Drink supply canister having a drink supply outlet valve with a rotatable member

• US 20050177454A1
• Filed: 01/14/2005
• Published: 08/11/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Beverage Works, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Beverage Works, Inc.
• Inventors: Crisp, Harry Lee III
• Granted Patent: US 7,389,895 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• 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 drink supply canister for beverage dispensing apparatus for a residential refrigerator. The beverage dispensing apparatus includes a drink supplier including a drink supply canister holder for holding a plurality of the drink supply canisters, and 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 drink supply canister for a beverage dispensing apparatus of a refrigerator, the drink supply canister comprising:

a body having a wall and a plurality of ends connected to the wall, the wall defining a drink supply holding cavity, each of the ends defining at least one opening;

a gas inlet value coupled to one of the ends of the body at or near the opening in said end; and

a drink supply outlet valve coupled to the other end of the body at or near the opening in said other end, the drink supply outlet valve having a rotatable member.

2. The drink supply canister of claim 1, wherein the drink supply outlet valve has an open position when the rotatable member is rotated to one position, and the drink supply outlet valve has a closed position when the rotatable member is rotated to another position.

3. The drink supply canister of claim 2, wherein the rotatable member includes an exterior surface, the exterior surface having a plurality of gear teeth.

4. The drink supply canister of claim 1, wherein the gas inlet valve includes an umbrella valve.

5. The drink supply canister of claim 4, wherein the gas inlet valve includes a grommet.

6. A drink supply canister for a beverage dispensing apparatus of a refrigerator, the drink supply canister comprising:

a body having a wall and a plurality of ends connected to the wall, the wall defining a drink supply holding cavity configured to hold a variable volume of a syrup drink supply, each of the ends defining at least one opening;

a gas inlet valve coupled to one of the ends of the body at or near the opening in said end;

a connection member coupled to the other end of the body at or near the opening in said other end; and

a drink supply outlet valve coupled to the connection member, the drink supply outlet valve having a rotatable member.

7. The drink supply canister of claim 6, wherein the drink supply outlet valve has an open position when the rotatable member is rotated to one position, and the drink supply outlet valve has a closed position when the rotatable member is rotated to another position.

8. The drink supply canister of claim 7, wherein:

(a) when the rotatable member is in the closed position, the rotatable member is in a first position relative to the connection member; and

(b) when the rotatable member is in the open position, the rotatable member is in a second position relative to the connection member, the first position being closer to the connection member than the second position.

9. The drink supply canister of claim 7, wherein the rotatable member includes an exterior surface, the exterior surface having a plurality of gear teeth.

10. The drink supply canister of claim 6, wherein the connection member has an exterior surface, the exterior surface having a plurality of ridges.

11. The drink supply canister of claim 6, wherein the gas inlet valve includes an umbrella valve.

12. The drink supply canister of claim 11, wherein the gas inlet valve includes a grommet.

13. A drink supply canister for a beverage dispensing apparatus of a refrigerator, the drink supply canister comprising:

a body having;

(a) a wall defining a drink supply holding cavity configured to hold a variable volume of a syrup drink supply;

(b) a first end connected to the wall; and

(c) a second end connected to the wall, each of the first and second ends defining an opening;

a gas inlet valve coupled to the first end of the body at or near the opening in the first end, the gas inlet valve having;

(a) an open position which enables a gas to flow into the body to pressurize the syrup drink supply in the body;

(b) a closed position which blocks flow of gas from the body through the gas inlet valve;

(c) a biasing member which predisposes the gas inlet valve to be in the closed position; and

(d) at least one member which, when actuated, causes the gas inlet valve to be in the open position thereby enabling the gas to pressurize the syrup drink supply;

a connection member threadably coupled to the second end of the body at or near the opening in the second end; and

a drink supply outlet valve coupled to the connection member, the drink supply outlet valve having a rotatable member, the rotatable member having an exterior surface which, when engaged, is rotatable between;

(a) a closed position which blocks flow of syrup drink supply from the body through the second opening; and

(b) an open position which enables syrup drink supply to flow from the body though the second opening.

14. The drink supply canister of claim 13, wherein the connection member has an exterior surface, the exterior surface having a plurality of ridges.

15. The drink supply canister of claim 13, wherein the rotatable member includes an exterior surface, the exterior surface having a plurality of gear teeth.

16. The drink supply canister of claim 13, wherein:

(a) when the rotatable member is in the closed position, the rotatable member is in a first position relative to the connection member; and

(b) when the rotatable member is in the open position, the rotatable member is in a second position relative to the connection member, the first position being closer to the connection member than the second position.

17. The drink supply canister of claim 13, wherein the gas inlet valve includes an umbrella valve.

18. The drink supply canister of claim 17, wherein the gas inlet valve includes a grommet.

19. The drink supply canister of claim 13, which includes a first mating member connected to the body, the first mating member adapted to co-act with a second mating member of the beverage dispensing apparatus.