US-20260124564-A1 - FILTER ASSEMBLY WITH ENHANCED SEALING MEACHNISM

US20260124564A1US 20260124564 A1US20260124564 A1US 20260124564A1US-20260124564-A1

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a filter assembly comprising a housing, a cap, a cartridge and a sealing member. The housing includes a first portion and a second portion. The cap is attached to the first portion and includes an inlet to receive a fluid. The cartridge is adapted to be positioned within the housing and comprises a first end with an outlet, a filtration chamber, a filter media and contoured surface. The filtration chamber receives the fluid from the inlet for filtration. The filter media is disposed within the filtration chamber and filters unwanted elements from the fluid. The contoured surface is formed around the outlet at the first end and extends along a longitudinal axis of the cartridge. The sealing member engages with the contoured surface to form a fluid-tight seal in a secured arrangement of the cartridge along with the sealing member within the housing.

Inventors

Juan David ESCOBAR
Jagadeesha ANGADI

Assignees

Water Filters Pty Ltd

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20251023
Priority Date: 20241106

Claims (10)

1 . A filter assembly comprising: a housing having a first portion and a second portion; a cap attached to the first portion of the housing, the cap having an inlet to receive a fluid; a cartridge adapted to be positioned within the housing, wherein the cartridge comprises: a first end with an outlet; a filtration chamber adapted to receive the fluid from the inlet for filtration; a filter media disposed within the filtration chamber, the filter media adapted to filter one or more of unwanted elements from the fluid; and a contoured surface formed around the outlet at the first end, the contoured surface extending along a longitudinal axis of the cartridge; and a sealing member adapted to engage with the contoured surface to form a fluid-tight seal in a secured arrangement of the cartridge along with the sealing member within the housing. wherein the contoured surface corresponds to a surface having one or more of a compound slope, a curved slope, a concave slope, a convex slope, a chamfered edge, or a stepped slope, to optimize the engagement with the sealing member.
2 . The filter assembly of claim 1 , wherein the cartridge comprises a second end having a closed surface.
3 . The filter assembly of claim 1 , wherein the sealing member is adapted to be isolated from filtered fluid and exposed only to unfiltered fluid.
4 . The filter assembly of claim 1 , wherein the sealing member comprises an inner profile adapted to complement a profile of the contoured surface providing an increased contact surface.
5 . The filter assembly of claim 4 , wherein the inner profile of the sealing member comprises rings adapted to receive an effective pressure from the contoured surface of the outlet.
6 . The filter assembly of claim 5 , wherein the sealing member is adapted to be subjected to a lateral compression from the contoured surface of the outlet.
7 . The filter assembly of claim 1 , wherein an exterior of the outlet comprises a conical portion, and the contoured surface is provided on the conical portion.
8 . The filter assembly of claim 1 , wherein the contoured surface comprises a top curved slope portion with a land, the land adapted for initial engagement with the sealing member and the top curved slope portion adapted for providing a progressive sealing compression as the sealing member is engaged with the contoured surface.
9 . The filter assembly of claim 1 , wherein the cap comprises a recess formed within an inner surface of the cap, the recess having a shaped profile adapted to: conform to an external profile of the sealing member; and compress the sealing member engaged with the contoured surface radially to provide the fluid-tight seal.
10 . The filter assembly of claim 9 , wherein the recess comprises a stepped portion adapted for incremental engagement with the sealing member.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure generally relates to the field of fluid filtration systems. In particular, the present disclosure relates to an advanced filter assembly designed to enhance fluid filtration performance through an improved sealing configuration. BACKGROUND The subject matter discussed in the background section should not be assumed to be prior art merely because of its mention in the background section. Similarly, a problem mentioned in the background section or associated with the subject matter of the background section should not be assumed to have been previously recognized in prior arts. The subject matter in the background section merely represents different approaches, which in and of themselves may correspond to implementations of the claimed technology. Water filtration systems play a vital role in delivering clean, safe drinking water by removing impurities, contaminants, and particulate matter. The water filtration systems are widely used in residential, commercial, and industrial applications to enhance water quality, providing users with water that meets health and safety standards. Achieving a reliable seal in the water filtration systems is essential to ensure that all water flows through a filtration media and no contaminants bypasses the filtration media. However, conventional sealing mechanisms in water filtration systems often exhibit several shortcomings that affect their performance, hygiene, and durability over time. Existing water filtration systems typically includes filter cartridges with two open ends, one at the top and one at the bottom, which deteriorates over time resulting in poor sealing and significantly increasing the risk of water bypass. This design flaw allows unfiltered water to bypass the filtration media, compromising the effectiveness of filtration process. For the water filtration systems designed to remove specific pathogens, even a small percentage of water bypass renders the system ineffective, undermining its purpose. Another critical issue with the existing water filtration systems is reliance on washers at the top and bottom of filters to create a seal. This washer-based design, however, introduces several challenges. For instance, the washers are formed of rubbers or similar materials and are susceptible to mold growth. The washers are exposed to both filtered water and unfiltered water, and in many cases, the filtered water lacks disinfectants like chlorine, creating an ideal environment for the mold growth. Furthermore, prolonged exposure to non-chlorinated filtered water leads to microbial buildup on washers, which contaminates the filtered water, degrading the quality of the filtered water, leading to potential health risks for consumers. Additionally, the rubber washers used in the existing water filtration systems tend to deteriorate over time, posing a contamination risk due to microplastic release. On prolonged exposure to moisture and pressure, the washers degrade and shed microplastic particles, which can enter the filtered water. This microplastic contamination poses serious health concerns, since the microplastic particles are not easily removed from the water supply and leads to negative health impacts. Further, a common sealing technique in the existing water filtration systems is use of knife-edge compression, which involves applying direct force against a washer to create a seal. FIG. 1A illustrates a top view of an underside portion of a housing cap 100 of a filtration system, in accordance with prior arts. The housing cap 100 includes a recess 110 formed within its inner surface. The recess 110 is formed as a cylindrical portion adapted to position a washer 120 engaged with an outlet of a filter cartridge. The recess 110 is pressed directly against the washer 120. FIG. 1B illustrates a two-dimensional view of a top portion 100′ of the filter cartridge, in accordance with the prior arts. FIG. 1C illustrates a top view of the washer 120, in accordance with the prior arts. The filter cartridge has an outlet including a profile for engaging with the washer 120. The arrangement of the outlet, the recess 110 and the washer 120 results in the knife-edge compression on the washer 120. For example, knife edge compression points are shown as dotted lines 121. When the housing cap 100 is tightened, intense pressure is applied on the washer 120. Over time, this pressure leads to cutting into or deforming of the washer material. Once cut, the washer 120 loses its integrity, leading to gaps in the seal. Even a minor compromise in the seal can cause significant degradation in the filter's performance, especially in the water filtration systems designed to meet strict safety and filtration standards. Furthermore, the washer 120 has portion that is in contact with the clean water, internal area of the knife edge compression points which are shown as dotted lines 121, that leads to the washers degradation and shedding of microplastic par