Method and apparatus for disinfecting a refrigerated water cooler reservoir and its dispensing spigot(s)

A bottled water dispenser, comprising:

• a) a cabinet having an interior having a water dispensing system that includes a reservoir for holding water to be dispensed;
• b) the water dispensing system including a valved spigot on the cabinet for valving the flow of water to be dispensed from the reservoir;
• c) an ozone generator housing supported by the cabinet, said housing having an ozone generator inside the housing and one or more air flow lines for transmitting air to and from the housing interior;
• d) One of the air flow line connecting the housing interior with the water dispensing system;
• e) one of the air flow lines communicating with a diffuser that is positioned within the reservoir below the waterline, said diffuser comprising an elongated flexible soft polymeric tube having a tube wall surrounding a tube lumen and a plurality of openings in the tube wall;
• and
• f) a plurality of diffuser elements mounted in the tube wall, an element being attached to the tube wall at an opening.

A method of sanitizing water dispenser having a cabinet with water supply that includes a reservoir, and an operable spigot on the cabinet enables water to be dispensed from the cabinet and its water supply comprising the steps of:

• a) generating ozone with an ozone generator;
• b) collecting the generated ozone inside of an ozone generator housing;
• c) transmitting ozone from the ozone generator housing to the water supply reservoir so that bubbles rise upwardly in the reservoir;
• and
• d) wherein in step “c” the ozone enters the reservoir via a plurality of diffuser elements that are mounted in the wall of a polymeric tube that has a tube wall surrounding a tube lumen.

A water dispenser, comprising:

• a) a cabinet having upper and lower end portions and an interior;
• b) reservoir contained within the cabinet, the reservoir containing water with a water surface;
• c) one or more spigots in fluid communication with the reservoir for dispensing water, each spigot having a manually operable member that opens the spigot;
• d) an ozone generator housing supported next to the cabinet, said cabinet having an ozone generator inside the housing;
• e) a diffuser contained within the reservoir for emitting bubbles into the reservoir, said diffuser comprising an ozone resistant polymeric tube having a tube wall surrounding a central flow bore and a plurality of openings in the tube wall, diffuser segments being mounted in the openings;
• f) and air flow lines for transmitting air to and from the housing interior and to the reservoir.

A bottled water dispenser, comprising:

• a) a cabinet having an interior having a water dispensing system that includes a reservoir for holding water to be dispensed;
• b) the water dispensing system including a valved spigot on the cabinet for valving the flow of water to be dispensed from the reservoir;
• c) an ozone generator housing supported by the cabinet, said housing having an ozone generator inside the housing and one or more air flow lines for transmitting air to and from the housing interior with the water dispensing system;
• d) one of the air flow liens connecting the housing interior with the water dispensing system;
• e) one of the air flow lines communicating with a diffuser that is positioned within the reservoir below the waterline, said diffuser comprising an elongated flexible soft polymeric tube having a tube wall surrounding a tube lumen and a plurality of openings in the tube wall;
• and
• f) a plurality of diffuser elements mounted in the tube wall, each element being attached to the tube wall at an opening.

A method of sanitizing water dispenser having a cabinet with water supply that includes a reservoir, and an operable spigot on the cabinet enables water to be dispensed from the cabinet and its water supply comprising the steps of:

• a) generating ozone with an ozone generator;
• b) collecting the generated ozone inside of an ozone generator housing;
• c) transmitting ozone from the ozone generator housing to the water supply reservoir so that bubbles rise upwardly in the reservoir;
• and
• d) wherein in step “c” the ozone enters the reservoir via a plurality of diffuser elements that are mounted in the wall of a polymeric tube that has a tube wall surrounding a tube lumen.

A bottled water dispenser, comprising:

• a) a cabinet having upper and lower end portions;
• b) a reservoir contained within the cabinet, the reservoir containing water with a water surface;
• c) a diffuser that occupies the reservoir, for emitting bubbles into the reservoir:
• d) one or more spigots on the cabinet for dispensing water from the reservoir;
• e) an ozone generator housing positioned next to the cabinet, said housing having an ozone generator inside the housing;
• f) air flow lines for transmitting air between the ozone generator and the diffuser;
• and
• g) a pump that pumps air from the housing to the diffuser via the flow lines;
• and
• h) wherein the pump output is between about 1-10 liters per minute.

A bottled water dispenser, comprising:

• a) a cabinet having upper and lower end portions and a spigot for dispensing water;
• b) reservoir contained within the cabinet, the reservoir containing water;
• c) a channel that transmits water from the reservoir to the spigot;
• d) a diffuser for emitting bubbles into the reservoir;
• e) an ozone generator module positioned next to the cabinet, said generator including a housing having an ozone generator inside the housing, and a blower for generating air flow;
• f) a piping system for piping ozone from the housing to the diffuser;
• and
• g) an adjustable flow meter valve that meters the flow of air generated by the blower.

A method of sanitizing a bottled water dispenser having a cabinet with a dispensing spigot, a reservoir and a channel that connects the spigot and reservoir, comprising the steps of:

• a) generating ozone with an ozone generator that is positioned next to the cabinet;
• b) collecting the generated ozone inside of an ozone generator housing;
• c) providing an ozone diffuser inside the reservoir;
• and
• d) transmitting ozone from the ozone generator housing to the diffuser at a flow rate that elevates ozone levels in the reservoir of between about 0.1-0.8 mg per liter of dissolved ozone.