Access Business Group International LLC

Amway Corporation

Eric K Bartkus

David W Baarman

Kenneth E Conrad

Scott A Mollema

Roy W Kuennen

Terry Lee Lautzenheiser

Greg S Snyder

Bradley J Pippel

David John Dekker

Greg Synder

A lamp assembly for use in a water treatment system. The lamp assembly includes a bulb assembly, a reflector assembly and a conduit carring liquid, such as water, through the lamp assembly. The reflector assembly is configured to reflect and focus light emitted from the bulb assembly on the conduit, thereby enhancing the efficiency of the lamp assembly. The reflector assembly can include reflectors including one or more diminishing radii of curvature, which terminate and form a peak near a bulb of the bulb assembly and/or conduit.

Point-of-use water treatment system

The present invention provides a WTS closure assembly that is easily and quickly secured to and removed from the filter chamber of a WTS. The closure assembly of the present invention provides a bail handle attached to the closure and which utilizes a mechanical advantage, preferably in the form of a pivoting handle which presses a plurality of cams onto the WTS housing, thereby breaking a seal between the closure assembly and the WTS filter chamber, and lifting the closure away from the filter chamber.

Removable closure assembly for a water treatment system

A ceramic disc diverter valve for use with a water treatment device. The diverter includes a movable disc sandwiched between two stationary discs. The movable disc is rotated between three different positions to deliver a stream of untreated water, a spray of untreated water or a flow of treated water. When delivering treated water, the diverter directs the flow of water out of a secondary outlet to a water treatment device. The treated water is returned to the diverter through a secondary inlet and is discharged from the diverter through a treated water outlet. When delivering untreated water, both the secondary inlet and the secondary outlet are sealed by the ceramic discs. The movable disc preferably includes an integral handle that protrudes from the housing.

Ceramic disc diverter valve

A water treatment system including an automatic shut-off control valve. The system preferably includes inflow and outflow sensors that monitor flow through the system and a pressure sensor that senses back pressure in a downstream plumbing system. If the sensors sense different flows, a leak in the system is assumed and the control valve is closed. In one embodiment, the flowing back pressure is monitored by the pressure sensor to detect leaks in the plumbing system. In another embodiment, the valve is closed after a specific volume of water flow is sensed and the pressure sensor measures static back pressure in the plumbing system to detect a leak. In yet another embodiment, incremental amounts of water are released by the valve and subsequent back pressures are tested to detect a leak. Optionally, the system includes a control to shut-off a water supply when a water treatment device enclosure is accessed.

Automatic shut-off for water treatment system

The present invention is directed to a replaceable lamp assembly for a point-of-use water treatment system (WTS). The lamp assembly includes first and second ends with respective sealed inlet and outlet openings associated with the ends. One or more conduits extend between the openings. A bulb assembly is positioned adjacent the conduit to irradiate liquid transferred in the conduit. A reflector assembly in the lamp assembly focuses radiation on the conduit. An enclosure surrounds the bulb and reflector assemblies such that lamp assembly becomes a generally closed pressure vessel.

Lamp assembly for point-of-use water treatment system

The present invention is directed to a light monitoring system used in a water treatment system. The monitoring system includes a light pipe and a light intensity detector. The light pipe is impregenated with a florescent dye that converts ultraviolet light into visible light. The light pipe includes a plurality of internal facets that focus light incident on the light pipe toward the light intensity detector. The light intensity detector monitors the visible light transmitted to the detector by the light pipe and determines the relative ultraviolet light output intensity of a lamp assembly within the water treatment system based on the monitored visible light.

UV light intensity detector in a water treatment system

The present invention is directed to a lamp assembly for use in a point-of-use water treatment system or other device. The lamp assembly includes a condensing element to condense mercury in a bulb within the arc path of opposing filaments when the bulb is de-energized. In one embodiment, the time required for the lamp assembly to produce light upon subsequent re-energization of the bulb is significantly reduced because the mercury is in the intermediate portion of the bulb, within the filament arc path.

Point-of use water treatment system

The present invention is directed to a point-of-use water treatment system (WTS) unit ( ) for filtering and treating contaminants in water. WTS unit ( ) may include a first primary coil ( ) located in a base unit ( ) which inductively power a secondary treatment device such as a UV lamp assembly ( ). Secondary treatment device ( ) may be a lamp assembly ( ) which includes a condensing element ( ) to condense mercury in a bulb in the arc path between filaments ( ). Maintaining the condensed mercury between filaments ( ) serves to reduce the time needed for lamp assembly ( ) to produce light emissions of a predetermined intensity upon subsequent energization as compared to allowing the mercury to condense outside the arc path. A reflector assembly ( ) may be used in lamp assembly ( ) to focus radiation upon conduits ( ) carrying water therethrough and away from returning to a bulb assembly ( ) from which the radiation was originally emitted. An outer enclosure or housing ( ) surrounds the bulb and reflector assemblies ( ) such that lamp assembly ( ) becomes a generally closed pressure vessel. Also, a light pipe ( ) impregnated with a florescent dye may be used to convert UV light into visible light for ease of monitoring the light output intensity of lamp assembly ( ). Light pipe ( ) also serves as a filter to primarily emit light of a particular wavelength (green) while significantly inhibiting light transmission through light pipe ( ) of other wavelengths.

A water treatment system for filtering and treating contaminants in water includes a UV lamp assembly coaxially received within a filter assembly . A valve system prevents water from being spilled from the filter assembly when the filter assembly is removed from the base unit and the lamp assembly so that the lamp and filter assemblies are independently replaceable. The valve system includes a check valve controlling flow between the lamp and filter assemblies.

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Ada, MI, United States of America

Eric K Bartkus