Abstract:
An oxygenated water dispensing system and method of operating the same for dispensing oxygen enriched water from at least one water source. Upon insertion of a payment into a payment acceptor system, a portion of oxygenated water is dispensed. In a second embodiment, a water source, either pressurized or non-pressurized in operatively attached to a soda fountain for dispensing water having an enhanced oxygen content.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    The present invention relates to the art of dispensing fluids such as drinking water, and more particularly to a dispensing system and method for dispensing oxygen enriched water.  
           [0003]    2. Description of Related Art  
           [0004]    Oxygen enriched drinking water has an enhanced taste appeal and offers the health and fitness conscious consumer an alternative and supplemental source of oxygen that is absorbed through the stomach. The term drinking water is intended to include, without limitation, spring water, filtered water, or water treated by the reverse osmosis process.  
           [0005]    The dissolved oxygen content of natural pure spring water ranges from between about 5 mg/liter to 9 mg/liter depending on the source of the water, purification and processing techniques applied prior to bottling, and other factors.  
           [0006]    However, no system has been adequately disclosed for providing oxygenated water on a mass scale for consumer consumption.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0007]    It is desirable to provide a water dispensing system for dispensing oxygen enriched water on a mass scale for consumer consumption. The term supersaturated is defined as a concentration of dissolved oxygen above the maximum that will occur naturally given a specific water temperature and atmospheric pressure. The saturated concentrations for oxygen dissolved in water over a range of temperatures and pressures are given in U.S. Pat. No. 5,747,079 which is hereby incorporated by reference.  
           [0008]    The present invention provides a new and improved water dispensing system and method of operating the same for dispensing oxygen enriched water having a dissolved oxygen content at a supersaturated level.  
           [0009]    The oxygen source may include an oxygen generator, and such generator may include a pressure swing adsorption oxygen generating apparatus. Alternatively, the oxygen source can be of various other forms including stored oxygen such as bottled oxygen.  
           [0010]    In one embodiment of the present invention an oxygenated water system comprises: at least one water source; a soda dispensing system for dispensing water from the at least one water source, wherein water dispensed from the soda dispensing system has dissolved oxygen at a supersaturated level.  
           [0011]    Another embodiment of the present invention provides an oxygenated water system comprising: at least one water source; a payment acceptor system, operatively attached to said water source; and a dispensing system, operatively attached to the payment acceptor system, for dispensing water from the at least one water source, wherein water dispensed from the dispensing system has dissolved oxygen at a supersaturated level.  
           [0012]    Another embodiment of the present invention provides a method comprising: providing a water source; inserting a payment into a payment acceptor system, operatively attached to the water source; and dispensing water from the at least one water source, wherein water dispensed from the dispensing system has dissolved oxygen at a supersaturated level.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0013]    The foregoing and additional brief description of the invention features of the present invention will become clearly apparent upon a reading of the ensuing detailed description together with the included drawings wherein:  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 1 illustrates a front perspective view of an oxygenated water vending system;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 2 illustrates a schematic view of a plurality of systems included within the oxygenated water vending system;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 3 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a plurality of interconnected pressurized containers;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 4 illustrates a front perspective view of a soda fountain for dispensing oxygenated water; and  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 5 illustrates an upright container for dispensing oxygenated water. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0019]    Although certain embodiments of the present invention will be shown and described in detail, it should be understood that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the appended claims. The scope of the present invention will in no way be limited to the number of constituting components, the materials thereof, the shapes thereof, the relative arrangement thereof, etc., which are disclosed simply as an example of the present invention. The features of the present invention are illustrated in detail in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout the drawings. Although the drawings are intended to illustrate the present invention, the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrates an oxygenated water vending system  10 . The oxygenated water vending system  10  includes a housing  12 , a payment acceptor system  14 , a water control system  16 , a dispensing system  18 , a spigot  20 , an oxygen generator  22 , at least one pressurized oxygen tank  24 A,  24 B, a vessel dispenser system  26 , at least one pressurized container  28 A,  28 B,  28 C, a cooling system  30 , and an overflow drain system  32 .  
         [0021]    The oxygen generator  22  provides oxygen  50  to the oxygen tanks  24 A and  24 B. The oxygen generator  22  may include a pressure swing adsorption apparatus  34  for generating oxygen. One oxygen generator that may be used is a molecular sieve generator as more fully described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,928,610 which is hereby incorporated by reference. A conduit  36  carries oxygen  50  from the oxygen generator  22 , through the check valve  38  and into the oxygen tank  24 A. The check valve  38  allows oxygen  50  to flow from the oxygen generator  22  to the oxygen tank  24 A and prevents oxygen  50  from flowing from the oxygen tank  24 A to the oxygen generator  22 . The oxygen tanks  24 A and  24 B store pressurized oxygen  50 . The oxygen tanks  24 A and  24 B are interconnected with a conduit  40 . A conduit  42  carries pressurized oxygen  50  from the oxygen tank  24 B, through the valve  44  and into the pressurized container  28 A. The water control system  16  opens and closes the valve  44  to regulate the supply of pressurized oxygen  50  to the pressurized containers  28 A,  28 B, and  28 C. In an alternate embodiment, the oxygen generator  22  is eliminated and oxygen tanks  24 A and  24 B supply pressurized oxygen  50  to the pressurized containers  28 A,  28 B, and  28 C.  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 3 illustrates the interconnection of the pressurized containers  28 A,  28 B, and  28 C. Oxygenated water  46  is illustrated in each pressurized container  28 A,  28 B, and  28 C with water levels  48 A,  48 B, and  48 C, respectively. Pressurized oxygen  50  enters the pressurized container  28 A through the conduit  42 . Oxygenated water  46  and pressurized oxygen  50  may flow through conduit  52  from the pressurized container  28 A to the pressurized container  28 B. Oxygenated water  46  and pressurized oxygen  50  may flow through conduit  54  from the pressurized container  28 B to the pressurized container  28 C. Oxygenated water  46  flows out of the pressurized container  28 C through a conduit  56 . Optionally, a water source, such as  300  and  400 , as illustrated in FIG. 4 may be used to provide water in either a non-oxygenated or oxygenated manner. The oxygenated water vending system  10  according to the present invention maintains a headspace  58 A,  58 B,  58 C in each pressurized container  28 A,  28 B,  28 C, respectively, at about 80-95% pure oxygen. Each pressurized container  28 A,  28 B,  28 C is typically a five gallon container, but three gallon or smaller size containers can be employed. The purpose of the oxygen rich headspaces  58 A,  58 B,  58 C are to maintain the dissolved oxygen concentration of the bottled water at about 25-125 mg/liter. The water  50  in the pressurized containers  28 A,  28 B,  28 C has previously has been supersaturated with oxygen at a water purification and bottling plant or other source immediately prior to filling into the pressurized containers  28 A,  28 B, and  28 C. Pressure in the pressurized containers may be about 60 psig.  
         [0023]    As illustrated in FIG. 2, the oxygenated water  46  flows from the pressurized container  28 C to the cooling system  30  through the conduit  56 . The cooling system  30  may include any suitable refrigeration system (e.g, compressor  60 , condenser, cooling coil, a thermoelectric device, etc.). The cooling system  30  cools the oxygenated water  46 .  
         [0024]    The cooled oxygenated water  46  flows from the cooling system  30  to the dispensing system  18  through a conduit  62  (FIG. 2). A control valve  64  turns on or off the flow of oxygenated water  46  from the cooling system to the dispensing system  18 . The control valve  64  is controlled by the water control system  16 . The dispensing system  18  includes the spigot  20  through which oxygenated water  46  leaves the dispensing system  18 . From the spigot  20  the oxygenated water  46  flows into a vessel  66 . The vessel  66  may be any suitable container (e.g., cup, can, bottle, etc.). Any oxygenated water  46  that does not flow into the vessel  66  is collected by the overflow drain system  32 . The overflow drain system  32  includes a collection tray  68 , a drain tube  70 , and a storage container  72  or directly into a drain  73 . The oxygenated water  46  that does not flow into the vessel  66  is collected in the collection tray  68  and flows through the drain tube  70  to the storage container  72  (FIG. 2).  
         [0025]    As illustrated in FIG. 1, the payment acceptor system  14  may receive payment  74  from a user in any suitable means (e.g., a coin, a bill, a token, a credit card, a debit card, etc.). Payment  74  may be inserted into at least one slot  76 A,  76 B in the payment acceptor system  14 . Change for overpayment may be returned through a return chamber  80  of the payment acceptor system  14 . Upon receipt of payment  74 , the payment acceptor system  14  sends an activation signal  80  to the water control system  16  through conduit  82  (FIG. 2). The water control system  16  directs the vessel dispenser system  26  to transfer a vessel  66  from a vessel storage unit  84  to a location  86  under the spigot  20 . Then, the water control system  16  opens the control valve  64  for a predetermined length of time allowing oxygenated water  46  to fill the vessel  66  by flowing through the spigot  20  into the vessel  66 . The user may then remove the filled vessel  66  from the oxygenated water vending system  10  and may drink the oxygenated water  46  from the vessel  66 .  
         [0026]    As illustrated in FIG. 1, the housing  12  may include a transparent door  88  covering an opening  90  in the housing  12  that allows access to the vessel  66 . The transparent door  88  covers or uncovers the opening  90 . The movement of the transparent door  88  is controlled by the water control system  16 . Normally the transparent door  88  covers the opening  90 . The transparent door  88  uncovers the opening  90  after the vessel  66  is filled with oxygenated water  46 , allowing the user to remove the vessel  66 . Next, the transparent door  88  recovers the opening  90 . Additionally, the housing  12  may include a light  92  for illuminating the vessel  66  as the vessel  66  is being filled with oxygenated water  46 . The water control system  16  controls turns the light on or off. The housing  12  may include a plurality of legs  94  for contacting a floor surface  96 .  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 4 illustrates a front perspective view of a soda dispenser  100 . A soda dispenser  100  is typically used to dispense carbonated beverage, ice and or water. The soda dispenser  100  may typically include an ice holder  110 , a drip tray  130 , an ice dispenser  138 , a cup-activated switch  139 , a water dispenser  132 , a water outlet  133 , a cup-activated switch  140 , carbonated beverage dispensers  134 ,  136 , carbonated beverage dispensers  135 ,  137  and cup-activated switches  141 ,  142 .  
         [0028]    At least one of many water sources  200 ,  300 ,  400  are provided for supplying water to the water dispenser  132 . A pressurized container, such as sump container  200  is shown having water  202  and a feed line  210 . The pressurized containers  28 A- 28 C may also be sump containers as shown in FIG. 5. FIG. 5 shows an exploded view of a pressurized container  200 . The pressurized container  200  has a lid gasket  220 , a lid  224 , a purge valve  222 , an inlet plug  238  for a level tube  240 , an outlet plug  228  for a dip tube  230 , an external O-ring  226 ,  232  for the plugs, and associated O-ring  242 . The pressurized container  200  includes an internal cavity  254 , a handle  252  for transportation, and an exterior  250 . The pressurized container  200  is typically made from stainless steel.  
         [0029]    Water source  300  is a water cooler type configuration having a bottle  302  and a feed tube  310 . The bottle  302  may be nonpressurized or pressurized prior to use.  
         [0030]    Water source  400  is a typical residential or commercial plumbing unit having a pipe  402 , a faucet  404  or other outlet and an inlet tube  410 .  
         [0031]    Water is fed from at least one water source  200 ,  300 ,  400  into the soda dispenser  100 . The water source may be either pressurized with supersaturated oxygen prior to dispensing, or oxygen may be added during dispensing through an oxygen generator  120 , pressurized oxygen bottle or the like in a manner similar to the embodiment of FIGS.  1 - 3 .  
         [0032]    The foregoing description of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed, and many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. For example, the pressurized container  28 ,  200 , may be made of any suitable material (e.g., steel, stainless steel, reinforced plastic, glass, etc.). Such modifications and variations that may be apparent to a person skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of this invention as defined by the accompanying claims.