초록 ▼

An adapter to convert a conventional water cooler designed for use with substantially rigid water bottles as the source of water to use of bag-in-box liquid containers as the source of water includes a holder for removably holding a bag-in-box liquid container in place of the water bottle at the top

An adapter to convert a conventional water cooler designed for use with substantially rigid water bottles as the source of water to use of bag-in-box liquid containers as the source of water includes a holder for removably holding a bag-in-box liquid container in place of the water bottle at the top of the water cooler and a liquid supply line connectable to a bag dispensing fitting of a bag-in-box liquid container positioned in the holder and a water bottle opening cap engaging pin above a water reservoir in the water cooler. Water from the bag-in-box liquid container can flow by gravity from the bag-in-box liquid container through the liquid supply line and the water bottle opening cap engaging pin into the reservoir. A water level controller to control the flow of water from the bag-in-box container into the water reservoir to control the level of water in the reservoir can also be included.

대표청구항 ▼

1. An adapter for allowing a bag-in-box liquid container having a collapsible bag containing the liquid within the box and a bag dispensing fitting extending from the bag for dispensing liquid from the bag, to be used with a conventional water cooler designed to use a substantially rigid water bottl

1. An adapter for allowing a bag-in-box liquid container having a collapsible bag containing the liquid within the box and a bag dispensing fitting extending from the bag for dispensing liquid from the bag, to be used with a conventional water cooler designed to use a substantially rigid water bottle having a water bottle opening with a water bottle opening cap as the source of water and having a water cooler body with a reservoir therein adapted to receive the substantially rigid water bottle positioned in inverted orientation at the top of the water cooler body with the water bottle opening extending into the water cooler body above the reservoir and having a water bottle opening cap engaging pin adapted to extend through the water bottle opening cap into the water bottle opening wherein water from the substantially rigid water bottle flows by gravity through the water bottle opening cap engaging pin through the water bottle opening from the substantially rigid water bottle into the reservoir and when water from the substantially rigid water bottle reaches a desired level in the reservoir, the water closes the bottle opening to the flow of air into the bottle thereby stopping flow of water from the substantially rigid water bottle into the reservoir, and including a user operated reservoir outlet to dispense water from the reservoir when desired by a user, comprising: a holder for removably holding a bag-in-box liquid container in place of the water bottle at the top of the water cooler body; anda liquid supply line having opposite ends, one end adapted for removable attachment to the bag dispensing fitting when a bag-in-box liquid container is positioned in the holder and the opposite end adapted to connect with the water bottle opening cap engaging pin whereby water from the bag-in-box liquid container can flow by gravity from the bag-in-box liquid container through the bag dispensing fitting, the liquid supply line, and the water bottle opening cap engaging pin into the reservoir. 2. An adapter for allowing a bag-in-box liquid container to be used with a conventional water cooler according to claim 1, wherein the water bottle opening cap engaging pin includes openings therein positioned to receive liquid to flow through the water bottle opening cap engaging pin to the reservoir, and wherein the end of the liquid supply line adapted to connect with the water bottle opening cap engaging pin connects in liquid flow communication with the openings. 3. An adapter for allowing a bag-in-box liquid container to be used with a conventional water cooler according to claim 2, wherein the end of the liquid supply line adapted to connect with the water bottle opening cap engaging pin includes an adapter fitting configured to fit over an end of the water bottle opening cap engaging pin and form a liquid chamber around the openings wherein water will flow from the liquid supply line into the liquid chamber and into the openings. 4. An adapter for allowing a bag-in-box liquid container to be used with a conventional water cooler according to claim 3, wherein the liquid chamber is sealed around the water bottle opening cap engaging pin. 5. An adapter for allowing a bag-in-box liquid container to be used with a conventional water cooler according to claim 4, wherein the adapter fitting removably fits over the end of the water bottle opening cap engaging pin. 6. An adapter for allowing a bag-in-box liquid container to be used with a conventional water cooler according to claim 2, wherein the end of the liquid supply line adapted to connect with the water bottle opening cap engaging pin removably connects in liquid flow communication with the openings. 7. An adapter for allowing a bag-in-box liquid container to be used with a conventional water cooler according to claim 1, wherein the end of the liquid supply line adapted to connect with the water bottle opening cap engaging pin is adapted to removably connect with the water bottle opening cap engaging pin. 8. An adapter for allowing a bag-in-box liquid container to be used with a conventional water cooler according to claim 1, additionally including means for controlling flow of liquid into the reservoir to control the level of liquid in the reservoir. 9. An adapter for allowing a bag-in-box water container to be used with a conventional water cooler according to claim 8, wherein the reservoir is sealed and includes a vent from the reservoir to the atmosphere, wherein the means for controlling flow of liquid from the supply line into the reservoir to control the level of water in the reservoir includes a vent valve in the vent from the reservoir to the atmosphere responsive to the level of the liquid in the reservoir to allow flow of air through the vent into the reservoir when the level of the liquid in the reservoir is below a desired level and to stop flow of air from the reservoir when the level of liquid in the reservoir is at the desired level. 10. An adapter for allowing a bag-in-box water container to be used with a conventional water cooler according to claim 9, wherein the vent has an entrance in the reservoir, wherein the entrance is positioned in the reservoir at the desired level of liquid in the reservoir, and wherein the vent valve is a hydrophobic membrane that allows air to pass therethrough and does not allow liquid to pass therethrough whereby when the liquid is below the entrance, air can flow through the membrane and vent and when the liquid is in contact with the membrane, air cannot flow through the membrane and vent. 11. An adapter for allowing a bag-in-box water container to be used with a conventional water cooler according to claim 9, wherein the vent valve is a float valve in the vent responsive to the level of liquid in the reservoir whereby when the liquid in the reservoir is below the desired level, the float is below a float seat to allow flow of air through the vent and when the level of the liquid is at the desired level, the float is against the float seat to prevent flow of air through the vent. 12. An adapter for allowing a bag-in-box water container to be used with a conventional water cooler according to claim 8, wherein the means for controlling flow of liquid from the supply line into the reservoir to control the level of water in the reservoir includes a flow valve responsive to the level of the liquid in the reservoir at a location where the water flows into the reservoir to allow flow of liquid from the supply line into the reservoir when the level of the liquid in the reservoir is below a desired level and to stop flow of liquid from the supply line into the reservoir when the level of liquid in the reservoir is at the desired level. 13. A method of converting a conventional water cooler designed to use as a source of water a substantially rigid water bottle having a water bottle opening with a water bottle opening cap as the source of water and having a water cooler body with a reservoir therein adapted to receive the substantially rigid water bottle positioned in inverted orientation at the top of the water cooler body with the water bottle opening extending into the water cooler body above the reservoir and having a water bottle opening cap engaging pin adapted to extend through the water bottle opening cap into the water bottle opening wherein water from the substantially rigid water bottle flows by gravity through the water bottle opening cap engaging pin through the water bottle opening from the substantially rigid water bottle into the reservoir and when water from the substantially rigid water bottle reaches a desired level in the reservoir, the water closes the bottle opening to the flow of air into the bottle thereby stopping flow of water from the substantially rigid water bottle into the reservoir, to a water cooler adapted to use as a source of water a bag-in-box liquid container having a collapsible bag containing the liquid within the box and a bag dispensing fitting extending from the bag for dispensing liquid from the bag, comprising: adding a holder for removably holding a bag-in-box liquid container in place of the water bottle at the top of the water cooler body; andconnecting one end of a liquid supply line having opposite ends to the water bottle opening cap engaging pin, the opposite end adapted for removable attachment to the bag dispensing fitting when a bag-in-box liquid container is positioned in the holder whereby when the opposite end is attached to a bag dispensing fitting of a bag-in-box liquid container positioned in the holder, water from the bag-in-box liquid container can flow by gravity from the bag-in-box liquid container through the bag dispensing fitting, the liquid supply line, and the water bottle opening cap engaging pin into the reservoir. 14. A method of converting a conventional water cooler designed to use a substantially rigid water bottle as the source of water to a water cooler using a bag-in-box liquid container as the source of water according to claim 13, additionally including positioning a bag-in-box liquid container having a liquid contained in the bag therein in the holder and attaching the end of the liquid supply line adapted for removable attachment to the bag dispensing fitting to the bag dispensing fitting of the bag-in-box liquid container positioned in the holder. 15. A method of converting a conventional water cooler designed to use a substantially rigid water bottle as the source of water to a water cooler using a bag-in-box liquid container as the source of water according to claim 14, additionally including providing means for controlling flow of liquid from the bag-in-box liquid container into the reservoir to control the level of liquid in the reservoir. 16. A method of converting a conventional water cooler designed to use a substantially rigid water bottle as the source of water to a water cooler using a bag-in-box liquid container as the source of water according to claim 13, additionally including providing means for controlling flow of liquid from the bag-in-box liquid container into the reservoir to control the level of liquid in the reservoir.