Abstract:
A drip catcher, having a length adjustable neck, having hook at the top for engaging a spout pipe of a fluid reservoir, and a basin, containing a removable absorbent pad and three sided slot on the flattened rear side of the basin to accommodate the legs of an alligator clasp in the neck, teeth extending from the outside edge of both legs which engage the sides of the slot, said neck having a channel created by cutting three sides of a brace, bendable rearward to support the invention in vertical alignment to the spout, so the teeth may be disengaged.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    This invention relates generally to an improved device for catching drips from the spout of a dispensing reservoir for liquids such as coffee, which device removably attaches to the pipe which conveys fluid to a spout, to include reservoirs having the spout protected by a band affixed around it, and suspends a basin below the outlet of the spout, which basin may be provided with a removable absorbent pad, and integrally contains a means to align the device directly beneath the spout. 
         [0002]    There have been previous attempts to solve the problem of drips from the spout of a dispensing reservoir which stain table linen upon which the reservoir is resting or even creating a slipping hazard where the drips collect on the floor below the counter upon which the reservoir is resting. Prior art has included basins affixed to plates upon which the reservoir is placed, such as Leatheran et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,960,995 and Gribble et al, U.S. Pat. No. 6,968,979 B2, or basins to be suspended from the neck of the spout of the reservoir, such as Jordon, U.S. Pat. No. 5,470,011, and Fuller, U.S. Pat. No. 5,690,138 which rely upon the side of the table or counter upon which the reservoir rests to align the basin with the outlet of the spout. Another means known to align a basin below the spout is mechanical attachment of the top of the basin to the neck of the spout by engagement of ribs in the spout, such as Konar, U.S. Pat. No. 6,279,781 B1, or physically clamping the top of the basin to the neck of the spout, such as Wolfe, U.S. Pat. No. 1,703,284. Kach, U.S. Pat. No. 7,216,778 B2 discloses a “self-leveling” drip catcher which tries to solve the alignment problem by off-setting the center of gravity to the rear of the vertical axis of the basin. Further overly complex attempts to solve the problem are disclosed in Boussemart U.S. Patent Application No. 20070209521 and Cahen, U.S. Patent Application No. 20070000944. 
         [0003]    The limitations of the prior art are: 1. None are removably attachable to the neck of a spout which is protected by a band encircling the spout, which is done to protect the spout from damage when the reservoir is being transported or from incidental impact when in use. 2. None are short enough to function with dispensing reservoirs, such as those currently in use by Starbucks and other major franchises. 3. None are provided with a removable absorbent pad which allows emptying of the basin without removing it from the neck of the reservoir. 4. None are designed to be inexpensively manufactured in two parts, the neck and the basin, with the ability to adjust the height of the device to accommodate different dispensing reservoirs. 5. None are provided with an integral means to align the basin with the outlet of the spout. 
         [0004]    It is an object of this invention to provide a basin and means for removably suspending it from the neck of a spout of any dispensing reservoir and an integral means for aligning the basin directly below the outlet of the spout. It is a further object of this invention to provide a removable absorbent pad within the basin so that accumulated fluid can be removed from the basin without the need to detach the basin from the reservoir. It is a further object of this invention to provide for inexpensive manufacture of the device in two parts, the hook neck extension, which engages the spout pipe and is adjustable in length at its attachment point to the basin, and the basin. 
         [0005]    Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the drawings, the specification and the claims. 
       SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
       [0006]    This invention satisfies these objects in that it is comprised of a neck, adjustable in length, with a hook at the top for engaging a spout pipe protruding from the side of a fluid reservoir, and a fluid tight basin containing a removable absorbent pad and having a three sided slot extending from the flat rear side of the basin to accommodate the two legs of an alligator clasp at the end of the neck opposite to the hook, said alligator clasp having teeth extending from the outside edge of both legs which engage the sides of the slot and the neck having a channel created by cutting three sides of a brace from the center of the neck parallel to and extending the length of the legs, said channel being of sufficient width so that the alligator clasp legs may be squeezed together to disengage the teeth from the sides of the slot, while the brace remains attached at its top end to the neck and can be bent rearward from the neck to contact the side of the fluid reservoir or support for the fluid reservoir so that the basin is maintained in vertical alignment with the outlet end of the spout, and the hook is offset from the alligator clasp so that the vertical axis of the fluid drip catcher is aligned with the outlet spout. 
         [0007]    The novel features of the invention will be best understood from the following description in light of the accompanying drawings. While particular embodiments of the present invention are shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from this invention in its broader aspects and, therefore, the aim of the appended claims is to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]      FIG. 1  is a right side perspective view of the invention installed on a reservoir; 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is a front perspective view of the neck portion of the invention; 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is a top perspective view of the basin portion of the invention; 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is a top perspective view of the rear of the basin portion of the invention; 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  is a rear perspective view of the engagement of the neck on the basin; 
           [0013]      FIG. 6  is an aspect view of the invention installed on a reservoir equipped with a protective band over its spout; 
           [0014]      FIG. 7  is an aspect view of an alternative embodiment of the invention used in conjunction with another version of a portable fluid reservoir; 
           [0015]      FIG. 8  is an aspect view of the alternative embodiment of the invention; 
           [0016]      FIG. 9  is a front perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the invention for use with multiple reservoirs; 
           [0017]      FIG. 10  is a bottom view of the alternative embodiment for use with multiple reservoirs. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0018]    With reference to  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  5 , the Drip Catcher ( 1 ) is shown in its preferred embodiment as installed on the spout pipe ( 17 ) extending from the exterior face of a fluid reservoir ( 29 ). The hook ( 16 ) partially encircles the spout pipe ( 17 ) between the reservoir ( 29 ) and its spout ( 25 ) so that the Drip Catcher ( 1 ) hangs beneath the spout outlet ( 27 ) and the hook ( 16 ) is formed in a tapered inverted ‘V’ ( 38 ) so as to maintain correct alignment of the basin ( 3 ) directly below and in line with the vertical axis ( 18 ) of the spout ( 25 ). The hook ( 16 ) extends from the extreme edge of the top of the neck ( 2 ) and is displaced from the vertical axis ( 18 ) of the spout pipe ( 17 ) the diameter of the spout pipe ( 17 ) so that when the hook ( 16 ) rests upon the spout pipe ( 17 ) the basin ( 3 ) is directly below the spout outlet ( 27 ). The neck ( 2 ) is provided at its lower end with a means to adjust the distance from the hook ( 16 ) to the basin ( 3 ) so as to accommodate different size cups ( 28 ) between the top of the basin ( 5 ) and the spout outlet ( 27 ), which adjustment means is comprised of an alligator clasp ( 10 ) in the lower end of the neck ( 2 ) formed by cutting three sides of a brace ( 14 ), with the top of the brace ( 15 ) remaining attached to the neck ( 2 ), which brace ( 14 ) is bent rearward away from the basin ( 3 ) a sufficient distance to touch the face of the fluid reservoir ( 29 ) or the counter ( 37 ) upon which the fluid reservoir ( 29 ) rests thereby aligning the basin ( 3 ) with the spout outlet ( 27 ), the result of removing the brace ( 14 ) from the neck ( 2 ) is to form two legs ( 11 ) extending downward from the hook ( 16 ), which legs are provided along their outside edge ( 23 ) a series of equally spaced teeth ( 12 ) having the top of the teeth ( 21 ) a flat face perpendicular to the neck, which top edge of a pair of teeth, extending from the outside edge of both legs ( 23 ) engages the sidewalls ( 19 ) of a slot ( 8 ) formed on the flattened rear wall ( 7 ) of the basin ( 3 ). The channel ( 13 ) formed in the neck by removal of the brace ( 14 ) is of sufficient width to that the two legs ( 11 ) may be squeezed together a sufficient distance to disengage the teeth ( 12 ) from the sidewall of the slot ( 19 ) to change the overall length of the Drip Catcher ( 1 ) or disassemble the neck ( 2 ) from the basin ( 3 ). 
         [0019]    With reference to  FIG. 1 , the basin ( 3 ) is shown with a disposal absorbent pad ( 4 ). 
         [0020]    With reference to  FIG. 6 , the Drip Catcher ( 1 ) is shown installed upon a fluid reservoir ( 29 ) equipped with a protective band ( 30 ) to prevent damage to the spout ( 25 ) when in transit. The access to the spout and spout pipe ( 17 ) in this arrangement is severely limited so that the neck ( 2 ) of the Drip Catcher ( 1 ) is rotated  90  degrees from its designed alignment and inserted under the protective band ( 30 ) until the hook ( 16 ) is above the top edge of the spout pipe ( 24 ) then again rotated 90 degrees so that the hook ( 16 ) extends over and engages the spout pipe ( 17 ). 
         [0021]    Because of the various designs of fluid reservoirs ( 29 ), especially the confined dimensions of the fluid reservoir ( 29 ) with the protective band ( 30 ) utilized by commercial coffee companies, such as Starbucks, the preferred embodiment of the Drip Catcher ( 1 ) has defined dimensions. The basin ( 3 ) is 2 inches high with an open top ( 5 ) and fluid tight bottom ( 6 ), being 4 inches in diameter ( 9 ), and fitted with a disposable absorbent pad ( 4 ) 1 inch thick and slightly less that 4 inches in diameter so as to fit within the interior of the basin ( 3 ). With reference to  FIGS. 3 ,  4  and  5 , the rear wall ( 7 ) of the basin ( 3 ) is flattened and to which is affixed a three sided slot ( 8 ) being 1 inch wide and having side walls ( 19 ) extending perpendicular out from the rear wall ( 7 ) and being no higher than the distance between the teeth ( 12 ) on the legs ( 11 ) of the neck ( 2 ), which teeth ( 12 ) protrude from the outside edge ( 23 ) of both legs a distance of ¼ inch, so that the basin ( 3 ) is supported by the bottom edge of the sidewalls ( 20 ) of the slot communicating with the top edge ( 21 ) of the teeth ( 12 ) of the alligator clasp when the legs ( 11 ) are in the neutral position. The top of the first set of teeth ( 12 ) nearest the hook ( 16 ) is 6½ inches from the top of the hook ( 16 ). The top of the second set of teeth ( 12 ) is 7 inches from the top of the hook ( 16 ) and the top of the bottom set of teeth is 7½ inches from the top of the hook ( 16 ), so that the minimum distance between the top of the spout pipe ( 17 ) and the bottom ( 6 ) of the basin ( 3 ) is 8 inches and the maximum distance between the top of the spout pipe ( 17 ) and the bottom ( 6 ) of the basin ( 3 ) is 9 inches. This allows the basin ( 3 ) to be placed below the spout outlet ( 27 ) a distance to accommodate various sizes of cups ( 28 ). 
         [0022]    Due to the force of gravity, the basin ( 3 ) tends to rotate around the hook ( 16 ) toward the surface of the reservoir ( 29 ), so that a brace is necessary to restrict said rotation and thus maintain the relation of the basin ( 3 ) directly beneath the spout outlet ( 27 ). The brace ( 14 ) is bent rearward from the top of the brace ( 15 ) which remains attached to the neck ( 2 ) at the top of the channel ( 13 ) until it makes contact with either the face of the fluid reservoir ( 29 ) or the counter or stand upon which the fluid reservoir ( 29 ) is resting. Thus the basin ( 3 ) is maintained in vertical alignment with the spout outlet ( 27 ) to catch any drips from said spout ( 25 ) when there is not a cup ( 28 ) located underneath the spout outlet ( 27 ) or overflow from said cup ( 28 ). The disposable absorbent pad ( 4 ) can be removed and replaced without disturbing the position of the Drip Catcher ( 1 ) on the spout pipe ( 17 ). 
         [0023]    In an alternative embodiment of the invention, as shown in  FIGS. 7 &amp; 8 , the invention is adapted to fit on a portable fluid reservoir ( 29 ) which has sides that flare ( 34 ) as they descend from the top which has a tapered spout ( 35 ) which will not restrain the hook ( 16 ) in the preferred embodiment. The neck ( 2 ), brace ( 14 ), alligator clasp ( 10 ) and basin ( 3 ) remain the same as in the preferred embodiment. The hook ( 16 ) is replaced by a flexible necklace ( 31 ) which is of sufficient length to encircle the fluid reservoir ( 29 ) and ends in a small hook ( 32 ) which engages one of multiple eyes ( 33 ) located along the length of the necklace ( 31 ) proximal to the neck ( 2 ). Thus the basin is located under the tapered spout ( 35 ) by adjusting the overall length of the necklace ( 31 ). Further, to maintain the orientation of the basin ( 3 ) below the spout outlet ( 27 ), the brace ( 14 ) is bent beyond 90 degrees so that it determines the distance of the top of the neck ( 2 ) from the flared side ( 34 ) of the fluid reservoir ( 29 ). 
         [0024]    A further alternative embodiment of the invention is shown in  FIGS. 9 &amp; 10 . This embodiment allows the use of the invention with a bank of multiple reservoirs set side by side, each having its own spout pipe ( 17 ) and spout ( 25 ). The neck ( 2 ), brace ( 14 ) and alligator clasp ( 10 ) remain the same as in the previous embodiments. The elongated basin ( 36 ), being of rectangular shape with water tight bottom ( 39 ), is adjustably elongated ( 36 ) by means of one half of the elongated basin ( 36 ) being of smaller dimension so that the smaller section ( 40 ) slides into the larger section ( 41 ) through a water proof gasket ( 42 ) and each section has multiple slots ( 8 ) along its rear face to accommodate the alligator clasp ( 10 ) of the drip catcher neck ( 2 ). Drip catcher necks ( 2 ) are engaged into slots ( 8 ) spaced so that the elongated basin ( 36 ) is suspended from spout pipes ( 17 ) in a balanced manner. 
         [0025]    The foregoing disclosure and description of the invention are illustrative and explanatory thereof and, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in the size, shape and materials, as well as in the details of the illustrated construction, may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention.