US3868153A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Cabinet for a water cooler
Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp
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Filing: 1973-01-05
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Granted: 1975-02-25
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Expires: 1993-01-05
Abstract
Abstract A water cooler is provided having a cabinet including a front vertical panel through which dispensing faucets extend and which support a drip trough spaced below the faucets and extending outwardly a sufficient distance to catch any water dripping from them. A front door is provided hingedly attached to the cabinet to move from an open position permitting access to the faucets to a closed position generally overlying the front panel. The inner face of the door supports horizontal storage shelves extending toward the panel to utilize the space therebetween for storage. The shelves in the space between the faucet and the drip trough extend rearwardly a distance short of interfering with water dripping from the faucets so that articles stored on these shelves will be kept in a position free of intercepting any of the occasional drips which may occur.
Inventors
- 👤 Carl E Sholtes
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 00:01
CPC Classifications
A; A47; A47B; A47B77/00; A47B77/04; A47B77/08
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
181 words
Cabinet construction for a water cooler apparatus including a housing having a front panel and liquid dispensing faucet extending forwardly of said front panel, said front panel supporting a drip trough directly below said faucet for catching and retaining liquid dripping from said faucet, a door structure hingedly supported for movement between an open position permitting access to said faucet and a closed position generally covering said front panel and concealing said faucet, said door structure having an inner face with a plurality of shelves supported thereon and extending generally horizontally toward said front panel when said door is in a closed position, at least one of said plurality of shelves disposed so as to be at an intermediate height relative to said faucet and said drip trough, and of said shelves disposed at said intermediate height being of sufficiently limited depth in a front to rear direction so as not to interfere with the normal drip path from said faucet to said trough so that any drippage occurring when said door is closed does not contact any of said shelves.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
181 words
Cabinet construction for a water cooler apparatus including a housing having a front panel and liquid dispensing faucet extending forwardly of said front panel, said front panel supporting a drip trough directly below said faucet for catching and retaining liquid dripping from said faucet, a door structure hingedly supported for movement between an open position permitting access to said faucet and a closed position generally covering said front panel and concealing said faucet, said door structure having an inner face with a plurality of shelves supported thereon and extending generally horizontally toward said front panel when said door is in a closed position, at least one of said plurality of shelves disposed so as to be at an intermediate height relative to said faucet and said drip trough, and of said shelves disposed at said intermediate height being of sufficiently limited depth in a front to rear direction so as not to interfere with the normal drip path from said faucet to said trough so that any drippage occurring when said door is closed does not contact any of said shelves.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
85 words
Cabinet construction according to claim 1 wherein at least another of said plurality of shelves is disposed on said door at a height other than intermediate said faucet means and said drip trough, said at least another of said plurality of shelves having a sufficient depth in a front-to-rear direction so as to terminate substantially adjacent said front panel when said door is in a closed position and provide a relatively deep shelf with respect to any of said shelves disposed at said intermediate height.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
90 words
Cabinet construction according to claim 2 wherein said front panel defines a planar portion generally recessed from the front peripheral edge of said housing and said door structure includes rearwardly turned peripheral shoulder terminating in a front-to-rear direction generally adjacent said peripheral edge when said door is closed, said at least one of said plurality of shelves having a front-to-rear depth substantially equal to said shoulder, and said another of said shelves having a front-to-rear depth extending substantially between said door and said recessed planar portion of said front panel.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
37 words
Cabinet construction according to claim 3 wherein said at least another of said shelves includes a first shelf positioned at a height above said faucet and a second shelf positioned at a height below said drip trough.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
120 words
In a bottle water cooler, the combination of: a cabinet construction and a side-swinging front door therefor, said door when closed forming a limited depth chamber enclosed along at least the top and side edges thereof between the facing portions of said door and cabinet, said chamber including faucet means at an upper level and a drip trough at a relatively lower level, storage shelves carried on the inner face of said door, any one of said shelves located at a height intermediate said faucet means and said trough being of sufficiently limited depth in a front-to-rear direction as to not be interposed in the path of drippage between said faucet means and said trough when said door is closed.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
120 words
In a bottle water cooler, the combination of: a cabinet construction and a side-swinging front door therefor, said door when closed forming a limited depth chamber enclosed along at least the top and side edges thereof between the facing portions of said door and cabinet, said chamber including faucet means at an upper level and a drip trough at a relatively lower level, storage shelves carried on the inner face of said door, any one of said shelves located at a height intermediate said faucet means and said trough being of sufficiently limited depth in a front-to-rear direction as to not be interposed in the path of drippage between said faucet means and said trough when said door is closed.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
43 words
Structure according to claim 5 wherein any other of said storage shelves located at a height other than intermediate said faucet means and said trough being of sufficient depth in a front-to-rear direction to terminate generally adjacent said facing portion of said cabinet.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
87 words
Structure according to claim 6 wherein the facing portion of said cabinet is generally recessed from a front peripheral edge of said cabinet and said door includes a peripheral Rearwardly extending shoulder terminating in a front-to-rear direction generally adjacent said peripheral edge when said door is closed, said depth of said any one of said shelves located at said intermediate height being substantially equal to said shoulder, and said depth of said other of said shelves extending to generally adjacent said recessed facing portion of said cabinet.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
35 words
Structure according to claim 7 wherein said any other of said shelves includes a first shelf positioned at a height above said faucet means and a second shelf positioned at a height below said trough.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
21 words
Structure according to claim 8 wherein said faucet means and said trough are mounted on said facing portion of said cabinet.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
108 words
A bottle water dispenser comprising: a cabinet including a top wall and a pair of opposite, generally vertically disposed side walls, said top and side walls having forwardly facing edges lying in a generally vertical plane, a front panel for said cabinet recessed rearwardly from said generally vertical plane, faucet means for dispensing water, said faucet means projecting forwardly from said front panel, a drip trough on the front face of said front panel, and spaced downwardly from said faucet means; and, a door for the front face of said cabinet, said door being hinged for side swinging movement and including storage means on its inner face thereof.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
108 words
A bottle water dispenser comprising: a cabinet including a top wall and a pair of opposite, generally vertically disposed side walls, said top and side walls having forwardly facing edges lying in a generally vertical plane, a front panel for said cabinet recessed rearwardly from said generally vertical plane, faucet means for dispensing water, said faucet means projecting forwardly from said front panel, a drip trough on the front face of said front panel, and spaced downwardly from said faucet means; and, a door for the front face of said cabinet, said door being hinged for side swinging movement and including storage means on its inner face thereof.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-02-24 | 1978-08-26 | 1979-02-25 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-02-24 | 1982-08-26 | 1983-02-25 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-02-24 | 1986-08-26 | 1987-02-25 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |