WO2018126475A1

WO2018126475A1 - Water purifiers and methods of purifying water using the same

Info

Publication number: WO2018126475A1
Application number: PCT/CN2017/070625
Authority: WO
Inventors: Minling Liu; Changquan QIU; Li Wang
Original assignee: Honeywell International Inc
Current assignee: Honeywell International Inc
Priority date: 2017-01-09
Filing date: 2017-01-09
Publication date: 2018-07-12
Anticipated expiration: 2019-07-09

Abstract

A water purifier includes a heavy metal filter (102), including a first number of adsorbent materials (210) having a first size, a second number of adsorbent materials (212) having a second size, a third number of adsorbent materials (214) having a third size, and a fourth number of adsorbent materials (216) having a fourth size, a second filter (104), and a third filter (106).

Description

WATER PURIFIERS AND METHODS OF PURIFYING WATER USING THE SAME

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to water purifiers and methods of purifying water using the same.

Background

Heavy metals, such as arsenic (As) , mercury (Hg) , lead (Pb) , and/or cadmium (Cd) , may be found in potentially harmful concentration levels in numerous drinking water systems due to natural and/or industrial pollution, for example. In order to prevent health problems, such toxic heavy metals must be removed from the water to very low concentration levels, such as 10 parts per billion (ppb) for As and Pb, 1 ppb for Hg, and 5 ppb for Cd, for instance, as recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) .

One current approach for removing heavy metals from water (e.g., drinking water) is reverse osmosis, which uses a semipermeable membrane to remove particles from the water. However, areverse osmosis approach can be expensive and thus beyond the purchasing power for those in developing countries.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Figure 1 illustrates a purifier in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

Figure 2 illustrates a heavy metal filter in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure

Figures 3A-3C illustrate graphs of heavy metal concentration levels in water filtered by a heavy metal filter in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

Detailed Description

Water purifiers and methods of purifying water using the same are described herein. For example, one or more embodiments include a heavy metal filter, including a first number of adsorbent materials having a first size, asecond number of adsorbent materials having a second size, athird number of adsorbent materials having a third size, and a fourth number of adsorbent materials having a fourth size, asecond filter, and a third filter..

Water purifiers in accordance with the present disclosure can be less costly, use less energy, and/or produce less waste water than previous water purifying approaches, such as reverse osmosis, for example. Further, water purifiers in accordance with the present disclosure can operate more efficiently and/or effectively than previous water filtering approaches. For example, water purifiers in accordance with the present disclosure can remove heavy metals from water to very low concentration levels, such as, for instance, concentration levels as low as or lower than those recommend by the WHO (e.g., 10 ppb for As and Pb, 1 ppb for Hg, and 5 ppb for Cd) .

In accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, three stages of purification (sometimes referred to herein as “filtering” ) can be sequentially applied to water that is to be purified. In some embodiments, the three stages can be selected from: aheavy metal removal filter (discussed further below) , amicrofilter, an ultrafiltration (UF) purifier (sometimes referred to herein as an “ultrafilter” ) , and a compressed active carbon filter (e.g., chlorine, taste, odor (CTO) removal filter) . The three stages can sequentially remove heavy metal ions and then increasingly smaller particles and/or contaminants as water passes through the purifier.

In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof. The drawings show by way of illustration how one or more embodiments of the disclosure may be practiced.

These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those of ordinary skill in the art to practice one or more embodiments of this disclosure. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that mechanical, electrical, and/or process changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

As will be appreciated, elements shown in the various embodiments herein can be added, exchanged, combined, and/or eliminated so as to provide a number of additional embodiments of the present disclosure. The proportion and the relative scale of the elements provided in the figures are intended to illustrate the embodiments of the present disclosure, and should not be taken in a limiting sense.

The figures herein follow a numbering convention in which the first digit or digits correspond to the drawing figure number and the remaining digits identify an element or component in the drawing. Similar elements or components between different figures may be identified by the use of similar digits.

As used herein, “a” or “anumber of” something can refer to one or more such things. For example, “anumber of adsorbent materials” can refer to one or more adsorbent materials.

Figure 1 illustrates a purifier 100 in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 1, the purifier 100 can include a heavy metal filter 102, asecond filter 104, and a third filter 106. The purifier 100 can be used to purify water. Purifying water, as used herein, can refer to and/or include the filtering, removal of, and/or the process of removing, contaminants from the water. For example, purifier 100 can be used to remove heavy metals, such as, for instance, As, Hg, Pb, and/or Cd, from water, in addition to other contaminants including odor (s) , free chlorine, visible particles, color (s) colloids, sand, and/or corrosion, as will be further described herein. Where the term “filter” is used, it is to be understood that such term can refer to a filter cartridge and/or device as it is known to those of skill in the art.

Purifier 100 can be used in and/or be a part of a residential (e.g., domestic) water filter system, for example. For instance, purifier 100 can be used to filter the tap and/or drinking water of a residence. However, embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to a particular type of use or application for purifier 100.

The heavy metal filter 102 can remove heavy metal ions and/or corrosion from water and is described in more detail below in connection with Figure 2. In some embodiments, the heavy metal filter 102 can include a plurality of layers of differing materials including, for instance, titanium dioxide (TiO₂) , iron hydroxide (FeOOH) , and/or manganese sand.

As shown in Figure 1, the purifier 100 can include a second filter 104. The second filter 104 can receive water that has passed through the heavy metal filter 102. In some embodiments, the second filter 104 can be a microfilter. In some embodiments, the second filter 104 can be a CTO filter. In some embodiments, the second filter 104 can be an ultrafilter.

As shown in Figure 1, the purifier 100 can include a third filter 106. The third filter 106 can receive water that has passed through the second filter 104. In some embodiments, the third filter 106 can be a microfilter. In some embodiments, the third filter 106 can be a CTO filter. In some embodiments, the third filter 106 can be an ultrafilter.

A microfilter, as described herein, refers to a filter for microfiltration, a process where water is passed through a pore-sized membrane to separate microorganisms and/or suspended particles from the water. Particles contained in a microfilter in accordance with the present disclosure can range from about 0.1 to 10 micrometers. Membrane (s) of a microfilter can separate macromolecules of molecular weights generally less than 100,000 g/mol. Amicrofilter can prevent particles such as, for example, sediment, algae, protozoa, and/or large bacteria from passing through.

A CTO filter, as described herein, can refer to a filter that employs activated carbon to reduce chlorine, taste and/or odor from water. In some embodiments, the activated carbon can be arranged in a dense structure of fibers (e.g., compressed) . In some embodiments, carbon fibers can be coated with Powdered Activated Carbon (PAC) . A CTO filter in accordance with embodiments herein can block fine particles and/or improve water taste by removing odor (s) , colors, and/or free chlorine from water.

An ultrafilter, as described herein, refers to a filter which can use a semipermeable membrane in conjunction with a pressure or concentration gradient to separate particles from the water. An ultrafilter can have a pore size of 0.003 to 0.2 micrometers. An ultrafilter can be configured to filter relatively large bacteria and/or viruses from water.

In some embodiments, the purifier 100 can include the heavy metal filter 102, amicrofilter as the second filter 104, and a CTO filter as the third filter 106. In an example, water entering the heavy metal filter 102 contains heavy metal ions, color, colloids, corrosion, bacteria, viruses, odor, sand, visible particles, and free chlorine. After passing through the heavy metal filter 102, the water contains color, colloids, bacteria, viruses, odor, visible particles, and free chlorine. After passing through the second filter 104 (e.g., amicrofilter) , the water then contains color, bacteria, viruses, odor, and free chlorine. After passing through the third filter 106 (e.g., a CTO filter) , the water contains a reduced amount of bacteria, areduced amount of viruses (e.g., bacteria and/or viruses small enough to pass through the CTO filter) . The water emerging from the third filter 106 can be boiled to ensure the destruction of any remaining pathogens and then consumed.

In some embodiments, the purifier 100 can include the heavy metal filter 102, a CTO filter as the second filter 104, and an ultrafilter as the third filter 106. In an example, water entering the heavy metal filter 102 contains heavy metal ions, color, colloids, corrosion, bacteria, viruses, odor, sand, visible particles, and free chlorine. After passing through the heavy metal filter 102, the water contains color, colloids, bacteria, viruses, odor, visible particles, and free chlorine. After passing through the second filter 104 (e.g., a CTO filter) , the water then contains color, bacteria, and viruses. After passing through the third filter 106 (e.g., an ultrafilter) , the water contains a reduced amount of bacteria, a reduced amount of viruses (e.g., bacteria and/or viruses small enough to pass through the ultrafilter) . The water emerging from the third filter 106 can be boiled to ensure the destruction of any remaining pathogens and then consumed.

Figure 2 illustrates a heavy metal filter 202 in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 2, the heavy metal filter 202 can include a number (e.g., plurality) of layers in series. For example, in the embodiment illustrated in Figure 2, heavy metal filter 202 includes layers 202-1, 202-2, 202-3, 202-4, 202-5, and 202-6 in series, with layer 202-1 the first layer in the series, layer 202-2 the second layer in the series adjacent (e.g., below) layer 202-1, layer 202-3 the third layer in the series adjacent (e.g., below) layer 202-2, etc., with layer 202-6 the last layer in the series adjacent (e.g., below) layer 202-5. Although six layers are included in the embodiment illustrated in Figure 2, embodiments of the present disclosure are not so limited, as will be further described herein.

Each respective layer can include a number (e.g., plurality) of adsorbent materials. For example, in the embodiment illustrated in Figure 2, layer 202-1 includes a number of adsorbent materials 210, layer 202-2 includes a number of adsorbent materials 212, layer 202-3 includes a number of adsorbent materials 214, layer 202-4 includes a number of adsorbent materials 216, layer 202-5 includes a number of adsorbent materials 218, and layer 202-6 includes a number of adsorbent materials 220.

As shown in Figure 2, the adsorbent materials in each respective layer 202-1, 202-2, ..., 202-6 in the series can have the same size. Further, the adsorbent materials in each respective layer 202-1, 202- 2, ..., 202-6 can be the same type of adsorbent material. That is, each of the adsorbent materials 210 in layer 202-1 can have the same size and be the same type of adsorbent material, each of the adsorbent materials 212 in layer 202-2 can have the same size and be the same type of adsorbent material, each of the adsorbent materials 214 in layer 103 can have the same size and be the same type of adsorbent material, etc.

As an example, each of the adsorbent materials 210 in layer 202-1 can be a first type of adsorbent material and have a first size. Further, each of the adsorbent materials 212 in layer 202-2 can be the first type of adsorbent material and have a second size that is different than the first size. That is, each adsorbent material 212 can be the same type of adsorbent material as adsorbent materials 210, and can have a different size than adsorbent materials 210. For instance, in the example illustrated in Figure 2, adsorbent materials 212 are larger than adsorbent materials 210. That is, in the example illustrated in Figure 2, the second size is larger than the first size.

Further, each of the adsorbent materials 214 in layer 202-3 can have a third size, and can be a second type of adsorbent material that is different than the first type of adsorbent material. That is, each adsorbent material 214 can be a different type of adsorbent material than

adsorbent materials

210 and 212. Further, in the example illustrated in Figure 2, each adsorbent material 214 has the same size as adsorbent materials 210. That is, in the example illustrated in Figure 2, the third size is the same size as the first size. However, embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to such an example (e.g., in some embodiments, the third size may be different than the first size) .

Further, each of the adsorbent materials 216 in layer 202-4 can be the second type of adsorbent material, and can have a fourth size that is different than the third size. That is, each adsorbent material 216 can be the same type of adsorbent material as adsorbent materials 214, and can have a different size than adsorbent materials 214. For instance, in the example illustrated in Figure 2, adsorbent materials 216 are larger than adsorbent materials 214. That is, in the example illustrated in Figure 2, the fourth size is larger than the third size. Further, in the example illustrated in Figure 2, each adsorbent material 216 has the same size as adsorbent materials 212. That is, in the example illustrated in Figure 2, the fourth size is the same as the second size. However, embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to such an example (e.g., in some embodiments, the fourth size may be different than the second size) .

Further, each of the adsorbent materials 218 in layer 202-5 can have a fifth size, and can be a third type of adsorbent material that is different than the first and second types of adsorbent materials. That is, each adsorbent material 218 can be a different type of adsorbent material than

adsorbent materials

210, 212, 214, and 216. Further, in the example illustrated in Figure 2, each adsorbent material 218 has the same size as

adsorbent materials

210 and 214. That is, in the example illustrated in Figure 2, the fifth size is the same size as the first and third sizes. However, embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to such an example (e.g., in some embodiments, the fifth size may be different than the first and/or third sizes) .

Further, each of the adsorbent materials 220 in layer 202-6 can be the third type of adsorbent material, and can have a sixth size that is different than the fifth size. That is, each adsorbent material 220 can be the same type of adsorbent material as adsorbent materials 218, and can have a different size than adsorbent materials 218. For instance, in the example illustrated in Figure 2, adsorbent materials 220 are larger than adsorbent materials 218. That is, in the example illustrated in Figure 2, the sixth size is larger than the fifth size. Further, in the example illustrated in Figure 2, each adsorbent material 220 has the same size as

adsorbent materials

212 and 216. That is, in the example illustrated in Figure 2, the sixth size is the same as the second and fourth sizes. However, embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to such an example (e.g., in some embodiments, the sixth size may be different than the second and/or fourth sizes) .

In some embodiments, the first, third, and fifth sizes (e.g., the size of

adsorbent materials

210, 214, and 218) can each be a mesh size in the range of 80 to 100, inclusive. Further, the second, fourth, and sixth sizes (e.g., the size of

adsorbent materials

212, 216, and 220) can each be a mesh size in the range of 20 to 30, inclusive. Such sizes can ensure that all water that passes through heavy metal filter 202 is indeed filtered (e.g., that water is not able to pass through heavy metal filter 202 without being filtered) , without providing too much resistance to the flow of the water through the cartridge.

In some embodiments, each of the

adsorbent materials

210, 212, 214, 216, 218, and 220 of each respective layer 202-1, 202-2, ..., 202-6 can all be the same shape. For example, in the embodiment illustrated in Figure 2, the adsorbent materials of each respective layer are all a circular shape. However, in some embodiments, the adsorbent materials of different layers can be different shapes. For example, in some embodiments, each of the

adsorbent materials

210, 214, and 218 could be a first shape, and each of the

adsorbent materials

212, 216, and 220 could be a second shape that is different than the first shape.

During the filtering process, water can be input into (e.g., enter) heavy metal filter 202 at the top, and flow through each successive layer 202-1, 202-2, ..., 202-6. As the water flows through each successive layer, heavy metals can be removed from the water, as will be further described herein. The filtered water (e.g., with the heavy metals removed) can then be output from (e.g., exit) heavy metal filter 202 at the bottom after flowing through the last layer.

For example, in the embodiment illustrated in Figure 2, water can be input into heavy metal filter 202 at the top and flow through layer 202-1. The water can then flow through layer 202-2 after flowing through layer 202-1, through layer 202-3 after flowing through layer 202-2, through layer 202-4 after flowing through layer 202-3, through layer 202-5 after flowing through layer 202-4, and through layer 202-6 after flowing through layer 202-5. After flowing through layer 202-6, the water may be filtered of heavy metal ions and/or corrosion, and can be output from the heavy metal filter 202 towards additional filters (e.g., the second filter cartridge 104, previously described in connection with Figure 1) .

As water flows through each successive layer 202-1, 202-2, ..., 202-6 of heavy metal filter 202, heavy metals (e.g., heavy metal ions) can be removed from the water (e.g., adsorbed) by the adsorbent materials in that layer. For example, adsorbent materials 210 can adsorb heavy metals found in the water as the water flows through layer 202-1, then adsorbent materials 212 can adsorb heavy metals in the water as the water flows through layer 202-2, then adsorbent materials 214 can adsorb heavy metals in the water as the water flows through layer 202-3, etc.

The heavy metals removed from the water can include, for example, arsenic (As) , mercury (Hg) , lead (Pb) , and/or cadmium (Cd) , among other types of potentially toxic heavy metals. That is, heavy metal filter 202 can be used to remove heavy metals such as As, Hg, Pb, and/or Cd from the water.

The type (or types) of heavy metals removed from the water by the adsorbent materials in each respective layer 202-1, 202-2, ..., 202-6 of heavy metal filter 202 can depend on the type of the adsorbent materials in that layer. For example, different types of adsorbent materials may adsorb different types of heavy metals. For instance, some types of adsorbent materials may be able to adsorb one (e.g., asingle) type of heavy metal, and some types of adsorbent materials may be able to adsorb two or more different types of heavy metals.

As such, the type of adsorbent material in each respective layer can be selected based on the type (or types) of heavy metals to be removed from the water. Types of adsorbent materials that can be used in layers 202-1, 202-2, ..., 202-6 can include, for example, aluminum oxide based materials, titanium based materials (e.g., titanium oxide, titanium hydroxide, etc. ) , iron oxide materials, iron hydroxide materials, and/or carbon based materials, among other types of adsorbent materials. For instance, aluminum oxide can remove As and Pb, titanium oxide can remove As, Pb, Cd, and Hg, zirconia can remove As and Pb, iron oxide can remove As, Cd, and Pb, and modified active carbon can remove Pb. Further, the same type of adsorbent material can be used in layers 202-1 and 202-2, the same type of adsorbent material can be used in layers 202-3 and 202-4, and the same type of adsorbent material can be used in layers 202-5 and 202-6, as previously described herein.

As an example, afirst type of adsorbent material that adsorbs a first type of heavy metal can be selected for

adsorbent materials

210 and 212, asecond type of adsorbent material that adsorbs a second type of heavy metal can be selected for

adsorbent materials

214 and 216, and a third type of adsorbent material that adsorbs a third type of heavy metal can be selected for

adsorbent materials

218 and 220. In such an example, as water flows through layers 202-1 and 202-2, the first type of heavy metal can be removed from the water by

adsorbent materials

210 and 212. The second type of heavy metal can then be removed from the water by

adsorbent materials

214 and 216 as the water flows through layers 202-3 and 202-4, and the third type of heavy metal can be removed from the water by

adsorbent materials

218 and 220 as the water flows through layers 202-5 and 202-6.

As an additional example, afirst type of adsorbent material that adsorbs two types of heavy metals can be selected for

adsorbent materials

210 and 212, asecond type of adsorbent material that adsorbs two types of heavy metals can be selected for

adsorbent materials

214 and 216, and a third type of adsorbent material that adsorbs two types of heavy metals can be selected for

adsorbent materials

218 and 220. In such an example, as water flows through layers 202-1 and 202-2,

adsorbent materials

210 and 212 can remove their respective two types of heavy metals from the water.

Adsorbent materials

214 and 216 can then remove their respective two types of heavy metals from the water as the water flows through layers 202-3 and 202-4, and

adsorbent materials

218 and 220 can remove their respective two types of heavy metals from the water as the water flows through layers 202-5 and 202-6. The two types of heavy metals adsorbed by the first type of adsorbent material (e.g., by adsorbent materials 210 and 212) , the two types of heavy metals adsorbed by the second type of adsorbent material (e.g., by adsorbent materials 214 and 216) , and the two types of heavy metals adsorbed by the third type of adsorbent material (e.g., by adsorbent materials 218 and 220) could all be the same two types of heavy metals, could all be different two types of heavy metals, or some could be the same and some could be different.

Water filtered by heavy metal filter 202 (e.g., water that has flowed through layers 202-1, 202-2, ..., 202-6) can have heavy metal concentration levels as low as or lower than those recommend by the WHO (e.g., 10 ppb for As and Pb, 1 ppb for Hg, and 5 ppb for Cd) . For instance, the filtered water can have concentration levels of less than 1 ppb for a number of different heavy metal types, as will be further described herein (e.g., in connection with Figures 2A-2C) .

Although the example heavy metal filter 202 illustrated in Figure 2 includes six layers 202-1, 202-2, ..., 202-6, embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to this particular example. For example, heavy metal filter 202 may include at least four layers of adsorbent materials in series, with the adsorbent materials in each respective layer in the series being the same type and size, as previously described herein.

The adsorbent materials in the first and last layers in the series can have a different size than each of the adsorbent materials in the respective layer in the series to which the first and last layers are each adjacent. For example, the adsorbent materials in the first layer in the series (e.g., adsorbent materials 210 in layer 202-1 in the example illustrated in Figure 2) can have a smaller size than the adsorbent materials in the second layer in the series (e.g., adsorbent materials 212 in layer 202-2 in the example illustrated in Figure 2) , and the adsorbent materials in the last layer in the series (e.g., adsorbent materials 220 in layer 202-6 in the example illustrated in Figure 2) can have a larger size than the adsorbent materials in the second to last layer in the series (e.g., adsorbent materials 218 in layer 202-5 in the example illustrated in Figure 2) .

Further, the adsorbent materials in the first and last layers in the series can be the same type of adsorbent material as each of the adsorbent materials in the respective layer in the series to which the first and last layers are each adjacent. For example, the adsorbent materials in the first and second layers in the series can be the same type of adsorbent materials, and the adsorbent materials in the last and second to last layers in the series can be the same type of adsorbent materials.

Continuing in the example, the adsorbent materials in each respective remaining layer in the series (e.g., each respective layer between the first and last layers in the series) can have a different size than each of the adsorbent materials in both layers in the series to which that respective layer is each adjacent. For example, the adsorbent materials in the second layer in the series (e.g., adsorbent materials 212 in layer 202-2 in the example illustrated in Figure 2) can have a larger size than the adsorbent materials in the first layer in the series (e.g., adsorbent materials 210 in layer 202-1 in the example illustrated in Figure 2) and a larger size than the adsorbent materials in the third layer in the series (e.g., adsorbent materials 214 in layer 202-3 in the example illustrated in Figure 2) , the adsorbent materials in the third layer in the series can have a smaller size than the adsorbent materials in the second layer in the series and a smaller size than the adsorbent materials in the fourth layer in the series (e.g., adsorbent materials 216 in layer 202-4 in the example illustrated in Figure 2) , the adsorbent materials in the fourth layer in the series can have a larger size than the adsorbent materials in the third layer in the series and a larger size than the adsorbent materials in the fifth layer in the series (e.g., adsorbent materials 218 in layer 202-5 in the example illustrated in Figure 2) , etc., such that the adsorbent materials in each respective layer in the series alternate between small and large sizes.

Further, the adsorbent materials in each respective remaining layer in the series can be the same type of adsorbent material as each of the adsorbent materials in one of the layers in the series to which that respective layer is adjacent, and can be a different type of adsorbent material than each of the adsorbent materials in the other layer in the series to which than respective layer is adjacent. For example, the adsorbent materials in the second layer in the series can be the same type of adsorbent material as the adsorbent materials in the first layer in the series and a different type of adsorbent material than the adsorbent materials in the third layer in the series, the adsorbent materials in the third layer in the series can be a different type of adsorbent material than the adsorbent materials in the second layer in the series and the same type of adsorbent material as the adsorbent materials in the fourth layer in the series, the adsorbent materials in the fourth layer in the series can be the same type of adsorbent material as the adsorbent materials in the third layer in the series and a different type of adsorbent material than the adsorbent materials in the fifth layer in the series, etc., such that each consecutive pair of small size and large size layers have the same type of adsorbent material.

As an example, heavy metal filter 202 may include eight layers of adsorbent materials in series. The adsorbent materials in the first and second layers in the series can be a type of adsorbent material that can remove (e.g., adsorb) two different types (e.g., afirst type and a second type) of heavy metals from the water as it flows through the first and second layers. For instance, the adsorbent materials in the first and second layers can remove As and Pb from the water. Further, the adsorbent materials in the third and fourth layers in the series can be a type of adsorbent material that can remove two different types (e.g., the second type and a third type) of heavy metals from the water as it flows through the third and fourth layers. For instance, the adsorbent materials in the third and fourth layers can remove Pb and Cd from the water. Further, the adsorbent materials in the fifth and sixth layers in the series can be a type of adsorbent material that can remove one type (e.g., the third type) of heavy metal from the water as it flows through the fifth and sixth layers. For instance the adsorbent materials in the fifth and sixth layers can remove Cd from the water. Further, the adsorbent materials in the seventh and eighth layers in the series can be a type of adsorbent material than can remove two different types (e.g., the first and second types) of heavy metals from the water as it flows through the seventh and eighth layers. For instance, the adsorbent materials in the seventh and eighth layers can remove As and Pb from the water.

In contrast to water purifiers of the present disclosure (e.g., heavy metal filter 202) , previous water filter cartridges for removing heavy metal ions may only include a single type of adsorbent material of a single size. That is, previous water filter cartridges may only include a single layer of adsorbent materials.

Such previous water filter cartridges may not be as efficient or effective in filtering water as water purifiers of the present disclosure. For example, such previous water filter cartridges may not be able to remove as many different types of heavy metals from the water as water purifiers of the present disclosure, and/or may not be able to remove the heavy metals from the water to very low concentration levels, such as, for instance, concentration levels as low as or lower than those recommend by the WHO. Further, such previous water filter cartridges may not be able to ensure that all water that passes through the cartridge is indeed filtered (e.g., that not water is able to pass through the cartridge without being filtered) .

Figures 3A-3C illustrate graphs of heavy metal concentration levels in water filtered by a heavy metal filter in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure (e.g., the heavy metal filter 102 and/or 202, previously described herein) . For example, Figure 3A illustrates a graph 330 of arsenic (As) concentration levels in different amounts (e.g., uptakes) of water filtered by a heavy metal filter in accordance with the present disclosure, Figure 3B illustrates a graph 340 of lead (Pb) concentration levels in different amounts water filtered by a heavy metal filter in accordance with the present disclosure, and Figure 3C illustrates a graph 350 of cadmium (Cd) concentration levels in different amounts of water filtered by a heavy metal filter in accordance with the present disclosure. The heavy metal filter can be, for example, the heavy metal filter 102, previously described in connection with Figure 1 and/or the heavy metal filter 202, previously described in connection with Figure 2, for instance.

As shown in Figures 3A-3C, water filtered by a heavy metal filter in accordance with the present disclosure can have concentration levels of less than one part per billion (ppb) for a number of different heavy metal types. For example, as shown in Figure 3A, the concentration of As in water filtered by a heavy metal filter in accordance with the present disclosure can be (e.g., remain) less than one ppb for an uptake of at least 6500 liters (L) . Further, as shown in Figure 3B, the concentration of Pb in water filtered by a heavy metal filter in accordance with the present disclosure can be (e.g., remain) less than one ppb for an uptake of at least 6500 L. Further, as shown in Figure 3C, the concentration of Cd in water filtered by a heavy metal filter in accordance with the present disclosure can be (e.g., remain) less than one ppb for an uptake of at least 6500 L.

Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that any arrangement calculated to achieve the same techniques can be substituted for the specific embodiments shown. This disclosure is intended to cover any and all adaptations or variations of various embodiments of the disclosure.

It is to be understood that the above description has been made in an illustrative fashion, and not a restrictive one. Combination of the above embodiments, and other embodiments not specifically described herein will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the above description.

The scope of the various embodiments of the disclosure includes any other applications in which the above structures and methods are used. Therefore, the scope of various embodiments of the disclosure should be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full range of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.

In the foregoing Detailed Description, various features are grouped together in example embodiments illustrated in the figures for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the embodiments of the disclosure require more features than are expressly recited in each claim.

Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive subject matter lies in less than all features of a single disclosed embodiment. Thus, the following claims are hereby incorporated into the Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment.

Claims

A water purifier, comprising:

a heavy metal filter, including:

a first number of adsorbent materials having a first size；

a second number of adsorbent materials having a second size；

a third number of adsorbent materials having a third size； and

a fourth number of adsorbent materials having a fourth size；

a second filter； and

a third filter.
The water purifier of claim 1, wherein the second filter and the third filter are each one of: amicrofilter, achlorine, taste, odor (CTO) removal filter, and an ultrafilter.
The water purifier of claim 1, wherein the water purifier is configured to receive a flow of water through the heavy metal filter, then through the second filter, then through the third filter.
The water purifier of claim 1, wherein the second filter is one of:

a microfilter；

a CTO removal filter； and

an ultrafilter； and

wherein the third filter is another of:

the microfilter；

the CTO removal filter； and

the ultrafilter.
The water purifier of claim 3, wherein the second filter is a microfilter and wherein the third filter is a CTO removal filter.
The water purifier of claim 3, wherein the second filter is a CTO removal filter and wherein the third filter is an ultrafilter.
The water purifier of claim 1, wherein:

each of the first number of adsorbent materials is a first type of adsorbent material；

each of the second number of adsorbent materials is the first type of adsorbent material；

each of the third number of adsorbent materials is a second type of adsorbent material； and

each of the fourth number of adsorbent materials is the second type of adsorbent material.
The water purifier of claim 1, wherein the heavy metal filter further includes:

a fifth number of adsorbent materials, wherein each of the fifth number of adsorbent materials has a fifth size and is a third type of adsorbent material that is different than the first and second types of adsorbent materials； and

a sixth number of adsorbent materials, wherein each of the sixth number of adsorbent materials is the third type of adsorbent material and has a sixth size that is different than the fifth size.
The water purifier of claim 1, wherein:

the second size is larger than the first size； and

the fourth size is larger than the third size.
The water purifier of claim 1, wherein:

the first size and the third size are a same size； and

the second size and the fourth size are a same size that is larger than the first size and the third size.