This invention relates generally to the functional combination of a sink faucet and a water filter faucet generally utilized at a kitchen sink.
The modern residential kitchen often includes more water-using fixtures than before. Such fixtures may include a sink faucet, a sink sprayer, a semi-boiled water dispenser, a filtered water dispenser and/or a countertop or faucet-mount water treatment device. Each fixture usually requires its own space, which can clutter valuable workspace at the kitchen sink.
Water treatment devices of the prior art designed for use on or above the sink surface or countertop are mostly complex and expensive devices with requirements for installation and periodic filter element replacement being intimidating for those users not mechanically inclined. Embodiments intended to reduce complexity have created sinktop nuisances involving faucet spout mounted filters, faucet spout mounted diverter valves with tubing, complex and costly bases with large footprints on the sink or countertop, and inefficient filter elements with short lifespans requiring relatively frequent replacement.
Water filter devices comprising a permeable filter element or cartridge designed for insertion within a watertight housing are taught in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,042,106; 5,126,041; 5,510,031; 5,656,160; 5,685,981; 5,983,938; 6,024,867; 6,464,871; 6,532,982; and 6,641,727. These filter devices require a complex housing for the filter element wherein water flows around and through the filter. These housings are watertight, in which several remain pressurized and full of water when not in use. All of these housings see at least some water pressure and must remain watertight. Thus increasing design requirements, manufacturing costs, and the potential for leaks. When not in use, water stagnates within the filter housing developing bacterial slime that accumulates over time beyond the lifespan of a single filter element. This bacterial slime decreases the lifespan of the filter while simultaneously mixing with the treated water that is consumed. The standing water overflows and spills when the filter element is replaced and the housing interior requires cleaning to remove the accumulated bacteria. The bacterial slime accumulation requiring cleaning and water spillage associated with filter element replacement makes the task unpleasant and often unintentionally serves to discourage filter replacement, further leading to postponing the task, resulting in increased bacterial growth and consumption. Thereby minimizing the otherwise significant benefits of owning and using a water filter.
A water filter combined with a sink faucet is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,510,031 by Knauf and U.S. Pat. No. 6,179,130 by Nguyen. The faucet filter taught by Knauf possesses the design and manufacturing inefficiencies mentioned above in relation to a watertight housing for a filter element. Further, Knauf teaches a device having a large footprint on the sink surface requiring a significantly large custom hole that is difficult and costly to make while also increasing the potential for water leakage. Filter replacement requires removing a significantly large and clumsy spout top cover. Nguyen teaches an extremely complicated, costly, and custom faucet spout containing a filter therein. The Nguyen filter similarly being of special design that increases cost while decreasing availability. Both Knauf and Nguyen teach filter faucets that direct hot water through the water filter even though hot water is known to damage some types of water filter media and may even introduce dangerous bacteria from an improperly set hot water heater. Additionally, water pressure normally provided at the sink faucet is too high for some types of filter media and may create water channels when flowing through the media. Thereby allowing water to flow through without being filtered, completely eliminating the advantages of having the filter.
The filter faucets provided in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,532,982; 6,641,727; 6,941,968; and U.S. Application Publication US 2010/0089472 A1 improve upon the disadvantages taught by Knauf and Nguyen by separating the faucet and water supply structure from the sink faucet spout. Each of these shows a filter residing below the countertop that remains accessible from above the countertop for replacement purposes. Each requires structural disassembly or removal of the top portion or spout to replace the filter. Most of these carry over the problems described previously pertaining to a pressurized and watertight filter housing. The slim design being too small for a user's hand to clean the accumulated bacterial slime from within the housing. While the design is slim, it still requires a minimum of about a 1.5-2.0 inch diameter hole in the countertop that is non-standard, must be custom made, must be sealed, and increases the potential for water leakage. All of these require inefficient and custom construction that in most cases is complex and involves costly manufacturing processes for unique and non-standard components. Further, these introduce the potential of water leakage under the sink that may easily go unnoticed by the user feeling secure in having a filtration device accessible from above the sink surface while the main body, water compartment, and water connections remain under the counter.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,417,348, 6,029,699, and 7,607,449 disclose a water tap capable of dispensing filtered water, besides the regularly mixed hot and cold water. These water taps teach extremely complex structures, require the filter be installed under the counter, and prevent filtered water being drawn from the faucet at the same time as the regularly mixed hot and cold water.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds