Module for purifying a fluid containing a cleaning agent, and methods of fabricating and using this kind of module

Abstract

The invention consists in a disposable module ( 31 ) for purifying a fluid, in particular water, adapted to form part of a fluid purification system and comprising fluid purification means ( 25, 28 ), a housing ( 35 ) in which the purification means are housed, and means for removably connecting the purification module ( 31 ) to the purification system to establish fluid communication between the purification system and the purification module ( 31 ), characterized in that the housing ( 35 ) contains from the outset a cleaning agent ( 36 ) disposed to come into contact with the fluid caused to circulate inside the housing ( 35 ) to clean at least a portion of the purification system. It also consists in the purification system and corresponding fabrication and cleaning methods.

1 . A disposable module for purifying a fluid, in particular water, adapted to form part of a fluid purification system and comprising a fluid purification means, a housing in which the purification means are housed, and a means for removably connecting the purification module to the purification system to establish fluid communication between the purification system and the purification module the housing contains from the outset a cleaning agent disposed to come into contact with the fluid caused to circulate inside the housing to clean at least a portion of the purification system.  
     
     
         2 . The module according to  claim 1 , wherein the housing may not be demounted.  
     
     
         3 . The module according to  claim 1 , wherein the cleaning agent is disposed at a location selected from the group consisting of between an inlet for fluid to be treated formed in the housing and the purification means or between the purification means and a purified fluid outlet formed in the housing.  
     
     
         4 . The module according to  claim 1  wherein the cleaning agent is housed in a space in the housing.  
     
     
         5 . The module according to  claim 1  wherein the cleaning agent is housed in a space delimited by a retaining means for the cleaning agent.  
     
     
         6 . The module according to  claim 1  wherein the housing contains a tangential filtration purification means selected from teh group consisting of reverse osmosis, nanofiltration, ultrafiltration or microfiltration.  
     
     
         7 . The module according to  claim 1  wherein the housing contains a fluid purification pretreatment means upstream of the purification processing means and the cleaning agent is disposed at a location selected from the group consisting of between the pretreatment means and the purification treatment means or between the purification treatment means and a purified fluid outlet formed in the housing.  
     
     
         8 . The module according to  claim 1  wherein the housing contains a fluid purification pretreatment means upstream of the purification processing means, the pretreatment means is selected from the group comprising ion exchanger activated supports, ion exchanger activated resins, activated charcoal, chlorine reduction agents, front filtration members, tartar formation reduction agents and combinations of the above.  
     
     
         9 . The module according to  claim 1  wherein the cleaning agent comprises a chemical compound or an association of chemical compounds for destroying a biofilm and/or having a bactericidal effect and/or for eliminating organic and/or mineral soiling.  
     
     
         10 . The module according to  claim 1  wherein the cleaning agent is in a form selected from the group consisting of powder, crystals, granules, tablets, capsules, or sachets.  
     
     
         11 . The module according to  claim 1  wherein the cleaning agent is selected from the group consisting of a chlorinated product, an organochlorinated product, an oxidizing product, an acid, a base or a disinfectant solution.  
     
     
         12 . The module according to  claim 1  wherein the cleaning agent is selected from the group consisting of bleach, a chloramine, hypochloric acid, hypochlorous acid, citric acid, tartaric acid, acetic acid, perchloric acid, peracetic acid and salts thereof, sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, potassium permanganate, potassium dichromate, a solution of hydrogen peroxide and peracetic acid, or organic complexes containing silver salts.  
     
     
         13 . The module according to  claim 1  wherein the housing includes a means for identification of the module by the fluid purification system.  
     
     
         14 . A system for purifying a fluid comprising at least one fluid purification module as defined in  claim 1 .  
     
     
         15 . A method of fabricating a disposable fluid purification module according to  claim 1 , comprising the mounting of purification means in a housing, placing a cleaning agent inside the housing and closing the housing.  
     
     
         16 . A method of cleaning at least a portion of a fluid purification system comprising the steps of connecting a disposable fluid purification module of  claim 1  to a fluid purification system and then starting a system cleaning procedure.  
     
     
         17 . The module of  claim 1  wherein the cleaning agent is housed in a recess in a raised portion of the housing.  
     
     
         18 . The module according to  claim 1  wherein the cleaning agent is housed in a space delimited by a cage for the cleaning agent.  
     
     
         19 . The module according to  claim 1  wherein the housing contains a fluid purification pretreatment means upstream of the purification processing means, a tangential filtration purification processing means and the cleaning agent is disposed at a location selected from the group consisting of between the pretreatment means and the purification treatment means or between the tangential filtration purification processing means and a purified fluid outlet formed in the housing.  
     
     
         20 . A method of cleaning at least a portion of a fluid purification system comprising providing a fluid purification system, connecting a disposable fluid purification module to the fluid purification system, the module comprising a fluid purification means,, a housing in which the purification means are housed, and a means for removably connecting the purification module to the purification system to establish fluid communication between the purification system and the purification module, the housing contains a cleaning agent disposed to come into contact with the fluid caused to circulate inside the housing to clean at least a portion of the purification system, the housing further contains a means for identification of the module, the fluid purification system contains a means for reading the means for identification of the module and starting a system cleaning procedure for the fluid purification system following identification of the module by the fluid purification system.