Abstract:
A liquid dispenser has containers, sized, shaped and arranged to enclose different volumes but each of the containers has a top with a refill opening that is substantially the same as the top and openings of the other containers. The containers are provided with curving transition sections that taper the sides of the container to increase or decrease the width of the container to provide a smaller or large top sizes as needed.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application is continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/169,339, filed Jun. 27, 2011, which application was published on Dec. 27, 2012, as U.S. Publication No. U.S. US20120325852, which application is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    Dispensers for bulk containers of liquid dairy products are well known. Such dispensers are comprised of a refrigerated cabinet in which one or more bulk containers of dairy products are kept cold. The bulk dairy product containers typically have a flexible dispensing tube at the bottom of the container through which product is dispensed using it pinch valve. 
         [0003]    Another type of prior art dairy product dispenser uses refillable containers which also have a dispensing tube at the bottom of the container through which dairy product is controllably dispensed using a pinch valve. Prior art refillable containers have top-located openings proportional to their widths. 
         [0004]    Many dispensers are designed to be used with two or more refillable containers. Some such dispensers are designed to be used with two or more refillable containers that hold different volumes of liquid. A problem with prior art refillable containers that contain different volumes of liquid is that the openings in the tops of the refillable containers are proportional to the width of the container. When a small-volume container needs to be refilled, the liquid must be poured through an opening that is usually much smaller than the opening in large-volume containers. Refilling small-volume containers is thus more difficult than refilling large-volume containers. 
         [0005]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a liquid dispenser; 
         [0006]      FIG. 2  is a front elevation view of the liquid dispenser; 
         [0007]      FIG. 3A  is a perspective view of the liquid dispenser showing the containers with openings; 
         [0008]      FIG. 3B  is a front elevation view of the liquid dispenser; 
         [0009]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the center container, 
         [0010]      FIG. 5  is a cross section of the center tank taken through section line  5 - 5 ; 
         [0011]      FIG. 6  is a cross section showing an alternative embodiment of the center tank taken through section line  5 - 5 ; 
         [0012]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the right side container; 
         [0013]      FIG. 8  is a cross section view of the right side container taken through section line  8 - 8 . 
         [0014]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view of the left side container; and 
         [0015]      FIG. 10  is a cross section view of the left side container token through section line  10 - 10 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0016]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a liquid dispenser  100 . The dispenser  100  is comprised of a refrigerated cabinet having a front door  104 , a top access panel  106  and a refrigerated interior compartment  108  having a width  110  to accommodate three separate liquid containers  112 ,  114  and  116 . 
         [0017]      FIG. 2  is a front elevation view of the liquid dispenser  100 . A first container  112  is positioned to the left side of a center container  114 . A right side container  116  is positioned to the right side of the center container  114 . The left side container  112  has a width  202 ; the center container  114  has a larger width  204 . The right side container  116  has a width identified by reference numeral  206 . The combined widths  202 ,  204  and  206  fit within the width  110  of the refrigerated compartment  108 . Each of the containers  112 ,  114  and  116  has a dispensing tube  208  that extends downwardly from the container through a pinch bar of a pinch valve  210 . 
         [0018]    One example of a pinch bar and pinch valve is disclosed in the applicants&#39; copending patent application Ser. No. 12/885,641., filed Sep. 20, 2010, issued Feb. 19, 2013 as U.S. Pat. No. 8,376,310 and entitled Pinch Valve. The content of said application is incorporated in its entirety herein by reference. 
         [0019]    Another example of a pinch bar and pinch valve is co-pending patent application Ser. No. 13/169,305, filed Jun. 27, 2011, and is entitled Liquid Dispenser Pinch Valve. The content of said application is also incorporated in its entirety herein by reference. 
         [0020]      FIG. 3A  is a perspective view of the liquid dispenser  100  showing the left container  112 , the center container  114 , and the right container  110  with openings  302 ,  304  and  306  in the top of the containers. Each opening  302 ,  304  and  306  is provide(with a corresponding cover  308 ,  310  and  312 . 
         [0021]      FIG. 3B  is a front elevation view of the liquid dispenser  100  also showing the containers  112 ,  114 , and  116  along with the dispensing tubes  208 . The covers  308 ,  310 , and  312  are open to reveal openings  302 ,  304 , and  306 . 
         [0022]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the center container  114 . The center container  114  is one of three containers sized, shaped and arranged to fit within the width  110  of the refrigerated interior compartment  108  of the dispenser  100 . The center or middle container  114  can be seen in  FIG. 4  as having a shape substantially the same as a rectangular parallelepiped or cuboid. A parallelepiped is a six-faced polyhedron all of the faces of which are parallelograms and lying in pairs of parallel planes. 
         [0023]    The center container  114  has a bottom wall or surface  400 , a back side or wall  402 , a front side or face  404 , a right side  406 , an opposing left side  407 , and a top  408 . A small cylinder  410  can be seen projecting downwardly from the bottom  400 . The cylinder  410  is a drain for the container  114 . Liquid stored in the container  114  flows through the cylinder  410  into a dispensing tube  208  into which the cylinder  410  is inserted. The cylinder  410 , which is preferably formed of the same material as the container  114 , is protected from breakage by two legs  430  that extend downwardly from the bottom  400  of the container  114 . 
         [0024]    Except for the top  408 , the container  114  is molded. The comers  412  are thus rounded imbuing the side walls  402 ,  404 ,  406  and  407  with an uninterrupted connection or union between them. The rounded comers  412  and the side walls  402 ,  404 ,  406  and  407  can thus be considered as a continuous side wall or as four separate side walls separated by the rounded comers  412 . 
         [0025]    The top  408  has incorporated within it the aforementioned opening  304  and a cover  310 . The cover  310  is hinged  416  to the top  408  by which the covet  310  can be rotated around the hinge  414  between an opened and closed position. 
         [0026]    The opening  304  has a width  420  and a length or depth  418 . The product of the depth  418  and the width  420  is substantially equal to the open area through which a liquid can be poured into the container  114  to refill it. 
         [0027]    As used herein, the term, “substantially equal” means that in one embodiment, a cover for one opening will fit the other openings with a fit or seal, the tightness of which is substantially the same between them, regardless of the container volumes. In another embodiment, “substantially equal” means that the areas of the openings in the different containers vary by less than about ten percent (10%) regardless of the container volumes. Stated another way, one opening in one container is not more than ten percent larger or smaller than another opening in another container. In another embodiment, “substantially equal” means that the areas of the openings vary by less than about twenty percent (20%) regardless of the container volumes. One opening in one container is not more than twenty percent larger or smaller than another opening in another container. In yet another embodiment, the openings are “substantially equal” if the areas of the openings vary by less than about thirty percent (30%) regardless of the container volumes. 
         [0028]    The container  114  has a width  422  defined herein as the separation distance between the right side  406  and the left side  407 . In the embodiment shown, the right side  406  and the left side  407  are both substantially vertical and parallel to each other almost completely from the bottom  400  to the top  408 . The width is identified in  FIG. 4  by reference numeral  422 . It can be seen that the width  420  of the opening  304  is loss than the width  422  of the container itself  114 . The reduced width  420  of the opening  304  is due in part to an arcuate, by which is meant, curved like a bow, or an otherwise curving transition section  414 A and  414 B on the right side  406  and the left side  407 . The transition sections or transition portions reduce the width of the container  114  from its nominal width identified by reference numeral  422  to the width  420  of the opening  304 . The transition sections  414 A and  414 B of the middle container  114  this reduce the width dimension  422  of the container at or near the top of the container  114  because the transition sections or portions are complementary to each other. 
         [0029]    The transition sections  414 A and  414 B are considered herein to be complementary because they are shaped to be mirror images of each other. By way of example, the right side transition section  414 A has a curvature that transitions or moves the right side wall  406  inwardly or toward the left side wall  407 . The left side transition portion  414 B has a curvature that moves or transitions the left side of the tank  407  inwardly Or toward the right side  406 . The right side transition section  414 A and the left side transition section  414 B move the respective sides an equal distance inwardly. The transition sections are thus considered to be complements of each other. 
         [0030]      FIG. 5  is a cross section of the center tank  114  taken through section lines  5 - 5 . The transition sections  414 A and  414 B have inwardly curving sections  502  relatively straight intermediate sections  503  and outwardly curving sections  504 . The transition sections  414 A and  414 B thus have a cross-sectional shaped serpentine in nature or boustrophedonic. 
         [0031]      FIG. 6  is another cross-sectional view of the middle container  114  taken through section lines  5 - 5 , but showing an alternate embodiment of the transition sections  414 A and  414 B. In  FIG. 6 , the transition sections are depicted as substantially straight lines inclined at angles  81  and  82  relative to horizontal. The relatively straight transition portions  414 A and  414 B are thus considered to be angular in shape, the term “angular” meaning forming an angle. 
         [0032]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the right-side container  116 . The container  116  has bottom  700 , a rear side or face  702 , a front side or face,  704 , a right side  706 , a left side  707  and top  708 . The cylinder  710  is a drain for the right side container  116 . As with the center container  114 , liquid stored in the right-side container  116  flows through the cylinder  710  into a dispensing tube  208  into which the cylinder  710  is inserted. The cylinder  710 , which is preferably formed of the same material as the container  116 , is protected from breakage by two legs  730  that extend downwardly from the bottom  700  of the container  116 . 
         [0033]    The container  116  has width measured just above the bottom  700  that is identified by reference numeral  722 . A width at the top  708  is identified by reference numeral  720 . As shown in the figure, the top width  720  is significantly greater than the bottom width  722 . The increased width at the top  720  over the bottom  722  is due to a transition portion identified by  714 , The transition portion  714  of the right side tank  116  increases the width of the container to be substantially equal to the width  420  at the top  408  of the middle container  114 . 
         [0034]      FIG. 8  is cross-sectional view of the right side container  116  taken through section lines  8 - 8 . The transition portion  714  has an outwardly curving section  802  connected. to a substantially straight intermediate section  803 , which is followed by or connected to an inwardly curving section  804 . The transition section  714  for the right hand side container  110  can thus also be characterized as serpentine or boustrophedonic. 
         [0035]    Referring again to  FIG. 7 , it can be seen that the opening  306  and the top  708  also has an area determined by the product of the depth  718  by the width  720 . As shown in  FIG. 1 ,  FIG. 2 , and  FIG. 3A , the area of the openings in both the center and right-hand side containers  114  and  116 , respectively, are the same which is due to the fact that the transition areas for the middle container  114  squeeze or reduce the width of that container while the transition section  714  of the right-hand container  116  enlarges or increases the width  722  of the right-hand container  116 . It can also be seen that the depth  726  of the right-hand container  116  is substantially equal to the depth  426  of the center container  114 . The top portions of both containers are thus substantially equal in as much as the width of the top  408  of the center container  114  is substantially equal to the width  720  of the top  708  of the right-hand container  116 . 
         [0036]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view of the left-side container  112 . The container  112  has a bottom  900 , a rear side or face  902 , a front side or face  904 , a right side  906 , a left site  907  and top  908 . The container  112  has width measured just above the bottom  900  that is identified by reference numeral  922 . A width at the top  908  is identified by reference numeral  920 . As shown in the figure, the top width  920  is greater than the bottom width  922 . This is as similar situation as occurs with the right side container. The increased width of the loll side container at the top  920  over the bottom  922  is due to a transition portion identified by  914 . The transition portion  914  of the left side tank  112  increases the width of the container to be substantially equal to the width  420  at the top  408  of the middle container  114 . 
         [0037]      FIG. 10  is cross-sectional view of the left side. container  112  taken through section lines  10 - 10 . The cylinder  910  is a drain for the right side container  112 . As with the center container  114  and the right-side container  116 , liquid stored in the left-side container  112  flows through the cylinder  910  into a dispensing tube  208  into which the cylinder  910  is inserted. The cylinder  910 , which is preferably formed of the same material as the container  112 , is protected from breakage by two legs  930  that extend downwardly from the bottom  900  of the container  112 . 
         [0038]    The transition portion  914  has an outwardly curving section  1002  connected to a substantially straight intermediate section  1003 , which is followed by or connected to an inwardly curving section  1004 . The transition section  914  for the left hand side container  112  can thus also be characterized as serpentine or boustrophedonic. 
         [0039]    Referring again to  FIG. 9 , it can be seen that the opening  306  and the top  908  also has an area determined by the product of the depth  918  by the width  920 . As shown in  FIG. 1   FIG. 2 , and  FIG. 3A , the area of the openings in both the center and left-hand side containers  114  and  112 , respectively, are the same which is due to the fact that the transition areas for the middle container  114  squeeze or reduce the width of that container while the transition section  914  of the left-hand container  112  enlarges or increases the width  922  of the left-band container  112 . Again, this situation is similar concerning the right-side container. It can also be seen that the depth  926  of the left-hand container  112  is substantially equal to the depth  426  of the center container  114 . The top portions of both containers are thus substantially equal in as much as the width of the top  408  of the center container  114  is substantially equal to the width  920  of the top  908  of the left-hand container  112 . 
         [0040]    The left side container  112  is a mirror image of the right-side container  116 . Stated another way, the left-side container  112  has a width  202  near its bottom that is increased or enlarged by a transition section  212  that is a mirror image of the transition section  214  for the right-side container  116 . The left-side container  112  can thus be considered a third container. It has a top portion with a width substantially equal to the top portion width of the first container  116 . Similarly the left-side container  112  has a bottom having a width substantially equal to the bottom of the right-side container  116 . The left side container  112  has opposing side walls and front and back walls all four of which are attached to the bottom and which extend upwardly to the top. 
         [0041]    All three containers  112 ,  114  and  116  have, input inlets or ports described above and identified by reference numeral  102 ,  304 , and  306  the shape and areas of which are substantially identical. As best seen in  FIG. 3A , those inlet ports are inclined at an angle relative to horizontal to facilitate refilling the containers. In a preferred embodiment, the inlet ports  302 ,  304  and  306  are inclined at the same angle. However, alternate embodiments include inclining those inlet ports at different angles relative to each other. 
         [0042]    Configuring the tanks and input ports  302 ,  304  and  306  to have the shape as shown is contrary to common sense and non-obvious for at least two reasons. First, molding or assembling the tanks to have transition sections adds cost. Second, as can be seen in  FIGS. 8 and 8 , when the containers  112 ,  114  and  116  are removed from the compartment  108 , the left-side container  112  and the right-side container  116  are made somewhat unstable by their enlarged openings. The enlarged input ports  302  and  306  for the left-hand container  112  and the righthand container  116  extend sideways outside or beyond the foot prints  700  and  900  of the bottom of the containers. If the left-hand container  112  or the right-hand container  116  is refilled outside the compartment  108 , pouring it liquid into one of the input ports  302  and  306  can create a downward force on transition sections  714  and  914  that creates a torque around the corresponding inside edges  709  and  909  of the bottoms of the containers, which will tend to tip the containers over thus rendering them somewhat difficult to use. When the containers are inside the compartment  108  however, they are held together as an assembly, which prevents either one of them from tipping over during refilling. 
         [0043]    Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the transition sections  414 A and  414 B on the middle container  114  opened downwardly, which is to say the portions of the transition sections closest to the top  408  are closer to each other than the portions of the transition sections that are attached to or connected to the side walls  406  and  407 . The transition section  714  for the right-side container  116  and the mirror image transition section  914  for the left-side container  112  open upwardly, which is to say the top section of the right-side tank  708  is wider than the bottom section. In addition, the top section of the left-side tank  908  is also wider than the bottom section. 
         [0044]    Those of ordinary skill in the art will also recognize from  FIG. 1 , FIG,  2 ,  FIG. 3A , and  FIG. 3B  that the transition section  714  and its adjacent transition section  414 A are complements of each other. The transition section  714  on the right-side Container  116  transitions the left-side side wall  707  outwardly, whereas the right-band transition section  414 A of the middle container  114  transitions the side wall  406  inwardly. Similarly, the transition section  914  on the left-side container  112  transitions the right-side wall outwardly, whereas the left-hand transition section  414 B of the middle container  114  transitions the side wall  407  inwardly. 
         [0045]    In one embodiment, the covers  308 ,  310  and  312  are pivotally attached to the top covers. However, in an alternate embodiment the covers  308 ,  310  and  312  can be pivotally attached to the side walls of the containers. 
         [0046]    The foregoing description is for purposes of illustration only. The true scope of the invention is set forth in the appurtenant claims.