Burrows, Bruce D.;

Reverse osmosis assembly operating valve

A single control valve and associated conduits for operating a reverse osmosis assembly that includes a reverse osmosis cartridge, a reservoir that has a movable barrier therein that subdivides the interior into first and second confined spaces of variable volume, and a manually operated purified water dispensing valve, so that as the first confined space approaches a filled condition with purified water, the single control valve throttles the flow of pressurized feed water to the cartridge to minimize the use of feed water in the operation thereof, with the maximum backpressure to which purified water is subjected in discharging from the cartridge being that due to the weight of reject water in the second confined space, and a membrane in the reverse osmosis cartridge being fast-flushed with feed water to remove foreign material therefrom when the purified water dispensing valve is discharging purified water.

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What is claimed is:

1. A reverse osmosis water supply system, comprising:

an inlet conduit for supplying a source of feed water under pressure;

a reverse osmosis unit coupled to said inlet conduit and including means for separating the feed water into purified water and reject water;

a control valve having a single internal movable valve member for controlling feed water flow through said inlet conduit to said reverse osmosis unit, said control valve including a valve body having a feed water inlet coupled to said inlet conduit and a feed water outlet coupled to said reverse osmosis unit, and a valve seat between said feed water inlet and outlet;

a reservoir container having a purified water reservoir and a reject water reservoir separated by a movable barrier;

means for coupling purified water from said reverse osmosis unit to said purified water reservoir;

means for coupling reject water from said reverse osmosis unit to said reject water reservoir;

a dispensing valve including a valve actuator movable between open and closed positions;

means for coupling said purified water reservoir to said dispensing valve for dispensing of the purified water when said actuator is in the open position;

said valve member of said control valve including a piston member;

means for subjecting one side of said piston member to the pressure of the purified water within said purified water reservoir to urge said valve member toward a closed position seated upon said valve seat to prevent feed water flow to said feed water outlet; and

means for subjecting the other side of said piston member to the pressure of reject water within said reject water reservoir to urge said valve member toward an open position retracted from said valve seat to permit feed water flow to said feed water outlet;

said valve body including a valve passage of a first cross section in communication with said feed water inlet and outlet, and a valve chamber of a second cross section, said second cross section being relatively large in relation to said first cross section, said piston member comprising an elongated one-piece component including a first piston within said valve passage for movement relative to said valve seat to open and close said valve seat, and a second piston within said valve chamber and having a first side subjected to the reject water pressure and a second side subject to the purified water pressure;

whereby said valve member is displaced to the open position by the combined effects of the pressure of feed water at the feed water inlet and the pressure of the reject water in the reject water reservoir when said actuator is moved to the open position and to maintain said valve member in the open position upon initial movement of said actuator to the closed position until the pressure of the purified water within the purified water reservoir builds sufficiently upon refilling thereof with purified water to offset said combined effects of the feed water pressure and reject water pressure to move said valve member back toward the closed position.

2. The system of claim 1 further including spring means for urging said valve member toward said open position.

3. A reverse osmosis water supply system, comprising:

an inlet conduit for supplying a source of feed water under pressure;

a reverse osmosis unit coupled to said inlet conduit and separating the feed water into purified water and reject water;

control valve means having movable valve member means for controlling feed water flow through said inlet conduit to said reverse osmosis unit, said control valve including a valve body having a feed water inlet coupled to said inlet conduit and a feed water outlet coupled to said reverse osmosis unit, and a valve seat between said feed water inlet and outlet, said valve member means being movable said valve seat to permit feed water flow between said feed water inlet and outlet, and a closed position seated upon and closing said valve seat to prevent feed water flow between said feed water inlet and outlet; said moveable valve member means comprising a single valve member including a first piston portion for opening and closing said valve seat, and a second piston portion subjected to said reject and purified water pressures;

a reservoir container having a purified water reservoir and a reject water reservoir separated by a movable barrier;

means for coupling purified water from said reverse osmosis unit to said purified water reservoir to fill said purified water reservoir;

means for coupling reject water from said reverse osmosis unit to said reject water reservoir;

said movable barrier displacing to expand the volume of said purified water reservoir while reducing the volume of said reject water reservoir, and vice versa, and said container including means for halting displacement of said movable barrier when said purified water reservoir reaches a full condition;

a dispensing valve including a valve actuator movable between open and closed positions;

means for coupling said purified water reservoir to said dispensing valve for dispensing of the purified wter when said actuator is in the open position;

means for subjecting said valve member means to the pressure of the purified water within said purified water reservoir to urge said valve member means toward said closed position;

means for subjecting said valve member means to the pressure of reject water within said reject water reservoir to urge said valve member means toward said open position; and

means for supplementing the pressure of reject water acting against said valve member means to urge said valve member means toward said open position;

whereby said valve member means is displaced to the open position by the combined effects of the pressure of reject water and said supplementing means when said actuator is moved to the open position and to maintain said valve member in the open position upon initial movement of said actuator to the closed position until movement of said movable barrier is halted upon said purified water reservoir reaching a full condition and the pressure of said purified water thereupon increasing within the purified water reservoir sufficiently to offset said combined effects and move said valve member means back toward the closed position.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein said supplementing means comprises a spring acting against said movable valve member means.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein said valve member means is oriented for movement toward said open position in response to the pressure of the feed water at the feed water inlet of said valve body.

6. The system of claim 3 wherein said valve member means is oriented for movement toward said open position in response to the pressure of the feed water at the feed water inlet of said valve body.