WO2005030656A1

WO2005030656A1 - Improvements relating to water treatment apparatus

Info

Publication number: WO2005030656A1
Application number: PCT/GB2004/003826
Authority: WO
Inventors: Lee Underwood; Steven John Bryant
Original assignee: Otv Sa
Priority date: 2003-09-26
Filing date: 2004-09-09
Publication date: 2005-04-07
Also published as: GB0322596D0

Abstract

A plastic water treatment apparatus reservoir and water treatment frame part for a water treatment apparatus formed by rotational plastic moulding, constructed such that at least some of the other components of the water treatment apparatus can be affixed thereto such that there is no requirement for a separate frame, most especially a separate metallic frame. The part provides the complete outer fascia of the water treatment apparatus and has one or more doors or access panels fitted thereon.

Description

Improvements relating to Water Treatment Apparatus

The present invention relates to water treatment apparatus and improvements in their manufacture.

Many types of water treatment apparatus involve a reservoir, one or more pumps, one or more treatment units such as charcoal, resin, UV filters, etc, a number of valves and sensors, and interfitting pipework. Such apparatus are not limited to size, but include bench apparatus, ^λstand alone' apparatus and larger treatment facilities. Such apparatus generally have one or more inlets, for example from a tap, and one or more outlets adapted to deliver a quantity of treated and/or purified water on demand.

Typically, such water treatment apparatus have a metallic frame within which, and on to which, the components such as those listed above are attached, followed by the addition of facia sides, top etc. The metallic frame, like many other manufactured items, is viewed as a general requirement to provide sufficient rigidity, and a suitable frame on which all the components can be attached. However, this has a number of disadvantages. Firstly, a separate frame must first of all be constructed, and all the other components fitted therewithin using additional support brackets and the like. Secondly, metallic components, even if coated, generally suffer from corrosion, which is unsightly, and could eventually create structural weaknesses for the apparatus. Thirdly, there is time required to create the metallic frame, and to add all the supplementary support fittings for the components therewithin.

It is an object of the present invention to obviate these disadvantages.

Thus, according to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a one-piece or integrally formed reservoir and frame part for a water treatment apparatus.

The part is preferably plastic and is formable by well known methods of manufacture, including forms of plastic moulding, in particular rotational moulding.

The part is preferably adapted to support one or more components, parts and/or fittings of the water treatment apparatus. Thus, there is no requirement for a separate frame, most especially a separate metallic frame.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the thickness of the part is sufficient where required for the addition of support pieces such as brackets, screws, plugs etc, to be accommodated directly therein or directly thereonto.

The part may be formed to create not only the reservoir required for the water treatment apparatus, but also having the form and structure required to form at least part, preferably a significant part, if not all, of the outer facia. The part of the present invention may provide the complete outer facia of the water treatment apparatus. Preferably, one or more facia pieces, such as one or more doors and/or panels are fittable to the part.

The apparatus may also include a base unit, typically formed with the same or similar material as the one-piece or integrally formed reservoir and frame part.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a rotationally moulded water treatment apparatus reservoir and water treatment apparatus frame part.

The rotational moulding process generally provides smooth internal surfaces, which are important for water treatment apparatus for two reasons. Firstly, to ensure a continually smooth internal surface so as to avoid 'hideout' or eadleg' areas where water is able to remain static, or would be unperturbed by surrounding flow, wherein micro- organisms such as bacteria can grow. This is a common problem with welded seams in traditional reservoirs . Secondly, in order to ensure smooth water flow in the reservoir and smooth wetting of all the internal surfaces.

The part is preferably adapted to support one or more of the components, parts and/or fitting of the water treatment apparatus, and preferably also one or more facia pieces or panels.

The reservoir and frame part of the present invention is preferably also formed to accommodate some of the conduits and connections for other parts for water treatment apparatus, such as a vent filter, location of cabling and the electric PCBs . The control parts, including the reservoir preferably retains necessary design features of a water treatment apparatus reservoir such as a sloping, self-draining base.

The reservoir may be of any suitable size, shape or design. Commonly it is generally rectangular in cross-section, although not limited thereto. It could have any capacity, including greater than 100 litres. According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a water treatment apparatus having a rotationally moulded reservoir.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example only, and with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective views of a prior art water treatment apparatus;

Figures 2 is a perspective view from the front of a water treatment apparatus according to the present invention; and

Figure 3 is a perspective view from the rear of the water treatment apparatus of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 shows a prior art water treatment apparatus having a metallic rectangular frame 2. The metallic frame 2 is generally bolted, screwed or welded together. To this are added a series of support rails and brackets, to which are attached the required apparatus components such as one or more pumps, water treatment units, pipework, cabling, etc. All this construction adds to the cost of manufacture, as well as the weaknesses of using a metallic frame as mentioned above.

Figures 2 and 3 show a water treatment apparatus according to the present invention. The apparatus has two major frame parts, the first being a one- piece, integrally formed reservoir and frame part 6 and the second being a moulded base unit 10.

The part 6 is formed from rotational moulding. Rotational moulding is a well known processing method for producing hollow articles made of synthetic plastic materials. It generally comprises cold plastic powder or granules being places in a metal or alloy mould, which mould is then closed and rotated simultaneously about two perpendicular axes. Whilst rotating the mould, it moves into an oven and the metal surface becomes hot, such that the plastic in the mould starts to melt and coat the inside surface of the mould. When all the plastic powder has melted and a uniform coating is formed on the mould, it is taken out of the oven and cooled. When the plastic has solidified, the mould is open and the moulding is removed.

Rotational moulding provides advantages over other moulding processes. For example, it can produce strong, one piece, low stress articles that are not weakened by joined-up seams. The absence of joints or seams eliminates the problem of 'hideout' areas where micro-organisms come proliferate, thereby significantly reducing one of the major problems in maintaining purified water in a reservoir. A reservoir is intended to 'hold' water until required, and standing water provides time for micro-organisms and bacteria to find a location to become static and start to breed, thus affecting the purity of the water. The present invention seeks to avoid this significant prior art problem.

Rotational moulding also allows relatively complex shaped articles to be constructed. Thus the shape of the reservoir integrally formed with the reservoir and frame part 6 as well as the shape and thickness of material required to support components of the water treatment apparatus, as well as the desire for the part 6 to be at least part of the outer facia of the water treatment apparatus, can be carried out using rotational moulding technology. Moreover, hollow sections of a moulded article such as rims or handles can also be formed in a completely monolithic structure. Single and double walled articles can also be formed.

Rotational moulding generally involves the melting of thermoplastic resins, such as polyethylene or polypropylene.

The base unit 10 could also be formed from rotational moulding, or could be provided by another manufacturing process. Preferably the base unit 10 is formed of plastic, more preferably the same or similar material to that of the part 6. In particular the base unit 10 could be used to provide the required ground clearance for the water treatment apparatus, and possibly be formed of a stronger material in order to particularly accommodate heavier components such as the main pump of the water treatment apparatus. Attached to the reservoir and frame part 6 are water treatment units 12, such as a UV filter. The main 'electrics' of the water treatment apparatus could be accommodated in a depression in the top of the part 6 thereby ensuring their general separation from the water flow components, and further avoidance of complications should any water leak.

Figure 2 shows the addition of a door panel 14 to cover the internal parts of the water treatment apparatus .

A particular benefit of the present invention is that the material of the reservoir and frame part and the moulding process can be selected such that the part is a main structural component of the water treatment apparatus. Whilst accommodating and/or supporting many of the active process components or the water treatment apparatus, the reservoir and frame part retains key design features essential for the maintenance of purified water, such as a sloping self-draining base, in order to ensure complete water turnover, and possibly a sprayball fitment on the return water inlet to ensure wetting of all internal surfaces of the reservoir.

The smooth non-welded internal surface of the reservoir and frame part ensures purity of the water is maintained, and protected from environmental influences. For example, an integral composite vent filter could be accommodated within one of these sculpted sections of the part, and this provides protection from environmental contaminants such as particulates, micro-organisms, organics and carbon dioxide, which would otherwise have a deleterious effect on the purity of the water.

Claims

1. A one-piece or integrally formed reservoir and frame part for a water treatment apparatus.

2. A part as claimed in claim 1, wherein said part is formed from plastic and is formable by plastic moulding, in particular rotational moulding.

3. A part as claimed in any preceding claim, constructed such that at least some of the other components of the water treatment apparatus can be affixed thereto such that there is no requirement for a separate frame, most especially a separate metallic frame.

4. A part as claimed in claim 4, wherein the thickness of the part is sufficient where required for the addition of support pieces such as brackets, screws, plugs etc, to be accommodated directly therein or directly thereonto.

5. A part as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the part is formed to create the reservoir required for the water treatment apparatus and also has the form and structure required to form at least part, preferably a significant part, of the outer facia of the water treatment apparatus.

6. A part as claimed in claim 5, wherein the part provides the complete outer facia of the water treatment apparatus .

7. A part as claimed in claim 5 or 6, wherein one or more facia pieces, such as one or more doors and/or panels, are fittable thereon.

8. A part as claimed in any preceding claims, wherein the part is formed to accommodate at least some of the conduits and connections for other parts for water treatment apparatus, such as a vent filter, location of cabling and the electric PCBs.

9. A part as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the part has a smooth internal surface.

10.A water treatment apparatus comprising a one-piece or integrally formed reservoir and frame part as claimed in any preceing claim conjoined with, preferably mounted on, a base unit.

11.A rotationally moulded water treatment apparatus reservoir and water treatment apparatus frame part.

12. A reservoir and frame part as claimed in claim 11, wherein the part is preferably adapted to support one or more of the components, parts and/or fitting of the water treatment apparatus, as well as preferably one or more facia pieces or panels.

13. A reservoir and frame part as claimed in claim 11 or claim 12, wherein the part is formed to accommodate at least some of the conduits and connections for other parts for water treatment apparatus, such as a vent filter, location of cabling and the electric PCBs.

14. A water treatment apparatus having a rotationally moulded reservoir.