stream through said anode fluid path and through said first fluid passageway; (m) means to provide a catholyte waste stream through said second fluid passageway; wherein ionic impurities are removed from the water purification path by the combined action of electrodialysis and ion exchange resins.

Claim 10

A water purifier according to claim 7 wherein the outside of said bead box outer member is said cationic membrane which is directly mounted to the outside of said bead box outer member.

Claim 11

A water purifier according to claim 8 wherien said anionic membrane is permanently bonded to the interior of said bead box inner.

Claim 12

A water purifier according to claim 8 further comprising interacting ribs and baffles on said bead box inner and said bead box outer whereby said water purification path across said resin beads is a tortious path and said resin beads are held in place by said baffles.

Claim 13

A water purifier according to claim 10 wherein the anolyte waste stream and said catholyte waste streams are cycled to a cold water faucet for general use.

Claim 14

A water purifier according to claim 9 wherein said anionic membrane is formed by injection molding or welding said anionic membrane to said bead box inner.

Claim 15

A water purifier according to claim 12 wherein said cationic membrane is permanently bonded to the exterior of said bead box outer.

Claim 16

A water purifier according to claim 13 wherein said anionic membrane is formed by injection molding or welding said anionic membrane to said bead box inner.

Claim 17

A water purifier according to claim 7 wherein said anionic membrane is permanently bonded to the interior of said bead box inner member.

Claim 18

A water purifier according to claim 15 wherien said anionic membrane is formed by injection molding said anionic membrane to said bead box inner member.

Claim 19

A water purifier according to claim 7 further comprising interacting ribs and baffles on said bead box inner member and said bead box outer member whereby said water purification path across said resin beads is a torturous path and said resin beads are held in place by said baffles.

Claim 20

A water purifier according to cliam 7 wherein the anolyte waste stream and said catholyte waste streams are cycled to a cold water faucet for general use.

Claim 21

A water purifier according to cliam 7 wherein the anolyte waste stream and said catholyte waste streams are cycled to a cold water faucet for general use.

Claim 22

A water purifier comprising: (a) a cylindrical anode having a fluid passageway through its interior to provide an anode fluid path; (b) a cylindrical anionic membrane support member concentrically mounted about said anode; (c) an anionic membrane mounted to the interior of said anionic support member; (d) a separating means for maintaining a first fluid passageway having a top and bottom between said anionic membrane and said anode; (e) a cylindrical bead box concentrically mounted about said anionic support member to provide a water purification path; (f) ion exchange resins located in said cylindrical bead box for contact with the water in said water purification path; (g) fluid communication means between said water purification path and said anionic membrane; (h) a cylindrical spacer concentrically mounted about the bead box; (i) a cationic membrane concentrically mounted about outer bead box; (j) fluid communication means between said water purification path and said cationic membrane; (k) a cylindrical cathode concentrically mounted about said cathode membrane; (l) a separating means for maintaining a passageway between said cationic membrane and said cathode to define a second fluid passageway having a top and bottom therebetween; (m) means to provide source water to the bottom of said first fluid passageway to form an anolyte stream; (n) means to transfer said anolyte stream exiting the top of said first fluid passageway to the top of the anode fluid path; (o) means to transfer said anolyte stream exiting at the bottom of said anode fluid path to said second fluid path to form a catholyte waste stream whereby a single waste stream is formed; (p) means to provide the waste stream exiting the purifier to a cold water fauce for general use; wherein ionic impurities are removed from the water purification path by the combined action of electrodialysis and ion exchange resins.

Claim 23

A water purifier comprising: (a) a cylindrical anode having a fluid passageway through its interior to provide an anode fluid path; (b) a cylindrical anionic membrane support member concentrically mounted about said anode; (c) an anionic membrane mounted to the interior of said anionic support member; (d) a separating means for maintaining a first fluid passageway having a top and bottom between said anionic membrane and said anode; (e) a cylindrical bead box concentrically mounted about said anionic support member to provide a water purification path; (f) ion exchange resins located in said cylindrical bead box for contact with the water in said water purification path; (g) fluid communication means between said water purification path and said anionic membrane; (h) a cylindrical spacer concentrically mounted about the bead box; (i) a cationic membrane concentrically mounted about outer bead box; (j) fluid communication means between said water purification path and said cationic membrane; (k) a cylindrical cathode concentrically mounted about said cathode membrane; (l) a separating means for maintaining a passageway between said cationic membrane and said cathode to define a second fluid passageway having a top and bottom therebetween; (m) means to provide source water to the bottom of said first fluid passageway to form an anolyte stream; (n) means to transfer said anolyte stream exiting the top of said first fluid passageway to the top of the anode fluid path; (o) means to transfer said anolyte stream exiting at the bottom of said anode fluid path to said second fluid path to form a catholyte waste stream whereby a single waste stream is formed; (p) means to provide the waste stream exiting the purifier to a cold water fauce for general use; wherein ionic impurities are removed from the water purification path by the combined action of electrodialysis and ion exchange resins.