Liquid dispenser for a cooler and detergent bottle
AssigneeMagic Tap, LLC
InventorCurtis Taylor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A liquid pump mechanism in a cooler to create a fountain type dispenser from the cooler and a liquid pump mechanism for a container that includes a viscous liquid such as detergent and/or fabric softener. The liquid pump mechanism includes a top portion and a bottom portion. The liquid pump mechanism includes an electric pump that is designed to cause fluid to flow into the bottom portion when the electric pump is activated. The bottom portion is fluidly connected or interconnected to the top portion such that fluid that flows into the bottom portion is designed to flow out of the bottom portion and to the top portion.
Claims26
A liquid pump mechanism configured to dispense a viscous liquid from a container, said liquid pump mechanism including a top portion and a bottom portion that is positioned along a longitudinal axis of said liquid pump mechanism, an electric pump, a pressure relief valve, a flow control valve in a dispenser head, and a power supply configured to power said electric pump;
- said electric pump configured to cause air to flow into the container when said liquid pump mechanism is activated and is connected to the container, said air flow into said container causing an increase in pressure in the container to cause liquid in the container to flow into an opening in said bottom portion and to said top portion when said electric pump is activated, said bottom portion fluidly connected or interconnected to said top portion, said top portion including a dispenser activator and the dispenser head, said dispenser activator configured to activate and deactivate said electric pump, said dispenser head configured to enable fluid that flows to said top portion to exit said top portion through a dispenser opening in said dispenser head, said pressure relief valve configured to release pressure from the container when a predetermined pressure level exists in the container, said dispenser activator configured to cause both said control valve to move to an open position to allow fluid to pass through an opening in said dispenser and to cause said electric pump to be activated when said dispenser activator is in activated mode, and said dispenser activator configured to cause both said control valve to move to a closed position to inhibit fluid to pass through said opening in said dispenser head and to cause said electric pump to be deactivated when said dispenser activator is in a deactivated mode.
The liquid pump mechanism as defined in 1, wherein said dispenser activator includes a depressible button, said depressible button biased in a non-activation position, depression of said depressible button configured to cause said dispenser activator to be in said activated mode, non-depression of said depressible button configured to cause said dispenser activator to be in said deactivated mode.
A method for converting a container into a container having an electric dispenser comprising:
- a. providing a liquid pump mechanism adapted to dispense a viscous liquid from the container, said liquid pump mechanism including a top portion and a bottom portion that is positioned along a longitudinal axis of said liquid pump mechanism, an electric pump, a pressure relief valve, a flow control valve in a dispenser head, and a power supply configured to power said electric pump;
- said electric pump configured to cause air to flow into the container when said liquid pump mechanism is connected to the container, said air flow into said container configured to cause an increase in pressure in the container to cause liquid in the container to flow into an opening in said bottom portion and to said top portion when said electric pump, said bottom portion fluidly connected or interconnected to said top portion, said top portion including a dispenser activator and the dispenser head, said dispenser activator configured to activate and deactivate said electric pump, said dispenser head configured to enable fluid that flows to said top portion to exit said top portion through a dispenser opening in said dispenser head, said pressure relief valve configured to release pressure from the container when a predetermined pressure level exists in the container, said dispenser activator configured to cause both said control valve to move to an open position to allow fluid to pass through an opening in said dispenser and to cause said electric pump to be activated when said dispenser activator is in activated mode, and said dispenser activator configured to cause both said control valve to move to a closed position to inhibit fluid to pass through said opening in said dispenser head and to cause said electric pump to be deactivated when said dispenser activator is in a deactivated mode;
- b. placing said bottom portion of said liquid pump mechanism into said container;
- and,
- c. actuating said dispenser activator to cause said dispenser activator to be in said activated mode so that said dispenser activator causes said control valve to move to said open position and to also cause power from said power supply to energizes said electric pump to cause air to flow into a top of the container to thereby cause a pressure increase in said container, which pressure increase causes fluid in the container to flow into said bottom portion through one or more openings in said bottom portion, to said top portion, and out through said dispenser head.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.