WO2004110920A2

WO2004110920A2 - Liquid dispenser with refillable pouch

Info

Publication number: WO2004110920A2
Application number: PCT/IT2004/000340
Authority: WO
Inventors: Maurizio Fiori
Original assignee: Maurizio Fiori
Priority date: 2003-06-17
Filing date: 2004-06-15
Publication date: 2004-12-23
Also published as: EP1656320A2; ITRA20030017A1; WO2004110920A3

Abstract

Refillable liquid dispenser (1) in which a reservoir (10) of given capacity is associated with a cooling unit (30), the reservoir (10) having a hollow body (13), a supply mouth (14) for respective filling, and a pipe (16) delimited at the bottom by a delivery mouth (15) for respective emptying, a metering device (40) being associated with the pipe (16) for allowing delivery of given quantities of liquid, the hollow body (13) being provided with walls made of flexible material and being removable and of the disposable type so that it can be easily replaced, the cooling unit (30) comprising a direct voltage electric circuit for powering at least one heat exchanger provided with facing electric plates which can be excited by an electric charge of opposite sign.

Description

REFILLABLE LIQUID DISPENSER

The present invention relates to a liquid dispenser. In particular, the present invention relates to a refillable liquid dispenser, the dispenser being designed to supply, upon operation, liquid at a controlled temperature, for example but not exclusively, water or beverages of various types and/or taste. In greater detail, the present invention refers to a refillable dispenser which can be effectively used to cool small quantities of liquid, optionally contained inside commercially available containers with a standardized shape .

DESCRIPTION OF STATE OF THE ART

In the sector of liquid dispensers, dispensers of potable water, tea or beverages of another kind able to supply the respective liquid at a controlled temperature have been known at least from the early 1920¹S. They consist of actual hydraulic systems which are designed in accordance with teachings which are often patented. With reference to the USA where this product sector is at a decidedly more advanced stage, the US patents granted after the document US 1,586,745, which is probably the first patent on the subject, up to granting of the document US

6 ,443 ,334 , refer to dispensers which are normally very bulky, complicated and equipped with a base which contains a hydraulic system and is shaped to support a glass or plastic container for water or beverages which have a large capacity, normally ranging between 10 and 18 litres. This container may be positioned above or alongside the hydraulic system depending on the constructional design and is obtainable via distribution channels operating parallel to those which commercialise the dispensers in question, not being usually found in supermarkets or in food product retail outlets. In any case, the full container is decidedly heavy and has the drawback that it cannot be easily handled by a single person, unless that person is suitably trained to lift loads of a certain weight.

It should be pointed out that in some installations it is not possible to determine in advance or with certainty the daily water consumption. For example, in the case where the premises in which the dispenser is installed remains shut for long periods of time, as for example during holiday closure periods or in the case of offices which are only sporadically used, it is possible that the still-standing liquid may favour, inside the containers, the proliferation of micro-organisms or bacteria which are harmful for human health or simply micro-organisms which are such that they make the water cloudy or produce an unpleasant taste. Therefore, in the most recent designs, the hydraulic system has been modified for hygiene reasons and comprises at least one cooling unit, a dual hydraulic circuit for supplying water at room temperature and water which is at a controlled temperature, cooled or heated depending on the user's requirements, and a purification and filtering unit. Obviously, a hydraulic system such as that described also requires the presence of other components in combination with those mentioned above, even though the sole presence of the latter is sufficient for one to conclude that the system is per se very complex. Therefore, in order to operate effectively and in optimum hygiene conditions, the system must be frequently inspected and some components, in particular those forming part of the purification and filtering unit, must be replaced with a frequency which is determined irrespective of the use made of the dispenser, in order to avoid the problem of proliferation of micro-organisms.

This characteristic of the dispenser is the main drawback preventing widespread use thereof, on account of the high costs involved. In fact, in addition to the purchase cost, which is variable depending on the complexity of the article, the acquisition of a beverage dispenser commits the purchaser to a series of fixed periodic costs which include those for maintenance and periodic replacement of the filters and the other accessories of the purification and filtering unit, in - A -

addition to the variable costs depending on the use made of the dispenser. It can be easily understood that the cost of acquiring the system does not constitute the largest item with regard to management of the dispenser, but that the overall cost structure associated with installation of a beverage dispenser, even though described solely from a qualitative point of view, is sufficient to deter most potential users from purchase thereof, except in cases of urgent need. Moreover, the fact that the beverage containers can be obtained only via particular channels may favour an excessive discretional power with regard to fixing of the selling price and random limitation of the type of beverages which are sold in these containers, with the consequence that the purchase power of users is greatly restricted.

Some manufacturers have had the idea to solve the problem by leasing the dispenser and therefore spreading the cost of the dispenser so that it is included in the maintenance service which may be regarded by the user as part of leasing price once the consumption of water is substantially stabilized. Other manufacturers, with more aggressive marketing policies, supply the dispenser free of charge, being certain of the economic advantage in respect of that already described. Obviously, the solution to the drawback lies in simplification of the system, resulting in a reduction in costs, owing to the smaller number of components which require maintenance.

The object of the present invention is to provide a refillable liquid dispenser which is devoid of the abovementioned drawbacks and which can be easily managed at a low cost, without requiring periodic sanitization, and the use of specialised personnel for renewing the liquid to be supplied, said dispenser comprising a reservoir which is light and has a compact size both before and after use so as to overcome the abovementioned drawbacks.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a fluid-tight member for a refillable liquid dispenser which facilitates the use of such a dispenser.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a refillable dispenser with a simple design which is economical both in terms of purchase price and in terms of management costs and which can be replenished with products which are widely on sale in a large variety of trade outlets and available at the free market price. SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

In general, according to the present invention a liquid dispenser is provided. In particular, according to the present invention it is possible to design a refillable liquid dispenser, said dispenser being able to supply the liquid at a controlled temperature and having the characteristic features described in Claim 1.

In greater detail, according to the present invention a refillable dispenser is provided, said dispenser being able to be effectively used to cool small quantities of liquid, optionally contained in containers which are commercially available with a standardized shape.

Still in accordance with the present invention, a fluid-tight member for a refillable liquid dispenser is provided, the characteristic features of the fluid-tight member being described in at least one of the claims which follow.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings which show some non-limiting examples of embodiment thereof, in which:

- Figure 1 is a schematic side elevation view of a first embodiment of a dispenser according to the present invention, shown partly in whole view and partly sectioned;

Figure 2 is a side elevation view, on a larger scale, of a first set of components taken from Figure 1 with parts removed for the sake of clarity;

Figure 3 is a schematic perspective view, on a larger scale, of a second set of components taken from Figure 1; - Figure 4 is a schematic top view, on a larger scale, of a third set of components taken from Figure 1;

- Figure 5 is a schematic perspective view, on a larger scale and with parts removed for the sake of clarity, of an intermediate portion according to Figure 1, in which a component of the set of components according to Figure 3 has been extracted in order to illustrate a respective assembly step;

Figure 6 is a schematic perspective view, on a larger scale, of a fourth set of components taken from Figure 1;

- Figure 7 is a schematic side elevation view of a second embodiment of the dispenser according to Figure 1;

- Figure 8 shows, on a larger scale and with parts removed for the sake of clarity, of a portion according to Figure 7 ;

Figure 9 is a schematic perspective view, on a larger scale, of a component taken from Figure 7, in two operative configurations (stopper closed and open) ; and

- Figure 10 is a schematic perspective view, on a smaller scale, and with parts removed for the sake of clarity, of a variant of Figure 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION In Figure 1, 1 denotes in its entirety a refillable liquid dispenser comprising a column-like frame 2 provided with a base 3 and divided into three longitudinal portions numbered 4 , 5 and 6 starting from the top . Each of these portions 4, 5 and 6 has a housing designed to contain given parts of the dispenser 1 or products for consumption, as will be explained more fully below. The frame 2 houses, inside the portion 4, a reservoir 10 for the liquid with a given capacity, and a cooling unit 30 associated with the reservoir 10 and electrically connected to an electrical unit 20 arranged above the base 3 inside the portion 6. The units 20 and 30 will be described more fully below so that the description is more easily understandable.

The portion 4 is closed at the top by a lid 11 for protecting the reservoir 10. The reservoir 10, which is shown more clearly in Figure 2 and Figure 3, where it is shown isolated, is provided with a receptacle 13, with a supply mouth 14 via which it is possible to fill the said reservoir 10 and with a delivery mouth 15 via which it is possible to remove the liquid contained inside the reservoir 10. The supply mouth 14 can be closed by means of a pressure stopper 12, which is shown in broken lines in Figure 3, and the mouth 15 delimits at the bottom a flexible pipe 16 connected to the fluid-tight receptacle 13. The receptacle 13, or hollow body 13, is delimited at least laterally by walls 17 which are made of flexible material and shaped so as to adhere internally to the walls of the cooling unit and ensure that the reservoir 10 _ g _

occupies a minimum volume before and after use . Figure 3 shows only two of the walls 17, and in particular a front corner wall which supports the pipe 16 at the bottom and a side wall arranged on the right-hand side in Figure 3. Moreover, the walls 17 are made of flexible material among other things so that the reservoir 10 can be easily gripped and therefore replaced with equal ease.

Still with reference to Figure 3, the reservoir 10 comprises a plate 18 which delimits the walls 17 at the top and seals the hollow body 13 at the top, and the supply mouth 14 extends upwards from the plate 18 and can be closed with a stopper which is shown in broken lines in Figure 3. The plate 18 moreover has a valve 19 able to place the hollow body 13 in air communication with the external environment, so as to enable the delivery of the liquid contained inside the hollow body 13 by means of gravity. A guillotine-type metering device 40, of the electromagnetic type, is coupled electrically to the electrical unit 20 and mechanically to the pipe 6, so as to actuate delivery of the liquid, as will be explained more clearly below in the description. It should be noted that the plate 18 may be formed as one piece with the hollow body 13, but may also be mounted on the hollow body 13 in an adhesive manner, for example by means of gluing. It will be noted that, for the purposes of simplification of the description and the accompanying figures, it has been chosen not to describe nor illustrate in the accompanying figures the electrical and electronic connections between the electric and electronic components mentioned and between those which will be mentioned during the course of the description. It was considered in fact that, at the time of filing of the present application, the technology of the electrical and/or electronic connections is known to even those persons skilled in the art possessing a minimum knowledge and that therefore the description of these connections in the text and/or the illustration of these connections in the accompanying figures would have merely constituted a complication, this aspect being outside the teachings of the present invention.

As can be easily imagined, the reservoir 10 can be refilled via the respective supply mouth 14, with a quantity of liquid which it is reckoned must be dispensed through the said mouth 15. Moreover, the valve 19 may be provided with a switching member - known and not shown - able to switch the valve 19 between a closed position and an open position or may be provided with a regulating member, known and not shown, able to vary continuously the amount of air entering the reservoir 10 via the plate 18 and consequently regulate continuously the rate of flow of - Il ¬

liquid through the pipe 16. Moreover, the reservoir 10, in addition to being of the type which can be easily washed, has been designed to be low cost so that it may be optionally used and disposed of. With reference in particular to Figure 5, the portion 4 is open at the front and can be closed by means of a cover 4b of the type sliding between a raised open position and a lowered closed position. Obviously this cover 4b could also be mounted at the front without this affecting or altering the subject of the invention. Moreover, the portion 4 has externally a shelf 7 underneath the delivery mouth 15 and contains a device 25 for controlling filling with the dispensed liquid, so as to collect and eliminate the excess liquid dispensed above the shelf 7. This device 25 also comprises a tray 8 for collecting the liquid - visible more clearly in Figure 6 - which is arranged underneath the shelf 7 and is able to receive from the said shelf 7 the excess liquid poured into a cup or any other small-capacity container positioned on the said shelf 7, even though it does not form part of the present invention. For this purpose, the shelf 7 has a central portion which terminates in the form of a chute on the side where the tray 8 is situated. Moreover, the device 25 comprises a silicone lining film 26 which is applied to the bottom 27 of the tray 8. This film 26, which the client could obtain by means of an adhesive heating surface of the type RS Components, code 245-584, without this limiting the scope of the present invention, is provided with a high- resistance electrical circuit 28 more clearly visible in Figure 6 and connected electrically in a known manner, not shown, to the unit 20 so that it can be heated and supply heat to any liquid which may have flowed onto the shelf 7 so as to cause evaporation thereof. It will be noted that the device 25 also comprises, inside the portion 4 and above the tray 8, a liquid detector 29, which is connected electrically to the unit 20, and a fan 24, the use of which will emerge more clearly below. The detector 29 comprises a liquid flow sensor which is arranged at the interface between the shelf 7 and the tray 8 along the path of the excess liquid dispensed.

The portion 4 has, outside and below the reservoir 10, but in a position situated above the shelf 7, a member 16b which is curved downwards and has a seat 16c shaped so as to mate with a longitudinal portion of the pipe 16 having a semi-circular cross-section (see Figures 3 and 5) . This member 16b, which is curved substantially in the form of an L, has an arched central portion and is designed to house the pipe 16 so as to position the respective mouth 15 always above the shelf 7, at a given distance from the edge of the portion 4, and therefore likewise the liquid delivery outlet from the reservoir 10. A particular feature of the cover 4b is that it rigidly supports a member 16d which is shaped in a manner matching the pipe 16 and substantially symmetrical with the body 16d. The latter is a retaining member which is able to keep the pipe 16 stably in an L shape inside the seat 16c of the member 16b.

The frame 2 has, in its middle portion 5, a front opening 9 through which there is access to a service compartment 9b for storing cups or other accessories which may be useful for completing fitting-out of the dispenser 1 during installation.

The electrical unit 20 comprises an electric direct- voltage circuit able to power a Peltier cell 31 forming part of the cooling unit and arranged inside the portion 4, behind the hollow body 13. In this respect, the electrical unit 20 comprises a direct-current power supplier 22 able to energize the cell 31 by means of electrical connections which are known and not shown. The unit 20 comprises a battery 23 which is electrically connected in a known manner to the power supplier 22 with which it is able to co-operate so as to form a reserve of electric power which can be supplied to the cell 31 in the form of direct current so as to power the cooling unit 30 even when there is no mains power. Obviously, once the battery 23 has been charged sufficiently, the dispenser 1 may also be used in premises where there is no electric power and, if necessary, in open spaces or inside sports installations. With reference to the battery 23, this could be realized in the form of a sealed lead battery, type YUASA NPC 38-12, this suggestion not constituting a limitation of the scope of the present invention.

With reference to Figures 3 and 4, the cell 21 comprises a cooling body 32 which is supported by the frame 2 inside the portion 4 and has a cross-section of given shape. For the sake of convenience, in the accompanying figures, the cooling body 32 has a U-shaped cross-section, without this constituting a limitation of a conceptual nature. The body 32, moreover, is open at least at the top and the front so that it may be accessed easily from the top and at the front, extends vertically and is lined externally with a layer 32b of insulating material and is oriented so as to be accessible through the respective front opening so as to allow replacement of the reservoir 10 when there is no more liquid, for hygiene reasons or simply because it is required to change the beverage to be dispensed. The plate 18 has a sufficient extension for it to be joined at the top to the cooling body 32 so as to support the reservoir 10 internally, with the walls 17 in substantial peripheral contact with the prismatic body 32, having cross-sections suitable for mating on at least three sides in order to favour heat exchange between the prismatic body 32 and the liquid contained by the hollow body 13. An example of one of the possible ways of joining together the reservoir 10 and the prismatic body 32 can be seen in Figure 2, from where it can be seen that this is achieved by bringing the reservoir 10 and prismatic body 32 into contact from above and therefore making use of the force of gravity. As is known, the Peltier cell is, in its simplest form, an electric device which allows heat exchange between two heat tanks at a different temperature by means of electron movement. In particular, a Peltier cell is formed by arranging alternately conductor and semiconductor elements of the P type and N type between two plates facing each other and connecting in series the alternating P and N semiconductors by means of an electric circuit supplied with a low voltage direct current, for example 12-24 Volts. Transfer of heat from one plate to the other is obtained on the basis of the sign of the difference in potential applied to the terminals of the circuit. Obviously, the quantity of heat transferred will be proportional to the number of semi-conductor elements connected in series which are arranged between the two plates and are connected in series. Returning to the cooling unit 30, the prismatic body 32 is in contact with a cold plate 33 of the Peltier cell, to which the difference in potential supplied by the battery 23 is applied, while a hot plate 34 of the cell 31 comprises a heat exchanger 35 which projects from the rear of the dispenser 1 with a plurality of respective cooling fins 36.

As regards that described above, the electrical unit 20 powers, in addition to the device 40, the temperature measuring device 55 associated with the Peltier cell 31 and provided with a luminous signalling device 62, and a sensor 63 for detecting the presence of a cup or other container of reduced capacity situated on the shelf 7, and the device 25 for collecting and eliminating excess liquid dispensed. The signalling device 62 is designed to provide a light signal when the temperature of the liquid reaches the set temperature. For the sake of clarity, the sensor 63 could be in the form of a diffused-scanning proximity photoelectric sensor with background suppression, type Sick W4 , without this limiting the scope of the present invention.

The dispenser 1 comprises moreover an electronic control unit 60 which is supported by the frame 2 inside the portion 4 in a known manner and is connected electrically to the unit 20 by means of an electric cable which is known and not illustrated, for managing the operating modes of the cooling unit 30 and the respective Peltier cell 31, to the guillotine metering device 40, to the temperature-measuring device 55 of the signalling device 62, to the sensor 63 so that the liquid contained inside the reservoir 10 can be dispensed only if its temperature is the set temperature, this condition corresponding to emission of light by the signalling device 62, and to the device 25 for collecting and eliminating excess liquid dispensed. With reference to Figure 1, the device 40 is supported by a member 44 transverse to the frame 2 and, as can be seen in Figure 3, comprises a base 41 connected rigidly to the frame 2 and arranged underneath a straight section of the pipe 16 and movable element 42 arranged above and facing the base 41 and joined prismatically to the base 41 by means of a pair of vertical pins 43. During use, the base 41 is switchable electromagnetically by the unit 20 upon operation of the control unit 60, so as to exert alternately an electromagnetic attracting or repelling force on the movable element 42. In connection with that described above, during use, the interaction between the device 40 and the control unit 60 allows, following detection of the presence of a cup or other container on the shelf 7 by the sensor 63, clamping of the pipe 16 - and therefore an interruption in delivery of the liquid - or release of the said pipe 16, so as to allow said delivery. The control unit 60, which is designed to manage switching of the device 40, is programmable so as to act also as a timer and therefore perform switching at the same time intervals between the delivery and non-delivery condition. It should be noted that in this way the variation in the quantity of liquid between two successive deliveries will be minimum, in view of the reduced loss of head to which the liquid is subject inside the pipe 16. As an alternative to the device 40 described above, an electromagnetic clamp could be freely used, being again operated by the control unit 60 and powered by the unit 20, and the temperature measurement device 55 could be in the form of the device "Lab Facility PTlOO", without this limiting the scope of the present invention. Obviously, this electromagnet clamp should be supported by the frame 2 by means of an element similar to the member 44.

In the case where, during use, the cup positioned on the shelf 7 underneath the pipe 16 for effecting filling is not completely empty and therefore the liquid dispensed flows out of the cup onto the shelf 7, the detection device 29 will inform the control unit 60 which will be able to cause activation of the circuit 28 so as to evaporate slowly the liquid contained in the tray. The fan 24, the motor body of which is supported in a known manner by the frame 2 inside the portion 4, is connected electrically to the unit 20 by means of electric cables known and not shown for the sake of simplicity and is electronically connected to the control unit 60 by means of additional cables known and not shown since both the former and latter cables are of no relevance for the purposes of illustrating the characteristic features of the present invention. Therefore, the fan 24 ensures the production of an air current inside the portion 4 in order to eliminate any excess moisture produced by the circuit 28 and limit the humidity level within the portion 4, so that the process of evaporation of the excess poured liquid always takes place efficiently, by drawing fresh air from the outside through openings which need not be illustrated. Obviously, in order to avoid the delivery of a quantity of liquid which exceeds the capacity of the cups/containers arranged on the shelf 7, it is merely required to choose the type of container by means of a command of the control unit 60 and associate, with the shelf 7, a load sensor linked up with the control unit 60 so that, once a weight equal to the weight set within the control unit 60 is measured, a feedback signal is sent by the control unit 60 in order to cause interruption in the delivery of liquid. The procedure for using the refillable liquid dispenser 1 described above may be easily understood from the description given above and does not require further explanations. However, it may be useful to provide explicit details regarding the ways in which it is possible to perform filling or definitive replacement of the reservoir 10, among other things in order to demonstrate that these operations are decidedly very simple to perform. With reference to Figure 5, after removing the cover 4b from the portion 4, the pipe 16 is lifted from the concave member 16b and the reservoir 10 is removed frontally from the cooling body 32. At this point it is possible to fill the reservoir 10 again or replace it with another reservoir, if necessary after filling it with liquid before inserting it inside the cell 31. From the above description it clearly emerges that the abovementioned object is achieved by the present invention since a dispenser incorporating the components described above in relation to the dispenser 1 can be easily managed at a low cost, without requiring periodic sanitization of the associated parts and the use of specialised personnel for replenishing the liquid to be dispensed, since the parts which ris'k contamination are replaceable or, selectively, washable once removed. Therefore, when there is the slightest doubt that the liquid to be dispensed is impure or simply has an unpleasant taste for having remained too long inside the reservoir 10, it is sufficient to replace it by proceeding in the manner shown in Figure 5. Moreover, it should be noted that the cost of the reservoir 10 is minimal and therefore the cost of the maintenance operations is low, even in the case of replacement thereof. Moreover, in order to carry out these simple operations it is possible to avoid the use of qualified personnel. Furthermore, still with regard to that described above, the reservoir 10 is light and has a compact volume both before and after use.

Finally it is obvious that modifications and variations may be made to the refillable liquid dispenser 1 described and illustrated here without thereby departing from the protective scope of the present invention. In one embodiment shown in Figure 7, which is an alternative to that described above in certain aspects and in which parts corresponding to those already mentioned above have been left unchanged in order to facilitate understanding of the text, the portion 4 of the frame 2 of the dispenser 1 is provided with a housing 99 formed above the reservoir 10 for a bottle 100. The bottle 100 is any bottle freely sold both in supermarkets and in retail trading outlets which sell food products, such as bars for example, is normally but not exclusively made of plastic, has a capacity of approximately between 1 and 2 litres, is normally provided with a threaded neck for a plastic fluid- tight stopper and has dimensions which are substantially standardized. It must be noted that, in connection with that stated, the bottle 100 is introduced into the present description only to illustrate one embodiment of the invention, with the aim of demonstrating the ease of implementation and general nature of the application. The bottle 100 is of the type which may be easily found, is not an integral part of the invention and has been distinguished by a given number only to simplify identification thereof in the accompanying figures in which it is shown. In particular, with reference to Figure 8, it should be noted that the mouth 14 according to the version illustrated in Figure 8 terminates at the top in a rim 102 having a frustoconical shape and delimited at the top by a free edge able to define an annular cutting member. The function of the bottle 100 is to provide the hollow body 13 of the reservoir 10 with a reserve of liquid should the capacity of the latter be less than that required or should it be necessary to ensure that, during use of the dispenser 1, the reservoir 10 is able to be easily and readily filled with water which is always in perfect drinking condition, in that the bottle is freshly opened. In this case, the supply mouth 14 would still be used for supplying liquid inside the hollow body 13, but the bottle 100 could be engaged with the mouth 13 in a fluid-tight manner and left thus engaged until it is empty.

In order to allow extraction of the bottle 100 without loss of liquid, it was thought to realize the connection between the bottle 100 and the mouth 14 with the arrangement of a fluid-tight member 103 in between, said member being shown in Figure 9a in the respective closed configuration and in Figure 9b in the respective open configuration. The closing member 103 has a seat comprising a shank 104 which is substantially cylindrical and designed with dimensions such that it can be engaged coaxially and in a fluid-tight manner with the supply mouth 14 of the reservoir 10. The shank 104 is closed at the top by a lid 105 connected to the shank 104 by means of a collar 106 which is partially circular and has a reduced thickness and which acts as a weakening line for tear- opening the lid 105 by applying peripheral pressure on the collar 106 against the free edge of the rim 102. As can be seen in Figure 8, the diameter of the collar 106, which is visible in Figure 9a alone, is slightly greater than the diameter of the frustoconical rim 102 so that this lid 105 can be torn off by applying pressure along the rim 102. The lid 105, moreover, has a portion 107 with a thickness sufficient to keep the lid 105 connected to the collar 112 and movable relative to the latter in a pivotable manner as a result of difference in pressure. In order to improve the seal between the closing member 103 and the bottle 10, in the case where the latter has a threaded neck of the known type and normally formed in ordinary PET bottles of the disposable type, the closing member 103 has a threaded seat 109 for the neck of the said bottle 100. Obviously, should the bottle 100 have a neck which is threaded in a different manner, the invention in question will also be applicable and, if necessary, exclusively the closing member 103 and the respective shank 104 will be modified. It is thus possible to envisage equipping the dispenser with a kit of closing members 103 so that it is always possible to supply the reservoir 10 with bottles of any kind. Alternatively, it is possible to envisage providing the shank 104 with an internal portion made of soft and elastic material similar to a silicone rubber and such as to define a fluid-tight seal adhering peripherally to the neck of the bottle 100, without this limiting the scope of the present invention. As an alternative to that described above, the reservoir 10 may be replaced by a reservoir 110, which has been shown in Figures 10a and 10b in the form of two variants which differ from each other with regard to the respective top plate 118, as will be briefly explained below. The reservoir 110 in Figure 10a resembles so-called "bag-in-box" systems, i.e. flexible low-cost containers which are made of composite plastic material and which are being increasingly used to store liquids of any type. Examples of bag-in-box systems are bags for blood and blood derivates and those for beverages, which if necessary are packaged inside cardboard boxes. Known bags of this type are those produced by the Scholle Corporation, an American company with its head office in Chicago, using a material obtained by rolling several layers of different material so as to produce a single sheet of thermally deformable plastic having one side which is suitable for coming into contact with food products and being a good heat conductor. In the case in question, the reservoir 110 in Figure 10 has at the top a plate 118 equipped with a valve 119 similar to the valve 19 described above. The reservoir 110 comprises a hollow body 113 which is delimited laterally by walls 117 which are shaped in a manner similar to the walls 17 of the body 13 of the reservoir 10, in order to maximize the heat exchange with the walls 32, and is delimited at the bottom by a portion 120 which is able to assume any convex shape. This portion 120 has at the bottom a pipe 116 which is identical to the pipe 16 described above and can be used in the same manner. If the cooling body 32 is open at the bottom, then the portion 120 may be shaped in any manner. However, should it be considered necessary to maximize the heat exchange with the liquid contained by the body 113, the portion 120 may be shaped so as to imitate the - where appropriate - concave shape of the bottom portion of the cooling body 32. With reference to the valve 119, this will obviously be provided with a tear seal 123 which can be removed so that air communication of the hollow body 113 is established and the liquid is able to flow out through the pipe 116. The plate 118 may conveniently by delimited laterally by an edge 122 which has an extension sufficient to project, during use, outside the internal walls of the cooling body 32 so as to support the reservoir 110 by means of gravity. In order to simplify the construction of the plate 118, it is possible to envisage forming the valve 119 as a simple hole 121 closed by a seal similar to the tear- off seal 123.

It should be noted that the plate 118 may be made as one part together with the hollow body 113, but alternatively may be mounted on the hollow body 113 in an adhesive manner, for example by means of gluing. This plate 118 may have any shape, for example square with a square central hole, similar to a surrounding edge, as shown in Figure 10a, or an H-shaped form, as shown in Figure 10b, in order to limit the quantity of plastic required for the manufacture of each individual part, or the form of a U overturned with respect to the cooling body 32 .

With respect to that described above, the dispenser 1 is suitable for use both in offices and in premises which are opened only rarely or in situations of another kind, for example in the open air alongside a tennis court or a pool in a home which is used mainly at weekends and in any case in all situations where a dispenser provided with a large-size bottle is unsuitable for the user's needs, among other things because of the notable size and weight which represent two of its characteristics which most influence users. Moreover, it is undeniable that the variety of beverages which are distributed in containers for large- capacity dispensers is decidedly incomparable with the very large variety of beverages sold in bottles. In addition, owing to the disposable nature of the reservoir 10/110, the respective shape with the square walls 17/117 which allow it to be placed in mating contact with the inner sides of the walls of the cooling body 32 so that there is more

/ efficient removal of the heat from the liquid contained therein, the very low cost of the reservoir 10/110 and the ease with which it can be replaced, users are able to replenish the dispenser 1 also with beverages which are very sweet and whose use would have been inconceivable in liquid dispensers refillable with large-size containers and provided with purification and filtering devices. Moreover, the further object of providing a fluid- tight member for a refillable liquid dispenser has been achieved simply by means of the closing member 103 which facilitates use of a dispenser having the characteristic features described above with reference to the dispenser 1 equipped with housing 99.

Claims

1. Refillable liquid dispenser (1), the said dispenser (1) comprising a frame (2) , a reservoir (10) of given capacity for the said liquid, a cooling unit (30) associated with the said reservoir (10) (110) , and an electrical unit (20) connected to the said cooling unit

(30) so as to supply it with electric mains power, metering means (40) being envisaged to allow delivery of given quantities of liquid, characterized in that the said reservoir (10) (110) is removable and of the disposable type and comprises a hollow body (13) (113) provided with walls

(17) (117) made of flexible material.

2. Dispenser according to Claim 1, characterized in that the said cooling unit (30) can be powered with direct voltage and comprises at least one heat exchanger (31) able to remove heat from the said reservoir (10) (110) .

3. Dispenser according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the said reservoir (10) comprises, in addition to the said hollow body (13), a supply mouth (14) for respective filling and a delivery mouth (15) for respective emptying which is delimited at the bottom by a flexible pipe (16) connected in a fluid-tight manner to the said hollow body (13) .

4. Dispenser according to Claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the said reservoir (10) comprises a plate (18) which seals at the top the said hollow body

(13), the said supply mouth (14) extending upwards from the said plate, the said plate (18) having a valve (19) able to place the said hollow body (13) of the reservoir (10) in air communication with the external environment so as to allow delivery of the contents by means of gravity.

5. Dispenser according to Claim 4, characterized in that the said electrical unit (20) comprises a battery (23) for storing electric charge from the mains and/or supplying direct current to the said cooling unit (30) and able to be effectively disconnected from the electric mains.

6. Dispenser according to Claim 3 or 5, characterized in that the said supply mouth (14) is delimited at the top by a rim (102) which is tapered upwards, the said rim (102) being delimited by an edge of decreasing thickness suitable for defining an annular cutting member.

7. Dispenser according to Claim 6, characterized in that it comprises a fluid-tight member (103) comprising an internal collar (104) and a lid (105) provided peripherally with a partially annular edge (106) of reduced thickness by means of which the said lid (105) is able to be tear-opened with pressure along the said edge (106) , the said lid (105) also having a retaining portion (107) able to keep the said lid (105) connected to the said internal collar (104) pivotably as a result of the difference in pressure, the said internal collar (104) being provided with a threaded portion (109) for engagement with a commercially available container having a neck shaped such that it can be mated with the said threaded portion (109) .

8. Dispenser according to Claim 6, characterized in that it comprises a fluid-tight member (103) provided with an internal collar (104) and a lid (105) provided peripherally with a partially annular edge (106) of reduced thickness by means of which the said lid (105) can be tear- opened with pressure along the said edge (106) , the said lid (105) being also provided with a retaining portion (107) able to keep the said lid (105) connected to the said internal collar (104) pivotably as a result of the difference in pressure, the said collar (104) having an internal portion made of soft and elastic material similar to a silicone rubber, so as to be able to define a seal adhering peripherally in a fluid-tight manner.

9. Dispenser according to Claim 7 or 8, characterized in that the said frame (2) comprises a housing (99) for the said commercially available container, having a form suitable for keeping it overturned.

10. Dispenser according to any one of Claims 6 to 9, characterized in that the said valve (19) is selectively adjustable for controlling the delivery rate.

11. Dispenser according to Claim 10, characterized in that the said exchanger (31) is a Peltier exchanger and comprises a cooling body (32) which has a given cross- section and extends vertically, the said cooling body (32) being mounted on the said frame (2) inside a respective service compartment (9b) having a front opening (9) , the said cooling body (32) being oriented so as to be accessible frontally through the said opening (9) so as to allow easy replacement of the said hollow body (13), the said plate (18) having an extension sufficient for engagement with the said cooling body (32) at the top, by means of gravity, so as to support the said reservoir (10) with the said walls (17) in substantial peripheral contact with the said cooling body (32) so as to allow heat exchange between the said cooling body (32) and the contents of the said reservoir (10) .

12. Dispenser according to Claim 11, characterized in that it comprises support means (7) arranged underneath the said delivery mouth (15) for supporting a cup or a container and control means (25) for filling the said small-capacity container.

13. Dispenser according to Claim 12, characterized in that the said control means (25) comprise an electric liquid evaporator (28) .

14. Dispenser according to Claim 13, characterized in that it comprises a control unit (60) which is electrically connected to the said electrical unit (20) , to the said metering means (40) , to the said control means (25) and to the said luminous signalling means (62) for controlling operation thereof in a given manner, the said metering means (40) being able to cause the delivery of liquid by means of the said control unit (60) , provided that the said liquid to be delivered contained inside the said hollow body (13) is at a temperature lower than a given maximum temperature.

15. Dispenser according to Claim 14, characterized in that the said support means (7) comprise a shelf-like member (7) and a member (29) for detecting the quantity of excess liquid dispensed, extraction means (26) being envisaged for eliminating the excess liquid dispensed above the said shelf (7) .

16. Dispenser according to Claim 15, characterized in that the said metering means (40) are able to clamp the said pipe (16) so as to cause selectively opening and closing thereof in a synchronized manner, luminous signalling means (62) being envisaged for visually transmitting information relating to the temperature value of the said liquid.

17. Dispenser according to Claim 16, characterized in that it comprises, underneath the said reservoir (10) , an inwardly curved concave member (16b) for supporting the said pipe (16) and keeping the respective delivery mouth

(15) at a given distance from the said reservoir (10) so that delivery of the contents always takes place above the said shelf (7) , retaining means (16d) being envisaged for holding the said pipe (16) stably inside the said concave member (16b) .

18. Dispenser according to any one of the preceding Claims 11 to 17, characterized in that the said body (32) has a substantially U-shaped cross-section.

19. Fluid-tight sealing member (103) for a refillable liquid dispenser as described with reference to Claims 1 to 18, the said sealing member (103) comprising an internal collar (104) and a lid (105) provided peripherally with a partially annular edge (106) of reduced thickness by means of which the said lid (105) can be opened by means of tearing/pressure along the said edge (106) , the said lid (105) also having a retaining portion (107) able to keep the said lid (105) connected to the said internal collar (104) pivotably as a result of the difference in pressure, the said internal collar (104) having a threaded portion (109) for engagement with a commercially available container having a neck formed so as to be able to mate with the said threaded portion (109) .

20. Dispenser according to Claim 1, characterized in that the said cooling unit (30) comprises a heat exchanger (31) which extends vertically and has a given cross- section, the said exchanger (31) being mounted on the said frame (2) inside a respective service compartment (9b) and being able to support the said reservoir (10) (110) with respective walls (32) (17) (117) in direct contact so as to facilitate heat exchange.

21. Dispenser according to Claim 1, characterized in that the said exchanger (31) comprises a Peltier exchanger and, during use, can be powered with direct voltage.

22. Reservoir (10) (110) for liquid, the said reservoir (10) (110) being able to be used in a dispenser as described with reference to Claims 1 to 18 and 20, 21 and being characterized in that it comprises a hollow body (13) (113) delimited laterally by walls (17) (117) shaped so as to mate internally with a cooling body (32) of the said dispenser (1) and delimited at the top by a top plate (18) (118) of given shape, the said plate (18) (118) being delimited laterally by an edge (122) having an extension sufficient for joining, during use, the corresponding said hollow body (13) (113) to the said cooling body (32) .

23. Reservoir according to Claim 22, characterized in that it comprises a flexible pipe (16) (116) and an air supply valve (19) (119) (121) associated with the said plate (18) (118) .

24. Reservoir according to Claim 23, characterized in that the said valve (119) (121) can be opened by means of removal of a tear-off member (123) .

25. Reservoir according to one of Claims 22 to 24, characterized in that the plate (18) (118) is formed as one piece with the hollow body (113) .

26. Reservoir according to one of Claims 22 to 24, characterized in that the said plate (18) (118) is connected to the hollow body (13) (113) in an adhesive manner.

27. Reservoir according to one of Claims 22 to 26, characterized in that the said plate (18) (118) has a shape similar to that of a substantially rectangular surrounding edge .

28. Reservoir according to one of Claims 22 to 26, characterized in that the said plate (18) (118) is substantially H-shaped.