Lifetime Products, Inc.

Kx Technologies LLC

Electrolux Home Products, Inc.

3M Innovative Properties Company

Ecowater Systems, Inc.

The Procter Gamble Company

Te Connectivity Corporation

Pur Water Purification Products, Inc.

Electrolux Consumer Products, Inc.

Te Connectivity Soultions Gmbh

Robert A Astle

Kent Ashby

David C Winter

L Curtis Strong

Thomas W McCollough

Raony Barrios

Ramesh Subramanian

Marcello Correa Machado

William L Small

Christopher Stephan Rousey

Willard Grant

Brent Steed

Carl R Stanford

S Curtis Nye

Barry D Mower

William Thomas Anniss, Iii

George Nicholas Lauri, Iii

Neil Watson

Rich Howe

Jay Calkin

Danny Green

Matthew W Hartmann

Eric M Olsen

William Li

Gary Bruce Phillips

Joel Bennett

Hemang R Patel

Chong Hun Yi

Brian Keith Weaver

Malcolm Kahn

Jeffrey A Zimmerman

Garett L Strandemo

William James Moyer, Ii

Richard Benjamin Emenheiser

Gary Altemose

Bruno Chima

Allen Keetch

Ronald Skovira

Dimitris Ioannis Collias

Stephen P Huda

Wendell B Peery

Michael J Sherman

Josh Hanson

Guillermo Matias Vidal

Steven J Haehn

Erik Robert Klimpel

Edward G Van Nimwegen

Michael Donovan Mitchell

Jason N Morgan

Thomas J Hamlin

Tim Niemier

Robert Andrew Governal

Jeannine Rebecca Bahm

Ravi Meruva

Katharine L K Faye

Rebecca A Lucht

George Lauri

Andrew Thomas Pearks

Will Anniss

John Bennett

Christopher Anthony Parada

Mike Todd

Gregory Gene Hortin

Jacob Kearl

Laurence W Bassett

Mark R Stouffer

George L Dimotsis

Richard A Prince

Curtis S Nye

Sharon Jones

Jordan Robert Fuhs

Kevin Bingham

Ronald David Jesme

Karl J Fritze

Thayne B Haney

Andrew P Bonifas

Eric Burton Olsen

Stephen F Nye

Jaewon Kim

Brock A Hable

Rajeev Dhiman

Nicholas G Amell

Michael E Griffin

Marcelo C Candeo

Andrew Matthew Candelora

Jeffrey M Maki

Martin R Neunzert

Mahesh Z Patel

Thomas D Holler

William J Feil, Iii

Martin J Blaze

Dian Zheng

Jered Larsen

Brent R Allen

Michael N Cormier

Eric Olsen

Katrina Prutzman

Timothy B Carney

Jay Calken

Filter cartridge

A filtration system interconnection structure having a filter manifold and a filter cartridge in magnetic communication with one another, such that a latching mechanism of the manifold secures the filter cartridge within a manifold sump when the filter cartridge is inserted therein. The magnetic communication is formed between two complementary coded polymagnets capable of producing a magnetic shear force when in close proximity to one another. The magnetic shear force removes a latch blocking structure from interfering with the latch, allowing the latch to secure the filter cartridge. Movement of the latch blocking structure coded polymagnet relative to the filter cartridge coded polymagnet may be perpendicular or parallel with respect to each other such that a shear force is generated therebetween, allowing for actuation of the latch blocking mechanism against a biasing force, and allowing the latch to move radially inwards against a separate biasing force.

Filter interconnects utilizing magnetic shear force generated by coded polymagnets

A gravity-fed filtration system and method of initiating flow from a filter cartridge to a holding reservoir for a gravity-fed filtration system. The method comprises providing a filter cartridge having a filter magnet, a holding reservoir for filtered fluid, and a first reservoir having a recess receiving cavity in a bottom surface thereof for receiving ingress fluid. Upon inserting the filter cartridge into the recess receiving cavity and moving the filter magnet to be in in magnetic communication with the carrier magnet, a magnetic force moves the carrier magnet from a first position which blocks fluid flow, to said second position which allows fluid flow to the holding reservoir.

Gravity-fed filter interconnect utilizing coded polymagnets

A filtration system and method of using the same. The method comprises the steps of guiding, by alignment rail and mating boss, a filter cartridge into a manifold housing; aligning a filter magnet with a corresponding manifold magnet; rotating, by attractive magnetic forces, the manifold magnet upon rotation of the filter cartridge into an installed position; and actuating, by attractive magnetic forces, a manifold valve.

Filter interconnect using a correlated magnet torque design

Container

Cooler

A filter housing assembly for fluid filtration which may be attached to, and removed from, a filter base by a push-actuated release. The filter housing assembly has a top portion with an ingress port and egress port extending therefrom, and a protrusion extending from the filter housing longitudinally axial center. The ingress and egress port are formed in an hourglass shape. A filter key having a base with a groove for mating with said projection, at least one finger extending from said base, and an electronic circuit component housing attached thereto for receiving a printed circuit board, is connected to the filter housing top portion by mating said top portion protrusion with the filter key groove. Both of said ingress and egress port have at least one cavity for the passage of fluid therethrough, where each cavity is exposed in a direction facing away from the printed circuit board.

Push filter with floating key lock

An apparatus for determining total hardness in a fluid stream utilizing a first and second sodium ion selective electrode (ISE). The ion selective electrodes are in electrical communication with one another, having first and second reference electrodes, respectively, with a salt bridge therebetween, where the first ISE receives hard water and the second ISE receives soft water. A least one drain receives outflow from effluent fluid from the first and second sodium ISE sensors.

Apparatus for measuring water hardness using ion selective electrode

An interconnection scheme between a filter cartridge and its corresponding manifold whereby a magnetic shear force is introduced to remove a blocking mechanism that would otherwise prohibit attachment. The magnetic shear force may also be employed to activate or deactivate a switch or valve, or engage or disengage an engagement mechanism relative to other components upon interconnection. The magnetic shear force is generated by complementary correlated magnet structures moved into close proximity to one another. The interconnection scheme may be a linear or rotational attachment of the filter cartridge with respect to the manifold. A valve assembly utilizing magnetic shear force may be employed to activate a bypass action between a manifold ingress port and egress port, thereby allowing water to flow when a filter cartridge is removed from the manifold and directing water to the filter cartridge when the valve assembly is activated.

Filter interconnect using a magnetic shear force

A filtration system interconnection structure includes a filter manifold and a filter cartridge in magnetic communication produced by two complementary correlated magnets capable of generating a magnetic force when in close proximity to one another. The filter magnet polarity transitions are aligned with the manifold magnet polarity transitions such that a repulsion force is generated between the magnets when the filter cartridge is inserted within the manifold sump. The magnetic repulsion force may be used to move a blocking mechanism or actuate a latch structure in the manifold to secure the filter cartridge within the manifold sump upon insertion, or to provide non-contacting actuation of a downstream valve so as to permit or prevent the flow of fluid. Utilizing correlated magnetism in a filter interconnect further provides enhanced authentication and/or anti-counterfeiting means to ensure that only authorized or OEM filter cartridges can be installed.

Filter interconnect utilizing a magnetic repulsion force

In one example, a structure includes a flexible plastic body having a first end and a second end, as well as a first side and a second side disposed opposite each other. The first side includes a first group of segments, and the second side includes a second group of segments. The structure also includes a group of living hinges integral with the body, and one of the living hinges is positioned between segments, and the living hinges enable the flexible plastic body to alternatively assume a flat state, or another state in which the body is not flat.

Ship flat blow-molded tunnel

A filter base for receiving a complementary mating filter housing assembly. The filter base includes a base platform having fluid ingress and egress stanchions, and a wire harness assembly including a connector housing integral with or connected to the base platform for establishing an electrical connection between the filter base and the filter housing assembly. The wire harness assembly includes conductors extending between first and second connectors, with one or more resilient contacts provided on the second connector. The connector housing has an upper surface and an oppositely facing lower surface and is dimensioned to receive a first end portion of the one or more contacts. The contacts are flexible from a first position to a second position when a mating portion of the one or more contacts engages a mating connection surface of the filter housing assembly. The mating connection surface may be a circuit pad of a printed circuit board, wherein the contact mating portions are configured to be positioned in mechanical and electrical engagement with the circuit pads when the filter housing assembly is received within the filter base.

Filter base for electronic connection to mating filter housing assembly

A filtration system interconnection structure having a filter manifold including a sump housing and a first correlated magnet located on or connected to a portion of the manifold, and a filter cartridge including a filter media, first and second end caps sealed to the filter media, and a second, paired correlated magnet located on or connected to the filter cartridge housing body. The first and second correlated magnets are interconnected via magnetic communication upon insertion of the filter cartridge into the sump housing, and upon movement of the filter cartridge into an alignment position, the correlated magnet located on or connected to the manifold is permitted to translate as a result of the magnetic communication. The polarity profiles of the paired correlated magnets are aligned such that a repulsion force is created when the filter cartridge is inserted within the manifold sump housing.

Filter interconnect utilizing correlated magnetic actuation for downstream system function

Growing community of inventors

Farmington, UT, United States of America

Robert A Astle