DISPOSABLE FLAVOR INSERT FOR WATER DISPENSER

Abstract

A method of adding flavor additive to water, by providing a refrigerated appliance with a cabinet and a door configured to allow selective access to the inside of the cabinet providing a housing with a recess having a water dispensing outlet accessible from the outside of the door and a dispensing area, providing a flavor insert device with an inlet portion, an outlet portion, and a porous enclosure comprising a porous exterior and a supply of solid flavor particles within the porous exterior. Then by placing a receiving receptacle below the outlet of the flavor insert device, actuating a water valve permitting an amount of water to fall from the water dispensing outlet and into the inlet portion of the flavor insert device, adding a flavoring to the water, permitting the amount of water to flow to the outlet portion, and permitting the amount of water to flow out of the outlet portion and into the receiving receptacle.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 12/195,494 filed Aug. 21, 2008, which is a Continuation application of U.S. Pat. No. 7,472,643 filed Dec. 31, 2004, both of which are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Water dispensers are known, whether as a stand alone appliance, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,766,453 or in combination with another appliance, such as a refrigeration appliance, for example, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,672,097. Typically such water dispensers include a dispensing area which has a space to receive a receptacle, such as a cup, which is to be filled with water from the dispenser.

There are also known arrangements for adding flavors to water as it is dispensed into a receptacle. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,996,066 discloses a beverage flavoring cassette to be used in conjunction with a cup that the cassette attaches to. The cassette includes a supply of flavoring particles held within a ring between two filters. The cup and cassette are then placed over a receptacle for the flavored liquid, and water is dispensed into the open top of the cup. After use, the cassette is discarded and the cup must be cleaned so it can be reused with a fresh cassette which is packaged separately.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,292,527 discloses an apparatus for preparing and dispensing beverages from prefabricated cartridges in which the cartridge has a conical or frusto-conical shape with a sealed top opening and an openable apex end of the cone. Held within the cartridge is a loose supply of a product which provides the flavoring to the water. A perforated disc is also provided within the cartridge to provide a pressure drop within the cartridge and to act as a filter for the flavoring product. The sealed top of the cartridge is to be pierced by a water supply conduit when water is to introduced into the cartridge. The cartridge is held in place by lifting the body of the cartridge over a ring shaped support and then dropping the cartridge into the ring shaped support where it is held during the dispensing process.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a method for improved disposable flavor insert and water dispenser to allow for ease in flavoring water with a variety of different flavors, and ease in cleanup after the flavored water has been dispensed.

In an embodiment, a flavor insert device is provided including a cup which may have a flange extending around at least a portion of a periphery of the cup, a porous enclosure located in the cup, and a supply of solid flavor particles contained in the porous enclosure. In an embodiment, water is flowed from a water dispenser, into an inlet of the cup, through a flavor insert device, and out the perforated bottom of the cup into a receiving receptacle.

In an embodiment, the cup may include a water inlet and a water outlet and further may include a removable seal covering the water inlet and the water outlet. In an embodiment, the water flow is generated from a high point at the inlet portion of the cup, though the solid flavor particles in the porous enclosure to a low point at the outlet of the cup.

In an embodiment, the porous enclosure may be a porous bag and the cup may include retaining walls arranged to receive and secure the porous bag therein. In an embodiment, the cup is slid in a substantially horizontally manner onto a pair of receiving flanges rigidly fixed within the enclosure.

In an embodiment, the invention provides a method of adding flavoring to water by providing a water dispenser, including a housing for the dispenser, a dispensing area associated with the housing and including a space for receiving a receptacle for receiving a charge of water from the dispenser, a water outlet through which water is dispensed into the dispensing area, and a fixed flange support positioned between the water outlet and the dispensing area arranged to receive a flavor insert device in a substantially horizontally sliding manner. The water dispenser may be a stand alone appliance, or may be incorporated into another appliance, such as a refrigeration appliance.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 illustrates a refrigeration appliance incorporating a water dispenser embodying the principles of the present invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates a stand alone water dispenser embodying the principles of the present invention.

FIG. 3 schematically illustrates a first embodiment of a flavor insert embodying the principles of the present invention.

FIG. 4 illustrates a side sectional view of a container for the flavor insert of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 illustrates a perspective view of a second embodiment of a flavor insert embodying the principles of the present invention as held in a water dispenser.

FIG. 6 illustrates a perspective sectional view of the flavor insert shown in FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 illustrates a side sectional view of the flavor insert of FIG. 5.

FIG. 8 illustrates a sectional view of the flavor insert of FIG. 5 taken generally along the line VIII-VIII in FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 illustrates a sectional view of the flavor insert of FIG. 5 taken generally along the line IX-IX in FIG. 7.

FIG. 10 illustrates a plan view of the flavor insert of FIG. 5 with the foil seal removed.

FIG. 11 illustrates a perspective view of a third embodiment of a flavor insert embodying the principles of the present invention as held in a water dispenser.

FIG. 12 illustrates a top perspective view of the third embodiment of a flavor insert embodying the principles of the present invention.

FIG. 13 illustrates a top perspective view of a fourth embodiment of a flavor insert embodying the principles of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The present invention is directed to a water dispenser for dispensing a flavored water and to a flavor insert device for use with a water dispenser.

In FIG. 1, there is illustrated a water dispenser 20A which is located in a door 22 of a refrigeration appliance 24. In FIG. 2, there is illustrated a water dispenser 20B in a stand alone appliance 26. In any environment, whether as a stand alone appliance or as a part of another appliance, the water dispenser 20 (shown isolated in FIG. 3) includes a housing 28 and a dispensing area 30 associated with the housing and including a space (which may be in the form of a recess) for receiving a receptacle 32, such as a drinking glass for receiving a charge of water from the dispenser. A water outlet 34, such as a water dispenser tube is provided, through which water is dispensed into the dispensing area 30. A fixed flange support 36 is positioned between the water outlet 34 and said dispensing area 30 arranged to receive a flavor insert device 40 in a substantially horizontally sliding manner. The fixed flange support 36 may be in the form of a pair of spaced apart generally horizontal flanges spaced slightly below, and laterally to the sides of the water outlet 34. In this manner, the flavor insert device 40 can be positioned close to the water outlet 34 to minimize the space requirements for the flavor insert device, since there is no need to accommodate a full height of the flavor insert device above the fixed flange support 36. The flavor insert device 40 can be installed onto the water dispenser 20 easily from the front of the appliance.

In FIG. 3 there is schematically illustrated a first embodiment of the flavor insert device 40 which is in the form of a cup 42 having a flange 44 extending around at least a portion of a periphery of the cup. A porous enclosure 46 in the form of a porous bag is located in the cup 42. A supply of solid flavor particles 48 is contained in the porous bag 46. In this embodiment, a wall of the cup 42 is perforated as at 50. The cup 42 may be formed from a variety of materials, and in a preferred embodiment, it is formed of a plastic, such as polyethylene.

The porous bag 46 may be constructed in a variety of manners and from a variety of materials. It may be rigid, semi-rigid, part rigid and part flexible or completely flexible. The bag 46 may be formed of a metal, plastic or fiber perforated material, such as a mesh material including filter paper and tea bag material, or a solid material with a plurality of small openings therein. Preferably the openings are of a size smaller than the individual particles held in the bag 46.

To use this embodiment, the user selects a flavor insert device 40 of a desired flavor. The flavor insert device 40 may be kept in a supply container 52 (FIG. 4) for receiving a plurality of flavor inserts. Such a supply container 52 may have a moisture impervious body 54 and a removable lid 56 sealable to the body in a moisture impervious manner. Once a flavor insert device 40 is selected, it is inserted into the water dispenser 20 by sliding the flange 44 of the cup 42 onto the flange support 36. If the flavor insert device 40 is formed without a flange, the device may be slid into the flange support 36, with the flange support engaging and supporting the body of the flavor insert device itself. Either way, this will position the flavor insert device 40 directly below the water outlet 34 and above the receptacle 32. When water is dispensed from the water outlet 34, it will enter the open top of the cup 42 and will flow into the porous bag 46 containing the solid flavor particles 48. These solid particles 48, which may be in the form of crystals or powder, will then dissolve into the water and will flow out of the porous bag 46 to flow through the perforated wall 50 of the cup 42 and into the receptacle 32 as flavored water.

After the flavored water is completely dispensed, the receptacle 32 is removed and the flavor insert device 40 is disposed of. There is no mess to clean up since any residual mixture of flavor particles and water is contained within the flavor insert device 40. An endless variety of flavors are available to the user through the selection of an appropriate flavor insert device 40. If no additional flavor is desired, the flavor insert device 40 is not inserted into the dispenser 20, and the water will flow directly from the water outlet 34 and into the receptacle 32 without any hindrance since the flange support 36 is positioned laterally away from the water outlet.

In FIGS. 5-10 a second embodiment of a flavor insert device 40 is illustrated. In this embodiment, the flavor insert device 40 includes a cup 60 comprising a container having a hollow body. The cup 60 has a flange 62 extending around at least a portion of a periphery of the cup. A porous enclosure 64 in the form of a porous bag is located in the cup 60. The bag 64 may be similar in construction to the bag 46 described above. A supply of solid flavor particles 66 is contained in the porous bag 64. In this embodiment, the cup 60 includes a water inlet 68 and a water outlet 70. A removable seal 72 is provided to cover the water inlet 68 and the water outlet 70. The cup 60 may be formed from a variety of materials, and in a preferred embodiment, it is formed of a plastic, such as polyethylene.

In an embodiment as illustrated, the water inlet 68 and the water outlet 70 are coextensive and a single removable seal 72 covers both the inlet and outlet. When the water inlet 68 and the water outlet 70 are separate openings, separate seals 72 will be required.

In the illustrated embodiment, the cup 60 has a generally cubic rectangular shape with upstanding side walls 74, a back wall 76, a front wall 78 and a bottom wall 80. As illustrated in FIG. 7, the bottom wall 80 may slope downwardly from the back wall 76 to the front wall 78. The side walls 74, the back wall 76 and the bottom wall 80 are generally planar and smoothly connect with each other along liquid impervious joints. The front wall 78 is configured to have a spout 82 which defines the water outlet 70. The spout 82 comprises a necked down opening from the hollow interior of the cup 60 in that the spout includes short side walls 84 and a short bottom wall 86 leading to the water outlet 70 at the front side of the cup. The flange 62 extends around the entire periphery of the water outlet 70 and the water inlet 68, which are coextensive.

The seal 72 may be a foil seal, such as a lamination of aluminum foil and polyethylene, which can be applied to the flange 62 of the cup 60 by a well known induction or conduction heating process when the cup is formed of a plastic material. The polyethylene side is placed in contact with the container. When heat is applied, the polyethylene melts and bonds to the polyethylene cup 60. The use of a seal 72 provides that the flavor insert device is a sealed capsule, and no further special handling or use of specially sealed containers is required. The seal 72 can easily be removed from the flange 62 of the cup 60 by a manual grasping of a tab 87 and removal of the seal.

On the interior of the cup 60, retaining walls 88, such as ribs, may be arranged to receive and secure the porous bag 64 within the cup. In the arrangement illustrated, the front wall 78 also provides a short step at the front of the bottom wall 80 to prevent the porous bag 64 from sliding out of the cup 60 towards the spout 82. The porous bag 64 may also be held in the cup 60 simply by a press fit with the sidewalls 74 which then act as retaining walls, or by a heat stake between the porous bag material and one or more of the walls 74, 76, 78, 80 which then act as retaining walls, or other well known retention methods and constructions.

To use this embodiment, the user selects a flavor insert device 40 of a desired flavor. Once a flavor insert device 40 is selected, the protective seal 72 is removed. The flavor insert device 40 is then inserted into the water dispenser 20 by sliding the flange 62 of the cup 60 or the cup itself, if not provided with a flange, onto the flange support 36 of the water dispenser 20. This will position the flavor insert device 40 directly below the water outlet 34 and above the receptacle 32. In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 5-10, the position of the flavor insert device 40 relative to the water dispenser 20 will be determined by a continuation of the flange support 36 across the back of the flavor insert device receiving area to provide a stop against further movement in the insertion direction. An alternative embodiment is illustrated in FIGS. 11 and 12 in which the flavor insert device 40 is identical in all respects to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 5-10, with the single exception that stop tabs 90 are formed on the flange 62, which stop tabs will engage with the flange support 36 when the flavor insert device 40 is fully inserted into position. This arrangement can be used to avoid the necessity of having the flange support or other stop arrangement extend across the back of the flavor insert device receiving area. In all other respects, the flavor insert devices shown in FIGS. 5-10 and in FIGS. 11-12 are used in an identical manner.

When water is dispensed from the water outlet 34, it will enter the water inlet 68 and will flow into the porous bag 64 containing the solid flavor particles 66. These solid particles 66, which may be in the form of crystals or powder, will then dissolve into the water and will flow out of the porous bag 64 to flow through the spout 82 of the cup 60 and into the receptacle 32 as flavored water.

After the flavored water is completely dispensed, the receptacle 32 is removed and the flavor insert device 40 is disposed of. There is no mess to clean up since any residual mixture of flavor particles and water is contained within the flavor insert device 40. An endless variety of flavors are available to the user through the selection of an appropriate flavor insert device 40. If no additional flavor is desired, the flavor insert device 40 is not inserted into the dispenser 20, and the water will flow directly from the water outlet 34 and into the receptacle 32 without any hindrance since the flange support 36 is positioned laterally away from the water outlet.

In FIG. 13 a fourth embodiment of a flavor insert device 40 is illustrated. In this embodiment, the flavor insert device 40 is formed nearly identical to the cup 60 described above, with the exception that a sump or well 92 is formed in the bottom wall 80 of the cup. The supply of solid flavor particles are received in the well 92, and the well is then covered with a porous material 94 to form a porous enclosure within the flavor insert device. The porous material (of any of the types described above) may be heat staked to the bottom wall 80 surrounding the well 92. As described above with respect to FIGS. 6 and 7, a removable seal 72 is provided to cover the water inlet 68 and the water outlet 70. The cup 60 may be formed from a variety of materials, and in a preferred embodiment, it is formed of a plastic, such as polyethylene.

As is apparent from the foregoing specification, the invention is susceptible of being embodied with various alterations and modifications which may differ particularly from those that have been described in the preceding specification and description. It should be understood that we wish to embody within the scope of the patent warranted hereon all such modifications as reasonably and properly come within the scope of our contribution to the art.

Claims

1. A method of enabling a flavor additive to be added to a drinking water dispenser, comprising:

providing a refrigerated appliance with a cabinet and a door configured to allow selective access to the inside of the cabinet;

providing a housing with a recess having a water dispensing outlet accessible from the outside of the door;

providing a flavor insert device with an outer shell, a flange, and a porous enclosure comprising a porous exterior and a supply of solid flavor particles within the porous exterior;

placing the flavor insert device on a support disposed below the water dispensing outlet within the recess;

placing a receiving receptacle below the flavor insert device;

actuating a water valve;

permitting an amount of water to fall from the water dispensing outlet and into the outer shell of the flavor insert device;

adding a flavoring to the amount of water; and

permitting the amount of water to flow out a perforated bottom portion of the outer shell and into the receiving receptacle.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of receiving the flavor insert device in a fixed flange at the dispensing outlet in a substantially horizontal sliding manner.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the adding step is accomplished by dissolving the solid flavor particles in the amount of water.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the adding step is accomplished by dissolving the solid flavor particles in the amount of water.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of providing a prepackaged set of a plurality of flavor insert devices.

6. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of removing one of the flavor insert devices from the prepackaged set of flavor insert devices.

7. A method of adding flavor additive to water, comprising:

providing a refrigerated appliance with a cabinet and a door configured to allow selective access to the inside of the cabinet;

providing a housing with a recess having a water dispensing outlet accessible from the outside of the door and a dispensing area;

providing a flavor insert device with an inlet portion, an outlet portion, and a porous enclosure comprising a porous exterior and a supply of solid flavor particles within the porous exterior;

placing a receiving receptacle below the outlet of the flavor insert device;

actuating a water valve;

permitting an amount of water to fall from the water dispensing outlet and into the inlet portion of the flavor insert device;

adding a flavoring to the water;

permitting the amount of water to flow to the outlet portion; and

permitting the amount of water to flow out of the outlet portion and into the receiving receptacle.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of receiving the flavor insert device in a fixed flange comprising a pair of supports rigidly fixed between the dispensing outlet and the dispensing area and spaced apart laterally relative to the flow of the amount of water.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the adding step is accomplished by dissolving the solid flavor particles in the amount of water.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the adding step is accomplished by dissolving the solid flavor particles in the amount of water.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of removing a seal from the top of the flavor insert device.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the flow of water from the inlet portion to the outlet portion is accomplished by sloping a bottom wall of the flavor insert device from a high point at the inlet portion to a low point at the outlet portion.

13. The method of claim 7 further comprising the step of preventing the flavor insert device from sliding out of the outlet portion by configuring a step in the outlet portion.

14. A method of adding flavor to water from a refrigerator with an external water dispenser, comprising:

providing a refrigerated appliance with a cabinet and a door configured to allow selective access to the inside of the cabinet;

providing a housing with a recess having a water dispensing outlet accessible from the outside of the door and a dispensing area;

providing a flavor insert device with an inlet portion, an outlet portion, and a porous enclosure comprising a porous exterior and a supply of solid flavor particles within the porous exterior;

placing a receiving receptacle below the outlet of the flavor insert device;

actuating a water valve;

permitting a flow of water from: a water dispensing outlet to the inlet portion; from the inlet portion to the flavor inert device; from the flavor inlet device to the outlet portion; and from the outlet portion to the receiving receptacle; and

adding a flavoring to the water;

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of receiving the flavor insert device in a fixed flange comprising a pair of supports rigidly fixed between the dispensing outlet and the dispensing area and spaced apart laterally relative to the flow of the amount of water.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the adding step is accomplished by dissolving the solid flavor particles in the amount of water.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the adding step is accomplished by dissolving the solid flavor particles in the amount of water.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of removing a seal from the top of the flavor insert device.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the flow of water from the inlet portion to the outlet portion is accomplished by sloping a bottom wall of the flavor insert device from a high point at the inlet portion to a low point at the outlet portion.

20. The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of preventing the flavor insert device from sliding out of the outlet portion by configuring a step in the outlet portion.