Patent Application
20180092505
The present invention is directed to a fluid dispensing system, and more particularly relates to a portable fluid dispensing and rinsing system for use with fluid receptacles or holders, such as cups or glassware.
As is known in the art. a jockey box is a transportable draft or fluid dispensing system implementing the same theory of a direct draw system that is highly portable and hence can be taken anywhere. The term derives from the transportability of the box or container housing the system components. Most conventional jockey boxes are simply nothing more than large coolers, which are cumbersome, difficult to transport, take up a lot of room and are heavy and difficult to carry.
In conventional jockey boxes, the basic idea is to dispense a selected liquid beverage, such as beer, as you would from a stationary draft system, but instead employ a coil that allows for the chilled or room temperature keg to dispense the beer at a cooler temperature by running the beer through the coil that is chilled by ice. By chilling the beer prior to dispensing, the jockey box allows the system to properly retain CO2 levels by maintaining the beer cold during dispensing.
The main function and overall importance of this feature is that jockey boxes are most often used for festivals and events where multiple breweries dispense their products. More often than not, a fluid holder, such as a cup or a glass, is provided to the attendee so that they may sample multiple beers. During these types of events, there are either no opportunities for the attendee to clean or rinse out their glass between beers, or the prior art methods for rinsing the glass are rudimentary at best. The ability to rinse the glass prior to use is thus significantly hampered. Prior methods of rinsing the glass include rinsing the glass with the beverage to be sampled, pouring water directly from a water bottle into the glass, and the like. There is currently no suitable, portable fluid dispensing and rinsing system for use in such environments.
An object of the present invention is to overcome the above deficiencies by providing for a portable rinsing system for cleaning or rinsing fluid receptacles.
The portable fluid dispensing and rinsing system of the present invention employs a unique ergonomic design that makes transport and set-up extremely easy and user friendly. This design also allows for storage and set up to be less strenuous because of its compact design. The fluid dispensing device can be easily carried and is extremely easy to set up and to use.
The fluid dispensing device of the present invention serves the purpose of allowing for a single glass or fluid holder to be used repeatedly to sample several different products without contamination with residual flavors, thus avoiding the need for a complete wash or new glass at the tasting event. Thus fluid dispensing device allows the consumer to enjoy and taste the beverage free of overlapping flavors and as the producer/seller intended the specific beverage to smell and taste.
The main function and overall importance of the fluid dispensing device is most apparent in the context of festivals or tasting events where multiple vendors dispense their products, each one with a unique beverage. Customers often attend these events specifically for the unique products on offering, with taste being of the upmost importance to their experience. More often than not, a fluid holder, such as a glass, is provided to attendees at these events so that they may sample multiple beverages. Subsequently, there are rarely opportunities for the attendee to clean their glass between beverages, leaving the company representative with the choice of rinsing out the glass with their own product, or more often pouring without a rinse, causing a cross-contamination of flavors. On rare occasions, rinse stations are provided where bottles or coolers are filled with water and the attendee has to attempt to rinse their own glass. These can prove cumbersome and inadequate, do not provide the necessary volume of water to properly clean the glass of residue, and regularly run out of water before the event has come to a close. These rinse stations are often stationary and sparse, and attendees find themselves making multiple trips to attempt to cleanse the glass so that they can enjoy the nuances of each beverage tasted.
The design of the fluid dispensing device of the present invention is unique in its ergonomic design that makes transport and set-up extremely user friendly. Compact in size, the design also allows for easy storage, less strenuous set up, and it can be easily carried using only one hand. Further, many events require multiple products for the same company, and therefore multiple product lines.
The portable fluid dispensing and rinsing system of the present invention includes a base housing having a plurality of sides and forming an inner chamber, wherein a top surface of the base housing has an opening formed therein and a drain pan mounted to the base housing and disposed within the inner chamber. The drain pan has a first surface with an outwardly extending circumferential wall formed thereabout forming a drain pan chamber and an opposed second surface. The circumferential wall has formed therein a wall opening and the first surface of the drain pan includes a nozzle receptacle formed in a generally central location, a fluid passage that is disposed between and is fluidly coupled to the wall opening and to the nozzle receptacle, a plurality of stops protruding outwardly therefrom, each of said plurality of stops is configured for seating a biasing member, and a drain opening.
The system also includes a switch element coupled to the drain pan, a battery housing coupled to the second surface of the drain pan, a motor assembly coupled to the second surface of the drain pan adjacent the battery housing and electrically coupled to the battery housing and to the switch element, a drain plate disposed within the opening in the top surface of the base housing and having a central opening, and a nozzle assembly sized and configured for passing through the central opening of the drain plate and for seating in the central receptacle of the drain pan. The nozzle assembly includes a plurality of nozzle elements formed therein, wherein the nozzle elements are fluidly coupled to the central receptacle, the fluid passage, and the wall opening.
The system of the present invention also includes a switch housing protruding outwardly from the first surface of the drain pan and having an aperture formed therein, wherein the switch element includes an actuator that extends through the aperture in the switch housing.
The drain plate is movable in an axial direction between a non-actuated position where the drain plate is separated from the actuator and an actuated position where the drain plate contacts and engages the actuator. Further, when the drain plate is disposed in the actuated position, the motor assembly is actuated.
The motor assembly includes a motor element and a fluid coupler having an inlet port and an outlet port, a drain connector coupled to the drain opening formed in the drain pan, and a fluid diverter fluidly coupled to the wall opening and to the outlet port of the motor assembly. The drain connector has an elbow shape.
The system of the present invention also includes a first fluid conduit coupled to the inlet port of the motor assembly, a second fluid conduit coupled to the drain connector for draining fluid in the drain pan chamber, and/or a third fluid conduit having one end coupled to the outlet port of the motor assembly and an opposed end coupled to the fluid diverter.
The drain plate is movable in an axial direction between a non-actuated position where the drain plate is separated from the switch element disposed in the switch housing and an actuated position where the drain plate contacts and engages the switch element. Further, when the drain plate is disposed in the actuated position, the motor assembly is actuated and fluid from a fluid source is conveyed through the inlet port of the motor assembly, passes through the outlet port of the motor assembly, passes through the fluid diverter and into the nozzle receptacle via the wall opening and the covered passage, and through the nozzle assembly.
The exemplary embodiments will now be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.
These and other features and advantages of the present invention will be more fully understood by reference to the following detailed description in conjunction with the attached drawings in which like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout the different views. The drawings illustrate principals of the invention and, although not to scale, show relative dimensions.
The portable fluid dispensing and rinsing system 10 of the present invention is illustrated in
The illustrated portable fluid dispensing and rinsing system 10 further includes a nozzle assembly 30, a drain plate 40, a drain pan 50, a motor assembly 80, a battery housing 90, and a bottom lid or cover 102. As shown for example in
The system 10 also includes an axially movable drain plate 40. As shown in
With reference to
The illustrated drain pan 50 also has an opposed outer surface 70 that includes a set of fastener flanges 74 that include fastener-receiving apertures 76 for receiving the corresponding fasteners 28. The surface 70 also includes apertures 78 for mounting the bracket elements 158, 158. The surface 70 also includes a switch chamber 72 that forms the switch housing 66. The switch 126 seats within the chamber 72 and the switch holder 132 secures the switch element 126 therein. The switch housing 66 also includes an aperture formed therein for seating a movable or depressible actuator element 128 of the switch 126,
The illustrated portable fluid dispensing and rinsing system 10 of the present invention also includes a motor assembly 80 that is also secured to the outer surface 70 of the drain pan 50 adjacent the battery housing 90 according to known techniques,
The illustrated portable fluid dispensing and rinsing system 10 also includes a cover 102 that seats on and is fastened to the bottom of the base housing 12,
The portable fluid dispensing and rinsing system 10 of the present invention comes pre-assembled, but various components of the system can be generally connected as follows. The switch element 126 is seated within a switch chamber 72 of the switch housing 66. The switch housing 66 includes an aperture seating a portion of the switch element 126, such as an axially movable or depressible actuator 128 that is exposed to the chamber 56 of the drain pan 50. The switch element 126 is retained and secured within the switch chamber 72 by a switch holder 132. The battery housing 90 with associated power sources 100 (e.g., batteries) is coupled to the opposed outer surface 70 of the drain pan 50 by suitable fastening techniques. Similarly, the motor assembly 80 is coupled to the surface 70 adjacent to the battery housing 90. The battery housing 90 is electrically connected to the motor assembly 80. The motor assembly 80 in turn is electrically connected to the switch element 126.
The inlet hose element 162 is coupled to the inlet port 86 of the fluid coupler 84 of the motor assembly 80. The nozzle outlet hose element 164 is coupled to the outlet port 87 of the motor assembly 80. The diverter 110 is coupled at one end 114 to the nozzle hose element 164 and is coupled at the other end 112 to the wall opening 55. Likewise, the drain connector 140 is coupled to the drain hole 68 and to the associated extension 68A formed in the bottom surface 58 of the drain pan 50. The drain connector 140 can be secured to the drain connector by any suitable means, including by any suitable adhesive or mechanical fit. The drain outlet hose element 166 is coupled to the drain connector 140. The various components forming the fluid passages can be coupled together according to known techniques, and preferably form a fluid tight seal when coupled together.
The drain pan 50 includes a series of stops 64, each of which mounts a corresponding spring 120. The main body 52 of the drain pan 50 includes a series of fastener hubs or flanges 74 that include an associated fastener receiving aperture 76. The drain pan 50 is then coupled to an underside of the top surface 14 of the base housing 12 by fasteners seated in the apertures 76. If desired, a gasket can be included between the drain pan and the base housing to create a fluid tight seal. The drain plate 40 is coupled to the drain pan 50 and is supported by the springs 120. The nozzle assembly 30 is passed through the central aperture 44 of the plate main body 42 and seats within the nozzle receptacle 62 of the drain pan 50. The cap element 37 of the nozzle assembly 30 seats a fastener for securing the nozzle assembly to the drain pan 50. The drain plate 50 is thus mounted between the nozzle assembly 30 and the springs 120. Specifically, the drain plate 40 contacts an underside of the dome shaped top surface 34 of the nozzle assembly 30. The biasing force applied by the springs 120 generally forces the drain plate 40 away from the switch housing 66 and the switch actuator 128 and towards the nozzle assembly 30,
In operation, the portable fluid dispensing and rinsing system 10 of the present invention is placed or disposed at any suitable location. As shown in
When the user deems the rinsing operation to be complete, the user then releases the downward force on the glass 180. The springs 120 mounted on the stops 64 of the bottom surface 58 of the drain pan then force the drain plate 40 axially upwardly away from the actuator 128. The release of the drain plate 140 thus serves to shut off the motor, which stops the supply of water to the nozzle assembly 30.
Those of ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize that the diverter element 110 and the drain connector 140 can have any selected shape or configuration and can be a unitary piece or can comprise multiple connectable components. The components need only be able to form a fluid passage for the passage of fluid in a fluid tight manner. Further, those of ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize that additional or various other fluid connectors can be employed along the various fluid pathways so as to mechanically and fluidly couple together the components of the illustrated portable fluid dispensing and rinsing system.
According to the present invention, the portable fluid dispensing and rinsing system 10 includes a base portion that mounts a depressible or axially movable drain plate structure. A motor assembly is employed to help pump or drive fluid from one source or location to another. A power source, such as batteries, is also provided to help power the motor assembly. The motor assembly and the power source can be coupled to one side of a drain pan. The drain pan has a drain hole formed therein. The drain plate and a series of springs can be mounted to the other side of the drain pan. The drain plate is adapted to seat on the springs to allow for axially movement thereof. A nozzle element can be coupled to the drain plate and the drain hole. This combination of elements forms a drain and pump assembly.
The drain and pump assembly is mounted to an underside of the base structure via any suitable fastening mechanism. A series of fluid conduits, such as hoses, can be coupled to the drain and pump assembly. Specifically, a supply conduit can be coupled to the pump for fluidly coupling a fluid source to the nozzle, and a drain conduit can be fluidly coupled to the drain hole for coupling a waste fluid receptacle to the mounting bracket.
According to a second embodiment, the base housing or structure of the first embodiment can be replaced with a box type base structure that includes a top or lid portion that has an aperture formed therein that is adapted to mount the drain and pump assembly. The chamber formed therein can be employed to mount a fluid source, such as a first fluid bladder, and a waste receptacle, such as a second fluid bladder. When mounted as such, the fluid dispensing device of the present invention can be used as a portable, self contained fluid rinser.
It will thus be seen that the invention efficiently attains the objects set forth above, among those made apparent from the preceding description. Since certain changes may be made in the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.
It is also to be understood that the following claims are to cover all generic and specific features of the invention described herein, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.
Having described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:
This application claims priority to U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 62/403,452, filed on Oct. 3, 2016, entitled Fluid Dispensing Device, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62403452 | Oct 2016 | US |
