Portable water purifier

Claim 1

A portable water purifier comprising: an upright oblong pump chamber containing a hand pump therein; an upright oblong water-purifying chamber containing therein a readily exchangeable cartridge which comprises an upper cylinder containing porous hollow fibers therein, and a lower cylinder containing an active carbon therein, both cylinders being combined together to form the cartridge, said water-purifying chamber having an opening at the top thereof; a removable cap coupled to said water-purifying chamber for closing said opening in said water-purifying chamber; said exchangeable cartridge being removable through said opening at the top of said water-purifying chamber by lifting said cartridge out through said opening, upon removal of said cap; said pump chamber and said water-purifying chamber being arranged side-by-side substantially in parallel to each other with a partition separating the two chambers; a passage arranged at bottom portions of said pump chamber and water-purifying chamber for providing a water communication path therebetween; a water inlet at a lower portion of said water-purifying chamber; a water outlet at an upper portion of said water-purifying chamber; and said water inlet and said passage being provided with respective check valve means for limiting the flow of water only to a direction from said water inlet into said water-purifying chamber.