AU617680B2

AU617680B2 - Bottled water dispensing system

Info

Publication number: AU617680B2
Application number: AU20282/88A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Jonathan Z. White
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1987-03-11
Filing date: 1988-08-02
Publication date: 1991-12-05
Anticipated expiration: 2008-03-11
Also published as: GB2211484A; GB8808505D0; GB2211484B; AU1310588A; AU2028288A

Description

The Comisziioner of Patents Ii 4

AUSTRUAIA

PATENTS ACT 1952 61l76i o COMPLETE SPECIFICATION

(ORIGINAL)

0IOR OFFICE USE Short Tie: Int, Cl: Application Number: Lodged: .Complete Specification-Lodged: Accepted, Lapsed: Published: "Pri61ity; Related Art:, TO BE COMPLETED BY APPLICANT Ndine of Applicant: JONATHAN Z. WHITE Address Qf Applicant.* 2208 Falcon Hill Place, Lynchburg, Virginia 24503,

U.S.A.

Actual Inventor* JONATHAN Z. WHITE Address for Service: Complete Specification GRIFFITH HACK CO., 601 ST. I ILDA ROAD, MELBOURNE, VIC. 3004,

AUSTRALIA.

for the invention entitled' "BOTTLED WATER DISPESING SYSTEM" The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me:- PF/CPIE'/2/80 -l- BOTTLED WATER DISPENSING SYSTEM This invention relates to a bottled water dispensing system.

The common bottled water dispenser in use today is a box-like device, designed to rest on the floor and support an eleven, nineteen, or twentythree liter bottle of drinking water. Typically, a button is pushed to dispense water into a cup. Water is normally held in an internal reservoir and microbial growth, or "biofilm" is a common problem in a dark vessel of this type containing non-chlorinated water.

The present invention will allow Independent attachment of a dispensing valve to the water container, which is then suspended inverted on a wall bracket. The dispenser may be more easily and conveniently cleaned, as often as the bottle is changed, to ensure water purity.

The purpose of this invention Is to provide a dispensing valve and a supporting bracket for a drinking water bottle, the valve housed in a closure cap, which cap is secured to the bottle by means of a U-shaped clasp of heavy wire, centrally pivoted at its base on the edge of the dispenser cap, two free ends being drawn together around the bottle neck annulus, and downward at the opposite edge of the cap by a combination of an overcentre clip and a swinging bail.

A specific embodiment of the invention is below described, with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:- Figure I is a perspective view of the preferred embodimont of the present invention, the fluid dispenser shown attached to an inverted container which is supported by a bracket.

S 25 Figure 2 is a partial section in elevation showing the nechanism of the preferred embodiment.

Figure 3 Is a perspective view of the preferred dispenser version.

Figure 4 Is a detail view cf the retainer clip shown in figure 2.

t4 I t ii-- Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, reference numeral 1 indicates a dispenser assembly mounted on a container 2, supported in the inverted position on a bracket 3 made up of a base 8 and curved support members 9, securely attached to the base near the bottom and again centrally near the top behind the container wall 5. The support members extend horizontally from the base, as shown, to provide supporting means on either side of container neck 7, and curve upward and outward to correspond with bottle shape, while allowing an unobstructed path for the insertion and removal of the container. FIG. 2 shows cap 10 surrounding the container mouth 6 which is pressed into contact with a gasket 13, itself supported by a concentric and perpendicular shoulder Shown here and in FIG. 3 is the preferred embodiment of this invention wherein mouth 6 and cap 10 are held in sealing proximity by means oi' a clasp 18 U-shaped and resilient, surrounding the neck at annulus 20, pivotally fixed transversely at its on one edge of the cap. Clasp ends 28 are adapted to engage with over-center clip 12 by means of bail 24 so that the clasp ends 28 are held together when the clip is swung around clip pivot 33 into the over-center clasped position.

A vent tube 21 leads from ambient atmosphere by way of a vent stub 15 attached to the inside of the cap with air passages connecting to the outside, to a check valve 23 which is located near the container bottom 4.

A cutaway view in FIG. 2 shows a preferred arrangement for the dispenser mechanism, consisting of a central valve member 30, urged firmly into sealing contact with valve seat 29 by the weight of valve handle 16, the force of which is multiplied by the relative proximity of sleeve pivot pin 19 to pivotal end 22, and transmitted to valve member 30, thiough sleeve 17, whose weight itself adds a measure of force to the total, and finally to the valve member by means of a flexible coupling fixed central to the sleeve, in this embodiment a retainer clip 32, which securely grips valve member 30 at the cirf. cumferential groove 31 in the attached stem 26, 4 I -3- The retainer clip 32, which is shown in detail by FIG.

4, is either cast in place or securely snapped into an annular groove 11 in the inner wall of sleeve 17, with an off-center opening in the clip large enough to axially admit passage of the stem wiLh circumferential groove to a pco"tion of alignment corresponding to the retainer clip s, that when the stem is forced transversely into engagement with the retainer clip, it is held central to the sleeve and is fixed in axial position.

As is evidenced by the drawings, retainer clip 32 transmits vertical forces from sleeve 17 to stem 26. As valve handle 16 is raised, valve member 30 is lifted from sealing contact with valve seat 29, allowing liquid to flow from container 2 by gravity. Further lifting increases flow area between valve member and valve seat.

Sufficient diametral clearance is provided between flow tube and sleeve so that as the valve member is returned to sealing contact with the valve seat, liquid leaving the bottom end of the sleeve is replaced by air entering around the top, allowing quick drainage.

Ij Also shown in FIG. 2 is the preferred configuration I of the valve handle and sleeve assembly, wherein sleeve 1 17 and valve handle 16 are first assembled by means of a pair of sleeve .pivot pins 19. The valve handle is then rotated outward so that its pivotal end 22 is toward cap and sleeve 17 is slid onto flow tube 27 while pivotal end 22 engages with stanchion 14 and is axially retained while free to rotate around a transverse axis and to slide transversely to the extent required by the full range of valve operation. Stem 26 is inserted through valve seat 29 and brought into engagement with retainer clip 32 thereby fixing the sleeve in concentric sliding relationship with the flow tube and providing external means for actuating the valve member and for controlling fluid flow. Axial motion of valve member is caused by coaxial motion of the sleeve. Lateral position of valve member with respect to the valve seat is controlled by the tapered shape, self-centering as it is drawn into sealing contact.

S.