Abstract:
An apparatus and method is disclosed for conveniently reducing spillage from dispensers. A base secures to, or is secured by the base. A holder secures to the base and receives a disposable cup. The disposable cup is typically readily available and may be readily replaced when the cup becomes full. The holder may be adjustable with respect to the dispenser to vary the position of the holder with respect to a spigot. The holder may be secured to the dispenser in an out-of-the-way position for ready storage and transportation. An adjustable holder, or a selectively inserted insert, may enable the holder to accommodate disposable cups of differing sizes.

Description:
THE FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     This invention relates to apparatus and methods for preventing unwanted spillage of fluids from dispensers, and more particularly to portable beverage dispensers having a hand operated spigot.  
       BACKGROUND  
       [0002]     At sporting events and other indoor and outdoor activities it is common to have a beverage dispenser. The dispenser is typically insulated and has a hand operated spigot for dispensing beverages into cups and like receptacles. Typically, the spigot is prone to leak. Even spigots that do not leak are prone to dripping as liquid within the spigot drains therefrom. In either case, liquid tends to spill onto the ground or floor. Such spillage may create a slippery surface. Spillage of sweetened beverages will inevitably lead to a sticky mess, with each person using the dispenser tracking the liquid across the ground or floor.  
         [0003]     Prior systems for preventing such problems involve apparatus that integrate a dedicated catch basin and a holder of some type securing the catch basin to the dispenser. However, such systems may be bulky and present some problems in operation. For example, if the catch basin fills and must be emptied, the spills must either go uncatched during emptying or a second catch basin must be provided. Both alternatives increase inconvenience to a user. Requiring a second catch basin adds further difficulty and expense by requiring a user to bring the second catch basin when the device is used and requiring a user to purchase two catch basins.  
         [0004]     It would be an advancement in the art to provide a device for catching spillage that could use commonly available receptacles. Such a device would decrease the expense of such a device and allow for ease of operation. It would be a further advance in the art to provide a catch basin comprising the same type of disposable receptacle used by the people dispensing liquid from the dispenser, such as a plastic or paper cup.  
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     An invention is described herein providing an apparatus and method for conveniently and inexpensively collecting spillage from a beverage dispenser. A base is secured to the beverage dispenser, or secured by the beverage dispenser to a supporting surface. A holder secures to the base and is sized to receive a plastic or paper cup. The holder may be embodied as a ring. The ring may be monolithically, or integrally, formed with the base. The ring may be adjustable whether by alteration of shape or by insertion of an adapter to receive differently sized receptacles.  
         [0006]     The base may have various configurations. The base may secure to the side or to the bottom surface of the beverage dispenser. The base may be adjustable with respect to the dispenser, or the holder may be adjustable with respect to the base, to position the holder in a desired position with respect to the spigot. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0007]     The operation and functionality of the invention will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Understanding that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are, therefore, not to be considered limiting of its scope, the invention will be described with additional specificity and detail through use of the accompanying drawings in which:  
         [0008]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a dispenser and holder, in accordance with the invention;  
         [0009]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a holder and base in accordance with the invention;  
         [0010]      FIG. 3  is a front view of an alternative embodiment of a base, in accordance with the invention;  
         [0011]      FIG. 4  is a front view of the base of  FIG. 3  in a stowed position, in accordance with the invention;  
         [0012]      FIG. 5  is a side view of the base of  FIG. 3  in a stowed position, in accordance with the invention;  
         [0013]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a base and holder having an insert in accordance with the invention; and  
         [0014]      FIG. 7  is a process flow diagram of a method for collecting spills in accordance with the invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0015]     It will be readily understood that the components of the present invention, as generally described and illustrated in the Figures herein, may be arranged and designed in a wide variety of different configurations. Thus, the following more detailed description of the embodiments of the system and method of the present invention, as represented in  FIGS. 1 through 7 , is not intended to limit the scope of the invention, as claimed, but it is merely representative of the presently preferred embodiments of the invention.  
         [0016]     The presently preferred embodiments of the invention will be best understood by reference to the drawings, wherein like parts are designated by like numerals throughout.  
         [0017]     Those of ordinary skill in the art will, of course, appreciate that various modifications to the details illustrated  FIGS. 1 through 7  may easily be made without departing from the essential characteristics of the invention. Thus, the following description is intended only as an example, and simply illustrates one presently preferred embodiment consistent with the invention as claimed herein.  
         [0018]     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , an apparatus  10  may include a dispenser  12 . The dispenser  12  may be used for containing and dispensing liquids, may be insulated or uninsulated, and have any size or shape known in the art. In the illustrated embodiment, the dispenser is a cooler  12  having a cylindrical cross section and planar lower surface  16 . The dispenser may include a spigot  18 , or like structure, for selectively releasing fluid from the dispenser  12 .  
         [0019]     A base  20  may secure to the dispenser  12 . Alternatively the weight of the dispenser  12  may secure the base to a supporting structure such as a table, or like structure upon which the dispenser  12  sits. In the embodiment of  FIG. 1 , the base  20  is a plate  22 . The plate  22  may have a perimeter approximating the perimeter of the lower surface  16 . Alternatively the plate  22  may simply include sufficient surface area to engage the bottom surface  16  to prevent unintended removal of the plate due to the weight of any loads placed thereon or accidental bumping. For example, the plate could be formed as a rectangular strip extending substantially to the center, or past the center, of the bottom surface  16 .  
         [0020]     A holder  24  may secure to the base. The holder may secure a receptacle for collecting spillage from the spigot  18 . The holder  24  may be embodied as a ring  26  having an aperture  27 . Alternatively, the holder may be two arms, a substantial portion of a ring, a square hole, or the like.  
         [0021]     In some embodiments, the apparatus  10  may include a web to maintain the holder  24  distanced from the base  20 . In the illustrated embodiment, the web is a strip  30  of material extending between the holder  24  and the base  20 . In some embodiments, the holder  24 , web  28 , and base  20  may be formed monolithically out of the same work piece or material. For example, a plate  22 , ring  26 , and strip  30  may be formed out of a single sheet of plastic, metal, or other suitable material. A ring  26  may be formed by simply cutting a hold in the sheet of material.  
         [0022]     The inner diameter of the ring  32  may be sized to receive a receptacle  34 . The receptacle  34  may be a commonly available structure that is readily available, and in some embodiments, disposable. For example, the receptacle  34  may be a disposable cup  36 . In most uses of a dispenser  12 , disposable cups  36  will be used. Accordingly, a disposable cup will be a good receptacle due to its disposability and ready availability. A particular advantage of the providing a holder  24  receiving a disposable cup is that no additional preparation or equipment is required to replace the receptacle  34  or to provide an initial receptacle  34 . In typical use, disposable cups will be available to server beverages independent of the need to catch drips.  
         [0023]     Referring to  FIG. 3 , in some embodiments a base  20  may be embodied as arms  50  extending along a surface of the dispenser  12 . For example, the arms  50  may extend upwardly along the dispenser  12 . The arms  50  may be separated by a distance  52 . Separation may enable the arms  50  to lay flat along the surface of the dispenser  12  without interfering with the spigot  18 . In the illustrated embodiment, the arms  50  are strips  54  of material, such as metal or plastic secured to the holder  24 , such as a ring  26 . The strips  54  of material may be formed integrally or monolithically with the ring  26 .  
         [0024]     A base  20  may include a plurality of engagement portions  56  for engagement with the dispenser  12 . A plurality of engagement portions  56  may enable the position of the holder  24  relative to the spigot  18  to be varied. In the illustrated embodiment, the engagement portions  56  may be embodied as grooves  58  formed in the strips  54 . Alternatively, the engagement portions  56  may be tabs, or like structure extending from the strips  54 .  
         [0025]     The engagement portions  56  may engage a securement portion  60  secured to, or forming part of the dispenser  12 . For example, a clip  62  may engage the grooves  58  to secure the base  20  to the dispenser  12 . In some embodiments, the securement portion  60  may be embodied as one side of a VELCRO, or like fastener, secured to the dispenser  12 . Accordingly, the engagement portions  56  may be embodied as strips of VELCRO, extending the entire length of the strips  54  or secured at discreet points on the strips  54 .  
         [0026]     Referring to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , in some embodiments, the apparatus  10  may be placed in a stowed position with the holder  24  positioned out of the way. For example, the holder may be positioned below the lower surface  16 , or facing the lower surface  16  of the dispenser as illustrated. The engagement portions  56  may engage the securement portion  60  in a like manner as in  FIG. 3 . In some embodiments, sections of Velcro may be provided on either side of the strips  54  so that the strips may be secured to the dispenser  12  in both stowed and deployed positions.  
         [0027]     Referring to  FIG. 6 , in some embodiments the holder  24  may be modified to accommodate receptacles  34  of varying sizes. For example, disposable cups come in various different sizes. In order to be of greatest utility, a holder  24  should accommodate multiple sizes of cups  36 . Accordingly, the holder  24  may be modifiable by for example, bending or twisting the holder to change its shape. For example, the holder  24  may be made of resilient but bendable wire that retains its deformed shape if bent, or of resilient but bendable plastic capable of selective deformation. Alternatively, the holder  24  may be configured to be constrictable, for example a strip of plastic that may be drawn across a catch, preventing its release unless manually disengaged (e.g. a releasable zip-tie). Thus, the inner diameter  32  of the ring  26  may be reduced or expanded.  
         [0028]     In the illustrated embodiment, an insert  782  is embodied as an insert ring  74  having an outer diameter  76  larger than the inner diameter  32  of the ring  36  forming the holder  24 . The inner diameter  78  of the ring  74  may be sized to accommodate a cup  36  of arbitrary size. In some embodiments, a lip  80 , rim  80 , or like structure  80  may engage the inner surface of the ring  36  to maintain the ring  74  registered with respect to the ring  36 .  
         [0029]     In some embodiments the center  82  of the hole defined by the ring  74  may be eccentric with the perimeter of the insert  72 . That is to say, a smaller cup  36  may not necessarily be positioned to catch drips, whereas a larger cup having a larger cross section is more readily positioned to catch drips. Accordingly, an insert  72  accommodating smaller cups may likewise position the center of the hole defined by the ring  74  such that it is positioned to catch drips.  
         [0030]     Referring to  FIG. 7 , a process  88  may be employed to make use of the apparatus  10 . The process  88  may include securing  90  the base to the dispenser. Securing  90  may be accomplished by resting the dispenser  12  on the base  20 , or by securing the arms  50  to the dispenser  12 . The process  88  may include inserting  92  a disposable cup  36  into the holder  24 . The process  88  may include replacing the disposable cup  36  with a second disposable cup  36 . The process  88  may include adjusting  96  the holder position. Adjusting  96  may include securing the moving the point of securement of the securement portion  60  from one engagement portion  56  to another engagement portion  56 . The process  88  may include stowing  98  the holder. Stowing the holder  98  may include positioning the holder  24  in a position unavailable for catching drips and yet still secured to the dispenser  12 . For example, the holder  98  may be positioned as illustrated in  FIG. 4 .  
         [0031]     The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative, and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims, rather than by the foregoing description. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.