ENCLOSURE FOR USE WITH A GRAVITY FED FLUID DISPENSING SYSTEM

• US 20110253742A1
• Filed: 04/14/2010
• Published: 10/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Lang, Arthur V., Dyer, John J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,579,162 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 222/23
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 3/044 and venting means operated automatically with the tap
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 3/046 and venting means operated automatically with the tap

Abstract

An enclosure for use with a gravity fed fluid dispensing system includes a housing comprising a base member and a cover member, and an actuator movably connected with the housing and arranged to rotate the bottle within the housing.

Claims

1. An enclosure for use in connection with a gravity fed fluid dispensing system including a dispensing unit and a bottle rotatably connected with the dispensing unit and movable between a closed position and an open dispensing position, the enclosure comprising:

(a) a housing comprising a base member and a cover member movably connected with the base member, the base member and cover member defining an interior chamber sized to receive the bottle and allow for rotation of the bottle relative to the dispensing unit; and

(b) an actuator movably connected with the housing and arranged to rotate the bottle within the chamber.

2. An enclosure as defined in claim 1, wherein the cover member is movable between an open position that allows access to the chamber, thereby allowing a bottle to be connected with and/or disconnected from the dispensing unit, and a closed position that restricts access to the chamber, thereby preventing the bottle from being removed from the dispensing unit.

3. An enclosure as defined in claim 1, wherein the actuator includes a handle and a bottle engagement member rotatably connected with the cover member, the bottle engagement member being arranged to engage and rotate the bottle relative to the dispensing unit when the cover member is in its closed position and the handle is rotated.

4. An enclosure as defined in claim 1, wherein the cover member includes opposed first and second opposed major surfaces, and wherein the handle is arranged adjacent the cover member first major surface, and the bottle engagement member is arranged adjacent the cover member second major surface.

5. An enclosure as defined in claim 1, wherein the bottle engagement member comprises a pair of spaced walls extending outwardly from the cover member second major surface.

6. An enclosure as defined in claim 1, wherein the actuator further includes a biasing member, and wherein when the bottle is inverted and connected with the dispensing unit, the biasing member is arranged to engage the bottom of the bottle when the cover member is in its closed position, thereby to exert pressure against the bottle in the direction of the dispensing unit.

7. An enclosure as defined in claim 3, wherein the handle is separable from the cover member.

8. An enclosure as defined in claim 7, wherein the handle includes a manually actuatable latch that allows the handle to be manually disconnected from the cover member.

9. An enclosure as defined in claim 3, wherein the handle is a circular dial.

10. An enclosure as defined in claim 3, wherein the handle comprises a lever extending outwardly beyond the outer periphery of the cover member.

11. An enclosure as defined in claim 1, further comprising an alarm for indicating when the bottle has been actuated to its dispensing position.

12. An enclosure as defined in claim 11, wherein the actuator includes a cam member operatively associated with the bottle engagement member, and further wherein the cam is arranged to activate the alarm when the actuator is rotated to urge the bottle into its dispensing position.

13. An enclosure as defined in claim 1, further comprising a lock for securing the cover member to the base member.

14. An enclosure as defined in claim 1, wherein the base member includes a transparent window portion for allowing a user to view the condition of the bottle.

15. An enclosure as defined in claim 1, wherein the base member includes an upper opening, and wherein the cover member is movable to provide access to the base member upper opening, thereby allowing a user to insert the bottle into the dispensing unit.

16. A gravity fed fluid dispensing assembly, comprising:

(a) a dispensing unit;

(b) a bottle movably connected with the dispensing unit; and

(c) an enclosure as defined in claim 1.

17. A dispensing station comprising a plurality of dispensing assemblies as defined in claim 16, wherein each dispensing assembly is in fluid communication with the next adjacent dispensing assembly.