Systems, methods and apparatus for dispensing a liquid

Cross-Reference to Related Applications

[0001] The present patent application claims the benefit of priority of commonly assigned provisional American Patent Application no. 62/903,076, entitled “SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DISPENSING WATER” and filed at the United States Patent and Trademark Office on September 20, 2019.

Field of the Invention

[0002] The invention relates generally to natural spring water dispensers and more particularly to an ecofriendly water dispenser for reusable water bottles. Even more particularly the present invention relates to an improved water dispenser station for reusable water bottles typically found in public places such as airports, parks, and public buildings and can easily be removed for temporary, or short term, use during special events such as concerts, festivals and sporting events. The invention could be used to dispense other liquids for human consumption such as juices, ice tea, etc... The present invention provides an improved payment method via a mobile application and, more importantly, natural spring water at a reduced cost.

Background of the Invention

[0003] The past decade has shown an increasing consumer preference of bottled water over tap water. As of 2015, bottled water held 19% of the consumption share of beverages in the United States, whereas tap water and other beverages only amounted to 13.6% of the consumption share (D’Altruie, 2017). The rise in bottled water use has huge implications for the environment. Annual US consumption of bottled water tripled from 12 billion bottles in 2000 to 36 billion bottles in 2006 (Viscusi et ah, 2009). For many consumers, bottled water has become a complete substitute for tap water. Studies have shown that the reasons include convenience, taste, mistrust of tap water, and health con cerns (Huerta-Saenz et ak, 2012).

[0004] Bottled water’s versatility makes it suitable for consumption at any time or place. The portability and various packaging types allows for a variety of uses (Rodwan, 2014). When considering taste of bottled water and mistrust of tap water, Viscusi et al. found, “over two-fifths of the sample” believe that bottled water tastes better than tap water, and almost one-third of all respondents believe that bottled water is “safer than tap water” (Viscusi et al., 2015). Although single-use water bottles are becoming problematic from the environmental perspective, the demand for its content has been steadily rising. The present invention hopes to solve both these problems through an improved delivery method for bottled water. The present invention will provide the same water that single use water bottles provide, together with all its benefits and consumer preferences but without the damaging effect that single-use plastic bottles has on the environment. Consumers who prefer bottled-water for its convenience, taste, mistrust of tap water, or health concerns will be able to fill their reusable water bottles with the same trusted water but without the guilt associated with the environmental impact of single-use water bottles.

[0005] The key problem with plastic is that a major portion of plastic produced each year is used to make disposable packaging items or other short-lived products that are permanently discarded within a year of manufacture (Hopewell et al. 2009). Most plastic bottles are not recycled and accumulate in landfills, taking hundreds of years to biodegrade (Parag & Roberts, 2009). In 2005, two million tons of plastic bottles were dumped in landfills (Palliser, 2010). Water bottles are made completely of Polyethylene terephthalate plastics (PETs), but PETs do not biodegrade quickly. They break down into smaller fragments that absorb toxins that pollute the waterways, contaminate the soil, and sicken animals (Schriever, 2013). Washington University in St. Louis was the first university to ban the sale and use of bottled water in administrative offices, dining services and vending machines (D’Altruie, 2017). The benefits of the bottled water ban include decreased recycling costs and student expenditures, along with environmental benefits (Curtis-Murphy and Sessions, 2014). However, the costs associated with this ban include new and retrofitted water fountains, administrative costs, increased water usage and maintenance of these water fountains. One major pitfall of the ban is the significant lost revenue to food services.

[0006] The present invention will 1) eliminate costs associated with new and retrofitted water fountains, 2) eliminate administrative costs, 3) eliminate recycling costs associated with plastic water bottles, 4) provide a revenue stream for the school’s food services and 5) provide the same trusted water at a reduce cost to the consumer.

[0007] For most organizations and businesses, a complete single-use water bottle ban is not feasible or cost efficient (Sabatini, 2013). Single-use water bottle dispensers can be installed almost anywhere without the need for water access to the city’s aqueduct. Even at Washington University in St. Louis, the school made the decision to provide bottled water at a very limited number of special events where other methods of water access proved especially “challenging or costly.”

[0008] The present invention does not need water access and can therefore be installed almost anywhere, similarly to current vending machines. It can even be installed temporarily at special events such as concerts, festivals and sporting events. Thus, this will provide an added revenue streaming when compared to current filling stations that uses the city’s water supply.

Summary of the Invention

[0009] The shortcomings of the prior art are generally mitigated by the present invention which relates to systems, methods and apparatus for dispensing a liquid.

[0010] In a first aspect of the invention, a dispensing apparatus is provided, the apparatus being adapted to house a plurality of bottles containing a liquid and comprising: a supporting structure, the supporting structure having a plurality of levels, each level comprising a main beam and two secondary beams, each secondary beam being secured to the main beam of the related level; a dispensing system; a user interface system; a tubing system fluidly connecting the bottles to the dispensing system; and a pump configured to displace the liquid from the bottles to the dispensing system in the tubing system; wherein each level comprises two rows comprising a portion of the plurality of bottles and each row of bottles is supported by one of the secondary beams. The dispensing apparatus may further comprise a cooling system in fluid connection to the tubing system and to the dispensing system. The dispensing apparatus may yet comprise a liquid recovery tank located on the bottom section of the apparatus and configured to receive any liquid leaked from the other systems of the apparatus. [0011] In another aspect of the invention, the two rows of bottles of each level are symmetrical in relation to the central vertical axis of the apparatus. The dispensing apparatus may further have each one of the plurality of bottles have the axis of its opening being between 50 to 60 degrees from the horizontal axis. In a specific embodiment, each one of the plurality of bottles has the axis of its opening being at approximately 55 degrees from the horizontal. Each row of bottles may further be supported by an interior side wall of the apparatus.

[0012] In yet another aspect of the invention, the dispensing system is configured to receive and support a container of a user to be filled. The dispensing system may further be configured to receive and support a container of a user to be filled having a volume from 250 to 1000 mL.

[0013] It is an aspect of the invention that the apparatus further comprises a plurality of watertight connecting members, each of the plurality of watertight connecting members being configured to fluidly connect the tubing system to one of the plurality of bottles. In a further embodiment, each one of the plurality of watertight connecting members comprises a hollow tube being fluidly connected to the tubing system; a base located on the lower section of the hollow tube; a spike located on the upper section of the hollow tube and configured to pierce a cover or a cap of the bottle; a flexible sleeve located on the exterior of the hollow tube; and a ring located between the flexible sleeve and the hollow tube; wherein the tube comprises at least an opening allowing flow of liquid within the interior of the same towards the tubing system.

[0014] In a further aspect of the invention, a watertight connecting member for fluidly connecting a liquid from a bottle comprising an opening to a tubing system is provided. The watertight connecting member comprises a hollow tube being fluidly connected to the tubing system; a base located on the lower section of the hollow tube; a spike located on the upper section of the hollow tube and configured to pierce a cover or a cap of the unopened bottle containing the liquid; and a flexible sleeve located on the exterior of the hollow tube; wherein the tube comprises at least an opening allowing flow of liquid from the interior of the bottle, within the interior of the tube and towards the tubing system the flexible sleeve is configured to press against interior walls of the opening of the bottle in a watertight configuration. The watertight connecting member may further comprise a ring disposed between the flexible sleeve and the hollow tube, the ring configured to further press the flexible sleeve against interior walls of the opening of the bottle.

[0015] In yet another aspect of the invention, a method of managing a liquid dispenser is provided. The method comprises the steps of: receiving payment instructions related to a product from a user via a user interface located on the water dispenser; having a computerized hardware server contacting a web server with the received payment instructions related to a product; sending a response from the web server to the hardware if the response is negative; contacting, with the web server if the response is positive, a back-end server with transaction information to signal that a sale has been made; sending a response from the back-end server to the web server if the response is negative; and registering the transaction information, with the back-end server if the response is positive, before determining if a sufficient amount of liquid is available in the dispenser.

[0016] Another method is provided, the method being for managing the configuration of a liquid dispenser. The method comprises the steps of: modifying the configuration of a dispenser via a user interface platform accessible via an administrator’s access; sending the modifications from the user interface platform to a back-end server; sending the modifications from the back-end server to the dispenser for a response; sending a rejection notice to the back-end server if the response is negative; and updating the dispenser’s configuration if the response is positive.

[0017] The liquid of the aspects and embodiments of the invention provided above may be water.

[0018] The dispensers are preferably equipped with geolocation, or Global Positioning System (GPS), which sends its precise location to users via a mobile application. Thus, users can see, in real-time, where a dispenser is located relative to their location and if that dispenser is available for use.

[0019] These dispensers can be installed anywhere where current vending machines are located but the fast and easy installation and removal make it ideal for temporary, or short term, use during special events such as concerts, festivals and sporting events, especially when the city’s water supply cannot be accessed. [0020] The present invention also provides an improved payment method via a mobile application and, more importantly, natural spring water at a reduced cost.

[0021] Other and further aspects and advantages of the present invention will be obvious upon an understanding of the illustrative embodiments about to be described or will be indicated in the appended claims, and various advantages not referred to herein will occur to one skilled in the art upon employment of the invention in practice.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0022] The above and other aspects, features and advantages of the invention will become more readily apparent from the following description, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0023] FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a front inside view, a side inside view of the water bottles in an embodiment of a dispensing apparatus and a front outside view of an embodiment of the apparatus in accordance with an aspect of the invention;

[0024] FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of systems comprised in an embodiment of a water dispensing apparatus in accordance with an aspect of the invention;

[0025] FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of the casing of an embodiment of a water dispensing apparatus in accordance with an aspect of the invention;

[0026] FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration of the inside of an embodiment of a water dispensing apparatus illustrating the water bottles arrangement connected to a tubing system and a pump in accordance with an aspect of the invention;

[0027] FIG. 5 is a perspective right view of the inside of an embodiment of a water dispensing apparatus in accordance with an aspect of the invention;

[0028] FIG. 6 is a front view of an embodiment of a water dispensing apparatus, without the front panel in accordance with an aspect of the invention;

[0029] FIG. 7 illustrates a water bottle sealed to an embodiment of a watertight connecting member in accordance with an aspect of the invention;

[0030] FIG. 8 is a side view illustration of an embodiment of a fully assembled watertight connecting member in accordance with an aspect of the invention; [0031] FIG. 9 is an exploded side view illustration of the watertight connecting member of FIG. 8;

[0032] FIG. 10 is a flowchart summarizing a method of communication between servers upon payment by users via a user interface in accordance with an aspect of the invention;

[0033] FIG. 11 is a flowchart summarizing a method of communication between servers upon payment by users via a mobile application in accordance with an aspect of the invention;

[0034] FIG. 12 is a flowchart summarizing a method of communication between administrators and servers for the configurations of a dispenser in accordance with an aspect of the invention;

[0035] FIG. 13 is a flowchart summarizing a method of network communication means between users and the dispenser in accordance with an aspect of the invention.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment

[0036] Novel systems, methods and apparatuses for dispensing water will be described hereinafter. Although the invention is described in terms of specific illustrative embodiments, it is to be understood that the embodiments described herein are by way of example only and that the scope of the invention is not intended to be limited thereby. Even though the term water is used throughout the description, it is to be understood that the term water may be replaced with any other liquid known in the art, or at least that may be consumed by humans, and is thus not limited thereby.

[0037] The object of the present invention is a water dispensing apparatus 100, or vending machine, or dispenser, for dispensing clean drinking water as substantially illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 6. As seen on FIG. 1, a plurality of liquid containers 10, such as reusable water bottles, may be installed at an angle in the apparatus 100. The reusable water bottles 10 may have an opening 14 facing at least partly downwards to facilitate and allow, due to gravity, water contained in the bottles to enter a tubing system 20 that may deliver said water to a user. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the water bottles 10 may be stacked in rows each containing a plurality of bottles 10, such as three bottles 10 per row as seen in the present embodiment. There may be two opposite rows per height and the bottles 10 of each row may be placed at symmetric angles from a central vertical axis of the apparatus 100. In the shown embodiment, the opening 14 of each bottle 10 is facing towards the center of the apparatus 100 to minimize the tubing required, but it may be appreciated that the positioning of said openings 14 may be facing in any other direction. Still on FIG. 1, the outside of the apparatus 100 may comprise an area 30 for users to put personal bottles 36 to be filled. The apparatus 100 may further comprise a user interface 40 for payment and for any other interaction with the apparatus 100.

[0038] Systems that may be comprised in the apparatus 100 are further shown in FIG. 2. First is a user interface 40. The user interface 40 may allow users to select a desired service and their payment option. In an embodiment, the user interface 40 is a touchscreen. In another embodiment, the user interface 40 may allow voice or motion command in order to avoid germs and bacteria transmission. In yet another embodiment, the user interface 40 may show connectivity to a user’s mobile device, not shown, the connectivity being made through a mobile application installed on the user’s mobile device. The mobile application may provide users with various services and payment options similar to what may be offered by using a physical user interface 40. Second is an area 30, or filling receptacle, for users to put personal bottles 36 to be filled. The filling receptacle 30 may allow varyingly sized bottles 36 and any portable size of container to be installed. In an embodiment of the invention, bottles to be filled 36 may vary from having a possible volume of water of 250 mL up to 1 L. In the embodiment shown, the filling receptacle 30 has a platform 32 allowing the installation of a bottle 36 under a liquid dispenser 34 and is configured to have enough distance between said platform 32 and water dispenser 34 for varying heights of bottles 36 commercially available. Thirdly is a cooling system 50 which may be in fluid connection with the tubing system 20 and the water dispenser 30 for cooling water before dispensing to a user. It may be appreciated that a user, through the user interface 40, may have the option to either receive water at room temperature directly from the reusable water bottles 10 or water that has been cooled from the cooling system 50. Fourthly, a liquid recovery tank 60 is located in the bottom section of the apparatus 100. The recovery tank 60 may be located anywhere in the bottom section of the apparatus 100 and may recover liquid that has leaked from any system of said apparatus 100.

[0039] An outside front view of an embodiment of the apparatus 100 may be seen on FIG. 3. In this embodiment, the user interface 40 and the filling receptacle 30 are located on top of each other on one side of the front surface of the apparatus 100. The other side of said surface comprises a door 70 that may be opened to access the inside of the apparatus 100. It may be appreciated that in order to access systems or water bottles 10 in the apparatus 100, the door 70 may be positioned elsewhere on the apparatus 100 and additional doors 70 may further be present. It may further be appreciated that the door 70 may cover the entirety of a side of the apparatus 100. Additionally, the door 70 may be substantially flat in regard to the surface of the apparatus 100. The door 70 may be opened by any mean known in the art. The door 70 may comprise any visual information that the owner of the apparatus 100 may insert. The dimensions of the apparatus 100 may vary depending on the size of the water bottles 10 installed inside.

[0040] Now referring to FIG. 4, a tubing system 20 may be observed fluidly linking each of the plurality of the reusable water bottles 10 to a pump 24. The water bottles 10 are generally positioned such that their opening 14 is close to the center of the apparatus 100 so that a central tube 22 may liaise each of said water bottles 10 to the pump 24 without any unwanted or unnecessary length of tubing. The pump 24 used may be configured to transport water from each water bottle 10 to any required system of the apparatus 100, such systems including the cooling system 50 and the dispensing system 30. The water bottles 10 used, as seen in the embodiment shown, are commercially available water bottles. In a preferred embodiment, the bottles 10 used are standard 18L water bottles and the apparatus 100 may be dimensioned accordingly. In other embodiments, the water bottles 10 used may have volumes varying from a couple milliliters to a couple liters.

[0041] It may be seen in FIGS. 5 and 6 that a supporting assembly 80 may be configured to at least partly support the water bottles 10 installed in the apparatus 100. The supporting assembly 80 may comprise bars, or beams, arranged in a configuration allowing a secured support of each water bottle 10. In the embodiment shown, the supporting assembly 80 comprises a main supporting beam 84 for each floor of water bottles 10 and a secondary supporting beam 88 for each row of water bottles 10. The secondary supporting beams 88 may be configured to support the water bottles 10 by supporting the outside surface 12 between the opening 14 and the main body of each water bottle 10. In some embodiments, the side walls of the apparatus 100 may serve as additional support to the bottles 10. Not shown, additional beams may be comprised in the supporting assembly 80 to further support and/or place the water bottles 10 in a desired position. The supporting assembly 80 may be made of strong materials yet light enough to allow feasible transport of the apparatus 100 when required. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, bottles 10 of 18L are stored within the apparatus 100. In order to properly support said water bottles 10, the secondary support beams 88 of this embodiment may be located 48 cm from each other height wise 88.1 and may be located 30 cm from the side walls of the apparatus 100 88.2.

[0042] With the idea of maximizing the number of installed water bottles 10 within the interior of the apparatus 100 while still allowing efficient flow of liquid from said water bottles 10, a certain angle 90 of storage of the water bottles 10 is required. In an embodiment of the invention, the axis 90 following the opening of a bottle may be between 50 to 60 degrees from the horizontal. In another embodiment, the angle 90 may be of approximately 55 degrees.

[0043] Now looking at FIGS. 7 to 9, a watertight connecting member 200 is illustrated. The connecting member 200 may be configured to be installed at the opening 14 of a water bottle 10 installed in the apparatus 100 and may further be configured to fluidly transfer water from said water bottle 10 to the tubing system 20. The connecting member 200 may comprise a plurality of parts such as a base 210, a tube 220, a spike 230, a flexible sleeve 240 and a ring 250. The base 210 is configured to receive within a hole 214 the tube 220 and to be pressed against an outside part of the water bottle 10 to which the connecting member 200 is connected to, such as the circumference of the opening 14 of the water bottle 10. The base 210 may be made of a rigid material so that it may help in supporting the weight of a water bottle 10 and the structural integrity of the rest of the parts in the connecting member 200. The tube 220 is comprised of a hollow interior so that water may flow within. The water may enter the tube 220 by at least one entry point 224, such as two circular openings 224 on opposite sides of said tube 220. The tube 220 may be made of plastic or any other solid material known in the art and that may endure certain longitudinal impacts. The spike 230 is configured to be installed on the upper section of the tube 220 so that it may pierce a cover, not shown, installed on the opening 14 of the water bottle 10. It may thus be appreciated that water bottles 10 are not required to be opened before installing in the apparatus 100, which may avoid leaks and accidents during the installation process. The spike’s 230 shape and material may vary, as long as it can properly puncture the cover or cap of a commercially available water bottle 10 without excessive force. The flexible sleeve 240 is configured to be slid over the tube 220, ideally up to the base’s 210 surface. The flexible’s sleeve 240 goal is to press against the sides of the water bottle’s opening 14 in a watertight configuration so that no leak may exist once the connecting member 200 is installed to a bottle 10. The flexible sleeve 240 may be made of, but not limited to, silicone. In order to have more effective water tightness, the ring 250 is installed between the tube 220 and the flexible sleeve 240 so that said flexible sleeve 240 may be further pressed against the internal walls of the water bottle opening 14. Any person skilled in the art may appreciate that the ring 250 may offer additional protection against leaking when the connecting member 200 is installed to a water bottle 10 due to its surface possible pressing against the opening 14 of said water bottle 10 when installed. The ring 250 may be made of plastic or any other material known in the art. The watertight connecting member 200 may further be equipped with various sensors for monitoring water levels and send information, or a plurality of data, to a management center.

[0044] Methods of controlling the water dispensing apparatus are also provided. In a first embodiment, a method of controlling a transaction 300 through a user interface is provided as shown on FIG. 10. The method 300 comprises the steps of: having a user make a payment via a dispenser’s user interface 310, having a hardware server signaling to a web server the transaction information 320, waiting twenty seconds for the web server to respond 330, if the response is positive, notifying a back-end server that a sale has been made 340, waiting twenty seconds for the web server to respond 350, if the response is positive, having the back-end server save the transaction information and deduce the number of liters available in the dispenser 360 and serving the amount of liquid purchased by the costumer through the dispenser 370. It may be appreciated that, if the delay of up to twenty seconds happens less than two times through verification steps (335, 355), the method is brought back one step prior. If there are two failures, a message is displayed accordingly to the user and the transaction is cancelled 380.

[0045] In a second embodiment shown on FIG. 11, a method of controlling a transaction 400 through a mobile application is provided. The method comprises the steps of: having a user pay for a product through a mobile application 410, contacting a back-end server with the mobile application with the following information (dispenser affected by the transaction and product purchased) 420, notifying the appropriate dispenser by the back end server that a transaction has been made and communicating to the dispenser the purchase information 430, waiting twenty seconds for a response from the dispenser 440, if the response is positive, saving the transaction by the back-end server and having said back-end server deducing the number of liters available in the dispenser 450 and serving the amount of liquid purchased by the user through the dispenser 460. It may be appreciated that, if the delay of up to twenty seconds happens less than two times through the verification step 445, the method is brought back one step prior. If there are two failures, a message is displayed accordingly to the user and the transaction is cancelled 470.

[0046] In a third embodiment shown on FIG. 12, a method of controlling a dispenser’s configuration 500 is provided. The method 500 comprises the steps of: changing a dispenser’s configuration via a web administration interface by an administrator 510, sending the new configuration by a back-end server to the dispenser 520, waiting twenty seconds for a response by the dispenser 530, if the response is positive, updating the configuration of the dispenser 540. It may be appreciated that, if the delay of up to twenty seconds happens less than two times through the verification step 535, the method is brought back one step prior. If there are two failures, the back-end server waits an hour before trying again to send the new configuration to the dispenser 550. It may be appreciated that the configuration of a dispenser may include, but is not limited to: alerts sensitivity, user interface colors, images or logos shown on the dispenser, product prices and products list. [0047] Now shown on FIG. 13 is an embodiment of a network system 600 allowing the control and communication of dispensers 100. Each dispenser 100 may comprise an internal server 610 controlling the hardware of said dispenser. A web server 620, such as a Node js server, is further provided to allow communication with a back-end server 630 via HTTP. The back-end server 630 may in turn receive instructions in HTTP from an administration web application 640 or a user 650 from the user interface 40 of the dispenser. It may be appreciated that other communication methods with other modules may be used to control and communicate with the dispensing apparatus.

[0048] In an embodiment of the present invention, an administrator may communicate in real-time from a management center, not shown, to each apparatus 100 of a network 500 and each apparatus 100 may in turn communicate to the management center various relevant information on the current state of said apparatus 100. Among the information communicated to the management center from the plurality of apparatus 100 may be valuable consumer trends such as quantity consumed per day or per hour for each apparatus 100 which may be used to continuously improve the management of the dispensers 100. Thus, it may be possible to see the state of each apparatus 100 in real time and anticipate when a given apparatus 100 will likely run out of water and should thus be refilled. Although this 2-way communication system may help minimize occurrences of empty apparatus 100, integrated GPS, not shown, for each apparatus 100 may inform users of the next available apparatus 100 nearby via a mobile application or directly via the user interface 40 of any apparatus 100.

[0049] The water dispensing apparatus 100, or water dispensers, may be monitored at distance and may be equipped with indicators on included mechanical and electronic components to send signals when a malfunction occurs or even anticipate when it is likely to occur. This may thus eliminate or significantly reduce any loss revenues associated with dispensers being out of service.

[0050] In another embodiment of the present invention, promotions may be sent to specific dispensers 100 using data generated by consumer trends by region, city, neighborhood, day, time etc... Prices may also be adjusted in real-time and for each dispenser 100 individually. [0051] The dispenser 100 may further be able to communicate in a plurality of languages so that a majority of users may operate the dispenser 100 by communicating in their selected language.

[0052] While illustrative and presently preferred embodiments of the invention have been described in detail hereinabove, it is to be understood that the inventive concepts may be otherwise variously embodied and employed and that the appended claims are intended to be construed to include such variations except insofar as limited by the prior art.