Portable fluid treatment and dispensing system

Abstract

An apparatus and method for dispensing fluid to large numbers of people are disclosed. One embodiment of a portable apparatus for treating and dispensing fluid includes a housing that is fluidly attached to a fluid source. Several fluid delivery components are disposed within the housing to dispense fluid to a user. The fluid delivery components may include a pressure regulator, a backflow preventer, filters, cooling misters and dispensing valves such that the such that the fluid source integrity is protected, the fluid purity is improved, and the air within the housing is cooled which in turn provides cooling to the fluid delivery components and the fluid itself. This embodiment also includes a mechanism for providing ballast in the lower portion of the housing in order to stabilize the device and keep it from moving when bumped into by people (accidentally or intentionally) or in windy conditions, and a mechanism to empty the ballast for removal of the system.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A stabilizing ballast system comprising:
 a housing having a weight;   a cavity disposed in a lower portion of an interior of the housing;   a supply line comprising one or more tubes disposed in the housing, the supply line having:
 an input to receive a fluid from an exterior of the housing; 
 a junction to receive fluid from the input and to split the fluid into:
 a first flow path to transport fluid through the housing to output the fluid from the housing; and 
 a second flow path to dispense fluid to the interior of the housing, 
 
   wherein the cavity is configured to store a volume of fluid dispensed from the second flow path, the volume of fluid having a weight at least four times greater than the weight of the housing.   
     
     
         2 . The stabilizing ballast system of  claim 1 , the supply line further comprising a valve disposed in the second flow path to control flow of fluid through the second flow path to the interior of the housing. 
     
     
         3 . A portable fluid delivery system comprising:
 a housing;   a fitting disposed in a wall of the housing for receiving a fluid from a fluid source remote from the housing;   a supply line formed by a plurality of interconnected fluid delivery components disposed in the housing, the supply line receiving fluid from the fitting;   a first flow path communicatively coupled to the supply line to convey the fluid to a dispenser that dispenses the fluid out of the housing; and   a second flow path communicatively coupled to the supply line to convey the fluid to an interior portion of the housing.   
     
     
         4 . The portable fluid delivery system of  claim 3 , wherein the interior portion comprises a cavity disposed in a bottom portion of the housing for collecting a stabilizing volume of the fluid. 
     
     
         5 . The portable fluid delivery system of  claim 3 , wherein the interior portion comprises a volume surrounding the plurality of interconnected fluid delivery components. 
     
     
         6 . The portable fluid delivery system of  claim 3 , wherein at least some of the plurality of interconnected fluid delivery components are coupled to an interior surface of a wall of the housing. 
     
     
         7 . The portable fluid delivery system of  claim 3 , further comprising a valve to regulate a flow of the fluid to the second flow path. 
     
     
         8 . The portable fluid delivery system of  claim 7 , further comprising a controller to control the valve to selectively permit the flow of the fluid. 
     
     
         9 . A portable fluid delivery system comprising:
 a housing;   a plurality of fluid delivery components disposed in an interior space at least partially enclosed by the housing;   an inlet to receive fluid from a pressurized fluid source and convey the fluid into the plurality of fluid delivery components;   a distribution aperture communicatively coupled to the plurality of fluid delivery components to convey fluid into the interior space; and   a dispensing component communicatively coupled to the plurality of fluid delivery components for dispensing fluid that was not conveyed to the interior space out of the housing to a user.   
     
     
         10 . The portable fluid delivery system of  claim 9 , wherein the distribution aperture comprises a mister.