Patent Publication Number: US-2018029862-A1

Title: Five-gallon water supply systems

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The following includes information that may be useful in understanding the present invention(s). It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art, or material, to the presently described or claimed inventions, or that any publication or document that is specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art. 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to the field of devices for controlling flow of liquids under gravity from storage containers for dispensing purposes and more specifically relates to a five-gallon water supply system. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Consumers choose bottled water as an alternative to other packaged beverages because it does not have calories, caffeine, sugar, artificial flavors or colors, alcohol or other ingredients they may wish to moderate or do not wish to ingest as they hydrate their bodies with the water. Consumers may also choose bottled water because they are not always satisfied with the aesthetic qualities (e.g., taste, odor, color) or the purity of their tap water. In addition, bottled water is not only used for drinking, it may be used to prepare coffee or tea, as well as be used for cooking purposes. 
     Many consumers have a water dispenser for bottled water. In this case, five-gallon water bottles are delivered to a home or business. The water bottles are stored until needed. When the water bottle on the water dispenser is empty, the water bottle is removed and replaced with a full water bottle. In a home or a business with numerous people accessing the bottled water, the empty bottles may need to be frequently replaced and may be disruptive. A suitable solution is desired. 
     Several attempts have been made to solve the above-mentioned problems such as those found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,148,731 to Brigante; and Pub. Nos. 2016/0016828 to Vivian; 2015/0014245 to Rogelio et al.; Canadian Pat. No. 1,286,932 to Adams; Chinese Pat. Nos. 102,745,934 to Yi, et al.; 202,511,373 to Ho; 203,955,600 to Xiang, et al.; and 202,762,212 to Hombori. This art is representative of devices for controlling flow of liquids under gravity from storage containers for dispensing purposes. However, none of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the invention as claimed. 
     Preferably, a device for controlling flow of liquids under gravity from storage containers for dispensing purposes should provide an on-demand gravity-fed water dispenser and, yet would operate reliably and be manufactured at a modest expense. Thus, a need exists for a reliable five-gallon water supply system to avoid the above-mentioned problems. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known devices for controlling flow of liquids under gravity from storage containers for dispensing purposes art, the present invention provides a novel on-demand gravity-fed water dispenser. The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail is to provide a five-gallon water supply system. 
     The five-gallon water supply system is a system for delivering water and may comprise at least one water reservoir interface, at least one expandable plumbing assembly, and at least one platform. The at least one water reservoir interface may comprise a first water reservoir interface, a second water reservoir interface, a third water reservoir interface, a fourth water reservoir interface, and a last water reservoir interface. The at least one water reservoir interface may be configured to hydraulically couple with a first water bottle. The second water reservoir interface configured to hydraulically couple with the second water bottle, and the second water reservoir interface may be at a higher elevation than the first water reservoir interface. The third water reservoir interface may be configured to hydraulically couple with the third water bottle, and the third water reservoir interface may be at a higher elevation than the second water reservoir interface. The fourth water reservoir interface configured to hydraulically couple with the fourth water bottle, and the fourth water reservoir interface at a higher elevation than the third water reservoir interface. The last water reservoir interface may be configured to hydraulically couple with a last water bottle, the last water reservoir interface at a higher elevation than the first water reservoir interface. The first water bottle and the last water bottle are preferably standard 5-gallon drinking water bottles. 
     The expandable plumbing assembly may be hydraulically coupled to the first water reservoir interface and to the last water reservoir interface. The expandable plumbing assembly may be configured to plumb potable water from the first water bottle and from the last water bottle to a single water outlet. The drain may be configured with an electrically-powered on-demand pump to transfer the potable water to a distribution point for consumption. 
     Further, the expandable plumbing assembly may include an air vent, with the air vent having a higher elevation than the last water reservoir interface. The expandable plumbing assembly may be also hydraulically coupled to the second water reservoir interface, the third water reservoir interface, and the fourth water reservoir interface in series. The expandable plumbing assembly may be further configured to plumb potable water from the second water bottle, the third water bottle, and the fourth water bottle to the single water outlet. The expandable plumbing assembly has a first interconnecting tube joining the first water reservoir interface to a water-flow assembly. The second interconnecting tube may join the second water reservoir interface to the water-flow assembly, a third interconnecting tube may join the third water reservoir interface to the water-flow assembly, a fourth interconnecting tube may join the fourth water reservoir interface to the water-flow assembly, and a last interconnecting tube may join the last water reservoir interface to the water-flow assembly. The water-flow assembly has a lower elevation at the single water outlet and a higher elevation at the last water bottle stand. The water-flow assembly may be configured of tubing having threaded connections. Other means may be employed. 
     The platform may include a first water bottle stand, which may be removably coupled together with a last water bottle stand. The platform further may include a second water bottle stand, a third water bottle stand, and a fourth water bottle stand that are removably coupled together and to the first water bottle stand and to the last water bottle stand. The first water bottle stand may be may configured to support the first water bottle at a first elevation. The second water bottle stand may be configured to support the second water bottle at a second elevation, the third water bottle stand may be configured to support the third water bottle at a third elevation, and the fourth water bottle stand may be configured to support the fourth water bottle at a fourth elevation, respectively. As such, the last water bottle stand may be may be configured to support the last water bottle at a last elevation that may be higher than the first elevation. 
     The last water bottle stand may include a basic stand and a last riser, the basic stand being substantially similar to the first water bottle stand, and the last riser may be configured to elevate the last water bottle by a last increment; the last increment being the difference between the last elevation and the first elevation. The platform may be configured to hold five 5-gallon water bottles in a single line. The platform further comprises a plurality of adjustable legs forming a rectangular vertical-base which may be lengthened or shortened to provide a level surface. The rectangular vertical-base has an upper-platform surface, which may be configured in a square shape and sized to accommodate the outer circumference of standard 5-gallon drinking water bottles. The rectangular vertical-base may be configured at least partially of durable metal materials capable of bearing substantial weight. 
     The five-gallon water supply system may comprise a kit including: at least one water reservoir interface, at least one expandable plumbing assembly, at least one platform, and a set of user instructions. 
     A method of using a five-gallon water supply system may comprise the steps of: assembling at least one water reservoir interface, at least one expandable plumbing assembly, and at least one platform; installing at least one 5-gallon water bottle; actioning an electrically-powered on-demand pump to transfer the potable water to a distribution point for consumption; and replacing the at least one 5-gallon water bottle as desired; further disassembling the at least one water reservoir interface, the at least one expandable plumbing assembly, and the at least one platform as desired. 
     The present invention holds significant improvements and serves as a five-gallon water supply system. For purposes of summarizing the invention, certain aspects, advantages, and novel features of the invention have been described herein. It is to be understood that not necessarily all such advantages may be achieved in accordance with any one particular embodiment of the invention. Thus, the invention may be embodied or carried out in a manner that achieves or optimizes one advantage or group of advantages as taught herein without necessarily achieving other advantages as may be taught or suggested herein. The features of the invention which are believed to be novel are particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of the specification. These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings and detailed description. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The figures which accompany the written portion of this specification illustrate embodiments and method(s) of use for the present invention, five-gallon water supply system, constructed and operative according to the teachings of the present invention. 
         FIG. 1  shows a perspective view illustrating a five-gallon water supply system during an ‘in-use’ condition showing five-gallon water supply assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view illustrating the five-gallon water supply system comprising a five-gallon water supply assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded view illustrating the five-gallon water supply assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention of  FIGS. 1-2 . 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view illustrating the five-gallon water supply assembly according to an alternate embodiment of the present invention of  FIGS. 1-3 . 
         FIG. 5  is a flowchart illustrating a method of use for the five-gallon water supply assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention of  FIGS. 1-4 . 
     
    
    
     The various embodiments of the present invention will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the appended drawings, wherein like designations denote like elements. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     As discussed above, embodiments of the present invention relate to a device for controlling flow of liquids under gravity from storage containers for dispensing purposes and more particularly to a five-gallon water supply system as used to improve an on-demand gravity-fed water dispensing means. 
     Generally speaking, the five-gallon water supply system is an easy-to-use water supply for a home, an office, or an event where standard sized five-gallon bottles are lined up in a row at different elevations. As water is dispensed, the gravity of the water will individually empty a water bottle and when that bottle is empty, the flow continues without stopping from the next five-gallon bottle in the series. The system can be re-filled at anytime with out stopping the flow of water. Water can be sent to any outlet that is supplied such as a faucet, refrigerator, coffee maker, water fountain, chiller or water heater tank using an on-demand pump. The system may be set up near the water bottle delivery and storage area, such as a home garage or an office storage room. 
     To use, the five-gallon bottles are opened and put into place on stands that are about 30 inches off the ground. Each stand will have spacer that increases the height of the stand by one inch. For example the first stand 30 inches high; with the spacer installs, the second stand 31 inches high and so on. By doing this the five gallon bottles at the highest point will empty before the next lower bottle, thus allowing both an endless flow of water and the ability to keep filling the system. The stands for the five-gallon water bottles are all the same size and have an elevation of 24 inches off the ground. They are 15 by 15 inches square. A single installation may accommodate up to 24 stands and may be connected to an additional installation for a total of 48 water bottles. The stands can be made out of hard plastic, wood, or metal with four legs to hold up the risers and water bottles. In an alternative embodiment, the water bottles may be suspended with wall brackets on a vertical planar surface if the stands are not desired. 
     Referring to the drawings by numerals of reference there is shown in  FIG. 1 , five-gallon water supply system  100  having user  140  adding last water bottle  170  ( FIG. 2 ) during an ‘in-use’ condition  150 . The system for delivering water  110  may comprise at least one water reservoir interface  160 , at least one at least one expandable plumbing assembly  180 , and at least one platform  200 , useful for transferring potable water to a distribution point for consumption. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 2 , showing system for delivering water  110  which may comprise at least one water reservoir interface  160  may further comprise a first water reservoir interface  161 , second water reservoir interface  163 , third water reservoir interface  165 , fourth water reservoir interface  167 , and last water reservoir interface  169 . At least one water reservoir interface  160  may be configured to hydraulically couple with first water bottle  162 . Second water reservoir interface  163  may be configured to hydraulically couple with second water bottle  164 , and second water reservoir interface  163  may be at a higher elevation than first water reservoir interface  161 . Third water reservoir interface  165  may be configured to hydraulically couple with third water bottle  166 , and third water reservoir interface  165  may be at a higher elevation than second water reservoir interface  163 . Fourth water reservoir interface  167  may be configured to hydraulically couple with fourth water bottle  168 , and fourth water reservoir interface  167  may be at a higher elevation than third water reservoir interface  165 . Last water reservoir interface  169  may be configured to hydraulically couple with last water bottle  170 , and last water reservoir interface  169  may be at a higher elevation than first water reservoir interface  161 . Further, first water bottle  162  and the last water bottle  170  are standard 5-gallon drinking water bottles  175 . 
     In continuing to refer to  FIG. 2 , at least one expandable plumbing assembly  180  may be hydraulically coupled to first water reservoir interface  161  and to last water reservoir interface  169 . At least one expandable plumbing assembly  180  may be configured to plumb potable water from first water bottle  162  and from last water bottle  170  to single water outlet  181 . Single water outlet  181  may be configured to interface with drain  182  to provide an exit point to release potable water from at least one expandable plumbing assembly  180 . Drain  182  may be configured with electrically-powered on-demand pump  183  to transfer potable water to a distribution point for consumption. 
     In further referring to  FIG. 2 , at least one expandable plumbing assembly  180  may include air vent  184 , with air vent  184  having a higher elevation than last water reservoir interface  169 . At least one expandable plumbing assembly  180  may also be hydraulically coupled to second water reservoir interface  163 , third water reservoir interface  165 , and fourth water reservoir interface  167 . At least one expandable plumbing assembly  180  may be further configured to plumb potable water from second water bottle  164 , third water bottle  166 , and fourth water bottle  168  to single water outlet  181 . At least one expandable plumbing assembly  180  may have first interconnecting tube  185  joining first water reservoir interface  161  to water-flow assembly  190 . Second interconnecting tube  186  may join second water reservoir interface  163  to water-flow assembly  190 , third interconnecting tube  187  may join third water reservoir interface  165  to water-flow assembly  190 , fourth interconnecting tube  188  may join fourth water reservoir interface  167  to the water-flow assembly  190 , and last interconnecting tube  189  may join last water reservoir interface  169  to water-flow assembly  190 . Further, water-flow assembly  190  has a lower elevation at the single water outlet  181  and a higher elevation at the last water bottle stand  203 . The water-flow assembly  190  may be configured of tubing  191  having threaded connections  192 . 
     In continuing to refer to  FIG. 2 , platform  200  may include first water bottle stand  202 , which may be removably coupled together with last water bottle stand  203 . Platform  200  further may include second water bottle stand  210 , third water bottle stand  211 , and fourth water bottle stand  212  that may be removably coupled together and to first water bottle  162  stand and to last water bottle  170  stand. First water bottle stand  202  may be configured to support first water bottle  162  at first elevation  220 . Second water bottle stand  210  may be configured to support the second water bottle  164  at second elevation  221 , third water bottle stand  211  may be configured to support third water bottle  166  at third elevation  222 , and fourth water bottle stand  212  may be configured to support fourth water bottle  168  at fourth elevation  223 . Last water bottle stand  203  may be configured to support last water bottle  170  at last elevation  224  that may be higher than first elevation  220 . 
     Further, last water bottle stand  203  may include basic stand  201  and last riser  204 , with basic stand  201  being substantially similar to first water bottle stand  202 , and last riser  204  may be configured to elevate last water bottle  170  by last increment  205 , with last increment  205  being the difference between last elevation  224  and first elevation  220 . Platform  200  may be configured to hold five standard 5-gallon water bottles  175  in a single line. Further, platform  200  may further comprise plurality of adjustable legs  206  forming a rectangular vertical-base  207  which may be lengthened or shortened to provide a level surface. Rectangular vertical-base  207  may be configured at least partially of durable metal materials  208  capable of bearing substantial weight. 
     It should be noted that five-gallon water supply system  100  may be sold as kit  440  comprising the following parts: at least one water reservoir interface  160 ; at least one at least one expandable plumbing assembly  180 ; at least one platform  200 ; and a set of user instructions  340 . The kit has instructions such that functional relationships are detailed in relation to the structure of the invention (such that the invention can be used, maintained, or the like in a preferred manner). Five-gallon water supply system  100  may be manufactured and provided for sale in a wide variety of sizes and shapes for a wide assortment of applications. Upon reading this specification, it should be appreciated that, under appropriate circumstances, considering such issues as design preference, user preferences, marketing preferences, cost, structural requirements, available materials, technological advances, etc., other kit contents or arrangements such as, for example, including more or less components, customized parts, different color combinations, parts may be sold separately, etc., may be sufficient. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 3 , an exploded view of five-gallon water supply system  100 . Rectangular vertical-base  207  may have upper-platform  220  surface which may be configured in a square shape and sized to accommodate the outer circumference of standard 5-gallon drinking water bottles  175  ( FIG. 2 ). Fourth water bottle stand  212  may be configured to support fourth water bottle  168  ( FIG. 2 ). Last water bottle stand  203  may be configured to support last water bottle  170  at last elevation  224  ( FIG. 2 ) with last riser  204 . Further, at least one expandable plumbing assembly  180  may join to water-flow assembly  190 , and water-flow assembly  190  may be configured of tubing  191  having threaded connections  192 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 4 , showing an alternative embodiment of an installation of five-gallon water supply system  100 . Alternative embodiment for system for delivering water  110  may be configured to mount to a vertical planar surface with brackets. Upon reading this specification, it should be appreciated that, under appropriate circumstances, considering such issues as user preferences, design preference, structural requirements, marketing preferences, cost, available materials, technological advances, etc., other five-gallon water supply system arrangements such as additional water bottle stand configurations and materials, water heating and cooling features, and vertical planar surface mounting arrangements, etc., may be sufficient. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 5  showing flowchart  550  illustrating method of use  500  for system  100  according to an embodiment of the present invention of  FIGS. 1-4 . As shown, method of use  500  may comprise the steps of: step one  501 , assembling at least one water reservoir interface  160 , at least one at least one expandable plumbing assembly  180 , and at least one platform  200 ; step two  502 , installing at least one 5-gallon water bottle  175 ; step three  503 , actioning an electrically-powered on-demand pump  183  to transfer potable water to a distribution point for consumption; step four  504  replacing at least one 5-gallon water bottle  175  as desired; and step five  505 , disassembling at least one water reservoir interface  160 , at least one at least one expandable plumbing assembly  180 , and at least one platform  200  as desired. 
     It should be noted that step  505  is an optional step and may not be implemented in all cases. Optional steps of method of use  500  are illustrated using dotted lines in  FIG. 5  so as to distinguish them from the other steps of method of use  500 . 
     It should be noted that the steps described in the method of use can be carried out in many different orders according to user preference. The use of “step of” should not be interpreted as “step for”, in the claims herein and is not intended to invoke the provisions of 35 U.S.C. §112, ¶6. Upon reading this specification, it should be appreciated that, under appropriate circumstances, considering such issues as design preference, user preferences, marketing preferences, cost, structural requirements, available materials, technological advances, etc., other methods of use arrangements such as, for example, different orders within above-mentioned list, elimination or addition of certain steps, including or excluding certain maintenance steps, etc., may be sufficient. 
     The embodiments of the invention described herein are exemplary and numerous modifications, variations and rearrangements can be readily envisioned to achieve substantially equivalent results, all of which are intended to be embraced within the spirit and scope of the invention. Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientist, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application.