Claims:Claims
We Claim

1. A water purification system for infusing herbal properties into drinking water comprising: a water inlet unit, a purification cartridge unit, a herbal cartridge unit, a water storage unit and a water outlet unit.

2. The herbal cartridge unit, as claimed in claim 1 further comprises one or more spices selected from Cinnamon, Clove, Cumin, Black pepper, Nutmeg, Cardamom, Basil, Fenugreek, Indian Kino or Malabar Kino, Indian Red wood (Pathimugam), Triphala, and/or Amla.

3. A method of preparation of the herbal cartridge, for use in a water purification system, to infuse herbal properties to purified water wherein
a. separately grind predetermined proportions of one or more herbs selected from cinnamon, clove, cumin, black pepper, nutmeg, cardamom, basil (Thulsi), fenugreek, Indian Kino or Malabar Kino, Indian Red wood (Pathimugam), Triphala and/or Amla
b. ground spices are stored in desiccator for approximately 2 hours,
c. to the desiccated spice mixture in step (b) add Isopropyl alcohol in the ratio between 1:1 and 1:3,
d. the solution mixture in Step (c) is blended using a magnetic stirrer for up to 2 hours and allowed to stand 12 hours,
e. the mixture in step (d) is centrifuged to separate the crude sediment, wherein the supernatant solution containing the spices content dissolved in isopropyl alcohol is collected in clean glass container,
f. the crude sediment step (e) is collected in same container and repeated with the step (c) to step (e) to avoid wastage of any spices content,
g. optionally the crude sediment is placed in a squeeze box to extract complete spices content in isopropyl alcohol,
h. the combined supernatant extract obtained in step (e) step (g) is incubated at 30 - 40 degree Celsius for 10 to 12 hours to increase the adsorption efficiency of spices content in base material ,
i. the extract obtained in step (h) is doped on one or more base material selected from alumina, carbon, fabrics, papers, gum, leather, seeds, cellulose, starch, benzoic acid, stearic acid and
j. the extract with the herbal sediments doped with base materials like mentioned in step (i) is allowed to evaporate the isopropyl alcohol leaving behind the residual material/ powder for further processing in the herbal cartridge.
4. A method of infusing herbal properties to drinking water, comprising
a. allowing input water to be passed through purification cartridge unit to purify water,
b. allowing purified water from the purification cartridge into a herbal cartridge unit to infuse herbs,
c. storing the water from the herbal cartridge, and
d. dispensing the water in the storage tank through the outlet unit.
5. A method according to the claim 9, wherein the herbal properties are dispensed into the purified water via pellets or as liquids in said herbal cartridge and/or microencapsulated in activated alumina and/or in ceramic balls for slow release.
6. The water purification system for infusing herbal properties into drinking water according to claim 1, is optionally a portable water filtration unit such as a water bottle or pitcher, wherein the herbal cartridge is filed to a filtration assembly sealed to the top and/or bottom of the bottle or pitcher. , Description:TITLE OF THE INVENTION
“Cartridge for enhancement of quality of water in Purification Apparatus”
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a drinking water purification technology and, in particular, the present invention relates to a method and application in material and manufacturing of said drinking water purification system to enhance the quality and health benefits of water.
OBJECTIVE OF THE INVENTION
It is an objective of the present invention, to provide an apparatus for purification of water that enhances the quality water in a purification apparatus.
It is another objective of the present invention to provide a water purification apparatus that is enhanced with natural taste, flavour and health qualities to the purified water.
It is an objective of the present invention, to provide a new and improved ayurvedic cartridge unit to a purification apparatus which is simpler and cost effective in design than conventional systems which aid in providing natural extracts to purified water.

ABSTRACT OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a cartridge for enhancement of water quality in purification apparatus, more particularly a water purification system to enhance herbal properties into drinking water treated via the said purification system. The said purification system comprises a water inlet unit, a purification cartridge unit, a herbal cartridge unit, a storage unit and a water outlet unit. The purification cartridge unit further comprises the purification unit to purify water, and the herbal cartridge unit to release herbal constituents in to the purified water.
The herbal cartridge unit of the said purification system comprises elements that are packed to dispense plant properties in to the purified water. Furthermore, the herbal cartridge unit comprises Nutmeg, Cinnamon, Black pepper, Cloves, Cardamom or the like that provides health properties such as immunity, healthier skin, improved digestion, eliminate fatigue and stress, improved sleep etc. The water purification system with herbal dispensing cartridge of the present invention advantageously provides enhanced dietary supplement content to the user while ensuring safety and purity. The purification system of the present invention, though not specifically described for operation in any particular applications, is used in domestic, industrial or the like to ensure enhanced properties of purified drinking water.

RELEVANT PRIOR ART OF THE INVENTION
Water in towns and cities, in recent years, has been contaminated due to an increase in population and industrial development due to which offensive odors and deterioration of taste of city water have posed public problems. To combat this problem, there is an increase in the usage of household water purifiers. Many water purification devices and methods have been developed to remove or neutralize particulate and chemical contaminants.
Water purifier technology usually comprises of blocks of filtering means, which pressurizes water to flow through them to remove said contaminants. The consumption of filtered or processed water in households have greatly increased in recent years because consumers like the taste or because they believe it is a healthier option than tap or well water. One disadvantage of this process of filtration is strapping the water of its natural particulate such as minerals etc.
On the other hand, there is an increasing demand for dietary supplements, such as vitamins, minerals, and herbs, as part of maintaining overall health. In this regards, our patent application, 1715/CHE/2015 relates to processes and methods of incorporating removed minerals to the water. However, the said application still does not address the issue to adding most important enhancements to the drinking water, namely the ayurvedic properties to impart health benefit to the consumers. Ayurvedic herb infused water is a common ancient practice that has been used for years by naturopaths to heal ailing bodies. Due to the ease of availability of herbs and spices, these healing waters were conveniently made at home. Water is considered as a powerful therapeutic tool in Ayurveda and infusing certain herbs or spices can enhance its healing power. It is desirable, as an outgrowth of water filtration, to offer enhancements to add to filtered water to support the health of consumers
Presently available technologies provide enhancements that can be purchased and added to the water purification apparatus, it is inconvenient for the consumer in using such enhancements for each batch of filtered water. Furthermore, it is not very useful to mix up a large batch of filtered, enhanced water, as many enhancements change over time after mixing into water.
Few technologies that said to overcome the said invention provides composition comprising ayurvedic herbs that are just UV treated in a cartridge container and additionally placed in the water purification apparatus, designed such that the UV (Ultra violet rays) treated and/or R.O. (Reverse osmosis) treated water is allowed to pass through the cartridge containing the treated herbs for a predetermined time to release the herbal properties tin to the purified water. The herbs used include barks or powder of cinnamon, Pod or powder of cardamom and/or other roots of naturally occurring plants. The said herbs are pretreated, such as washed to remove physical contaminants and UV treated to remove any microbial contaminants. The herbs are then dried or dehydrated and tightly packed in the cartridge.
Many disadvantages of the present invention such as continuous inflow of water in the herbs cartridge led to fungal contamination, huge storage tank as the filtered water takes more time to pass through the herbs cartridge and non-uniform dispensing to the herbs causing variation in the taste of the filtered water.
In view of the foregoing, there is a need for methods and apparatuses that provides a water purification device to enhance quality of drinking water and provide a healthy and safe water purification system.
DETAILED SPECIFICATION OF THE INVENTION
The embodiments herein and the various features and advantages, details thereof are explained more fully with reference to the non-limiting embodiments that are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and detailed in the following description. Descriptions of well-known components and processing techniques are omitted so as to not unnecessarily obscure the embodiments herein. The examples used herein are intended merely to facilitate an understanding of ways in which the embodiments herein may be practiced and to further enable those of skill in the art to practice the embodiments herein. Accordingly, the examples should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiments herein.
The present invention relates to a fluid purification system, more particularly a water purification system that infuses herbal constituents in to the purified water for drinking.
The said purification system comprises a water inlet unit, a purification cartridge unit further comprising the purification system, an herbal cartridge unit, water storage unit and a water outlet unit. The said water input unit is connected to the source of water to be purified. The water inlet unit further comprises of a solenoid valve which regulates the water in flow to the said purification cartridge unit.
The said purification cartridge unit further comprises the purification system that comprises primary sediment filters (or) a series of sediment filters and/or carbon filters and/or the similar units that remove any dissolved solids or organisms in the source water.
Furthermore, said purification system is a membrane based purification unit selected from micro filtration membrane or ultra filtration membrane or reverse osmosis membrane or nano filtration membrane and/or combinations thereof. The said purification system that comprises a single core multiple fold hybrid membrane for purification of water selected from those known in the art. Further the said purification system comprises a radiation based purification unit such as ultraviolet radiation or chemical based purification unit such as commonly use chemical disinfectants and/or combinations thereof.
The purification cartridge comprises a meshed metal base through which the purified water is allowed to pass through to the subsequent unit.
The herbal cartridge unit of the said purification system comprises pretreated herbal spice mixture comprising one or more cinnamon, clove, cumin, black pepper, nutmeg, cardamom, basil (Thulsi), fenugreek, Indian Kino or Malabar Kino, Indian Red wood (Pathimugam), Triphala, Amla, and/or the like comprising herbs in proportions such that the natural properties of these constituents are infused and imparting mild flavor to the purified water and provides health benefit.
In one embodiment, the herbal spice mixture cinnamon, comprising cinnamaldehyde, as well as numerous other constituents, including eugenol, which provides health benefit including antioxidants, regulating blood sugar, reducing LDL cholesterol and anti-inflammatory benefits.
In one embodiment, the herbal spice mixture clove, comprising minerals and vitamins exhibits anti-bacterial properties and anti-carcinogenic properties, and aids in better digestion, and improved immunity.
In one embodiment, the herbal spice mixture cumin, comprising iron, magnesium, calcium, and Vitamin B1 provides skin benefits and detoxifying properties. It helps in prevention of anemia, diabetics and cancer as well.
In one embodiment, the herbal spice mixture black pepper comprises, minerals like manganese, copper, magnesium, calcium, iron, phosphorus, potassium, and vitamins like riboflavin. It has high content of dietary fibre and has a moderate amount of protein and carbohydrates. Piperine in Black pepper aids in cancer prevention, aids in digestion and weight loss and helps prevent cold and cough relief.
In one embodiment, the herbal spice mixture nutmeg, comprises anti-bacterial properties and helps in treatment of halitosis or bad breath. Nutmeg oil relieves stomach aches by removing the excess gas from the intestines.
In one embodiment, the herbal spice mixture cardamom, comprises anti-bacterial properties and is a rich source of antioxidants, and contain anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory compounds.
In one embodiment, the herbal spice mixture basil, comprises has antibiotic, anti-fungal and antibacterial properties that help prevent fever and cold and also maintain skin and hair healthy.
In one embodiment, the present invention provides a method of preparation of said herbal cartridge, wherein
a) separately grind predetermined proportions of one or more herbs selected from cinnamon, clove, cumin, black pepper, nutmeg, cardamom, basil (Thulsi), fenugreek, Indian Kino or Malabar Kino, Indian Red wood (Pathimugam), Triphala and/or Amla
b) ground spices are stored in desiccator for approximately 2 hours,
c) to the desiccated spice mixture in step (b) add Isopropyl alcohol in the ratio between 1:1 and 1:3,
d) the solution mixture in Step (c) is blended using a magnetic stirrer for up to 2 hours and allowed to stand 12 hours,
e) the mixture in step (d) is centrifuged to separate the crude sediment, wherein the supernatant solution containing the spices content dissolved in isopropyl alcohol is collected in clean glass container,
f) the crude sediment step (e) is collected in same container and repeated with the step (c) to step (e) to avoid wastage of any spices content,
g) optionally the crude sediment is placed in a squeeze box to extract complete spices content in isopropyl alcohol,
h) the combined supernatant extract obtained in step (e) step (g) is incubated at 30 - 40 degree Celsius for 10 to 12 hours to increase the adsorption efficiency of spices content in base material,
i) the extract obtained in step (h) is doped on one or more base material selected from alumina, carbon, fabrics, papers, gum, leather, seeds, cellulose, starch, benzoic acid, stearic acid and
j) the extract with the herbal sediments doped with base materials like mentioned in step (i) is allowed to evaporate the isopropyl alcohol leaving behind the residual material/ powder for further processing in the herbal cartridge.
In one embodiment, the herbal powder extracted according to the process of the present invention, is mixed with any pharmaceutically acceptable binder to form pellets.
In one embodiment, the herbal powder extracted according to the process of the present invention, is microencapsulated in ceramic balls and/or activated alumina balls or the like for slow release of the herbal constituents into the purified water.
In one embodiment, the herbal powder extracted according to the process of the present invention, is mixed with suitable water soluble and orally administrable solutions, such that the herbal constituents are dispersed into the purified water.
In one embodiment, the pellets are packaged into a cartridge, such that when treated water is passed through the cartridge for predetermined time, the herbal extracts are infused in the treated water to impart additional properties of health.
In one embodiment, the microencapsulated ceramic balls and/or activated alumina balls and/or the solution dispensing the spice mixture is placed in suitable position such that the herbal mixture is mixed into the purified water stored into the water tank prior to dispensing.
The herbal cartridge unit is connected to the outlet of the purification cartridge unit, such that water from the purification unit is allowed to pass through the herbal cartridge prior to being stored in the storage unit.
In one embodiment, optionally, the herbal cartridge unit is connected to the storage unit, such that the purified water is stored in the storage unit, and is allowed to pass through the herbal cartridge unit prior to dispensing to the outlet. The water infused with the herbal properties is stored in the storage tank prior to be dispensed for consumption.
In one embodiment, herbal cartridge unit of the present invention is placed in any portable water filtration units such as not limited to water bottles or the like.
In one embodiment, when the portable water filtration unit is a water bottle or pitcher, the herbal cartridge unit of the present invention is attached to a filter assembly which is further attached to an adapter sealed to the top of the portable water bottle or pitcher. Water in the bottle or pitcher is allowed to pass through the filter assembly and the herbal cartridge unit and is dispensed out via a top nozzle or valve when the portable bottle is squeezed.
The water purification method as discussed in the present invention is an integrated dual cartridge system, while simultaneously performing effective purification and supplementing with ayurvedic herbal properties to water.
The purification system of the present invention, though not specifically described for operation in any particular applications, is used in domestic, industrial or the like to ensure enhanced properties of purified drinking water.