Patent Publication Number: US-7210599-B1

Title: Decorative and liquid dispenser air gap assembly covers

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates generally to air gap covers and more specifically to decorative and liquid dispenser air gap assembly covers, which may be used to replace a prior art air gap cover. 
   2. Discussion of the Prior Art 
   Air gap assemblies are used for preventing backflow from a waste line to a dishwasher or any other appliance connected to the waste line. A top end of the air gap assembly is typically placed adjacent a sink in a kitchen. An air gap cover terminates the top end of the air gap assembly. The air gap cover includes an air intake slot for preventing an overflow of sewage into the dishwasher or any other appliance. However, it appears that all air gap covers are plain and unexciting. 
   Accordingly, there is a clearly felt need in the art for decorative and liquid dispenser air gap assembly covers that replace a prior art air gap assembly cover. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention provides decorative and liquid dispenser air gap assembly covers, which replace a prior art air gap assembly cover. The decorative air gap cover includes a base cover and a decorative attachment. The base cover includes a cup body and a cover fastener formed in a top thereof. An air slot is formed through a wall of the cup body and an inner perimeter of the cup body is sized to be snapped on to a top of an air gap assembly. However, the cup body may also be retained with at least one fastener. The decorative attachment includes a decorative body and a decorative fastener on a bottom thereof. The cover fastener and the decorative fastener mate with each other to allow the decorative attachment to be secured on a top of the base cover. 
   The liquid dispenser air gap cover includes the base cover and a liquid dispenser attachment. The liquid dispenser attachment includes a liquid container and a liquid pump. The liquid container includes a neck on a top and a liquid fastener on a bottom thereof. The cover fastener of the base cover and the liquid fastener mate with each other to allow the liquid dispenser to be secured to a top of the base cover. The liquid pump includes a draw tube, a pump mechanism, a cap insert and a dispensing tube. The neck is sized to receive the cap insert. The cap insert is formed on a top of the pump mechanism. The dispensing tube extends from the top of the pump mechanism and the draw tube extends from a bottom of the pump mechanism. A liquid such as soap or the like is poured into the liquid container and the liquid pump is inserted into the neck. A second embodiment of the liquid dispenser air gap cover includes a base cover formed as an integral portion of a liquid container. 
   Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a decorative air gap cover that replaces a prior art air gap assembly cover. 
   Finally, it is another object of the present invention to provide a liquid dispenser air gap assembly cover that replaces a prior art air gap cover. 
   These and additional objects, advantages, features and benefits of the present invention will become apparent from the following specification. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a cross sectional view of a decorative air gap cover attached to a top of an air gap assembly in accordance with the present invention. 
       FIG. 2  is a top view of a decorative fastener attached to a base cover of a decorative air gap cover and the decorative air gap cover attached to a top of an air gap assembly in accordance with the present invention. 
       FIG. 3  is a cross sectional view of a liquid dispenser air gap cover attached to a top of an air gap assembly in accordance with the present invention. 
       FIG. 4  is a cross sectional view of a liquid dispenser air gap cover with a bird house shaped liquid container attached to a top of an air gap assembly in accordance with the present invention. 
       FIG. 5  is a cross sectional view of a second embodiment of a liquid dispenser air gap cover attached to a top of an air gap assembly in accordance with the present invention. 
       FIG. 6  is a horizontal cross sectional view of a second embodiment of a liquid dispenser air gap cover attached to a top of an air gap assembly in accordance with the present invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   With reference now to the drawings, and particularly to  FIG. 1 , there is shown a cross sectional view of a decorative air gap cover  1 . With reference to  FIG. 2 , the decorative air gap  1  includes a base cover  10  and a decorative attachment  12 . The base cover  10  includes a cup body  14  and a cover fastener  16 . The cup body  14  is preferably formed from a molded plastic, but other materials may also be used. The cover fastener  16  is preferably molded into a top of the cup body  14 , but other assembly methods may also be used. An air slot  18  is formed through a wall of the cup body  14 . An inside perimeter  20  of the cup body  10  is sized to be received by a top of an air gap  100 . 
   A snap projection  22  is formed on the inside perimeter  20  of the cup body  14  at substantially a bottom thereof. The snap projection  22  is sized to snap over a cover projection  104  formed on a gap nut  102  of the air gap  100 . A flared end  23  is preferably formed on a bottom of the cup body  14  to cover a washer  105  of the air gap  100 . However, some types of air gaps include a screw on air gap cover. Further, the cup body  14  may also be retained with at least one fastener. The use of screw threads or fasteners to retain the cup body are methods of releasable securement. The inside perimeter  20  of the air cup body  14  may be modified to accommodate any of type attachment scheme used by a particular air gap assembly. 
   The decorative attachment  12  includes some type of decorative item  24  and a decorative fastener  26 . The decorative item  24  may be any aesthetic object, such as the bird shown, a person, a bird house, a piece of fruit or any other desirable item. A flat surface  28  is preferably formed on a bottom of the decorative item  24 , such that the decorative fastener  26  may be attached thereto with adhesive or any other suitable attachment method. The decorative fastener  26  may also be made as an integral portion of the decorative attachment  12 . The decorative fastener  26  preferably includes a mounting base  30  and a fastener projection  32  extending from a bottom of the mounting base  30 . 
   The cover fastener  16  is sized to receive the fastener projection  32 . The cover fastener  16  is preferably a female half turn threaded fastener and the fastener projection  32  is preferably a male half turn threaded fastener, but other types of fasteners may also be used. The cover fastener  16  could also be formed in the decorative attachment  12  and the decorative fastener  26  attached to a top of the base cover  10 . The decorative attachment  12  is easily detachable to allow different designs of decorative attachments to be attached and detached to the base cover  10 . 
   With reference to  FIG. 3 , a liquid dispenser air gap cover  2  includes the base cover  10  and a liquid dispenser attachment  34 . The liquid dispenser attachment  34  includes a liquid container  36  and a liquid pump  38 . The liquid container  36  includes a neck  40  on a top and a liquid fastener  42  on a bottom thereof. With reference to  FIG. 4 , a liquid container  37  has the shape of a bird house. The liquid container may also have any other appropriate shape. The liquid fastener  42  includes all the features of the decorative fastener  26 . The liquid fastener  42  is attached to a bottom of the liquid container  36  with adhesive or any other suitable attachment method. The liquid fastener  42  mates with the cover fastener  16  in the base cover  10 . The liquid pump  38  includes a draw tube  44 , a pump mechanism  46  a cap insert  48  and a dispensing tube  50 . An inside perimeter of the neck  40  is sized to receive the cap insert  48 . The cap insert  48  is formed on a top of the pump mechanism  46 . The dispensing tube  50  extends from the top of the pump mechanism  46  and the draw tube  44  extends from a bottom of the pump mechanism  46 . 
   A liquid such as soap  106  or the like is poured into the liquid container  36  and the liquid pump  38  is inserted into the neck  40 . Pushing a top of the dispensing tube  50  downward causes liquid  106  in the liquid dispenser attachment  34  to be pushed through a nozzle  52 . One type of liquid pump  38  is shown and described, but other designs of liquid pumps may also be used. Liquid pumps are well known in the art and do not require a detailed explanation. The liquid container  36  is shown with a particular shape, but other shapes or sizes may also be used. 
   With reference to  FIGS. 5–6 , a liquid dispenser air gap cover  3  includes a liquid dispenser attachment cap  54 . The liquid dispenser attachment cap  54  includes a liquid container  56  and the liquid pump  38 . The liquid container  56  includes the neck  40  on a top and a base cover cavity  60  formed on a bottom thereof. A snap projection  62  is formed on the inside perimeter  20  of the base cover cavity at substantially a bottom thereof. However, the base cover cavity  60  may be modified to accommodate any of type attachment scheme used by a particular air gap assembly. A flared end  64  is preferably formed on a bottom of the base cover cavity  60  to cover a washer  105  of the air gap  100 . An air slot opening  66  is formed as an integral portion of the liquid container  56 . A liquid such as soap  106  or the like is poured into the liquid container  56 . 
   While particular embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the invention in its broader aspects, and therefore, the aim in the appended claims is to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.