GB2478158A

GB2478158A - Water delivery system for a water dispenser

Info

Publication number: GB2478158A
Application number: GB1003292A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Cupit
Original assignee: ECOSTREAM TECHNOLOGIES Ltd
Current assignee: ECOSTREAM TECHNOLOGIES Ltd
Priority date: 2010-02-26
Filing date: 2010-02-26
Publication date: 2011-08-31
Anticipated expiration: 2030-02-26
Also published as: GB2478158B; GB201003292D0; WO2011104523A1

Abstract

A water delivery system comprises a housing with a through hole that in use receives the neck 30 of a water bottle 14, a reservoir 16 removably receivable in the housing and a removable connector 22 having an inlet spigot 28 and an outlet spigot 38 so as to provide a fluid connection between the water bottle and the reservoir. The reservoir comprises a hollow body housing an inlet aperture which communicates with the hollow body. The reservoir is removably receivable in the housing and its inlet aperture is aligned with the outlet spigot of the removable connector to form a sealed connection when the removable connector is inserted in the through-hole of the housing.

Description

Title: Water supply systems

Description:

This invention relates to water supply systems, and in particular. but A!!fhrI if r+'+r%.-4.,- -.

automatic shutoff valve that can be opened by orienting the bottle neck-down and by locafing the neck of the bottle on a pin that pushes open the shut-off valve. Water then flows from the bottle. thrniinh rnnduif in fh rir +r the sihcone pipes As such the overall volume of such a water supply system is relatively large, owing to the inherent volume of the reservoir, which can increase handlinri nr1 hinn,n,-i,r+ lr,r4,-,h+,-4L---means may comprise a polymer film that can be pierced by an end of the removable connector S outlet spigot The outlet spigot of the removable connector may comprises a pointed

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The flexible film is preferably a food-grade polymer film and is preferably metallised on one or both sides thereof, which can provide an optical barrier to inhibit blo film growth within the second receptacle, and receptacle. A sealing means may be provided on the inlet aperture to enable a sealing connection to be made with the outlet spigot of the removable connector.

According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a removable connector for a water supply system comprising: a body receivable in and being adapted to extend through a water bottle receiving aperture of a water dispenser's housing; an inlet spigot for sealingly connecting to interior of the water bottle; and an outlet spigot communicating with the inlet spigot and projecting from the body of the connector.

A third aspect of the invention provides a reservoir for a water supply system comprising a relatively rigid end wall portion, an inlet aperture in the end wall portion and a flexible film portion sealingly affixed around a periphery of the end wall portion.

A fourth aspect of the invention provides a water dispenser comprising a water delivery system and/or a removable connector and/or a reservoir as described above.

A fifth aspect of the invention provides a water supply system for a water dispenser comprising means for sealingly communicating with the interior of a water bottle, a reservoir for storing a volume of water and an outlet conduit communicating with the interior of the reservoir, wherein the reservoir comprises an inlet aperture and wherein the means for sealingly communicating with the interior of the water bottle comprises an outlet spigot that is sealingly engageable with the inlet aperture of the. re *servoir to form a direct connection between the water bottle and reservoir, By providing a direct connection between the water bottle and reservoir, the need for a skilled operator to correctly connect together the pipes of the water supply system is removed.

+k i+rr +hrc ic p-.rr,idgd ifr communicating with the interior of a water bottle, a reservoir for storing a volume of water, an outlet conduit communicating with the interior of the reservoir, and a direct connection between the water bottle and reservoir, wherein the reservoir is at least partially manufactured from a flexible film.

A preferred embodiment of the invention shall now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of an upper portion of a water dispenser comprising a water supply system in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is an exploded view of the water supply system of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a side view of the water supply system of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a perspective view from above of the collar of the water supply system; Figure 5 is a partial crosssectional view through the collar and manifold of the water supply system; and Figure 6 is a perspective view of the water supply system in assembled form.

In Figures 1, 2 and 3, a portion of a water dispenser is shown comprising a housing having an upper support surface 10 for supporting the weight of a water bottle 12. A water supply system 13 is provided beneath the bottle 14 to deliver water from the bottle 14 directly into a reservoir 16, which is surrounded by a refrigeration unit (not shown). The reservoir 16 has a reservoir outlet spigot 18 for connection to an outlet tap (not shown) of the water dispenser, Water can thus flow from the bottle 14. into the reservoir 16 for refrigeration, and out to a tap for consumption by users.

The support surface 10 of the water dispenser comprises a generally circular through hole 20 having a radiused lip, which receives a collar 22 having a flared uer portion 24 whose outer diameter is areater than the the reservoir 16 to provide a direct connection between the water bottle 14 and the reservoir 16.

The inlet aperture 42 of the reservoir 16 is sealingly closed-off by a frangible olastics film 44 Th k-war nd 4F nf fh lnnrif cit itkit nirtcif 4(1 engagement means that may be located below the upper surface of the housing 10.

The outlet manifold 36 comprises an intermediate chamber 50 that communicates with the conduit 34 of the upright spigot 28 and which stores a Turning now to Figures 1, 3 and 6, the refrigeration reservoir 16 is manufactured from a plastics end wall portion 62 to which is bonded a food grade, metallised, polymer film bag 64. The end wall 62 comprises a The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiments, for example, the shape, dimensions and materials of manufacture may be changed depending on the size and/or design of the water dispenser that the water sup[poly system 13 is designed to be used in conjunction with.