Fluent material handling – with receiver or receiver coacting mea – Filling or refilling of dispensers
Utility Patent
1999-09-24
2001-01-02
Recla, Henry J. (Department: 3751)
Fluent material handling, with receiver or receiver coacting mea
Filling or refilling of dispensers
C141S353000, C141S364000
Utility Patent
active
06167921
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to improvements in mounting adapters of the type for mounting onto a bottled water cooler and including a feed tube or probe for operating a normally closed bottle cap carried on the neck of a water-containing bottle, to open the bottle cap incident to mounting of the bottle in an inverted orientation onto the water cooler to permit water flow downwardly from the bottle into a cooler reservoir. More particularly, this invention is related to an improved mounting adapter constructed from a relative minimum number of component parts, and wherein the adapter is designed for fast and simple installation into and/or removal from the reservoir of a water cooler, and further wherein the feed tube is designed for an improved water flow rate from the bottle to the reservoir
Bottled water coolers are generally known in the art, to comprise a cooler housing supporting an upwardly open reservoir to receive a supply of water for on-demand dispensing via one or more faucet valves or the like. The cooler housing and/or the reservoir are designed to support a water bottle of typically three to five gallon capacity in an inverted orientation over the reservoir, so that water contained within the bottle may flow downwardly into and fill the reservoir to a level sufficient to cover an open bottle mouth formed in a bottle neck. In this regard, downward water flow from the bottle is accompanied by an upward exchange of air passing from the reservoir into the bottle to replace the volume of water displaced or discharged from the bottle. This air-water exchange between the overlying bottle and the underlying reservoir continues until the reservoir water level rises sufficiently to cover the bottle mouth, at which time upward air exchange is halted to correspondingly stop downward waterflow. Subsequent dispensing of water from the reservoir by operation of the faucet valves causes the water level within the reservoir to fall below and thus uncover the bottle mouth, whereupon the air-water exchange may resume to enable additional water to flow downwardly from the bottle to refill the reservoir. In many modern bottled water coolers of this general type, the reservoir may be associated with refrigeration means for chilling at least a portion of the water contained therein to provide chilled water used primarily for drinking or for use in making chilled beverages.
In the past, it has been conventional to provide the water bottle to a customer in a substantially filled state with the bottle mouth closed and sealed by a bottle cap. This bottle cap normally includes a tear-away skirt to allow the customer to remove the cap immediately prior to installation of the bottle in an inverted orientation on the cooler. More recently, alternative bottle caps have been designed to remain on the water bottle when the bottle is installed onto the cooler, wherein such alternative bottle caps are designed to be engaged and opened by a feed tube or probe mounted on the cooler in a position over the reservoir. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,874,023; 5,222,531; 5,232,125 and 5,413,152. In these arrangements, the feed tube or probe is provided as a portion of a mounting adapter installed onto the cooler to extend over and substantially close the top of the reservoir to reduce or prevent entry of dirt and other contaminants. A seal ring of the like is normally provided on the adapter to sealingly engage the reservoir, and an air entry flow path to the reservoir interior is equipped with a filter element to limit air ingress to clean filtered air. The feed tube or probe has a contoured tip for engaging a valve plug on the bottle cap to open a flow path as an incident to bottle installation, thereby permitting water downflow from the bottle into the reservoir together with accompanying air exchange upwardly from the reservoir into the interior of the water bottle. The feed tube or probe is further designed to return the valve plug to a closed position when the bottle is removed from the cooler. U.S. Pat. No. 5,413,152 provides a particularly beneficial feed tube geometry wherein separate or dual flow paths are formed for separate exchange of air flowing upwardly from the reservoir into the bottle interior, and water flowing downwardly from the bottle interior into the reservoir.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the invention, an improved mounting adapter and related bottle cap are provided for use in a bottled water cooler. The mounting adapter comprises a compact adapter housing having a size and shape for slide-fit reception into the upper end of an upwardly open cooler reservoir, wherein the adapter housing carries a seal ring for relatively tight and slide-fit sealed engagement with an inner wall surface of the reservoir. The adapter housing includes easily grasped handle means for facilitated slide-in installation into and, if desired, subsequent slide-out removal from the cooler reservoir. The adapter housing additionally supports an upstanding feed tube or probe for operatively engaging a valved bottle cap mounted on the neck of a water-containing bottle supported in an inverted orientation over the cooler reservoir. In the preferred form, the feed tube or probe defines dual or separate flow passages for air and water as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,413,152, and further includes a radially outwardly extending baffle disk at a lower end thereof for improved separation of air and water flows during air-water exchange between the overlying inverted water bottle and the cooler reservoir.
In the preferred form of the invention, the compact adapter housing is constructed from molded plastic or the like as a unitary or substantially unitary component to include an upper cylindrical sleeve segment defining a recessed outer annular channel for receiving and supporting the seal ring. In one form, an upper margin of the sleeve segment defines an outwardly radiating upper rim for seating onto a matingly shaped support ledge formed at the upper end of the cooler reservoir. In another form, an upper margin of the sleeve segment carries a plurality of support clips for engaging an upper end of the cooler reservoir to support the adapter housing therein. In either embodiment, the handle means such as radially outwardly open handle ports are formed in the upper sleeve segment at a location above the seal ring, wherein these handle ports provide a structure for easy manual grasping and manipulation of the adapter housing in the course of slide-fit installation into the cooler reservoir.
The upper sleeve segment of the mounting adapter has a lower margin merging with a radially inwardly extending annular support landing, which is joined in turn at an inner margin thereof with a suspended central cup or well having a bottom wall. The feed tube projects upwardly from this bottom wall and terminates at an upper tip end disposed at or a short distance above the support landing. An inner tube is mounted within the feed tube and cooperates therewith to define separate flow passages for air and water, as shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,413,152, which is incorporated by reference herein. The baffle disk comprises a radially outwardly extending flange at a lower end of the inner tube, which terminates a short distance below the bottom wall of the central well. This baffle disk assists in separating the air and water flows to result in an improved water flow rate from the overlying bottle to the underlying reservoir.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5031676 (1991-07-01), Ulm
patent: 5222531 (1993-06-01), Baker et al.
patent: 5273083 (1993-12-01), Burrows
patent: 5289855 (1994-03-01), Baker et al.
patent: 5337922 (1994-08-01), Salkeld et al.
patent: 5526961 (1996-06-01), Burrows
patent: 5647416 (1997-07-01), Desrosiers et al.
patent: 56532
Busick Louis M.
Chaney David B.
Hydak Kenneth J.
deVore Peter
Kelly Bauersfeld Lowry & Kelley LLP
Oasis Corporation
Recla Henry J.
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