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 
       [0001]    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 
       [0002]    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. 
         [0003]    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. 
         [0004]    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 
       [0005]    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. 
         [0006]    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. 
         [0007]    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. 
         [0008]    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. 
         [0009]    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 
         [0010]      FIG. 1  illustrates a refrigeration appliance incorporating a water dispenser embodying the principles of the present invention. 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  illustrates a stand alone water dispenser embodying the principles of the present invention. 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  schematically illustrates a first embodiment of a flavor insert embodying the principles of the present invention. 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  illustrates a side sectional view of a container for the flavor insert of  FIG. 3 . 
           [0014]      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. 
           [0015]      FIG. 6  illustrates a perspective sectional view of the flavor insert shown in  FIG. 5 . 
           [0016]      FIG. 7  illustrates a side sectional view of the flavor insert of  FIG. 5 . 
           [0017]      FIG. 8  illustrates a sectional view of the flavor insert of  FIG. 5  taken generally along the line VIII-VIII in  FIG. 7 . 
           [0018]      FIG. 9  illustrates a sectional view of the flavor insert of  FIG. 5  taken generally along the line IX-IX in  FIG. 7 . 
           [0019]      FIG. 10  illustrates a plan view of the flavor insert of  FIG. 5  with the foil seal removed. 
           [0020]      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. 
           [0021]      FIG. 12  illustrates a top perspective view of the third embodiment of a flavor insert embodying the principles of the present invention. 
           [0022]      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 
       [0023]    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. 
         [0024]    In  FIG. 1 , there is illustrated a water dispenser  20 A which is located in a door  22  of a refrigeration appliance  24 . In  FIG. 2 , there is illustrated a water dispenser  20 B 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. 
         [0025]    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. 
         [0026]    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 . 
         [0027]    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. 
         [0028]    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. 
         [0029]    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. 
         [0030]    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. 
         [0031]    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. 
         [0032]    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. 
         [0033]    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. 
         [0034]    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. 
         [0035]    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. 
         [0036]    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. 
         [0037]    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. 
         [0038]    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.