US 5,507,329 AGranted

Liquid dispensing apparatus

AssigneeProfessor Purewater Co., Ltd.

InventorMichael Shub

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Abstract

In general, distilled water dispensers used in commercial establishments such as drug and convenience stores are unimaginative, coin operated and often messy devices. A relatively simple substitute for such dispensers includes a large housing similar in size and shape to a soft drink dispenser, a smaller housing in the large housing with essentially only the door of the inner housing extending out of the center of the larger housing. A one, three or five gallon bottle is placed in the inner housing and the door is closed. These two actions close two switches which cause a dispensing head to descend from a rest position into the open mouth of the bottle. Movement of the dispensing head to the dispensing position closes a third switch, which causes a solenoid valve to open permitting the flow of distilled water to the bottle. When the bottle is full, the rising water in the bottle closes a circuit including two wire probes extending downwardly into the bottle from the dispensing head to close the solenoid valve and to return the dispensing head to the rest position.

Claims12

Dependent claims

An automatic liquid dispensing apparatus comprising housing means for receiving a container;

door means in said housing means permitting access to the housing means;
dispensing head means in said housing means connected to a supply of liquid under pressure for dispensing liquid into the container;
first valve means controlling the flow of liquid from said source of liquid under pressure to said dispensing head means;
first switch means for closing by said door means when the door means is moved through a path of travel from an open to a closed position, said first switch means preventing opening of said first valve means unless the door is closed;
second switch means for closing by a container when the container is correctly positioned in said housing means in alignment with said-dispensing head means for moving said dispensing head means into a dispensing position with respect to the container;
third switch means on said dispensing head means for closing when the dispensing head means moves into the dispensing position to open said first valve means, whereby liquid is dispensed through said first valve means into the container;
and sensor means on said dispensing head means for extending into the container for sensing a liquid level in the container and for closing said first valve means when the liquid reaches a predetermined level in the container.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.