Abstract
A method and apparatus of sanitizing drinking water to be dispensed from a water dispenser having a reservoir includes the steps of providing the ozone gas generator that generates an ozone gas stream, transmitting the ozone gas stream from the generator to the water dispenser reservoir, mechanically breaking up the ozone gas stream inside the reservoir to produce ozone gas bubbles, and using the ozone gas bubbles to disinfect water in the reservoir. The ozone gas stream can be mechanically broken up using a pump such as, for example, an impeller type pump.
Claims
1. A method of sanitizing drinking water dispensed from a water dispenser having a water supply that includes an inverted bottle and neck supported upon a cabinet so that the neck extends downwardly, an anti-spill receiver having a projecting probe that extends into the bottle neck, and a reservoir having a bottom and a water surface, comprising the steps of: a) providing an ozone gas generator that generates a mixture of air and ozone gas; b) providing a first flow line that carries the mixture; c) transmitting the gas mixture from the generator to the water dispenser reservoir via the first flow line; d) creating, in the reservoir, a stream containing water from the reservoir and gas bubbles containing the gas mixture transmitted from the first flow line; e) directing a first portion of said stream to disinfect the water in the reservoir; f) providing a second flow line in the reservoir; and g) discharging a second portion of said stream at a position that is closer to the water surface than to the bottom of the reservoir and within the anti-spill receiver with the second flow line.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the second flow line extends to a position within the probe.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the second flow line extends to a position above the reservoir water surface.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the anti-spill receiver extends into the reservoir.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the second flow line extends above and below the reservoir water surface.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
(1) For a further understanding of the nature, objects, and advantages of the present invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description, read in conjunction with the following drawings, wherein like reference numerals denote like elements and wherein:
(2) FIG. 1 is a sectional, elevation view of a preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention;
(3) FIG. 2 is a sectional elevation view of a second embodiment; and
(4) FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along lines 3-3 of FIG. 1;
(5) FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along lines 4-4 of FIG. 2;
(6) FIG. 5 is a partial sectional elevation view of a preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention illustrating an alternate pump arrangement;
(7) FIG. 5A is a plan view of the pump arrangement of FIG. 5;
(8) FIG. 6 is a partial sectional elevation view of a preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention illustrating an alternate pump arrangement;
(9) FIG. 6A is a plan view of the pump arrangement of FIG. 6;
(10) FIG. 7 is a partial sectional elevation view of a preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention illustrating an alternate pump arrangement;
(11) FIG. 7A is a plan view of the pump arrangement of FIG. 7;
(12) FIG. 8 is a partial sectional elevation view of a preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention illustrating an alternate pump arrangement;
(13) FIG. 8A is a plan view of the pump arrangement of FIG. 8;
(14) FIG. 9 is a partial sectional elevation view of a preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention illustrating an alternate pump arrangement;
(15) FIG. 9A is a plan view of the pump arrangement of FIG. 9;
(16) FIG. 10 is a partial sectional elevation view of a preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention illustrating an alternate pump arrangement;
(17) FIG. 10A is a plan view of the pump arrangement of FIG. 10;
(18) FIG. 11 is a sectional fragmentary view of a preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention;
(19) FIG. 12 is a fragmentary sectional elevation view of a preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention illustrating an optional pump configuration;
(20) FIG. 13 is a sectional view taken along lines 13-13 of FIG. 12;
(21) FIG. 14 is a fragmentary sectional elevation view of a preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention illustrating an optional pump configuration;
(22) FIG. 15 is a sectional view taken along lines 15-15 of FIG. 14.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
(23) Water dispenser 20 is shown in FIG. 1 as including cabinet 21 having a reservoir 15 for holding water 16 to be consumed by a user. Reservoir 15 has a sidewall and a bottom wall 19. Cabinet 21 can support a known, commercially available supply bottle 12 having neck outlet 26. Such a reservoir 15 containing water 16 is shown and described, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,085,540; 6,389,690, and 6,532,760 each hereby incorporated herein by reference.
(24) The present invention further provides an improved method for sanitizing drinking water to be dispensed from a water dispenser having a reservoir and further provides an improved water dispenser. Water dispenser 20 can be any known water dispensing device that typically uses a cabinet 21 that has reservoir 15 containing water 16. The cabinet 21 can include known electrical components, known refrigeration system 22 and other components that are known. Hollow drive shaft is contained within a cylindrically shaped housing section 18 of housing 2. Pump 23 can include a housing 2 positioned inside reservoir 15 and below water level 9, being surrounded by water 16 to be sanitized and dispensed. Pump housing 2 contains impeller 3 (see FIGS. 12-13) driven by hollow drive shaft 4 and motor 1. Pump 23 can be any of a number of different pump configurations as shown in FIGS. 1-4, 5-5A, 6-6A, 7-7A, 8-8A, 9-9A, 10-10A, 12-15.
(25) An air supply tubing 5 can supply a combination of air and ozone to pump 23. Air supply tubing 5 connects to pump 23 at air supply barb 6. An ozone generator 7 connects to cabinet 21 (FIG. 1). Ozone generator 7 connects to tubing 5. Tubing 5 can provide filter 24. Ozone generator 7 intakes air at inlet 25. The water's surface of reservoir 15 provides an air water interface 9. Ozone bubbles that are emitted from pump discharge manifold 17 mix with water 16 and sanitize water 16 as well as reach the air water interface 9. Housing 2 provides multiple intakes including water intake 10 and gas intake 8 inside drive shaft 4.
(26) The arrows 11 in FIG. 3 schematically shows ozone gas bubbles mixing within the reservoir 15 thus providing ozone disinfection of water 16. The numeral 13 in FIG. 3 illustrates very fine bubbles or a very fine bubble fraction undergoing contact diffusion with the surrounding water 16 for sanitizing the water 16.
(27) The discharge manifold 17 is provided with three outlet ports 27, 28, 29. The outlet port 27 communicates with flowline 34 for transmitting ozone to bottled water supply 12 as indicated by arrows 39 in FIG. 1. As seen in FIG. 1, the flow line 34 has a discharge that within the probe of the anti-spill receiver 35. The port 28 discharges ozone directly into reservoir 15 as indicated by arrow 38 so that ozone can be used to disinfect the bottom 36 of reservoir 15. Bottle 12 nests in an antispill receiver 35 that can be supplied with cabinet 21. The anti-spill receiver 35 includes a tube/probe 76 that extends into the neck outlet 26 of bottle 12 as seen in FIG. 1. Such anti-spill receivers 35 are known.
(28) Cabinet 21 provides spigot 30 having handle 31, the spigot 30 being a known structure. Such spigots 30 are typically provided on commercially available water dispensers and communicate with water 16 and reservoir 15 via channel 32. Port 29 communicates with flowline 33 to provide ozone directly to spigot 30 for sanitizing it and its channel 32 (see FIGS. 1 and 11).
(29) FIGS. 2 and 4 show an alternate construction of apparatus 10 of the present invention in the form of point of use (POU) dispenser 40. Point of use dispenser 40 provides a cabinet 41 having a reservoir 42 with a bottom 58 and sidewall 59. Reservoir 42 contains water 43 having water surface 44.
(30) An influent flowline 45 communicates with float valve 46. Float valve 46 is commercially available, providing a float 48 that rises and falls with water level 44, the valve 46 being opened to discharge water into reservoir 42 when float 48 falls below a predetermined elevation. Arrows 47 in FIG. 2 illustrate the up and down movement of float 48 for opening and closing valve 46. When float 48 reaches a maximum elevation, it closes valve 46 halting the flow of fluid from flowline 45 to reservoir 42. Ozone generator 7 is mounted on cabinet 41. The ozone generator 7 transmits ozone via flowline 49 to motor 50, then to motor drive shaft 1 and to housing 52. Motor 50 provides a motor shaft 51 which is hollow, the motor shaft 51 driving an impeller contained in housing 52 and also transmitting ozone that it receives via line 49 to pump housing 52. Housing 52 can include a cylindrically shaped section that surrounds drive shaft 51.
(31) Pump housing 52 provides discharge manifold 53 having outlet ports 54, 55. As indicated by arrows 56 in FIG. 4, discharged ozone leaves outlet port 54 and mixes with the water 43 contained in reservoir 42. Discharge manifold 53 is positioned next to bottom wall 58 of reservoir 42 so that the discharged bubbles exiting port 54 scrub the bottom of 58 and sanitize it. Outlet port 55 communicates with flowline 57 for transmitting ozone to spigot 30.
(32) FIGS. 12-15 show exemplary impeller constructions. In FIGS. 12 and 13, housing 2 is provided with an impeller 3 that is comprised of a plurality of long radial vanes 60 and short radial vanes 61. Ozone enters housing 2 as indicated by arrows 67 in FIG. 12. Water enters housing 2 via intake 10 as indicated by arrows 68 in FIG. 12. Water and ozone mix as hollow drive shaft 4 is provided with openings 69 next to vanes 60, 61. The ozone mixes with water at the vanes 60, 61 forming a very fine bubble fraction that is discharged at mixed fluid outlet 62 to one of the discharge manifolds 17 or 53. Thus the impeller configuration of FIGS. 12 and 13 could be used in either the embodiment of FIG. 1 or the embodiment of FIG. 2. Likewise, the embodiment of FIGS. 14 and 15 could be used with either of the embodiments of FIGS. 1 and 2.
(33) In FIG. 14, the housing 52 contains an impeller 70 mounted at the lower end portion of drive shaft 51. The impeller 70 has a plurality of blades 63 and a plurality of vanes 64. A plurality of push propeller blades 63 are provided, preferably at different elevations as shown in FIGS. 14 and 15. In addition, zero pitch shearing vanes 64 are attached to drive shaft 51 as shown in FIG. 14. Housing 52 provides one or more intake opening 66 for intaking water. Water intake is schematically illustrated by the arrow 71 in FIG. 14.
(34) The ozone carried in hollow drive shaft 51 is indicated by arrow 67. Water indicated by arrow 71 mixes at the vanes 63, 64 and is discharged at outlet 72 as indicated by arrow 73.
(35) FIGS. 5-5A, 6-6A, 7-7A, 8-8A, 9-9A and 10-10A illustrate various other configurations of the pump, its motor drive and discharge in relation to reservoir 15 and its contained water 16. These figures illustrate that numerous pump shaft, pump housing configurations can be used within the spirit of the present invention.
(36) In FIGS. 5-5A, pump housing 2 is placed next to the periphery of reservoir 15.
(37) In FIGS. 6-6A, the motor drive 1 is located at the bottom of reservoir 15 so that a very short drive shaft would be needed to form a connection between motor 1 and housing 2 and its impeller.
(38) In FIG. 7, a submersible combination motor drive 1 and pump housing 2 is shown.
(39) In FIGS. 8-8A, a recirculating loop defined by flowlines 74, 75 is disclosed. In FIGS. 9-9A, pump housing 2 is mounted to the inside surface of the side wall of reservoir 15. Motor drive 1 is mounted on the outside surface of reservoir 15. A drive shaft that connects motor drive to pump housing 2 extends through the reservoir wall.
(40) FIGS. 10-10A illustrate a motor 1 and housing 2 configuration such as that shown in FIGS. 12 and 13.
(41) The following is a list of suitable parts and materials for the various elements of the preferred embodiment of the present invention.
(42) TABLE-US-00001 PARTS LIST Parts Number Description 1 motor 2 pump housing 3 impeller 4 drive shaft 5 air supply tubing 6 air supply barb 7 ozone generator 8 gas intake 9 air/water interface 10 water intake 11 gas bubble and water mixing 12 supply bottle 13 fine bubble fraction 14 fluid flow arrow 15 reservoir 16 water 17 discharge manifold 18 cylindrical housing section 19 bottom wall 20 water dispenser 21 cabinet 22 refrigeration system 23 pump 24 filter 25 inlet 26 neck outlet 27 outlet port 28 outlet port 29 outlet port 30 spigot 31 handle 32 channel 33 flowline 34 flowline 35 anti-spill receiver 36 bottom 37 bottom 38 arrow 39 arrow 40 point of use dispenser 41 cabinet 42 reservoir 43 water 44 water surface 45 influent flowline 46 float valve 47 arrow 48 float 49 flowline 50 motor 51 shaft 52 housing 53 discharge manifold 54 outlet port 55 outlet port 56 arrow 57 flowline 58 bottom 59 side wall 60 long radial vane 61 short radial vane 62 mixed fluid flow outlet 63 push propeller blade 64 ozone pitch shearing vane 65 tubular housing section 66 water intake 67 arrow 68 arrow 69 opening 70 impeller 71 arrow 72 outlet 73 arrow 74 flowline 75 flowline 76 tube/probe
(43) The foregoing embodiments are presented by way of example only; the scope of the present invention is to be limited only by the following claims.
