CA1069862A

CA1069862A - Liquid dispenser assembly

Info

Publication number: CA1069862A
Application number: CA286,860A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Roger Baldwin
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1977-09-15
Filing date: 1977-09-15
Publication date: 1980-01-15

Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
A liquid dispenser assembly comprising a housing adapted to receive a container in inverted position, a pedestal disposed in the housing and adapted to receive a spout portion of the container, a liquid passage extending from the pedestal to a liquid outlet, a valve disposed proximate the liquid outlet, the valve being yieldingly biased in a closed position, and an air passage tube extending upwardly from the pedestal and having at a free end thereof an air outlet portion adapted to engage a bottom wall of the container.

Description

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~6~86z l BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
¦ FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This inven~ion relates to liquid dispensers and is directed more particularly to a dispenser for use in conjunction with a container such as a half gallon milk container.
DESCRIPTION OF THE P~IOR ART
Examples of liquid dispensers adapted to receive containers of fluid and to dispense liquid therefrom may be found in U. S. patents 2,949,212, issued August 16, 1960, to O. E. Watson; 3,086,683, issued April 23, 1963, to M. N. Loper;
3,215,318, issued November 2, 1965, to V. J. Riha et al;
¦ 3,405,844, issued October 15, 1968, to J. E. Lenz et al;
- 3,435,990, issued April 1, 1969, to A. M. Pike, Jr.; 3,448,897, issued June 10, 1969, ~o R. W. Sterling; and 3,453,033, issued July 1, 1969, to D. D. Goss.
Inspite of the above advancements, there still exists a need for a simple, inexpensive and reliable dispenser for liquids, the dispenser being adapted to be used in conjunction :
with standard containers, such as h~lf gallon jugs of milk.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
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: An object of the present invention is to provide a liquid dispenser assembly for use with standard containers ; `such as half gallon milk jugs.
"~ A further object of the invention is to provide a device which is relatively non-complex, economical to manufacture, easy and efficient to use.
In accordance with the above and other objects, as ''~ ~
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will hereinafter ~pp~ar, ~ feature o~ the pr~sent irlvention .isthe provision of a liquid dispenser assembly comprising a housing adapted to receive a container in inverted position, pedestal means disposed in the container and adapted to receive a spout portion of the container, a liquid passage extending Erom the pedestal to a liquid outlet, valve means disposed proximate the liquid outlet, the valve means being yieldingly biased in a closed position, and an air passage tube extending upwardly from the pedestal and having at a free end thereof an outlet portion adapted to engage a bottom wall of the container.
According to the present invention there is provided a liquid dispenser assembly comprising a housing adapted to receive a container in an inverted position, pedestal means disposed in said housing and adapted to receive a spout portion of said con-tainer, a liquid passage extending from said pedestal means to a liquid outlet, a valve assembly disposed proximate said liquid outlet, said valve assembly being yieldingly biased in a closed position, and an air passage tube extending upwardly from said pedestal means and having at a free end thereof an air outlet portion adapted to engage a bottom wall of said container said ; pedestal means comprising a raised circular portion having a per-ipherally disposed elastomeric ring thereon and having spring clip means disposed thereabout, said ring being adapted to engage the inside of the spout portion of said container, said spring clip means being adapted to engage the outside of said spout portion of said container, said pedestal means being provided with an opening in alignment with the liquid passage extending through said housing, said passage being in alignment with the liquid outlet and said valve assembly being disposed ~etween said liquid passage and said outlet.
The present invention will be further illustr~ted by way of the accompanying drawings in which:

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and partly in se~kion, oE all illu.skr.~ive ern~o~liment o~ ~he d.ispenser assembl~ invent.ion;
Flgure 2, is a perspec-tive exploded view of the device of Figure l;

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Figure 3 is an enlarged det~iled perspective view of the pedestal portion of the invention;
Figure 4 is an enlarged detailed sectional view of a ball valve portion of the invention; and Figure 5 is an enlarged detailed sectional view : showing a liquid outlet valve portion of the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring to the drawings, it will be seen that the illustrative embodiment includes a base portion 2 having an upper surface 4 provided with a centrally disposed recess 6 and upstanding projections 8.
.` A support portion 10 is provided having an upper surface 12 and a lower surface 14. Extending from the lower ¦ surface 14 is a projection 16 located and shaped complementarily ¦ to the recess 6. The lower surface 14 is also provided with ¦ recesses 18 located and shaped complementarily to the projections ¦ 8. Thus, by interfitting of the projection 16 with the recess ¦ 6 and the projections 8 with the recesses 18, the lower surface :
¦ 14 of the support portion 10 may be rested uponthe~uppersurface 4 of ¦ the base port.ion 2. The upper surface 12 of the support portion ;~ ¦ 10 is provided with upstanding projections 20.
¦ The assembly further includes a housing 30 having a :. ¦ bottom surface 32 and wall portions 34 upstanding therefrom.
¦ The bottom surface 32 is provided with recesses 36 positioned ¦ and shaped complementarily to the projections 20 of the support .~ portion 10. Thus, the bottom surface 32 of the housing 30 may be interfitted with and rested wpon the upper surface 12 of the ', _ _ ~o6986z support portion 10.
The housing 30 is provided with support ribs 38 which, I in cooperation with the wall portions 34, are adapted to receive ¦ and support a container C. To receive the spout S o~ the ¦ container C the housing 30 is provided with a raised pedestal portion 40 adapted to fit within the spout S. To insure snugness of fit, the pedestal 40 is pro~ided with a peripherally disposed ring 42 o~ elastomeric material. A plurality o~ ¦
spring clips 44 are disposed about the pedestal 40 and ¦~
springingly engage the outside lip of the spout of the container to further secure the spout to the pedestal.
The pedestal 40 is provided with an opening 46 (Fig. 3) in alignment with a passage 48 leading to a valve assembly 50.
The valve assembly 50 includes a valve body 52 (Fig. 5) having a chamber 54 therein in communication with an outlet 56 (Fig. 1). A ~ixed handle 58 extends outwardly from the valve body 52. A second handle 60 is pivotally connected to the valve body 52 and extends outwardly from the valve body proximate to the first handle 58. Within the valve body, the handle 60 is connected to a plunger 62 biased by a spring 64 to a position in which communciation between the passage 48 and the outlet 56 is interrupted by the plunger 62.
To operate the valve 50, an operator need only pinch the handles 58, 60 toward one another. Movement of the handle 60 toward the handle 58 moves the plunger 62 against the pressure of the spring 64 to permit fluid in the container C to pass through the opening 46 and t~e passage 48 to the chamber 54 and -~O~ 38 ~ Z
the outlet 56. Upon release of the handles, the spring 64 causes the plunger 62 to return to a blocking position.
I The pedestal portion 40 is further provided with an air ; ¦ displacement tube 70 which e~tends upwardly from the pedestal and terminates in an air outlet 72 having projecting detents 74 ¦ on a free edge thereof for engaging the bottom of the container C.¦
¦ Disposed in the tube 70 between the pedestal 40 and the air outlet 72 is a ball valve 80 including a housing $2 having a chamber 84 in which is disposed a ball 86 having a diameter greater than the diameter of the passage in the tube 70. Inwardly extending prongs 88 form a seat for the ball 86. In the operative position, gravity pulls the ball to the position shown in phantom in Fig. 4, the ball resting on the seat provided by the prongs 88.
Air is thereby permitted to flow from an opening 90, through the tube 70, through the chamber 84, around the ball 86 and between the prongs 88 to the air outlet 72 where the air enters the bottom of the container C. The ball valve 80 operates to close the tube 70 when the housing 30 is first connected to the container C, the container being in a normal upright position and the housing being inverted for attachment thereto~ Once ` connected, the container and housing are turned so that the container is bottom upwardly, as shown in Fig. 1, the ball dropping to the open position to permit air to pass therethrough. ¦
In use, the housing 30 is inverted and is placed on the spout of the container C with the detent 74 o the air outlet 72 engaging the bottom wall of the container. In this ~ position, the ball valve 80 is in the closed poiition. The .~
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~69~iltii;2 housing 30 and container C are then as a unit inverted and placed upon the support portion .lO which in turn is resting on the base portion 2. The recesses 36 on the bottom surface 32 of the hous-ing 30 receive the projections 20 on the upper surface 12 of the support portion 10 to securely join the housing 30 to the support portion 10. The assembly is then ready ~or operation, the ball valve 80 having been opened by the effect of gravity on the ball ~6.
By squeezing the handles 58, 60 together, as above des-cribed, flow of liquid from the container C to the outlet 56 is initiated. upon release of the handles, the flow is stopped by the operation of the valve assembly 50. As liquid is withdrawn ~
from the container, air is drawn in through the opening 90 and .
through the ball valve 80 to the air outlet 72, the air entering the bottom of the container C between the detents 74.

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Claims

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:

1. A liquid dispenser assembly comprising a housing adapted to receive a container in an inverted position, pedestal means disposed in said housing and adapted to receive a spout portion of said container, a liquid passage extending from said pedestal means to a liquid outlet, a valve assembly disposed proximate said liquid outlet, said valve assembly being yieldingly biased in a closed position, and an air passage tube extending upwardly from said pedestal means and having at a free end thereof an air outlet portion adapted to engage a bottom wall of said con-tainer said pedestal means comprising a raised circular portion having a peripherally disposed elastomeric ring thereon and having spring clip means disposed thereabout, said ring being adapted to engage the inside of the spout portion of said container, said spring clip means being adapted to engage the outside of said spout portion of said container, said pedestal means being pro-vided with an opening in alignment with said liquid passage extend-ing through said housing, said liquid passage being in alignment with said liquid outlet, and said valve assembly being disposed between said liquid passage and-said outlet.

2. The assembly according to claim 1, in which said housing comprises a base portion, a support portion, and a housing the housing having wall and rib means adapted to receive and retain said container.

3. The invention according to claim 1, in which said valve assembly includes a plunger spring biased to a closed position and a pivotally mounted handle operative to move said plunger to an open position.

4. The invention according to claim 1, including a ball valve assembly disposed in said air displacement tube.

5. The invention according to claim 4, in which said ball valve assembly includes a housing having a chamber therein, a ball disposed in said chamber and movable in response to gravity, and prongs extending inwardly of said chamber and form-ing a seat for said ball, said ball and said prongs being of such configuration as to permit flow of air therearound when said ball is in engagement with said prongs.

6. The invention according to Claim 1, in which said air outlet portion includes a circular free end having detents extending therefrom, said detents being adapted to engage said bottom wall of said container, said detents defining spaces therebetween for the flow of air from said air passage tube to the interior of said container.

7. The invention according to Claim 2, in which said base portion, said support portion and said housing are inter-connected by means of complimentarily shaped projections and recesses.