Water Cooler Filter With Secure Bayonet-Type Connection

Abstract

A filter for a water cooler includes a housing having a surface and a cavity with cavity ports. The filter end is adapted to be received in the housing. The filter end includes a cylindrical base having a surface and a neck extending from the surface. The neck has filter ports and a side surface. The side surface has oppositely directed axially extending elongated protrusions configured to be received in channels in the housing. The base surface includes a complex set of protrusions which are adapted to be received in a similarly configured set of recesses in the housing surface. The protrusions/recesses may take the form of letters, numbers or symbols. The filter end is be fully seated in the housing in bayonet-type fashion to connect the filter ports and the housing ports o permit water to flow through the filter from the water supply to the water cooler.

Claims

1. A filter for a water cooler, the filter comprising a housing and a filter end having an axis, said housing comprising a housing surface defining a cavity in the housing with a plurality of cavity ports therein, and one or more recesses on the housing surface, said filter end comprising a substantially cylindrical base, a base surface, and a neck extending from said base surface, said base surface extending in a plane substantially perpendicular to said filter end axis, said neck having a bottom section, a lower top section extending upward from the bottom section, an upper top section extending upward from the lower top section and dimensionally smaller than the lower top section, and a plurality of filter ports, said bottom section having a side surface, said upper top section having a first planar top surface, said lower top section having a second planar top surface, said upper top section comprising a planar step extending upward from the first planar surface and wherein the step forms first and second teeth extending outward from a center of the upper top section, said first and second teeth comprising a first and second edge, wherein said first and second edges are parallel to each other and offset from the center of the upper top section, said lower top section comprising a planar step extending upward from the second planar surface and wherein the step forms third and fourth teeth extending outward from a center of the lower top section, said third and fourth teeth comprising a third and fourth edge, wherein said third and fourth edges are parallel to each other and offset from the center of the lower top section, and wherein said first and third edges are colinear and said second and fourth edges are colinear, said base surface comprising one or more inclined surface portion comprising one or more base surface protrusions extending from said one or more inclined surface portion, wherein said one or more recesses on the housing surface are configured to receive said one or more base surface protrusions, said cavity in the housing comprising an upper chamber and lower chamber, wherein the upper chamber is configured to receive the upper top section of the neck and the lower chamber is configured to receive the lower top section of the neck, and said filter end being configured to be received in the housing in bayonet-type fashion to align said plurality of filter ports with said plurality of cavity ports.

2. The filter of claim 1, wherein said one or more base surface protrusions comprises at least one of geometric shapes, symbols, alphanumeric characters, words, logos and designs.

3. The filter of claim 1, wherein said base surface is convex and surrounds said neck.

4. The filter of claim 1, wherein said upper top section further has a groove separating the first planar surface from the second planar top surface.

5. The filter of claim 4, wherein the groove separating the first planar surface from the second planar top surface extends circumferentially about the upper top section.

6. The filter of claim 1, wherein said lower top section further has a groove separating the second planar top surface from the bottom section.

7. The filter of claim 6, wherein the groove separating the second planar top surface from the bottom section extends circumferentially about the lower top section.

8. The filter of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of filter ports is disposed on the planar step extending upward from the first planar surface.

9. The filter of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of filter ports is disposed on the planar step extending upward from the second planar surface.

10. The filter of claim 1, wherein said one or more recessed side surface portions extends in a direction substantially parallel to said filter end axis and comprise a bottom edge and a top edge, and wherein one or more elongated protrusion extends from said bottom edge of said one or more recessed side surface portions toward said top edge of said one or more recessed side surface portions.

11. The filter of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises an upper tooth stop extending inward toward a center of the upper chamber and a lower tooth stop extending inward toward a center of the lower chamber, wherein the upper tooth stop is configured to engage either of the first and second edges of the first and second teeth, and the lower tooth stop is configured to engage either of the third and fourth edges of the third and fourth teeth.

12. The filter of claim 11, wherein at least one of the lower and upper tooth stops have an opening therein for receiving flow from at least one of the plurality of filter ports.

13. The filter of claim 1, wherein said housing cavity is configured to receive said filter end neck and has a cavity wall adapted to align with said side surface of said filter end neck, said cavity wall comprising a channel through which one or more elongated protrusions pass as said filter end neck is inserted into said housing such that said base surface abuts said cavity wall and said filter end neck can be rotated relative to said housing, said housing surface configured to cooperate with said one or more inclined surface portions of the base surface such that said one or more recesses can be aligned with and receive said one or more base surface protrusions, wherein said filter end neck is fully seated into said housing with said plurality of filter ports aligned with said plurality of cavity ports.

14. The filter of claim 1, wherein said side surface of said neck comprises one or more elongated protrusions.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF DRAWINGS

[0024] To these and to such other objects that may hereinafter appear, the present invention relates to a water cooler filter with secure bayonet-type connection as described in detail in the following specification and recited in the annexed claims, taken together with the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals refer to like parts and in which:

[0025] FIG. 1 is an exploded view of the filter canister, filter end, housing and cap;

[0026] FIG. 2 is an elevation view of the front end of the filter;

[0027] FIG. 3 is an isometric view of the filter end showing the top, front and side;

[0028] FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the filter end;

[0029] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the housing showing the bottom, front and left side;

[0030] FIG. 6 is a bottom plan view of the housing; and

[0031] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the housing showing the bottom, rear and right side.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0032] As seen in FIG. 1, the filter assembly includes a hollow, generally cylindrical filter canister, generally designated A, designed to retain filter material through which water supplied to the water cooler (not shown) will pass before being cooled and dispensed by the water cooler. Canister A has an open top and a central axis.

[0033] The front end of the filter assembly, generally designated B, is designed to be permanently fixed to the open top of canister A. Filter front end B has entrance and exit ports which allow unfiltered water to enter the filter and filtered water to exit the filter.

[0034] Front end B of the filter is configured to be received in a housing, generally designated C. Housing C has inlet and outlet ports which, when the front end B of the filter is fully seated in the housing will align with the entrance and exit ports of the filter such that unfiltered water can flow through the housing into the filter and filtered water can flow from the housing to the water cooler (not shown) with which the housing is associated.

[0035] A cap, generally designated D, is configured to be received over the housing. Cap D is designed to “snap-fit” over the housing to protect the housing.

[0036] A bracket 10 is provided to support the filter assembly on a wall of the water cooler. The bracket includes first and second arms 12, 14 which extend upwardly from the body of the bracket. The upper ends of the bracket arms 12, 14 are curved to accept tubular parts 16, 18, respectively, which extend in opposite directions from a tube 20, the end of which is situated on the top of housing C. Tube 20 contains the ends of water intake and outflow pipes 22 and 24 which supply unfiltered water to the housing and transfer filtered water from housing to the water cooler.

[0037] Cap D has a side opening 26 to accommodate tube 20. Tube 20 extends through the side opening 26 of the cap when the cap is situated on the housing.

[0038] Referring now to FIGS. 2-4, filter end B includes a generally cylindrical base 28 which has a surface 30. Surface 30 extends in a direction substantially perpendicular to the axis of the filter. Surface 30 may be planar but is preferably slightly convex, as illustrated in the preferred embodiment shown in the figures.

[0039] Protruding upwardly from surface 30 of base 28 is a generally cylindrical neck, generally designated 38. Surface 30 surrounds neck 38. Neck 38 has various sections configured to cooperate with the contours of a cavity, generally designated 40, in housing C. Cavity 40 is best seen in FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 which show the underside of the housing.

[0040] The top portion of neck 38 includes two sections with generally planar top surfaces 42 and 44. Two water entrance ports 46 are situated in surface section 42. A single water exit port 48 is situated in surface section 44.

[0041] Neck 38 also has a side surface 50 which extends in direction substantially parallel to the axis of the filter. Protruding outwardly from opposed locations on neck surface 50 are spaced elongated protrusions 52, only one of which is visible in the figures. The other protrusion 52 is hidden in the figures but is preferably situated half way around surface 50 from the visible protrusion 52.

[0042] Protrusions 52 each extend in the axial direction along surface 50 from the bottom edge of side surface 50 or a location proximate the bottom edge of the side surface, toward the top edge of the side surface. The elongated protrusions extend only a part of the way up the side surface.

[0043] Protrusions 52 on the filter end B cooperate with channels 54 of cavity 40 in housing C to form a first interlock. In order for neck 38 of filter end B to be inserted into cavity 40 of housing C, the filter is rotated relative to housing C until elongated protrusions 52 in the side surface of the neck align with channels 54 in the cavity wall, the latter being seen in FIGS. 5, 6 and 7. Once that occurs, the protrusions pass through the aligned channels as the filter end is moved in the axial direction into the cavity, until base surface 30 abuts surface 56 on the housing. Surface 56 of the housing extends in a direction which is substantially perpendicular with the axis of the filter.

[0044] Base surface 30 has two spaced inclined surface portions 32 on opposite sides of the base. Each of those portions carry one or more protrusions. Preferably, each of the one or more protrusions includes a complex set of protrusions, generally designated E. As illustrated, the complex set of protrusions E form a logo and the word AVALON, for example.

[0045] In the fully inserted position, base surface 30 abuts housing surface 56 and the filter can be rotated towards its fully rotated position. As the filter is rotated, housing surface 56 cooperates with the inclined base surface portions 32 of the base surface to move the housing surface 56 away from the base surface 30a small distance to allow the recesses on housing surface 56, generally designated F, to align with and receive the protrusions E on base surface 30. Protrusions E and recesses F are configured to be identical in shape, size and layout as the recesses such that when the protrusions are aligned with the recesses, the protrusions will be received in the recesses and allow base surface 30 to again abut housing surface 56.

[0046] The height of the protrusions is small and thus the incline of the base surface portions 32 may also be small, only enough to allow the housing surface to move away from the base surface such that the protrusions and recesses can aligned.

[0047] As seen in FIG. 6, the housing cavity 40 configured to receive neck 38. Cavity 40 has a chamber 40a and a chamber 40b. Chamber 40a is situated at the top of the housing and has a smaller diameter than chamber 40b to accept the smaller diameter top portion of the neck. Chamber 40b has a larger diameter and is configured to receive the larger bottom portion of the neck. The cavity is contoured to tightly accept the neck when the filter end is inserted into the housing in order to isolate the chambers 40a and 40b.

[0048] Port 48 in surface 44 of neck 38 is connected to chamber 40a when the filter end is received in the housing. An opening 60 in the wall of chamber 40a connects the chamber to pipe 22 of tube 20.

[0049] Ports 46 in surface 42 of neck 38 are connected to chamber 40b when the filter end is received in the housing. An opening 62 in the wall of chamber 40b connects chamber 40b and pipe 24. Chambers 40a and 40b are isolated from each other by neck 38 such that unfiltered water must pass through the filter material in the canister to get from the entrance port to the exit port of the filter. In order to do that, the parts of both interlocks must be interengaged such that the filter can be rotated to its fully rotated position and fully seated within the housing.

[0050] When the protrusions of each of the protrusion sets E are aligned with the recesses in each of the sets of recesses F, the filter end is locked in the housing. In the position, the filter ports and the housing ports are aligned and sealed to each other. Unfiltered water can then freely move from the supply, through the filter assembly and to the water cooler to be cooled and dispensed.

[0051] While the complex sets of protrusions/recesses which form the second interlock can be formed of in any pattern, as long as they are suitably complex, it is preferred that the individual parts be separated by spaces and be selected from the following group: geometric shapes, symbols, characters of various types such as letters, numbers or combinations thereof and may form words, logos, designs and the like.

[0052] In the preferred embodiment of the present invention illustrated in the figures, the second interlock is shown as spaced letters which form the word AVALON preceded by a symbol in the form of a logo, by way of example.

[0053] Referring generally to FIGS. 1-7, in one embodiment, a filter for a water cooler is provided that includes a housing C and a filter end B having an axis. Housing C includes a housing surface 56 defining a cavity 40 in the housing with a plurality of cavity ports 60, 62 therein, and one or more recesses F on the housing surface 56. Filter end B includes a substantially cylindrical base 28, a base surface 30, and a neck 38 extending from base surface 30. Base surface 30 extends in a plane substantially perpendicular to the filter end axis.

[0054] Neck 38 has a bottom section 70, a lower top section 72 extending upward from the bottom section 70, an upper top section 74 extending upward from the lower top section 72 and dimensionally smaller (e.g., smaller diameter) than the lower top section 72, and a plurality of filter ports 48, 46. The bottom section has a side surface, the upper top section 74 has a first planar top surface 76, and the lower top section 72 has a second planar top surface 78.

[0055] The upper top section 74 includes a planar step 80 extending upward from the first planar surface 76. Step 80 forms first and second teeth 84, 86 extending outward from a center (e.g., axis) of the upper top section 74. First and second teeth 84, 86 include a first and second edge 96, 98. First and second edges 96, 98 include planar surfaces that are parallel to each other and offset from the center of the upper top section 74. The planar surfaces may be orthogonal to the first planar surface 76 and/or the planar step 80.

[0056] The lower top section 72 includes a planar step 82 extending upward from the second planar surface 78. Step 82 forms third and fourth teeth extending outward from a center of the lower top section. Third and fourth teeth 88, 90 include a third and fourth edge 100, 102. Third and fourth edges 100, 102 include planar surfaces that are parallel to each other and offset from the center of the lower top section 72. Similarly, the planar surfaces of may be orthogonal to the second planar surface 78 and/or the planar step 82. First and third edges 96, 100 may be colinear, and second and fourth edges 98, 102 may be colinear, as shown in the figures.

[0057] Base surface 28 includes one or more inclined surface portions 32, 34 that include one or more base surface protrusions E extending from the one or more inclined surface portions. The one or more recesses F on the housing surface 56 are configured to receive the one or more base surface protrusions E.

[0058] The cavity in housing 40 includes an upper chamber 40a and lower chamber 40b. The upper chamber 40a is configured to receive the upper top section of neck 74 and the lower chamber 40b is configured to receive the lower top section of neck 72.

[0059] Filter end B is configured to be received in the housing C in bayonet-type fashion to align the plurality of filter ports 48, 46 with the plurality of cavity ports 60, 62.

[0060] In one embodiment, the one or more base surface protrusions E includes at least one of geometric shapes, symbols, alphanumeric characters, words, logos and designs.

[0061] In one embodiment, base surface 30 is convex and surrounds neck 38.

[0062] In one embodiment, upper top section 74 has a groove 92 separating the first planar surface 76 from the second planar top surface 78.

[0063] In one embodiment, groove 92 separating the first planar surface 76 from the second planar top surface 78 extends circumferentially about the upper top section 74.

[0064] In one embodiment, lower top section 72 has a groove 94 separating the second planar top surface 78 from the bottom section 70.

[0065] In one embodiment, groove 94 separating the second planar top surface 78 from the bottom section 70 extends circumferentially about the lower top section 72.

[0066] In one embodiment, at least one of the plurality of filter ports is disposed on the planar 80 step extending upward from the first planar surface 76.

[0067] In one embodiment, at least one of the plurality of filter ports is disposed on the planar step 82 extending upward from the second planar surface 78.

[0068] In one embodiment, one or more recessed side surface portions 52 extends in a direction substantially parallel to the filter end axis and includes a bottom edge and a top edge. One or more elongated protrusion 52 extends from the bottom edge of the one or more recessed side surface portions toward the top edge of the one or more recessed side surface portions.

[0069] In one embodiment, the housing comprises an upper tooth stop 104 extending inward toward a center of the upper chamber and a lower tooth stop 106 extending inward toward a center of the lower chamber. The upper tooth stop 104 is configured to engage either of the first and second edges 96, 98 of the first and second teeth, and the lower tooth stop 106 is configured to engage either of the third and fourth 100, 102 edges of the third and fourth teeth.

[0070] In one embodiment, at least one of the lower and upper tooth stops have an opening therein 62 for receiving flow from at least one of the plurality of filter ports.

[0071] In one embodiment, the housing cavity is configured to receive the filter end neck and has a cavity wall adapted to align with the side surface of the filter end neck. The cavity wall includes a channel through which the one or more elongated protrusions pass as filter end neck 38 is inserted into the housing such that the base surface abuts the cavity wall and the filter end neck 38 can be rotated relative to the housing. The housing surface is configured to cooperate with the one or more inclined surface portion of the base surface such that the one or more recesses can be aligned with and receive the one or more base surface protrusions. The filter end neck 38 is fully seated into the housing with the plurality of filter ports aligned with the plurality of cavity ports.

[0072] In one embodiment, the side surface of the neck includes one or more elongated protrusions 52.

[0073] While only a single preferred embodiment of the present invention has been disclosed for purposes of illustration, it is obvious that many modifications and variations could be made thereto. It is intended to cover all of those modifications and variations which fall within the scope of the present invention, as defined by the following claims.