Water container with floatable filter system and method
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional water filtration pitchers require multiple fills due to a small filtered water reservoir and slow filling or dispensing, leading to frustration and inefficiency, as the unfiltered water reservoir needs frequent refilling to achieve a fully filtered water volume.
Innovation Solution
A portable drinking water pitcher with a floatable body and seal system that auto-retracts as water is dispensed, allowing for continuous filtration and efficient use of space by maintaining fluid communication through a replaceable water filter, enabling the filtered water to fill the majority of the pitcher volume without manual refilling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the unfiltered water reservoir is enlarged to increase water capacity, then the filtered water space decreases, but if the reservoir is kept small, then multiple fills are required which is time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The floatable body is designed to move dynamically between a raised position (when filtered water volume is low) and a lowered position (when filtered water volume is high). This dynamic positioning allows the system to adapt to changing water volumes, maximizing the filtered water storage capacity while automatically managing the refilling process through buoyancy-driven movement.
Solution Approach 2:
The floatable body automatically performs the function of indicating when refilling is needed and manages the filtration process without user intervention. As water is dispensed and the level drops, the floatable body rises, automatically initiating the refilling operation when it reaches the appropriate position, eliminating the need for manual monitoring and multiple user-initiated fills.
2Productivity
If filtration is performed while filling or dispensing water, then the process is continuous, but the fill or dispensing speed is slower
Solution Approach 1:
The pitcher is divided into separate unfiltered water reservoir and filtered water reservoir spaces, with the floatable body creating a physical separation. This segmentation allows unfiltered water to be added to one space while filtered water is dispensed from another, enabling parallel operations that maintain continuous filtration without bottlenecking the fill or dispensing speed.
3Volume of stationary object
If the floatable body moves between raised and lowered positions, then space utilization is optimized, but the seal must maintain restriction throughout movement
Solution Approach 1:
The seal is implemented as a flexible component that can deform and maintain contact with the pitcher wall throughout the floatable body's movement range. This flexible seal design allows the floatable body to move freely between raised and lowered positions while continuously maintaining the restriction of water passage, ensuring reliability across the entire motion range.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The floatable body and seal system in the pitcher allow for efficient filtration and dispensing of water, reducing the need for multiple fills and minimizing wasted space, providing a more efficient and user-friendly filtration process.
Implementation Method 1
a floatable body surrounding a filter opening adapted to receive and engage a replaceable water filter therein
Data Source
AI summary
A portable drinking water filter system, such as a pitcher, having a sleeve and a floatable body including a filter opening configured to receive a water filter, the floatable body having a seal extending outward from an outer surface of the floatable body. The floatable body is disposed in a sleeve cavity such that a body seal engages the sidewall and restricts water from passing between the floatable body and the sidewall. The seal is configured to create friction with the sidewall, wherein the friction created when the floatable body rises in the sleeve is different than when the floatable body lowers in the sleeve. The friction created when the floatable body rises in the sleeve is greater than when the floatable body lowers in the sleeve, allowing the floatable body to auto-retract toward a cavity base without burping.