Water cooler abstract
An improved water bottle design for use with a water cooler type
bottled water dispensing apparatus is provided in which the water
bottle includes a horizontal surface area positioned around the
base of the neck of the bottle, where the bottle contacts an annular
opening of the housing above an open end of a reservoir portion
of the housing of the bottled water dispensing apparatus. This flat
horizontal surface area results in greater stability for the water
bottle on the housing than can be achieved with conventional bottles
which engage the annular opening of the housing at a vertically
curved surface of the bottle. Moreover, no special adapters or couplings
are necessary to produce an interfit between the water bottle and
the housing, and therefore, the improved stability is achieved in
a very simple manner. In second and third embodiments, the water
bottle further includes a transition region that is substantially
perpendicular to the horizontal surface area and may contact with
an interior periphery of the bottle-receiving opening of the housing.
By contacting with the interior periphery, the transition region
further provides for a tighter fitting of the water bottle to the
housing, so that the inverted bottle seats with greater stability
on the housing without increasing the complexity of the overall
structure as the case for the use of special adapters or couplings.
Water cooler claims
We claim:
1. A container for use with a water dispensing apparatus of the
type in which a housing has an open upper end with an opening positioned
over a reservoir portion, said container comprising:
a hollow container body having a substantially flat top wall, said
substantially flat top wall having an outer diameter greater than
a diameter of the opening of said upper end of the housing; and
a neck connected to said hollow container body radially inwardly
of said flat top wall, said neck comprising a base having a diameter
that is less than said diameter of the said opening,
wherein the base of the neck is connected to the inner diameter
of the substantially flat top wall by an abrupt transition, and
wherein said substantially flat top wall seats upon the upper end
of the housing portion with said neck extending through the opening
in the upper end and with the abrupt transition seating with the
opening when said container is placed on the dispensing apparatus.
2. The container of claim 1 wherein said substantially flat top
wall has a radial length, between said outer diameter and said base
of said neck between 0.1 and 1.0 inch.
3. The container of claim 1 wherein said container is formed of
blow molded plastic.
4. The container of claim 1 wherein said container is provided
with an opening at a top of said neck for filling an interior space
of said hollow container body with a liquid and for pouring of a
liquid therefrom.
5. The container of claim 4 wherein said opening is closable by
a cap.
6. The container of claim 1 wherein said base is positioned directly
adjacent to an inner diameter of said substantially flat top wall.
7. The container of claim 1 wherein said transition extends substantially
perpendicular to said substantially flat top wall.
8. The container of claim 7 wherein said transition region is
sized for contacting an inner wall of the upper end when said container
is placed on the dispensing apparatus.
9. The container of claim 7 wherein said container is formed of
blow molded plastic.
Water cooler description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to water bottles for use with bottled water
dispensing apparatus that receive a water bottle in an inverted
position, and more specifically to an improvement for increasing
the stability of the water bottle on the dispensing apparatus.
2. Description of Related Art
Bottled water dispensing apparatus, commonly referred to as "water
coolers", have been widely used in many settings including
office buildings, homes, restaurants, to supply clean drinking water,
etc. The water dispensing apparatus normally includes a apparatus
housing having an upwardly open reservoir which receives and supports
a water bottle that is placed on the open reservoir in an inverted
manner. Water is then selectively dispensed from the reservoir using
a faucet valve or tap on the front of the apparatus housing.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 2155259 and 5297700 both depict the general
placement of a water bottle on the housing of a water cooler type
dispensing apparatus. Unfortunately, problems arise from the manner
in which the water bottle is placed in an inverted manner on the
reservoir. The bottle is precariously balanced on an annular edge
of a bottle receiving opening of the housing, and in many instances,
any bumping of the bottle or apparatus housing causes the bottle
to tilt, or possibly even fall off of the apparatus housing, which
may cause injury to those around the apparatus either from the bottle
or from any water spilling on the ground. Moreover, it is difficult
to keep the bottle level while it is inverted, and therefore the
bottle may sit in a tilted position, which increases the possibility
of the bottle tipping over with a slight bumping of the bottle or
the apparatus housing.
A typical solution used to combat this problem has been to use
specialized adapters that aid in providing a tighter fit of the
bottle to the apparatus housing. U.S. Pat. No. 3688950 to Parish
shows one example of a typical adapter member that retrofits into
existing water dispenser apparatus, wherein the adapter includes
a supporting plate and a plug member. In addition, the Parish invention
utilizes a specialized bottle bag structure disposed in a paper
carton that has a spout for carrying water from the bag to the water
reservoir and apparatus housing. The Parish structure, however,
has the problem that it involves the use of specialized adapter
members which are complicated and therefore increase the cost of
the water dispensing apparatus. In addition, using a more complicated
structure generally results in a greater likelihood of having mechanical
problems, such as a tubular portion of the spout springing a leak.
Therefore, higher overall maintenance costs are likely to result
with such structures. Furthermore, only the specialized water containers
disclosed in the Parish reference can be used with the Parish structure,
and such containers may not be widely available.
U.S. Pat. Nos.5086950 4635824 and 5427276 all depict alternative
adapters and couplings that may be used to support liquid containers
on dispensing apparatus. Overall, these patents indicate that the
typical solution to the problem of having the water bottle precariously
balanced on the housing has been to use specialized adapters and
the like to provide a tighter fit of the water bottle to the apparatus
housing. Unfortunately, problems of increased structural complexity
and a higher incident of mechanical problems has lead to a need
for a simplified solution to the problem of water bottles falling
off the dispenser apparatus which will not increase the overall
complexity of the water dispensing apparatus and which will apply
to existing apparatus' without modification thereof.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the above-noted problems, it is an object of the present
invention to provide an improved water bottle that will stably support
itself on the housing of a bottled water dispensing apparatus.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved
water bottle design that can stably support itself on the housing
of a bottled water dispensing apparatus without requiring modification
of the overall bottled water dispensing apparatus, so that it may
be used.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved
water bottle design that will stably support itself on the housing
of a bottled water dispensing apparatus without use of special adapters
or couplings.
These and other objects that will become apparent in the following
description are achieved in accordance with preferred embodiments
of the invention. In particular, in a first embodiment of the invention,
an improved water bottle design for use with a water cooler type
bottled water dispensing apparatus is provided wherein the water
bottle includes a horizontal surface area positioned around the
base of the neck of the bottle, where the bottle contacts an annular
opening of the housing above an open end of a reservoir portion
of the housing of the bottled water dispensing apparatus. This flat
horizontal surface area results in greater stability for the water
bottle on the housing than can be achieved with conventional bottles
which engage the annular opening of the housing at a vertically
curved surface of the bottle. Moreover, no special adapters or couplings
are necessary to produce an interfit between the water bottle and
the housing, and therefore, the improved stability is achieved in
a very simple manner.
In second and third preferred embodiments of the invention, the
water bottle further includes a transition region that is substantially
perpendicular to the horizontal surface area and may contact with
an interior periphery of the bottle-receiving opening of the housing.
By contacting with the interior periphery, the transition region
further provides for a tighter fitting of the water bottle to the
housing. Therefore, the inverted bottle seats with greater stability
on the housing without increasing the complexity of the overall
structure as the case for the use of special adapters or couplings.
These and further objects, features and advantages of the present
invention will become apparent from the following description when
taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which, for purposes
of illustration only, show several embodiments in accordance with
the present invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view as seen from above of an improved
water bottle in accordance with a first embodiment of the present
invention.
FIGS. 2-4 show, respectively, elevational, top plan, and bottom
plan views of the improved water bottle in accordance with the first
embodiment of the present invention.
FIGS. 5-7 views corresponding to FIGS. 1-3 respectively, but show
an improved water bottle in accordance with a second embodiment
of the present invention;
FIGS. 8-10 are views corresponding to FIGS. 1-3 respectively,
but show an improved water bottle in accordance with a third embodiment
of the present invention;
FIG. 11 is a schematic illustration of the improved water bottle
of the first embodiment seated on a water dispensing apparatus;
and
FIG. 12 is a schematic illustration of the improved water bottle
of the second embodiment seated on a water dispensing apparatus.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
FIGS. 1-4 shows an improved bottle 100 in accordance with a first
embodiment of the present invention, for use, as described below
relative to FIG. 11 with a water cooler type dispensing apparatus.
Water bottle 100 comprises a hollow container body 102 a bottom
wall 104 a top wall 106 and a neck 108. It should be noted that
the hollow container body 102 and bottom wall 104 may be given any
shape, that illustrated merely being one suitable example. In this
first preferred embodiment, top wall 106 is substantially flat and
horizontal with an outer diameter A and an inner diameter B, yielding
a radial length L. A base 110 of neck 108 is disposed at an inner
diameter B of top wall 106 and starting at this base 110 the neck
108 has a first region 112 that substantially continuously decreases
in diameter, tapering away from hollow container body 102. This
tapered first region 112 ends at a second region 114 which has a
substantially constant diameter C, at a top portion of which threads
116 are provided for a cap (not shown).
Referring now to FIG. 11 water bottle 100 of the first embodiment
is shown as placed on a water dispensing apparatus 200. While any
conventional structure for the water dispensing apparatus 200 may
be used, FIG. 11 depicts a water dispensing apparatus 200 that includes
a housing H within which a water reservoir 202 is provided for temporarily
holding water before it is dispensed using faucet 203. The open
upper end 204 of water reservoir 202 receives the neck 108 of water
bottle 100 when the water bottle 100 is placed in an inverted manner
on the housing of the dispensing apparatus 200.
The particular placement of water bottle 100 on the housing H extending
into the upper end 204 reservoir 202 will now be discussed. The
upper end 204 of reservoir 202 has a diameter D that is larger than
the inner diameter B of the top wall 106 but is less than outer
diameter A of top wall 106. Therefore, when water bottle 100 is
placed upside down on the housing H of water dispensing apparatus
200 the tapered neck 108 is located within the upper end 204 with
the bottle 100 resting on housing H via its substantially flat top
wall 106.
This arrangement advantageously provides a greater contact area
between the water bottle 100 and dispensing apparatus 200 as compared
to conventional bottle designs where the bottle rests on the dispensing
apparatus along a rounded shoulder of the bottle (see FIG. 1 of
U.S. Pat. Nos. 2155259 and 3688950). This increase in contact
area provides greater stability for water bottle 100 on housing
H. It should be noted that the substantially flat top wall 106 must
have a length L that is long enough to taking into account variations
in diameter D from one dispensing apparatus to another while insuring
that the contact area created by top wall 106 is provides sufficient
stability. For this reason, this length L is preferably between
0.1 and 1 inch long for a half-gallon bottle. Of course, any length
sufficient to accomplish the goal of increased contact with open
upper end 204 may be used instead, further depending on the capacity
of the water bottle desired in a particular application or the requirements
of a particular dispensing apparatus.
In addition, the substantially flat contact surface of top wall
106 better maintains a level supporting of water bottle 100 on open
upper end 204 over conventional designs where it is difficult to
maintain the water bottle 100 at a purely level position due to
the manner in which it rests, noted above. With the present invention,
slight movement of water bottle 100 or dispensing apparatus 200
will not upset the level positioning of water bottle 100. Thus,
water bottle 100 is unlikely to be tilted, and is even less likely
to be knocked over because of the improved stabilized supporting
of the water bottle 100 on the dispensing apparatus 200.
FIGS. 5-7 show an improved water bottle 300 in accordance with
a second embodiment of the present invention. The overall structure
of water bottle 300 of the second embodiment is very similar to
the structure of water bottle 100 of the first embodiment so that
parts of bottle 300 which correspond to parts described above relative
to bottle 100 have been given the same reference number increased
by a 200 (e.g., container body 302 corresponds to container body
102 etc.). Thus, in the following, only the distinctions between
the two embodiments will be forwarded upon. In this regard, the
key difference between water bottle 300 and water bottle 100 is
a cylindrical transition region 320 is provided between the throated
neck 308 the body of water bottle 300. This transition region 320
is substantially perpendicular to the substantially flat top wall
306. In FIGS. 5-7 the transition region 320 is positioned directly
adjacent to the substantially flat top wall 306 but this is not
necessary. In addition, due to the inclusion of transition region
320 first region 312 is formed on top of transition region 320
rather than directly adjacent to base 310.
The purpose of transition region 320 relates to the seating of
water bottle 300 on water dispensing apparatus 200 as will be clear
from the following together with FIG. 12 where water bottle 300
is shown placed on the water dispensing apparatus 200. The placement
of water bottle 300 onto dispensing apparatus 200 is very similar
to the placement of water bottle 100 on dispensing apparatus 200
except in the case of bottle 300 transition region 320 has a diameter
B that is less than diameter D of the open upper end 204 so that,
when the water bottle 300 is placed on the dispensing apparatus
200 transition region 320 seat with the open upper end 204 of water
reservoir 202.
The main advantage of the transition region 320 is that it further
improves stabilizes the water bottle 300 on the water dispensing
apparatus 200. Transition region 320 increases contact area of water
bottle 300 with dispensing apparatus 200 and helps prevent water
bottle 300 from tipping over or moving horizontally, i.e., in a
side-to-side manner. This feature, in addition to the substantially
flat top wall 306 increases the secureness with which the water
bottle 300 seats on the water dispensing apparatus 200. Furthermore,
as in the first embodiment, this embodiment eliminates the need
for any special adapters or couplings to achieve a stable positioning
of the water bottle on a water dispensing apparatus.
FIGS. 8-10 show a third embodiment of the present invention. This
third embodiment is very similar to water bottle 300 of the second
embodiment and like reference numerals increase by 100 (e.g., container
body is 402 instead of 302) have been used for similar parts. The
third embodiment illustrates that a neck 408 and cylindrical transition
420 may be utilized which thereby increasing the radial extent of
the substantially flat top wall 406 relative to top wall 406 of
the second embodiment. It should be noted that any size diameter
neck 408 may be used as long as it has a diameter less than diameter
D of open upper end of the water dispensing apparatus shown in FIGS.
11 & 12. 204. Likewise, the disposition of cylindrical transition
420 may be varied in a particular application such that transition
region 420 fits securely with the inner periphery of the water reservoir
of a particular water dispensing apparatus.
While the present invention has been shown and described herein
in what is conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiments,
it is recognized that departures may be made within the scope of
the invention, which is not to be limited to the details disclosed
herein but is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as
to embrace any and all equivalent apparatus and articles. |