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 of the type having a housing with a cavity and cavity ports, said filter comprising an end and an axis, said filter end comprising a substantially cylindrical base having a base surface extending in a plane substantially perpendicular to said filter axis and a neck extending from said base surface, said neck having filter ports and a side surface, said side surface of said neck comprising an elongated protrusion extending in a direction substantially parallel to said axis, said base surface comprising an inclined surface portion having one or more protrusions extending from said inclined surface portion, said filter end being configured to be received in the housing in bayonet-type fashion to align said filter ports and the cavity ports.

2. The filter of claim 1 wherein said protrusions comprises a complex set of protrusions 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.

3. The filter of claim 1 wherein said one or more protrusions comprise letters which spell a word.

4. The filter of claim 1 wherein said one or more of protrusions comprise a symbol representing a designation of origin.

5. The filter of claim 1 wherein said one or more protrusions extend along said inclined surface portion of said base surface.

6. The filter of claim 1 wherein said base surface is convex.

7. The filter of claim 1 wherein said base surface surrounds said neck.

8. The filter of claim 1 wherein said side surface of said neck extends in a direction substantially parallel to said filter axis.

9. The filter of claim 1 wherein said side surface of said neck has a bottom edge and a top edge and wherein said elongated protrusion extends from said bottom edge of said side surface of said neck.

10. The filter of claim 1 wherein said side surface of said neck has a bottom edge and a top edge and wherein said elongated protrusion extends from a location proximate said bottom edge toward said top edge.

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

12. A filter for a water cooler having a housing with a cavity and cavity ports, said filter comprising an end and an axis, said filter end comprising a substantially cylindrical base having a base surface and a neck extending from said base surface, said neck comprising filter ports and a side surface, said side surface of said neck having first and second spaced elongated protrusions extending in the direction of said filter axis, said base surface comprising first and second inclined base surface portions, each of said inclined base surface portions having a set of one or more protrusions, said filter end being configured to be received in the housing in bayonet-type fashion to align said filter ports and the cavity ports.

13. The filter of claim 12 wherein each of said first and second one or more protrusions on said inclined base surface portions comprises a complex set of protrusions 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.

14. The filter of claim 13 wherein each of said complex set of protrusions comprise letters which spell a word.

15. The filter of claim 13 wherein each of said complex set of protrusions comprise a symbol representing a designation of origin.

16. The filter of claim 12 wherein said base surface extends in a direction substantially perpendicular to said filter axis.

17. The filter of claim 12 wherein said base surface is convex.

18. The filter of claim 12 wherein said base surface surrounds said neck.

19. The filter of claim 12 wherein said side surface extends in a direction substantially parallel to said filter axis.

20. The filter of claim 12 wherein said side surface has a bottom edge and wherein said elongated protrusions extend from a location proximate said bottom edge.

21. The filter of claim 12 wherein said side surface has a bottom edge and a top edge and wherein said elongated protrusion extends from a location proximate said bottom edge toward said top edge.

22. In combination, the filter of claim 12 and a housing associated with the water cooler, said housing comprising a surface, a cavity and cavity ports, said housing being configured to receive said filter end and comprising a cavity wall adapted to align with said side surface of said filter neck, said housing surface comprising first and second sets of one or more recesses, said cavity wall comprising first and second channels through which said elongated protrusion pass as said filter end is inserted into said housing such that said base surface abuts said housing surface and said filter end can be rotated relative to said housing, said housing surface being configured to cooperate with said inclined base surface portions such that said each of said sets of one or more protrusions can be aligned with and be received in each of said sets of one or more recesses, respectively, wherein said filter end can be fully seated into said housing with said filter ports aligned with said cavity ports.

23. A filter for a water cooler in combination with a housing associated with the water cooler, said housing comprising a surface, a cavity and cavity ports, said filter comprising an end and an axis, said filter end comprising a substantially cylindrical base having a base surface and a neck extending from said base surface, said neck having filter ports and a side surface, said side surface of said neck comprising an elongated protrusion, said base surface comprising an inclined base surface portion having a complex set of protrusions, said cavity comprising a cavity wall adapted to align with said side surface of said filter neck, said cavity wall comprising a channel through which said elongated protrusion passes as said filter end is inserted into said housing such that said base surface abuts said housing surface and said filter end can be rotated relative to said housing, said housing surface being configured to cooperate with said inclined base surface portion such that said one or more protrusions can be aligned with and received in said set of one or more recesses, wherein said filter end can be fully seated into said housing with said filter ports aligned with said cavity ports.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF DRAWINGS

[0026] 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:

[0027] FIG. 1 is an exploded view of the filter canister, filter end, housing and cap;

[0028] FIG. 2 is an elevation view of the front end of the filter;

[0029] FIG. 3 is an isometric view of the filter end showing the top, front and side;

[0030] FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the filter end;

[0031] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the housing showing the bottom, front and left side;

[0032] FIG. 6 is a bottom plan view of the housing; and

[0033] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the housing showing the bottom, rear and right side.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0034] 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.

[0035] 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.

[0036] 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.

[0037] 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.

[0038] 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.

[0039] 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.

[0040] 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.

[0041] 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.

[0042] 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.

[0043] 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.

[0044] 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.

[0045] 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.

[0046] 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.

[0047] 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.

[0048] 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.

[0049] See 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.

[0050] 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.

[0051] 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.

[0052] 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.

[0053] 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.

[0054] 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.

[0055] While only a single preferred embodiment of the present invention hse 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: