대표
청구항
▼
1. A method for converting a portable container into a portable container having a fountain drink dispenser comprising: providing a portable container, said portable container having a top opening that provides access to an internal cavity of said portable container, said internal cavity having a capacity of one quart to five gallons;providing a liquid pump, said liquid pump removably connectable to said top opening of said portable container and to form a liquid seal between said liquid pump and said top opening of said portable container when said liqu...
1. A method for converting a portable container into a portable container having a fountain drink dispenser comprising: providing a portable container, said portable container having a top opening that provides access to an internal cavity of said portable container, said internal cavity having a capacity of one quart to five gallons;providing a liquid pump, said liquid pump removably connectable to said top opening of said portable container and to form a liquid seal between said liquid pump and said top opening of said portable container when said liquid pump is connected to said portable container; said liquid pump including a single top portion, a single elongated body, a single bottom portion, a single electric motor and a power supply designed to power said single electric motor; said electric motor supported in the bottom portion and designed to draw fluid into said single bottom portion, through said single elongated body and to said single top portion when said electric motor is activated, said single bottom portion fluidly connected to said single elongated body and said single elongated body fluidly connected to said single top portion such that when fluid is drawn into said single bottom portion, the fluid can flow out of said single bottom portion and into said single elongated body and then out of said single elongated body and into said single top portion; said top portion including a single dispenser activator and a single dispenser head, said single dispenser activator designed to activate said electric motor, said single dispenser head designed to enable fluid that flows to said single top portion to exit said single top portion through said single dispenser head; a majority of said elongated body includes a single piece flexible tube;inserting said single bottom portion and at least a portion of said single elongated body through said top opening of said portable container until said single top portion is positioned on said top opening of said portable container and said single bottom portion is at least partially submerged in liquid;removably securing said single top portion of said liquid pump to said top opening of said portable container to form said liquid seal between said liquid pump and said portable container; and,actuating said single dispenser activator so that power from said power supply energizes said single electric motor to cause fluid in said cavity of said portable container to be drawn into said single bottom portion through one or more openings in said single bottom portion, and then through said single bottom portion and into said single elongated body, and then through said single elongated body and into said single top portion, and out through said single dispenser head. 2. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein said step of actuating said single dispenser activator includes positioning a glass or cup under an opening in said single dispenser head while simultaneously moving the glass or cup into contact with said dispenser activator which contact by said glass or cup causes said actuation of said single dispenser activator, said single dispenser activator includes a pivotable tab that is movable between an activation position that causes said electric motor to activate and a deactivation position that causes said electric motor to deactivate, said pivotable tab biased in said deactivation position, said pivotable tab positioned below at least a portion of said single dispenser head. 3. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein said liquid pump includes a single flexible connector adaptor secured to a bottom portion of said single top portion of said liquid pump, said single flexible connector adaptor including a cavity having a plurality of cross-section sizes to enable said cavity to connect to a plurality of different sized openings on different portable containers, at least a portion of a wall of said cavity is flexible, said flexible wall of said cavity including at least one grasping tab extending downwardly from said flexible wall, said flexible wall can be rolled up onto itself, said step of removably securing said single top portion of said liquid pump to said top opening of said portable container including inserting at least a portion of said single flexible connector adaptor about said top opening of said portable container when said liquid pump is removably connected to said portable container, said single flexible connector at least partially forming said liquid seal. 4. The method as defined in claim 2, wherein said liquid pump includes a single flexible connector adaptor secured to a bottom portion of said single top portion of said liquid pump, said single flexible connector adaptor including a cavity having a plurality of cross-section sizes to enable said cavity to connect to a plurality of different sized openings on different portable containers, at least a portion of a wall of said cavity is flexible, said flexible wall of said cavity including at least one grasping tab extending downwardly from said flexible wall, said flexible wall can be rolled up onto itself, said step of removably securing said single top portion of said liquid pump to said top opening of said portable container including inserting at least a portion of said single flexible connector adaptor about said top opening of said portable container when said liquid pump is removably connected to said portable container, said single flexible connector at least partially forming said liquid seal. 5. The method as defined in claim 3, wherein said flexible wall is designed to be rolled up onto itself, and further including the step of at least partially rolling up said flexible wall prior to securing said liquid pump to said portable container and then unrolling said flexible wall about said top opening of said portable container once said single top portion of said liquid pump is positioned in said portable container. 6. The method as defined in claim 4, wherein said flexible wall is designed to be rolled up onto itself, and further including the step of at least partially rolling up said flexible wall prior to securing said liquid pump to said portable container and then unrolling said flexible wall about said top opening of said portable container once said single top portion of said liquid pump is positioned in said portable container. 7. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein said single bottom portion fully contains said single electric motor and said single top portion fully contains said power supply, at least a portion of an electrical connection is positioned inside said single elongated body and is isolated from fluid flowing through said single elongated body as fluid flows from said single bottom portion through said single elongated body portion and to said single top portion. 8. The method as defined in claim 6, wherein said single bottom portion fully contains said single electric motor and said single top portion fully contains said power supply, at least a portion of an electrical connection is positioned inside said single elongated body and is isolated from fluid flowing through said single elongated body as fluid flows from said single bottom portion through said single elongated body portion and to said single top portion. 9. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein a bottom end of said single elongated body is connected to a top end of said single bottom portion, said single bottom portion and said single elongated body have a longitudinal length and a maximum width, said longitudinal length of said single bottom portion less than said longitudinal of said single elongated body, said maximum width of said single bottom portion greater than said maximum width of said single elongated body, said single bottom portion includes a bottom opening and a plurality of base ribs extending downwardly from a bottom surface of said single bottom portion, said base ribs designed to prevent sealing of said bottom opening with a bottom surface of cavity of said portable container when said single bottom portion is placed in said cavity of said portable container. 10. The method as defined in claim 8, wherein a bottom end of said single elongated body is connected to a top end of said single bottom portion, said single bottom portion and said single elongated body have a longitudinal length and a maximum width, said longitudinal length of said single bottom portion less than said longitudinal said single elongated body, said maximum width of said single bottom portion greater than said maximum width of said single elongated body, said single bottom portion includes a bottom opening and a plurality of base ribs extending downwardly from a bottom surface of said single bottom portion, said base ribs designed to prevent sealing of said bottom opening with a bottom surface of cavity of said portable container when said single bottom portion is placed in said cavity of said portable container. 11. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein said single dispenser head includes an upwardly angled internal passageway to inhibit or prevent flow of liquid through an opening in said single dispenser head after said motor is deactivated, said angle about 0.5-10°. 12. The method as defined in claim 10, wherein said single dispenser head includes an upwardly angled internal passageway to inhibit or prevent flow of liquid through an opening in said single dispenser head after said motor is deactivated, said angle about 0.5-10°. 13. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein said single top portion includes a removably connected power supply cover positioned in a top surface of said single top portion, said removably connected power supply cover designed to enable a user to access and replace said power supply located in said single top portion without having to disconnect said liquid pump from said portable container. 14. The method as defined in claim 12, wherein said single top portion includes a removably connected power supply cover positioned in a top surface of said single top portion, said removably connected power supply cover designed to enable a user to access and replace said power supply located in said single top portion without having to disconnect said liquid pump from said portable container. 15. A method for converting a portable container into a portable container having a fountain drink dispenser comprising: providing a portable container, said portable container having a single top opening that provides access to an internal cavity of said portable container, said internal cavity having a capacity of one quart to five gallons;providing a liquid pump, said liquid pump removably connectable to said top opening of said portable container and to form a liquid seal between said liquid pump and said top opening of said portable container when said liquid pump is connected to said portable container; said liquid pump including a single top portion, a single elongated body, a single bottom portion, a single electric motor supported in the single bottom portion and a power supply designed to power said single electric motor; said electric motor designed to draw fluid into said single bottom portion, through said single elongated body and to said single top portion when said electric motor is activated, said single bottom portion fluidly connected to said single elongated body and said single elongated body fluidly connected to said single top portion such that when fluid is drawn into said single bottom portion, the fluid can flow out of said single bottom portion and into said single elongated body and then out of said single elongated body and into said single top portion; said top portion including a single dispenser activator and a single dispenser head, said single dispenser activator designed to activate said electric motor, said single dispenser head designed to enable fluid that flows to said single top portion to exit said single top portion through said single dispenser head; a majority of said elongated body includes a single piece flexible tube, said single bottom portion fully contains said single electric motor and said single top portion fully contains said power supply, at least a portion of an electrical connection is positioned inside said single elongated body and is isolated from fluid flowing through said single elongated body as fluid flows from said single bottom portion through said single elongated body portion and to said single top portion, said single dispenser head includes an upwardly angled internal passageway to inhibit or prevent flow of liquid through an opening in said single dispenser head after said motor is deactivated, said angle about 0.5-10′;inserting said single bottom portion and at least a portion of said single elongated body through said top opening of said portable container until said single top portion is positioned on said top opening of said portable container and said single bottom portion is at least partially submerged in liquid;removably securing said single top portion of said liquid pump to said top opening of said portable container to form said liquid seal between said liquid pump and said portable container; and,actuating said single dispenser activator so that power from said power supply energizes said single electric motor to cause fluid in said cavity of said portable container to be drawn into said single bottom portion through one or more openings in said single bottom portion, and then through said single bottom portion and into said single elongated body, and then through said single elongated body and into said single top portion, and out through said single dispenser head, said step of actuating said single dispenser activator includes positioning a glass or cup under an opening in said single dispenser head while simultaneously moving the glass or cup into contact with said dispenser activator which contact by said glass or cup causes said actuation of said single dispenser activator, said single dispenser activator includes a pivotable tab that is movable between an activation position that causes said electric motor to activate and a deactivation position that causes said electric motor to deactivate, said pivotable tab biased in said deactivation position, said pivotable tab positioned below at least a portion of said single dispenser head. 16. The method as defined in claim 15, wherein said liquid pump includes a single flexible connector adaptor secured to a bottom portion of said single top portion of said liquid pump, said single flexible connector adaptor including a cavity having a plurality of cross-section sizes to enable said cavity to connect to a plurality of different sized openings on different portable containers, at least a portion of a wall of said cavity is flexible, said flexible wall of said cavity including at least one grasping tab extending downwardly from said flexible wall, said flexible wall can be rolled up onto itself, said step of removably securing said single top portion of said liquid pump to said top opening of said portable container including inserting at least a portion of said single flexible connector adaptor about said top opening of said portable container when said liquid pump is removably connected to said portable container, said single flexible connector at least partially forming said liquid seal. 17. The method as defined in claim 16, wherein said flexible wall is designed to be rolled up onto itself, and further including the step of at least partially rolling up said flexible wall prior to securing said liquid pump to said portable container and then unrolling said flexible wall about said top opening of said portable container once said single top portion of said liquid pump is positioned in said portable container. 18. The method as defined in claim 15, wherein a bottom end of said single elongated body is connected to a top end of said single bottom portion, said single bottom portion and said single elongated body have a longitudinal length and a maximum width, said longitudinal length of said single bottom portion less than said longitudinal of said single elongated body, said maximum width of said single bottom portion greater than said maximum width of said single elongated body, said single bottom portion includes a bottom opening and a plurality of base ribs extending downwardly from a bottom surface of said single bottom portion, said base ribs designed to prevent sealing of said bottom opening with a bottom surface of cavity of said portable container when said single bottom portion is placed in said cavity of said portable container. 19. The method as defined in claim 15, wherein said single top portion includes a removably connected power supply cover positioned in a top surface of said single top portion, said removably connected power supply cover designed to enable a user to access and replace said power supply located in said single top portion without having to disconnect said liquid pump from said portable container.
