Abstract:
A portable water cooler including a cooler housing having guides for expeditiously receiving a water jug and ice to surround the water jug after it is received within the housing. A cooler lid can be removably coupled to the cooler housing after receiving the water jug and ice. A water dispensing faucet is sealed to the received water jug to provide a sealed environment.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a portable water cooler for efficiently receiving an inverted water jug and ice to surround the water jug in which a sealed environment is created. 
     Description of Related Art 
     Water coolers are known which include enclosures or compartments for ice. U.S. Pat. No. 648,904 describes a cylindrical form adapted to be removably supported within an enclosure, leaving a free space between the receptacle and the enclosure-walls adapted to contain a supply of cracked ice for maintaining the water at a low temperature. Drip water from melted ice can be drawn off with a petcock. This system is stationary and cumbersome. Further, this patent has the shortcomings of not providing a portable housing and not providing a sealed environment within the cooler. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 1,004,490 describes a cooler providing means confining a refrigerant, such as ice, wholly around a bottle. A water cooler includes a casing having an opening therein at one end. A water receptacle is located in the casing and spaced from the walls thereof and is provided at one end with a neck portion which extends through the opening in the casing. A rest is located in the casing and wholly supports the water receptacle. A depending collar is formed on the rest and extends into the opening in the casing. The bottom of the bottle rests directly upon the seat formed upon the bottom member. This construction is desirable so that the bottom is spaced from the bottom member so as to form a drain space. In inserting a full bottle in the chamber, the bottle is set in an upright position, after which, the casing of the cooler is inverted and placed over the bottle so as to cause the neck of the bottle to extend through the opening. When these parts are properly assembled with each other the cooler is placed in its operative position, after which, the ice chamber is inserted in the chamber. A drain chamber which is in direct communication with the ice chamber allows the weight of water from the ice to circulate about the collar which can be used to cool that portion of the bottle immediately adjacent the discharge end thereof. This patent has the drawback that ice is not received around the neck of the bottle for cooling of the water exiting from the bottle. Also, this water cooler is not portable and does not provide a sealed environment with the received water bottle. 
     It is desirable to provide an improved portable water cooler which provides guidance for receiving an inverted water jug and allows ice to surround the received water jug in which a sealed environment is created. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a portable water cooler in which a cooler housing provides guides for expeditiously receiving a water jug and ice to surround the water jug after it is received within the housing. A cooler lid can be removably coupled to the cooler housing after receiving the water jug and ice. The cooler housing and cooler lid can be formed of a light weight insulating material. A water dispensing faucet is sealed to the received water jug to provide a sealed environment. 
     In one embodiment, a receiving jacket mount provides alignment of the water jug with a faucet tube connected or integral with a water dispensing faucet. The faucet tube pierces a bottom of the water jug to seal the water jug to the dispensing faucet. The dispensing faucet can be opened to allow water to be removed from the water jug. A drain valve is positioned near a bottom of the cooler housing for draining water of melted ice from the cooler housing. The water dispensing faucet is positioned at a side of the cooler housing to allow water to be dispensed from the jug while the cooler housing is resting on a surface, such as a table or counter. 
     The invention will be more fully described by reference to the following drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of a water cooler in accordance with the teachings of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a top plan view of the water cooler. 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic diagram of an alternate embodiment of a water cooler and a lid in accordance with the teachings of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Reference will now be made in greater detail to a preferred embodiment of the invention, an example of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numerals will be used throughout the drawings and the description to refer to the same or like parts. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates portable water cooler  10  in accordance with the teachings of the present invention. Cooler housing  12  includes guides  14  removably coupled or integral with inner surface  15  of cooler housing  12 . At least two guides  14  extend radially from inner surface  15  of cooler housing  12 . In one embodiment, three guides  14  extend radially from inner surface  15 . It will be appreciated that additional guides  14  can be used in accordance with the teachings of the present invention. 
     Guides  14  form compartments  16  between inner surface  15  of cooler housing  12  and outer surface  19  of water jug  18  as shown in  FIG. 2 . Compartments  16  can be used for receiving ice  17  as shown in  FIG. 2 . Cooler housing  12  is dimensioned to have a diameter D 1  from end  11  of guides  14  that is substantially or slightly larger than diameter D 2  of water jug  18 . For example water jug  18  can have a diameter of a conventional  5  gallon water jug of spring water as manufactured by POLAND SPRING™. 
     Cooler lid  20  is removably coupled to cooler housing  12 , as shown in  FIG. 1 . Cooler lid  20  has outer diameter D 3  and inner diameter D 4 . Inner diameter D 4  can be slightly smaller than inner diameter D 5  of inner surface  15  of cooler housing  12  to provide friction closing of cooler lid  20  to cooler housing  12 . Alternatively, cooler lid  20  can include ridges  22  on outer surface  23  of lip  24  to be screwed to corresponding ridges  26  of cooler housing  12  to provide coupling of cooler lid  20  to cooler housing  12  as shown in  FIG. 3 . 
     Cooler housing  12  and cooler lid  20  can be formed of a light weight insulated material. Suitable materials for cooler housing  12  and cooler lid  20  include plastic or reclaimed plastic from an industrial manufacturing processes, such as for example high-density polyethylene. Cooler housing  12  and cooler lid  20  can include an insulation, such as for example polyurethane foam. Referring to  FIG. 1 , inner surface  15  of cooler housing  12  and inner surface  25  of cooler lid  20  can be formed of smooth plastic, such as for example polypropylene or a FDA-grade polypropylene. 
     Receiving jacket mount  30  is positioned at inner bottom surface  31  of cooler housing  12 . Receiving jacket mount  30  includes walls  29  extending upwardly from base  32 . Receiving jacket mount  30  guides neck  33  of received water jug  18  within walls  29  over faucet tube  35 . Receiving jacket mount  30  can be formed of a non-insulating material to allow ice received in compartments  16  adjacent to receiving jacket mount  30  to cool neck  33 . 
     Seal  34  seals neck  33  of jug  18 . For example seal  34  can be formed of plastic. Faucet tube  35  includes pointed apex  37  at end  38 . End  39  of faucet tube  35  is coupled or integral with drain pipe  40 . Drain pipe  40  connects to water dispensing faucet  42 . Water dispensing faucet  42  can include activation button  43  for opening and closing water dispensing faucet  42 . Spigot  44  extends from water dispensing faucet  42 . Drain valve  45  is positioned with wall  46  of cooler housing  12  adjacent inner bottom surface  31  of cooler housing  12 . 
     During use, cooler lid  20  is removed from cooler housing  12 . Water jug  18  is inverted. Outer surface  50  of water jug  18  is guided by guides  14  into cooler housing  12 . Neck  33  is received in receiving jacket mount  30 . Pointed apex  37  of faucet tube  35  pierces seal  34  to seal water jug  18  to faucet tube  35  to provide a sealed environment. Ice  17  is received in compartments  16 . Cooler lid  20  closes cooler housing  12  to provide an insulated environment. Dispensing faucet  42  can be opened by depressing activation button  43  to allow water  52  to be removed from water jug  18 . Drain valve  45  is opened for draining water  54  of melted ice from cooler housing  12 . Ice  17  can be replenished by opening cooler lid  20  and pouring ice into compartments  16 . Portable water cooler  10  can transported with or without jug  18  to a desired location. Portable water cooler  10  can be placed for example on a table or counter to allow water  52  to be dispensed from water jug  18  through dispensing faucet  40  and water  54  to be removed using drain valve  45  while cooler housing  12  is resting on the table or counter. 
     It is to be understood that the above-described embodiments are illustrative of only a few of the many possible specific embodiments, which can represent applications of the principles of the invention. Numerous and varied other arrangements can be readily devised in accordance with these principles by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.