Patent ID: 7597215

Claim:
A supply system for a bottled water cooler, the bottled water cooler including a bottle of water residing in an upright position, a conduit for removing water from the bottle of water, and a water reservoir, said supply system comprising: a pump having an input and an output, said input connected to the conduit, and said output connected to the water reservoir; a bottle sensor disposed in the bottle of water; an upper reservoir sensor disposed in the water reservoir; a lower reservoir sensor disposed in the water reservoir at a position below said upper reservoir sensor; said bottle sensor, said upper reservoir sensor, and said lower reservoir sensor each including a pair of spaced apart electrodes; said bottle sensor, said upper reservoir sensor, and said lower reservoir sensor each having an open state and a closed state; and, a control device connected to said pump, said bottle sensor, said upper reservoir sensor, and said lower reservoir sensor, said control device (1) checking said open state and said closed state of said bottle sensor, said open state and said closed state of said upper reservoir sensor, and said open state and said closed state of said lower reservoir sensor, (2) causing said pump to energize if said bottle sensor is in said closed state and both said upper reservoir sensor and said lower reservoir sensor are in open states, and (3), after (2), causing said pump to de-energize when said upper reservoir sensor is in said closed state.