Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6193113
-
Patent Number
6,193,113
-
Date Filed
Wednesday, April 21, 199925 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, February 27, 200123 years ago
-
Inventors
-
-
Examiners
Agents
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 141 18
- 141 21
- 141 285
- 141 286
- 141 308
- 141 383
- 141 385
- 141 386
- 222 325
- 222 835
- 222 1466
- 222 1461
-
International Classifications
- B65D8854
- G01F1106
- G01F1130
- G01F1136
- G01F1142
-
Abstract
A dispensing device for use in extracting liquid, such as water, from a container of the type which is inverted into a position above a reservoir. The device includes probe which is of simple construction and wherein the surfaces of the probe are exposed and readily observed or inspected. In a preferred embodiment, the probe has a cruciform cross-section through which water may flow when the probe is inserted into an inverted water bottle to separate an inner cap from a sleeve in the center of the closure of the bottle. The probe is supported by and projects from a base which has apertures through which water may flow into a reservoir of the dispenser with which the probe is used. If the probe is a replacement part for an existing dispenser, as opposed to being designed and sold as part of a new dispenser, the base which supports the probe may have an externally threaded cylindrical or cup-shaped portion extending in a direction opposite to that of the probe. The threaded portion of the probe enables a older style tubular probe of an existing dispenser to be replaced by a probe of the present invention. The tip of the probe has a groove for engaging an internally directed bead or rib on the inside surface of the inner cap element (or the plug), whereby the inner cap and the sleeve may be brought into a sealing relationship when the bottle is removed from the dispenser. To assist in maintaining the shape of sleeve of the closure as it is brought into sealing relationship with the inner cap, the probe has a series of discs just below the groove. The discs hold the sleeve in a cylindrical shape as the sleeve is lifted into engagement with the inner cap.
Description
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to dispensers of the type which are used in conjunction with inverted bottles of water. In particular, the invention relates to dispensers which are intended to operate a valved closure which seals the opening of a bottle, commonly containing water.
For many years, it has been and continues to be common to see around offices and factories an inverted 5-gallon container sitting atop a cooler to provide drinking water to office and factory workers. In the past, such containers of water were placed on the coolers after removing the closure on the container. This process often resulted in at least some spillage of water when replacement of the supply container became necessary.
In the early 1990's, substantial numbers of bottlers began to offer dispensing systems which included a valved closure and a feed tube built into the cooler for operating the valved closure. These features, and others, addressed and solved the spillage problem referenced above. Examples of such systems are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,121,778 and No. 5,647,416. Such systems include elaborate componentry and structures designed, among other things, to filter the air which replaces dispensed fluid. A further example of a system which filters air entering the container as fluid is dispensed is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,699,188. Bottlers, and more particularly, consumers, have come to recognize the advantages of systems which eliminate the difficulty associated with inverting a bottle of water with an open and large diameter spout. However, the advantages of air-filtering are open to question. Indeed, the elaborate and expensive componentry needed to control air entering the container has given rise to the need for a simpler non-spill dispensing arrangement. The closed fluid paths associated with complicated systems used in air-filtered dispensing create an environment which may be conducive, under certain circumstances, to the growth of bacteria and other detrimental pathenogenic agents.
Consumers have become more interested in the use of bottled water in their homes, as well as in offices and factories. Crock-type dispensers, which are not refrigerated, have become commonplace in kitchens throughout the country, particularly in regions where tap water is either expensive or of questionable quality. Even where tap water is inexpensive and of high quality, many consumers feel that bottled water is a significant improvement over water obtained from a municipal source. It is therefore desirable to provide a dispensing system for use in homes which takes advantage of the non-spill convenience of a valved container of bottled water.
In accordance with the present invention, a probe is provided wherein all of the surfaces of the probe are in plain sight and can be easily seen and cleaned. The probe of the present invention has flutes, rather than enclosed feed tubes. The probe has a cruciform cross-section which defines the flutes and which create fluid pathways for the entry of air into a container and the exit of water from a container through a passageway in a valved cap. The probe is supported by a base which contains apertures through which the water may fall into the reservoir of a cooler or crock-type dispenser. The probe includes a grooved tip for retaining that portion of the valved cap which reseals the central tube upon removal of the bottle from the dispenser. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the probe includes lateral disc-shaped supports at the upper end of the probe to support the walls of the central tube as the resealing element of the closure is positioned on the central tube when the container is removed from the dispenser.
The objects and advantages of the invention will be better understood upon a reading of the following detailed description of the invention when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1
is a perspective view, partially cut away, of a dispenser made in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 2
is an exploded perspective view of the dispense and an associated cap as shown in
FIG. 1
;
FIG. 3
is a sectional view of a dispenser and cap in accordance with the present invention showing the probe and cap just prior to the engagement of the cap with a probe;
FIG. 4
is a sectional view of a dispenser and cap in accordance with the present invention at the moment when the probe and cap are first engaged;
FIG. 5
is a sectional view of a cap and dispenser of the present invention with the cap and probe fully engaged and the bottle shown in a use position;
FIG. 6
is an enlarged sectional view of the probe and inner cap of the present invention;
FIG. 7
is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line
7
—
7
of
FIG. 6
;
FIG. 8
is an enlarged sectional view taken along line
8
—
8
of
FIG. 6
;
FIG. 9
is a sectional view of an alternative embodiment of a dispenser in accordance with the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 1
shows a container
11
inverted into a dispensing position on top of a cooler
15
. The cooler
15
has a reservoir
8
which is surrounded by an insulating jacket
9
. The reservoir
8
and the jacket
9
are surrounded by an enclosure
7
.
FIG. 2
is an exploded view of some of the components shown in
FIG. 1. A
cap
12
which includes an inner cap
16
is installed on a bottleneck
10
. The cap
12
includes a skirt
18
and a retaining bead
17
which fits into a complementary groove on the bottleneck
10
to hold the cap
12
in place on the container
11
during the inversion of the container prior to its placement onto a cooler. The receiver
50
includes a flange
38
which engages the top of the cabinet
7
and the insulating jacket
9
(see FIG.
1
). The receiver
50
has a first large diameter vertical section
37
which leads at its lower end to a sloped section
36
. The sloped section
36
, in turn, leads to a smaller diameter vertical section
34
. The lowermost section of the receiver
50
is a support
33
from which the probe
30
projects. The support
33
includes a plurality of apertures
31
.
As the container
11
carrying a cap
12
is lowered into the receiver
50
(See FIGS.
3
through
5
), the probe
30
is inserted into a central tube
20
formed in the base
14
of the cap
12
. The weight of the container (which is filled with water) causes the central tube
20
to slide downwardly around the probe
30
. As such sliding occurs, the probe
30
engages the inner cap
16
. A probe gripping bead
42
fits snappingly into a groove
36
on the upper portion of the probe
30
. The weight of the container filled with water then causes the central tube
20
, which is carried by the base
14
of the cap
12
, to move further down along the probe
30
. At the same time, the inner cap
16
is prevented from further downward displacement by the tip of the probe
30
. As the skirt
18
, base
14
, and central tube
20
of the cap
12
continue to move downwardly along the probe
30
, flutes
25
which are defined by fins
24
are brought into fluid communication with the inside of the container
11
. This allows water to flow out of the container and allows replacement air to enter the container.
FIGS. 5 and 6
show the position of the two components of the cap
12
(i.e., the base/skirt portion and the inner cap) when the shoulder of the bottle
11
engages the flange
38
and no further downward movement of the bottle is possible. In
FIG. 5
, the solid arrows show the direction of flow of water out of the container, and the dot-lined arrows show the direction of the flow of air into the container. When the water in the reservoir reaches the level of the base
14
of the cap
12
(which water level is shown by reference number
27
), air is prevented from entering the container and, therefore, further water is prevented from exiting the container. As water is withdrawn from the reservoir and the water level in the reservoir drops below the level of the base
14
of the cap
12
, the reservoir is restocked with water which flows out of the container and through the apertures
31
.
FIG. 6
shows the position of the inner cap
16
, as retained by the grooved tip of the probe
30
. The inner cap
16
includes an upper portion
19
joined to a sealing sleeve
44
. The probe gripping bead
42
is directed radially inwardly from the upper part of the sealing sleeve
44
. A shoulder
22
engages the uppermost portion of the central tube
20
when the bottle is removed from the dispenser, which causes the inner cap
16
to be repositioned in engagement with the central tube
20
. The central tube
20
includes a sloped surface
56
and a bead
54
. The bead
54
and a complementary bead
52
on the sealing sleeve
44
create the primary seal between the inner cap
16
and the remainder of the cap
12
.
FIG. 6
also shows, in considerable detail, the configuration of the probe
30
of the present invention. The fins
24
define the flutes
25
which act as fluid pathways for water leaving the container and air entering the container. Three disk-like flanges
26
are disposed at the upper end of the probe
30
below the groove
36
. These disk-like flanges
26
support and hold the central tube in a shape which facilitates the reconnection of the inner cap
16
to the central tube
20
and a bottle is removed from the dispenser. It should be noted that the outer edges (both upper and lower) of the disk-like flanges
26
should be well radiused to prevent scarification of the inside surface of the central tube
20
, and to prevent unwanted interference of the upper edge of the central tube with the disk-like flanges
26
as the central tube
20
is lifted into engagement with the inner cap
16
upon removal of the container from the dispenser. Similarly, the upper and lower outer edges of the flange
28
should be rounded (i.e., radiused) to prevent damage (by scraping) to the probe gripping bead
42
. Preferably, all of the edges of the probe which contact the cap are made with significant radii to avoid damaging the cap, the cap being susceptible to damage because of the soft nature of the material used to form the cap, i.e. a low density polyethylene, such as Eastman TENITE™ Polyethylene #808A. Use of soft materials such as low density polyethylene makes it easier for the surfaces of the cap to form a seal, both at the skirt's interface with the bottle, and the sleeve's interface with the inner cap.
FIGS. 7 and 8
show the alignment of the apertures
31
with the flutes
25
. In
FIG. 7
, the fins
24
, which define the flutes
25
, are in engagement with the inside surface of the central tube
20
.
FIG. 8
shows the relative position of the apertures
31
and the fins
24
, there being one aperture
31
for each fin
24
and for each flute
25
.
FIG. 9
shows an alternative embodiment of the probe of the present invention. Probe
30
a
is supported by a base
33
a
which is cup-shaped, and which includes a probe fitting
40
which is externally threaded and a flange
41
. The receiver
50
a
is equipped with a lower end
43
which has an internally threaded fitting
45
so that the probe
30
a
may be removably attached to the lower end of the receiver
50
a
. The flange
41
is preferably faceted (e.g., hexagonally shaped) so that the probe
30
a
can be snugly brought into threaded engagement with the lower end of receiver
50
a.
The remaining portion of the receiver
50
a
is of the type shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,526,961, and is one example of many such arrangements which are known to persons skilled in the art of dispenser design.
The foregoing description provides specification of various forms of the instant invention by reference to certain preferred embodiments. However, a variety of modifications and improvements to the discussed embodiments of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, no limitation is intended by way of the foregoing descriptions and accompanying drawings. Indeed, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that numerous alternatives, modifications and variations of the embodiments shown herein may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims.
Claims
- 1. A probe for a dispenser comprisinga base with at least one fluid passageway extending therethrough, a projecting member extending generally perpendicularly from said base, at least one open channel extending along at least a portion of the exterior surface of said projection, said open channel defining a fluid flow path in fluid communication with said fluid passageway in said base, said projecting member having a free end opposite said base, said free end having a circumferential groove for snappingly receiving a bead therein.
- 2. A probe in accordance with claim 1 wherein:said base is cup-shaped and an external longitudinal surface of said cup-shaped base is threaded.
- 3. A probe in accordance with claim 2 wherein:a flange is formed on said cup-shaped base at one end, said flange having an hexagonal perimeter.
- 4. A probe in accordance with claim 3 wherein:said probe has a plurality of open channels defined by a plurality of longitudinal ribs, said ribs extending from said base to an upper section being adjacent to and below said groove.
- 5. A probe in accordance with claim 4 wherein:said upper section includes lateral supports between said ribs, said lateral supports extending outwardly from a central axis of said probe a distance substantially equal to the distance which each of said ribs extends from said axis.
- 6. A probe in accordance with claim 4 wherein:said probe has a number of equally spaced ribs defining said number of equally sized open channels, said base having said number of fluid passageways, each generally aligned with one of said open channels.
- 7. A probe in accordance with claim 6 wherein:said number is four.
- 8. A probe in accordance with claim 5 wherein:said supports are comprised of disc-like members, each having a rounded outer edge.
- 9. A probe in accordance with claim 5 wherein:said rounded outer edges of said disc-like members define a circular cylindrical shape, and said plurality of disc-like members are spaced axially along said upper section of said probe.
- 10. A probe for use in dispensing a liquid from an inverted container through a closure carried by said container, said closure having a central sleeve through which said probe extends from the outside of said container to the inside of said container, said probe comprising:a base with means for allowing said probe to be removably connected to a container support structure, a fluid passageway extending through said base, an elongated rigid member extending perpendicularly from said base and having a free upper end, said member having at least one open channel extending from said base to an upper section of said member, said upper section having a means for engaging and retaining a sealing portion of said closure, said flute on said member being in fluid communication with said fluid passageway whereby air enters said container through said flute, and liquid within may pass from said container through said flute and through said passageway into said reservoir.
- 11. A probe in accordance with claim 10 wherein:said means for engaging and retaining a sealing portion of said closure comprises a groove in said upper section.
- 12. A probe in accordance with claim 11 wherein:said elongated member has a plurality of open channels defined by a plurality of ribs, and said upper section has a plurality of disc-like members with rounded outer edges disposed between said ribs, said outer edges defining a circular cylinder with a diameter matching said central sleeve.
- 13. A dispensing system for use in dispensing liquid from an inverted container via a dispenser comprising:a valved cap and a probe, said cap having an outer skirt for fitting tightly onto a container neck, a central sleeve, and a closure for selectively allowing flow of liquid through said central sleeve, said probe having a base and an elongated member extending from said base, said member having a length longer than said central sleeve, said member having at least one open channel forming an external fluid path extending along the length of said member, said base having a fluid passageway for allowing liquid to pass from said fluid path and through said base, said member having a grooved tip and said closure having a formation shaped to releasably engage said grooved tip to form a first connection between said closure and said probe, said closure and said central sleeve being releasably connected by a second connection, said first connection having a pre-determined first release force required to disconnect said first connection whereby said probe is disconnected from said closure upon removal of said cap and said container, said second connection having a predetermined second connecting force required to close said second connection between said central sleeve and said closure, said release force being greater than said connecting force whereby said sleeve and closure are connected before said probe is released from said closure upon removal of said container from said dispenser.
- 14. A dispensing system in accordance with claim 13 wherein:said probe has a plurality of open channels forming a plurality of external fluid paths extending along said length of said member, said paths being formed by ribs, and a plurality of support members disposed between said ribs, each support member having an outwardly facing partially cylindrical surface shaped to abut a portion of said central sleeve as said second support members support said central sleeve and hold said sleeve in alignment with said closure in preparation for closing said second connection.
- 15. A dispensing system in accordance with claim 14 wherein:said second connection between said central sleeve and said closure has a predetermined second release force required to open said second connection, and said first connection between said probe and said closure has a predetermined first connecting force required to connect said probe to said closure, said first connecting force being less than said second release force, whereby the connection between said probe and said closure is ensured prior to release of said closure from said central sleeve as said container is lowered onto said probe.
- 16. A dispensing system in accordance with claim 13 wherein:said probe has support means for maintaining the shape of said central sleeve as said closure is connected to and disconnected from said central sleeve.
- 17. A dispensing system in accordance with claim 16 wherein:said support means includes a cylindrically shaped surface at an upper section of said probe below said grooved tip, said cylindrically shaped surface having an axial extent approximately equal to the length of said central sleeve of said cap.
US Referenced Citations (3)
Number |
Name |
Date |
Kind |
5224527 |
McCunn et al. |
Jul 1993 |
|
5617906 |
Braatz et al. |
Apr 1997 |
|
5647416 |
Desrosiers et al. |
Jul 1997 |
|