Refrigerator having a gas supply apparatus for pressurizing drink supply canisters

• US 20040261443A1
• Filed: 06/28/2004
• Published: 12/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Beverage Works, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Beverage Works, Inc.
• Inventors: Crisp, Harry Lee III, Duff, Todd Erik
• Granted Patent: US 6,915,925 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 62/390
• 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 pressurizable drink supply containers, each of the pressurizable drink supply containers having a drink supply outlet valve and a gas inlet valve, wherein each of the pressurizable drink supply containers can contain a variable volume of drink syrup, and the drink syrup in each of the pressurizable 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 apparatus including;

(a) at least one gas line in fluid communication with the gas supply container, said gas line fluidly connected to the water supply apparatus, wherein the carbon dioxide gas of the gas supply container is used to produce carbonated water flowing through the carbonated water line of the water supply apparatus; and

(b) at least one other gas line in fluid communication with the gas supply container, said other gas line fluidly connectable to the gas inlet valves of the drink supply containers, such that the carbon dioxide gas from the gas supply container pressurizes the drink syrup in the drink supply containers; and

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) the carbonated water supplied by the carbonated water line.

2. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the gas supply apparatus includes a separate gas line fluidly connected to the gas inlet valve of each of the drink supply containers, each of the separate gas lines in fluid communication with the gas supply container.

3. The refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the gas supply apparatus includes a pressure regulator.

4. The refrigerator of claim 3, wherein the pressure regulator has a setting which regulates a flow rate of drink syrup from the drink supply outlet valves of the drink supply containers when the drink supply outlet valves are actuated.

5. 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 pressurizable drink supply containers, each of the pressurizable drink supply containers having a drink supply outlet valve and a gas inlet valve wherein each of the pressurizable drink supply containers can contain a variable volume of drink syrup, and the drink syrup in each of the pressurizable 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 apparatus including;

(a) at least one gas line in fluid communication with the gas supply container, said gas line fluidly connected to the water supply apparatus, wherein the carbon dioxide gas of the gas supply container is used to produce carbonated water flowing through the carbonated water line of the water supply apparatus; and

(b) at least one other gas line in fluid communication with the gas supply container, said other gas line fluidly connectable to the gas inlet valves of the drink supply containers, such that the carbon dioxide gas from the gas supply container pressurizes the drink syrup in the drink supply containers; and

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) the carbonated water supplied by the carbonated water line or non-carbonated water supplied by the non-carbonated water line.

6. The refrigerator of claim 5, wherein the gas supply apparatus includes a separate gas line fluidly connected to the gas inlet valve of each of the drink supply containers, each of the separate gas lines in fluid communication with the gas supply container.

7. The refrigerator of claim 5, wherein the water supply apparatus includes a carbonation tank in fluid communication with the gas supply apparatus.

8. The refrigerator of claim 5, wherein the gas supply apparatus includes a pressure regulator.

9. The refrigerator of claim 8, wherein the pressure regulator has a setting which regulates a flow rate of drink syrup from the drink supply outlet valves of the drink supply containers when the drink supply outlet valves are actuated.

10. 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 pressurizable drink supply containers, each of the pressurizable drink supply containers having a drink supply outlet valve and a gas inlet valve wherein each of the pressurizable drink supply containers can contain a variable volume of drink syrup, and the drink syrup in each of the pressurizable 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 apparatus including;

(a) at least one gas line in fluid communication with the gas supply container, said gas line fluidly connected to the water supply apparatus, wherein the carbon dioxide gas of the gas supply container is used to produce carbonated water flowing through the carbonated water line of the water supply apparatus; and

(b) at least one other gas line in fluid communication with the gas supply container, said other gas line fluidly connectable to the gas inlet valves of the drink supply containers, such that the carbon dioxide gas from the gas supply container pressurizes the drink syrup in the drink supply containers, said pressurization affecting flow rates of the drink syrup from the drink supply outlet valves of the drink supply containers; and

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) the carbonated water supplied by the carbonated water line.

11. The refrigerator of claim 10, wherein the gas supply apparatus includes a separate gas line fluidly connected to the gas inlet valve of each of the drink supply containers, each of the separate gas lines in fluid communication with the gas supply container.

12. The refrigerator of claim 10, wherein the water supply apparatus includes a carbonation tank in fluid communication with the gas supply apparatus.

13. The refrigerator of claim 10, wherein the gas supply apparatus includes a pressure regulator.

14. The refrigerator of claim 13, wherein the pressure regulator has a setting which regulates a flow rate of drink syrup from the drink supply outlet valves when the drink supply outlet valves are actuated.

15. The refrigerator of claim 14, wherein the water supply apparatus includes a water pressure regulator.

16. The refrigerator of claim 10, wherein each of the pressurizable drink supply containers includes a wall which retains carbon dioxide gas and drink syrup within a pressure range of one pound per square inch to one hundred pounds per square inch.