ES2387281A1 - Device and method for purifying water - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a device and method for purifying water, which makes it possible to filter, render drinkable and distill water by means of a single device (1), using only solar energy (UV and IR radiation) it is also characterized in that it is portable and ergonomic, meaning that it can be used anytime or anywhere. The main features of the device (1) are a micropore bag (10) that contains a filtering material, such as activated charcoal, ultrafine resin or the like, for filtering dirty water (30), eliminating any microorganisms, smell or color from said dirty water (30) in order to obtain filtered water (31) as well as a container (2) on the surface of which is an area provided with thermochromic paint (20) for indicating to the user when the water inside the container has been purified by a change in the color of said thermochromic paint (20) after the water has reached a certain temperature during exposure to the sun.

Description

Water purification device and procedure

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

The present invention belongs to the water treatment sector, and more specifically to water purification devices or devices for consumption, domestic use or any application.

The main object of the present invention is a water purification device that allows filtration, purification and distillation of water, only from its solar exposure, without the use of any electrical energy, also standing out for its portable nature and simple operation.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Groundwater is the largest reservoir of drinking water easily accessible to mankind, so pollution is a serious problem. There are no worldwide accepted standard values to define drinking water, since these vary in different countries depending on their environmental, cultural, social and economic characteristics.

The greatest risk of waterborne diseases is observed in children, the elderly, weak people or living in unhealthy conditions. Waterborne diseases can have different causes; In general terms, the main risk of disease is associated with the ingestion of surface or ground water contaminated with bacteria from human or animal fecal matter. Infectious diseases, mostly intestinal, range from mild gastroenteritis to severe (sometimes fatal) diarrhea, hepatitis and typhoid fever.

As is already known, water destined for human consumption must receive some previous treatments, which are established according to the initial quality of it. Water disinfection, which implies the death or inactivation of pathogenic microorganisms, is essential when the presence of bacteria and / or viruses is detected. Currently, both in developing countries and in developed countries, there are towns and cities where there is only access to poor quality water. Even the water of the rivers even if it is clean also produces the same symptoms, since the human body has become accustomed to consuming treated water.

Currently there are water purifiers in the State of the Art that, although they fulfill the main function of cleaning and purifying water for later use, require a fixed installation, being formed by several cartridges or containers that negatively affect their size, and consequently, they prevent their transport and hinder their handling outdoors. More specifically, purifiers are known for connection to the faucets in the kitchens of the houses. These purifiers are only able to filter and purify the water, without the possibility of distilling it, which prevents even greater cleaning and hygiene of the water to be treated.

On the other hand, the germicidal power of ultraviolet (UV) light, which destroys and destroys bacteria, viruses, microorganisms and other pathogenic germs present in water, is well known. Said disinfection mechanism is based on a physical phenomenon whereby the short waves of ultraviolet radiation are absorbed by the reproductive mechanism of bacteria and viruses by destroying them in a short time, without producing notable physical or chemical changes in the treated water.

It is also known the use of "activated carbon" in water purification and treatment processes, which is characterized by having a very large amount of micropores (pores smaller than 2 nanometers), which makes it extremely efficient in phenomena of adsorption and filtration. It should be noted finally the existence in the market of the so-called "thermochromic paints" which change color with the temperature reversibly. The color and transition temperature of said thermochromic paints can be custom designed according to the needs of each application.

The technical problem that arises here is the inability that currently exists to filter, purify and distill water using a single device, and that this is also portable and easy to use, for use both outdoors and indoors, without using No type of electrical or electronic component, and without the requirement of batteries or power batteries.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

By means of the present invention, the aforementioned drawbacks are resolved by providing a water purification device and method that stands out primarily for allowing filtration, purification and distillation of water, only from solar energy, without the incorporation of any electrical component (batteries , batteries, sensors, etc.), which results in a lower manufacturing cost, also standing out for its portable and ergonomic character, which allows to increase its range of applications, and gives it the ability to be used anywhere and / or situation, both indoors and outdoors.

It should also be noted that the purification device described here does not require any prior training for its use, since its handling is simple, suitable for use by any person, not excluding children or the elderly.

The water purification device object of the invention comprises at least:

-

 a container, preferably of cylindrical and vertical configuration, intended to house inside the water to be purified, and which has on its surface an area provided with thermochromic paint and another transparent area,

-

a central piece intended to be inserted inside the container, and comprising a vertical tube at the lower end of which has a horizontal coaxial body of greater diameter than the tube, and provided with filtration holes in its upper face, also presenting said body coaxial a perimeter recess in which an O-ring is located to generate the necessary pressure for filtering the water contained in the container, providing a total tightness to prevent leaks and water outflows,

-

 a micropore bag, preferably nylon, dimensionally adapted to fit inside the coaxial body of the centerpiece, said bag containing a micropore filter material, such as granular activated carbon, ultrafine resin or the like, for filtration and purification of the older water,

-

 a filter cover, arranged below the bag, said cover being the first filter element intended to come into contact with the water to be treated, with a plurality of filter holes being provided on its surface, and

-

 dimensionally adapted closure means to fit both the upper end of the container and the upper end of the vertical tube, providing a secure and tight closure of the entire device.

Said zone with thermochromic paint of the container, is adapted to visually indicate to the user the moment in which the water is already purified by a color change of said area, after the water reaches a certain temperature, preferably 60 ° C, during its sun exposure .

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation absorbed by water acts directly on the DNA, nucleic acids and enzymes of living cells, changing their molecular structure and causing cell death. For its part, the infrared (IR) radiation absorbed by the area with thermochromic paint is responsible for heating the water. The microorganisms are sensitive to heat, so that approximately 99.9% of the microorganisms in the water die when the water is at a temperature between 50-60 ° C for a period of one hour.

Therefore, to obtain drinking water, the user has only to wait for said zone with thermochromic paint to change color and turn white, due to a loss of color properties. Preferably said thermochromic paint is black, so that the absorbed radiation is greater and the water contained in the container raises its temperature more rapidly.

It is envisaged that in the case of wanting to obtain distilled water the purification device object of the invention additionally comprises a filter stop, located between the micropore bag and the coaxial body, adapted to act as a barrier and direct the filtered water only towards the inside the vertical tube of the centerpiece, filling only this enclosure and leaving the space created between the container and the vertical tube empty. Preferably said filter stop has on its lower face some dimensionally adapted projections to fit in the filtration holes of the coaxial body of the central part, so that said filter stop is fixed and secured without the possibility of any movement. In addition, for this case of distillation, it is provided that the vertical tube has grooves in the vicinity of its upper end through which water vapor exit is possible.

Also, according to a preferred embodiment, the aforementioned closing means are comprised of two pieces, a first closing piece formed by a main body provided with an internal thread to fit in the upper edge of the container, and a central projecting body With an external thread. For its part, the second closure piece comprises a plug with an internal thread adapted to fit in solidarity with the thread of the protruding body mentioned above. Preferably, both the first and the second closure piece have external reliefs to facilitate the grip by the user.

In accordance with another object of the invention, the water purification process by the device described above is described below. Said procedure comprises the steps:

-

filling the container with the dirty water to be purified,

-

 insertion of the assembly consisting of a central piece, o-ring, micropore bag and lid, to the bottom of the container by a pressure exerted by the user,

-

 Filtration of dirty water as a result of its passage through the holes and filtering holes of the coaxial body and the lid respectively, as well as through the activated carbon contained in the bag, obtaining filtered water lodged inside the container,

-

 solar exposure of the purification device for a certain time until the zone with thermochromic paint of the container changes color, which indicates that the water is already purified, and

-

 resting the device in a shaded place in order to cool the water for final consumption.

The solar rays act in the disinfection of the water contained in the device by the synergistic effect of the ultraviolet (UV) radiation absorbed by the water through the transparent area of the container, and the infrared (IR) radiation absorbed by the area of the container With thermochromic paint. This last one allows to reach high temperatures inside the device to produce thermal effects that, added to the action of the UV rays, cause the cell death of the bacteria.

It should be noted that in the solar exposure phase, depending on whether drinking water or distilled water is desired, the placement of the device for exposure to the sun is different; that is, if water purification is desired, the device must be placed slightly inclined, seeking the perpendicularity of the sun's rays for faster heating and purification of water. On the other hand, in the case of distillation, the device must be exposed to the sun in an upright position to avoid mixing filtered and distilled water. In addition, for the latter case of distillation, it should be taken into account that the color change of the area with thermochromic paint does not indicate the conclusion of the distillation, so the user must look at the level of distilled water.

Likewise, it is envisaged that the purification device described herein can be used to perform several water filtrations, subsequently filling several containers of equal or greater transmittance, for example transparent PET bottles, and exposing them to the sun at the same time as the purification device This way of proceeding allows us to obtain a greater quantity of drinking water, since having as reference the thermochromic paint of the device, the change of color of said paint indicates that all the exposed water, both of the bottles and of the device, is already purified.

Finally, at the time of pouring and extracting the water, depending on whether the purification process or the distillation process has been carried out, one or the other part of the closing means mentioned above is removed. That is, if what has been done is the purification of water, the cap must only be removed to allow it to go outside. On the other hand, if what has been done is the distillation of water, the main body of the closing means must be removed and the cap placed on the vertical tube of the central piece, thus avoiding that at the time of pouring water and tilt the device filtered water and distilled water can be mixed.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

To complement the description that is being made and in order to help a better understanding of the characteristics of the invention, according to a preferred example of practical implementation thereof, a set of drawings is attached as an integral part of said description. where, for illustrative and non-limiting purposes, the following has been represented:

Figure 1.- Shows an exploded view of the water purification device object of the invention.

Figure 2.- Shows a perspective view of the central body, where the upper grooves in the vertical tube are visible.

Figure 3.- Shows a schematic view where water purification can be seen through the purification process.

Figure 4.- Shows a schematic view where water purification is observed by the distillation process.

Figure 5.- Shows a sectional view of the purification device object of the invention where the water distillation process is more fully appreciated.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

A preferred embodiment example is described below, without limiting the scope of protection of the present invention.

Figure 1 shows an exploded view of the water purification device (1) object of the invention, which comprises a container (2) of cylindrical and vertical configuration made of PET (polyethylene terephthalate), intended to house inside the dirty water (30) to be purified, presenting on its surface an area with thermochromic paint (20) of black color, and an area of transparent material. The zone with thermochromic paint (20) is adapted to change color, to transparent, when the water reaches the temperature of 60ºC by its solar exposure.

Likewise, the container (2) has at its lower end a storage area (3) where solid waste and / or filtered sediments are housed.

The purification device (1) also comprises a central part (4) also made of PET, intended to be inserted inside the container (2) to obtain filtered water (31) from the dirty water (30), such and how figures 3 and 4 represent.

Said centerpiece (4) comprises a vertical tube (5) that has grooves (21) shown in Figures 1, 2 and 5 in the vicinity of its upper end, through which water vapor exit is possible filtered

(31) for the distillation process, figure 4, as well as the exit to the outside of the drinking water between the inner walls of the container (2) and the outer walls of the vertical tube (5), as shown in figure 3.

Furthermore, as seen in Figure 2, said central part (4) comprises at its lower end a horizontal coaxial body (6) of greater diameter than the tube (5), provided with some holes (7) in its face upper, said coaxial body (6) also presenting a perimeter recess (8), shown in Figure 1, in which an O-ring (9) of silicone rubber is located to generate the pressure necessary for water filtration contained in the container (2), providing a total tightness to avoid leaks and water outflows.

In said figure 1 a nylon bag (10) with micropores can also be observed, dimensionally adapted to fit inside the coaxial body (6) of the central piece (4), said bag (10) containing granular activated carbon, by which is obtained a greater filtration and purification of dirty water (30), eliminating any type of smell and color of it. On the other hand, arranged below the bag (10), a cover (11) of PVC (polyvinyl chloride) with a plurality of filtering holes (12) can be seen, said lid (11) being ) the first filtration element intended to come into contact with the water to be treated.

Figures 1, 3, 4 and 5 show a means of closing (13) of PVC, which are dimensionally adapted to fit both the upper end of the container (2) and the vertical tube (5) of the center piece (4), providing a secure and tight seal of the entire device (1).

As can be seen in said figure 1, said closing means (13) comprise a first closing piece formed by a main body (14) provided with an internal thread to fit in the upper edge of the container (2), and a central projecting body (15) with an external thread. For its part, the second closure piece comprises a plug

(16) with internal thread adapted to fit in solidarity with the thread of the projecting body (15) mentioned above.

Also in Figures 1, 3 and 4, it can be seen that both the main body (14) and the plug (16) have reliefs (17) to facilitate the grip of the device (1) to the user. Said elements, main body (14) and cap (16), are manufactured in a white material to reflect the light and thus avoid high heating during its sun exposure, in relation to the rest of the components of the device (1). This allows the user to take the device (1) after being subjected to solar radiation, to take it to a shaded place until it cools.

Likewise, in figure 1 a PVC filter stop (18) can be seen, intended to be incorporated into the device

(1) in those cases in which it is desired to obtain distilled water (32). Said filter stop (18) is located inferiorly next to the coaxial body (6), adapted to act as a barrier and direct the filtered water (31) only through the vertical tube (5) of the central part (4), as shown in figure 4.

In addition, said filter stop (18) has on its lower face projections (19) shown in Figure 1, dimensionally adapted to be introduced into the filter holes (7) of the coaxial body (6), so that said stop of filter (18) is firmly attached. In accordance with the present embodiment both the cover (11) and the stopper

5 of filter (18) are white for quick identification of dirt, solid materials or clogging that may get stuck.

Figure 5 shows the obtaining of distilled water (32) from the evaporation of the filtered water

(31) located inside the vertical tube (5). This filtered water (31) evaporates and exits through the slots (21)

10 upper existing in the tube (5), condensing and depositing between the walls of the container (2) and the vertical tube (5).

Claims (16)

1.-Water purification device (1) characterized in that it comprises at least:

-

 a container (2), intended to house in its interior the dirty water (30) that it is desired to purify, and which has on its surface an area provided with thermochromic paint (20) and another transparent area,

-

a central piece (4) intended to be inserted inside the container (2) to obtain filtered water

(31)

 from the dirty water (30), and comprising a vertical tube (5) at the lower end of which has a horizontal coaxial body (6) of greater diameter than the tube (5), provided with holes (7) for filtration in its upper face, said coaxial body (6) also presenting a perimeter recess (8) in which an O-ring is intended to be located

(9)

 which generates the necessary pressure for filtering the water contained in the container (2), providing tightness to prevent leaks and water outflows,

-

 a micropore bag (10), dimensionally adapted to fit inside the coaxial body (6), said bag (10) containing a micropore filter material for greater filtration and purification of dirty water (30),

-

 a lid (11), arranged below the bag (10), said lid (11) being the first filter element intended to come into contact with the dirty water (30) to be treated, being provided on its surface with a plurality of filter holes (12), and

-

 closure means (13) dimensionally adapted to fit both the upper end of the container (2) and the upper end of the vertical tube (5), providing a secure and tight closure of the entire device (1).

2. Water purification device (1) according to claim 1 characterized in that the container (2) additionally comprises a storage area (3) of solid waste and / or sediments filtered at its lower end. 3. Water purification device (1) according to claim 1 characterized in that the vertical tube (5) additionally comprises grooves (21) through which the filtered water vapor outlet (31) is enabled for obtaining distilled water (32). 4. Water purification device (1) according to claim 1 characterized in that it additionally comprises a filter stop (18), located between the bag (10) with micropores and the coaxial body (6), adapted to act as barrier and direct the filtered water (31) only into the vertical tube (5). 5. Water purification device (1) according to claims 1 and 4 characterized in that the filter stop (18) comprises projections (19) dimensionally adapted to be introduced into the filter holes (7) of the coaxial body ( 6), said filter stop (18) being fixed and secured without the possibility of movement. 6. Water purification device (1) according to claim 1 characterized in that the closing means (13) comprise a first closing piece formed by a main body (14) provided with an internal thread to fit the edge upper of the container (2), and a central projecting body (15) with an external thread; and a second closure piece comprising a plug (16) with an internal thread adapted to fit in solidarity with the thread of the projecting body (15). 7. Water purification device (1) according to claim 6 characterized in that both the main body (14) and the plug (16) have reliefs (17) whereby the grip of the device (1) is facilitated ) to user. 8. Water purification device according to claim 1 characterized in that the bag (10) with micropores is nylon. 9. Water purification device (1) according to any one of claims 1 or 8, characterized in that the filtering material contained in the bag (10) is granular activated carbon, ultrafine resin or the like. 10. Water purification device (1) according to claim 1 characterized in that the temperature at which the zone with thermochromic paint (20) changes color is 60 ° C. 11. Water purification device according to any one of claims 1 or 10, characterized in that the zone with thermochromic paint (20) is black. 12. Water purification device according to claim 1 characterized in that the container (2) has a cylindrical and vertical configuration. 13. Water purification process by means of the device (1) described in any one of claims 1-12 characterized in that it comprises the following steps:

-

 filling the container with the dirty water (30) to be purified,

-

 insertion of the assembly consisting of a central piece (4), o-ring (9), bag (10) with micropores and lid (11), to the bottom of the container (2) by a pressure exerted by the user,

-

 Filtration of dirty water (30) as a result of its passage through the holes (7) and filtering holes (12) of the coaxial body (6) and the cover (11) respectively, as well as through the activated carbon contained in the bag (10), obtaining filtered water (31) lodged inside the container (2),

-

 solar exposure of the purification device (1) for a certain time until the zone with thermochromic paint (20) of the container (2) changes color, indicating that the water is already purified, and

-

 resting the device (1) in a shaded place in order to cool the water for final consumption.

14. Water purification process according to claim 13 characterized in that the sun exposure phase is carried out with the device (1) positioned slightly inclined seeking the perpendicularity of the sun's rays, for cases in which It requires water purification. 15. Water purification method according to claim 13, characterized in that the sun exposure phase is carried out with the device (1) placed in an upright position, thus preventing water mixing, for cases in which water distillation is required. SPANISH OFFICE OF THE PATENTS AND BRAND Application number: 201130239 SPAIN Date of submission of the application: 02.22.2011 Priority Date: REPORT ON THE STATE OF THE TECHNIQUE 51 Int. Cl.: See Additional Sheet RELEVANT DOCUMENTS

Category

56 Documents cited Claims Affected

TO

WO 2007021294 A1 (VITALE) 02.22.2007, 1-15

paragraphs [4], [18], [31-32]; figures 1.6.

TO

US 2006021926 A1 (WOODARD JR et al.) 2.02.2006, 1-15

paragraphs [48], [55]; Figures 3.8A.

TO

EP 0316687 A1 (KNIGHT) 24.05.1989, 1-15

column 2, line 25 - column 3, line 42; figure 2.

TO

US 5266215 A (ENGELHARD) 30.11.1993, 1-15

column 2, line 59 - column 4, line 2; Figure 1.

TO

US 5597482 A (MELYON) 28.01.1997, 1-15

column 4, line 43 - column 5, line 5.

TO

US 6342127 A (POSSIDENT) 29.01.2002, 1-15

claims 1-2.

TO

US 5637214 A (KAHANA) 10.06.1997, 1,8,9

column 3, lines 30-48; figure 7.

Category of the documents cited X: of particular relevance Y: of particular relevance combined with other / s of the same category A: reflects the state of the art O: refers to unwritten disclosure P: published between the priority date and the date of priority submission of the application E: previous document, but published after the date of submission of the application

This report has been prepared • for all claims • for claims no:

Date of realization of the report 13.06.2012

Examiner A. Rúa Aguete Page 1/4

REPORT OF THE STATE OF THE TECHNIQUE Application number: 201130239 CLASSIFICATION OBJECT OF THE APPLICATION C02F9 / 00 (2006.01) C02F1 / 32 (2006.01) G01K11 / 12 (2006.01) Minimum documentation sought (classification system followed by classification symbols) C02F, G01K Electronic databases consulted during the search (name of the database and, if possible, terms of search used) INVENES, EPODOC, WPI, TXTUS, TXTDE, NPL; XPESP State of the Art Report Page 2/4  WRITTEN OPINION Application number: 201130239 Date of Completion of Written Opinion: 06.13.2012 Statement

Novelty (Art. 6.1 LP 11/1986)

Claims Claims 1-15 IF NOT

Inventive activity (Art. 8.1 LP11 / 1986)

Claims Claims 1-15 IF NOT

The application is considered to comply with the industrial application requirement. This requirement was evaluated during the formal and technical examination phase of the application (Article 31.2 Law 11/1986).  Opinion Base.- This opinion has been made on the basis of the patent application as published. State of the Art Report Page 3/4  WRITTEN OPINION Application number: 201130239  1. Documents considered.- The documents belonging to the state of the art taken into consideration for the realization of this opinion are listed below.

Document

Publication or Identification Number publication date

D01

WO 2007021294 A1 (VITALE) 02/22/2007

D02

US 2006021926 A1 (WOODARD JR et al.) 02.02.2006

D03

EP 0316687 A1 (KNIGHT) 05/24/1989

D04

US 5637214 A (KAHANA) 10.06.1997

 2. Statement motivated according to articles 29.6 and 29.7 of the Regulations for the execution of Law 11/1986, of March 20, on Patents on novelty and inventive activity; quotes and explanations in support of this statement The object of the invention is a portable tubular device for water purification comprising a container having thermochromic paint on its surface and coaxially a tube with a larger diameter disc at its end with filtration holes and further comprising a bag with micropores containing a filtering material, such as activated carbon or ultrafine resin. The object of the invention is also the process of water purification using said device for filtration and sun exposure, the end of the treatment indicating the color change of the thermochromic paint. Document D1 discloses a device and procedure for the purification of water by exposure to solar radiation of a container containing on its surface strips of thermochromic and photochromic material to monitor the water purification process (see Figure 6). Document D2 discloses a water purification device that uses a carbon block filter and an ultraviolet radiation lamp and that has a monitor to control the water purification process and the state of the UV radiation system. (See paragraph 48). Document D3 discloses a procedure for the purification of water by filtration and exposure to ultraviolet radiation without monitoring the process and the tubular device for carrying it out by means of a removable activated carbon filter and a removable ultraviolet radiation lamp. (See figure 2). Document D4 discloses a removable water purification filter that contains a porous bag that contains activated carbon-type filter material or resins (see column 3, lines 45-46). None of the documents D1 to D4 cited or any relevant combination thereof discloses a tubular water purification device containing a coaxially disposed filter arrangement with a larger diameter tube with holes and a microporous bag containing filter material and also a container for housing the water to be treated that has thermochromic paint on its surface in order to control the purification process. Nor is a process for water purification that uses said device for filtration and purification of water by solar energy. Therefore, the invention as set forth in claims 1-15 of the application is new and involves inventive activity (Art. 6 and 8 LP). State of the Art Report Page 4/4