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US 5,472,021 AGranted
Nonspill bottled water replacement system with disposable seal member
AssigneeInnostar, Inc.
InventorsChein-Hwa Tsao, Robert N. Lee
Life of this patent
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AssigneeInnostar, Inc.
InventorsChein-Hwa Tsao, Robert N. Lee
Estimating the term…
A membrane closure which prevents spillage during installation of a water bottle onto a dispenser. The membrane closure provides a water tight seal which is opened after the water bottle is installed by generating a hydraulic shock wave within the bottle. The first embodiment of the membrane seal is folded multiple times then unfolds when subjected to a hydraulic shock wave. The second embodiment has a frangible membrane seal which bursts when subjected to a hydraulic shock wave. The membrane may be weakened along a desired rupture pattern. The third embodiment has a membrane seal attached to the water bottle with two different adhesives, a releasable adhesive which releases when the shock wave is initiated, and a permanent adhesive that prevents the seal from completely detaching from the water bottle. Three methods are presented for generating the hydraulic shock wave to open the membrane seal. In the first method, the water bottle is positioned just above the water dispenser and lowered rapidly. In the second method, the bottle is placed on the dispenser and tipped so that one shoulder of the bottle is just above the top opening of the dispenser, then the bottle is allowed to settle back into place. These two methods create an inertial shock wave when the bottle comes to rest. In the third method, the bottle is placed on the dispenser with the seal intact, and the user strikes the top or the sides of the water bottle to create the hydraulic shock wave.
A method of installing a bottle of fluid onto a fluid dispenser without spilling the fluid, comprising the steps of:
A method of installing a bottle of fluid onto a fluid dispenser without spilling the fluid, comprising the steps of:
A method of installing a bottle of fluid onto a fluid dispenser without spilling the fluid, comprising the steps of:
A method of installing a bottle of fluid onto a fluid dispenser without spilling the fluid, comprising the steps of:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.