Water cooler abstract
A water cooler accessory that is connectable between the dispensing
spigot of a water cooler and the water input port of a coffee maker
and that can be activated to transfer a predetermined amount of
water to the coffee maker.
Water cooler claims
What is claimed is:
1. A water cooler accessory comprising:
a pump unit having an intake tube and a discharge tube;
a water cooler spigot connecting fitting attached to an end of
intake tube; and
a frustro-conical shaped coffee maker connecting fitting attached
to an end of said discharge tube;
said pump unit including an electric water pump connected between
a pump inlet pipe attached to said intake tube and a pump outlet
pipe attached to said discharge tube and a pump control unit including
a number of cup volume select buttons and a timer circuit in controlling
connection with said electric water pump for running said electric
water pump for predetermined periods in response to depression of
each of said cup volume select buttons;
said water cooler spigot connecting fitting including a cooler
spigot insertion cavity, a spigot attachment set screw in connection
with said cooler spigot insertion cavity for maintaining an end
of a cooler spigot securely within said cooler spigot insertion
cavity, and a connecting fitting spigot valve having a fitting spigot
handle attached thereto;
said connecting fitting spigot valve being positioned such that
a continuous water flow pathway exists between said cooler spigot
insertion cavity and said intake tube;
said frustro-conical shaped coffee maker connecting fitting having
a bottom surface provided with a water discharge port in said center
thereof and in connection with said discharge tube.
2. The water cooler accessory of claim 1 wherein:
said pump unit having a housing provided with a number of adhesive
strips on a surface thereof.
Water cooler description
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to water routing devices and more
particularly to a water cooler accessory that includes a pump unit
having an intake tube and a discharge tube, a water cooler spigot
connecting fitting attached to the end of intake tube, and a frustro-conical
shaped coffee maker connecting fitting attached to the end of the
discharge tube; the pump unit including an electric water pump connected
between a pump inlet pipe attached to the intake tube and a pump
outlet pipe attached to the discharge tube and a pump control unit
including a number of cup volume select buttons and a timer circuit
in controlling connection with the electric water pump for running
the pump for predetermined periods in response to depression of
each of the cup volume select buttons; the water cooler spigot connecting
fitting including a cooler spigot insertion cavity, a spigot attachment
set screw in connection with the cooler spigot insertion cavity
for maintaining the end of a cooler spigot securely within the cooler
spigot insertion cavity, and a connecting fitting spigot valve having
a fitting spigot handle attached thereto; the connecting fitting
spigot valve being positioned such that a continuous water flow
pathway exists between the cooler spigot insertion cavity and the
intake tube; the frustro-conical shaped coffee maker connecting
fitting having a bottom surface provided with a water discharge
port in the center thereof and in connection with the discharge
tube.
BACKGROUND ART
Transferring water between the water cooler and the coffee maker
can be aggravating. It would be desirable, therefore, to have a
water transferring device that could be connected between the dispensing
spigot of a water cooler and the water input port of a coffee maker
that could be activated to transfer a predetermined amount of water
to the coffee maker.
GENERAL SUMMARY DISCUSSION OF INVENTION
It is thus an object of the invention to provide a water cooler
accessory that is connectable between the dispensing spigot of a
water cooler and the water input port of a coffee maker and that
can be activated to transfer a predetermined amount of water to
the coffee maker.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a water cooler
accessory that includes a pump unit having an intake tube and a
discharge tube, a water cooler spigot connecting fitting attached
to the end of intake tube, and a frustro-conical shaped coffee maker
connecting fitting attached to the end of the discharge tube; the
pump unit including an electric water pump connected between a pump
inlet pipe attached to the intake tube and a pump outlet pipe attached
to the discharge tube and a pump control unit including a number
of cup volume select buttons and a timer circuit in controlling
connection with the electric water pump for running the pump for
predetermined periods in response to depression of each of the cup
volume select buttons; the water cooler spigot connecting fitting
including a cooler spigot insertion cavity, a spigot attachment
set screw in connection with the cooler spigot insertion cavity
for maintaining the end of a cooler spigot securely within the cooler
spigot insertion cavity, and a connecting fitting spigot valve having
a fitting spigot handle attached thereto; the connecting fitting
spigot valve being positioned such that a continuous water flow
pathway exists between the cooler spigot insertion cavity and the
intake tube; the frustro-conical shaped coffee maker connecting
fitting having a bottom surface provided with a water discharge
port in the center thereof and in connection with the discharge
tube.
It is a still further object of the invention to provide a water
cooler accessory that accomplishes all or some of the above objects
in combination.
Accordingly, a water cooler accessory is provided. The water cooler
accessory includes a pump unit having an intake tube and a discharge
tube, a water cooler spigot connecting fitting attached to the end
of intake tube, and a frustro-conical shaped coffee maker connecting
fitting attached to the end of the discharge tube; the pump unit
including an electric water pump connected between a pump inlet
pipe attached to the intake tube and a pump outlet pipe attached
to the discharge tube and a pump control unit including a number
of cup volume select buttons and a timer circuit in controlling
connection with the electric water pump for running the pump for
predetermined periods in response to depression of each of the cup
volume select buttons; the water cooler spigot connecting fitting
including a cooler spigot insertion cavity, a spigot attachment
set screw in connection with the cooler spigot insertion cavity
for maintaining the end of a cooler spigot securely within the cooler
spigot insertion cavity, and a connecting fitting spigot valve having
a fitting spigot handle attached thereto; the connecting fitting
spigot valve being positioned such that a continuous water flow
pathway exists between the cooler spigot insertion cavity and the
intake tube; the frustro-conical shaped coffee maker connecting
fitting having a bottom surface provided with a water discharge
port in the center thereof and in connection with the discharge
tube.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
For a further understanding of the nature and objects of the present
invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description,
taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like
elements are given the same or analogous reference numbers and wherein:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the
water cooler accessory of the present invention showing the pump
unit including an intake tube and a discharge tube; the water cooler
spigot connecting fitting attached to the end of intake tube; and
the frustro-conical shaped coffee maker connecting fitting attached
to the end of the discharge tube.
FIG. 2 is a partial cutaway view of- the pump unit showing the
electric pump connected between a pump inlet pipe and a pump outlet
pipe and the pump control unit including the six cup volume select
buttons and a timer circuit for running the pump for predetermined
periods in response to depression of one of the cup volume select
buttons.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the back of the pump unit
housing showing a number of adhesive strips for securing the pump
unit housing to a convenient location during installation.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the water cooler spigot connecting
fitting attached to the end of intake tube showing the cooler spigot
insertion cavity, the spigot attachment set screw, and the fitting
spigot handle attached to the connecting fitting spigot valve.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the frustro-conical shaped coffee
maker connecting fitting attached to the end of the discharge tube
showing the water discharge port formed in the bottom center of
the bottom surface thereof.
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the exemplary water cooler accessory
of FIG. 1 installed between the cooler spigot of a representative
water cooler unit and the water input port of a representative coffee
maker.
EXEMPLARY MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of the water cooler accessory
of the present invention generally designated 10. Water cooler accessory
10 includes a pump unit, generally designated 12; a water cooler
spigot connecting fitting, generally designated 14 attached to
the end of a flexible intake tube 15; and a frustro-conical shaped
coffee maker connecting fitting, generally designated 16 connected
to the end of a flexible discharge tube 17. Pump unit 12 includes
a pump unit housing 18 referring now to FIG. 2 an electric water
pump 19 connected between a pump inlet pipe 20 attached to intake
tube 15 (FIG. 1) and a pump outlet pipe 22 attached to discharge
tube 17; and a pump control unit, generally designated 26 including
a number of cup volume select buttons 28 and a timer circuit in
controlling connection with electric water pump 19 for running the
electric water pump 19 for predetermined periods of time in response
to depression of each of the cup volume select buttons 28. Referring
to FIG. 3 pump unit housing 18 has a number of adhesive strips
30 provided on the back surface thereof for securing base unit housing
18 to a flat surface during installation.
Referring to FIG. 4 water cooler spigot connecting fitting 14
includes a cooler spigot insertion cavity 32 formed within a resilient
upper portion thereof that is in fluid connection with inlet tube
15 and that is sized to sealing receiving the end of a cooler spigot
therein, a spigot attachment set screw 34 for maintaining the end
of a cooler spigot securely within cooler spigot insertion cavity
32 and a connecting fitting spigot valve, generally designated
36 having a fitting spigot handle 38 attached thereto. Connecting
fitting spigot valve 36 is provided to replace the water cooler
spigot valve that must be left open at all times after cooler spigot
connecting fitting 14 is secured in place to allow water to be withdrawn
from the water cooler in the conventional fashion for drinking and
the like.
Referring to FIG. 5 frustro-conical shaped coffee maker connecting
fitting 16 is shaped to be insertable into or over the water input
opening of a coffee maker. The bottom surface 42 thereof is provided
with a water discharge port 44 in the center thereof that is in
connection with discharge tube 17.
In use, pump unit 12 is attached to a sidewall of a water cooler
50; the water cooler spigot connecting fitting 14 connected to the
water cooler spigot as previously described; and the coffee maker
connecting fitting 16 positioned over the water input opening of
the coffee maker 52. Each time it is desired to make coffee, the
user merely touched the desired cup volume select button 28 to transfer
the required amount of water from water cooler 50 to coffee maker
52.
It can be seen from the preceding description that a water cooler
accessory has been provided that includes a pump unit having an
intake tube and a discharge tube, a water cooler spigot connecting
fitting attached to the end of intake tube, and a frustro-conical
shaped coffee maker connecting fitting attached to the end of the
discharge tube; the pump unit including an electric water pump connected
between a pump inlet pipe attached to the intake tube and a pump
outlet pipe attached to the discharge tube and a pump control unit
including a number of cup volume select buttons and a timer circuit
in controlling connection with the electric water pump for running
the pump for predetermined periods in response to depression of
each of the cup volume select buttons; the water cooler spigot connecting
fitting including a cooler spigot insertion cavity, a spigot attachment
set screw in connection with the cooler spigot insertion cavity
for maintaining the end of a cooler spigot securely within the cooler
spigot insertion cavity, and a connecting fitting spigot valve having
a fitting spigot handle attached thereto; the connecting fitting
spigot valve being positioned such that a continuous water flow
pathway exists between the cooler spigot insertion cavity and the
intake tube; the frustro-conical shaped coffee maker connecting
fitting having a bottom surface provided with a water discharge
port in the center thereof and in connection with the discharge
tube.
It is noted that the embodiment of the water cooler accessory described
herein in detail for exemplary purposes is of course subject to
many different variations in structure, design, application and
methodology. Because many varying and different embodiments may
be made within the scope of the inventive concept(s) herein taught,
and because many modifications may be made in the embodiment herein
detailed in accordance with the descriptive requirements of the
law, it is to be understood that the details herein are to be interpreted
as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. |