Unitary water cooler filter

Claim 1

A filter device for use in a water cooler, said cooler having a base, a water outlet, a generally planar upper surface having a circular orifice of receiving the neck of an inverted water bottle and a reservoir chamber for receiving water from said inverted bottle prior to dispensing said water, wherein said filter device is adapted for fitment within said circular orifice and wherein it comprises a unitary hollow cylindrical housing having an open top end and an open bottom end, said housing including a hollow cylindrical canister body formed of a water-impervious material and having an outer diameter small enough to fit within the circular orifice of the cooler and an axial length dimensioned to fit within the said reservoir chamber and an axial length and an inner diameter large enough to receive the neck portion of the inverted water bottle, said canister body at its open top end continuously flaired outwardly and then downwardly to form. a downwardly facing circular flange, said flange being hollow with an inner wall, a top surface and a downwardly depending outer wall and open at its bottom surface, said flange being coaxial with the canister body and having an diameter for its downwardly depending outer wall which exceeds the diameter of the circular orifice such that when the canister body of the device is inserted into the circular orifice, the open bottom surface of said flange rests upon the upper surface of the water cooler, said flange being made of the same material as the canister body and being of a thickness and rigidity in its top surface and outer wall which is adequate to support the inverted water bottle and transmit the weight of the water bottle to the upper surface of the water cooler and a perforated baffle continuous with said canister body and extending radially across the hollow canister body at a position below the distance to which the neck of the inverted water bottle extends; a lower retaining means capable of passing water while retaining a filter medium, positioned within said housing at the lower end thereof; a silver-impregnated activated carbon filter medium capable of removing chlorine and absorbable organic chemicals from potable water, positioned on the upper surface of said lower retaining means; and an upper retaining means capable of passing water and excluding particulate matter, and capable of retaining said filter medium, positioned on the upper surface of said filter medium; wherein the distance between said upper perforated panel and said flange, and the inner diameter of said housing, are selected to provide for a flow rate of at least 0.03 oz/sec through said filter device when said filter device is inserted into a water cooler and the neck of a water-containing water bottle placed inverted in the top end of said housing.