Refrigerator having a beverage requester

• US 20040250564A1
• Filed: 06/28/2004
• Published: 12/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Beverage Works, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Beverage Works, Inc.
• Inventors: Crisp, Harry Lee III, Duff, Todd Erik
• Application Number:
  US10/879,997
• Publication Number:
  US 20040250564A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 62/398
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0021 the components being mixed at the time of dispensing, i.e. post-mix dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0057 Carbonators
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0858 using compression systems
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 2001/082 arranged in parallel
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 2210/00036 for use with or in refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 2210/0006 Manifolds
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 3/0006 responsive to coded information provided on the neck or spout of the storage container, e.g. bar-code, magnets or transponder
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/126 Water cooler
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2323/023 Door in door constructions
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2331/803 Bottles
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2400/06 Refrigerators with a vertical mullion
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 29/00 Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing

Abstract

A beverage dispensing apparatus for a residential refrigerator. The beverage dispensing apparatus of the present invention includes a drink supplier including a drink supply canister holder for holding a plurality of drink supply canisters, a plurality of valve actuators for causing the drink supply to be selectively released from the drink supply canisters, a water supplier for selectively supplying carbonated water and non-carbonated water for producing the beverages, a gas supplier for supplying CO₂ gas to carbonate the carbonated water provided by the water supplier and for supplying CO₂ gas or other gas for pressurizing the drink supply canisters to provide a consistent flow rate of the drink supply from the drink supply canisters, and one or more beverage requesters for enabling users to request one of a plurality of beverages.

Claims

1. A refrigerator comprising:

a housing including a refrigeration compartment and at least one door which allows access to the refrigeration compartment;

a drink supply apparatus supported by the housing, the drink supply apparatus configured to removably hold a plurality of removable drink supply containers, each of the drink supply containers having a drink supply outlet valve and a gas inlet valve wherein each of the drink supply containers can contain a variable volume of drink syrup, and the drink syrup in each of the drink supply containers can have a different flavor;

at least one drink supply outlet valve actuator supported by the housing and operable to selectively actuate the drink supply outlet valves;

a water supply apparatus supported by the housing, the water supply apparatus including a carbonated water line, a carbonated water valve connected to the carbonated water line, a water dispenser connected to the carbonated water valve and at least one water valve actuator operable to actuate the carbonated water valve;

a gas supply apparatus supported by the housing, the gas supply apparatus configured to hold at least one gas supply container which can contain a variable volume of carbon dioxide gas, the gas supply container connectable to the water supply apparatus and operable to fluidly communicate with the gas inlet valves of the drink supply containers;

a beverage dispensing apparatus supported by the housing and operable to dispense a plurality of servings of beverages into beverage collectors, each of the beverages having;

(a) at least one of the drink syrups supplied by the drink supply apparatus; and

(b) carbonated water supplied by the carbonated water line;

a support member connected to the housing and configured to support at least one of the beverage collectors at any one time;

at least one beverage requester connected to the housing, the beverage requester enabling a user to input a request for one of the beverages;

a processor in communication with the drink supply apparatus, the drink supply outlet valve actuator, the water valve actuator, the gas supply apparatus, the water supply apparatus and the beverage requester; and

a memory device accessible by the processor, the memory device storing a plurality of instructions executable by the processor to receive a signal from the beverage requester thereby causing the beverage dispensing apparatus to dispense one of the beverages into one of the beverage collectors, the beverage dispensed depending upon the request input by the user.

2. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the beverage requester includes a display device in communication with the processor, the display device having a touch panel.

3. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the beverage requester includes a display device in communication with the processor, the display device having a touch screen.

4. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the beverage requester includes a display device in communication with the processor, the display device having an input screen.

5. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the beverage requester includes a display device in communication with the processor, the display device having a user interface.

6. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the beverage requester includes a display device in communication with the processor, the display device having an indicator.

7. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the beverage requester includes a keyboard.

8. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the beverage requester includes a button.

9. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the beverage requester includes an actuator.

10. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the beverage requester includes an input mechanism enabling the user to select which one of the beverages will be dispensed by the beverage dispensing apparatus.

11. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the beverage requester includes a sensor.

12. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the beverage requester includes a mechanical requester button.

13. The refrigerator of claim 1, which includes a plurality of beverage requesters connected to the housing, each of the beverage requesters associated with one of the beverages, the beverage requesters enabling the user to input requests for different ones of the beverages.

14. A refrigerator comprising:

a housing including a refrigeration compartment and at least one door which allows access to the refrigeration compartment;

a drink supply apparatus supported by the housing, the drink supply apparatus configured to removably hold a plurality of removable drink supply containers, each of the drink supply containers having a drink supply outlet valve and a gas inlet valve wherein each of the drink supply containers can contain a variable volume of drink syrup, and the drink syrup in each of the drink supply containers can have a different flavor;

at least one drink supply outlet valve actuator supported by the housing and operable to selectively actuate the drink supply outlet valves;

a water supply apparatus supported by the housing, the water supply apparatus including a carbonated water line, a carbonated water valve connected to the carbonated water line, a water dispenser connected to the carbonated water valve and at least one water valve actuator operable to actuate the carbonated water valve;

a gas supply apparatus supported by the housing, the gas supply apparatus configured to hold at least one gas supply container which can contain a variable volume of carbon dioxide gas, the gas supply container connectable to the water supply apparatus and operable to fluidly communicate with the gas inlet valves of the drink supply containers;

a beverage dispensing apparatus supported by the housing and operable to dispense a plurality of servings of beverages into beverage collectors, each of the beverages having;

(a) at least one of the drink syrups supplied by the drink supply apparatus; and

(b) carbonated water supplied by the carbonated water line;

a support member connected to the housing and configured to support at least one of the beverage collectors at any one time;

a display device supported by the housing, the display device operable to display a plurality of indicators each of the indicators associated with a different one of the beverages;

at least one beverage requester connected to the housing, the beverage requester enabling a user to select one of the indicators displayed by the display device to input a request for the beverage associated with the selected indicator;

a processor in communication with the drink supply apparatus, the drink supply outlet valve actuator, the water valve actuator, the gas supply apparatus, the water supply apparatus, the display device and the beverage requester; and

a memory device accessible by the processor, the memory device storing a plurality of instructions executable by the processor to receive a signal from the beverage requester thereby causing the beverage dispensing apparatus to dispense one of the beverages into one of the beverage collectors, the beverage dispensed depending upon the request input by the user.

15. The refrigerator of claim 14, wherein the beverage requester is selected from the group consisting of a touch panel, a touch screen, an input screen and a user interface.

16. The refrigerator of claim 14, wherein the beverage requester includes a keyboard.

17. A refrigerator comprising:

a housing including a refrigeration compartment and at least one door which allows access to the refrigeration compartment;

a drink supply apparatus supported by the housing, the drink supply apparatus configured to removably hold a plurality of removable drink supply containers, each of the drink supply containers having a drink supply outlet valve and a gas inlet valve wherein each of the drink supply containers can contain a variable volume of drink syrup, and the drink syrup in each of the drink supply containers can have a different flavor;

at least one drink supply outlet valve actuator supported by the housing and operable to selectively actuate the drink supply outlet valves;

a water supply apparatus supported by the housing, the water supply apparatus including a carbonated water line, a carbonated water valve connected to the carbonated water line, a non-carbonated water line, a non-carbonated water valve connected to the non-carbonated water line, a water dispenser connected to both the carbonated water valve and the non-carbonated water valve, and at least one water valve actuator operable to actuate the carbonated water valve and the non-carbonated water valve;

a gas supply apparatus supported by the housing, the gas supply apparatus configured to hold at least one gas supply container which can contain a variable volume of carbon dioxide gas, the gas supply container connectable to the water supply apparatus and operable to fluidly communicate with the gas inlet valves of the drink supply containers;

a beverage dispensing apparatus supported by the housing and operable to dispense a plurality of servings of beverages into beverage collectors, each of the beverages having;

(a) at least one of the drink syrups supplied by the drink supply apparatus; and

(b) carbonated water supplied by the carbonated water line or non-carbonated water supplied by the non-carbonated water line;

a support member connected to the housing and configured to support at least one of the beverage collectors at any one time;

a display device supported by the housing, the display device operable to display a plurality of indicators each of the indicators associated with a different one of the beverages;

at least one beverage requester connected to the housing, the beverage requester enabling a user to select one of the indicators displayed by the display device to input a request for the beverage associated with the selected indicator;

a processor in communication with the drink supply apparatus, the drink supply outlet valve actuator, the water valve actuator, the gas supply apparatus, the water supply apparatus, the display device and the beverage requester; and

a memory device accessible by the processor, the memory device storing a plurality of instructions executable by the processor to receive a signal from the beverage requester thereby causing the beverage dispensing apparatus to dispense one of the beverages into one of the beverage collectors, the beverage dispensed depending upon the request input by the user.

18. The refrigerator of claim 17, wherein the beverage is selected from the group consisting of a carbonated beverage and a non-carbonated beverage.

19. The refrigerator of claim 18, wherein the indicators have different characteristics associated with different ones of the beverages.

20. The refrigerator of claim 19, wherein the beverage requester is selected from the group consisting of a touch panel, a touch screen, an input screen and a user interface.